Holding the flowers out to her, he asked, “Can I come in already? It’s freezing out here.”
Chey rolled her eyes, snatched the flowers from his hand and turned around. Todd followed her up to her apartment. Once inside, Chey turned around and faced him with her arms across her chest.
“How did you find me?”
“It was easy.” Todd scrunched his face, dismissing her question. “Your mother eventually told my mother. She was concerned.” He clapped his hands. “Now let’s talk about you coming on home.” He spoke to her, but his eyes took in the small neat space around them. “This is where you’re living?” he asked with an expression that resembled disgust.
“Yes, this is where I’m living, and no, I’m not coming home.” Chey took a breath. She was going to have to speak to her mother—again! She’d asked her not to tell Todd that she’d moved to New York. No matter how many times she said it, she couldn’t convince Mrs. Rodgers that Todd wasn’t the right man for her. She had been concerned only with the fact that he would have been a great provider. Coming from humble means, Chey understood but wasn’t willing to let her dreams die under Todd’s misogynistic thumb.
Exasperated, Todd grunted. “Okay, what’s this really about?” Chey couldn’t believe his attitude. “I’ve given you time. You should be back in Virginia planning our wedding.”
“Todd! There won’t be a wedding!”
“What’s gotten into you?” He looked genuinely confused.
“Sense! That’s what!”
His face changed; his new look bordered anger. “You’re saying being with me didn’t make sense. I’m a prominent attorney. Need I remind you that I’m being promoted to partner? I come from a wealthy family. Certainly it makes more sense for you to be with me than any other man. Who else could offer the life I’m capable of providing for you?” His expression changed again as if he’d just put the pieces of a puzzle together. “That’s it! There’s another man.” Todd stepped past her as if he would find him in the apartment. “Where is he?”
“Todd!” Chey dropped her head and groaned. “There’s no other man!”
“So why did you run away?”
“Ugh! I don’t want to marry you?”
“Why on earth not?” Todd was baffled.
“Because you don’t respect me?”
Todd gave a dismissive wave. “Of course I do.”
“No, you don’t. I have no interest in being the kind of wife you’re looking for.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Todd remained clearly confused.
“I want to work, make my own living. I have a dream to become a perfumer.” Todd cut his eyes toward the ceiling. “See what I mean? That’s my passion and I can’t be with a man who wants to control every facet of my life and would never support my dreams.”
“Your dream is silly! I mean, really. Who makes a living creating concoctions in the kitchen sink? My wife doesn’t need to work. Your job would be to raise our kids. Wouldn’t that be enough?”
Chey couldn’t stand there another moment. How could someone young have such a dated outlook on life? “Get out, Todd!”
He stared at her, not believing she had ordered him to leave.
“Playtime is over!” he bellowed. “This is becoming embarrassing. I’m tired of my family’s questions about your whereabouts. This stops here.” Todd looked around and walked toward the suitcase that Chey was packing for her trip. “You’re going somewhere?”
“Yes!”
“Where?” He closed in on her, demanding an answer with his words and presence.
“That’s none of your business.” Chey crossed her arms, refusing to back down.
“You are my business!” He stomped. Chey stepped back and looked at him incredulously. Todd huffed. “See how angry you make me? Let’s go. Now!”
“Todd! For the last time. I’m. Not. Leaving. Here!”
Todd looked as though he hadn’t understood a word she’d said.
“Let me make this clear. We’re through. I’m never going to marry you. I have legitimate desires and dreams. I’m going to finish school and become a professional perfumer whether you think it’s a ridiculous idea or not. I don’t care how much money your family has, I don’t want to be a housewife. I have a life of my own—goals of my own. I will no longer be controlled or manipulated by you or anyone else. Get it!”
Todd glared at her through angry slits for eyes. “You don’t mean any of that!”
“I mean every word.”
“Where will you find another man like me? Huh? Someone who is willing to give you everything? You’re unappreciative—always have been. The women at home are clamoring for a man like me and you want to throw me away like spoiled meat.”
“Hopefully, I won’t ever find another man like you. And now that I’m gone, tell Cynthia she can have you!” Shock registered in every muscle across Todd’s face. “Yes, I know all about Cynthia. Now she can upgrade her status from cheating sidekick to a real girlfriend for once in her life.” Chey felt horrible saying those things, dredging up hurtful memories, but convinced herself that they needed to be said. She still had more to say. Todd closed his gaping mouth. He didn’t need to respond; his reaction confirmed everything Chey needed to know. “I won’t be like your mother. Sitting around bored out of her mind while your father traipses around the country doing as he pleases with whomever he pleases.”
“You...you don’t mean that.” Todd’s mouth twisted in anger. “Take that back!” he stabbed his finger in her direction.
“I won’t!”
Todd whirled around and headed for the door. With his hand on the knob, he turned back to scowl at Chey one last time. “When this silly—” he waved his hand around the room “—plan of yours fails, you’ll be back. You’d just better hope it’s not too late. Maybe I’ll have some pity for you and consider still taking you as my wife.”
“Don’t worry about that, Todd. I could never marry a man I didn’t love.”
With that, Todd stormed out the door and slammed it hard behind him. Chey could hear him clomping down the steps. She sighed with relief. She didn’t have to hide anymore. She was now completely free to live her life as she pleased. No more Todd. No more controlling men, period! Possibly no more well-off men either, since the ones she encountered all seemed to possess the need to control the women in their lives.
She was pressing the restart button, but first she needed to get her mother on the phone to let her know how upset she felt. She couldn’t believe Mrs. Rodgers had told Todd where she lived.
“Ugh!” Hunter wiped his hands down his face in frustration. His grunt rumbled through the villa.
“Let me guess...another delay,” Eric, Hunter’s frat brother, said as he rolled his suitcase toward the door.
Dave, another of Hunter’s frat brothers, scrunched his face, not wanting to add any speculation to the already bad situation. Hunter and Dave, along with Eric and Sam, had just spent the entire week enjoying extreme winter sports on Powder Mountain in Salt Lake City, Utah. Since college, they’d made some kind of adventurous voyage every year, from riding ATVs along the beaches and mountainsides of Costa Rica to Jet Skiing and girl watching off the coast of Rio de Janeiro.
“Yep!” Hunter paced the floor in