An Angel for Ms. Right (2 page)

“I can hardly wait,” she mumbled and then reached for her Torts and Contract Law textbook.

At the same moment, the tiny black cell phone clipped to her left hip began to vibrate.

This is unbelievable
, Denise thought as she scanned the number on the screen before flipping the phone open.

“Hello, Mother,” she forced a smile onto her face and hoped it would reflect in her voice.

“Denise,” her mother began – no hello, no how are you – straight into a chiding session, “how many times do I have to remind you to call me Mom? For goodness sakes, we are related by blood, or have you forgotten about that along with bothering to call me at least once per week.”

“Sorry,
Mom
,” Denise purposefully over emphasized the last word, “I have been a little busy. You know, trying to get good grades and all.”

“Oh, Denise, you really need to get a life. It is always study, study, and study with you. Why do you persist in ostracizing your own self from the social community?”

“You mean, why won’t I go out with any of those guys with the over inflated egos you keep trying to set me up with? That’s what you really meant, right Mom?”

The frustration in her mother’s voice became evident after she inhaled a large and overly dramatic breath.

“Denise, why do you insist on giving me such grief? All I want to do is look out for your best interest and all you want to do is fight me all the way.”

“Mother, your idea of ‘my best interest’ is marrying me off to some doctor or lawyer and then waiting until you can start counting grandkids!”

A sudden look of anger from a dark-haired man seated at the table in front of her alerted Denise that she had raised her voice too high and needed to step into the stairwell to finish this conversation before it became even more heated. She threw him a quick smile and then rested the phone between her ear and shoulder. As she rose from her chair, she decided against grabbing her black leather handbag from the table since she would be sure to be right back. She scanned the area as she walked through the large room and looked over tables and around bookcases in search of the door to the stairwell. All the while, her mother continued to try to command the conversation, as usual.

“Denise, you have no right to speak to me that way. If you father was here, I would tell him about this sudden attitude you have as of late.”

“But he’s not there, is he, Mother?” Denise shot back after she heard the door to the stairwell click closed.

The sudden silence confirmed that her point had been made. Her father, Dr. George Coolidge Right III was rarely home at this time of day
or evening
. In the last few years, even before Denise had went off to the university, Dr. Right had seemed to find an endless number of reasons to avoid spending anything but the briefest of moments with his family. Denise use to feel sorry for her Mother. Never much of a sleeper, even when she still lived at home on a regular basis, on her way to the large family study or toward the kitchen, Denise would catch muffled sobs of grief coming from her parents’ room. Since she was always certain that her father was not in the house, Denise could only assume that Mrs. Patricia Right had been crying herself to sleep again. It was after several of those episodes Denise vowed she would never allow her life to be that vulnerable to the whims of a man. Around the same time she stopped hearing the cries in the night, her mother seemed to try to take domineering control over Denise’s life, especially her love life.

“You know that is not fair, Denise. Your father works hard to provide for us and to keep you at that expensive school you so desperately hide yourself away at.”

Denise knew the last statement was meant as retaliation for her earlier comment. Denise resigned this was a losing battle, only to get worse now that the lines had been drawn, and decided it was time to play nice and end this conversation ASAP.

“Mother – sorry – Mom, I have to go back to studying. I will try to give you a call this weekend. I promise.”

Denise snapped the phone shut before her mother had a chance to keep the dialogue going any further. She moved to the door and pushed but the heavy metal blockade did not budge. She tried again, putting her shoulder against the frame, since she could not locate a knob, and shoved as hard as she could. It was after the third attempt when Denise realized her 5’4” and 125 lb frame were not going to get the heavy door open. She looked down and noticed the large sign that had materialized from thin air.

Emergency Exit only. No Re-entry.

“Shit.” The expletive escaped her lips before she could attempt to hold it in.

Adam Aggeliki felt like a complete idiot. He had gone about his first encounter with Denise all the wrong way.
Stupid, stupid
, he mentally scolded himself,
Of course she would think you were trying to use her
. After all, he started off by asking her out and then ended in practically begging her to help him study. What other conclusion could she possibly draw from that turn around?

He ran his hand through his hair again, for the umpteenth time, a nervous tick he hated but could not seem to kick. Seated at the study desk, Adam attempted to focus on the
Litigation and the Law
book opened before him. Each and every time he tried to read through the pages, the image of an embarrassed and then pissed-off Denise floated into his mind. What was he thinking anyway? What would a girl such as her want with someone like him?

Despite his best efforts to keep himself looking in top condition by visiting the gym at the campus several times a week and buying the latest styles – albeit from the bargain racks – there was no way he could compare to Denise Right. From what he had heard, her family was well connected and had more money than the entirety of his family would be able to pull together in a year. Adam was positively sure her four year tuition was already paid in full. He, on the other hand, was here via an academic scholarship and several loans. He was on thin ice in Intro to Legal Process class, having only accomplished a C on his last paper and a C+ on the last exam. He could not afford to get anything less than an overall B average to keep his funding. Considering she had the highest grade average in the class, Denise was probably his only hope in passing the course, but would probably not attempt to give him any more of her time after this morning’s incident. He needed to find a way to work up to talking with her again, perhaps if he explained the situation – more clearly this time – she might reconsider helping him out.

A noise of wood scraping against the linoleum on the floor jarred Adam from his thoughts. The minute he realized who it was, he knew his prayers were being answered. For a moment, all he could do was watch her as she fumbled with gaining her balance with the chair. A small smile spread over his lips. She always seemed so lost in her own thoughts, and he wondered how she made it through her day without hurting herself several times over. After having already formed a habit of sneaking side looks at her during the lectures, he realized he could easily watch her all day. Her beautiful brown skin always looked so soft and warm; Adam had yearned to have that feel on his fingertips. Today was the first opportunity he had to touch her and the moment did not disappoint. The minute their hands connected, he felt a surge of electricity pass between them. Adam knew she felt it too. When she captured him with those gorgeous light brown eyes, the fire hidden behind them said it all. It took all of his strength not to confess how much he wanted to pull her into his arms and ignite her passion the way she did his.

Adam came back to the present and had not realized he was completely transfixed on the woman in front of him until he heard her yelling into her phone. Though he had missed most of what she had said, the tone made it sound like an urgent situation. Instinctively, he wanted to know what the problem was and how he could make it right for her. A funny thought to have considering she did not know who he was until earlier today and even now, staring directly into his face, did not recognize him since she only tossed him a completely platonic, yet polite, smile as she quickly rose and walked away from the place she had been sitting.

Right after he watched her scramble down an aisle of books, he noticed she had left her handbag open on the table. Adam knew that the college they attended was a prestigious one but that did not mean there were not people who would maliciously capitalize on an opportune moment, such as an unattended handbag. Before anyone could wonder what he was doing near her belongings, he quickly picked up the bag and moved his legs in long strides to catch up to her. It took a few minutes of searching in vain before Adam concluded she probably wanted some privacy to handle her phone call and had most likely headed for the stairs at the back of the floor.

By the time he reached the door, he heard her voiced raised and decided to hang back a moment before he went through to offer her the forgotten bag. As he spied the sign on this side of the door, he also recognized Denise would be trapped on the other side if he was not there to open it since there was no way she would be able to enter the library from the stairwell. Adam’s mood lifted slightly as he thought this may be the fresh start he needed to reintroduce himself to this stunning lady.

Denise placed a small hand to her forehead as she felt her stomach turn over and she prayed the moment of dizziness and nausea would pass. This day was going from bad to worse to hell in only a few short hours. She suddenly understood when people she knew often commented they wanted a ‘do-over’ to the day, a chance to start over again and hopefully get the day right the second time around.

Get it together, girl
, Denise forced herself to take a deep breath. She turned to make her way down the stairs to exit the building and then come back in to gather her things, all the while hoping no one decided on grabbing the last fifty dollars she had in her small purse in the handbag she had so smartly left behind while in a hurry to silence her overbearing mother. Before stepping foot onto the top of the stairs to descend, she heard the door creak open and sigh of relief washed over her.

“Thank you so much,” she offered and smiled as she turned and was again captured by those dazzling emerald optics.

A sensation of warmth gathered in her stomach, replacing the uneasiness there. His smile was so inviting and comforting. The moment she felt like being captured by those strong arms, Denise knew her mind was playing an awful joke on her sensibility. She remembered how he had tried to play her for a fool earlier and all semblance of happiness faded from her heart and, for some reason, she wanted that feeling again, but it was too late to go back on her newfound annoyance at this man.

“Oh, it’s you,” she said poignantly, “What do you want now? I told you, I don’t do other peoples work, that does include term papers.”

His vibrant smile disappeared in an instant and Denise felt like a complete ass for what she had said, especially when she eyed her bag in his hand. He was only returning it to her. He must have been the one sitting across from her in the library. And, to add to her idiocy, Denise also realized that if it were not for him, she would not be able to get back into the library without going the long route down, out, in, and back up.

Way to go, Denise. He saved your butt twice in five minutes and you give him grief. Maybe my mother is right about me and this attitude thing.

“I only wanted to give you your bag,” he nodded his head toward the inside of the library, “you left it on the table and I didn’t want anyone to take your money or anything. Anyway, here you go. Sorry to bother you.”

He practically tossed the bag at her and then turned away and hesitated mid-step.

“Also, I thought you might need someone to open the door for you since you can’t get back in from the stairs,” his voice was barely above a whisper.

He stepped into the stairwell to hold the door open while Denise slinked passed him with her head and eyes low. As soon as they both were on the inside again, he stepped around her and was headed back toward the tables.

“Wait,” she called to him but was sure he would keep walking. After all, his duty was done and she had been nothing but ungrateful.

To her surprise, Adam stopped but he kept his back to her. His large frame was like a statue and her words caught in her throat as she tried to form something resembling an apology.

“Hey, look, I am sorry for the way I acted back there. I have had a crazy morning, and I am so stressed about midterms, and my mother has been calling me nonstop, and—” she stopped her own self when she realized she had been rambling. Denise also noticed that he still had not turned to face her. When she thought her own silly apology had failed, it was her turn to take a few steps around him and move toward the tables.

“How about lunch? My treat.”

For the first time in what seemed like years, Denise felt her whole face lift in a bright smile that she could actually feel in her inner being and was truly genuine not rehearsed.

Adam watched Denise literally devour the strawberry shortcake pastry he had purchased for her in the cafeteria. Though the large space was awash with noise of various groups of people laughing and talking, all while large flat screen televisions on all four walls pumped in the latest news from the various cable news channels, all Adam focused on was the beauty who sat before him.