The Debutante: Part 1

Chapter 3

After hunting down some dinner to eat, we finally arrived at my house. The sun began to set behind the roof and away from the silent garden at the front of the building. The driver put the vehicle into the park, adjacent to the driveway.

"I didn't catch your name by the way," I peeked past Anton's seat and eyed the driver.

He turned his head back towards me and smiled. "Charles. Charles Hoffman."

"Well, Mr. Charles Hoffman, it was a pleasure spending the day with you and Mr. Franz."

The two men laughed.

"The pleasure is all ours," Charles said tipping his hat to me.

I glanced over at Anton. "I really did have a great time today, thank you very much for everything."

"You're welcome. My door is open any time to you," he replied.

I glanced away bashfully. The thought of never seeing this charmer again struck me like a train. Then an idea came to me.

"Would you like to take a walk with me in my garden?" I asked.

He cocked his head to the side. "I mean would your parents allow it; I don't really know what they may think. I don't want them to—"

"It's okay, they will think nothing of it. I do this all the time!" I realized how that sounded to both of these men's ears. Shit, I'm coming off as some slut.

I scrambled to diffuse any problematic thoughts that might have been circulating through their minds. "I mean with my friends! Like Alina, she's like a sister to me."

There was some awkward laughter that soon died away, and Anton smiled. "Yes Ms. Bauer, I would love to," he said.

I nodded and gathered my skirt in my left hand, the right holding the handle of the door.

"Then let's go!" I swung open the door and Anton pushed open his.

He darted out of the vehicle and fumbled to hold my door open for me. "After you m'lady," he said with a low bow from his waist.

"You're awfully formal all of a sudden," I said looking at the top of his head. He stood back up and ran his hand over the back of his neck.

He gave me a hesitant smile. "I'm sorry, it's a force of habit. Father always taught me to address women with formalities like this."

"Why did he do that?" I asked beginning to walk him to my garden. He opened the crook of his elbow and signaled for me to thread my arm through it. I locked mine with his and we continued on our way.

"He just raised me to respect women, treat them better than most other men do. I never understood why he was so persistent about it until I got older and learned of so many of the vulgar things men would say and do to women."

We walked stone faced for a few moments and then a laugh burst out from my mouth. "How many times did you rehearse that to say to old people?" I asked.

He laughed awkwardly. "A few, I'll say that. But I still mean it, I've just said it a lot. Grannies always ask how I 'got my manners'," he said adding air quotes as he said 'manners'.

Another laugh leapt out of me. "Is that so?"

"It is madame."

I felt my face get warm again. I wonder if he notices. I can't help it when I'm around him. I thought. I fiddled with the beads on my necklace and stared at his striking features. He faced forward and kept moving with me, he didn't even notice my gawking at him. I looked away quickly before he could notice anything.