First Mates

by Cecelia Dowdy

He sighed as he walked to the table that his co-workers had reserved. He could no longer see Rainy and her dinner partner from the table. He glanced at his menu. His co-workers urged him to order the most expensive entrée. However, he had lost his appetite. Rainy Jackson filled a secret place in his heart, and now he wondered if that place was about to become empty again.

  Thoughts of her aborted dinner appointment with Jordan still filled Rainy’s mind the following day as she sat at a lunch table in the company cafeteria. As she ate her tuna salad sandwich, she attempted to lull the other managers into conversation, eager to try to forget about Jordan’s sudden interest. She told them about her cruise ship vacation, showing pictures she’d recently had developed at the one-hour photo store.

  After lunch, she strolled into her office and immediately noticed the fresh scent of lilies swirling through the room. The white elongated leaves tickled her nose as she touched her face to the budding blossoms.

  Linda peeked into the office, clutching a small cream-colored envelope. “The card fell out when the delivery man left the flowers.”

  Rainy plucked the card from Linda’s outstretched hand. She hovered in the doorway. “Is there anything else?”

  She brushed her hands over her platinum locks. “Uh, I guess that’s it for now.”

  After Rainy closed her door, she slit the sealed envelope with a letter opener. I hope these flowers are from Winston and not Jordan. She scanned the letter and read the following words:

  Dear Rainy,

  Please meet me at the park today at 5:30.

  Your friend,

  Winston.

  She sighed, running her fingers over the thick paper. As she settled into her chair, her phone rang. She lifted the receiver. “Rainy Jackson speaking.”

  “Rainy Jackson, this is Winston Michaels.” His deep voice sounded stilted and formal. “Did you get my flowers, sweetheart?”

  She caressed one of the buds. “Yes, I got them.” She sighed as she continued to stare at the flowers. “Thank you, they’re lovely. Why do you want to meet in the park today?”

  “I’ll explain that when we meet this evening. That is, if we are meeting.” His deep voice hardened, and she gripped the phone.

  “I have some errands to run tonight but I can meet you. You sound so…so upset. Is something wrong? Frankly, I’m confused. You send me flowers and ask me to meet you, but your tone indicates to me that you’re angry.” She paused and chewed on her lower lip. “Besides, you want to meet me right after work. I won’t even have time to go home and change.”

  “Don’t change. I like seeing you in a dress.”

  “How do you even know I’m wearing a dress today?”

  “I just figured you wore suits and dresses to work all the time. Besides, I’ve got a nice surprise for you. Just come to the park after work…please?” He sounded like a child begging for the last cookie in the jar.

  “Oh, okay. I’ll meet you in the park. But which one?”

  He told her which park she needed to go to. “And you promise you won’t go home and change?”

  “I promise.”

  After work she took the expressway to the park. She pulled into the deserted parking lot and turned her engine off. She wiggled her toes in her flat shoes as she stared through her sunroof. Birds flew in the clear blue sky, their twittering song carrying over the summer breeze. Clouds, as white and fluffy as cotton balls, nestled in the heavens. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the light summer breeze. She thought about the exquisite lilies, still sitting on her desk at work.

  She finally got out of her car and stretched before she walked through the wooded path into the adjoining picnic section. Squirrels scattered around the trees as they hunted for food. The palm leaves fluttered in the wind as she made her way toward Winston. She’d spotted him right away in the small picnic area. He sat under a large oak tree. A roaring fire burned from the flaming barbeque grill. His hazel eyes softened as he spotted her walking through the trees.

  “I’m glad you made it here.” He spread a blanket over the seat of the picnic table. “I don’t want you to get that pretty dress dirty.” He gestured toward the blanket.

  She sat as she smoothed wrinkles from her navy-blue dress. A nautical pattern decorated the sleeves and the buttons, and it was her favorite.

  He cleared his throat as he opened a package of hot dogs. “Our meal is going to be short and simple since I know you’ve got some things to do tonight.”

  She settled on the wooden bench as birds swooped to the ground, eagerly seeking stray crumbs. She watched the corded muscles in his arms as he turned the hot dogs over the coals. The scent of freshly grilled meat filled the air as he took a paper plate and removed their food.

  He set the plate in the middle of the table and opened a cooler and removed two ice-cold sodas. He popped the tops and gave her one of the frosty cans. Drops of moisture clung to her fingers as she lifted the refreshing drink to her lips. He suddenly clamped her wrist in a firm squeeze. “Don’t drink that yet.”

  She looked into his hazel eyes. Her soda was still raised in her arm, and warmth traveled through her wrist from his touch. “Why not?”

  He sighed as he released her wrist and raised his can of soda. “Because. Before you take the first drink, I’d like to propose a toast.” He lifted his can into the air. “To us.”

  She raised her soda. “To us.” Her voice was barely audible in the secluded park. She sipped her drink while he fixed her hot dog, just as she liked it. “You know I’m dying to know why you suddenly wanted to go on this picnic. Why did you send me those lilies?”

  He placed her hot dog on a plate and poured potato chips from a cellophane bag alongside it. He placed her meal in front of her. “You don’t like the flowers?”

  She nibbled on a chip. “I love the flowers. But I sense you have a reason for suddenly doing all of this.” She gestured toward the simple impromptu meal.

  The wooden bench creaked as he sat beside her. He pulled her hand into his and kissed each of her fingertips. “I know we’ve only known each other for about a week and a half, but I can honestly say that it’s been one of the happiest times of my life.” He cleared his throat as he continued to caress her hand. “But, you’ve got to be straight with me. I need to know where I stand.”

  Her stomach felt as if it was full of fluttering butterflies. She sighed as she gazed into his gorgeous hazel eyes. “What do you mean?”

  His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “My co-workers took me out to dinner last night. I saw you at Raymond’s restaurant with Jordan.” She cringed as she looked away. “I know you were pretty upset on the cruise about your breakup with your boyfriend. Now I know he’s back in the picture. Are you thinking about giving your relationship with him another chance? If that’s the case, then I need to know right now. Do you still have feelings for Jordan? What’s going on?”

  She pushed her plate aside as her appetite diminished. “I didn’t have a date planned with Jordan last night.” She explained how he’d cornered her after she left her job.

  He rubbed her back and warm currents of pleasure flowed through her. “Is this dude stalking you? Maybe you should call the police. Or I can talk to him and make sure he stops bothering you.”

  She sighed as he continued to massage her back. “I went to dinner with Jordan willingly. He didn’t force me to go with him. If you’d watched us long enough, you would have seen that I got upset and left the restaurant before we even ordered dinner.”

  “That’s a relief. Is he going to leave you alone now?”

  She huffed. “I doubt it. He’s very competitive. Plus, I wonder if the Lord is placing him in my path for a reason. Maybe if Jordan attends my church enough, just to pursue me, some of the messages from the sermons might make him accept Christ.”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know about that. I don’t know all the details about your breakup with him, but I do sense that he’s up to no good right now, and you should watch your back.” He
continued to run his fingers over her spine. “Or, if it’ll make you feel better, I’ll watch it for you.”

  She swallowed as her temperature rose. She tried to calm her racing heart. Being around Winston seems to have a big physical effect on me! She moved away from his eager hand as she toyed with the chips on her plate. “I never told you all the details about the breakup because it was too painful to talk about.”

  “I’m your friend. You can talk to me about anything.”

  She then told him about her engagement to Jordan and about the thunderous night when he broke their engagement. “I’m still working on releasing my anger toward him. I hated being dumped. It’s one of the worse feelings I’d ever experienced. Nobody wants to be told that they’re not loved anymore.” She pushed her fingers through her hair and rested her forehead in her palm. “It’s even worse when you’re being dumped for another woman. I felt cheated and used. I felt so many negative things that night. But my faith in God helped me through that rough time, and I’m still leaning on Him, hoping to dispense all these negative feelings toward Jordan.”

  “Oh, sweetheart. You never told me you two were engaged and he cheated on you. That must have been pretty rough.”

  “It was. I never saw it coming. I gave him my whole heart and I trusted him completely.” She watched the smoke curl from the extinguished barbeque flame.

  He pulled the napkin she’d unconsciously been shredding from her fingers and massaged her hand. “So, do you still love Jordan? Are you even thinking about taking him back?”

  She shook her head. “I can’t take him back. I wish him the best, but I don’t think I could ever trust him again. It’s time for me to move on and forget about him.”

  He sighed as he released her hand and fixed himself a plate of food. “Well, this picnic is now an official celebration. Hopefully, in due time, you’ll learn to trust me.”

  After he set his plate on the table, she pulled him into an embrace, inhaling the scent of his cologne.

  “You already have a great deal of my trust. You give me a good feeling, and I’m touched that you sent me the lilies and fixed me this meal.” He pressed his lips to hers and they shared a kiss. Her knees felt like jelly as she pulled her plate toward her. Her stomach growled loudly. “I think my appetite has returned,” she said with a laugh.

  “Oh, before you eat, I wanted to ask you something.”

  “What?”

  He nervously cleared his throat. “Well, I like you, so I think we should start spending some time together regularly and see what happens between us.”

  She grinned. “Winston, that’s a wonderful idea.”

  He said grace before they enjoyed their celebration meal.

  Chapter Eight

  Winston whistled as he unlocked the door and entered his house. As he removed his running shoes, grains of sand spilled onto his dark carpet. He threw the shoes in the corner and lay on the couch.

  He was still fatigued from his vigorous run on South Beach. The crowds, traffic and artsy buildings did little to take his mind off of Rainy.

  It had been two months since he’d arranged the special picnic for her at the park. They’d been out several times, and he found himself growing closer to her as the days rolled by. For the Fourth of July, he’d taken her to the beach to view the fireworks. Just being with her made the bright colors in the midnight sky look more enticing. The thought of touching liquor never crossed his mind when he was with her.

  When the oblivion of sleep almost enveloped him into its depths, he forced himself to get into the shower. Thirty minutes later, he snuggled beneath his clean cotton sheets. He closed his eyes and prayed that the Lord would make their relationship work.

  The piercing ring of the phone awakened his deep slumber. His eyes fluttered open, and he gazed at the red digital display of his clock. It’s three a.m. He grabbed the phone. “Hello?”

  “Winston? It’s Aunt Gladys.” He clutched the phone tightly as her pain and hysteria carried over the wire.

  “Aunt Gladys?” He blinked as his foggy brain cleared. He sat up and threw his feet to the floor, his sheets and blankets cascading to the edge of the bed. “What’s wrong?”

  “Can you come by?” Masculine yells and screams filled the background.

  “Is that Uncle Greg?”

  “Yes, please come by—hurry,” she pleaded before hanging up. He rolled out of bed and dressed in a tattered T-shirt and jeans. Fifteen minutes later, he knocked on his aunt’s door. The night was warm and humid, and sweat trickled down his face as he watched a lizard race across the steps. The small porch was illuminated with a warm glow as the light came on. His aunt opened the door, wearing her blue bathrobe. Her gray hair was in curlers and she had circles under her eyes.

  “Oh, thanks for coming. Greg just found out he’s lost his job! Since he’s in his fifties, he doesn’t know if he’ll find another one. He was out half the night and he came home drunk. You were the first person I called.” Tears streamed from her dark eyes as she clutched his hand and led him into the living room. The house looked like it had been sitting in the middle of a cyclone. Books and papers were strewn everywhere. Broken china figurines littered the floor. “He finally calmed down just before you got here. You know how alcohol affects him.”

  He sighed as he followed her into the bedroom. His uncle lay on the bed, his loud snores filling the room.

  Gladys pulled him into the kitchen. “I’m making some coffee. I’m so glad you came. You’re the only one who understands Greg.”

  He sat at the chipped wooden table. Memories of holidays and Sunday dinners flooded his mind as he gazed around the familiar kitchen. “Did you call my dad?”

  She sighed. “No, but I thought about it. Out of all his brothers, Greg is closest to your father.” She paused, leaning against the wall. “But you know, I just had a feeling that I should call you. Since you and Greg have been through similar experiences, I figured you’d understand. Besides, now that your parents have moved, your father wouldn’t have been able to come by tonight and I knew you would be able to come.”

  He gazed at the bright yellow paper decorating the walls and the large bowl of fruit resting on the table. A pound cake sat on the counter in a glass case. She removed a knife from the oak drawer and removed the lid covering the cake. She cut several slices.

  He toyed with the rose-decorated china cup. “You know, you’re right. I do understand Uncle Greg a lot. He was there for me when I wanted to get clean and sober. He also introduced me to the world of Alcoholics Anonymous.”

  He continued, “You know, I don’t think I’d have been able to stick to my sobriety if it hadn’t been for his support and my deep faith in God.”

  She poured the coffee, adding cream and sugar. She placed the cake on a platter and set it in the middle of the table. She served him a piece of the cake. “I know. My husband is a sweet man. I just wish he were strong enough to resist temptation. What am I going to do?”

  Notes from the slow jazz station filled the kitchen with somber music as the old wooden clock steadily ticked the minutes away.

  “Maybe he’ll feel better tomorrow. There’s no guarantee he’ll be like this every night.”

  She nodded. “I know. I was so disappointed when he came home that way. I was worried when he didn’t come home after work. But then he came in drunk and upset. While he was tearing up stuff in the house, he yelled about his layoff from the job.” She paused and sipped her coffee. A commercial about a local restaurant played on the radio. An orange tabby cat trotted into the kitchen and jumped onto her lap, falling almost instantly asleep. “Can you call him and spend some time with him over the next few days? Maybe you can convince him that this is a mistake.”

  “When he wakes up and sees the damage he’s done to this house, he might be convinced.”

  She sighed and rubbed her temple. She caressed the cat’s fur, and scratched his ears. “I hope he can find a decent job. You know how unsteady the economy has been lat
ely.”

  “Yeah, I know. I’ll check around at the bank. They might have something there. He might also want to look into contacting a headhunter. Sometimes companies might want an older person on board, knowing how much experience they can bring to the company.” They sat in comfortable silence, the gentle purring of the cat mingling with the music on the radio.

  “Well, have you been okay? I know Deion gave you that cruise as a birthday gift a few months ago. I’ve been meaning to call you since I know it was your first birthday alone.” She touched his hand and he smiled for the first time that evening.

  “Thanks. I’ve been okay. I met a wonderful woman on the cruise.”

  “Really?” She beamed. “So, tell me, do you think she’s the one?”

  He sighed. “I don’t know. I like her a lot. But there’s so much to consider.”

  “Such as?” She released his hand, refilled their coffee cups and served him another slice of cake.

  “Well, for starters, she’s still hurting from a broken relationship. She says she wants to forget her ex-fiancé, but I think he’s still on her mind.”

  “Well, most women have had relationships before they meet the right man.”

  “But this is different.” He told her about Rainy’s situation.

  “So, her ex-fiancé wants to patch things up with her?”

  He nodded. “He came back to town right after we came back from the cruise. He hasn’t approached her lately, but he does show up at her church sometimes.”

  “Just pray about it, that’s all you can do. If it was meant to be, then it’ll happen.”

  He placed his chin in his hand as he continued to think about Rainy. “That’s not the only reason I’m worried.”

  “Well, what else could be wrong? You’re not involved with anybody else right now, are you?”

  He shook his head. “No, it’s nothing like that.”

  “Well, what is it then?” she prompted.

  He sighed as he stared at the sleeping cat. “I’m not getting any younger. If I get married, I want to make sure it’s forever, and I’d want to have children.”