Autumn

Chapter 10: Arrangements

Autumn's P.O.V. 

    "Where have you been?" Her thick British accent was laced with so much icy rage that I was almost afraid to turn and face her. From the very clipped conversation that we had on the phone, I could tell that she was anxious about being late for tonight's dinner. My mother was a stickler for punctuality and planning so that might have been a perfect explanation for her anger if it were not for the fact that we had more than three hours to get ready. 

   "I told you on the phone mother. It was just another day tour through the country. I wanted to see what New Orleans looked like outside of the main city. I stopped by a really good ice cream parlor and saw a bit of the bayou the last time. It's very beautiful out there; so much green everywhere. I just wanted to experience that again." 

    There. That was the entire truth minus the fact that my tour ended at my guide's house and that I may have overstepped the bounds of professionalism on more than one occasion. 

      She just stared at me impassively from the door way to her and my father's bedroom; neither acknowledging or dismissing my explanation. She was a beautiful woman: about an inch taller than I was and even more so in her nude pumps. Her hair was shoulder length and dark brown hair and her eyes were green like mine. We were almost identical to each other with the same high cheek bones, straight nose and curvy figure. She must have had a meeting while I had been gone because she was dressed for the office in a cream colored shell and dark brown pencil skirt. She looked stern and powerful and she often used that stern demeanor when addressing me. 

    I moved to sit on one of the coffee colored armchair in the large sitting room and busied myself with removing my shoes. As beautiful as I felt in this outfit, I wanted nothing more than to laze on my bed in a pair of sweats and an over sized tee-shirt. 

  "Who was this tour guide? I didn't even see a car pull up. And why would you even make plans like that without discussing them with your father and I especially when you knew what plans had been arranged for you for this evening?" Gradually her voice rose with every question. She was so angry it was strange. Whenever I tried to exercise a little freedom, which might I add, never really included any questionable activities, she would barely bat an eyelash. 

     "I told you that I was going on a tour, mum. Last night. I even left a note on your bedside table in your room. I hoped you saw it before you left this morning." Her face seemed to soften as she processed that information. 

   "I didn't think you'd stay out this long." My mother folded her arms over her chest, wrinkling her cream chiffon shell blouse a little bit. 

  "Its only 5 o'clock, mum. I've been gone approximately six hours; you've had business engagements for far longer. I don't understand why you're so angry with me. I haven't done anything reckless or anything that I haven't discussed with you and dad." My mother and I had a fairly decent relationship when she wasn't trying to manipulate where and with whom I spent my time. After all, I was the sole heir to a multi-million dollar weapons and aircraft manufacturing company which in some ways, had its hands down the pockets of the United States Military and the Department of Self Defense. Every conversation we had was about finding new ways for me to network to preparation for managing the company. If she had her way, I'd be spending the majority of my vacation at tea parties surrounded by college sorority sisters and sycophants. Tonight's engagement-- a dinner in at the Governor's Mansion in Baton Rouge-- catered to a similar crowd. 

    I headed for the refrigerator; anything to avoid looking directly into her eyes. They always seemed so cold when she talked about business. That was when I felt the most detached emotionally from her. It was like it didn't factor in that she was speaking to her daughter and not one of her international partners.  When I got to the fridge, I really had no idea what I was looking for in here. 

  'Some orange juice maybe,' I mused. I absolutely love orange juice. The only thing I loved more than orange juice was ice cream and thanks to a tall and very handsome dose of good fortune, I happened to have some in the freezer. 

 "I'm angry with you Autumn Marie Forrester, because this is an important engagement for you; for this family and for the company that you are going to have to take over soon. At this dinner, there is going to a whole lot of people who can provide a plethora of networking possibilities for your career. The Collins are bringing Laura-Ann. Do you know what a partnership with their company would do for our next drone model? Roselyn Chesterfield is looking for a bright, young mind to sell the stocks to most of her company to. The work she's done with her aircraft propellers..."

    I rolled my eyes, emboldened by the fact that she couldn't see it with my back to her. The remainder of her rant was lost on me. Being a CEO meant that every event and everyone was a stepladder to something better for my mother. I didn't view things in quite the same way. See, my mum never gave me the typical 'honey-what-do you-want-to-be -when-you-grow-up' talk. Since I was old enough to consider what I wanted to do with my life, she's been pushing me towards pursuing a MBA in Marketing and Business Management regardless of my objections to it. My dad has just been passively complicit in allowing her to shape my future despite what opinions I might have. I had exhausted all possible means of conveying to her that if I decided to succeed her, it needed to be a decision I made on my own. There just seemed to be no way of getting through to her. 

      I  was reaching into the freezer for the tub of ice cream when the realization of  what really was going on hit me. "What do you mean 'arranged for me?" I closed the freezer door and turned around to face my mother. "You kept saying that this dinner was important for me. I thought Colonel Barnes suggested that this would be good exposure for the entire family." She had known the Colonel for nearly twenty years and a large part of the company's success was due to his influence.

"He did," she replied, fiddling with the plastic cover of her kale smoothie cup. 

  "Then why does this feel like this is solely centered around me? You've been talking about this dinner like its been a me engagement the entire time rather than a family thing."

   The air whistled out from between her pursed lips in an exasperated sigh. "Autumn its nearly an hour and a half long drive. Please go get ready." 

    "Who's going to be at this dinner mum?" Of course, I refused to accept her dismissal of the subject but seemed just a reluctant to give me an answer. There was only a handful of people that I had met during my parents' functions whom I had a severe intolerance for but I could only think of one individual that would make my mother that anxious to speak to me about. 

  " You're bringing me there to see Lance..." 

   I hoped my eyes displayed the hurt and anger that I felt. She more than anyone knew how I felt about him. For over a year now, we've been arguing about my relationship with him; or rather the lack of one. She seemed to think that for some reason he was a good fit for me and I couldn't disagree more. 

    "Yes, darling. His..." She had to swallow to clear what I assumed was dread, from her throat. "His parents called and told us a few days before we got on the plane to come here. The Governor extended an invitation to them as well."

   "He's very excited to see," she added, almost shamefully. 

   Of course he was excited to see me. He usually was but hardly for the right reasons. Lance was an enormous, power hungry mass of testosterone. I didn't know him that well nor did I care to but I knew that he was not the kind of man that could ever learn to love me for who I am. It infuriated me that she couldn't respect how I felt about the situation. It was one thing to be coached into a career but being forced into a relationship was something I just refused to tolerate. 

   I didn't want to talk about this anymore. Abandoning my hunt for the ice cream, I turned on his heel. "I'll go and get ready."

   It was done with and with only a few hours before the dinner, I couldn't possibly back out now. I suppose for just this night, I could stand to be in Lance's presence.