“Thank you so much for inviting me. I’ve been looking forward to this dinner ever since you told me what wonderful company we’d have.”
As the man says this, his eyes land on me. My fingers twitch and tug at the skirt of my dress. I thought it was the best choice. Now, I’m wishing I had something that covered more of my arms and my legs. The man runs his eyes over me. Assessing.
What is this?
My anxiety is not so easy to soothe as it was a moment ago.
“Oh, you charmer!” Georgiana exclaims while laughing and letting the man claim her hand and kiss her knuckles. “I was so happy that you agreed to join us. Franklin, this is my houseguest, Ophelia. Ophelia, this is Franklin. He is the newest doctor at the practice where Richard works.” She turns a wide smile on me, and there is an eagerness in her eyes.
“I am honored to meet you,” Franklin says, moving around the table to stand in front of me. “When Georgiana told me how beautiful you were, I never expected that you could surpass her description.”
I don’t like this.
There’s something familiar about the situation that causes a painful tug in the bottom of my gut and sweat to collect like a chilled mist on my skin. But technically, no one has said or done anything wrong, so I fall back on my previously learned coping behavior.
I go quiet.
I attempt a smile and let Franklin take my hand and put his lips on my knuckles. And I try not to be obvious when I then wipe those knuckles on the back of my dress to get the feel of him off me.
This is not a man I would ever ask to hug.
The dinner commences with Georgiana and Franklin chatting happily while Richard adds a handful of comments but stays almost as quiet as me.
I don’t say anything. They don’taskme anything. Even though I prefer not to speak in this strange situation, a part of me knows this is weird. How they don’t even try to include me in the conversation. This feels different from when I attended the Shellys’ happy hour. I didn’t speak much then either. But I still felt a part of the gathering. Maybe it was the fact that Ame immediately asked what drink I wanted. Or because she put her cat in my lap. Or that when I did venture a rare question, they answered it easily.
And maybe it was because I knew that Broderick knew I was there. That he was paying attention to me even if we weren’t speaking.
Here, I feel as visible as the tea light in the center of the table. A decoration.
And then they start to talk about me.
“Ophelia is thinking about going to the university for accounting.” Georgiana’s eyes glitter as she focuses solely on Franklin. “Wouldn’t that be so helpful? And I’m sure they’d get her set up with basic computer skills, so she could work reception for you all.”
I go rigid in my seat.
“Accounting degrees are a good choice.” Franklin smiles and nods at me as if approving of a trick I was planning to learn. “It’s always refreshing when a young lady has a good head on her shoulders.”
Suddenly, I realize what this reminds me of.
My father and the sorcerer.
The night he came to our house. How the two of them discussed my future. And my father gave me to him as if I were a malfunctioning object to hand off and be fixed.
That time, I went willingly.
This is a double date. I see that now. A date my host didn’t bother to speak to me about. My opinion on the matter must be inconsequential. Georgiana brought me here like cattle to be viewed and considered as … wife material?
From the way that Franklin grins, he finds me plenty acceptable. He likes the woman who has not spoken a word to him in the last hour. The woman who’s getting an accounting degree and will conveniently work at the front desk in his office.
He doesn’t even know my last name. I haven’t toldanyonein this town my surname because I don’t want it anymore.
But maybe it’s easier for him not to know. Especially if he plans to give me his.
Breath stutters in and out of my throat, my lungs tight with anger and panic. Heat flows like lava, thick in my veins, ruffling invisible feathers. Stirring the bird that I’m not supposed to let out. The other half of me that I have been told to keep hidden by the woman who is smiling across the table at me.
She is looking to sell me. Just like my father sold me.
I know that he got money. I know that a generous donation was made to the church that he attended. Everyone was paid, and then I was gone.
