Miss Demeanor Read online

  Table of Contents

  Miss Demeanor

  Copyright

  Also by Beth Rinyu

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Miss Demeanor

  Copyright © 2018 by Beth Rinyu

  All rights reserved

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of Beth Rinyu, except for the use of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Cover design by: Amy Queau Qdesign

  Editing by: Lawrence Editing

  Proofread by: Judy’s Proofreading

  Formatting by: CP Smith

  Also by Beth Rinyu

  The Exception To The Rule

  Drowning In Love

  Blind Side Of Love

  An Unplanned Lesson

  An Unplanned Life

  A Cry For Hope

  A Will To Change

  Easy Silence

  When The Chips Are Down

  Two Of Hearts

  Straight To The Heart

  A Right To Remain

  Keepin’ The Faith

  Thursday Afternoon

  When Autumn Ends

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BethRinyu/

  Join My Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/615284398516306/

  Let today be the day you give up who you’ve been for who you can become

  ~Hal Elrod

  Chapter 1

  ___________________

  Rose

  I WAS A MISTAKE. Even though my mother would adamantly deny it, I knew better. My parents had it all: success, wealth, two boys just at the age where they were starting to become independent, and then I came along, thrusting my mother and father back into the world of bottles and diapers. Okay, maybe not so much them as my nanny, who took care of me while my father was running his business and my mother was off spearheading every charity under the sun.

  I’ll admit it, I was privileged growing up. I got things girls my age could only dream of. I was a princess without all the formalities and bloodlines, although somewhere along the line, Daddy may have some royal blood running through his veins. My parents paid me with presents for their lack of presence in my life. Designer clothes, lavish vacations, and expensive cars were my reward for being their little gem.

  Unbeknownst to them, their precious jewel had a side to her that was a bit flawed. My father thought I was the perfect angel all throughout college. But I was like every girl my age…well, most of them anyway. I liked to party…a lot. I liked to flirt…a lot, and on occasion, I’d sleep with some of those boys who were googly-eyed over me. But to me that’s all they were—boys. I wanted a man…a rich man who would take care of me like I’d grown accustomed to my whole life. I knew none of the beer-guzzling, weed-smoking guys I wasted my college days with would fit that bill, so once I was done with college, I broke a few hearts, went on to grad school, and set my standards higher.

  “Good morning, Rose.” My father looked up from his laptop to greet me as I entered the kitchen.

  “Morning,” I grumbled, not much in the mood for conversation until I was adequately supplied with caffeine.

  “Good morning, Charles. Good morning, Rose.” My mother cut in front of me to make her coffee. “Sorry, I have to be at the hospital for the opening of the new wing.”

  Of course she had to be someplace else but here. Every morning was the same routine. She and my father would exchange a quick hello, they’d go over their schedules for the day, and be on their way with a brush on the cheek.

  “Oh, darn it!” my mother shouted, dropping down to one knee and scouring the floor. “I lost the back to my earring.”

  My father looked up, shook his head, and went about his business on his laptop. I bent down and pretended to help her with her search, but it was much too early for my eyes and brain to be functioning together.

  “Got it!” She smiled, holding up the shiny gold piece as if I or my father really cared.

  “Great.” I stood up and finally took my turn at the coffee maker.

  “Charles, don’t forget we’re meeting the Bensons for dinner tonight at seven, but prior to that we have the grand opening of the new art gallery we said we’d attend.”

  “Okay, but I may be a little late. I have a meeting with some investors at five.”

  “Oh, please try to be there on time.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  My head was spinning just listening to the two of them. They’d done more mentally all before 7:00 a.m. than I’d planned on doing all day. “And now for the kiss,” I whispered as my mother leaned down and brushed my father’s cheek.

  “What was that, honey?” my mother asked.

  “Oh, nothing.” I smirked.

  She touched the top of my head with her lips and was on her way.

  “What are your plans for today?” my father asked as I took a seat at the kitchen table.

  “I don’t know.” I shrugged. “I’m having lunch with Emma, then maybe do a little shopping and then hit the spa. I’m in desperate need of a facial and a pedicure.”

  “How’s the job search going?”

  I cringed just thinking about it. “It’s going,” I lied. I hadn’t even thought about putting my degree to use. The only reason I even went to college was for the parties and because it was what was expected of me if I wanted my father’s bank account to keep funding me.

  “Where are you looking? Maybe I know of people in the company and could put a good word in with them.”

  “Umm...I don’t know, a few places.” I tried my best to hide behind my coffee mug when his dark brown eyes burned into me.

  “Rose...where?”

  “Geez, Dad. Give me a break, I just got done with grad school a month ago!”

  “All the more reason why you should be getting your résumé out there.”

  “Well, I am. Never you mind.” I gulped down the last sip of coffee and stood up. I needed to avoid this topic of conversation for as long as I could. With any luck, he’d get caught up with something
urgent at work that demanded his attention, thus in turn taking the focus away from my potential job prospects. I knew he was expecting the same hard work and dedication that my brothers had shown when they had graduated school a million years ago, but I shouldn’t have been held to the same standards as them. I was a girl after all. It was the man’s place to take care of me.

  I made it to the refuge of my room, avoiding any more job talk. Today, the extent of my worries would be where to go to lunch with my best friend, Emma, and what color polish to put on my toes for my pedicure, and hopefully avoid the dreaded work word for a very long time or at least until I could find a suitable husband.

  Chapter 2

  ___________________

  Rose

  “SO, TELL ME ABOUT this guy you’re so taken with.” I sneered at Emma as we waited for our food.

  “I’m not taken with him...he’s just nice.”

  “Okay, he’s nice, but with all those student loans he has to pay back...is he going to be living in his mom’s basement forever?”

  She rolled her eyes and took a sip of her ice tea. “No. As a matter of fact, he doesn’t live with his mother. He has his own place.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Oh, he has a house?”

  “No…an apartment that he rents out with two other guys.”

  “Ugh, that may be worse than his mother’s basement.”

  “Honestly, Rose, you sound like such a snob sometimes.”

  “I am a snob, and you used to be too. Remember, we had a pact we were only going to be with guys who were worthy of us?”

  “Well, most people would say a cardiologist is worthy.”

  “Umm…isn’t he still in his residency?”

  “Yeah, but what’s that got to do with anything?”

  I let out a deep sigh. My best friend was falling victim to settling over the first handsome face she came across.

  “And for your information, rent in San Francisco is the highest in the country, so if he has to have roommates then so be it!”

  I held up my hands in defense. “Okay, sorry…I’m just trying to save you from a mundane life of laundry, bratty kids, carpools, and everything else that comes along with ordinary.”

  “Maybe I want ordinary. I like working, and—”

  I choked on the sip of Perrier I had just taken. “Why?”

  “Why, what?”

  “Everyone knows about your inheritance you’ve got coming to you. Why on earth would you choose to work?”

  “Because I want to. I didn’t put all that time into college just to sit around and sponge off my parents. Besides, nursing is very rewarding.”

  Who was this girl and what did she do with my best friend? “Yeah, I guess cleaning up bedpans is really fulfilling,” I muttered under my breath.

  “Rose, it’s time for us to grow up. We can’t live off our daddies’ money forever.”

  “Says who?” I raised an eyebrow and grinned, hoping the bump Emma surely must have gotten on her head would go down and she’d start thinking clearly once again.

  _______________

  “Rose, get in here!” my father shouted from his office.

  It was only a little after four when I glanced at my watch, much too early for him to be home.

  “Oh, hey, Daddy, what are you doing home so early?”

  He was expressionless, sitting at attention behind his desk with his hands balled up into fists. He rarely ever got angry with me, but when he did, I knew it, and something told me by his posture and the expression on his face that this was one of those rare times.

  “Rose, your credit card bill this month.” He picked up a piece of paper that I could only assume was the evidence of the damage I’d done this past month.

  “Yeah...”

  “It’s a bit excessive.”

  “And...” I still wasn’t grasping what he was trying to say.

  “Rose, it’s time you got a job and start paying some of your way.”

  “And I told you, I’m looking.”

  “Well, you don’t have to look any further.”

  I creased my eyebrows in confusion.

  “You’re going to stay with your aunt Kate in New York.”

  My eyes widened, and I couldn’t hold back my smile. Living in New York City was my dream. “Oh my God, that is so awes—”

  He held up his hand, halting my onset of glee. “You will be staying with Aunt Kate while you work for H & T Publications.”

  “I’m sorry, where?” I asked, my euphoria fading fast.

  “It’s a magazine an old friend of mine runs. It’s a growing company and he’s expanding to online readers as well. It’s a great opportunity for you to put that MBA degree you worked so hard on to good use.” He glared at me, and if I didn’t know better, I could have sworn there was a hint of sarcasm to his tone.

  I pursed my lips and cleared my throat. “Daddy, I’m sure I can find a job all on my own once I get to New York City.”

  “And maybe you can, but until you do, you have one all lined up for you.” He stood up and put on his jacket.

  “That’s not fair. I wanted to open my own business—a clothing boutique, not work for someone else. What if I don’t like this company?”

  “Then that will be all the more incentive for you to find something new. I’m giving you three months.”

  “Three months for what?” I shouted, following him out into the foyer.

  “Three months until you start paying your own way.”

  “What!” I screeched. “That’s so unreasonable! How in the world do you expect me to afford to live in New York City on my own?”

  “Your aunt won’t be charging rent. So that just covers minor things like your credit card bill, your cell phone bill, nothing a working girl shouldn’t be able to handle.”

  “You can’t be serious!” I shouted as we reached the front door.

  “Oh, but I am.”

  “What if I don’t want to go?”

  “Then you can stay here, but the same terms apply. Only you’ll be responsible for finding your own job. So, take your pick—New York, the place you really want to be with a job all lined up for you, or here with no job prospects and a deadline to meet. Now, I have to go or I’m going to be late for my meeting.” He leaned down and skimmed my cheek with his lips before making his exit.

  I was speechless. This was a bad dream I was certain I’d awaken from very soon. Surely, he was going to come walking back through the door and tell me this was all a big joke just to get a rise from me. But as the minutes passed with no sign of my father’s return, I knew he was being serious. He had just given me an ultimatum, something I wasn’t used to. Normally, I held all the cards with my parents, not vice versa. Now, here I was being forced to work for a living. How could he be so unreasonable? I was his angel, his love bug, his princess—and princesses didn’t have to work. They were taken care of and given everything they wanted. He was taking me from a life of royalty and thrusting me into court with the commoners.

  I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath, trying to conjure up a way to shift the ball back into my court. Lucky for me, I knew how to play the game of getting what I wanted all too well. My father had no idea who he was up against. He may have been older, but his dear daughter was much wiser—at least when being faced with the dreaded possibility of being ordinary was concerned. I’d go to New York and stay with Aunt Kate, just like he’d suggested. I’d even go to work at that dreaded company he’d set up for me. But I was certain once they got a load of my work ethic they wouldn’t want me sticking around for too long.

  “Two could play at this game, Daddy,” I whispered.

  I tapped my fingertip to the side of my cheek, deep in thought. I needed to start packing, maybe even ship some clothes to Aunt Kate’s ahead of time so I didn’t have to lug it all on the plane. I smiled just thinking about it. New York—my favorite place in the world. Broadway shows, high-class parties I’d be attending with Aunt Kate with lots of rich eligib
le bachelors, and freedom to do whatever I wanted. Things were definitely starting to shift back in my favor. Adios, West Coast, and hello to new possibilities. Daddy may have been a shrewd businessman, but he knew nothing about the business of me, and for the first time ever…he was going to lose at his own deal.

  Chapter 3

  ___________________

  Rose

  IT WAS AS IF I had lived in New York all my life. I fit right in with this city. So different from California, and best of all, my father wasn’t breathing down my neck about finding a job…since he already found one for me, but I planned on taking care of that before I even started.

  Aunt Kate was my father’s younger sister by seven years and so much more laid-back than him. She was the epitome of class. She was always dressed to perfection—her stylish wardrobe was one that even I would raid. Her natural ginger-colored hair was never out of place and she had a figure that women half her age would spend hours in the gym each day trying to achieve. To say she was my idol was putting it mildly. I wanted to be just like her when I got older. Her husband passed away two years ago, and she had inherited quite a hefty sum of money from him. He was a very successful lawyer, well-known and respected by some of New York’s elite. Luckily for my aunt, she still earned that same respect as her late husband and was included in many of Manhattan’s social events.

  She always said to marry for love the first time and money the second. Guess she was lucky and got both the first time around. I wasn’t in total agreement with that advice. Sure, I’d like to marry for love, but along with that love there had to be money. She never had children of her own and was my confidant with just about everything. We were always super-close. She spoiled me growing up just as much as my mother and father did. Whenever my parents would get on my case about something, she was always a phone call away to vent to. I knew she’d have my back when my father started placing demands on me to come back home after I lost my job.

  “So, are you officially starting today?” Aunt Kate asked as we sat down to breakfast on the terrace of her penthouse.

  “No clue.” I shrugged and took a bite of my toast. It didn’t matter to me either way, because I knew today would be my first and last day, but I wouldn’t let Aunt Kate in on that little secret.