No Ordinary Romance

by Smith, Stephanie Jean

  Aunt Mabel gave her a hug as she and Edward left for Edwards’s apartment. “Have a good night.”

  “Don’t you worry Connie I’ll take good care of Mabel.” He whispered something in Mabel’s ear that made her blush and giggled.

  “Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle, who would have thought that Aunt Mabel still had it in her.” Connie picked Tatiana off the sofa and carried her into Aunt Mabel’s bedroom. She undressed Tati and put on her butterfly pajamas before placing her on Aunt Mabel’s bed. She felt a longing that was unknown to her as she covered the precious child and kissing her goodnight.

  She remembered reading somewhere that as women approached thirty the longing to be a mother became an obsession. God must have planted the need for procreation in the minds of females to ensure the survival of the human race. “Sleep well baby.”

  “Night Condi.” Tatiana whispered as Connie left the room.

  Connie came back into the living room to find a flustered Johana pretending to watch television. “Tati’s sleeping in Aunt Mabel’s bed. You’ve been gone 45 minutes that was some walk.”

  “What can I say Tyler is a great conversationalist.”

  “Is he a good kisser too?”

  “How did you know he kissed me?”

  “I didn’t know he kissed you until you told me, but you seemed kind of rattled as if you wanted more than a kiss. I don’t think Tyler is the kind of man to be put off by long distances. Quite frankly I’m surprised you two aren’t in the back seat of his car making it rock.”

  “Connie I’m not that kind of woman! I would never abandon myself to a man’s arms leaving my daughter unattended.”

  “Calm down Johana, I’m just teasing you. I know good and damn well that you’re a terrific mother; you would never leave Tati to run off with a man. I’m just saying that a woman needs more in her life than her children. Tyler looks like the kind of man who wouldn’t be afraid to take on a readymade family.”

  “You got all of that just over dinner.”

  “No I got that when he saw your face. Tyler spent most of dinner trying to find out everything about you. I also noticed that he took a particular shine to Tati. He’s what 35 years old, well past the age when a man starts looking for a wife.”

  “If Tati’s in the bedroom with Nana I guess I’m sharing the sofa sleeper with you.”

  “Actually Aunt Mabel left after you. She said something about her man giving her something unusual surprise. I don't expect to see her until morning.”

  “Nana and Edward! Why both of them are over 80!”

  “You heard what Edward said about wood in the fireplace, he must have a real unique birthday gift for Aunt Mabel. It looks like romance is in the air for women in this family; I can’t wait to see my knight in shining armor.”

  “You will Connie; I really believe there’s someone out there for you.”

  ***

  Connie got up early and made waffles for Tati and Johana. Aunt Mabel was a no show; she was probably recovering from her night with Edward. She planned to stay a few hours, then she had to head back to Omaha. She thought about her cousin’s predicament and came to a decision. “Johana you know that you’re always welcome to stay with me until you find a job.”

  Johana laughed, shaking her head, “Connie that is extremely magnanimous of you. The problem with relatives that move in is that it takes forever for them to move out. I don’t want to move back to Omaha until I know for sure that I have a job.”

  “You’re too independent to be a moocher. I just wanted you to know that you have another alternative. Tax season’s here and I could use another personal assistant until you find that dream job you’re looking for.”

  “Thanks cousin it’s good to have options.”

  Aunt Mabel chose that moment to come waltzing in the apartment. She sat down at the kitchen table waiting patiently for her waffles and coffee. “Good morning and how are my girls doing today?”

  Connie sat waffles and coffee in front of her and waited expectantly. “Well aren’t you going to tell us about last night?”

  Mabel cackled, “I can’t there’s a child present, besides if I tell you my business it becomes our business. Let’s just say that Edward will probably stay in bed until this afternoon.”

  Tatiana refused to be left out of the conversation. “Nana is Mr. Edward going to be my poppa.”

  “No baby, Edward is my friend like Boo Bear is your friend.”

  Connie gave her aunt a knowing look and refused to be sidetracked. Tati may only be four, but she understood the behavior of adults exceptionally well. She wasn’t going to fall for the Edward is like Boo Bear crap. “So Aunt Mabel when’s the wedding.”

  “Edward did ask me to marry him a couple of months ago, but I told him that I had to think about it. I mean seriously, I’m too old to be getting married again.”

  “Nana if you get married I could be your flower girl and my mommy and Condi can be maid de honors.”

  Connie, Johana, and Aunt Mabel laughed at Tati’s pronunciation, “Johana where does she get this stuff?”

  “A little girl in her preschool class was a flower girl in a wedding before the holidays. Ever since then she’s been asking people when they’re getting married so she can be a flower girl.”

  “Tell you what pumpkin, if your Nana doesn’t get married, I’ll let you be a flower girl at my wedding.”

  Tatiana frowned at Connie, sticking out her bottom lip. “Mommie says that you don’t even have a boyfriend. How long will I have to wait?”

  Tati was too quick for a child her age. “I don’t know baby, but when I say my prayers tonight I’ll ask God to send me a boyfriend soon. Okay?

  “Okay Condi. Mommie can I go color now?”

  “Drink the rest of your milk and then you may color.”

  The three adults didn’t speak until she left the room, “My goodness Johana what kind of school do you have my great-grandchild enrolled in where she’s learning about boyfriends and marriage?”

  “Believe me Nana there are worse things out there.”

  “Uhmm, you better keep on top of that child or she’ll be running you. I have something for the both of you, Connie would you get the red shopping bag out of my closet; it’s sitting right up front.”

  “Sure Auntie.” Connie quickly retrieved the shopping back from the closet it was heavier than she expected. She carried it to the kitchen and sat it next to her aunt.

  “Thanks baby! Now I just want to tell both of you how much I love you and I wanted to take this opportunity to give you some things before I go home to glory.” Mabel kept talking when she heard the words of protest from Connie and Johana. “I’ve lived a great life, and I want my two best girls to have some of the things I treasure.”

  She pulled two wooden boxes out the bag giving one to Connie and the other to Johana. “Just some jewelry I’ve collected over the years and some pieces that were given to me as gifts.”

  Connie opened the box she looked at the precious and semi-precious stones in the necklaces and bracelets. She saw a few items that Momma Lettie gave to Aunt Mabel as birthday and Christmas gifts. “Aunt Mabel I honestly can’t accept your jewelry. I think all of it should go to Johana. She’s your real family, and I just wouldn’t feel right about taking your things.”

  Mabel clasped Connie’s face in her hands and gazed at her troubled eyes. “Honey, ain’t no use in you telling me that you’re not my sister’s child! This makes you my niece, and I want you to have these treasures. It’s vital that the people I love receive a memorable gift from me while I’m still alive. I don’t want to hear any more nonsense, you belong in this family.”

  Mabel pulled two large family albums out of the bag giving one to Connie and the other to Johana. “I had duplicates made from my family photos.”

  Connie opened the book and the first picture was of her and Momma Lettie at her six-grade graduation. She flipped through the book at first she was overwhelmed with sadness, and then sadness
gave way to joy. There were shots of her at various stages: recitals, high school graduation, college graduation, and the formal dance.

  “Remember that dress that Momma Lettie made me for that awful formal dance. The snotty brats of Omaha’s elite thought I was just a white hick from North Omaha. When they saw my dress there were a lot of pissed off little debutantes.”

  “Lettie was a talented seamstress; she could whip up anything and make it look like it came off the runway. You got your momma’s cooking skills, but baby you can’t sew worth a lick.”

  “Hey I just don’t have the patience for pinning, cutting, and sewing. I’d rather play the drums, and Momma Lettie let me lean to my own understanding.”

  Johana turned to the last page of the photo album and tears formed in her eyes. “Connie turn to the last page.”

  Connie flipped to the last page, it was the last family photo that including Momma Lettie, Uncle Earl, and Johana’s parents. “We were such a happy family.”

  “Baby we still are! The problem with both of you is that you focus too much on loss instead of being thankful for what you have. We’re gonna lose our loved ones, that’s part of life, but that doesn’t mean you give up on living.”

  “Message received and understood Nana.” Johana kissed her grandmother’s cheek.

  “Aunt Mabel I will cherish my presents and thank you for loving me.”

  They spent the morning talking about old times, and Connie felt as if a weight had been lifted from her heart, it was good to be alive.

  ***

  Chapter 5

  It was the second Saturday after the New Year holiday and Connie came into her office early to prepare for the new year's tax rush. She already completed the year-end and tax reports for her clients, which made for a busy December. She was in the process of setting up for the workweek ahead when her phone rang. It was odd for someone to call her on a Saturday at her office. It was tax season, and she had to brace herself for the swarm of business that was sure to ensue.

  Beth had not made it in yet, so she picked up the phone. “This is Connie Jacobs.”

  “Ooh Constantina your voice sounds so sexy over the phone. From one workaholic to another I thought that you'd be working on a Saturday.”

  Connie was ticked off and elated that Thomas called. “Thomas, I’m surprised to hear from you. We didn’t exactly depart on a good note last week.”

  “I just thought I’d give you a little time to calm down. I was serious about the land swap deal I mentioned last month. If you're serious about the Cabbage Patch Foundation expansion, you need to hear me out.”

  She twirled the pen in her hand as she tried to calm down. “What do you want?”

  “That’s a loaded question sweetheart. I thought we’d check out the property today.”

  Connie was going to turn him down when thoughts of expanding the foundation filled her head. The need for a new group home far outweighed her personal feelings about Thomas. “Sure Thomas, I’d like to view the property. If it suits the foundation’s needs I may sign the contract today, give me the address, and I’ll meet you there around one o'clock.”

  Thomas gave her the address, his mind was running rapid for ideas to spend more time with her. “Okay, I’ll see you at one.”

  She made up her mind that this meeting with Thomas would be professional, and she would not fall for his charm. That damn Thomas was too charming! He was just looking for another toy. Men like Thomas were always looking for something new to play with. She would be strong and vigilant and stay out of his cross hares.

  The property Thomas wanted Connie to look at was a couple of minutes away from her house. She figured it would take her about 15 minutes to get there from her office if she took the North Freeway. Beth came in 20 minutes later looking sad and upset. "What's wrong Beth?"

  "A bunch of us went out to celebrate Chad's birthday, and he acted like a jerk all night. He flirted with every woman he met. I'm through trying to get his attention Connie."

  Connie had known for some time that Beth had a serious crush on Chad. She thinks Chad is sweet on her too, but like most men his age he didn't want to settle for one woman. Beth reminded her of Kelly Ripa; short, spunky and serious about her man. "You're a beautiful woman Beth, you're young, and maybe you should forget about Chad and start dating. I know for a fact that Mark the UPS delivery guy stops by every day whether he has a package or not."

  "I like Mark, but I don't get that zing from him that I get from Chad. You're right about one thing I'm through wasting my time. Have you hired anyone for the part-time position yet? If not, I have a cousin itching for the job, her hours just got cut from her job, and she could use the money."

  "What's her name?"

  "Carrie Ann, she attends the Nebraska College of Business. So it's not as if she's not an idiot or anything."

  "Have her come by on Monday, and I'll explain the position to her, usually I would have hired someone before now." They worked in silence for the rest of the morning, stacking forms and getting the office ready for the tax season rush.

  ***

  Connie was a few minutes early, but Thomas still beat her to the property. He walked to her car and opened the door for her. He had on a white sweater, black leather jacket, and a pair of jeans that was taking unfair advantage of her eyesight. He looked good enough to eat, literally. “Hello Thomas.”

  “Good afternoon Constantina. Get out of the car and look around. I have a feeling you’re going to like what you see.” Thomas always tried to find a reason to touch her, he reached grabbed her hand helping her out of the car. He held onto her hand as they viewed the property.

  “Oh Thomas there’s so much land out here!” She was lost in a trance of possibilities. The Cabbage Patch Foundation could create something magnificent out here without worrying about expansion. She didn’t know she was crying until Thomas wiped the tears from her face.

  “I hope these are happy tears.” Thomas had seen Constantina in many moods, this was the first time he has seen her so happy that she was at a loss for words. She has such a generous heart and so easily wounded; he wanted to protect her from the rest of the world.

  “This property is perfect Thomas.” She hugged him before realizing the ramifications of her actions.

  When Connie tried to pull away from the embrace, Thomas took advantage of the situation and kissed her. He molded his body to hers hoping that she could feel his hardness pushing against her. To his amazement, she kissed him back deepening the kiss until their tongues were dueling with each other.

  Connie was drowning in a sea of lust. Thomas tasted like coffee and chocolate, two of her favorite things. Here, she was in the middle of a field in the dead of winter kissing a man who used and discarded women. She put some distance between them losing her balance in the process. “That was getting out of hand.”

  Thomas stepped closer to her brushing the hair out of her eyes. “No Constantina I had everything under control until you lost your nerve.”

  Connie knew red herring when she heard one, and she refused to touch it. “I’m hungry. What do you say we go to the Village Inn on Sorensen? You can tell me more about the property and give me the paperwork, and I’ll take it to my lawyer.”

  Thomas smiled, admiring Constantina’s retreat. “One day you’ll give in Constantina, but for now I’ll settle for lunch.”

  Connie watched him walk to his car feeling as though she just dodged a bullet. Once this situation with the property was resolved, she would keep out of Thomas’s way. She liked him, and if she ever had sex with him, she would become his slave.

  ***

  Connie loved the Village Inn’s breakfast menu she ordered the two-egg breakfast with a soft drink. She studied the contract Thomas gave her as he placed his order. By the time she was through reviewing the contract, the waitress brought back their food.

  Thomas looked at all the food on the table and shook his head. “I don’t think we have enough room on the table for all this food
. You’re a little thing, but man you sure eat a lot.”

  “What can I say I have a healthy appetite and a high metabolism. It doesn’t hurt that I work out every day too. Everything looks in order, but I’ll take the contract to my lawyer to review before I sign on the dotted line.” She folded the contract and put it in her purse. Then she prayed over her food before eating, she just loved breakfast food.

  Constantina enjoyed her food; he just wished she could feel that excited about him. She lost her head for a moment back in that empty field, and he took advantage of the situation. “That’s a smart decision, too many people jump into situations without understanding every nuance. When they get burned they want to blame the other party when they should have read the fine print.”

  Connie felt as if Thomas were giving her a hidden message. “What is in the fine print that I missed Thomas?”

  “That’s just it Constantina, this deal is on the up-and-up. I wanted to do something for you and the foundation. You’re not the only one who’s interested in helping those less fortunate. Since we’re on the subject; why do you act as the spokesperson for the Cabbage Patch Foundation when you obviously hate it?”

  “I don’t hate my association with the foundation. Where did you get an idea like that?”

  “No honey you misunderstand what I’m saying. I know more than most people of your devotion to the foundation and the battles you fight on its behalf. You obviously hate dealing with the public, so why don’t you hire PR rep.”

  “I thought I did a good job of hiding my feelings. I love the work I do for the foundation, but I hate being put on display.”

  “How did you get involved with the foundation?”

  Connie cut her pancakes into bite size pieces before pouring syrup over them. She noticed that Thomas hadn’t touched his food; he was too busy watching her eat. “Is something wrong with your food?”

  Thomas was hungry, but not for food. He wanted to get Constantina in his bed for the rest of the weekend. “No everything is fine.” He picked up half of his patty melt and began eating as she continued her story.