Not that that was anything great, but it was better than sitting and crying.
She slipped on a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt before sitting down at the old and worn-looking desk with her laptop. She pulled up the contract template and got to work modifying it to fit her proposal.
She typed, read, edited, typed some more, reread, and two hours later, felt like it was right. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was after ten and decided to email it to Walker along with her presentation again just in case he needed to check it. When her phone rang five minutes later, she was practically giddy thinking he was calling her to talk about the contract. Unfortunately, it wasn’t him.
Groaning, she answered, “Hey, Mom.”
“Oh wonderful, Maisie! Thank you for answering your phone.”
It was a little too early for this much snark, but the only other option was hanging up, and she just wasn’t in the mood to start that kind of childish fight.
“Good morning,” she said instead. “How are you?”
“How am I? I’m worried! That’s how I am! When are you going to drop all this nonsense and come home? I gave you the weekend, and I think you’ve made your point.”
That perked her up. “So then you’re not going to force me to marry Bryce?”
“What? Oh, no. No, no, no. I didn’t say that. I’m just saying I can see that you’re upset,” her mother reasoned, like it was the most logical thing in the world.
“Mom, if you know I’m upset and that I am vehemently opposed to this, why would you think I’m ready to come home?”
“Because you’re acting like a child! We’re all just looking out for you! I don’t understand why you’re not more appreciative.”
“Mom…”
“Maisie,” she quickly interrupted. “You are twenty-seven years old and you’ve only had two boyfriends. Two! The last one broke up with you five years ago, and you haven’t gone on a date since. We’re simply making sure that you’re taken care of.”
“By pawning me off on a guy I find repulsive? Seriously?”
After a small tsk, her mother replied. “I’ll admit he’s not the most handsome boy I’ve ever seen, but…”
“It’s not about looks, Mom! It’s about him as a human being! He’s awful! Remember all those allegations about him in college?”
“Nothing ever came of them. That should tell you they were false.”
“Or that the victims were bought off.”
“Maisie! That’s an awful thing to say!”
“It’s an awful thing for you to force me to marry a man like that. I don’t want to and I won’t do it. I don’t care what happens; I won’t go through with it.”
Silence.
Meanwhile, her heart was beating so loud that she was certain the people in the next room could hear it.
“Why don’t we put a pin in this for now, hmm? You’re emotional. I’m sure you’re feeling a little lost being cut off without all the comforts of home and your credit cards. Eventually you’ll realize that you can’t make it on your own. Starting a business requires money and connections. You can have all of that right here in Manhattan.”
“As long as I marry Bryce,” she murmured.
“It really won’t be so bad. He’s not the monster you seem to think he is.”
She knew for a fact that he was.
Only…she couldn’t say anything because no one would believe her.
The last time she’d seen him had been at Jocelyn Abbott’s wedding two months ago at a luxurious estate out in Montauk. Maisie had gone with her family and was having a wonderful time until she’d stepped outside for some fresh air. Bryce had followed her and tried to be charming, she supposed. But it felt like he was stalking her, following her closely and crowding her in.
Just thinking about it now made her shiver with unease.
