A Prior Engagement (5 page)

Chapter 4

Everleigh,
Everleigh
, E-V-E-R-L-E-I-G-H. Her name was perfect no matter how many times William repeated it. There was not a more fitting, more perfect name than Everleigh, he thought as he smiled at the girl. He was reluctant to release her hand, but did. “Everleigh is a beautiful name.” He said her name because he wanted to see how it felt on his tongue, and
it did not disappoint.

“Thank you, William,” she said, emphasizing his name as if trying it out for the first time. It’s not like she hadn’t heard the name William before, but she’d never given it much thought until now. Now, it seemed fitting for the thoughtful man sitting next to her.

They sat together smiling, sitting close, but still feeling too distant. The warmth between them radiated, pulling them toward each other. Though their bodies never shifted, their hearts most definitely did.

Everleigh,
he inwardly sighed. It might have been outward, too, but he hoped not.

“You can call me Evie if you like.” She surprised herself by making this spur of the moment suggestion. Everyone called her Everleigh, except for her sister who called her Evie, so she didn’t know why she offered to let him call her that, but it felt right.

“I’d like that very much,” he replied, and they both smiled. He didn’t know if everyone called her Evie, but her offer felt special to him.

They returned to their individual studies, but couldn’t stop from peeking at each other every couple of minutes, observing without the other person noticing. He studied her profile and she focused on his kind eyes.

More time passed before she eventually looked at her watch, and in a sudden shock of horror, she gasped. She bolted from her seat and slammed her laptop closed without turning it off, threw her notebook into her bag, and swung it over her shoulder. She hurried past William as he jumped up, confused by her actions. At the door, she stopped, taking the time to say good-bye, “I’ll see you Friday, William.”

Surprised by her sudden departure, he remained standing and watched her leave the coffee shop. “Bye, Evie.” He rushed his words, but she was already gone and didn’t hear him. He noticed Tracy watching him as he dropped back down into his chair. He gave a forced and tight smile, trying not to be concerned by Evie’s abrupt exit.

He started reading his book again. Even though his eyes were scanning the pages, the words meant nothing. His entire mind was focused on Evie, not on the text.

Her voice replayed in his head over and over again. The way she said his name was as if they knew each other much more intimately and that made him smile.

Everleigh had too many thoughts going through her mind to formulate an excuse that would defend her tardiness. She still hadn’t come up with any legitimate reason by the time she reached the car, so she resolved that the truth would be best and to face the consequences head on.

She lowered down into the spotless sports car, and smiled at Tom. “I’m sorry I’m—”

“Please don’t insult me with some poor excuse you conjured up while keeping me waiting on you.”

“Oh, I would never—”

He turned his hard glare on her, which made her lose her ability to speak. The fury in his eyes cut through and his disappointment was evident. She shrunk into her seat with complete fear of being trapped inside this car. Even though every bone in her body told her to run, she stayed in spite of her instincts. He put his hand on her leg, recognizing the fear he had created. With a calm and softened tone, he said, “I would appreciate if you don’t keep me waiting again, but if you’re going to be late, call me and let me know. I was worried.”

This change in him surprised and relieved her. She couldn’t believe he was going to let it go. Exhaling a long breath, her body relaxed as she buckled her seatbelt.

“I will.” She leaned over the console and kissed him on the cheek.

They drove to his place and as they rode the elevator up to the apartment, he took her hand in his. After he unlocked the door, she retreated into the bedroom closet to her small designated section. But unaware of their plans for the evening, she walked into the kitchen where he was mixing a drink, and asked, “Are we staying in or going out tonight?”

“What would you like to do?” He was uncharacteristically leaning against the counter with his sleeves rolled up. He looked exhausted.

She knew what she wanted to do. “I’d like to stay in.”

“Then we shall. Maybe we can order Chinese food and watch a movie.”

She shook her head in disbelief wondering what had happened to Tom.
Chinese food and a movie?
That sounded nice and not like him to make such a suggestion.

“Does that sound good to you, Everleigh?”

“Yes, that sounds great. I’m going to change clothes for . . . Chinese food and a movie then.” She went back into the bedroom, closed the closet doors, and walked over to her one allotted drawer in the dresser. She pulled out a T-shirt and for a split second, she almost opted for a pair of his boxers, but decided that wasn’t a wise choice. Instead, she grabbed a pair of terrycloth shorts instead. Unsure of her choice in attire, she was apprehensive when she returned to the kitchen.

Tom stopped to look at her, puckered his lips, and squinted his eyes. “Comfortable?”

“Yes. I thought this would be okay for staying in.”

“Yes, well, I guess it will do,” he said, eyeing her bare legs. He topped each drink with vermouth then stirred. Handing her a precisely made Manhattan cocktail, he raised his glass for a toast. “To us and a new beginning.”

She hadn’t been aware that he had thoughts of a new beginning and as she sipped her strong drink, this would overtake all her focus for the evening. Wishful thoughts swirled around her head and hope began to spring from within. Maybe just maybe, he meant it when he said ‘a new beginning.’ She dreamed of the words that were presented tonight and spent the entire movie lost in the wistfulness that maybe setting an official date had put him back on course for the life she desperately dreamed of having. She smiled, giddy with optimism.

Meanwhile, William walked back to his place dazed. Evie had left an impression on him that felt strong, like a new tattoo or a fresh scar. She had somehow already permanently marked his soul. At home, he settled down at his desk with a bowl o’noodles made in his hotpot. Even though it would be difficult, he needed to focus on his studies and not the pretty girl. Pulling his textbook out, he finished highlighting the rest of the chapter in which he would soon be tested.

Chapter 5

William clocked in at Manhattan Messengers on Thursday morning at ten o’clock and filled his bag with the next two hours’ worth of deliveries. He liked his job because it mixed his enjoyment for the outdoors, the excitement of the city, and required no deep thinking; he did enough of that every other day at school.

By the time William made his first delivery of the day, Everleigh was making an egg white omelet with a mixture of chopped up vegetables. She felt healthy and happy today. Tom didn’t make love to her last night, but he did hold her during the movie. She preferred that because sometimes she didn’t enjoy sex, in fact, most of the time she didn’t. None of that mattered to her because the hope she felt for the future this morning was better than sex anyway.

Since Tom was at work, she opened her textbook while eating and started highlighting the stuff that would be most helpful for her upcoming finals in a few weeks. An hour passed before she decided to get ready for the day. She packed her overnight bag with her dirties, locked up, and left his apartment around one. She didn’t call for the car because she decided to walk back to her home instead. This time she headed straight home though, with no detours to the park or to the coffee shop that she really wanted to stop by.

“Good afternoon, Miss Wright.” The longtime doorman greeted her with a smile.

“Good afternoon, Walter,” she said, always polite.

By seven that evening, Evie reemerged from her room after a busy day of studies, dressed for dinner with her family. She didn’t bother putting on her rather large engagement ring since she wasn’t leaving the house. She wore it when she attended events and parties. She chose not to wear it to school because she wanted to blend in with the other students at the university. She hated drawing attention and the ring with a centered five carat pink diamond and another carat in diamonds on the sides did not blend in with the other students’ attire, which was much more casual. Another reason was that both Tom and she worried she might get mugged wearing a bauble like that around the city.

The conversation always seemed to revolve around Tom and she didn’t want to talk about him. She wanted to share her passions, and what was going on with her schooling, but instead watched as her sister fidgeted—as usual.

Everleigh didn’t get caught up in the wedding planning since she had her finals to worry about, and let her mind drifted the remainder of the meal, eventually settling on William. An unintentional smile spread across her face and it was received with much attention.

“It’s nice to see the love that you have for Tom shine through,” her mother said, noting her daughter’s smile.

“He’s from a good family,” her father interjected into the conversation, which was rare for him. He made comments like this as if that information held any importance.

Her sister said nothing. The way Audrey looked at her older sister made Everleigh feel guilty. Her sister had an uncanny ability to see through her façade. Everleigh shifted uncomfortably in her chair before correcting her goofy grin into a more poised smile. “Please pass the haricots verts.” She hoped that satisfied the onlookers.

* * *

William finished his shift ten hours later. Exhausted, he didn’t even bother having a snack when he returned home. After a shower and quick recap through his thoughts, he was asleep.

By eleven the following morning, William entered his first class of the day. He sat down at the desk that seemed to be made for middle school kids and stretched his long legs out in front of him. Setting his notebook down, he grabbed a pen from his bag, preferring to write his notes instead of type.

Everleigh was seated down the hall in the History of Modern European Writers class, an accompaniment to British Literature for English Majors.

By noon, both of their minds floated to the other and for a small flicker in time they felt connected on a more surreal level. Both turned to look out the window, hoping to dissolve the excitement now brewing inside of them as they realized they only had thirty minutes left until they reunited again.

With haste after class, Evie made her way into Professor Lang’s class and chose a seat in the general area where she normally sat, eight rows up and in the middle. She tried to seem oblivious to William when he entered the classroom and scanned the auditorium. Attempting to play it cool, she smiled casually when he spotted her. She failed at casual. Her smile was huge, and her cheeks flushed with heat embarrassed as he worked his way up to the eighth row and the middle where one open seat still remained. She had purposely draped her sweater over the chair to insure it remained available for him.

“May I?” William asked her, appearing calm.

“Yes, please do.” She picked up her sweater and laid it across her lap.

Both were quiet as they sat there until William finally got the nerve and attempted to start a conversation. “Hi, Evie.”

When he said her name, it sounded romantic, and she heard the reverence in his words.

“Hello
,
William.”

They both pulled their notebooks from their bags, avoiding each other for lack of words, but delighted to be there all the same. Evie tapped her pen on her notebook then looked at William again and smiled.
He’s very handsome and he smells good
, she quickly assessed.
I bet he has lots of girlfriends
. She sighed.
Smelling and looking like that, he must
, she determined. This upset her, which then confused her because she didn’t understand her own feelings.

He sat up and saw her frowning or frustrated, he didn’t know her well enough to decipher all of her expressions yet. But one thing he did know is that he would make his best efforts to learn each and every one of them. “How are you today?”

She rearranged her face to smiling again before she responded, “I’m fine, thank you. How are you?”