A Husband by New Year's

by Sean D. Young

  “No, I think it’s a good idea,” Renee said. “I’ll find my husband by my family’s New Year’s Eve gala. A new year, a new start.”

  “But that’s not realistic, you guys,” Gina said.

  “No, what’s not realistic is that stupid list,” Julia said.

  Renee watched as Cara and Gina rolled their eyes at Julia.

  “New Year’s next year is plenty of time if Renee thinks she’s going to win. I don’t think she will, because there is no such thing as a perfect man,” Julia said.

  Renee bit back an expletive. She just wanted the woman to shut up, so they could move on to the fun. “To finding a husband by New Year’s.” She raised her glass and they toasted.

  Chapter Two

  One Year Later

  Renee McClendon stood in front of the bathroom mirror wondering why she’d agreed to go out with William Jamison again. She’d met the eligible bachelor on the online dating site RealPeopleMingle.com a couple of weeks ago.

  At first, Renee didn’t want to create a profile on the site, but Cara reminded her that she needed to do something, since traditional ways of meeting men weren’t working, especially if she wanted to win the bet. It took Renee almost two months to create her profile and another two weeks to actually go online and see if she had any results. William was her first date using the site.

  Renee was quite happy with her life, even though the guys she’d dated in the past had been bitterly disappointing. But she’d complicated her life by making the bet with Julia the previous year. In retrospect, she should have just declined the challenge. Now, because she felt she had to prove something, she found herself doing things she wouldn’t normally do, like finding dates online.

  Renee hated being the last single McClendon girl, and wanted to experience real love like her sisters, but she had her standards.

  Since relationships weren’t working out, she’d decided to concentrate on her career. Renee had written a five-year plan that included goals for becoming an executive at Vine, but her number one goal was to open her own marketing firm. Renee knew that she was good at helping businesses brand their products and services. In order to open RenMac and Associates, she would need good industry connections, and working at Vine would help her in that area. Keeping up with the newest technology in social media and advertising, she was sure she’d be successful.

  And using the online dating site could be the very vehicle to finding her perfect man, so after scrolling through pages of eligible men’s profiles, William’s stood out. She studied his photo and found him to be very handsome with his dark chocolate skin and clean-cut look. Since he was a successful tax attorney in Chicago, had never been married, and had no children, his stats looked very appealing.

  In his bio, William mentioned that he was looking for a smart, ambitious woman to share his life with and to start a family.

  Bingo, Renee thought, excited that she’d found a match. Maybe finding a date on the web wasn’t so bad after all. William could be the man of her dreams, fitting most of the criteria on her list, and she wouldn’t have to keep searching.

  She sent him a message through the site and waited with giddy anticipation for him to respond. Two days later, he finally called her. His commanding tone along with his confident and intelligent conversation intrigued her even more. It seemed as if he knew exactly what to say and in what tone it needed to be said. They’d made plans to meet at a little café for lunch the next day that was the halfway point from both their places of employment in the bustling downtown area of Chicago.

  On the day of their first meeting, Renee was excited, so in order to be able to recognize him, she printed his photo. She left her office fifteen minutes early so that she would be on time for their meeting. After waiting over an hour for him to show up, she was getting leery. Was this a prelude to disaster? She hoped not, because she was getting tired of being disappointed by men.

  Thinking that maybe she had the wrong date, Renee opened the calendar on her smartphone to confirm the date, place, and time. Everything seemed to be in order; it just seemed as if her lunch date was a no show. Renee frowned on tardiness. There was no excuse to not show up without contacting the person you were supposed to meet.

  She decided to give him fifteen more minutes before she would call the date a bust. When that time was up, she pushed her chair back and stood up. She then saw William strolling into the café, dressed in a professional-looking navy-blue suit, white shirt, and tie, apologizing profusely for his tardiness as he approached the table.

  He seemed to be nice enough in person, so she sat back down, hoping that she’d get to know more about him than what was posted in his profile.

  William talked about his job and his love for tax law as he continually checked his phone. Renee guessed he saw something important pop up because almost immediately after the umpteenth time he’d looked at it, he abruptly ended their lunch. He said that he had a last minute meeting that had been scheduled at work. Being a marketing professional for a major firm herself, Renee understood about impromptu meetings, so she excused him. She needed to get back to work anyway.

  When he left, Renee felt that maybe he just didn’t know what to talk about and felt more comfortable speaking about his job, since that was the only subject discussed. The only thing she really got out of her short time with William was that he loved being a tax attorney.

  Later that same day, he called wanting to make up for the unsuccessful lunch by taking her out to a nice dinner on Friday evening. She hoped that tonight would be different and maybe she could get to know him as a person.

  On paper, William was a great choice because he wanted what she wanted in life—marriage and a family. At her age, most of her associates and friends in her inner circle were getting hitched at a rapid pace. Her girlfriend Gina was first to tie the knot last year, and there were several other girls that grew up with them that wedded right after.

  It occurred to Renee that she needed to give some serious consideration about marriage and living happily ever after with someone who would love and cherish her ’til death do they part. She wanted what her parents, Russell and Myra McClendon had—a loving relationship.

  But there was still that bet she’d made with Julia. Gambling wasn’t something that Renee liked to do; she’d only agreed to shut Julia up. Unfortunately, from the way things were going, it might be Renee who would be closing her mouth for good.

  The fact that Julia was also a co-worker didn’t help matters much. Renee hated seeing Julia’s name come up on her caller ID because it didn’t matter the reason for her phone call, Julia would find a way to bring up the bet. Her consistent rubbing things in made Renee more determined to find a man that fit the list.

  Telling her sisters, Faith, Patrice, and Jennifer, about the bet with Julia was out of the question, nor would she divulge the fact that she was going out with a man she met online. They would think she was crazy. Her sister Patrice would try to scare her, claiming that only unsavory characters lurked around on the online dating sites.

  Only Cara and Gina knew about Julia’s challenge. She was glad that she’d told Cara about meeting with William, just in case something was to go wrong.

  After securing the back of her diamond earring in her right ear, Renee assessed her ensemble of a slightly snug black knit dress, sheer stockings, and black patent leather pumps in the full-length mirror hanging on the inside of her closet door. She added her favorite diamond and ruby tennis bracelet and matching pendant to accessorize.

  The buzzing from her cell phone alerted her of the call she’d been waiting for.

  She picked it up off her nightstand. “This is Renee.”

  “Renee, William here,” he said.

  “Good evening, William,” Renee replied, holding the phone in the crook of her neck so that she could get her coat from the closet.

  “I’m waiting in the car in
front of your building,” he said.

  He didn’t even get out of the car? “I’ll be right down,” Renee said, slipping on her long wool coat.

  “I’m in the black sedan,” William said before hanging up.

  Knots twisted in Renee’s stomach, a sign she didn’t feel good about. She wondered why he didn’t at least meet her at the door.

  Okay, Renee, don’t start analyzing every move the man makes. Just go downstairs and see. He might be standing at the car or something.

  Renee swiped her clutch and keys from the bed along with her wool hat and walked out the door, hoping that the knot in her stomach would disappear.

  * * * * *

  It was a chilly evening in November, so as soon as Renee stepped outside, she adjusted her hat and pulled her coat closer to her body. She reminded herself that it was winter in Chicago, after all. At least they weren’t under ten feet of snow as they had been in the past.

  Right away, she spotted the sleek, black Lincoln Town Car parked next to the curb with its driver standing next to it. Renee was impressed that the tall, brown-skinned man wearing black leather gloves, dressed in a long black wool coat, waited for her out in the cold. She was disappointed that it wasn’t William.

  Once she approached the car, the driver tipped his hat, smiled, and opened the door. Renee stepped inside.

  “Hi, William,” Renee said, trying to keep a smile on her face, taking a seat next to him.

  “Good to see you again, Renee,” William replied, before opening the manila folder that was lying in his lap.

  As the car slowly rolled away from the curb and out of the apartment complex, Renee shifted her body toward William. He wore a nice dark suit and tie. She assessed his handsome features, dark brown skin, and trim mustache, but because of the dimly lit cab, she couldn’t see his eyes. Looking into a person’s eyes had always been important for Renee because she felt you could tell a lot about a person by them.

  Several seconds later, it occurred to her that even if there was enough light inside the vehicle, she still wouldn’t have been able to see his eyes. William was so engrossed in whatever was inside the open folder that he hadn’t looked at her since she’d entered the car.

  What is wrong with this guy?

  For several minutes she waited for him to strike up a conversation, but he never did, so she decided to initiate one.

  “Turned out to be a cold evening, huh?” Renee said, adjusting her clutch in her lap as she watched him flip through the pages of the file.

  William nodded. “Um, I guess so. I really didn’t notice,” he said, never looking up from the paper.

  Red flag number two, Renee.

  Renee had gone out with enough guys over the last several months to know when a date was going south. Too bad this one had just started. She told herself to give it time. Maybe he was studying the information in the folder until they got to the restaurant and then she’d have his undivided attention.

  But there was this nagging feeling that wouldn’t go away, telling her that would not be the case.

  I hope I’m wrong.

  Renee leaned back with her hands clasped together, looking out the tinted glass at the surroundings. Minutes later, the sleek black car rolled up to David Burke’s Prime House. Renee had eaten at the popular steakhouse several times with her team after winning a new client’s business.

  David’s specialized in aged cuts of beef, but red meat had never been one of Renee’s favorite things to eat. Luckily, she had fallen in love with their truffle fries when she came out to celebrate a product partnership.

  The driver quickly jumped out and opened the back door. William turned to her.

  “Ready?”

  Those were the first words he’d said to her in the last ten minutes. Renee nodded, giving him a bright smile as she waited for him to exit the vehicle. Once he stood outside, she thought he would offer his hand to assist her from the car, but he didn’t. He stepped aside and then the driver stuck his head inside, offering his hand. “Let me help you, miss.”

  William wasn’t much of a gentleman, but he had the best taste in car services. Once she was standing outside the car, she looked up at the driver to thank him. Their eyes met and Renee stared into the most beautiful dark brown eyes she had ever seen.

  “Thank you, sir,” Renee said, standing right outside the car door.

  “You’re welcome,” the driver said in response, closing the door behind her.

  Renee saw William extend his hand to her, so she placed it firmly inside his palm as they walked inside the restaurant.

  In the lobby, William removed his coat, folding it over his arm. Renee removed her coat without his help. She stared intently at him standing there in an expensive dark suit that fit him to a T. She watched his confident gait as he strolled across to the hostess station, giving the lady standing behind the podium his name. They were shown to their table and he pulled out her chair before sitting in his own.

  Okay, now we’re getting somewhere, Renee thought to herself. She was beginning to think that he was just a guy with no dating manners. Maybe things will look up from here.

  After ordering their meal, William took his water glass, holding it up in the air before taking a sip, then glanced at Renee. “So, what prompted you to look for a date online?”

  “I wanted to try something different,” she replied. She removed her linen napkin from the table and draped it over her lap. “Why did you decide to try Real People Mingle?”

  “I had no interest in the site at all because I have no time for it. My sister set up my profile. I don’t need help getting a date.”

  So his sister answered my email? How tacky. Renee’s eyes widened at his revelation. “Wow. Well then, how do you decide whether or not the person interested in you is the right one?”

  “I make my sister email me the information and a photo of the person. If I like what I see then I agree to talk with them on the phone, just the way you and I did. Or I have my sister contact them via email for me,” he said, lifting his knife from the table and holding it up to the light.

  Who does this guy think he is? Renee thought as she watched him, noting how engrossed he was with the flatware. She leaned forward. “Is there something wrong?”

  William’s eyebrows furrowed. “Yes, there is,” he said, looking around. “This knife has water spots on it,” he said.

  Renee looked down at hers, but everything seemed to be in order. “Mine looks fine,” she said to him.

  “Well, mine aren’t, and that is completely unacceptable,” he said, leaning forward and searching for a server.

  He spotted a waiter walking away from another table and waved him over. “I will need a new set of flatware, young man,” he told the server.

  Once he left, William looked over at Renee. “See, in my business, attention to detail could mean the difference between success and failure, so the little things matter very much to me.”

  Red flag number three, Renee.

  The warning signs were evident and Renee couldn’t ignore them. If what William said was true, his “attention to detail” meant that he was picky as hell. Not a good thing. Even though Renee liked everything in its place, she could tell that William would get on her nerves.

  She picked up her glass of wine, hating that she’d ordered it because it looked like he wasn’t a drinker.

  Lifting it to her lips, she studied him over the rim of the glass while he was engrossed in whatever he was doing with his phone. She’d stared at him for quite some time before he lifted his eyes in her direction. Renee had a sneaking suspicion that this would be their last date.

  Once the server brought him a new set of silverware, he seemed to cheer up, but only for a minute. She hoped he didn’t find anything else wrong before their date was over. She would hate to have something really important be out of order. She didn
’t know how he would react.

  “So how long have you been a tax attorney?” Renee wanted to know.

  “Ten years,” he replied.

  “Ten years? So you started young then.”

  “Sort of,” he said.

  “How old are you, William? If you don’t mind me asking.” Renee lifted her glass and placed it to her lips.

  William picked up his own water. “I’m forty years old,” he answered before taking a sip.

  Renee almost choked and had to clear her throat before she could respond to his statement. “Your profile said that you were thirty-two years old.”

  William placed his glass on the table. “Well, that was all my sister’s doing, but hey, you have to admit that I look really good for my age.”

  Child, please. Unbelievable. Renee was about to respond to his statement when William lifted his finger to stop her because his phone was vibrating. She watched as he quickly checked the identity of the caller before glancing back at Renee. “I have to take this.”

  There wasn’t anything Renee could do to change his mind, so she didn’t respond. He was going to answer the phone, so while he attended to his call, she thought about her list. William had flunked big time. The only characteristic he possessed was success, but she wasn’t impressed.

  He completed the call then laid the phone back on the table just as the servers were arriving with their meal.

  Adjusting his body in his seat, William leaned forward, prompting Renee to do the same. “Renee, I’m sorry, but I have to cut our date short.”

  I can’t believe this is happening again. Renee eyes widened as she looked up at him. He’d done the same thing at lunch the other day. She was beginning to see a pattern. “I hope everything is all right,” she said, thinking that maybe he had a family emergency.

  William shook his head. “Oh, it’s nothing for you to worry about. It’s just that I have to get home. I’ve got an early morning meeting tomorrow.”