Page 3 of Roses, Pearls, and Hot Summer Nights
“Your companion?” Julian and I echoed her at the same time, just in very different tones. He might have been nice in the hallway, but he clearly didn’t like the idea of leaving me alone with his grandmother.
I blinked a couple of times, shocked beyond speech.What does she even mean?
She spun to glare at Julian. “Was I talking to you, darling? No, I wasn’t. Go do whatever or whoever you came back to the city to do or see. Or both.” She winked at him then added a shoo gesture. “You’ve fulfilled your obligation. Now, leave this lovely woman and go. We have a lot to do. Speaking of that, you need new clothes. There’s a hole in your shoe.”
She turned back to me and pointed at my foot, so I looked down.Was it three years since I got these shoes?My Uncle Shane never offered to buy me new shoes, since we’d just gotnew ones a few months earlier. They might be as wealthy as the rest of the family, but he didn’t like giving anything to me. I remembered how his favorite nickname for me was Charity Case. The court paperwork claimed I would be provided a new pair of shoes a year, but once I outgrew my last pair, a neighbor finally gave me my current Converse out of pity. For some reason, that endeared them to me, and I didn’t want to give them up, despite their hole.
Somehow, she seemed to realize that from my expression, because she met my gaze and nodded. “You’ll keep your shoes then, but get some new clothes. By this autumn, you’ll be ready to start Pullman with everyone else.”
I swallowed then found my voice again. “I’m not going to Pullman. My grades last year weren’t great.” I wasn’t prepared to discuss what had happened.Maybe not ever.“I’m going to Motifs.”
She shook her head. “You’ll be attending Pullman.” She met her grandson’s gaze over my shoulder. I had no idea what they were communicating based on her expression, but I would bet money he wanted her to stop being nice to me.
Since there wasn’t any way she could change facts, and I wasn’t welcome at Pullman, I decided not to bother arguing with her any further. Besides, if she made her grandson worry about it, that would be funny.
But as to the other part … “Thank you for the offer, but I have a credit card. I can buy clothes anytime.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, one brow arched. “But I bet it burns you to use it. Every time you think about using it, you probably feel like throwing up because somewhere, someone is keeping an accounting of you. They’ll know every penny you spent, they’ll keep their tally, and in the end, they will throw it in your face. I would also bet every bite of food causes similar guilt trips, too.”
How does she know?I stared at her, unable to even try to formulate verbal words. Luckily, Julian answered her. “You’re acting like you’ve had that experience yourself before, Granny.”
Her shrug probably seemed careless to him, but I recognized the automatic defensiveness in it—something I knew well from experience. She explained, “I have. Before I met … Never mind. Regardless of the reason, there was a time when I lived off someone else’s good graces, which can be a hell unto itself if the person who is responsible for you makes you feel like a burden.” She sighed. “From now on, you’ll work for me. I have work for you, so you’ll be my companion. That’s what old women have: companions.”
I still wasn’t sure how to respond.Companion?I thought I would be running errands. She turned and exited the room, Julian fast on her heels.
“Why do you need a companion, Granny? Are you not feeling well? We could take care of things for you. I mean … I’m sure that?—”
I chased after them, torn between being fascinated by the bizarre situation and horrified.
“I’m not feeling sick; I’m fine. I have decided that I like Alatheia, so I want her around as my companion for the next three months. It’s really not any of your business. If you aren’t going to go do whatever it is you really came to Manhattan for, Julian, then you can take this young lady to dinner. On me.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Tell your brothers I love them, and if you speak to the rest of the family, I love them, too.”
She turned toward me. “I’ll see you tomorrow, nine in the morning. I have such a special project, and I look forward to your help.”
“Well, if I can be of assistance ….” As I spoke the words, I realized I meant them. She might be strange, but it had been along time since someone wanted me around, and I liked the idea of having something important to do.
“You can.” She waved. “Out, you two.”
Julian walked past me. “Sure, I’ll take her to dinner.”
I followed after him, and he closed the front door with a click behind us. I stared at him. I didn’t want his expensive shoes to feel like they owed me dinner, so I said, “You don’t have to take me to dinner, and you don’t have to worry. I’m not going to take advantage of your Granny. I’ll do whatever she wants me to do then I’ll leave, okay?”
Walking past him felt strangely familiar, even though I’d spent five years running from people. Most didn’t look long enough to reallyseeme—and that worked in my favor. The moment someone truly saw me, I feared it would break whatever pieces I had left.If they seethrough me, I can’tpretend anymore.
Julian cleared his throat. “I would like to take you to dinner,” he said, his tone overly formal.
My lips thinned as I realized his likely motivation. He probably just wanted to make sure I was safe for his Granny—who clearly adored him and whom he clearly loved—despite her insistence that she was fine.
“I have no criminal record. None. I’ve never committed any crime. I’m not very smart, so I don’t do well in school. That said, I don’t usually do as badly as I did last year, so I probably won’t be around very long anyway. In the meantime, I promise not to do anything wrong with your Granny. I’ll do whatever she wants, and what my aunt wants, then I’ll stay out of the way.”
He blinked, those clear blue eyes focused on my face for far too long. I glanced at the floor.Better if we don’t make eye contact.
He finally said, “Do you like Italian food?”
I lifted my gaze to find he still stared at me. “You don’t have to take me out because of your Granny, seriously. She said you had something to do. Go do it.”
He smiled slowly, the expression unfolding across his face like a seduction. The rich boy was back, privilege practically oozing from every cell of his body. I frowned, familiar enough with the look. Over the past few years, I’d practically become an expert at spotting it.
He continued. “Firstly, Idohave to take you out because she told me to. I always do what my Granny tells me to do, because she is absolutely my favorite person in the world. She always has been. My brothers and I adore her without reservation, but it’s not just us. The whole family does.” He paused. “I make it a priority to never disappoint her. That said, I find you really interesting. I can’t make you out exactly, and I’m a playwright, or I want to be. I’m usually good with character studies.”
