Chapter 10: The Heiress

After Roxanne hadn’t heard from Tom in a few days, she started to worry. He told her he’d have people look into the missing permit, and she should be patient. But with the loan shark whispering warnings to her father, she grew increasingly anxious.
She had been looking into some materials invoices at work when she received a text from Tom.
“What are you wearing today?” he asked.
She couldn’t believe he was starting the conversation with that. They hadn’t been intimate at all and here he was asking about her clothing.
“Hi. How r u? Boxers or briefs?”
“Perhaps I should explain.”
“Yes do”
“I need you to accompany me to a formal dinner. You’ll need dress attire.”
“Should be in question form”
“Please?”
“Don’t have formal attire”
“I’ll send some over.”
“And shoes”
Near the end of the work day, a long box arrived via currier. Most of the guys had quit for the day and were on their way home, so Roxanne knew she was alone. She pulled out a beautiful blue dress, soft and flowing.
Taking off her jeans and sweatshirt, and putting on the dress, she felt out of place in the grubby trailer bathroom. The dress almost reached the floor in the back, but came up a little higher in the front. It wasn’t particularly fancy, just not something Roxanne normally wore. She adjusted her hair in order to highlight her décolletage and thought she looked different, but rather attractive.
There were no shoes in the box, so she kept on her brown construction boots. She laughed at the juxtaposition – her dirty dusty boots against the clean vibrant fabric.
About an hour later, she heard a light knock on the trailer door. She opened it to find Tom standing there in a tailored navy blue suit with a red patterned tie. He looked suave.
His gaze traveled down her body until it reached her feet. “It will have to do, except for that,” he said pointing to her boots.
It wasn’t exactly the response she was looking for. He wanted her to have his baby, the least he could do was compliment her. Did he even consider her attractive?
“I kind of like it,” she said, kicking up part of the fabric with her boot.
“I forgot. Let me get the shoes in the car.” Tom scampered back to his white SUV and retrieved a shoe box. Returning to the trailer, he entered to find Roxanne sitting on a chair, taking off her boots. When she finished, Tom knelt down and took a cream colored heel out of the box and placed it on her foot.
Unlike Cinderella, it didn’t quite fit. It was a size or so too large, but Roxanne knew she could manage. She slipped her foot in the other shoe and stood up. When she wobbled a little, unused to such high heels, Tom offered her his arm. He looked her over and nodded. She felt pleased he’d finally offered her a gesture of approval.
Together, they descended the stairs to the SUV, their attractive crisp attire a contrast to the earthy construction site in the distance.
The restaurant was located in an old part of Memphis where several wealthy families owned estates. Inside, tufted high back chairs encircled tables covered with pure white table cloths. Tom, ever the gentleman, pulled out Roxanne’s chair then introduced her to Ruby, a wealthy heiress Tom knew from high school.
Ruby, a petite blond with blue eyes greeted them at the table.
“How are y’all?” she asked, looking eagerly at Roxanne.
“Fine,” Tom said in his perfunctory way as he unbuttoned his suit jacket while sitting down.
Roxanne smiled, unsure what to say. Tom had prepared her a little in the car, telling her how he knew Ruby and how she found herself suddenly in charge of her family’s estate, which included substantial land holdings around Memphis.
“When Tom mentioned he was dating someone, I told him to bring her on over. I’m so gosh darn excited to meet ‘ya,” Ruby said, smiling Roxanne’s way.
“Thank you,” said Roxanne because she wasn’t sure how else to respond.
When the waiter came by and asked for their drink order, Tom and Ruby both ordered Chardonnay, while Roxanne ordered a vodka rocks. Tom flashed her a look that suggested she’d made the wrong choice, but she knew she needed the hard stuff to get her through the dinner. A little liquid courage might help her mask how uncomfortable she felt in a fancy restaurant with two old school chums.
As Ruby and Tom discussed people they knew from high school, Ruby doing most of the talking, Roxanne perused the menu. She couldn’t believe some of the prices. $50 for a hamburger? $125 for the porterhouse?
“So how did you all meet?” Ruby asked. In contrast to Tom, she seemed to be perpetually grinning.
“Well,…” Tom said, looking toward Roxanne.
“Actually, we met on a construction site,” Roxanne jumped in.
“Wow, that’s fascinating. Are you in real estate too?” Ruby asked Roxanne.
“You could say that,” answered Tom.
By the time their entrees arrived, Ruby and Tom were still talking about people they knew in common, eventually circling around to real estate conversations. Tom asked about Ruby’s landholdings, trying not to pry too much. Roxanne could tell he wanted more details, but Ruby spoke fairly vaguely about the properties, being much more excited to rehash old high school gossip.
Roxanne bit into her hamburger, accidentally squirting a speck of ketchup on her dress and tried to wipe it off with a napkin. After that, she ate the burger with a knife and fork, cutting it into little pieces. While it tasted good, she thought about how the people she knew would laugh at her for her proper etiquette. She looked around, feeling oddly out of place, but all the other customers were consumed with their own conversations.
She didn’t enter into the discussion with Ruby and Tom, in part because she didn’t know the people Ruby was discussing and also because she found the conversation dull and vapid. Talking about professional sports or construction was more her style. Roxanne fidgeted in her seat, silently brooding.
She ordered another vodka despite the stink eye Tom gave her and before she realized it, she finished it while Ruby discussed her latest vacation. Roxanne couldn’t have felt more out of place and neglected, Tom clearly unable or unwilling to include her in his conversation with Ruby. While Tom had, again, barely touched his wine, Ruby was on her third glass, chatting away and smiling like a true southern debutante.
Tom’s gaze remained firmly on Ruby, Roxanne noticed, as if he enjoyed letting her do the work of talking as he answered in one or two words, which didn’t seem to ruffle Ruby at all. Perhaps she was used to Tom’s stiffness or she didn’t notice, too busy yammering on about her acquaintances and travel.
Roxanne stayed silent, stewing, feeling like a rusty third wheel to Ruby and Tom’s chummy high school duo. When the waiter passed by their table again, she ordered another vodka.
“Thanks, but that won’t be needed,” Tom said to the waiter. The waiter looked at Roxanne for her agreement.
“But darling,” she said to Tom, trying to lay on the charm like Ruby. “You know how I like to take the edge off.” Ruby smiled nervously. Emboldened by Tom’s attempt to control her, she grabbed his hand and folded her fingers into his.
Tom nodded at the waiter who retreated. Roxanne wasn’t sure if that meant he was bringing her a vodka or not.
Ruby looked unsure about the situation herself, giggled then sipped her wine. Surprising to Roxanne, Tom didn’t try to let go of her hand. He held her hand delicately, and while the rest of his body remained rigid, his hand in hers felt loose and relaxed.
When the third vodka was delivered, Roxanne took a sip, but left the rest in the glass. It was her signal that she’d won the battle and didn’t need to go any further. As the three stood up to leave, Ruby came in fast for a hug from Tom and then turned to Roxanne for a quick embrace. Roxanne patted Ruby’s back awkwardly, being uncomfortable with such affection from a woman she just met.
Then Ruby turned to Tom and told him they should meet again soon. She needed some real estate advice. She was looking to sell some land and was hoping he could help.
That’s when Roxanne grew angry. At the suggestion that Ruby may want to unload some properties, Tom’s face lit up like a winning slot machine. Ka-ching! Roxanne could practically see Tom dreaming about the huge pile of cash he could make if only he could convince Ruby to let him develop her land, and while she knew she was there for a business deal, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Tom was using both of them solely to profit.
She felt out of place in such a fine restaurant, talking to a woman who, while chipper, seemed to be more interested in rumors, but most of all, she felt out of place with Tom. His gentlemanly manners were starting to irk her because they felt fake. He hadn’t even complimented her on how pretty she looked in the new dress.
So when Tom offered her his arm to walk out, Roxanne grabbed it and clenched his bicep as hard as she could. She didn’t expect what happened next.