A Husband by New Year's

by Sean D. Young

  “I’ll be right here,” Renee said, turning to go back inside the door.

  Patrick hoped she hadn’t noticed him staring at her lips the whole time they were talking. He couldn’t help it, because she was so beautiful. He’d always loved beautiful women, even though some had stabbed him in the back and used him for their own gain. Renee McClendon, with her glowing deep brown skin, sparkling brown eyes, and slender body was just so alluring. He wanted to get to know her better, to see what kind of person she really was.

  Chapter Five

  On the drive home, Patrick wondered what Renee was thinking about, she was so quiet back there. He wanted to spark up a conversation, but didn’t actually know what to say, so he decided to talk about the networking event.

  “So, the woman we ran into when we first came into the room?”

  “Yes?” Renee responded.

  “What did you mean when you said that she’s your friend and she’s not your friend?”

  He glanced from the road to the rearview mirror as Renee scooted forward in her seat as far as the seat belt would allow her.

  “Have you ever had a friend that you love and hate at the same time?”

  Unfortunately, the only person that Patrick had that kind of relationship with was his brother Robert. Being back in town and digging into the business finances and the way the business was being run was making that strain worse. He wasn’t ready to admit that to anyone, because he didn’t want it to be that way.

  “No, I can’t say that I do.”

  “Well, be glad, because it’s the most frustrating thing in the world. Julia is a smart and innovative marketing executive who I’ve known since sixth grade. She, two other girls, and I were roommates in college.”

  “Wow, you guys lived together with that kind of relationship?”

  Renee sighed. “Yes. That’s why it’s so frustrating. We’ve been together for so long you would think we’d be thick as thieves, but we bump heads all the time.”

  “I could see why it would bother you. It’s like if you’re my friend, be one; if not, leave me alone.”

  “I love the way you phrased that, Patrick. That’s exactly how I feel about it.”

  Patrick was a little disappointed when he noticed they were coming up to her street, since he really wanted to continue their conversation. He slowed down to a crawl as they approached the building. He put the car in park and jumped out so he could open the door for her.

  Reaching inside to take her hand, Patrick waited for her while she stepped out of the vehicle. As she picked up her foot coming out, she tripped and fell into his arms. Their gazes collided, his lips mere inches from hers, and he was grateful to be standing there. She would have fallen to the ground if he hadn’t caught her.

  Leaning closer, he asked, “Are you okay?” The scent of her perfume wafted around him, making him want to press his mouth against hers. He only needed an inch or two and he’d taste her sweet lips, but instead he retreated and assisted her to regain her footing.

  “Yes, I’m fine,” Renee said, adjusting her hat.

  “You sure you didn’t hurt yourself?” he asked, squatting down to check her ankle.

  Renee bent down to pat his back. “Really. I’m fine. Thanks again, Patrick,” she said, waiting for him to stand.

  “It has been a pleasure, Renee,” Patrick said.

  “I really appreciate your help tonight,” she said before stepping up on the sidewalk.

  “You’re welcome.” Patrick closed the door behind her. “Don’t forget to call if you’re ever in need of car service.”

  Renee turned around. “I won’t, I promise,” she said before waving at him and strolling up the walkway to the front door.

  This woman wasn’t any ordinary woman, Patrick could tell, but he’d been wrong about women in the past, so he’d keep a closer eye on her. He opened the driver’s side door, got in, and pulled away from the curb.

  * * * * *

  Renee dropped her keys in the dish by the door, and took her coat and shoes off before going to her room to change into her nightclothes. After cleaning her face, she grabbed her journal, and sat down on her bed. She wanted to reflect on the evening’s events and write down her thoughts. She started with Monte, and in the same fashion she’d done with William, she wrote:

  Monte Jackson, Advertising Executive, only thinks of himself. His ambition has gone to his head and he had the nerve to question me about bringing someone to an event that he was supposed to escort me to. It just goes to show that you can’t tell a person by his looks. I will be scratching him from my list.

  She skipped a couple of lines then continued her thoughts.

  Running into Julia tonight wasn’t a surprise because she loves being seen and knows a lot of folks in the industry, but she has been acting weirder than usual. I’m used to her being a smart ass, but tonight, she seemed angry I was there. Why? Because I was looking for Monte’s lying ass, I didn’t have a lot of time to focus on Julia. I did see, however, just how much she was checking Patrick out. I need to figure out why Julia acted so strangely.

  I will admit, Patrick is very handsome. He was easy to talk to, which I liked a lot after the evening that I had. I was very surprised at how proud I felt being on his arm. I felt safe, and when I glanced in his direction, he was always watching me.

  Glancing at her wrist to check the time on her watch, she noticed that her diamond tennis bracelet was missing. Her parents had given it to her for her college graduation. The diamond and ruby bracelet was set in platinum with her initials engraved on the little clasp.

  She jumped up, looked under and around the bed, in the bathroom, and anywhere else she could think of. After an hour, she had a sinking feeling in her stomach that maybe she’d lost it forever. Dropping down on the bed, she tried to come up with another explanation. Soon, it came to her that maybe it had fallen off when she stumbled outside the limo. Slipping her feet into her navy flip-flops, she rushed out of the apartment without a coat to retrace her steps. After going all the way back downstairs and outside to the front of the building, she still didn’t find it. She would have to calm herself down, then continue the search. It had to be around there somewhere.

  As soon as Renee came back inside the apartment, she went to the closet and dug inside her coat to see if she could find the card that Patrick had given to her. Maybe he’d found her bracelet in the back of his car. She located the crumpled card in the left pocket and put the coat back. She checked the clock and it was way too late to call, but she would contact him in the morning. Renee was concerned about her bracelet, but it would give her another opportunity to connect with him again.

  * * * * *

  Patrick pulled into the warehouse where the cars were kept. After getting out, he looked around at the other vehicles lined up inside the huge space. He marveled at how far his father had brought the business.

  The gleaming black custom sedans, stretch limousines, and SUVs were polished and shined, ready for the next day’s work. Patrick understood why most people rented luxury limos and private cars—because of their glamorous appearance, not to mention the spectacular and plush interiors.

  The results of some of his research had shown that limo company owners had to invest a lot of money in the most state-of-the-art vehicles and programs to offer their customers exceptional service. He would have to talk to Robert about those records and then dive deeper into the marketing of the business. They didn’t have a website, nor did they have an up-to-the-minute option for customers to know their whereabouts. It could be as easy as installing a global text messaging system. All of those things would need to be ironed out, and he knew that Robert probably wasn’t going to cooperate, mostly because it wasn’t his idea.

  Since Patrick had been driving for the company, he made it a habit to check the backseats of the vehicles between each call. People always left things
behind because they were in a hurry. He knew that firsthand, because he used to do it all the time when he lived in New York.

  The drivers and the cleaning crew of It’s A Stretch were mandated to turn in anything they found in the cars. It didn’t matter if it was worth something or not, it was just good business to give people their belongings back, no matter how big or small. Plus, keeping people’s items would be considered theft.

  Opening the back door to the polished black town car, he saw something reflecting from the light, so he stepped inside and grabbed it. Holding the dainty piece of jewelry up so that he could inspect it, he noticed the gleaming diamonds and rubies embedded in it. Immediately, he knew that it belonged to Renee, since she was the last person to ride in his car.

  Patrick wanted to take it back to her right now, but all he knew was her name and address. He didn’t know which apartment she lived in, and he figured that the jewelry was too expensive to just leave with anyone. He hoped when she discovered she’d lost it, she would call the office, even though his brother Robert wouldn’t be happy to learn that he had given a woman a free ride.

  He went through the side door that led to the building. He stopped at the receptionist’s desk and retrieved a letter-sized envelope and dropped the jewelry inside and sealed it. Moving farther down the hallway to the office safe, he placed the envelope inside, and locked it. He hit the light switch on his way out, stopping at the keypad to engage the alarm system as he walked out the door.

  Patrick slid behind the wheel of his late model black Range Rover, which he’d parked in the employee lot on the other side of the building. He started the vehicle and headed to his father’s house in the suburbs where he’d been staying since his return.

  Maybe he would get to see Renee McClendon again after all.

  Chapter Six

  As soon as Renee’s eyes opened the next morning, she picked up Patrick’s business card from her nightstand and dialed the number.

  “It’s A Stretch, Robert speaking.”

  “Hi, Robert. I think I dropped my bracelet in the back of one of your cars.”

  “Can I have your name and telephone number?” he asked.

  “Renee McClendon and my number is 773-555-9263.”

  “Please hold while I look up that number.”

  Renee waited and hoped that he’d find it. But then she remembered that there wouldn’t be a record because Patrick had offered her a ride. She hadn’t secured the service herself, but she had her fingers and toes crossed that someone found it, because it would really hurt her if she lost that sentimental piece of jewelry. Each one of her siblings had received a diamond bracelet with their birthstone—except Patrice’s was all diamonds, since her birthday was in April. Their brother Laurence received the male version of the bracelet.

  “Ma’am, I’m sorry, but I don’t have a record of a pickup, nor do I have that name or phone number in our database,” Robert said.

  It hit her then that she might get Patrick in trouble. She had to get ready for work, so maybe she’d just go down to their offices on her lunch break. Hopefully, she’d run into him. She really needed to talk to him to see if he’d found it.

  “Thank you so much.” She hung up the phone before the guy could say anything else. She would just have to wait. Renee pulled her book from the nightstand, wanting to write something before leaving for work.

  No luck in the finding-a-husband department. What is wrong with these men? They think because they are successful and smart that they can be mean and disrespectful. Yuck. So not cute. Maybe finding a husband by New Year’s isn’t going to work for me. I opened my big mouth and now here I am not only without a husband, but also with no prospects. And I don’t just want to hook up with someone—that gets old after a while. No, I want a meaningful relationship. Even though I would hate to see the smug look on Julia’s face, it might be better than trying to force something to happen. As if all that wasn’t bad enough, I’ve lost the bracelet that Mom and Dad gave me. I hope things get better.

  * * * * *

  Renee had a big meeting concerning a pitch for a new product from a soft drink maker. After the way Julia acted last night, she didn’t know what to expect from her colleague, as she was the driver of the pitch. Today was important because all of the key players needed to get together to work on the proposal. As the account lead and presenter, Renee couldn’t allow Julia to ruin their chance at winning this big piece of business.

  Julia was an insightful and resourceful account lead, but Renee hoped she didn’t bring her negative attitude to the project. If she allowed her personal feelings for Renee to get in the way, it would be best that Julia didn’t participate. If that ended up being the case, Renee would have to report it to the Executive Vice President right away, because there were several different agencies that were going to be submitting a creative brief.

  The creative brief was the blueprint of a creative project’s expectations, defined objectives, and the means by which they would measure the marketing plan’s success.

  The team only had two weeks before they needed to present the creative brief to the client, and in the end, they wanted to be awarded that account. She got dressed and left the house as quickly as she could.

  Renee arrived right at eight o’clock, which would give her some additional time to go over her contribution to the creative brief before meeting with the group at nine. There were a lot of components with this brief, and hopefully, Julia had invited all the right players. Renee hated to think that Julia might want to sabotage the project, but with her actions lately, she couldn’t help it.

  Renee looked up from her work when she heard a knock on the door. “Hey, Cara,” she said when Cara entered the room.

  “So what’s going on between you and Julia?” Cara asked, sliding into the empty chair in front of Renee’s desk.

  Renee tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

  “She said you were acting funny toward her last night when you brought your new man to the PRSA event at the Palmer House.”

  Renee rolled her eyes. Here we go. She frowned and shook her head. “What is that girl talking about? I wasn’t acting funny, I was looking for Monte’s ass after he stood me up.”

  “Well, then, who was the cute guy she said she saw you with?”

  Renee trusted Cara, but she didn’t know if she wanted to tell her about the favor she asked of Patrick. First of all, it wasn’t a big deal, but second, it really didn’t have anything to do with either of them. He was only helping her out, so it wasn’t something she wanted broadcast.

  “He’s a guy I met the other night, so don’t pay any attention to Julia.”

  Cara held her hand up. “Wait a minute. Monte stood you up after he was blowing up your phone yesterday, trying to get in touch with you?”

  Renee nodded.

  “He called your office so many times that I just told him to leave you a message on your voicemail.” Cara rolled her eyes and shook her head. “That’s crazy.”

  “You’re telling me. I’m so tired of this junk, I just want to give up on men altogether.”

  “I don’t think you should do that, but just let finding a man happen naturally. Don’t force it.”

  “I have scratched Mr. Monte from my list, honey. I can’t be bothered with his mess. I know I deserve better.”

  Cara looked at the clock on the wall. “Yes, you do. Let’s talk more over lunch, because it’s almost time for your meeting.” She stood.

  “I have to run an errand at lunch, so maybe I’ll call you later.”

  “Okay, I’ll get out of your way.”

  * * * * *

  Vine Public Relations was a contemporary public relations and communications firm housed on the tenth floor of the twenty-one story historic Garland Building in downtown Chicago. It was home to medical, dental, and consulting offices.

  Renee love
d the fast pace of working in the heart of the city. Both Renee and Julia had been working at Vine since becoming interns right out of college. With their creative ability and people skills, they’d worked their way up to the positions that they currently held.

  At five minutes till nine o’clock, Renee walked into the large conference room. Based on the meeting invite Julia sent, there should have been sixteen people present for the meeting from strategy, creative, account, media services, and some of the folks from programming, but Renee was the only person present.

  Knowing that she had a tight schedule, Renee swiped the screen of her smartphone to double-check her calendar. Several minutes later, the rest of the team started to file into the room, each taking the first available chair. Everyone except for Julia. Renee had no problem being both the driver and the presenter of the project, so she wasted no time getting started.

  The meeting took all morning and Julia never showed up, but the group that she had assembled was awesome. Renee felt good about the team’s ability to beat out the competition. She wouldn’t speak to her supervisor about Julia’s absence until she’d had an opportunity to speak with her. Their agency had been extremely busy the last couple of months with new accounts and organic growth, so Julia might have a legitimate excuse as to why she hadn’t attended the meeting.

  Glancing at her watch, Renee noticed it was lunchtime. She needed to rush over to It’s A Stretch to see if she could catch up with Patrick. She desperately wanted her bracelet back and hoped that he’d found it.

  Placing the files on her desk, she grabbed her coat, and headed out. Once she got to the elevator, she pressed the button to go down. When the steel doors slid open, Julia stepped off, wearing a pair of white sunglasses, holding a Starbucks cup, and looking like she’d been up all night.

  “Looks like someone didn’t get to bed on time,” Renee commented as she stepped into the elevator.

  Julia lifted her sunglasses, giving Renee a look without speaking.