Betsy and The Beast

Ten (Betsy)

I knew I shouldn't be going out with Anthony Chapman. His moods were about to give me whiplash.  He could be so sweet and almost vulnerable, then go right back to being a cold-hearted jackass in the blink of an eye.

I also knew I shouldn't have let him kiss me...and fondle me the night before. It had been too delicious for me to regret it though.  Every time I was near him, I got butterflies in my stomach.  When he touched me, though, those butterflies turned into something way more intense.

Lastly, I knew that I needed to stop him from buying me clothes. I looked down at the gorgeous ice-blue colored gown he'd purchased for me to wear to the benefit. I'd tried to argue, but he was having none of it.  I felt like Cinderella in the gown though and, truthfully, hadn't fought him too much on the purchase.  I knew I should have protested further, but I also knew I couldn't afford something so pretty and I knew it was important for me to dress the part.  For just one night, I was a princess in a world otherwise foreign to me.

Anthony made the evening even more enchanting by holding my hand on our way into the ballroom, where hundreds of people were gathered. There were men looking dashing in suits and ties. There were gowns in every color and I instantly knew letting Anthony buy me the gown had been the right decision. I'd been right.  I owned nothing that would have fit in here. Even more reason I needed to stop deluding myself where Anthony Chapman was concerned. I'd never fit into his world on a permanent basis.

"You're quiet." Anthony prompted, offering me a glass of champagne.

I took his offering and nodded, "I'm just taking it all in."

He glanced around, "It is a bit overwhelming, isn't it? Let me check in with a few people and then we can leave."

"Don't rush on my account. I know you're a really important person."

Anthony smirked, "Are you trying to delay the inevitable?" He stepped close and lowered his mouth to my ear, whispering, "Because I am going to have you tonight, Betsy, in every sense of the word."

I shivered, which just made him chuckle.

"It's good to see you smiling, Anthony. Are you going to introduce me to the beautiful reason behind your smile?"

Anthony stiffened and dropped his hand from my waist. We both turned at the interruption. A pretty, gray-haired woman stood nearby smiling at us. I offered her a polite smile, as Anthony said, "Grace. It's good to see you. This is Betsy Solomon."

"Betsy. It's lovely to meet you. I'm Grace Mitchell." She said, taking my hand. She seemed genuine, so why was Anthony so tense? Who was this woman?  She was surely too old to be an ex-lover, right?  As pretty as she was, though, would their age difference really matter to Anthony?  I didn't know and I grew uneasy.

"Well, Grace, it was nice seeing you. I see Reed Houston across the room, and I don't want to miss him. Have a lovely evening." Anthony said and hustled us away before I had a chance to process any of what happened. With how stiff he still was, I didn't dare question him. I did, however, excuse myself to visit the ladies' room a few minutes later. I needed to give myself a pep-talk in the mirror or something. This whole evening was out of my league.

"And so, we meet again." Grace said from the sink next to me, in the bathroom a few minutes later.

I gave her a weak smile and told her, "I love your dress." It was true. It was a gorgeous dark green color that made her fair skin glow beautifully.

She smiled, "And yours is absolutely gorgeous.  It's like it was made just for you. Anthony always did have wonderful taste.  I assume he picked it out."

"How did you know he bought it for me?" I asked, my curiosity about the woman growing by the second.

She tipped her head, studying me for a moment and then said, "You have absolutely no idea who I am, do you?"

I shook my head, "Should I?"

"Has Anthony told you about Gloria?"

I shook my head, "No. Who is Gloria?"

"She was my daughter. She died a few years ago. Cancer."

"I'm so sorry."

"Thank you." She nodded, sadly, and I could tell she wanted to say more. Finally, she said, "It's really not my place to tell you, but I can tell you care about Anthony and he needs someone like you to help him get back to living. Seeing him smile at you tonight...it was heartwarming."

I nodded, "I do care about him." It was true, I realized, somewhat startled. I'd grown to care for him a lot, actually. That revelation shouldn't surprise me as much as it did. Why else would I put up with his mood-swings and grumpy attitude?

"That's why you need to know. Years ago, Anthony was engaged to my Gloria."

I sucked in a breath. Anthony, engaged? I rubbed my suddenly aching chest. It made sense. Anthony was quite a few years older than me, so it made sense that he'd have past relationships. I just never imagined the grump I'd come to know would ever let anyone close enough to his heart to get engaged.

"I'd never seen Gloria so happy. I'd been nervous when Anthony first started pursuing her. He's so intense and my Gloria, she wasn't like any other woman in that room out there. We can be a superficial group, but not Gloria. Anthony seen the special in her and he'd been hooked immediately."

I was having trouble breathing. Anthony had been...or still was in love with this woman's deceased daughter. What the hell was I supposed to do with that information? I was...well crap, I was falling in love with him myself.  There was no other reason for my intense reaction.  I was in love with him and, if what this woman said was true, he was more than likely still in love with someone else.

"It only took Anthony a month to propose to Gloria and a month after that they announced they were expecting."

"Expecting? A baby?" I gasped.

Grace nodded, sadly, "Yes. It had been unexpected, to say the least. Gloria had been over the moon though. She instantly started looking for a cute little house. She said Anthony's place was nice, but not at all practical for raising a family."

"She was right. His place is very...cold."

Grace smiled, softly, "You've been to his place? I'm glad. I'm so glad he's finally letting someone back into his life."

"Grace, what happened next?" I prompted, soaking up the information pouring out of her. The Anthony I knew sounded so different than the one she was describing, yet I'd seen glimpses of him at times.  Not to mention, where was Anthony's child?  Even as cold as he could be sometimes, I couldn't imagine him abandoning his child.

"Gloria was four months pregnant when she noticed something was wrong. They ran some tests and that's when they discovered the cancer. Anthony immediately demanded she seek treatments, but when the doctors said the treatments could harm the baby, Gloria refused. She thought she'd have time to get treatment after the baby was born. At six months pregnant, just two months after they found the cancer, she began having complications. They had to deliver the baby, but he was...he wasn't breathing. He was just too small...too underdeveloped. They had two teams in that room. One worked on Gloria, while the other worked on the baby. He died seconds before Gloria."

Tears were running down my face. Where had Anthony been during all of that? I was sure they probably hadn't allowed him in the room. The angry man I knew today made more sense now. Who wouldn't be cold to the world after all that?  He'd not only loved and lost, but he'd also been robbed of the change at fatherhood.

"I'm so sorry to upset you, I just thought you should know. Be patient with him, Betsy. He needs you." With that Grace Mitchell swept out of the room, leaving me broken behind her.