Page 44 of Reluctantly Yours

I can hear Barrett let out a puff of air from ten feet away, but I think his frustration has dimmed to curiosity.

“What did you expect?” he asks.

I decide to keep the vampire coffin slash mausoleum thoughts to myself. My hand reaches out to touch the books, my fingers caressing their spines.

“Not this,” I finally answer, my eyes hungrily consuming the titles. There’s a wide array of book genres. Classics, history, non-fiction, memoirs, biographies. “I thought I had you figured out. I thought it would be cold and impersonal like,” Barrett’s brows raise in anticipation of my response, “your office.” I was going to say like him, but now the idea of who I thought he was has muddied in my brain.

“Does that work?” I motion to the fireplace.

Barrett walks over and flips a switch. It immediately roars to life and I think I spontaneously orgasm. I don’t need a bedroom; I’ll just live in here.

A collection of photos and frames sit along the back wall below the windows. I see family photos, pictures with JoAnna and his dad. A diploma from Columbia for a degree in art history.

“Did you buy this on eBay?” I ask.

He takes the frame from my hand and sets it back into place. Wanting order and control, now that is something that still rings true for Barrett.

“No, that is my undergraduate degree.”

“Then you got an MBA at Wharton?” I ask, noting the other, larger framed diploma.

“Yes, when I realized my father was sick. It was his request and I fulfilled it.”

“So, what did you want to do with your degree?”

“I don’t know. I was young and rebelling against my parents.”

“Ivy league grad. With honors,” I note. “You’re such a rebel.”

“I don’t regret it. It was the best time of my life. Visiting Paris and Milan to travel and study. I still like to collect, as you can see.”

“Oh God, I’d love to visit Paris.”

Barrett motions toward the door again, this time I follow his lead.

“Are you going to be like the Beast and allow me access to any book in your library?”

“What beast?”

“Like in the Disney movieBeauty and the Beastwhere he holds her captive and she loves to read so he lets her use his library.”

“I’m not holding you captive.”

“Blackmail is a form of captivity.”

“And you’re Beauty in this instance?”

“Belle. Her name is Belle. And, no. If I were a Disney princess, I’d be Ariel,” I motion to my red tresses, “which sucks because I’m not the best swimmer, but if I had a mermaid tail, I guess that would be helpful.”

Barrett stares at me blankly. Clearly, I lost him at Ariel.

“Oh, I know!” I raise a finger into the air as the lightbulb moment hits me. “I’ll add it to the list.”

“Add what?” he asks.

“Using your study. For reading and such. I could make a whole afternoon of sitting on that comfy looking chair and staring into the fireplace.”

“It’s June,” he says grumpily.