her BMW convertible and checked the mirror. Pursing her lips, she reapplied a barely pink shade of lipstick. Her straight blond hair fell against her shoulders. Evie sighed. Could she really pull it off? Act interested in a man she had no intentions of pursuing?
Then she thought of Ben. In two hours she would meet him in a secluded, cozy restaurant forty-five minutes away. Thinking of their clandestine meeting replaced the misgivings and brought a smile, one she hoped she could maintain throughout her coffee break. She flipped the visor up again and glanced in the rearview mirror in time to see Eli enter the coffee shop. She tugged at the corner of her khaki skirt and followed him.
The afternoon sun lit the coffee shop. Evie waved and mouthed hello to several of her classmates as her eyes adjusted to the change in light and glanced around for Eli. He sat in a chair at a small, round table in a corner near the back, the light reflecting off his silver cuff links.
Think of Ben, think of Ben, think of Ben, she repeated to herself as she waved in Eli’s direction. “Hi,” she greeted him with forced sweetness.
“Good afternoon.” He smiled broadly at her. “Pick your poison.” He gestured in the direction of the coffee bar.
Cheesy, Evie thought. How painful will this afternoon be? They studied the menu pasted above the bar and ordered before returning to the table.
“So how was your meeting?” Evie asked. If she had learned anything from her mother, it was the art of small talk. Victoria Barrett could break the ice in the Arctic Circle.
“Boring,” Eli answered. “A man with too much money wanted to set some aside for his newest grandson’s college education. The kid isn’t even off formula yet, and his grandfather has already paid for an Ivy League education. Not that there’s anything wrong with planning ahead, but I can’t help but think the kids who work here would love to have just an extra $500 to put toward their tuition.” Eli looked up at Evie and blushed. “And now I’m babbling, sorry.”
The kids of which he spoke could easily include her Ben. He worked two jobs merely to pay for tuition every other semester and his living expenses, even though he shared those with three other guys. She could understand Eli’s frustration.
“So when you are a congressman, what great plans do you have to help these kids get that $500, or maybe even more to help pay for their college education?” She settled into her chair.
Eli’s perfectly straight, white teeth showed through his grin. “I’ve actually given that problem some thought….”
Evie’s mind wandered as he talked about how to help hard-working kids from hard-working families pay for a college education so maybe they could pay more on their own children’s education.
He cocked his head to one side as he wrapped up his explanation. “Enough political talk. I’m sure you get that at home. Your father seems to be very involved with politics for a doctor. So, now it’s your turn. Tell me about this boyfriend of yours, the one who cares nothing for your family’s things, yet doesn’t warrant the approval of your parents.”
Evie blinked as her breath stopped for a minute. “He…I…we broke up,” she admitted, casting her eyes downward, hoping he couldn’t see the sweat popping out on her forehead.
“I’m sorry, I hope my coming to dinner or sending flowers had nothing to do with it.” His tone was low. “I just wanted you to know I understood your predicament and sympathized.”
“No.” She shook her head slightly. “I thought about what my parents said over the weekend. I love Ben, but he doesn’t deserve what my parents and their friends would put him through. They would never accept him. If we married, they would make life unbearable. He deserves better than that.”
Evie picked at her napkin and tried to conjure up some tears. What she said was the truth, except the part about sparing Ben. He deserved more, but he
Then she thought of Ben. In two hours she would meet him in a secluded, cozy restaurant forty-five minutes away. Thinking of their clandestine meeting replaced the misgivings and brought a smile, one she hoped she could maintain throughout her coffee break. She flipped the visor up again and glanced in the rearview mirror in time to see Eli enter the coffee shop. She tugged at the corner of her khaki skirt and followed him.
The afternoon sun lit the coffee shop. Evie waved and mouthed hello to several of her classmates as her eyes adjusted to the change in light and glanced around for Eli. He sat in a chair at a small, round table in a corner near the back, the light reflecting off his silver cuff links.
Think of Ben, think of Ben, think of Ben, she repeated to herself as she waved in Eli’s direction. “Hi,” she greeted him with forced sweetness.
“Good afternoon.” He smiled broadly at her. “Pick your poison.” He gestured in the direction of the coffee bar.
Cheesy, Evie thought. How painful will this afternoon be? They studied the menu pasted above the bar and ordered before returning to the table.
“So how was your meeting?” Evie asked. If she had learned anything from her mother, it was the art of small talk. Victoria Barrett could break the ice in the Arctic Circle.
“Boring,” Eli answered. “A man with too much money wanted to set some aside for his newest grandson’s college education. The kid isn’t even off formula yet, and his grandfather has already paid for an Ivy League education. Not that there’s anything wrong with planning ahead, but I can’t help but think the kids who work here would love to have just an extra $500 to put toward their tuition.” Eli looked up at Evie and blushed. “And now I’m babbling, sorry.”
The kids of which he spoke could easily include her Ben. He worked two jobs merely to pay for tuition every other semester and his living expenses, even though he shared those with three other guys. She could understand Eli’s frustration.
“So when you are a congressman, what great plans do you have to help these kids get that $500, or maybe even more to help pay for their college education?” She settled into her chair.
Eli’s perfectly straight, white teeth showed through his grin. “I’ve actually given that problem some thought….”
Evie’s mind wandered as he talked about how to help hard-working kids from hard-working families pay for a college education so maybe they could pay more on their own children’s education.
He cocked his head to one side as he wrapped up his explanation. “Enough political talk. I’m sure you get that at home. Your father seems to be very involved with politics for a doctor. So, now it’s your turn. Tell me about this boyfriend of yours, the one who cares nothing for your family’s things, yet doesn’t warrant the approval of your parents.”
Evie blinked as her breath stopped for a minute. “He…I…we broke up,” she admitted, casting her eyes downward, hoping he couldn’t see the sweat popping out on her forehead.
“I’m sorry, I hope my coming to dinner or sending flowers had nothing to do with it.” His tone was low. “I just wanted you to know I understood your predicament and sympathized.”
“No.” She shook her head slightly. “I thought about what my parents said over the weekend. I love Ben, but he doesn’t deserve what my parents and their friends would put him through. They would never accept him. If we married, they would make life unbearable. He deserves better than that.”
Evie picked at her napkin and tried to conjure up some tears. What she said was the truth, except the part about sparing Ben. He deserved more, but he
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