Mistletoe Missus

ONE | Blustery Beginning | Tinsley

ONE

Blustery Beginning

Tinsley

“ T his isn’t working.”

“I know. This cutlery is so confusing. I don’t even know where to start,” I breathed and looked at the long row of spoons, knives, and forks. “I think you work your way from the outside in, or was it from the inside out?”

“No, I don’t mean—”

“Excuse me, sir?”

A server stopped at our table and peered down at me. He wore a polished black suit, with a shiny bald head, and he carried a napkin on his arm and a pitcher of ice water. Either he cast a face of annoyance my way before he even opened his mouth, or my eyes played tricks on me, and he wrinkled up his face. The rude expression vanished as quickly as it came, and he smiled down at me.

Damn! The wine in this place was good!

“Why, yes, ma’am ...” He put extra emphasis on the word, ma’am, which made me feel as old as the hills. “How can I help you?”

Never mind. The liquor had done nothing. This guy was a prick, but I had to maintain my cool instead of giving this inconsiderate asshole an earful. After all, this was the moment I had been waiting for.

I had counted down the months which turned into weeks, then days until they had become hours. Twenty-eight long years, I had longed for the point in my life where everything would change. I had no kids, lived in a single bedroom apartment and had the career of my dreams, but only one piece was missing. Someone to share all my accomplishments with and build a family of our own. But that was all about to change when I became Beau’s blushing bride-to-be.

“Sir,” I stated with the exact prominence he had granted me. “Could you tell me which cutlery piece we should start with?”

“ Ma’am , this isn’t part of my—”

“There’s no need,” Beau interrupted.

“But there is—”

“I apologize for the inconvenience. You can go now.”

“Excuse me? Inconvenience?” I blurted out and grabbed the server’s arm. “No, you aren’t going anywhere.”

“Please let go of the server’s arm,” Beau begged me as he shook his head and searched around.

Dread coated my belly and stirred around in a constant loop—a never-ending cycle of doom, when all I should have experienced was elation. I should have been high on cloud nine with all the other women engaged before me, joining their inner circle. Instead, embarrassment flowed through me, and my cheeks burned from my boyfriend’s outburst.

“No.”

Beau breathed through clenched teeth, clearly nervous. “Tinsley, please. Don’t do this.”

I could feel eyes on us, judging us as we had gathered attention from people in the restaurant. It was an unwanted awareness from those who should have been congratulating the newly engaged couple. Us. Soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs. Kingston. Not judging us.

“What’s going on, Beau?”

Beau gave a small nervous laugh and scratched his head. He pulled at his suit jacket I had bought for him last Christmas, our very first together. It was such a special time where everything was merry and bright, and butterflies had danced in my stomach every time I saw him. His handsome blue eyes glowing at me, caught up in all the excitement from the honeymoon phase we had lost ourselves in. I wanted that back, not this look of stage fright.

Beau cleared his throat. “Very well, then.”

He stood up from his seat and made his way around the table. My jaw almost hit the floor when he got down on one knee beside me as the server watched with wide eyes, and we both peered at him in shock. The organ in my chest beat one hundred miles per minute as he looked up into my eyes, and they shimmered at me with promise.

This was my moment. The very second I had waited for, and I couldn’t wait to hear him proclaim his devotion to me. His single question would kick-start the rest of our lives together.

I bet the engagement ring was a seven-carat diamond cut with a gold band, and it could twinkle for days—sparkle for the rest of my life on my finger, and I’d never grow tired of seeing such a beautiful piece the man I loved had bought for me. Excitement coursed through me as I pulled down on the server’s arm and—

“Jesus Christ!” Beau exclaimed.

Ice-cold water dumped into his lap.

Beau no longer knelt on the floor; he shot up like a bat out of hell with his face as red as a tomato. He was about to pop the question, and I spilled water as cold as an ice rink all over his crotch! He looked like he pissed himself from the nerves of asking for my hand in marriage. I blew it!

“Oh, my God!” I fretted as I grabbed the server’s napkin and got on my knees to dab at Beau’s pants. “I’m so sorry! I—”

“I think we should see other people,” Beau blurted out.

“What?” I stopped dabbing midair, and my eyes shot up to his.

Beau answered as he peered down at me with certainty, and he huffed, “This isn’t working between us, and I think we should see other people.”

“See other people?” I whispered in disbelief. “Are you breaking up with me?”

Nervously, Beau glanced from left to right as I heard chatter breaking out around us, and I blinked with surprise. “Yes, I’m sorry, Tinsley, but—”

I punched Beau right in the balls.

Call the response an impulsive reaction, my catlike reflexes, I didn’t give a damn. Hell, I didn’t care who watched my now ex-boyfriend as he bent over, whimpering over his hurting nut sack.

“Sorry?” I questioned and tossed the napkin into the stunned server’s face. “You bring me to a fancy restaurant just to end our relationship?”

“Yes.” Beau winced in pain.

Suddenly, Beau’s cell phone made a sound on the table, and my gaze shot to it. I knew I shouldn’t, and everything screamed at me not to peek, because we were supposed to have a trusting relationship that would last a lifetime. But our time was through and to hell with trust.

I grabbed the phone from the table as anger turned to hurt, and I read through several text notifications.

Ainsley: Did you break up with her?

Ainsley: What’s going on? I’m starting to worry.

Ainsley! His secretary! That two-faced bitch!

“Tinsley, come on, I can explain—”

“Asshole!” I shouted and punched him right in the nose.

Beau’s head shot backward from the force, and he fell onto his ass. His face was in his hands as I threw his device at him. I was ready for a full-out brawl, but hands grabbed me. I cussed at the man I thought I once knew and cursed him for the rest of his life. Humiliation filled his face. He couldn’t bring himself to gaze at the woman he had deceived by crawling into bed with someone else.

Beau’s nose bled as a man pulled me away from the jerk I thought had loved me. But all this time, he’d lied straight to my face and never cared for me at all. There went my happily ever after as security hauled me straight out the front door.