A McClendon Thanksgiving

by Sean D. Young

  “Your mother was a great help. I don’t know what I would have done without her.”

  “I’m sure she’s just as excited as you are. I’m surprised she’s not here yet.”

  “She told me that she was going to pick up the girls from her church and then she would be on. So it’s okay. She put up all the tables and completed that accessory display for me,” Faith said.

  Michael stuck his head around Faith to greet her sister. “Hi, Renee.”

  “What’s up, Michael? Do you need any help?”

  “Sure, I need to get this backdrop mounted in the corner back here before the doors open. I noticed on my way here that the malls are already crowded.”

  “I heard that folks stood in the Walmart line for five hours, waiting for the store to open,” Renee said.

  Faith looked up from her busy work. “Who told you that?”

  “Cara called me this morning to tell me she was coming to the grand opening and bringing some of her relatives from out of town with her.”

  “That’s great. Maybe we’ll have an overflow too,” Faith said, hoping her prayers would be answered.

  While Michael and Renee took care of the photo setup, Faith walked over to the door, looking out for the caterers, her sisters and parents. None of whom had arrived yet and she was getting a bit antsy.

  Minutes later, a large white cargo van, with the words Dimitri’s Catering scrawled in script on the side, pulled alongside the curb in front of the boutique.

  “Finally, they made it,” Faith said, glancing at her watch. She only had forty-five minutes to set up the food station before the shop opened. She quickly unlocked the door so that she could meet the delivery driver.

  A short young man with a medium build, wearing black pants and a red-fleece jacket with the catering logo on the left side, jumped out of the van, walking briskly to the door where Faith stood pushing it open.

  “Good morning,” he said, holding a large electronic device in his left hand.

  “Good morning,” she said in return.

  “Faith McClendon?”

  “Yes, I’m Faith McClendon.”

  “We have your order. Can you show us where you’d like it?”

  “Sure,” Faith responded, stepping back, watching him and his partner retrieve the containers, warmer racks and food from their truck.

  She wanted the food to be simple, but with lavish presentation, so for her hors d’oeuvres she ordered delicious wasabi-shrimp-and-avocado canapés on rice crackers, creamy sausage-stuffed mushrooms and baked-potato bites. She also had a cheese platter with pepper jack, Colby and cheddar cheeses cubed, along with green and red grapes accented with thyme sprigs, finely chopped parsley and celery held together in the shape of a Christmas tree, with onion-and-chive spreadable cream cheese.

  Faith hoped she hadn’t ordered too much food, but had added chocolate-covered strawberries and a sliced-pineapple tray. They brought in several cases of Dom Perignon that they would drink from long-stemmed glasses instead of clear-plastic, eight-ounce cups. The fluted glasses brought an elegant touch to the aesthetics of the table.

  Once the food had been delivered, Faith signed her name on the electronic device and sent the caterers on their way.

  Margaret brought Jordane, Vicki and Kim in with her, after having just come from Lavish Locks, where Jennifer worked. Now they could get dressed. Faith was anxious to see the girls in the new designs and hoped the public would like the styles she and Margaret had created.

  At five minutes till the hour, all of her helpers had arrived, except for Jennifer. Everything was in its place, so Faith went to officially open the store for business. Although the foot traffic wasn’t heavy at first, a few people peeped through the window while others walked in to satisfy their curiosity.

  Two very attractive young women came into the store wearing expensive-looking long coats, carrying shopping bags from Nordstrom, Gucci and Bloomingdale’s. The taller of the two women had long blonde hair, and the other sported a short pixie haircut. Faith grabbed two of the gift bags from the huge decorative basket and walked over to introduce herself.

  “Thanks for stopping in, Ladies. I’m Faith McClendon, owner of Made to Order by Faith. Is there anything I can help you find?”

  “Nice to meet you, Faith,” the tall blonde answered first. “We’re going to take a look around.”

  Faith handed them both a goody bag. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help you.”

  Michael came over with his DSLR camera around his neck. “Let’s get a photo with you and the lovely ladies.”

  Faith stood in the middle as they posed and looked at the camera, smiling.

  “Thanks so much for stopping by,” Faith said, extending her hand to each of them.

  The two women milled around the shop for a few minutes. One gravitated toward the shoes, and the other, bags and accessories.

  As time went on, Faith could hear the constant tinkling of the bell signaling that someone was either entering or leaving the shop, which made her happy.

  Once she had assisted her customer, Faith observed the rest of her staff. Patrice had the attention of three women in the bath-and-body area, while Renee was helping a woman in the accessories and a couple of folks in the shoe departments. Margaret was measuring a young lady who was ordering a custom dress. Faith was happy about the footwear customers because she had been hesitant about adding them since women could be very fickle about shoes.

  Lisa DeNeal, the style editor from a local online magazine, arrived and immediately Faith’s hands were clammy. For a lot of business owners the articles written by people like Lisa could make or break your enterprise.

  Faith picked up a goody bag that she’d put together for her special, special guests and walked over to her.

  “Hi, Lisa, welcome to Made to Order,” Faith said, shaking the young woman’s hand. She gave her the bag.

  “Thanks so much for inviting me to your event,” Lisa said, looking around. “What a lovely setup, and the store is so feminine.”

  “Please have some champagne and a bite to eat.”

  Lisa glanced around the room and then at the food station. “Wow, you’ve really got a spread here.”

  Faith smiled slightly. “Yes, please help yourself. And be sure you have a look around and let us know if you need any help. I would love it if you had your photo taken with me. I want to remember everyone who came today.”

  Lisa smiled then held up the little bag. “Thanks so much, Faith.”

  Faith busied herself at the register to give her mother a break. After a while, she had a long line of people at the checkout counter. Everyone seemed patient, knowing the boutique only had one register, so the clientele ate from the banquet table while they waited.

  A tall, well-dressed gentleman, wearing a hat and overcoat, entered the store twenty minutes before they closed. She watched him for a while and saw him stroll over to the custom-dress area, where Margaret was assisting other customers.

  He and Margaret started a conversation, and when Faith saw Margaret smile, she decided to go over and see what they were talking about.

  “Here she is right now,” Faith heard Margaret say as she approached.

  “Faith, dear, this gentleman is Frederick Willis and he wanted to talk to you about the custom gowns.”

  Faith’s heart started beating ninety miles a minute. She tried to keep a smile on her face, but inside she was quivering. She extended her hand to him. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Willis.”

  He accepted her handshake. “I’m visiting from New York and saw the crowd coming in and out your store, so decided to drop in and check things out.”

  Faith smiled genuinely. “We appreciate your stopping by. Is there anything we can help you with, like maybe a custom gown as a gift for your wife?”

  “I wanted to talk to
you about doing business with Bloomingdale’s.”

  At first Faith thought she hadn’t heard him correctly. “Did you say Bloomingdale’s?”

  Frederick nodded. “Yes, I think your little cocktail dresses and also the sequin gown would do well for our stores.”

  Faith was too stunned to move. Silence hung in the air, but she quickly recovered.

  She glanced at Margaret, who’d come to stand beside her. “The sequined gown was created by Margaret,” Faith said, wanting to fully acknowledge her.

  “Well then, Ladies, I’ll be in town until Tuesday, so maybe we can sit down and talk business.” He pulled out his business card, handing it to Faith.

  Faith looked down at it, staring at his name and title as Head Buyer, Bloomingdale’s.

  “We look forward to meeting with you. I’ll call you Monday morning,” Faith said.

  He and Faith shook hands, and then he shook Margaret’s hand before tipping his hat and leaving the boutique.

  Faith couldn’t wait to tell the others what just happened, but with the crowd still in the store, she couldn’t speak too loudly.

  By the time Faith rang up their last customer for the evening, Renee was standing by the door, checking her watch. As soon as Renee announced it was seven o’clock, she locked the door and flicked the switch on the sign. The store was officially closed for the day.

  Faith went to her sister and hugged her tightly, then waved for the others to gather around her for a group hug. Eyes were misty. She was tired, but she had never been so happy in all her life.

  “Faith, who was the guy with the top hat?”—Patrice wanted to know.

  “He was a buyer from Bloomingdale’s. Margaret and I are going to meet with him before he goes back to New York. He’s interested in our custom-dress line.”

  Everybody cheered.

  “This calls for a toast,” Patrice said, walking over to the buffet table, with Renee joining her. They poured champagne in several glasses and placed them on a tray. Then handed a glass to each person.

  “Let’s lift our glasses to Faith,” Patrice said, holding the slim flute in the air. “To my sistah Faith. The innovator, never to be duplicated. You are so beautiful, smart, talented, and I knew you would land on your feet. Here, here.”

  Everyone raised their glasses.

  All the while Faith beamed with pride.

  Michael walked over to her. “Babe, I’m so proud of you and Mom.”

  He slipped his arm around Faith’s waist, guiding her closer to where his mother stood. Faith was on one end, Margaret on the other.

  “I’m so happy for you both.” Michael said, looking at his mother, “Mom, see, I told you this was going to lead to something big.”

  Margaret’s eyes glistened with tears. “Yes you did, son. I’m at a loss for words.” She rested her forehead against his while squeezing Faith’s hand.

  Myra and Russell gave their congratulations as well before they headed up the cleanup committee. “Let’s get this place ready for tomorrow. I’m sure we’re going to be just as busy,” Myra suggested.

  “Thanks, Mom,” Faith said, picking up the empty platters from the buffet table.

  By eight thirty, with the help of her family, the shop was ready for the next day’s business.

  Michael had packed up all his equipment and taken the last piece out to his truck. He kissed Faith on her neck while she stood in front of the glass display case. “Are you ready to get something to eat or are you too tired to go out?”

  Faith turned toward him, placing her hand on his chest. “I’m tired but would still love to go out with you tonight.”

  “I’m ready, then. Let me make sure my mother and the girls get to the car safely.”

  Faith walked each of her family members to the door, thanking them once again for making her open house a true success.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Faith glanced into her rearview mirror, knowing that when she did, Michael would be following right behind her. She could always count on him and that thought made her feel like she was letting him down. He’d proved over and over again that she could trust him, and all he’d asked of her in return was to share with him her feelings regarding her ex-husband. She just hadn’t been able to do it, but tonight that would change. The countless avoidance of her failed marriage had to come to an end.

  In order to move forward in their relationship, she had to give Michael what he deserved—the truth. The whole mess with Kevin made her sick to her stomach whenever she thought about it, but she had to get it off her chest.

  Faith had thought she wasn’t ready for marriage, but after she and Michael separated, she realized how much she needed him. She felt so alone without him. It made her realize just how important their relationship was to her. Faith had to let Michael know how she felt.

  As she pulled in front of her building and got out of the car, Faith inhaled the crisp night air, her confidence growing. She waited for Michael to park his car and meet her at the front entrance. She was exhausted from working, but she couldn’t allow another day to pass without sharing with Michael what she should have a long time ago.

  Faith went to her room to change clothes and was standing in front of the dresser when Michael came into the room.

  “Babe, why don’t we just relax the rest of the evening, instead of trying to go out?”

  Removing her earrings, necklace and bracelets, she dropped them in the case before turning in his direction.

  “Are you sure? I know you were looking forward to it.”

  “Yes. I can see that you’re worn out. It’s been a long day for us both, so let me just go out and get us something to eat right quick.”

  Once they got settled she would tell him everything, she thought to herself. Kicking off her shoes, she reached for his hand. “When you come back, we need to talk.”

  Michael moved to the bed and sat down. “Do you want to talk now?”

  “It’s going to take more than a minute, so you go and get the food. I’ll take a bath and be ready when you return,” she responded.

  Michael stood up. “Well, if you’re sure…”

  Faith nodded as she watched him walk toward her. She loved this man with her whole heart.

  “I’ll be right back,” he said, his lips soft against hers. “You go on and take a hot bath. I’ll be back in a flash.”

  Faith reached up around his neck and pulled him close.

  Michael gave her a quick peck on the lips and stepped back. “See you in a minute.”

  Twenty minutes later, the evening had turned into a typical late, cold November night, so Faith was happy that Michael decided to build a fire in the fireplace to make the room warm and cozy for them to share their evening. He had already picked up the food and gotten back to the apartment while she was still in the tub.

  He was setting up the food trays when Faith walked toward him wearing a white-silk robe.

  “Did your bath relax you?” Michael asked Faith when she walked over to the sofa.

  She plopped down on the cushions, resting her head on the back of the sofa.

  Michael came to sit beside her, pulled her onto his lap.

  Faith rested her head on his chest.

  “Babe, you smell so good,” he said before kissing her softly. “Do you know, when you told me you loved me this morning, you made me the happiest man on earth?” he said, excitement evident in his voice.

  Faith was so glad she was finally able to say it. She looked up at him, his gaze sweeping over her face. She felt so peaceful. “But I do love you and I realize that it made no sense for me to continue to deny something that was just as real as the air I’m breathing right now. I need that love to help sustain me and when I didn’t have it I was lost.”

  “I was lost too. I missed you so much,” he said.

  She kissed his ch
eek and looked up at him. “There is something else I need to share with you, Michael.” She paused. “I was afraid to love again…after what I experienced.”

  Michael frowned. “What do you mean?”

  She got up from his lap and sat down on the couch beside him, pulling his hand into hers. She blew out a breath before starting. “The reason I didn’t want to tell you about Kevin is because I was ashamed and embarrassed.” She tried to keep her composure intact, but feared she would fail.

  “Ashamed?” Michael asked. She could hear concern in his voice. “Ashamed about what?”

  “Yes, ashamed. Ashamed to let you know that I stayed in an emotionally abusive situation for as long as I did. Ashamed that I let him use me as a façade to make his colleagues think he had a loving marriage. A beautiful wife on his arm every time we went to gallery openings and black-tie affairs. But he never paid any attention to me when we were alone. I was embarrassed that I allowed him to control me, even down to telling me what I had to wear.”

  “Wow,” Michael said in response, but Faith hadn’t finished yet.

  “He’d embarrass me in front of his colleagues by saying mean things about what I had on. He’d apologize to them for my cooking if he didn’t think the meal was up to a certain standard when we had his dinner parties.” She didn’t want Michael to know this side of her, the side that wasn’t strong enough to stand up to Kevin.

  “It didn’t matter what I did, what I said or how I tried repeatedly to fix them whatever he thought was wrong, he would always find something negative to say. And then he had the nerve—”

  Michael stopped her by holding up his hand. “Don’t say any more, please. Babe, you don’t have to worry about that kind of treatment any longer. I knew I didn’t like that bastard, and hearing you recount those horrible experiences only makes me angry.”

  Michael gathered her in his arms. “Listen, I shouldn’t have forced you to accept my proposal the other day. I could see you weren’t ready. It wasn’t fair to you. I said some things I shouldn’t have said.”

  “But you were right about some of it. You’ve been my friend for so long, had already proven to be trustworthy. So I should have been able to talk to you, if no one else,” she said, feeling her eyes water.