How could someone so gorgeous be so dense? And why had providence deemed it fit to have such a fine specimen, born in the back-wood Louisiana swamp country? It beggars belief is what it does.
That last evening though, that really did take the cake. He hadn’t even apologized for his rudeness the night of the social.
Now there I was, expecting not only an apology, but maybe some sort of boon as well, or even a bauble of some sort; to assuage my hurt feelings.
After all, all my past beaux knew that’s how you treated a lady of a genteel upbringing. Not this mister, he came empty handed, and from the nonsense he spewed out of his mouth, I’m thinking empty headed as well. The hick.
I can still hear those words ringing through my head even now, the nerve…
“Good evening Ms. Emily, you look lovely as usual.”
“Good evening Jethro.” I did it to be contrary yes. I’d learned that he hated that name as much as I did, and decided to show my displeasure at this whole arrangement, my niggling him.
“It’s Jet Emily. Why don’t you come sit here next to me so that we may talk?”
“I’m just fine where I am thank you very much, but you go ahead on and talk.” I was already put out that he hadn’t offered me so much as a flower, no token of any kind.
And mama thinks I’m gonna marry him. Why it would take me years to train him just right. If only I could take the face and the body, maybe I could tape his mouth shut…
Chapter 4
I stood in front of the French windows that opened onto the side lawn. The garden lights made everything look so pretty, and the scent of roses permeated the air in the summer breeze.
With my arms folded, I turned my back on him, and waited for him to say whatever he had to, so I could then turn him down easy.
My heart actually raced, but not in a good way, at the thought of not seeing him again. Don’t weaken Emily, unless you want to spend the rest of your living days out with the gators and bullfrogs.
You were not raised for that, you did not spend every summer since the age of eleven, taking care of your hair and skin, to now throw it all away for a life in the petrified forest. But maybe if he’d only just move…
“Do you mind looking at me while I speak to you?”
Geez what now? The guy is a real pain. I was here wasn’t I? I didn’t owe him anything, but here I’d consented to having this conversation.
It was going to be hard enough without him making things more difficult. I turned in his direction with a frown on my face. And he proceeded to tick me off no end.
“I understand your hesitancy in this matter, after all we don’t know each other as yet. We have three months before the wedding, that’s plenty time to get to know each other.
There’s going to be some rough spots in the beginning, while you get to know the way I like things done.”
Say what now? Is he mad?
“Excuse me, what does that mean?”
“No need to get all het up about it, all I’m saying is that you being raised here in the city, your way of doing things might be a little different.
I will expect you to be obedient first and foremost. Living out in the country it takes getting used to, so if I tell you not to do something, it’s for your own good and so I will expect your obedience in all things.”
Oh he was getting deeper and deeper into dark waters with this line of talk. Who does he think he is?
“I’m also very set in my ways, and it might be better for all involved if you just towed the line until we get used to each other.”
I didn’t even bother to answer this jackass; I just walked out of the room before I brained him with something.
Was he for real? He was like something out of a nineteen thirties horror film. I don’t know what rock he was living under for the past hundred years, but he was so stuck in the ice age. What an ass.
Chapter 5
JET
I held my laughter in as long as I could, until she’d cleared the room. I knew very well what she thought of me; she couldn’t hide it.
I’d thought we’d moved past all that, but then the night of the social, I’d overheard her and her girlfriends having fun at my expense.
Little did she know, that she was looking at a Harvard business grad, top one percent. Her and her high and mighty ways needed cutting down a peg or two.
I knew she would react that way, and I had just the thing to handle her little ass. I did mean most of what I said; my family home is in a more remote part of the parish, and yes things are a little different out there.