Chapter 15
Maisie
O h shit. Oh. Shit . Why did I open my big mouth?
Nan was always telling me I needed to think before I spoke. And I always laughed her off. Well, those chickens have come home to roost. Jack stares at me like I’ve grown two heads, while Mr. McIntyre glances thoughtfully between us. I quickly take another sip of my hot chocolate as the silence continues to blanket the table.
“Yes.” Jack clears his throat loudly. “Maisie and I are engaged.”
Mr. McIntyre looks pointedly at my hand. I follow his line of sight to my empty ring finger and offer him a tight smile. “I wanted to use my nan’s ring. She raised me for most of my life and always said she would leave it to me. However, she’s in Australia. We’re heading back for Christmas, and I will get it from her then.”
It’s not really a lie. I’ve loved that ring since I was small. I stare at my finger, imagining it there, and I can feel the tears welling up. Jack tugs me close to his side, and I squeak at the unexpected contact. He kisses my head, and I try to act like this is normal.
“I haven’t heard anything about your engagement. Not even a whisper in the society pages.” Marcus appears to be watching us carefully.
“Maisie has been working for me for several months as she finishes her degree. I didn’t want to subject her to unwanted scrutiny while she was doing so. We fully plan to have an official announcement after the holidays.” Jack moves his arm around my shoulders and settles me firmly against him.
I smile and sip my hot chocolate, refusing to dig deeper into the hole I find myself in.
“Well, that changes things. Let’s put this dull business away.” Marcus takes the contract and tucks it into his briefcase. “Why don’t you and your lovely fiancée join my family today? The boys and I plan to ski, but my wife wanted to check out the spa and shop. I’m sure Maisie would enjoy it as well.”
Without missing a beat, Jack smiles and agrees. “I’ve already set up a charge account with the resort, even though we’re staying in a more remote cabin. We wanted some alone time, so we rented a little spot about half an hour away. I’m sure Maisie would love a day of pampering.” Jack kisses my head again, and I can’t help the butterflies that take flight in my stomach.
We stand up and head back to the lobby, where a gorgeous redhead is waiting with two teens. She seems to fuss at the son while the daughter scrolls on her phone.
“Zan!” Marcus calls out, and the redhead turns and smiles in our direction. “Marcus! That was quick. I didn’t think you’d be ready yet.”
Marcus pulls her close for a kiss before turning to us. “I stumbled upon some happy news. We’re among the first to know that Mr. Foster and the lovely Maisie are engaged!”
The woman, who I now know is his wife, Alexandra, jumps up and down. And I have to smile. It’s contagious. “Well, that is happy news! Congrats, darling!” She gives me a quick embrace and a kiss on the cheek before she turns to her husband again. “Well, if you’re done with business for the day, are you ready to take these two gremlins on the slopes?”
Calista waves her phone at her father. “Dad, I’ve mapped out the slopes I wanna try. Max said he wants to stick with you, but I don’t want to do the hard runs. Can I head out on my own? I’ll keep my phone zipped and my beeper on.”
Marcus smiles at his daughter before pulling her close. “Yes, squidge. That’s fine. You go and do your own thing. Only seventeen and already too good to hang out with your old man.” He ruffles her hair.
Calista squawks in protest, batting his hand away while Alexandra loops an arm through mine. “That just leaves us. Let’s check out the shops and sign up for a few spa packages. I know your future hubby can afford it.” She winks at me like we’ve been friends for ages. “Besides, I can’t wait to hear all about your wedding!”
I look at Jack, pleading for his help, and he pulls me out of Alexandra’s hold so he can whisper in my ear as he holds me in what appears to be a loving embrace. “Don’t worry about cost. Just charge everything and anything. We will talk about this later.” He kisses the crown of my head before walking out the door with Marcus and his twins. And all I can do is watch them go.
“Ready?”
I turn back around to see Alexandra waiting for me at the door leading to the other side of the resort, and I swallow down my anxiety. Why do I always do this to myself?
“Let’s go!” I plaster a smile on my face and follow her through the door.
We walk silently down the hall while I take in my surroundings. Large windows grace either side of the walkway, showcasing the picturesque Colorado landscape. Despite my loathing for all things cold, I have to admit it is breathtaking.
“I’ve never been fond of snow, but this place is gorgeous,” I say, breaking the silence.
Alexandra takes a second to look out the windows with me. “Yeah, I love this place. We vacation here every year around this time. I didn’t grow up with the best home life, so I told myself that when I marry and have kids, I’ll do whatever it takes to make the best memories. I was a waitress when I met Marcus. He was in town on business and happened to have a meeting in the restaurant where I was working.”
She takes a deep breath and continues.
“I wouldn’t give him the time of day at first. I figured he was just like all the other businessmen who come in and out of town. You know the type, just looking for a slap and a tickle and nothing serious. While I was no wilting flower, I was determined that my next relationship would be my last.”
Her eyes go dreamy as she reminisces about the past.
“He came into that restaurant every night for a month. He refused to sit in any section that wasn’t mine, and if I wasn’t working, he would leave. The other girls were gossiping about it. They figured I was sleeping with a wealthy man for money. The rumors kept spreading until I finally confronted him.”
Alexandra chuckles at the memory.
“I just went off on him. Threw his plate in his lap. Accused him of starting the rumors himself. It turns out he wanted to get to know me, and I’d been refusing to give him my number, so he came in every night because I was stubborn. When he heard about all the insults being slung my way, I’d never seen anyone look so terrifying in my life. He laid his napkin on the table, tipped me a ridiculous amount even compared to his previous tips, and left.”
I gasp. “He left! Just like that? After everything you told him?”
Alexandra nods. “I was suspended from work for blowing up at a customer. We were a high-end restaurant, and things like that just aren’t done here because we are not a diner or a reality TV show . Three days later, my manager called, claiming that my suspension had been revoked by the new owner, and asked if I could please come in as they were short-handed. I was confused. We were fully staffed. But then when I got to work, I discovered that the new owner had fired every girl involved with spreading those rumors about me. That’s when I realized that Marcus went out and bought the restaurant just to fire the girls who were mean to me.”
“That is insane!”
Alexandra and I walk into the gift shop—if it could even be called that, as it closely resembles a mini-mall.
“Oh, yes. It’s totally insane, but at that moment, I realized how much he was willing to do just to see me happy. I had never had that in my life. I looked over every interaction and came to the conclusion that he made it known he was interested but was always respectful.”
She pauses for a moment before continuing.
“It was everything when I put it all together. All the small things he’d been doing for me. It was everything I told myself I wouldn’t settle for less than . He’d given me his number weeks prior, but I’d never used it.” Her lips quirk. “I never threw it away either. So, I texted him just one word. Yes . And he immediately replied with turn around . When I did, I saw that he was standing behind me. I threw myself at him, and we haven’t looked back since.”
“That’s amazing. It’s like a fairy tale!” I’m in awe. You don’t hear stories like theirs every day, and the fact that they are still going just as strong seventeen years later baffles me.
Alexandra walks up to a rack of sweaters, flipping through them before moving onto a wall of boots. “What about your Jack? How did y’all meet?”
I waffle back and forth between responses in my head, deciding to settle on a watered-down version of the truth. “My Uncle Gio. I needed a place to complete my internship hours, and Jack desperately needed someone to handle his desk. He’d run off the last three assistants in a matter of days. I took the job, which allowed me to get my internship hours and whip the office into shape. There was some drama with a girl at first, but things have been smooth sailing ever since. There was so much work at the beginning as he was double and triple booking himself, and projects were terribly behind. Everything is all straightened out now. We are actually ahead of schedule by a month.”
“Sometimes all it takes is a woman to come in and clean things up!” Alexandra declares, pulling a pair of knee-high boots off the wall. “These are adorable. I think I’m going to try them on.” She scans the shop, looking for an associate.
“When I started, I was worried about proving myself, even though I was insanely overqualified. I still wanted to prove it to myself and my family.” I choke over the last word. “I’d heard the rumors and was terrified, but with every meeting, every late night where he ordered me food and made me eat, I saw something different.” It shocks me just how much of what I’m saying I actually mean.
“He was different.”
I nod, agreeing with Alexandra’s conclusion. He was different. “Yeah. Are you going to try on the boots? You should. They’re super cute!” I say, attempting to steer the conversation in another direction.
“I think I am. You should grab that blue sweater behind you. It would make your eyes pop.”
I grab the sweater in question and look at the price tag, almost swallowing my tongue. Five-hundred dollars for a shirt that feels like it was made of clouds and angel wings. “How do you even wash it?” I mutter to myself, looking for the care instructions.
A saleswoman walks up and takes the hanger, crooking a finger while indicating for me to follow her. She looks me up and down before heading toward the back of the store. She stops on the way and picks up some black pants and black boots with heels that, frankly, have me concerned about my ability to walk in them.
When we end up in the lingerie section, I pull up short. She grabs a silver lace garment and then opens a changing room door. She hangs her selections on the little hook and gestures for me to enter. I do as I’m instructed, and she closes the door behind me.
“Well, that was weird.” I pull down the silver lace garment and find out it’s a silk and lace bodysuit… in my exact size. “How did she do that?” I wonder out loud as I get out of my regular clothes and start putting on the outfit the sales lady chose.
The material is cool, making me break out in goose bumps. I bite my lip, holding back a moan at the feel of the lace against my skin. I’ve never owned anything so decadent in my life. The rest of the outfit fits as perfectly as the bodysuit, and I’m impressed. Even the boots are comfortable and easy to walk in. I exit the dressing room and stand in front of the tri-fold mirrors, turning side to side to view myself at every angle.
“Girl, that looks amazing on you! You have to buy it! You can wear it to dinner tonight! Jack is going to break his neck when he sees you!” Alexandra gushes, walking up to me with a couple of shopping bags hanging from her arm.
I smooth my hands down the sweater. “Yeah, I think I just might.”
“Go change. We’ll grab some lunch before we meet the guys.” Alexandra resumes her browsing, and I take off my outfit.
Removing the bodysuit feels almost like a sin, and I jump when someone knocks on the door. Then the sales lady walks in, lifts my sweater, snips the tags off the bodysuit, smirks at me, and walks out again.
“That woman is scary,” I grumble as I change back into my regular clothes over my new bodysuit.
When I return to the register, the sales lady takes the items to fold and bag. “Name on the account?”
Hearing her voice for the first time has me fumbling over my words. “Maisie Mitchell?”
The woman appears unfazed by the fact my answer comes out more as a question, simply nodding before she begins ringing up the clothes. I watch the total climb and feel myself starting to panic. She hands me the slip to sign, and I gulp at the $2500 price tag but sign it anyway. Worst-case scenario, I can pay Jack back over time.
Alexandra chatters away as we walk back into the dining room where we first met this morning. A waiter seats us, and as we peruse the menu, the conversation is steered toward my fake engagement. “So, what are you planning on doing for your wedding? Have you looked at venues and all that?”
“Well, I want to get married in Australia so my nan can attend.” I’m shocked to find the truth in this statement. I never really considered it before I foolishly opened my mouth.
“That makes sense. What about your mom? Is she in Australia too?”
“My mum passed away when I was young. I wish she were able to attend.” I feel the tears starting, and I wipe at my eyes, pressing my hands against my cheeks.
“Oh. My darling, I’m so sorry. I had no idea.” Alexandra places a comforting hand on my arm.
“It’s okay. It happened years ago. Still, it hits differently with the engagement and everything now.” I sniffle before forcing myself to laugh. “Okay, enough of me being a sad sack. Let’s order!”
Alexandra chuckles as we return our attention to the menus.