The Arrangement Read online

  “I’m sorry, I hope my coming to dinner or sending flowers had nothing to do with it.” His tone was low. “I just wanted you to know I understood your predicament and sympathized.”

  “No.” She shook her head slightly. “I thought about what my parents said over the weekend. I love Ben, but he doesn’t deserve what my parents and their friends would put him through. They would never accept him. If we married, they would make life unbearable. He deserves better than that.”

  Evie picked at her napkin and tried to conjure up some tears. What she said was the truth, except the part about sparing Ben. He deserved more, but he could handle whatever her parents threw at him.

  “You must really love him to make that kind of sacrifice,” he replied.

  Evie looked back at him, wondering if he could see through her ruse. Genuine concern filled his eyes, and guilt twinged in her stomach. Evie shrugged. “So what about you? I’m guessing you don’t have a girlfriend the way my parents blatantly threw me at you the other night.”

  A light shade of crimson rose to Eli’s cheeks. “No one at the moment.”

  “But there was someone?” Curiosity replaced the guilt. “Did she have anything to do with you moving back?”

  Eli wrinkled his forehead. “Yes, there was someone, and I’m still not sure if she had anything to do with me being here. When I left D.C., I promised she wasn’t the reason. If I intended to get into politics, I needed to start somewhere I would have a chance of winning an election. With Dad’s reputation it seemed natural to come back here.”

  “So what happened?” Evie resisted the urge to perch on the edge of her seat.

  Eli shifted uncomfortably. “I wouldn’t want to bore you.”

  “That’s not quite fair,” she whined and pushed her lower lip out in a flirty pout. “You know all about Ben and me. Isn’t it only fair for you to open up to me, too?”

  Eli twisted one side of his mouth. “You’re right, but I hate talking about old girlfriends. She grew up in a tough home. Her mother left when she was in grade school, and her father was an alcoholic. She worked hard through school to get a scholarship to college and moved away from home when she turned eighteen. We met when we were juniors in college, and I fell in love instantly.”

  As Eli talked about his ex-girlfriend, he seemed uneasy. She’d wondered what it would take to shake his confidence and now she’d found his hot button. Strangely, it brought her no pleasure. “So what happened?” she pressed gently.

  He sighed, as if resigning himself to telling the full story. “We were engaged when my father passed away. She seemed to think I would simply step into Dad’s shoes. At that time I wasn’t sure that’s what I wanted to do. If I did go into politics, I knew I would need to come back here to start. She kept pushing me to call Dad’s colleagues in D.C. to ask for a job in one of their offices. When I tried to explain that I was waiting for God to show me his direction, she got really upset. Later, when the invitations to the top political functions stopped coming, she became more and more irritated.” Eli paused to sip his coffee, then turned to stare out the window into the afternoon sun.

  Finally, something real about this guy. Unable to wait for him to continue, she prodded him a bit. “So what did she do?” she asked quietly, hoping her voice did not sound too eager.

  Eli swiveled his gaze back to Evie. “She found someone who still received those invitations and broke it off with me,” he said in a straightforward manner.

  Evie bit the corner of her lip as she stared at Eli. He dipped his head as he concentrated on his cup of coffee. She had no idea discussing this woman would upset him so much. When he finally looked up, his eyes held a dark sadness. She swallowed her next question. Maybe she had already pushed him too far for the day.

  She had intended to use him as an example of how miserable her parents’ choice would make her, but she hadn’t planned to make him miserable in the process. Then again, if she pushed him, if he revealed more of himself to her, she would know what to say and do to keep him at arm’s length so he didn’t get hurt when she eventually broke up with him.

  “So when you told me to hold on to Ben if he was truly uninterested in my family’s name and money, you were really talking about…”

  “Whitney.” His voice was raspy and deep with emotion.

  “Whitney,” she echoed, letting the woman’s name drift into the air between them. She wondered for a moment what this Whitney looked like. Was she tall and blond, with a model’s figure? Or was she a brunette with blue eyes to match Eli’s and a sparkling personality? What attracted Eli to her? Had he dated since they broke up?

  Questions tumbled through her brain, but she lacked the courage to ask them. The silence between them lengthened. She sipped her coffee and considered options for changing the subject. She would return to Whitney, but not today. Today he seemed so far away already. If he remembered too much about Whitney too soon, he might be afraid to call Evie again.

  “How did you decide you did want to go into politics, like your dad?” she asked.

  Like flipping a switch, Eli’s eyes sparkled again. “Well, when Whitney left, I was devastated to say the least. I talked to Mom, and she suggested I pray about the whole situation. I thought I had my life pretty well mapped out, and Whitney’s leaving made everything fall apart. I knew Mom was right, but the more I prayed the more uncertain I was. Nothing seemed right anymore. I put my townhouse on the market about the same time Whitney left because I knew I couldn’t stay in D.C. anymore. But I didn’t know where I needed to go.

  “About a month later the partners from Dad’s old law firm called and offered me a job. I was confused and stunned at first, but the more I considered their offer, the more I knew it was the right thing to do. So here I am.”

  “Following in your dad’s footsteps,” Evie murmured.

  “I guess so.” Eli chuckled a little. “I’m still not sure about going into politics, though. I kind of like my house and land and the small-town atmosphere. In D.C., I didn’t have any of that. Everything is so fast-paced, and everyone is out for themselves. No one thinks about helping someone else. Here it’s a different story.”

  Evie narrowed her eyes as she considered his last comment. For years she had longed to escape the small town Eli claimed as his safe harbor. She never thought about the kindness and routine of everyday life there. And she had never considered the harshness of living in a large city like D.C. She imagined the constant motion of people moving into and out of the city day and night. The buzz and whoosh of cars up and down the interstate. The shrill laughter of young adults enjoying a night out after work. The low chuckles of old politicians telling war stories and arguing about policies.

  Her mind shifted from her dream of city life back to the small town Eli already loved. What Eli perceived as “helping” and interested in people Evie would describe as nosy and full of gossip. In fact, she wondered how long it would take for her coffee date with Eli to make its way back to her parents. In a way she hoped news of their meeting would travel quickly. Then her parents would believe that she was following their wishes. At last the plan she and Ben had concocted was being set into motion.

  Ben. For the first time since the beginning of her conversation with Eli, his name barged into her head. She had gotten so wrapped up in Eli’s life story, she had almost forgotten about her second date for the evening. She tried to casually glance at her watch. She still had a little time before she needed to leave to meet Ben, but she had to stay on task.

  “What?” Eli asked.

  Evie looked up from her watch to see him staring at her, his brows arched. “What do you mean?”

  “You looked like you were thinking hard about something. I just wondered what had captured you so intently.”

  Evie smiled, hoping to hide her guilty sigh of relief. “Nothing. I just thought about how differently you and I see small-town life. I guess it helps if living in a big place is all you’ve ever known.�
��

  Evie peered up at Eli through her eyelashes. How much of herself could she reveal before she got too personal? Words started to spill from her lips before she could consider the idea any further. “I’ve always wanted to live somewhere like New York or D.C. Somewhere people don’t know me or my story. Where my parents are unknown, middle-income people compared to the richness of the people around me. Somewhere I can blend into the background and escape the expectations of the small town.”

  “Expectations like the ones your parents have about who you should marry?” Eli met her eyes with his and held her gaze steady.

  “Yeah.” Suddenly she felt as though Eli could read her mind. A blush crept onto her cheeks. What would Eli say if he found out her interest in him was only a distraction created to keep her parents happy? He seemed like a nice enough guy. Was it really fair to trap him in such a scheme?

  She shook her head. It was the only way. She could not help it if someone innocent got caught in the mix. Her parents should have thought about that before they insisted that she leave Ben and attach herself to this lawyer. Besides, was Eli not like her parents anyway? Had he not played along with their dinner scheme last week?

  She worked to reset her motives. She could not get caught up in Eli’s ideas and future plans. He’s a means to an end, that’s all, she reminded herself. Glancing at her watch, she realized the time had almost gotten away from her for the second time that afternoon. She had agreed to meet Ben in half an hour, and it would take her a little more time than that to get to the restaurant.

  “Oh, Eli,” she groaned, hoping she sounded regretful, “I promised my lab partner I would meet her so we could review our notes for our test next week. I really need to go.” She recited the “out” she’d rehearsed several times before arriving at the coffee house.

  Eli looked at his watch, too. “I didn’t realize how late it was. I’m sorry for keeping you so long.”

  In unison they scooted their chairs from the table, picked up their now empty cups, and moved toward the nearest trash can. Realizing they were reaching for the same thing at the same time, their eyes locked for a moment and they laughed.

  “You first.” Eli gestured toward the garbage can.

  “Thanks,” Evie replied, uncomfortable for the first time that day.

  They started to part ways in the parking lot without another word when Eli called to her, “Hey, Evie.” She pivoted toward him. “I know you and Ben just broke up, but I was wondering…would you like to have dinner sometime?”

  What a hypocrite, she silently chastised him. He talks about his ex’s interest only in his name, and isn’t that why he’s asking me out, for my name? A quiet voice calmed her before she could comment sarcastically. But isn’t this what you wanted, Evie? Isn’t this part of the plan?

  Realizing Eli was still waiting for her response, she plastered on a shaky smile. “Sure, why not? It will make my parents happy, and maybe it will help me forget about Ben.” She regretted those last words when she saw the momentary pain on Eli’s face.

  “I’ll call you then and see what night works,” he promised before adding, “Evie, I really enjoyed getting together today. Thanks.”

  “Yeah, me, too,” she answered softly as guilt gnawed at her. She walked quickly back to her Beemer and peeked toward where Eli climbed into his sedan. He was so different from Ben. She guessed growing up in D.C. as the son of a politician had taught him how to carry on a conversation with anyone and how to appear to have a good time no matter how bored you were. Ben could never carry off even a half-hour coffee meeting with someone with whom he had nothing in common.

  She grimaced as she remembered the pained silence that filled the room during his few visits with her parents, a prime example of his inability to carry on a light conversation. Ben wanted so desperately to make something of himself, to offer the life to her and their future children that he never had. But current events bored him while the latest ballgame of whatever sport completely enthralled him. Her parents’ interest in sports never moved past the college’s homecoming game and even then sometimes they were so caught up in socializing during the tailgate before the game they never actually made it to the field until well after half-time. In contrast to Ben, their interest in current events, particularly world health issues, dominated their conversations.

  Evie shook her head. The glowing green numbers on the dashboard clock reminded her she would be late for the only date that mattered.

  Just over a half hour later she arrived in the crowded parking lot of a rustic diner. The paint on the wooden building peeled in the damp fall weather. A flashing arrow sign proudly proclaimed the nightly special of chicken-fried steak and mashed potatoes. Secretly she thought about how comforting this traditionally Southern food would taste but then reminded herself of the extra pounds it would add and the arteries it would clog—all indoctrinations that stemmed from living with two doctors most of her life.

  She eased through the gravel parking lot to an empty space almost hidden from view behind the building. She had seen Ben’s Honda on the other side of the lot but decided to park as far from him as possible. Her shiny BMW convertible stuck out among the sedans and mini-vans enough, so she did not need to draw attention to his vehicle as well. She pulled a scarf from her purse and tied it attractively around her shining blond hair to keep it from glowing too much in the headlights of the other vehicles pulling into the parking lot. It was starting to turn dark so early now.

  With one last glance through the parking lot she climbed from her car and weaved through the other vehicles, her loafers crunching the gravel beneath her feet with every step. Her heart rate quickened as the headlights of another vehicle momentarily spotlighted her. She automatically turned her face away, hoping the driver would not recognize her.

  “Man, I’m paranoid,” she whispered to herself. Would any of her parents’ friends actually come to a joint like this? Probably not, but their patients might, and she couldn’t take any chances. She grimaced as her hand slid on a greasy door handle. She held the offending hand away from her, wishing for a clean sink and soap. Something told her it wouldn’t be the only time that evening she would wish to wash away the grime of such a quaint restaurant.

  But all thoughts of grimy hands and greasy door handles slid from her mind as she saw Ben. He sat in a corner booth in the back of the restaurant with a tall menu hiding all but his intense brown eyes. They sparkled as they locked with hers.

  “Table for one, miss?” a tall, overly tanned woman asked, her voice husky and breath heavy with cigarette smoke. She stopped talking before Evie had a chance to really look, but she was almost certain several of the woman’s front teeth were missing.

  Evie smiled politely. “No, I’m meeting someone,” she explained in a heavy Southern accent and headed toward the table where her sweetheart waited for her. As she approached, dodging servers with food-laden trays, she wondered if she looked okay. She had tried to downplay her fashion sense for the evening. She hadn’t felt so nervous about a date since the first night she and Ben went out. The butterflies in her stomach nose-dived when Ben winked at her.

  “Hi,” she whispered as she finally sat opposite him.

  “Hi, yourself,” he whispered in return as he moved the menu and showered her with a glowing smile. “You’re late,” he reminded her with an edge of scolding even though the smile never faded.

  How could she tell him she was caught up in a date with another man? Sure, the date was Ben’s idea, but how would he react when he discovered she forgot about the time?

  “I’m sorry,” she retorted and grimaced at her tone. She didn’t want the evening to start this way. They would have a lot of secret dinners over the next several months. She didn’t want to get off to a bad start. “Traffic was horrible,” she explained, hating the lie that escaped her lips.

  Ben reached for her hand and clasped it in his. “I’m sorry, Evie. It’s just, I was afraid you had forgotte
n…or you had decided maybe the break-up was a good idea after all.”

  Evie used her thumb to caress Ben’s hand. “No way. The break-up was pretend. We both know that, right?”

  “Right.” Ben stared into Evie’s eyes for a second before he let go of her hand and turned back to the menu. “So what looks good? I’m thinking I’ll get the special: chicken-fried steak, French fries, and fried okra. It sounds like some good home cookin’.”

  Evie’ suppressed a gag. How could he eat so much grease? She eyed the menu in front of her and frowned at the greasy fingerprints and dirt smudges on the slick laminated cover. Gingerly she opened the menu with two fingers and scanned the options with the menu laid flat on the table instead of holding it as Ben felt so comfortable doing. Everything started with the word fried. Buried in the middle of the menu she found a grilled chicken option that might do if she could substitute a salad for the fries.

  She looked around at the other tables bubbling with conversation and activity. Families reached from one plate to another to test what each person ordered. Small groups of friends chatted merrily with the servers as though they were regulars. Evie wondered how all these people could return weekend after weekend and not suffer a heart attack from all the grease they ingested.

  She glanced up at Ben to find him staring intently at her.

  “So what do you think?”

  “It’s,” she paused, looking for a complimentary word that would be somewhat truthful, “cozy.” She hoped Ben would buy her fake enthusiasm. Her tastebuds longed for the French café nestled on Main Street in their bustling college town. But her sorority sisters would surely see them there. No chance of that here, she thought sarcastically.

  “No, I mean, what do you think about what you want to order?” A smile played on his lips.

  “Oh.” Evie batted her eyelashes at him. “The grilled chicken looks good. Do you think I could get a salad instead of fries?”