A Prior Engagement (2 page)

She was so quiet when she spoke that William wondered if he was supposed to hear her pleasantry. Regardless, he knew it was for him and that made him smile…
again
. He glanced up and saw Tracy grinning at him as she did a little wave of acknowledgment. William felt embarrassed he’d been caught smiling because of the girl who just left his side. It was obvious by her friendly gesture that Tracy assumed he was smiling at her. She’s cute, but he wasn’t drawn to her like the girl he’d bumped heads with. He returned his focus back to his book and finished highlighting the sentence he wanted to memorize later.

Everleigh made her way two blocks up from Bean There and waited on the side street as instructed the evening before. The car pulled up to the curb promptly at four. She opened the door and tucked her body into the sleek, new sports car. Thomas Whitney loved to show off and this car was his new toy. She believed cars in Manhattan were ridiculous, but would never say such a thing to him. “Hi,” she said in the tone she used to test the waters of her fiancé’s mood.

“How was your day, Everleigh?” Tom’s deep brown eyes drank her in with approval.

She was relieved to hear he was in a good mood. “It was educational.” She laughed at her own joke.
He didn’t
. “We’re starting on the Austen era, so I can’t complain. You know how much I love her work.”

“That’s nice. I’m sure you’ll do great.” He smiled, and patted her on the knee. He was four years older than she was, but often treated her as a child, which she found frustrating and annoying.

But in a turn, his hand slid up her leg and squeezed her thigh, a clear indication of his intentions later that night.

She tensed, undecided how she felt about his gesture at that moment. She should’ve appreciated that he was touching her gently, but she didn’t.

Glancing at him, she noticed his usually meticulous styled hair was in slight disarray and needed a trim. She liked his hair a little longer. The wavy blonde locks made him look younger than his personality made him seem, but she knew to keep such thoughts to herself.

His shirt was a little wrinkled. She only noticed because his tie was loosened at the collar, which was unusual for him.

“How was your day?” she asked curious to why he looked worn out.

Closing his eyes briefly, Tom rolled his neck to the side to release the tension. She knew he carried it in his shoulders. “It was fine.” His response was short as was his tone.

He gave her leg another squeeze, and she took a deep breath to counteract the gasp that wanted to escape instead. His touch was all wrong, but she remained still and composed. If she was truthful, it wasn’t just this one time. His touch hadn’t felt right in a long time.
He
hadn’t felt right in a long time. She tamped down those feelings and concentrated on the present. Dwelling on memories of the past wouldn’t change her future.

After buckling her seatbelt, she folded her hands in her lap as he pulled into traffic. The distance to her home wasn’t far, but with city traffic, it always took longer than it should. As it started to sprinkle on the windshield, Everleigh directed her attention to the people on the sidewalk.

When the drizzle turned to rain, Tom asked, “Aren’t you glad you’re not out there?”

She nodded to please him. It was easier to agree. She didn’t want to start an argument over something he didn’t expect a response to in the first place. He often asked questions he wanted her to agree to, not give her opinion.

Trapped inside the car, she wished she were out there with the strangers on the street. She couldn’t remember the last time she walked in the rain, or even got caught in it, reminding her of an old song her nanny used to sing. After thoughts of pina coladas crossed her mind, she tried to remember the last time she had walked home from school. Before today, the Town Car was always prompt, picking her up at four o’clock. It was a very manageable walk, but she struggled to remember it.

Although the change in cars was nice, the pressing silence saddened her when she realized how closed-off she had become to the rest of the world. She watched it roll by from the confines of the luxury car, knowing she was allowed to touch it, but not be a part of it. She didn’t realize what she was truly choosing when she chose Tom, but four years later it was becoming quite apparent.

The doorman rushed to escort his residents to the protection of the awning that led to the shiny glass and brass doors just as Tom pulled up to the curb. Walter opened the car door and greeted the couple with a smile. “Good afternoon, Miss Wright, Mr. Whitney.”

“Good afternoon, Walter. Only a drop off today. Take care of my girl.” Tom winked at Everleigh before he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

His gentle kiss reminded her of how sweet he could be when he chose to be. His youthfulness was showing. That was the side of him she had fallen in love with, which was also the side of him she thought he’d outgrown. “You’re not coming up?”

“I can’t, but I’ll be back around six-thirty.”

She nodded as she stepped out of the car then dashed for the door. Walter raced to keep up, but she got to the door first. She held it open for her doorman, enjoying the reversal of roles.

Tom hit his palm against the steering wheel twice he was so mad. He hated when she acted childish because it was a glaring reminder of how much more he needed to teach her. Angry, he pulled into traffic, realizing he would need to have another discussion with her about her behavior. That was an issue he thought he’d already covered.

A sudden rush of freedom swept over her as she rode the twelve floors up. Once inside, she went straight to her room.

After one loud knock on the door, her sister Audrey barged in, making herself comfortable on the bed. “Hey, Evie, what’s going on?”

Her sister lounged across her bed watching Everleigh stand in front of her large bay window.

“It’s raining,” Everleigh said wistfully, her thoughts still on the inclement weather.

“Yeah, I know. I’m bummed. I really wanted to go out.”

Surprised by the whine in her sister’s tone, Everleigh turned around, and asked, “Why don’t you then?”

“Well.” Audrey paused before speaking again as if in debate. “I guess I could—”

“You should. I can go with you.” Everleigh grabbed her sister’s hand and dragged her toward the elevator.

The doors opened, but Audrey hesitated, stopping her sister from moving forward. “We don’t have our coats—”

In her excitement, Everleigh lowered her voice as if to share a secret. “I know.”

They rode down together and as soon as the elevator doors reopened, Everleigh ran like she was escaping. In her mind, that was exactly what she was doing even if for only a few minutes. By the time she reached the sidewalk, the last drop of rain hit her hair then the clouds parted to reveal the afternoon sun. Releasing one long exhale of disappointment, she struggled to keep the tears at bay.

“What’s going on with you?” With her hands on her hips, Audrey’s face showed her concern.

“I… I don’t remember the last time I felt rain. I wanted to feel the rain again. That’s all.”

Since Everleigh was already outside, she made the decision to stay there, and started walking down the street. As the distance grew behind her, Walter stepped outside and asked, “Miss Wright, are you okay?”

Tom had always been very adamant about her being escorted down the streets of Manhattan, even if it was in the well-heeled Upper East Side. She hummed trying to rid her mind of Tom’s condescending voice echoing inside her head. She didn’t want to over think a simple walk or feel guilty for doing something for herself.

Having heard her parents and Tom’s warning about the impropriety of the surrounding area to her posh neighborhood many times, she took a deep breath as a feeling of liberation came over her. Going against their direct wishes, she continued walking the four blocks to the section of Central Park she remembered being closest to her building. Holding her breath in anticipation, she hoped it was the part of the park she remembered from when she was a child.

She gasped when the park came into view. It was breathtaking. The flowers were starting to emerge from the dead of winter and the trees were showing their newest green leaves. The yellow tulips and the Redbud trees were in full bloom and she could see raindrops falling from the lowest leaves of the Weeping Willow off to the left. This park was the most beautiful place she had ever seen. Amongst the beauty of new life, she found herself wanting the same for herself.

Inhaling her surroundings, she enjoyed the scents of freshly cut grass and the recent rain mingling with the breeze. With hope in her heart, she allowed herself five minutes of bliss in this little piece of heaven before she decided it was time to head back home, but not before promising herself she would return soon.

Two hours later, she was dressed and ready for the night ahead. She plastered on her expected smile and walked out to a gathering of their families. Tom greeted her with a kiss on the cheek while handing her a glass of champagne. “You look beautiful, darling.”

She continued to smile, finding pleasure in the knowledge she could still excite him in that way. “Thank you.” She kept her tone polite and formal, the way she was raised.

She joined the ladies in their genteel conversations of brunches, ballets, and charities to keep up appearances while sipping her champagne as a distraction from the shallowness of it all.

Dinner conversation at the upscale restaurant was easy. She had mastered this social game and Tom was always happier in these settings, which eased her mind, even if only for a moment. She also knew she made him proud of her in these situations. She was charming, learning early in her upbringing that others loved to talk about themselves. She gave them that opportunity. She also let Tom bask in the praise he received on his choice of partner, though he never used the word partner when speaking to her.

This was a good night and it made her wonder how he would act once they were alone. He was unpredictable and she felt conflicted. She had wanted his appreciation for so long that when he gave it to her, it made her question the negative thoughts she had been having recently.

Chapter 2

William left the coffeehouse an hour after the girl, convinced his fascination in her was well-placed. She was different from the other girls he knew. She was quiet and thoughtful, insightful, and a little quirky. She didn’t flirt or question him to see what he had to offer. She had an innocence about her he found enchanting and he liked the way her face lit up over the little things, like the coffee drink she had ordered. Behind her buttoned-up image, she seemed to appreciate simpler things in life like he did.

Maybe it was the short time he spent with her, or the second cup of coffee, but he was feeling energized, so he decided to ride the ferry to Staten Island to visit his family. He hopped onto the dock, grabbed a cab to the house he grew up in, and entered as if he still lived there. After he made a sandwich and watched the news, his brother Dallas sauntered in with his girlfriend Abby in tow.

“Well, I guess that’s one way to ruin a mood,” Dallas said, signaling toward his brother who was sitting on the couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table.

“Good to see you too.” William waved to them over the back of his head.

“We have thirty minutes until Mom’s home. Couldn’t you have come for a visit just thirty minutes later?”

William laughed because he had blocked their teenage romp. “I’ll keep that in mind next time. Hey, Abby, good to see you.”

“Yeah, you too, Will.” She took Dallas by the hand and said, “We always have my house.”

“Hey! Whatever happened to good old angst, maybe even a little romance?” William sat up to look over his shoulder at the young couple, but a pillow hit him in the face.

Dallas turned to Abby and explained his brother’s view on dating. “Remember, he’s into old-fashioned courting and stuff like that.” Dallas and Abby went upstairs, making a quick getaway.

William knew they were hoping to use up the few minutes of unsupervised time they had left and he let them be.

An hour later, food was on the table and the dinner conversation was lighthearted as his family caught up on their days’ activities. He took in each of their faces—mom, dad, and brother— memorizing their smiles and the lively sounds of their interactions. Living in the city, he missed this. There was security here amongst his tight-knit family.