Chapter 13 #3
When the door finally opened, she smiled at the family butler. “Hello, Anders,” she said with a smile. “How are you?”
He stepped aside, motioning for them to come in. “I’m well, Miss Maisie. It’s good to see you.” He smiled at Axel.
“Oh, Anders, this is my boyfriend, Axel Hayes. Axel, this is Anders.”
The two men shook hands.
“I know we’re a little late because of traffic, but where are my parents waiting for me?”
He didn’t respond right away, and she got the sinking feeling that they had ignored her request and had gone out. But then he leaned in close with a hint of a smile and whispered, “They’re in the den, and I believe you’ve got them more than a little nervous. Good for you.”
That was all the encouragement she needed.
Anders led them across the house, even though she didn’t need it, and it felt just a wee bit pretentious when he announced them to her parents. But the look on their faces when they saw Axel was priceless.
Then they looked at her, and for a moment she was a little girl about to be reprimanded. Axel gave her hand a quick squeeze, and she pushed those feelings aside.
“Maisie, you didn’t mention you were bringing a guest,” her mother said with a stiff smile and an even stiffer air-kiss.
“Axel Hayes, these are my parents, Dominique and Alexander Quinnland.”
He stood tall beside her and eyed them warily. “It’s nice to meet you both,” he said, but she knew he didn’t mean it.
“Is this the man Bryce told us about?” her father asked. “The one you’ve been messing around with?”
Axel went to take a menacing step forward, but she stopped him with a gentle hand on his arm.
“Oh, so I guess Bryce can tell the truth. Shocking,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “But yes, Axel and I have been dating for about a month now. He’s one of the owners of the resort I’m decorating upstate.”
Neither parent seemed impressed, and they didn’t even pay him much attention. That’s when she knew it was pointless to drag things out.
“I know I mentioned staying for dinner, but I don’t think that will be necessary,” she announced and, again, loved seeing their shocked expressions. “I’m really only here as a courtesy.”
“A courtesy?” her father asked. “What does that even mean?”
“It means that after everything you and I talked about yesterday, you still chose to converse with Bryce and then immediately bring him up in the conversation. And per our conversation, you know I’m not marrying him.
His family is deplorable. And even if I hadn’t presented that information to you, I wasn’t going to marry him.
I did exactly what you challenged me to do.
I went out, got a job, and made it work.
I’ve got multiple clients lined up, and I am thrilled with the way things are going. ”
“Well then, you won’t be needing anything from us,” her mother said. “For now. I’m sure you’ll be back looking for a handout or for something because this is all just a phase. You’re playing at being independent, you’re dating an ordinary man, but you’ll miss all of this. Trust me.”
“That’s an interesting choice of words, Mother,” Maisie said, her grip tight on her purse strap. “Because I believe you tried to leave Dad multiple times and he always managed to buy you back. There’s a word for a person who allows people to pay for them.”
“Maisie! What in the world?” The outrage in her mother’s voice was almost comical.
“And then you’d come back and end up in rehab. Of course you told people you were vacationing in Europe, but you were really in rehab in Arizona.”
“But…who…how?”
“That’s enough, Maisie,” her father snapped. “You will not come in here and make these kinds of accusations.”
“Why not? Afraid I’ll tell you what I know about you?” she taunted, and had to admit, it was kind of thrilling to be the one in control.
“Bribes to senators to cover up for your environmental crimes,” she said, stepping toward him. “The payoffs to city officials to protect your real estate interests. The affairs. The fact that you framed your own brother for…”
“That is enough!” he shouted as he got to his feet. “I don’t know where you got your information or…”
“Seriously? After the report I got on the Chadsworths, you didn’t think I’d do the same for you?”
It took a solid minute, but he finally sat down. “What do you want? Just say it and get it over with.”
“I want my credit cards back and everything you took from me before tossing me out with that shitty truck,” she began.
“And I want the two of you to back out of my personal life. I don’t want you to ever use me as a negotiating tool for anything, and don’t you dare even think of trying to force me to marry anyone. Ever. My life is my own.”
“You won’t get another dime from us,” her mother chimed in.
“That’s fine because I can’t be bought like some people.” She let out a long breath and pulled the folder out of her purse and tossed it down on the coffee table. “That’s your copy. I have mine. Now if you’ll get me my things, I’d like to take Axel to one of my favorite places for dinner.”
Turning, she smiled at him and saw how hard he was trying not to laugh.
“And we’re selling your condo,” Dominique added, and, surprisingly, her father was the one to stop her from going any further.
“We’re not selling the condo, and she’s not being cut off,” he said quietly. “The condo was a gift. Her car was a gift. She’s never been an extravagant shopper. Not like some people.”
The snicker was out before she could stop it.
When her father stood again and faced her, she couldn’t quite read his expression. “You’ve never squandered money, and I don’t expect that to start now. Your trust fund will kick in soon, and until then, you’ll continue to receive your monthly allowance just as you always have.”
“Alex, are you insane! Why are you giving her anything? She’s essentially blackmailing us!”
His mirthless laugh sounded overly loud in the room.
“And where do you think she learned that behavior from, my dear? Should we really be surprised?” Then he looked at Maisie.
“You turned into a formidable force.” And then he looked at Axel.
“I’m guessing you probably had something to do with that. ”
Axel stepped forward. “No, sir. Maisie’s been strong all along. I’ve just been happy to encourage her to let other people see it.”
“Mm-hmm.”
He took another step forward. “Oh, one more thing. If you ever even think of talking to her or treating her with disrespect again, I’ll personally come here and beat the living shit out of you.
” With a broad smile, he added, “Don’t make me come back here.
I’m not a fan of the city. But I am a big fan of punching pretentious assholes in the face. ”
Giggling, Maisie walked over and linked her arm through his. “Would you like to grab some dinner now? I know a place that I think you’ll really enjoy.”
“We’ll leave as soon as these people give you what’s rightfully yours.” He glared at her father. “That’s your cue to move your ass.”
Without even a hint of hesitation, her father quickly strode from the room and was back in two minutes and handed Maisie a small leather satchel. “Everything’s in there.”
“She’ll be the judge of that,” Axel said, taking the bag and opening it for her.
Fortunately, everything was there.
“I’d like to say it was good to see you, but…oh, wait, it was!” Maisie said with a laugh. “But I don’t think we should do it again for a while. Take care! Bye!”
She and Axel strolled to the door, and when she saw Anders holding it for them with the biggest grin, she knew he had heard everything.
“Take care of yourself, Anders,” she said softly, and surprised him by kissing him on the cheek.
“You too, Miss Maisie.” Then he shook Axel’s hand. “Take good care of her.”
“Believe me, I will.”
And when they stepped out onto the sidewalk, Axel took her in his arms and spun her around. They laughed and were smiling, and then he paused and kissed her.
Just like what always happened in a fairy tale.