A Prior Engagement

by S. L. Scott

  And with that tiny texted question she knew she had to see him. She felt happy and typed: I will. Her hands shook from nervousness waiting for his response even though she didn’t even ask him anything.

  Her phone beeped and written on the screen was: It’s a date.

  It’s a date. A date. Her mind was focused on him alone, leaving her realities behind as her stomach did flips and she jumped to her feet, running into her closet. She had no idea of what to wear to the park in the middle of the afternoon to meet a boy that you like a lot. She settled on a pair of jeans because William was a jeans kind of guy and she so desperately wanted to be a jeans kind of girl. But, jeans baffled Evie in many ways. Her mother had raised her to believe that etiquette deemed jeans were for ranchers or to wear when helping someone move, which they never had. They were not for everyday use and she wouldn’t approve of them for a casual walk in the park on a sunny Saturday afternoon in Manhattan. What if someone saw her?

  On the other hand, she had worn them once before on the ferry and her sister practically lived in jeans when not doing the family thing. Apparently when it came to her family, it is acceptable for seventeen-year-olds to wear them out of the house, but not anyone above high school age.

  With that challenge firmly set in her mind, she slipped on a pair she felt looked quite nice on her and grabbed a green shirt from its hanger. While putting on her metallic flats she pulled her hair back in an untidy ponytail and left the house. Looking at her watch when she entered the lobby, she saw Joe was here today, and smiled at him trying to race him to the door. Unlike Walter, he was overly serious on the job and wasn’t amused by her antics.

  William showered then pulled out a pair of khaki slacks hanging in his closet. He knew Evie would appreciate that he wasn’t wearing jeans and he wanted her to know through this gesture that he wasn’t just a jeans and T-shirt kind of guy. He searched through his three clothes stashes: the closet, under the bed, and in the small dresser for his one nice collared shirt, but couldn’t find it. He must have left it at his parents’ home the last time he exchanged his summer clothes for his winter ones. Frustrated, he grabbed a plain heather grey T-shirt and threw one of his plaid flannel shirts over it. He knew he couldn’t tuck these in or he would look ridiculous, so he left them hanging over the top of the pants. He threw on his sneakers doubting his look, but headed over to meet her anyway. When he rode into the park, he smiled at the simplicity and beauty of her choice of favorite places.

  As she rounded the corner to the park, she saw William locking his bike to a park bench. She hurried over and hugged him as he stood up. After catching his balance, he wrapped his arms around her not letting this opportunity pass. The smell of her hair mixed with the feel of her body against him almost did him in, but he changed his thoughts to Dachshunds on leashes, burly men smoking cigars, and his aunt’s weird obsession with ceramic pigs. That did the trick. Pigs, burly smoking men, and dogs were not sexy in the least.

  Evie had seen that strange look of confusion before on William. It made her feel that maybe she had crossed the line with him. But when he smiled at her, taking her hand in his, and asked, “Shall we walk?” all her self-doubts disappeared. They walked all the way to down to the water and then back. There was not a lack of conversational topics and the other person always listened with great interest. Two hours had passed when Evie looked at her watch. “I have to go, William. I have to get back home.”

  They stood facing each other while holding both their hands together near his chained bike. William didn’t want to take his eyes off her because he knew he wouldn’t see this beautiful girl for two more days once they parted. But, she needed to go, he reminded himself and they dropped their hands to their respective sides.

  Her hands felt empty without his, which triggered a train of thought signaling his importance in her life. She once again swept those feelings under the rug in her mind that it’s not her choice to make and to focus on the moment. William started unlocking his bike and Evie decided to be brave and honest. “I think you look great. I really like your pants.”

  William laughed. “This is my version of dressing up for you.” He propped his bike against the park bench then walked back taking her in his arms, and whispered, “You look incredible in jeans.” He kissed her on the top of the head then grabbed his bike again. “I’ll see you on Monday.”

  “Okay. Monday.” Evie smiled, watching him ride away. It was an uncontrollable, silly kind of smile. She felt light and pretty from his words. She had never heard such a sexy compliment in all her life. With a sudden burst of energy, she started running home filled with excitement. As the world blurred by, she decided right then that she would buy more jeans . . . and wear them more often.

  Evie had been reading a style magazine and feeling relaxed after arriving home, relaxed enough to kick her feet up on the coffee table just as Tom walked into the room, startling her. He hadn’t been announced by security, which usually gave her enough time to prepare for his visits. After a very cut and dried greeting, she stood to go to her room and change clothes. She saw the way he looked at her, judging her attire, though he said nothing. Tom followed her into the bedroom. His tone was demanding when he said, “I don’t want to be late, Everleigh, get a move on.”

  “Late for what?” She snapped back, already feeling beyond irritated by his shortness with her.

  “We’re meeting with the project manager for the Chicago expansion. He’s bringing his wife. Did you forget?”

  “Oh, uh . . .” She had forgotten which was very unlike her, but didn’t have time to finish her cover up before being interrupted.

  “You have a planner for a reason, use it. I can’t have you missing important meetings. That would be embarrassing.”

  “Embarrassing for you or me?” she asked.

  “Both! Now get in the shower. You smell like the outdoors.” He dismissed her with a wave of his hand and left the room.

  She should have known they had plans when he showed up. They didn’t ‘hang out’ that much. It seemed to her they had become stale a long time ago and at this stage, it was a matter of convenience to have a steady date to all of these events they were expected to attend.

  Change was coming though. She could feel it on the inside, and in her heart. Fear had kept her here, but could this other emotion blossoming inside overtake that fear? Not tonight, but she liked the feeling of hope that was building at just the thought.

  Everleigh rinsed the outdoors off as she had been told and thought back to a conversation her dad had with her the night of her first date with Tom.

  “Honey, this is a very important time in your life,” he said, standing in front of her window, looking out. He turned to face his eldest daughter as he continued. “We’re good friends with the Whitneys’. You told your mother once that you thought Tom was attractive. This is your chance. You winning is the same as our family winning. You are our star, Everleigh.”

  There seemed to be an intensity on his face that wasn’t normally present when he spoke to her. But it was there now as he continued. “It’s time you start thinking about your future, honey. It seems a lot of young men of proper background are marrying Europeans they meet on holiday. The number of eligible men in your age range is dwindling and Manhattan has a lot of competition. Tom is a catch—a damn good catch. We’ve known his family and him almost his entire life. He could bring a lot to the Wright family. ” He rubbed his chin. “You’re an adult now and I need you to think about the future of the Wrights and our place in society. Don’t disappoint your mother and me.” He walked to the door and opened it, but stopped long enough to say, “Keep that in mind tonight.”

  At seventeen, I was surprised I was even allowed to go out with a twenty-two-year- old.

  Evie felt sick as the water beat down on her. She grabbed her stomach as if she had a cramp, the guilt her parents burdened her with twisting the hope that now eluded her. She slowly slid down the white tiled wall and gave herself two solid min
utes to cry before she stood back up. It may be a burden, but as her father said, it was on her to carry it now for the family. Lifting her chin to regain her composure, she swallowed hard then turned off the shower. Her mindset was back where it needed to be because she would do anything for her family and this was all for them.

  In the back of the car on the way to dinner, Everleigh watched Tom as he took a business call. She looked at his eyes and how focused they were. She watched as his hand tapped his leg, reinforcing the authority in his tone. When he glanced over at her and smiled, she saw it held no malice or irritation. It was sincere, genuine in nature, and her return smile was automatic.

  She used to love him. She used to be in love with him. This engagement was not forced. In the beginning, she had wanted this. She had wanted to be his wife one day, but somewhere between then and now, things had changed. She had changed. As she watched him hang up his call, she knew he had changed, and not for the better. Maybe it was a domino effect. Maybe he was who he was because of whom she was now.

  She also believed that she deserved happiness. Determined to regain her teenage dreams of him, she thought she might be able to find that love again. She had to . . . for her family.

  Just before midnight, Everleigh walked into her bedroom and saw the jeans she had worn earlier lying on the floor. She pulled them on before she even took her dress off. After slipping her dress off, she hung it back in her closet then pulled the T-shirt she also wore earlier back on. She climbed into bed and in the dark and quiet of her room, she could smell the outdoors and William all around her. And if she concentrated on the image of William at the park today, she could also feel his body against hers. She fell asleep with her arms wrapped around herself, finding comfort in the memories.

  This same night, William went to a baseball game with his childhood best friend, Bobby, and his little brother, Dallas. A guy’s night out was always a good time, but he found tonight his thoughts were elsewhere. As the game went into extra innings, Dallas noticed William wasn’t his usual talkative self. He nudged him and asked, “So, who’s the girl?”

  “What?” William looked to his right in surprise.

  “Who’s the girl who has you looking like a jackass with that goofy grin you’ve been sporting all night?” his brother asked again.

  Bobby jumped on this opportunity as it all became clear to him. He loved to taunt and wouldn’t miss an opportunity. “Give us the deets, man. We know you’ve got’em.”

  “There’s a girl,” he admitted, turning back to Dallas, “that I like.”

  “Where’d you meet her?”

  “She’s in one of my classes.” William’s response was sharp, trying to end the conversation because his admission made him feel uncomfortable. He wasn’t ready to share Evie with them just yet.

  Sensing his unease, Dallas made a suggestion. “Bring her home soon. She sounds like someone we should meet.”

  “Yeah, maybe I will.”

  Chapter 12

  Exam day. William leaned to his left and whispered, “Good luck,” just as Evie said it to him. After a shared laugh, they begin the test.

  Since she finished before him, she walked down the stairs to hand in her paper.

  When William finished, he saw Professor Lang speaking with Evie at his desk. Wanting to give them time to talk, he walked down the stairs, taking his time. He hoped Lang was giving her the news she wanted to hear, which was the same thing he wanted—she’s in the summer program. After setting his paper in the tray, he left not realizing she was trailing behind.

  As soon as they reached the hallway, Evie asked with hope in her voice, “I’ve got the whole day, what about you?”

  William turned around, happy to have her near, but paused to look her in the eyes and give her his most devilish smile. “When you say the whole day, do mean the entire day or an hour or so and then you have some other commitment to rush off to?”

  She didn’t even try to fight a laugh. She tilted her head and enjoyed hearing his excitement in the prospect of time together, but clarified for his sake. “The whole day, not night, but day.”

  He grabbed her by the hand, and greedily announced, “You’re all mine then! Come on, let’s go.”

  They hopped on the subway down to Battery Park and she started to question their destination. “The ferry again?” she asked, raising her eyebrows, when they arrived. “You might need to seek help for this obsession with boats after you work out your highlighter addiction.”

  “I’m taking you home.” He smirked, feeling lighthearted while teasing her.

  “We were closer to your home when we were at school.”

  “I’m taking you to Staten Island to meet my family.”

  If it wasn’t attached, Evie swore her chin would have hit the ground, but in his happiness, William leaned down while sliding his hands into her hair and kissed her, calming her developing concerns. Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around his neck needing this kiss more than she ever thought possible. When their lips parted she leaned her forehead against his shoulder smiling and felt breathless. “That was just…” She didn’t finish, but instead sighed with a smile on her face.

  William grinned at her, his eyes sparkling as hers looked up with a sense of vulnerability. Holding her close, he kissed the top of her head. He wanted to take away all of her concerns and worries and for her always to feel safe in his arms.

  Evie’s eyes watered from the joy she felt in her heart and she realized that unconditional love did exist in the world and she had found it. He loved her for her. Her family’s name and money didn’t matter. Tears slipped down her cheek, but she wiped them away before William was the wiser.

  When the ferry blew its horn, he grabbed her hand and said, “Let’s run for it.” They ran just as the bridge was pulling back from shore. They made it onboard and he promptly wrapped his arms around her again, loving the way her body fit with his. He hadn’t had a girlfriend in a couple of years, not wanting one because he wasn’t meeting the right girls. But with her, he wanted all of that and more. He couldn’t resist sharing a secret with her, so he leaned down close to her ear. “I never knew true happiness until now.”

  He placed three consecutive kisses on her neck, making her knees weak. She gripped the railing a little tighter to help support her faltering weight.

  Being sentimental, William wanted to tell her he loved her and be with her forever, but he knew it was too soon and that would scare her. Instead, he held her with one protective arm around her waist and entwined their fingers.

  When they reached the Staten Island dock, they walked toward a main road. Evie was unfamiliar with the island and was curious. “Do we need a cab?” She held her hand across her stomach as butterflies threatened to escape. She couldn’t believe she was going to meet his family. She hadn’t had enough time to come to terms that this was real and going to happen.

  “Yeah, come with me and stay close.”

  Although that statement should have worried her, her stomach settled when she saw how comfortable he was in his hometown surroundings. William pointed out the different sights of his childhood neighborhood as they took the short cab ride. She found it interesting that she had always thought he seemed so in his element in Manhattan as well. It was then that she realized he was just happy in life and that transcended to wherever he was physically. No wonder she always enjoyed being with him.

  After they arrived and he paid the ten-dollar cab fare, he said, “My parents bought this house the year they married twenty-five years ago.”

  “That’s incredible. I can’t wait to see inside.” The house was older, but she could tell that they took care of it. She wanted to know everything about him, and that he trusted her enough to bring her here spoke volumes to her heart.

  “My family’s not home yet, but they will be soon. Get ready.”

  “Get ready? Is that a warning?”

  He laughed and took her inside the living room without explaining further, setting th
eir backpacks near the door. She stood there not wanting to intrude, waiting for him to lead the way. Evie noticed the living room was cozy and the furniture looked well lived in. She liked that it looked like homes she had seen on television—not perfect, but real.

  William walked into the kitchen, inviting her to come with him. The kitchen was of decent size and there was a table placed near the window with just enough room between the counter and table to walk to the back door. “Soda?” he asked, bending over with his head hidden behind the open fridge door.

  Her eyes widened at the site of his backside and smiled enjoying the view. “Yes, please.” She giggled while looking around the room where she saw a large family portrait hanging on the opposite wall. “You were a cute kid.”

  “Hey, I’m not that old now.” He handed her a glass of cola and they went back into the living room.

  “Well, you’re pretty cute now, too.”

  He laughed.

  “I want to see your old room, will you show me?” She wanted to see William’s history, his life. She wanted to see everything he was willing to share with her.

  “It’s embarrassing because they haven’t changed it since I left. I think they still want me home,” he said, climbing the stairs.

  “Or they want you to stay seventeen and under their thumb forever.”

  Leading her out of his small childhood bedroom, he said, “I don’t think my parents want me seventeen again. I got into a lot of trouble.” He laughed at the memories, but she didn’t respond. Noticing her hesitation at the door, he told her, “You can snoop. I don’t mind.”

  “You know I want to.” She was giddy as she walked around the room looking at random knick-knacks, trophies, awards, and books. “Wow! Your bookcase here is even bigger than the one at your place in the city.”

  “I keep my favorites with me, but I can’t part with these either. One day I dream of having a library inside my home.”

  “You should come to my house and see ours. It’s an entire wall of the informal living room. I’ve helped acquire a lot of the collection.”