Love and Chaos by Elizabeth Powers Page A

first characteristic you look for in a boyfriend?” he asked.
    “No.
But it’s not the last either.”
    “So
what’s the first?”
    “The
first thing I look for? Kindness, I think. Someone who is genuinely nice to
others, not because anyone is watching, but because they want to treat others
well.”
    “So
that’s not me. What’s the last?”
    “Oh,
there are a world of traits that I don’t care about at all. Those aren’t worth
listing.”
    “So
you’d take kind over smart?”
    “Probably.
I’d rather be with someone dumb and sweet than smart and mean.”
    “I’m
not the nicest man in the world, Emma.”
    “You
may not be the warmest man I know, but you’re not mean. Mean is kicking puppies
and making people feel small so you can feel bigger. That’s not you.”
    “And
you know this how?”
    She
shrugged. “I’m a lawyer, Mason. I’m a pretty good judge of character. Usually.”
    He
looked at her through narrowed eyes. “Why the qualifier?”
    “I’ve
been off once or twice,” she admitted. “Look, Mason. I can’t pretend to be
madly in love with you to your family - it would come off as an act, since I’m
not exactly the simpering type. But caring? Yes. Putting myself squarely in
your corner? Yes. And I won’t say anything that will completely alienate your
family or your friends.”
    Mason
was silent for a few minutes before saying, “No, you’re not the simpering type,
for which I am eternally grateful.”
    “Trust
me, Mason.”
    “For
some reason that I cannot define or name, I actually do.”
    Emma
laughed lightly. “Your mother is going to eat me alive, isn't she?”
    "She’s
going to try to,” Mason agreed with a shrug. “But I’ll do my best to prevent
it.”
    “The
biggest issue, apart from our elopement and hasty marriage, is the money thing,
right?”
    “That’s
the only issue.”
    Emma
was startled. “That’s pathetic.”
    “What
do you mean?”
    Standing
up, Emma moved to the front of her desk and leaned against it. “Oh Mason. If my
daughter were getting married, I’d be concerned that she marry for the right
reasons. I’d want to know that they knew each other well enough to choose each
other, and that they knew what they were getting into with a marriage. But most
of all, I’d want to know that they loved each other. That’s all that matters -
everything else falls in line if love is there.”
    “Well,
that’s fairly unrealistic in this day and age. But what’s your point?”
    “If
she’s only worried about money, she’s forgetting the more important piece of
marriage - love and respect. She should be concerned that we love each other.”
    “You
have a very romantic view of relationships, don’t you?”
    “Well
of course. Haven’t you ever been in love, Mason?”
    “You
have got to be kidding me.”
    Emma
looked at him somberly. “I’m not kidding. Mason, you worry me.”
    “I
worry YOU? I think it should be the other way around. What the hell have people
been feeding you to make you think that romantic love exists? In the end, it’s
all about what we can do for each other.”
    “Sex,
money, and power? Aw geez. You’re serious, aren’t you?”
    “Very.”
    She
sighed and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. “Then we’re about
the most mismatched couple in the galaxy.” Taking a deep breath, she continued.
“I don’t know, Mason. Maybe that’s all true in your world, but not in mine. My
parents married for love - there was no money or power dynamics at play in
their relationship. And no, I’m NOT speaking of my parents and sex in the same
sentence. My grandparents - same thing. And same for most of my friends. I’m
sorry you don’t see that in your circle of friends, Mason, I really am. And I’m
mostly sorry that your parents didn’t model that kind of a relationship for
you. But I believe in love, and that’s what I’m going to hold out for.”
    Mason
pushed himself up to a standing position, looking down at Emma