Page 9 of Willows and Waterlilies

“Is that what you would like one day?”

I pause before answering, thinking about how to put into words the reply to that question. However, in the end, I decide not to. Men always react strangely when a woman admits to wanting those things, as though we should have given them a false answer to spare them the terror of a female wanting to give in to their natural urges. So, instead, I decide to go down a different path.

“When Cameron bought me my first car, for my eighteenth birthday, I was overjoyed, so excited,” I tell him as I smile over the memory of it. “What eighteen-year-old wouldn’t be thrilled to have a brand new convertible?”

“Wow, lucky girl,” he grins, “though I sense a ‘but’ coming up.”

“I don’t know, it just didn’t feel right. People began to learn about my cousin’s wealth from school and assumed I would be privy to it. I already had some girls asking me for an introduction to Cam and Nate, and this only made it worse. After a while, I could no longer distinguish between those who were genuine and those who thought I was a stepping stone to my cousin. After that, I asked him not to treat me any differently from how he had before.”

“And?”

“And he agreed straight away,” I reply with a shrug, “seemed to respect me for it. I did get a pretty decent job at his company, but I like to think I earned that job.”

“I’m sure you did,” he says, placing his hand over mine just as the check arrives. “This is on me,” he says before I can even reach for it.

“You don’t have to; the whole cheating husband thing is nothing to do with you, Elijah Woods,” I tell him truthfully and with a crimson hue of embarrassment on my cheeks.

“No girl should have to find out they’re dating a cheater and then have to pay for their drinks on Valentine’s Day. Besides, I’ve had a great time tonight.”

“Thank you, me too.”

“I sense there’s a ‘but’ coming up,” he says, still wearing his beautiful smile.

“I’ve just had some guy blindside me and if I’m being honest, men aren’t my favorite people right now,” I reply apologetically but also with a little bit of pride for myself. Just because he’s this incredibly hot, wealthy, and charming man, and he’s shown some interest in me, it doesn’t mean I have to fall for him. I can say, ‘No, thank you’, and take some time for me. Miss Independent and all that.

“I understand,” he says softly, “though your reason only makes me like you even more.”

Oh, God, he’s really pushing the limits of my willpower!

“Ellie, it’s fine,” he says as I begin to imagine what he might look like naked, writhing around on top of me. “I’m going to wish you luck, apologize on behalf of all men, make sure you get home safely, then return to my Batchelor pad where I’ll probably call my mother to make sure she got the flowers I ordered for her today.”

“Oh, Jesus, Elijah!” I laugh. “You really are doing a number on me.”

“I swear I’m not trying to,” he smiles with his perfect teeth. “Though, I would like to point out that I can cook too.”

“Of course, you can.”

“Perhaps, we could-“

“Elijah?!” a voice from behind us cuts him off mid-sentence. “What are you doing here and who the hell is this?”

This voice sounds beyond angry. In fact, it’s so angry, I’m afraid to turn around and face yet another scorned lover. Because the odds are I have fallen into the middle of yet another cheating scandal, especially seeing as the angry voice is female. Elijah remains looking at me, his hand covering his mouth, as if gauging my reaction. I offer nothing at first, just stare back at him with disappointment. He reaches for my hand, but I whip it away so fast, he can’t even get close.

“Please, Elijah, please don’t tell me…” I begin with a hard lump already forming inside my throat.

“Did Mom send you here?” the voice continues, stopping me dead in my tracks while forming a thoroughly confused frown on my face. Elijah eventually drops his hand from his mouth and emits a heavy sigh before looking up at the voice from behind me.

“Kelly, Jonathan,” he says quietly, with his eyes darting back to mine as soon as he says that second name –Jonathan. Surely not? “This is Ellie Russo; Ellie, this is my sister, Kelly, and her husband, Jonathan.”

With all breath suddenly leaving my body, I slowly turn around to face the man who I’ve been sleeping with… and his wife! She’s stunning, elegant, and wearing something priceless on every part of her body, including a huge diamond ring on her left hand. By comparison, I feel small, ugly, and so stupid, I want to run and hide under a huge rock and die. The man beside her, the cheating ex-lover, gasps in open horror at the sight of me. In fact, his reaction is so unsubtle, his wife looks at me with instant recognition as to who I am – the mistress, the other woman, the home wrecker.

“I knew it, this is her, isn’t it?!” Kelly practically screams at Elijah before darting her eyes back to me with a thunderous scowl on her face. “I knew you and Mother would do something like this. Is this the woman you were so desperate to tell me about?”

“Kelly…” Elijah begins but is cut short by his sister slapping him across the face.

“Ellie, wh-what…” Jonathan begins but is soon silenced by his wife’s venomous glare.

“What the hell made you think bringing her here was a good idea, Elijah? What did you hope to achieve by bringing my husband’s whore to shove in my face in the middle of a crowded restaurant on Valentine’s Day?!” she tries to whisper but is no less quiet than if she had said it for all to hear, for they do. In fact, several pairs of eyes are now staring right at me like I’m lower than a snake’s belly.

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