The Grooms

The call

house on A street” checking her nails, Annie gave out the address. “I really appreciate you taking me out of this fix Armstrong”

Armstrong shrugged while putting some more cereal into his mouth and sharing family gossip with Annie, and he wondered where the hell he might have store his suit and tux.

“Oh aunt Rose really” Lin stood in her underwear, a waterfall of white silk over her shoulders and a mortified facial expression on her face, “A blind date?”

“Not really my sweetheart” Rose smiled “you’ve met with him before when you were a kid, i know it might be difficult, but Annie rarely asks me for favors, it’s just one evening you were going out and she saw you and….never mind”

“I was going out with you?”

“I’ll still be here but darling he’s a very gentle and sweet person, a bit picky but still very nice” she beamed “of course all my godchildren are wonderful people”

Rose continued to smile widely as she sat and studied Lin her goddaughter. Rose was a petite woman with her hair all grey and soft. And with a quick and sharp mind, when the moment call for it like right now, she would adapt a fragile and helpless air. The aged widow Lin thought and chuckled.

“Annie worries about him” she continues “so do i, the man keeps too much to himself, but honestly who would have thought that when i was just casually mentioning tonight event and how you’d comeback to Washington, that Annie would get this idea in her head? “I was just…” Rose fluttered, her hands helpless on her laps “I didn’t know how to refuse her and i realized what an imposition it is”.

Because her beloved godmother suddenly looked so unhappy, Lin relented “it doesn’t matter, as you said I’m going anyway” gracefully she stepped into her gown “are we meeting there”

“Ah” checked the time, “actually he’ll be here shortly to pick you up, and I’ll meet you there. Oh my goodness, look at the time my driver must be wondering what has happened to me”.

“But….”

“I’ll see you in an hour or two sweetheart” Rose called out moving with surprising speed for a woman of her age. You look absolutely stunning” she said once she was half way the stairs that lead to the door. Lin stood in the column of her unzipped of her white silk dress, and heaved out a breath. Typical it thought, she was just typical, her godmother has been forever shoving men into her path, which left her in the irritating state of having to push them out again.

Marriage was something she had firmly shoved off in her life plan, after growing up in a house where manners precedence over love and casual affairs was politely ignored, Lin have no intention of ever finding her self in the same sort of situation-ship or relationship. Men were fine as decorations but as long as she runs the show, and at the moment her career is much more important than having someone to dine with on weekend nights.

She intended to continue her steady climb up the family cooperate ladder at Benson’s. In ten years, according to her she would take over as CEO.

It was another show she intended to run, Benson’s wasn’t just a department store, it’s an institution. Being single and remaining that way insured she could devote all her time and energies to maintaining the company’s reputation and style.

She wasn’t her mother. Lin thought with a faint frown marrying her brows, who thought of the company as her personal closet, or her father who had always been considered with bottom line profit than innovations and traditions. She was, Lin thought to herself. And to her Benson was a responsibility and a source of joy to her. It was what, she supposed her true family.

Some people might find that sad but she found it comforting.

With a quick move she zipped her dress up, part of her responsibility at Benson cooperation was to mingle, to attend social functions, to her it was simple a matter of changing gears.from one kind of work to another. The after hours work called on training she’d received throughout her childhood and was second nature to her now. And the “job” often meant being linked with the proper escort.

At least this time her aunt Rose didn’t have any real interest in making a match. It would just be a matter of making small talk with a virtual stranger for the evening, and God knew she was an expert in that area. She turned and pick up the pear and diamond drop necklace, she’d already picked up to match her dress. The room reflects her taste, simple, and elegant with a dash of flash. The antique headboard of carved cherry, the highly polished surface of lovely tend occasional tables topped with designed flowery vases of fresh flowers or carefully chosen accessories. Her home now she thought with quiet pride. She’d made it her own.

There was a cozy sitting area in front of a small marble table like fireplace and a dainty ladies’ vanity displaying a collection of boldly colored perfume bottles. She selected her scent, absently dabbling it on, while she allowed herself to wish, just for nothing but to quietly spend the lovely evening at home. She’d put in ten hours a day at Benson’s. Her foot hurt, her brain was tired and her stomach empty.

Pushing all that aside, she turned to the chevalier glass to check the line and fit of her grown, it was cut straight at the bodice and flowed without fuss to the ankle leaving her shoulders bare, she added the short jacket, flipped into her heels and check the contents of her evening bag.

When the door bell rang she only sighed once, at least he was prompt.

She remembered Armstrong vaguely from childhood, she’d been much too nervous and impress from meeting the president to notice much else, but she’d heard of him off and on over the years.