Inconvenient Wife Page 7

  Hey back. You doing okay ?

  Beau: I’m feeling weird about earlier. About my ham-handed proposal .

  I blew out a breath. Well, if that wasn’t calling the sea wet .

  Why? I evaded. Better to leave my answer open-ended or answer with another question .

  Beau: Because I shocked you and made you feel uncomfortable .

  Why would you think I was uncomfortable? I could be a politician .

  There was a long pause, and I congratulated myself on being able to chat with him without revealing I was completely thrown .

  Beau: So you’re not uncomfortable ?

  Well played, Beau. What in the heck did I respond with now? Lying to my best friend didn’t sit well. But there was no way I could say I was either .

  Didn’t say that … ;-)

  Beau: I knew it. I can always tell what you’re feeling .

  Even in my agitated state, I burst out laughing. Oh, Beau. I would have been busted ages ago if that were true .

  I hope you’re not texting and driving, I texted instead .

  Beau usually had about a thirty-minute drive home out to the family place at Awendaw. It was beautiful out there, but it was a real pain for him to go back and forth. Hence why I normally let him crash on my couch a few nights a week as long as his dog had someone to look after him. He preferred my couch to the Montgomery family home on South Battery .

  Beau: Home already. Eileen’s mad I didn’t take her into town .

  What she do this time ?

  Beau: I need to install a webcam. She tipped over her food bowl (It was still full - hunger strike too, maybe?) and spread it all over the kitchen floor. Sending pic .

  The phone buzzed again and an image loaded .

  It was of the old black and white kitchen floor at the plantation house with little pellets of food spread evenly from one end of the room to the other. It was almost perfect. No big piles in one spot over another. Beau’s dog was a perfectionist in mess-making, that was for sure. In the foreground sat Eileen, her gray and white shaggy head cocked to the side looking as innocent as you please .

  Beau: There’s even a piece in each corner of the room .

  That must have taken her hours. She’s a three-legged genius. Let’s take her on the road and get rich .

  Beau: Let’s not change the subject. Are you okay ?

  I took a deep breath. Fine. Why ?

  Beau: I don’t want things to be weird between us .

  Weird how ?

  People have marriages based on less than the kind of friendship we have .

  What kind of friendship do we have ?

  Beau: ?? Are you serious ??

  Beau: Gwen, you’re my best friend. You know that. Are you saying you don’t feel that way .

  I do .

  Beau: Then I don’t understand …

  Oh, Beau. I stopped pacing and detoured to the kitchen and flipped on the electric kettle. Maybe some chamomile tea would help calm me before bed. Because as it was I was too jacked up to even contemplate closing my eyes. How did I explain to Beau why I said no when I didn’t fully understand it myself? With my father selling the business in a month, Beau must feel desperate and also totally confused as to why I wouldn’t help him .

  Don’t you want more? I asked him. Then bit my lip with nerves at all the ways that could be interpreted if someone was looking for meaning. But Beau never looked too deeply for hidden meanings. He wasn’t shallow per se. He was just straightforwardly honest and expected the same of others .

  I pressed send. Then I typed out another quick text .

  Night, Beau .

  Beau: What do you mean more ?

  Beau: Gwen ?

  Beau: Hello? Please txt back .

  My phone rang .

  Beau.

  I ignored it and went to pour boiling water on my teabag. Then I slipped my laptop out of its case and started working up some specs for our new client, the handsome Mr. Canopolis. Someone may as well make use of the fact I wasn’t going to get to sleep anytime soon .

  An hour later, after I’d completed the outline of the specs and interior offerings I thought our client may like based on his interests (music and overnight guests) and his budget (healthy), I was back in my inbox weeding out junk mail. Timeshares in Hilton Head, pharma from Canada, singles in my area …

  Wait.

  What if I ran an ad … then I could weed them out? I’d told Beau I’d help him find someone. But I didn’t really hang with “his set,” or anyone his grandmother would deem suitable. But if he let it be known he was in the market, he’d be fed on like a wounded seal. So if I could weed out the ones who were looking for fun over the ones who were looking for love, maybe I could keep us both sane .

  But what if, deep down, Beau actually wanted to fall in love? Who was I to deny him that ?

  I needed to have a difficult conversation with myself .

  But I couldn’t face it right now. Beau asked me to help him and help him I would. However, I was going to need help with the helping .

  * * *

  “Sylvie, I need help,” I said as soon as I swung inside the doors to our showroom the next morning .

  Sylvie looked up from where she was blotting her red lips in the mirror above the beverage station. “ Cherie ? ”

  “I need to find Beau a wife .”

  Sylvie’s perfect red lips in Chanel’s Rouge Irresistible dropped into an O shape .

  “Someone I can stand,” I went on. “But who’s not nice enough that I’ll lose him.” I raised my eyes to hers, owning my words .

  She turned, her eyes bright. “Ah .”

  “Yeah.” I dropped my gaze and busied myself stowing my purse under my desk .

  “So finally you admit you have feelings for your handsome Beau .”

  “I do.” My shoulders slumped .

  “It’s about time .”

  “Which is a damn nightmare right now .”

  “Pour quoi? ” She lifted an eyebrow. “This is a blessing, no? He needs a wife. It’s perfect !”

  “No, you’re not hearing me, Sylvie. He doesn’t want anything real. He wants to marry to get his inheritance. He wants to divorce in a few years, and he definitely doesn’t want to downgrade his dating .”

  “Did he say that ?”

  “Basically, yes. Actually … exactly .”

  “That’s what he thinks he wants.” Sylvie huffed .

  “No, that’s what he wants .”

  “Knock, knock,” a voice called from the door .

  I jumped around, immediately feeling the heat in my cheeks thinking someone may have heard me tell Sylvie about Beau .

  It was Daisy, Beau’s friend. Sylvie mentioned she worked in the law office, that she started the rumor about Beau being cut out of the will. I narrowed my eyes with suspicion, even as she smiled tentatively. “May I come in ?”

  “Daisy, alors, ” Sylvie cooed. “How are you, ma cherie ?”

  Um, since when did Sylvie know Daisy that well and why did Sylvie look guilty ?

  Daisy’s eyes darted from Sylvie to me. “Gwen, hi. I’m not sure if you remember me, we’ve met through Beau a few times.” She held out her hand. Her face was open and friendly, even while her outfit was taking no shit. She wore a royal blue sheath with a black jacket and black high heels. Perfect for her job as a paralegal. “In fact, I’m friends with Penny too. You live in her building, right ?”

  I gave her a tight smile, not quite sure where all this was going. “I do .”

  “Penny and I went to Ashley Hall together. Prep school,” she clarified as if I’d never heard of the elite private girls’ school. Beau’s sister had gone there too but several years below Penny and Daisy .

  “Oh, right. Okay,” I managed. “You in the market for a luxury yacht ?”

  She laughed and smiled at me like I was the cutest thing ever .

  Sylvie waved her to a seat. “Our dear Gwen has admitted she has feelings for Beau .”

  “Syl
vie!” I gasped .

  “It’s all right,” said Daisy and clapped her hands together. “Actually, I already suspected, and I asked Sylvie if she could find out because I want to help .”

  “You did? You do ?”

  “Ha. I’ve been ‘shipping you two for years .”

  “But I thought … didn’t you start the rumor Beau was cut out of the will ?”

  “Of course, I did! I wanted to protect him. Give you both a chance. Can you imagine if people found out he was looking for a wife? Far better to think he’s cut out of the will .”

  “Fair point,” I conceded .

  “I offered to put the word out for him and he balked. You should have seen his face. Besides, the stipulation is for Beau’s sister too. She also has to get married. And she’s also become a good friend of mine. I figured I’d help them both out .”

  “Beau did mention Suzy had to get married too.” God, Beau’s dead grandfather was crazy as sugar in grits .

  “Well, she’s not in any hurry .”

  I thought of Beau’s ticking timeline. “But Beau is in a hurry. He has a really short deadline.” I proceeded to tell them about my dad and how Beau needed to buy him out within a month. If he had a wife, he could get his inheritance or at least borrow against it .

  “Who else do we trust who can help?” Sylvie asked when I was done .

  “Alice of Alice’s Bar knows .”

  Sylvie raised her eyebrows .

  “I didn’t tell her, Sylvie. You know I would have told you first. She guessed ages ago .”

  “And remind me why you won’t just marry him,” Daisy asked. “Surely, if you have feelings for him …”

  “And he doesn’t know. He can’t know. It would ruin everything .”

  “But how? I mean. Have you ever thought he might have feelings for you too? Are you sure he doesn’t ?”

  I hated the stupid kick of hope that hit me against my ribs before I let common sense remind me of where I stood. “Nope, Beau told me just yesterday when he asked me to marry him — ”

  “He asked you?” Daisy jumped up and down with her hands together. “This is great, we’re much farther along in the plan than I — ”

  “He asked me because he wanted someone he wasn’t remotely attracted to, didn’t want to seduce, nor be seduced by, and who he had no intention of ever wanting to sleep with .”

  Daisy’s face fell. “He said that ?”

  “He actually said all that,” I assured her .

  “In those words ?”

  “Those words exactly.” More or less .

  “Oh.”

  “Right.” Then I replayed something she’d said earlier. “What plan exactly ?”

  “What do you mean ?”

  “You said we were farther along in the plan than you hoped .”

  Daisy glanced at Sylvie. Sylvie shook her head slightly then smiled brightly at me .

  “What’s going on?” I asked. “I thought the plan was to find Beau a wife. What am I missing ?”

  She grimaced. “The plan was to help Beau realize how he felt about you. It was to get you two married .”

  There were several beats of silence where I felt lightheaded as my brain dropped into my lower stomach .

  I took a seat opposite Daisy .

  “But, yes,” Sylvie said glumly. “I guess now the plan is to get him married off tout suite to a convenient wife .”

  “A wife who’s not you,” Daisy added and scrunched her nose as if the words pained her .

  Well, they pained me too, but I kept my mouth shut .

  “So, I mean, do you want to find him a real wife then?” she went on .

  “No,” I said and then slammed my mouth closed. “I mean obviously I want him to be happy. But since it has to happen so quickly, it’s probably best to keep it simple. A business transaction. That’s what Beau wants anyway .”

  “Call Alice then,” said Daisy. “And who else do you trust ?”

  “Penny?” I ventured .

  “Great. The five of us ladies can put our heads together to try and solve this problem .”

  “Why are you doing this?” I asked her. “To be honest, I thought maybe you’d want Beau for yourself .”

  “Ha. Not gonna lie. He’s gorgeous, and yeah, I could definitely go for him .”

  “But?” I pressed .

  “But, when I get married it will be for love. That biological clock is ticking after all .”

  “Tell me about it,” I muttered .

  “And of course, no one can stand the grandmother, darling,” said Sylvie .

  Daisy shrugged. “I know you think she doesn’t like you,” she said to me. “But frankly I’m not sure she likes anyone. Anyway, I’ve always gotten the impression Beau is somewhat … taken .”

  “By who ?”

  “You, darling,” said Sylvie .

  “But—”

  “Oui, oui ,” Sylvie talks over me. “You think he doesn’t see you that way. Everyone else thinks otherwise .”

  * * *

  I wasn’t going to lie, hearing both Daisy and Sylvie suggest Beau may actually have feelings beyond friendship for me felt both exhilarating and agonizing at the same time. I’d trained myself not to hope, dream, or read anything into anything, and in one morning they’d opened up enough pressure fissures in my psyche to have me close to losing my shit .

  Daisy had gone back to work, and I’d left Sylvie looking over the proposal I’d drawn up for Mr. Canapolis as well as making a list of potential candidates for Beau. If we were going to find him a wife, he needed to be willing to go all in on the effort .

  The next day, I decided to text Beau during my lunch break walk to the juice bar and pretend I hadn’t avoided his texts and calls for a few days .

  Hey, you in town today ?

  Then I texted Penny. You free tonight? Firstly, I urgently needed to make a new bestie, and secondly I’d promised Daisy and Sylvie I would corral Penny’s help .

  Penny texted back immediately. I have a date! His profile is normal at least, but you never know .

  Thumbs Up! Can’t wait to hear about it .

  I navigated the sidewalks of Meeting Street and cut up Broad to King Street. The heat of May already felt damp and heavy. This summer promised to be another scorcher .

  My phone buzzed. Finally !

  Beau: Coming in this afternoon. Bringing Eileen .

  Meet you at the boat shop? Can you spare some time to help Dad ?

  Beau: Was planning on heading there today anyway .

  To my relief, it seemed Beau was also going to pretend I hadn’t ignored his texts and calls. Either that or he was just waiting until we were face to face .

  9

  Gwen

  H ow’s the plastic boat business?” my dad called out as soon as I entered the boat shop later that day. My father was coating pink epoxy (affectionately known as pink shit) across the hull of the boat. The smell was strong and acrid .

  Eileen came hopping over to me, yipping and squeaking. Her entire small gray and white body vibrated with excitement. If she wasn’t careful, she’d lose her precarious balance .

  “Lucrative. Thanks for asking.” I crouched down. “Hey, girl,” I crooned. “These men boring you to tears? So sad Mr. Thomas doesn’t know the difference between plastic and fiberglass,” I added in a baby voice .

  Seeing Eileen always made my heart pound because that meant Beau was here. How had I never paid attention to what my body did when he was near? Perhaps I’d gotten used to it, but today felt like I was feeling everything for the first time .

  Eileen barked in response, and I heard Beau chuckle from wherever he was busy inside the boat. A warm, rich rumble that made my arm hair stand .

  It was my dad’s and my standard fare of ribbing each other. Of course my dad used fiberglass on some of his boats too for certain things—the outer hull for instance. But he loved to think that because the boats I sold were mass-produced versus hand-crafted they were inferior i
n quality. Perhaps they were to some people, depending on what they were looking for in a boat. I had to admit that some of Rhys Thomas’ vintage-inspired fishing boats, and the incredible antique boat he restored when I was a teenager, were without parallel. But I’d never admit that aloud now that I worked for a sort-of competitor .

  I rose from petting Eileen .

  A noise had me looking just in time to see Beau stand up from inside the boat. “Hey Gwen,” he said as he peeled his t-shirt over his torso and over his head. He proceeded to wipe the sweat from his face and body, then he tossed the shirt over the side of the boat and disappeared back to whatever he’d been doing .

  I blinked and swallowed in an attempt to work some moisture back into my mouth. Checking to see if anyone had seen me gawking, I clashed gazes with Eileen who sat with her head cocked to one side regarding me .

  “What?” I mouthed .

  My dad still dragged his squeegee back and forth. One couldn’t stop when doing this part or the whole finish would end up streaked and uneven that no amount of sanding could fix. I was happy to see he was wearing a mask to protect from the fumes .

  “So Jimmy and the guys have left already?” I asked as I headed to the office to change .

  “Yeah, there was a job starting this week up in North Carolina, so I sent them on their way. It’s just us now .”

  In the office I hurriedly removed my skirt suit and pulled on my jean cut offs. I left my tank top on and tied up my hair with a bandana to catch the sweat sure to afflict me within minutes of work. Just being in the office reminded me of Beau seeing me naked the last time he was there. He’d been a gentleman not to mention it, but the thought of it right now made my skin flush and my belly heat. I wondered if Beau still thought about it, about the fact he got aroused. Not that it meant anything necessarily. Some men got hard when the wind changed direction, some … not so much .

  “You guys mind me putting the radio on?” I asked as I headed back out to the shop floor. “How about some Blondie?” I stuck a dusty cassette tape in the machine and pressed play .

  A sponge came flying through the air and hit my head. “Hey !”

  “Hey!” said Beau. “What if I didn’t want to listen to Blondie ?”