Center Courtship (18 page)

I looked curiously at the paper he held in his hand, “What offer?”

He passed it to me and I saw a list of all seven cars with a dollar amount next to each. “WHAT?!” I asked. The numbers were unreal. Three and four times their values.

“That's what the guys want to pay, I didn't want to talk them down. They were bartering to get what they wanted. Besides, it's your money, don't argue.”

I shook my head and took a seat in Bonnie's office chair. “You are crazy, you know that?” I asked him.

“Crazy? Nah, just helping you get your money back. This list does come with a stipulation.”

“Ok?” I asked.

“Remember when I said I had a friend who could keep the cars for me?”

I nodded.

“Well, that friend is you. If it's ok, we'll keep the cars here, and pay you monthly to keep them. If you're cool with that.”

“I don't run a U-Stor-It. What if I need space for more cars?”

“Well, if that becomes a problem, give us a call and we'll move some of them out. Most of those cars have two keys, you can keep one here and if they need moving, you can do that. If the guys want their car they can stop by and pick it up with their own key. Can you program multiple people into the keypad that's on that door?”

“Ummm, yeah. I'll get it set up,” I was still trying to wrap my head around what I was hearing.

“Great!” he smiled
that
smile. Ok, I was learning quickly that every smile of his was
that
smile.

I shook my head in disbelief. “I don't know why I'm going to ask you this, but what are you guys planning to pay for the space?”

“Five hundred a month.”

I did some mental math. “$70 a month? That's reasonable.”

“No, Five hundred each,” he said.

“WHAT!? That's insane!”

“You want more?”

“No! I don't need that much! I was thinking thirty tops.”

“Let me do the dealings, don't worry about it. Do you have a car purchasing contract or something? Bonnie told me to ask you for them?”

“I do. Let me get them. Bonnie can get you settled up with the temporary plates and all that.” I walked numbly to the filing cabinet where I kept my papers and pulled out seven. I handed them to Elsu who exited quickly to have the guys fill out their information.

After he was gone a few seconds, the realization of what was happening finally sunk in. I was going to get my money back plus a whole lot more. And on top of that, $3,500 a month for renting a glorified parking space? I headed back to my office and started to dance with excitement.

“Ahem.”

I jumped. Spinning around, I saw Casper standing at the counter. Where was that hole I was wanting to climb into? “Oh, my word. You didn't see that, did you?”

“All I saw was a happy girl, being happy.”

I stepped back to the counter, willing my face to return to its non-red shade. “What can I help you with, Casper?”

“Well, I have a proposition for you,” he said as he leaned an elbow on the counter, bending at the waist so he could reach comfortably.

“A proposition? The last time I got one of those I ended up putting the guy in jail for a few years,” I said with a straight face.

Casper stood up, surprised. “Ok, not that kind of proposition. At least I hope not.” He leaned his body over the counter, his face getting closer to mine. “I have a problem, the big dinner is tonight and I recently lost my date. I'd like to take you.”

I sat down again in Bonnie's chair. I shook my head. I was suffering from some serious mental overload. “Casper, I really appreciate the offer, but I am definitely not the kind of person you want to take to something like that. I don't do well with crowds.”

“You don't have to stay long. Just have dinner with me, so I don't look sad with an empty chair beside me.”

“So what happened to your date?” I asked.

“His mom decided she wasn't allowing him to go at the last minute. Even though we had planned this for weeks.”

“Oh, your son!” I smiled.

“Yep, his mom has him during the week but she had agreed to let me take him to the dinner. This morning she called me to tell me that he wasn't allowed to go.”

“That's not cool,” I said with a frown.

“Nope, she's kind of a bitch.” In those few words, I detected an accent for the first time.

“I guess. But really, Casper, I can't go. I don't have anything to wear. I looked down at my jeans and t-shirt. “This is dressing up for me,” I said.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet and handed me a wad of cash. “If this doesn't cover what you need to get a dress, shoes, and all the fixings, let me know, I'll pay you back.”

“I don't need your money, I can afford a dress.” I said as I tried to push the money back to him.

“I'm sure you can, but if you're agreeing to go with me, then you're doing me a favor, so the least I can do for you is pay for your dress.”

I shook my head. “I have a neighbor who would LOVE to go with you,” I said, knowing Colette would freak out.

“I'm not asking you if you have a neighbor, I'm asking
you
. I was kind of glad my kid couldn't go. Gave me a chance to talk to you about it. Plus, I'll get to know you a little better.” His smile seemed sweet.

“But,” I said as I pushed the money back to him. “The crowd, Casper. I'm not a crowd person.”

“I'll protect you, I promise,” he said. “Besides, you've helped introduce the team to the community a bit, you deserve to go.”

“That thing is for the rich, elite of the area. I am none of the above.”

“You don't have to be anything you're not, Mae. Just be with me. And besides, I have a cool new car to drive to the event,” he smiled.

I sighed. “Ok, fine, I'll go.”

“GREAT! I'll pick you up at seven. What's your address?” I quickly jotted it down on a piece of paper and handed it to him.

Aaron walked into the shop and saw Casper. He smiled kindly and introduced himself formally. Casper waved goodbye and walked out.

I stared at the door for a few moments before I heard fingers snapping near my head and I looked to see Aaron trying to get my attention. “Aaron!” I said with exasperation.

“What now?” He asked.

“I guess I'm going to the big dinner tonight,” I said flatly, looking back at the door.

“With Casper?”

I nodded, unable to bring words to my mouth.

“And what does Elsu think of that?” He asked.

“It's just to fill a seat, Aaron. His son couldn't make it at the last minute. And what does it matter what Elsu thinks? I'm supposed to keep my distance from him anyway.”

“Why?”

I rolled my eyes. “The PR guy told me.”

“Screw the PR guy. Scratch that. Don't screw him. You should be aiming for Elsu!”

“He is seeing someone, Aaron! Besides, according to Carl, I'm bad for the bottom line. That's too much pressure for me. I
don't need to get involved in all that. I'm just a seat filler for Casper.”

“Uh huh,” he said, rolling his eyes. He looked down at my hands, I was still clutching the money. “What is THAT?”

“Money.”

“You don't say,” he said flatly. “WHY do you have it in your hand?”

“He gave it to me to for tonight.”

“He's paying you to go to the dinner? What does Casper get in return?”

“What do you mean…in return?”

He didn't answer, but just looked at the money.

“He told me to use it to buy a dr…dress. A dress! Aaron, do you know when I wore a dress last?” I began to panic.

He shook his head.

“I was probably two and it was the last pageant my mom forced me into joining.”

By the time the team left, it was nearing four. I needed to get going if I had any intention of getting a dress and getting ready. Aaron offered to help me if I needed, but I figured I could do it on my own.

I had spent enough time with Colette to know where she shopped and she always looked good. So, I decided Lane Bryant was the place to go. I headed off to Belden Village in nearby Jackson Township to shop. Once inside the store, I started looking at the dresses and began to fret. I had no clue what size I wore when it came to numbers. Everything I owned was XL or XXL. I picked up a dress and held it against me while looking in the mirror. I was
so
not at Walmart there. An employee had greeted me when I walked in and after my third attempt at finding something that looked good from the hanger, she approached me.

“Can I help you?” she asked kindly.

“Yeah, I need something for a formal affair. This evening,” I said as I hung up the dress I had in my hand and reached for another.

“For you?” she asked.

I nodded, holding the next one up.

“Dear, this isn't the kind of store for you,” she smiled sweetly. I couldn't understand why she felt the need to be so nice when she said something so mean.

“Not for me? I can afford anything in here.”

“I'm sure you can, ma'am. But our clothes aren't meant for women…like you.”

I suddenly felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. I knew I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt but I wasn't dressed like a street walker. I laughed a little. Casper was my Richard Gere.

“I think that's awfully rude,” I said as I looked at the woman who was leaning on the pillar that held the mirror I was using.

“I'm not trying to be, honey, but trust me, you don't belong here. You'd be better at any one of the stores in the mall, other than here.”

I didn't have time to deal with shitty people so I headed toward the exit.
What the hell?
I left Lane Bryant and went into the main mall. As I made my way, I could feel the anger in my chest burn stronger.

My phone rang in my pocket and I grumbled as I pulled it out. I didn't recognize the number but answered anyway. I secretly hoped it was Casper telling me his son could come and I was off the hook.

“Hello?”

“Mae-Belle.”

“Who is this?” I asked.

“You aren't very good at following directions, are you?”

“Who
is
this?”

“I told you to leave Elsu alone, so now you're moving to Casper?”

“Carl?”

“See Mae-Belle,” I really disliked people using my full name. The fact that this jackass was the one using it made me hate it even more. “I don't think you completely understand my position with the team.”

“You're the public relations guy, you're in charge of making sure the team looks good and performs well so you can make money. Is that what your job description says?”

“So you're smarter than your ‘some college' education would lend one to believe.”

“I don't appreciate being insulted, Carl.”

“I don't appreciate being undermined. Just because I said ‘no Elsu', that does not mean go for the next one on your list.”

“My list?”

“I know your type, Mae-Belle. You're like one of those claw machines that children play. You don't care which toy you get, you just want to sink your claws into one.”

“Excuse me?” I nearly yelled. I hadn't even been paying attention to where I was walking when I realized I was wandering around the tool department inside Sears.

“Consider this your final warning, Mae. Don't show up tonight if you know what's good for you.” The phone call ended and I was standing in disbelief with a set of wrenches marked for clearance in one hand and the ended call in the other.

I am not one to be told what to do. I don't react well to threats, blackmail or any other kind of bullying. Casper was right, I deserved the night. I wasn't going to the dinner to put my hooks in anyone. I was going as a seat filler for Casper. That was all. What could Carl possibly do to me? Maybe I could prove to him that I wasn't interested in Elsu.

Ok, who the heck was I kidding? I
was
interested in Elsu. But he had a girlfriend and whether he liked her or not, I wasn't one to steal someone's boyfriend. I wasn't even his type.

I wandered to the dress department where I had started rifling through the racks mindlessly. I knew that my mind was way too preoccupied to make any sort of fashion decisions.

I pulled my phone out and called Colette to tell her about my problem.

“Mae, what's up?”

“First of all Colette, how do you deal with the rudeness at Lane Bryant?” I said into the phone as I stopped briefly to scowl at my reflection in a mirror.

“What are you talking about? The people at Lane Bryant are wonderful. But what the hell are
you
doing at Lane Bryant?” she asked.

Not her too!
“I've been invited to the dinner tonight, I need something formal.”

“Honey, that store is for big girls. You are NOT a big girl. Are you still at the mall?”

“Yes, I'm still here. By the way, I am too a big girl.”

“No, you're a girl who doesn't know she has a body under the super-big clothes she wears to hide it.”

I rolled my eyes. “Are you still working?”

“Yes and you're lucky I just finished my last client for the day because I'm leaving right now to come help you. Where are you now?”

“Sears.”

There was a long pause on the phone. “Oh, honey. You need help! Find a store called Créme and wait for me there.”

I asked the first person I could find where Créme was and headed that way. The clothes were beautiful. Beaded, lacey and gorgeous. Nothing like I would ever wear.

A heavily-made-up woman came to me as soon as I walked in the door. “Hello, my name is Jill. How can I help you?”

I looked at the woman from head to toe. Not a single hair was out of place. Her manicured fingers were polished red and bracelets decorated each wrist. She wore a tailored suit that came to her knees and high heels that made my feet hurt just looking at them. I looked her in the eye and while I felt she had an outward appearance of being fake, she seemed like a kind soul.