by Debby Mayne
“I beg your pardon?”
Uncle Forest pointed to the chair across from his desk. “Sit down. I have a plan to ease you into sales, only this time I’ll make sure you’re more prepared.”
By the time she left his office, she had a short list of small clients and a plan to increase their orders, with follow-up from Dave. Now Cissy couldn’t think of anything that would make her life better.
She expected Tom to call, so she was surprised to see him standing outside her apartment building when she arrived. “Hey,” she said, trying to keep from throwing herself into his arms.
“I wanted to catch you before you made plans for dinner. A group of us is meeting at the church for a potluck.” He paused. “You don’t have to bring anything. I’ll stop off at a deli on the way.”
“I would love to go, and I want to bring something.” She shifted from one foot to the other. “What time do you want me there?”
He glanced at his watch. “I’ll pick you up at six. We can walk over there together.”
As soon as he turned around and left, Cissy took off for the tiny grocery store on the corner. She picked up some overpriced pasta, mayonnaise, and pickles and carried them back to her apartment to make a pasta salad. She had no idea what else she could fix on such short notice.
Tom showed up at precisely six o’clock, holding a bagful of food. “You really didn’t have to make anything. I have enough in here for both of us.”
“You obviously don’t understand Southern girls,” she said, pouring on the thickest accent she could. “Our mamas teach us early that we can’t show up empty-handed at a potluck, or we’ll be considered downright tacky.”
“Tacky, huh?” He chuckled. “I wouldn’t want you to be called that . . . would I?”
“Nuh-uh.” She shook her head. “That would be really bad.” She nodded her head toward the bag. “What all did you get?”
“Sliced cold cuts, olives, and some pasta salad.”
“Uh oh.” She made a face. “That’s what I made.”
“I’m sure yours is better than anything you can get around here.” They’d arrived at the Inner City Outreach Church, and he opened the door for her and followed her inside.
A half hour later Tom pulled Cissy away from the crowd. “Looks like your pasta salad is a hit.”
She smiled and nodded. “Now I understand why Mama gets all worked up over her potato salad recipe. It sure feels good to know people like my cookin’.”
By the time they got to the buffet table, there was only one small scoop of her pasta salad left. Cissy gestured with her free hand. “You go on and get some. I can make it anytime.”
“Okay, I’ll do that.” He plopped the last spoonful onto his plate.
Cissy held her breath as she watched him lift the fork filled with her pasta salad to his mouth. When he sighed with contentment and said, “Man, is this delicious,” she exhaled. When he added, “I’ve never tasted anything like it,” she was over the moon.
After everyone ate, they said another prayer before the meeting to discuss strategy to feed as many people as possible the next day. Tom and some of his pals had managed to get several bakeries and delis to donate the food, so all they had to do was pick it up and distribute it.
Tom led her out of the church and toward her apartment. “I am so glad you’re doing this with me. It’s such an important part of my life, and I love sharing it with you.”
Nothing he could have said would have pleased her more. “Thank you.”
When they arrived at her building, she invited him in. “I have to get up before daylight to pick up the bread, so I need to get home. I’ll pick you up at eight.” With a quick peck on her cheek, he was gone.
Charlene was just leaving as she got off the elevator. “I’m meeting some people for a movie. Wanna join us?”
Cissy shook her head as she thought about what Tom said. “I have to get up before daylight, so I think I’ll turn in now.”
Charlene narrowed her eyes and gave her a curious look. “Okaaaay.” She reached out and felt Cissy’s forehead. “Are you feelin’ sick or somethin’?”
“No.” Cissy swatted at Charlene’s hand. “I just need to get some rest so I can help hand out sandwiches with Tom.”
“Oh, I should have known. It’s about Tom.” She pursed her lips. “Remember, don’t let a man take over your whole life until he’s ready to make a commitment.”
“I know, I know.”
“Be careful.”
“I will.” Cissy crossed her heart. “I promise.”
“Fine. I’ll see you later.” Charlene waved good-bye as she took off for the elevator.
Once Cissy was inside her apartment, she leaned against the door. Charlene was right. She did have a tendency to put all her energy into whatever guy she happened to be dating. Maybe she’d try something different on Sunday . . . unless Tom wanted to do something after church.
Mama called. “Where have you been? I thought you had your phone with you all the time.”
“I was at church,” Cissy replied. “I did have my phone with me, but it was so noisy I didn’t hear it.”
“Church? On a Friday night? What kind of church meets on Friday night?”
Cissy sank down on the edge of her daybed and kicked off her shoes. “It was a meeting to discuss a mission I’m doing tomorrow.”
“What kind of mission?”
“A sandwich mission.”
Mama made a strange grunting sound. “I reckon that makes sense to someone. Anyway, I just wanted to call to find out how you’re doing. Forest says you’re catching on fast now and that you haven’t made any more big mistakes.”
“He said that?” Cissy sat up straighter. “Yes, I guess I am catchin’ on pretty fast.” It pleased her to no end to hear that someone, especially Uncle Forest, was finally saying something good about her behind her back.
“I talked to Bootsie too. She told me that their door is always open if you come to your senses and decide to move back in with them.”
“Did she put it like that?” Cissy asked.
“Well, no. But she wants to make sure you know they’ll let you back in.”
Cissy sighed. “So how are you doin’, Mama? Anything new in Hartselle?”
“Not really. I was just callin’ to check on you.”
“Well, thank you. Now that you know I’m doing just fine, I need to go get ready for bed.”
Once Cissy put her phone back in her handbag, she flopped down on her bed. This apartment was still small enough to make her long for her old room back home, but the second she remembered Tom, being here was worth the cramped quarters.
Chapter 18
TOM LOADED UP the church van with as much food as he could cram into the back. Lester Shaw, one of the other volunteers from church, opened the doors to his SUV. “Looks like we have more this week than last.”
“Good thing we have a few extra pairs of hands to help out,” Tom said. “I invited Cissy, and she agreed to come.”
“I hope you told her to leave all her valuables at home.”
“I did.”
Lester gave him a fake jab in the shoulder. “She’s a looker.”
“And she loves the Lord.”
“Bonus.” Lester hoisted the first box of wrapped sandwiches into the SUV. “It’s hard to find a woman with everything.”
“I know.” Tom helped for a few more minutes before going back to the van. “I’m picking her up on the way, so I’ll see you later. Any questions about your location?”
“Nope. I have my list right here.” He patted his pocket. “See you back at the church this afternoon.”
Tom pulled away with a full van, heading toward Cissy’s apartment building. He half expected to wait, but to his surprise she was standing outside when he turned the corner. Once he stopped at the curb, she didn’t hesitate to open the door and hop in.
“This van smells like pastrami and cheese,” she said.
“Hmm. I wonder why.” He smiled at her
and turned his attention back to the road as he pulled away.
All the way to their designated subway station at 163rd Street, Cissy asked questions about church and handing out sandwiches. When they got out of the van, Cissy looked around and asked, “Are all the people homeless?”
“Quite a few of them are, but I suspect some live in tenement housing or apartments.”
“It’s hard to believe that there are so many hungry folks in the United States.” She reached out and touched his arm. “I think it’s wonderful that our church is reaching out to them.”
His throat constricted at the sound of her calling it our church. “I agree.”
“I’ll pray for each and every person I talk to,” she said. “I’m sure that if they’re hungry enough to accept free sandwiches from strangers, they’ll appreciate all the prayers I can give them.”
“Yes, it’s always good to pray for them, but don’t expect a lot of appreciation. And never let down your guard.”
“Oh, absolutely.” She smiled. “I know that.”
She’d no sooner said that than a woman wearing a tattered dress and carrying a canvas bag approached and shoved Cissy into Tom. Cissy turned to the woman, smiled, and said, “Excuse me.” The woman snarled back at her and grabbed for Cissy’s handbag.
Tom’s instincts kicked in. He pulled Cissy around to his other side and turned to the woman. “The only thing we have that you might want is food. If you’re not hungry, move on.”
His comment didn’t faze the woman. She simply turned and left.
“Why don’t we call the cops or something?” Cissy asked as she rubbed her arm. “She hurt me.”
An overwhelming protective urge washed over Tom as he looked down at her sweet, confused expression. “If I thought it would do any good, I would, but this is nothing compared to what the police are having to deal with in this part of town.”
“That’s so different from what I’m used to.”
“Are you okay, or would you like to leave now?”
Cissy glanced around and turned back to him. “I reckon I shouldn’t let that one mean woman ruin it for everyone else. I want to stay and help them.”
His heart warmed even more for Cissy as she showed her innate kindness. He didn’t know many women who would have wanted to continue after what happened. But he also knew he needed to remain close to protect her from another incident.
“Jenkins?”
The sound of a familiar voice saying Tom’s name caused him to turn around. About six feet away stood Mario Perez, one of the few button manufacturers left in New York City. A few months ago Tom had decided to look into manufacturing custom notions himself in order to fill specialized orders he kept getting. Not wanting to divulge his plans, he dropped some of the smaller companies he worked with. When Mario had pressed for an explanation, Tom blew him off.
Mario pointed to the box of sandwiches. “What are you doing?”
Tom’s body tensed as he guided Cissy to his other side. “Feeding the hungry.”
A roar of laughter erupted from the portly man. “Now that’s a sight I never would have expected, but I suppose you would have to do something to make up for your dirty business ethics.” He narrowed his eyes as his gaze darted to the food and then back to Tom. “It probably makes you feel even more powerful to give handouts to the poor.”
“Power is the last thing on my mind right now.” Tom could see Cissy watching him from the corner of his eye. “And my business ethics are perfectly honorable.”
“In whose book?” Mario glanced around at Cissy. “Be careful with this guy. He’s a shark. He’ll use you until he gets what he wants, and then you’ll never see him again.” With that he turned and walked away.
Tom wished Cissy didn’t have to hear that, but it was bound to happen eventually. He’d prided himself on being shrewd in business. He wasn’t dishonest, but he did take advantages of others’ weaknesses if it was good for Sewing Notions Inc.
“What was that all about?” Cissy asked. “What did he mean by dirty business ethics?”
Tom shook his head. “I didn’t need what he sold anymore. Sewing Notions Inc. was one of his biggest accounts.”
Cissy looked concerned. “Did you try to talk to him about it before you dumped him?”
“No need to do that. I have my reasons, and they’re not open for discussion.” He felt bad for keeping her in the dark, but he wasn’t ready yet to discuss his business plans.
A look of pain flashed through her eyes, but she quickly recovered. “I would’ve—”
A small family approached and asked if they still had sandwiches. Tom and Cissy never got to finish their conversation, but it played on Tom’s mind for the remainder of the time in the subway station. What must Cissy think of him now?
Cissy trudged up to her apartment, and without stopping, headed straight for the shower. The filthy subway had made her feel grimy from head to toe. Now that she’d witnessed Tom’s interaction with that Mario Perez guy, she had some serious thinking to do, but she was too tired to linger on them at the moment.
After she towel-dried her hair and slipped into her comfy yoga pants, her phone rang. Charlene didn’t wait a second before pounding the questions.
“How did today go? Did you have a chance to talk with Tom? Are you going out with him again?”
“Whoa, wait a minute.” Cissy laughed. “One question at a time.”
“I’m just excited and eager to hear how today went. I saw you come in, and when you didn’t call, I got worried.”
“Today went really well . . . for the most part anyway, but I’m exhausted. We handed out hundreds of sandwiches to people who looked like they hadn’t eaten in days.”
“That is so sad,” Charlene said. “Here we are in one of the richest cities in the world, and to think there are people who go hungry. It just doesn’t seem right, does it?”
“No, and that’s why Tom’s church has the sandwich mission. Did you know that the subway is the only place some of them can get shelter?”
“I’ve heard that, but I rarely go to those stations.”
“Tom told me it’s probably not a good idea for a woman to go there alone, so I probably won’t either.”
“So tell me more about Tom. Was he all dreamy and romantic?”
Again Cissy forced herself to laugh. She didn’t want to mention Tom’s reaction to his former business associate. “About as dreamy and romantic as he could be in such a dirty environment.”
“But you sound like you enjoyed every minute of it.”
“I’m not so sure I enjoyed it as much as I felt that I was doing something worthwhile.” Cissy paused. “It’s really nice to be able to help others without someone thinking I have an ulterior motive. No one questioned me. They just accepted the food, and many of them actually thanked me. We stopped and prayed with quite a few of them too.”
“That’s pretty awesome. I might want to join you sometime.”
“I’m sure they can always use more volunteers.”
“So what’s next on your agenda with Tom? Got any dates lined up for the future?”
Her throat tightened. “I’m going to church with him in the morning.”
“What’s wrong, Cissy? I’m sensing something you’re not tellin’ me.”
“Nothing. I’m just tired.”
“Must be nice to have someone so soon after you got here.” Charlene sighed and then grew quiet. “Tom seems like the perfect guy for a Christian girl. I wish I knew someone like him.”
Cissy felt bad for Charlene. Maybe she should tell Charlene what happened, and that would make her realize things weren’t always as they seemed. She paused for a moment before plunging into as detailed of a recounting of the incident as she could remember.
“So what are you saying?” Charlene asked. “Do you think he’s putting on a front for you?”
“I don’t know,” Cissy replied. “To be honest, I’m confused. If it were just this one situation, I’d probably blo
w it off, but after what happened to Uncle Forest when Tom took over Sewing Notions Inc., I can’t exactly ignore the warning signs.”
“You’re right, but at least give him a chance to explain.”
“Oh, trust me, I will. In fact, I plan to make a list of questions before I see him next.”
“You also said he protected you from that woman who shoved you.” Charlene sighed. “I don’t remember any guy ever protecting me from anything.”
“There is that, and I have to admit he made my heart pitter-patter when he did that.”
Charlene laughed. “My heart would probably hop right out of my chest if someone did that for me.”
“I’m sure someone really nice will come along and sweep you off your feet.”
“Wouldn’t that be nice?” Charlene’s voice tightened. “I better let you go. I’m taking cupcakes for the little kids’ Sunday school class tomorrow, and I haven’t even started baking them yet.”
“Are you teaching Sunday school?” Cissy just now realized that she knew very little about Charlene’s church.
“I help out some, but there aren’t that many kids left, so I don’t have to do much. Our church membership is starting to dwindle, and there’s some talk that they might fold soon.”
“That’s terrible.”
“Yeah, I know,” Charlene said. “And to make matters worse, our pastor has already accepted another position at a church across town, so after next week, all our services will be conducted by lay leaders.”
“If you ever want to . . . I mean, I don’t want to try to pull you away from a church you like, but—”
“If you’re inviting me to church with you, I’d love to go. Let’s talk about it next week.”
After they got off the phone, Cissy fixed herself a cup of herbal tea and sank down on the daybed. The combination of events from the day and her mixed feelings for Tom swirled in her head.
Now that she had some time alone to ponder her current feelings and compare them to her past mistakes, she wondered if she really knew Tom. He’d been such a gentleman with her—charming, fun, and kind. However, now that she’d heard from both her uncle and that man in the subway about how ruthless he was in business, she questioned her own judgment. Now she thought maybe she shouldn’t have allowed herself to get so involved with Tom. Mama had always said she felt too much too soon. From early childhood she’d thrown herself into everything she did, from friendships to hobbies, and then as an adult, all her relationships.
