To Be A Shelby

Chapter Fifteen

THOMAS

Waking up earlier than he had planned, Thomas decided he'd prepare himself some breakfast for the first time since before he left for the war. It wasn't something he usually did, remembering how Marie made him omelettes, he thought to himself it didn't look so hard.

Before he could even crack an egg, he reminded himself to have a chat with Lizzie Stark. And the cooking began, or what seemed like cooking. He cracked the egg a little too strongly so some shells made its way to the yolk, which he carelessly removed using a fork. Whisking the egg, some spilled over his trousers.

"She made this look so easy..." he whispered to himself, thinking how Marie had done the same thing he was miserably failing to do at this moment.

Giving up, he went to make himself some coffee instead. Maybe one day he could ask her to teach him, but today wasn't that. Today, he had a lot of important things to accomplish.

***

After preparing himself, Thomas made his way to Polly's. He checked his reflection by the window, unconsciously eager to impress her although he was in his usual suit and tie ensemble.

"Aren't you a charmer?" Johnny teased, preparing the car.

"This is how I always look," he replied nonchalantly, anxious to knock.

"Something's different, you seem..." Johnny put his hand to his chin, a gesture of thinking, and he continued to say, "...you seem more relaxed."

Tommy paused for a moment, also realizing for himself the he did feel more at ease now. He thought maybe it was because it had been more than a month since they came home from the war, but it wasn't until he bothered to get to know Marie that the change in him started.

"Go see if she's ready," he told Johnny to which John replied with, "She's your date, you go see if she's ready."

Scratching the back of his head, Tommy had no choice but to knock on the door. After three knocks, Aunt Pol opened the door and said, "She's on her way down."

Thomas tapped his left foot impatiently in his eagerness to see her. He resisted the urge to pace back and forth because he knew Johnny wouldn't let that go and he'd receive some unnecessary teasing for it. Just as he finished checking his pocketwatch, he looked up to see Marie descending from the flight of stairs.

"S-sorry I took so long," she said shyly.

Her hair was up in an elegant bun, she wore just the tiniest bit of makeup to add more color to her cheeks and lips. The dress she wore was a tube cocktail that hugged her body perfectly in all the right places, a simple silver necklace with a swan pendant hanging daintily on her neck.

"I-it's alright, and you... you look alright," Thomas commented, finding no words how to describe her. He wanted to say she looked gorgeous, bewitching even, but he couldn't do that... at least not out loud and not while Johnny and Aunt Pol were free to listen.

"Thank you," she said with the sweetest smile he'd ever seen.

She took his breath away, and as she came closer to where he was, he came closer to the realization that he wasn't simply accepting her as a Shelby. What drew him to her was more than that. He'd call it an infatuation, but the way he fell speechless looking at her all dolled up and the way he was just as speechless as he is now when he saw her in her everyday look... it felt like he adored her.

"Shall we?" Johnny said, pulling him away from his thoughts.

"Let's go," he replied, coming over to Marie's side of the car to help her up. Thomas offered his hand and her gloved hands took it. Once she was inside, he climbed onto the car as well and they rode off to the party.

***

A golden chandelier hung on the roof of Billy Kimber's party venue. Thomas smiled at the innocent and bewildered look on Marie's face when she looked around. "I'll get to business," Johnny excused himself.

There was time, and Tommy hadn't seen Billy Kimber anywhere yet, so he thought it would only be polite of him to offer his date a dance. The way she looked in that dress, it'd be a shame if she didn't get to dance.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, extending a hand towards her.

"I don't see why not," she replied with a smile as she took his hand and let him lead her to the dance floor.

The quartet played a slow waltz, Tommy placed an arm around her waist while the other held her hand. Her other hand was on his shoulder. They swayed together with the music, him absentmindedly smiling and caught it just in time to change it back to his neutral expression.

"You know your steps," he complimented, noticing how she gracefully went along with his every move.

"I learned a bit, just for fun," she answered sheepishly.

"We're here to strike a deal with Billy Kimber, hoping he'd let us join the official races," Thomas explained, looking at her and taking in the splendid feeling of having her in his arms. It was a party, it was customary to dance, so he didn't have to feel guilty for holding her this close.

"You want to go legitimate?" she asked.

"That's a sharp insight. Yes, legitimate business is the goal. But before that I need to give him whatever he states in his terms," looking around he spotted Billy Kimber at a table not far from them, and Billy Kimber saw them as well.

"Judging by his arrogant stare, I'm guessing that man in the ugly mustache is Billy Kimber," she spoke, and despite his nerves about his upcoming business proposal, he let out a gentle laugh. Marie was indeed smart, she was keen at observing her surroundings especially the people around her. It was one of the many things that made him interested in her.

"Yes, that's him," he replied shortly, then the music faded out and the dancing stopped. Everyone went to get seated, but Thomas held her, for just a few seconds more.

"Tommy...?" she asked.

He stared at her and said, "Let's go," before finally letting go of her and guiding her towards their table.