Page 58 of Rich Girl
I roll my eyes in exasperation. It was a preposterous request for her to even ask.
“My back is killing me,” I continue. “I’d be dead by Friday. And look at my hands! My nails!”
I take three steps forward until I am close enough where I can show him the damage done to the palms of my hands. Then, I turn them over so he can see my fingernails. They look like crap. I don’t even know where to go to get them fixed around here. I don’t trust these little nail shops I see on the side of the road all over the place.
Ray takes my hands into his, the touch gentle and caring. He runs his thumbs up and down my skin before going over every cut and bump I have. I about melt into a puddle at his feet when he brings my hands to his lips and starts placing soft kisses on each of my battle wounds.
“So you donotwork with flowers then,” he concludes in between kisses. I feel like I fell into a trap.
“No, Ray, I do not work with flowers,” I snap at him, admitting the obvious. “I don’t live in New York, and I do not work with flowers. I do not need free housing or handouts. Theapartment at the hotel in the city where I took you is mine. There is no friend.Iamthe friend.”
I stop talking to take a deep breath in before going at it again, ready to finish strong.
“I saw your profile on theHolidatesapp. I crushed hard on your picture.” I blush a little when I say this part. “When I tried messaging you, it said you do not accept messages from outside of New York. I created a new profile with the location to show that I am from around here. I came up with this whole thing because I thought you could be my perfect date for this wedding. You still are the perfect date for the wedding.”
By the time I stop talking, I am all out of breath. I said it all fast, not wasting any time. It’s like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, I feel light and happy now.
“What do you do for a living?”
I stomp my foot in annoyance at hearing his question. After I told him all that, this is all he has to say about it? I pull my hands out of his and step back.
“Does it matter that much what I do for a living, Ray? Is it not enough knowing that I have money to support myself?”
I look around at the space we’ve been sharing for the last two weeks. It is small and needs work. I don’t understand why he lives here like this. The only thing I can think of is that his business is not doing very well, and this is all that he can afford.
“You’re right,” he shrugs. “It doesn’t really matter. After all, this is just a temporary thing, right?”
“Yes,” I exclaim, happy that he understands.
A pang of regret stabs me right in the heart, though. It’s been two weeks of living with this man after knowing him for two days. We have two more weeks until the Cinco de Mayo party that I’m supposed to attend with him. Adeline’s wedding will be a month later. I’ll never see this man again after that.
“Let’s eat this amazing food you got us.”
He rubs his hands together in excitement, and I smile. He suddenly looks so much younger, like he is a little boy.
“I’ll go get washed up.” He shows me his oil stained hands. “I won’t take long. I don’t want to ruin this for you.”
He gives me a wink before rushing to the bathroom. Since the space is incredibly small, I can hear as he uses the toilet, flushes, then washes his hands. I might as well be in there with him, not sure why he even bothered to close the door.
Running my hands over my dress, I try to smooth out the wrinkles already forming around the mid section, annoyed that the cheap material is just that, cheap.
Now that I told Ray everything, I don’t have to hide myself and the quality stuff I like to have. I can go back to the city to pack up all my things and bring them here. I do miss my clothes something fierce. I might as well check out from the hotel, too.
I realize with a start that I am planning all this around Ray and my living situation with him. He knows everything. I don’t have to stay here anymore. I could just go back home to Boston, then fly back here in time for his party. I could buy him a plane ticket to fly out to Boston for the wedding. End of.
The door to the bathroom opens, the sound too loud in the small confinement of Ray’s apartment. I stare at him as he walks out, noticing that he washed his face and smoothed his hair back as well. He also swapped his work shirt for a clean T-shirt that he must’ve found in the bathroom. I vaguely remember seeing a folded piece of clothing on the counter in there.
I find the gesture incredibly sweet. He understands that this dinner was quite the effort for me, even though it wasn’t me who prepared it, and he doesn’t want to disappoint me.
Shock runs through me when the thought of me leaving here fills me with dread. I want to spend more time with him and get to know him better. I want to figure out if what I feel for him really is love or just infatuation. I can’t find that out if I leave.
“Thank you for doing this.”
He walks up to me and bends at the knees, lowering himself until he can reach my lips. He places a soft kiss on them, then takes his seat across from me.
“Shall we?” he grins at me, one hand on the handle of the silver dome covering his plate. I covered them back up while he was in the bathroom.
I nod and touch mine, playing along with him. It’s as if he’s never done this before, his excitement contagious.
