by Pat Simmons
“Miss Karyn, will you make a braid in my hair like yours?”
“Yes, but I can’t now.” Karyn squatted. “Who combed your hair today?”
Dori was decked out in a red corduroy jumper with a white turtleneck sweater splattered with printed red puppies. To finish her ensemble, she sported red Mary Jane shoes. The attempt to part her hair down the middle was a wasted effort.
“Daddy. When my auntie Jet doesn’t wash and comb my hair, Daddy does it, but he lets me pick out my clothes.” She grinned, sticking out her belly in pride.
“The next time I see you I’ll make you a braid like mine.” She stood. “I’d better go. It is a madhouse.”
“How about dinner later? You know you ate my meal,” he whispered and winked.
Karyn laughed. Buttercup had woofed down his food. She then sobered. One day she was going to run out of excuses as to why she didn’t have the freedom of changing her plans. “Sorry. I promised my roommate that we’ll do our own version of a girls’ night out, only we’re staying night in. It’s movies and popcorn tonight.”
Levi’s dimples appeared. It wasn’t from a genuine smile. Clearly, his mouth was stretched in frustration. He nodded. “Tomorrow?” he pressed.
“I’m studying at the library.”
“Are you avoiding me?” Levi challenged, folding his arms as a customer bumped him, trying to walk around him.
“Would I do that?” She managed an innocent smile. It didn’t work.
“It doesn’t matter, Karyn. We can’t stop this wheel from rolling.” He reached for Dori’s hand. “Tell Miss Karyn bye.” She did, then Levi swaggered out the bookstore with Dori skipping at his side.
CHAPTER 17
On Saturday morning, Levi woke with a smile. In his heart, he knew Karyn wasn’t being coy—maybe cautious about a relationship with him. As she had shouted out her phone number, Levi had memorized it just as quickly. He had ached to talk to her the night he dropped her off, but she looked wiped out.
Now, let the games begin, he thought, as he called her before Dori woke ready for breakfast. “Good morning.”
“Levi?” she answered drowsily. “You remembered my number?”
“I never forget things I want to remember,” he said, sitting up in bed.
After a few moments of silence, Karyn said, “Oh.”
“Since you were taken yesterday with your friends, I hope you have time for the Tollivers today.”
“I can’t. I’m studying at the library,” she said, fully awake.
He refused to take no for an answer. “Which one?”
“Fairview Heights.”
“Would you like for me and Dori to pick you up?”
“That’s sweet, but I have a few stops to make before I get there.”
“Tolliver’s taxi service.” He saluted as if she could see him. “You can enjoy the comfort of leather seats at no charge.” He got a laugh out of her, and he joined in.
“It’s tempting, but no thank you. Maybe next time.”
“Watch what you say to me, Karyn, because there will always be a next time.” He had been in a drought so long relationship-wise until God opened the windows of heaven. The Lord didn’t drench him, but sprinkle by sprinkle, Karyn was giving him new life.
“What time are you planning to arrive at the library?” After she told him, Levi grinned. “Dori and I will be waiting for you.” He disconnected before she could protest.
This moment in his life felt right. Before he shaved and showered, he slid to his knees and bowed his head. “Jesus, it’s been so long since I’ve done my morning routine of thanksgiving. Please forgive me. Lord, thank You for this season in my life…”
Levi didn’t know how long he had been in prayer until his bed shifted. Opening his eyes, Dori sat quietly waiting for him to finish.
“Hi, Daddy.” She rubbed her eyes. “I’m hungry.”
“Already? I just fed you,” he teased.
“But that was last night. It’s all gone.”
Laughing at her innocence, he scooped her up in his arms as he stood. He swiped his glasses off the nightstand and placed Dori on her feet. Taking her hand, he led her to her bathroom to wash her up. It was time to start a new day.
After breakfast, television occupied Dori as Levi showered and dressed. He kept checking his watch. “How about a trip to the library today?”
“Yay.” Dori jumped up and down as he slipped on her clothes. When he told her Karyn would be there, she barely contained her excitement.
Next, he tackled her hair. Like any man, he wanted his daughter to have long hair, but her length was—at times— too much to handle. Thank God he had mastered a ponytail. He added colorful barrettes to her hair for decoration in no specific pattern.
“Daddy, can I bring my books to the library?” She asked, trying to balance a stack that reached her chin.
He grinned at her enthusiasm, shaking his head. “They’ll have plenty of them for you to read.”
“Can I bring them all home?”
His little bookworm was as perfect as any child could be. Dori preferred books over video games. Her interest had piqued once she met Karyn. “Some, but not all.”
“Do you think she’ll braid my hair if I bring my comb, Daddy?”
There was no guessing who the “she” was. He had become accustomed to Dori’s rapid subject change. Plus, he knew she couldn’t talk about books without adding Karyn’s name somewhere into the conversation. And that’s how his parents had come to learn of Karyn. After cookies and milk, story time at his parents’ house had become an enlightening event.
“I think she would do it with her fingers if you ask her.”
“Yay.”
Soon, they were bundled up and ready to go. Jammed inside one pocket of Dori’s coat was a large wide-tooth plastic comb. In his car, Dori climbed into her booster seat and fastened her strap. Levi double checked it before driving off.
Dori’s excitement about Karyn was somehow different from that of seeing his mother or Jet. She loved her grandma and expected to see her aunt on alternating weekends, but the anticipation about seeing Karyn trumped everything.
The drive to the library on Bunkum Road was short. He had timed his arrival so that he’d be early. Levi had passed the one-level modern brick structure many times, and it never dawned on him to take Dori. As he turned into the parking lot, he checked his rearview mirror. No buses were in sight.
Getting out, they looked for a bus stop sign near the library entrance. Something was definitely wrong with this scenario. The CEO of Tollivers’ Real Estate and Development was standing in the cold, waiting for a bus that his woman—almost his lady—was using as transportation. It was so unbelievable Levi had to chuckle. Definitely different.
Whipping out his cell phone, he punched in Karyn’s number. “We’re waiting.” She laughed. He loved the sound.
“It’s cold out here.” His teeth chattered. “Burr.”
“Welcome to my world. My bus was late. We’re turning the corner now. Hey, I see you. You shouldn’t have Dori out in the cold,” she fussed.
The bus driver, who was manhandling the number twelve St. Clair MetroBus like a reindeer, came to an abrupt halt. Levi pushed Dori back as a precaution. Truck drivers didn’t own the roads. They lost that honor to the bus drivers. The doors opened, and Karyn began her descent.
“Hi, Miss Karyn. Hi!” Dori shouted, jumping up and down, impatient for her attention.
Her smile touched Levi’s heartstrings. Using a firm grip, he helped her off the bus and retrieved the backpack dangling from her shoulder. “Hey, you.”
“Hey, yourself.”
“Miss Karyn, I brought mine too.” Dori grinned and lifted her pink-and-brown vinyl Snoopy backpack.
Karyn oohed over it, causing Dori to deepen her giggles. Levi captured the scene with his mind’s lens, admiring Karyn’s worn jeans, which outlined God’s perfection. She enhanced her assemble with a multi-color striped turtleneck. She wasn’
t any dressier than when she wore her work uniform. One thing that didn’t change on her crowning glory—the single plait. When Karyn shivered, Levi guided them up the stairs and inside.
Levi noted the inviting atmosphere. The gray carpet, fuchsia padded chairs, and the sporadic placement of plants seemed to nourish the pleasure of reading. “This is nice. I’ve never been in here before.”
“You should’ve. It’s your tax dollars at work.”
“Wow, Daddy,” Dori said in awe, then looked to Karyn. “Did they buy all these books from your store?”
Levi and Karyn exchanged an amused expression.
“No, no.” Karyn shook her head. “The books at my store you have to pay for—”
“Humph. Tell me about it,” Levi mumbled.
Karyn squinted, then finished. “These books are free—once your daddy gets you a library card.”
Dori’s eyes widened. “Can you, Daddy?”
“Yep.” As they wandered through the aisles, Dori released his hand, but not Karyn’s.
The day would give him plenty of Kodak moments. “Hey, why don’t we get her settled with some books, then I can watch you do your homework. As a matter of fact, I might even help you.”
“Right.” Karyn murmured, shaking her head.
Slipping out of her coat and yanking off her hat and scarf, Dori left them in Levi’s care. Claiming a spot at a kiddie table, Dori folded her hands and waited expectedly for Karyn to choose her books. Levi lounged nearby and admired Karyn doing her thing as if she were in a kitchen, looking for recipes.
“Okay, I think you’ll like these,” Karyn stated as she squatted next to the table. Dori fingered Karyn’s locks. “Would you like me to braid your hair?”
Nodding, Dori leaped off the chair. She ran to where he was sitting and sifted through their coats. Grinning, she found her comb and was about to yell, Karyn put her finger to her lips to shush her. “Remember, we have to be quiet in here.”
Levi absentmindedly shoved their coats aside, creating space for Karyn and granting his daughter’s wish. Dori dragged a kiddie chair in front of Karyn and sat. Unsnapping the hair barrettes, Karyn began to finger comb long strokes through Dori’s hair; she remained quiet and content.
Bored from lack of attention, Levi scooted closer and stretched his arm on the back of Karyn’s chair. Of their own volition, his fingers began to play in her hair. It wasn’t long before Levi had twirled loose strands from her braid around his finger. “I’d like to see your hair in curls again. They were beautiful.”
Tilting her head, Karyn met his stare. Levi wished he was privy to her thoughts as he tried to read the emotions playing out in her eyes—she was affected by him. Good. When he fiddled with his mustache, Karyn returned to Dori’s hair.
A calm feeling seemed to settle around him because he had Karyn Wallace all to himself. Even if she had to study, her presence gave him peace. In record time, Karyn was finished and his little girl was a miniature version of her idol.
“Daddy, you like it?” Dori asked, grinning as if his opinion didn’t count.
“You’ve never been more beautiful,” Levi said with adoration.
“Like Miss Karyn?”
“Yes,” he whispered. “Just like Miss Karyn. Now, you’d better get started reading all those books. We’re going to move to that table.” He pointed to a section that offered him some privacy, but was close enough to keep an eye on Dori.
Minutes into Karyn opening her book and organizing papers, Levi knew it was selfish to disturb her, but he would make it up to her. “How many more credits do you need before you graduate?”
“Six,” Karyn answered, followed by a sigh.
Levi pushed back his chair from the table to relax as he crossed his ankle over his knee. “Congratulations. You’re almost there.”
She smiled. “Yeah.”
Evidently, Karyn wasn’t easily distracted, and her one-word responses proved that. Then she revealed she was a business major. “I’m tweaking my SWOT.”
He grinned, recalling his SWOT analysis: Strengths of his real estate and development company; potential weaknesses, opportunities and finally threats. “Really? Mind if I see?” Levi glanced over his shoulder at Dori. She was gripping her single braid as if it were an anchor. He shook his head, then returned his attention to Karyn who had slid the clipboard in front of him.
She had scribbled several notes and had revised her business proposal. Her mission statement was clear, her projections realistic, and costs conservative. Karyn was thorough. He was impressed. Levi laid his hand on top of her work, as if he were safekeeping her document. “Okay, beautiful. Clearly, you rank high on the intellectual stage, so why are you working at the bookstore? Benefits with an entry-level job in Corporate America would finish paying for school.”
Karyn gazed at their surroundings as she struggled to answer. She checked on Dori a couple of times and began to fidget. “Levi, it’s a long story—”
“I’m in no hurry, and by the stack of books Dori’s collected, she isn’t in a rush either. At least those books won’t cost me.” He winked, then nodded toward his little girl. “Look at her. I wonder if she’ll let go of her Karyn Wallace braid. Now, back to you.”
“I have a saying: Just because I’m not at the place where I want to be doesn’t mean I won’t get there. It should be obvious that I don’t have a lot of money. Does my not working in Corporate America make me any less—”
He lifted his hands. “I wouldn’t change a thing about you,” he whispered. “You’re the most humble woman—no, person—I’ve ever met. Okay, sell me on this Crowning Glory venture. Hearing that name reminds me of your hair stacked in a mass of curls. Lord, have mercy, you were gorgeous in that dress on our first date and I lost it.”
“You needed someone to listen, and I didn’t mind.” Her expression was tender, not judgmental. Her hands covered his. “Men think—and some women too—that hair defines a woman. We’re much more than that. Our needs are more than a shampoo. Inspired by our church’s prison ministry, my two business partners and my goals are when a customer leaves our shop, we want her to glow with a physical crown backed up by spiritual authority, reminding her of her royalty status because of her lineage through Jesus.
“My roommate and I have been saving money and we’ve already been looking for a start-up location. We figure we might get a deal if we do some sweat equity on a former store front business. We would set up an area for product applications, such as hands-on makeup demos, individual bath soaps for every mood, trendy hairstyles, and facial massages. The final touch is a brief ceremonial placing of a tiara on every woman’s head before she leaves, then we’ll present her with a small gold-foiled book with a scripture for every day of the week. Crowning Glory is more than a business.”
She held Levi captive. He was caught up in her excitement.
“Our target audience is those who are trying to make positive changes in their lives and need second chances to prove their worth.” She finished her impromptu presentation with a deep breath.
“Sounds like you’re reaching out to those who have been hurting.” Again, Levi thought that maybe she had been in an abusive relationship. He wanted to ask her, but decided to bide his time. Levi wanted her to know she could trust him with anything.
Tilting her head, Karyn seemed to give it some thought. “I guess we are. Who knows, we might be able to get a nonprofit status if we achieve our goals.”
He could be her benefactor because he believed in her dreams. “I have some property you and your group might be interested in.”
“Levi, I accepted the dress and a ride, but certain things I can’t accept, period.”
His suspicions were growing. What happened in her life that she didn’t want to happen to her again? Lord, help her to open up to me. “I see. Well, tell me about Karyn Wallace. What about your sisters, brothers, parents? Are you close?”
Dori picked the worst time to become restless. Still clinching her braid,
she abandoned her table for theirs. She was heading to Karyn when Levi scooped her up. When he was about to tug on her braid, she protested.
“Don’t touch it, Daddy. You’ll mess it up.”
“Yes, madam.” He glanced at Karyn who had the nerve to giggle at his reprimand.
“I’m getting hungry. Can we have McDonald’s?”
“Sure. Why not? Go back to your table and give us a few more minutes, okay?”
“Can’t I sit with you and Miss Karyn, Daddy?”
“Sure you can.” Karyn reached for Dori and his daughter willingly climbed on her lap.
Lifting a brow, Levi folded his arms. “I’m waiting, Karyn. Tell me about your family.”
She lowered her eyes and took a deep breath. “My relationship has been strained with them ever since my mother died while I was in college. She was a good woman. My younger sister, Nalani, and I took it hard. My father was devastated.”
That explained Karyn’s compassion. She had dealt with loss. He prayed it wasn’t tragic.
“Dad’s grief consumed him until it overpowered him. I couldn’t wait to leave for college.”
“Which school?”
“Northwestern in Chicago.”
“Good choice.” He nodded in approval.
“Anyway, my father and I separated on bad terms. I haven’t seen him and Nalani in years. In a few months, I hope to take the train to see them.”
A few months on a train? “Karyn, I have a car and I would be more than happy to drive you. I know your money is tight.”
“Thank you, but—”
“Stop telling me no thank you. My offers have no strings attached.”
“There are always strings attached.” Karyn paused. “What about that dress?”
Chided, Levi gritted his teeth. “I wanted you to go out with me. I preferred it to be my sooner, rather than your later. I’m sorry I interrupted your study time, but I’m not sorry I’m here with you. I want to get to know you, your happy times, sad times. Fill in the holes.”
“Daddy, I’m really getting hungry.” Dori’s stomach growled to prove it.
