CeCe placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. "We'll just have to listen to you and then tell them what you have to say because I'm sure you can teach all of us a lot."
The older woman waved CeCe away, but CeCe could tell by her soft expression that she appreciated the praise. CeCe followed Anna Mae out of the house and back onto the street that was Robinwood. As the two of them strolled back toward the Rec Center, CeCe soaked in the neighborhood's charm. The laughter of children, the muted sounds of televisions and radios, even the husky voices of the men huddled near the corner stop sign were pleasant to her ears. Though CeCe had lived in Atlanta eight years, counting the four that she had spent in school at Spelman, she'd never spent any time in the Robinwood area. Now she knew the choice had been her loss. Robinwood was an old neighborhood with the feel of yesteryear, even the pockets with the new homes made possible by funds from the Federal Empowerment Zone program. Though some parts were still in need of renovation, on the whole, the neighborhood had a bright and sunny feel about it. Sure, some of the families were poor, but they didn't seem to be poor in spirit. Those needing help lived very close to those who could provide help. People of different socioeconomic levels shared many of the same concerns and problems. Robinwood was definitely a unique segment of Atlanta.
A child's cry followed by a mother's soothing voice turned CeCe's thoughts to David. She glanced at her watch. "It's almost four. I had no idea that much time had passed. You know, I've really enjoyed myself today," she said to Anna Mae. "Thanks so much for taking me around and introducing me to everybody. I sure didn't mean to take up your whole Saturday."
"Don't worry about it. I wanted to do it," Anna Mae said as they turned the corner and headed back to the Rec Center parking lot, where CeCe had left her car. "When Nate told me he had another volunteer, I wanted to meet you and see if I could be of any help since you're going to be helping us. Nate needs you and we need you."
The thought of Nate needing her took CeCe aback. She couldn't imagine that man needing anybody. He seemed so... so complete. But she knew what Anna Mae meant. "I guess another pair of hands can go a long way."
Anna Mae laughed. "Further than you've ever imagined. You'll know what I mean after you've worked with Nate for a while. He'll have you doing more work than you ever thought you'd be doing, and you'll find that you asked him for the work, not the other way around."
"Is he that bad?" CeCe asked.
Anna Mae cut a sidelong glance at her. "How long did you plan to be out here today?"
CeCe pursed her lips together. "Hmm, I think I get your point. The people here are just so nice. The time went really fast for me. It's like everybody down here is one big family. Did you grow up here?"
Anna Mae gave CeCe a brief history of her life in Atlanta and Robinwood as they continued their stroll. As CeCe listened to her and watched her expressive gesturing, she thought again how pretty Anna Mae was. Skin the color of a perfect Nabisco Nilla wafer was matched by reddish-brown hair, which she wore in twisted braids that looked like crinkles. She learned that Anna Mae had grown up in East Atlanta, but her husband's family had lived in Robinwood. After they married they'd moved here too. They had moved to New York right after the birth of their daughter, Danita, and had lived there until her husband's death a few years back. After that, Anna Mae had wanted to come home. Home to her was Robinwood.
"I could have moved somewhere else, I guess," Anna Mae was saying, "but I didn't want to. Every neighborhood has its problems and we have ours, but I still think this is a good place. And we're working to make it better. What about you? Have you always lived in Atlanta?"
CeCe didn't feel the tenseness she usually felt when she was asked about herself. She wasn't sure if that was due to Anna Mae or Robinwood or the combination. "No, I'm originally from a small town in Alabama. I came here to go to Spelman, and I'm still here."
Anna Mae stopped in her tracks. Then she stepped ahead of CeCe and turned to stare at her with widened eyes, as if she were in awe. The reaction did not surprise CeCe. It was a common one when she told people she had gone to Spelman, one of the premier historically black colleges in the country. In fact, Spelman was ranked among the top colleges in the Southeast, not just the black ones.
"I didn't know you went to Spelman," Anna Mae said after she recovered from her initial surprise. She hadn't started walking again, but her eyes were back to their normal size. "That's where I want my daughter to go. She's a junior in high school. Excellent student. Boy crazy, but a good kid. You'll have to meet her. She's excited about going since her current boyfriend—he just graduated—is going to Morehouse in the fall. Sometimes I wish he wasn't. I think they're too young to be as serious as they seem to be, but what can I tell her. I'm just boring old Mama." After that long spiel Anna Mae took a deep breath, moved back to CeCe's side, and resumed walking. Then she asked, "So, did you have yourself a Morehouse man?"
CeCe fell into step with her friend and shook her head. Sometimes she wished she had fallen for one of the guys she'd met at Morehouse College, the all-male counterpart to the all-female Spelman. "He went to Morehouse, but he was a boy I knew from back home. Somebody I'd grown up with. I thought the sun rose and set on that guy."
"I guess it didn't work out."
"I guess you could say that. I got pregnant, and the guy got lost. So I'm probably not a good person for your daughter to talk to."
"Are you still in love with him?" Anna Mae asked, concern in her voice.
"No," CeCe said, and meant it. "Now I don't even think I was at the time, though back then I was so infatuated that I was ready to spend the rest of my life with him. Had I not felt those feelings myself, I don't know if I could believe that anybody could feel that strongly about a person."
"All the more reason I want you to meet Danita," Anna Mae said. "She's now where you were. The boy goes to our church, and he's a good kid, but they're just so young. I'm afraid they're going to take chances that they're later going to regret. Once kids start talking about love and marriage, I think things get harder for them. They tell themselves that it's all right since they're going to be married." She shook her head, a gesture CeCe recognized as one of bewilderment. "I tell you, teenagers keep you on your knees."
"I can't even imagine. My little boy is four, going on fifty, and I want to keep him a baby for as long as possible."
"Spoken like a wise mother. Danita's gone on a field trip with her Sunday school class, or I'd introduce you to her today."
"I'll have plenty of time to meet her since we're going to be working together on these workshops. She'll probably get tired of seeing me." CeCe wasn't in a hurry to meet the young woman. She was uncomfortable casting herself as a role model.
"Maybe not. You're not her mother. It's me she gets tired of. You, she might tolerate for a month or so." Both women laughed. "I'm really glad I met you, CeCe. And I do think you're going to be good for us. You know Nate's unattached, right?"
It was CeCe's turn to stop walking and stare. "Where did that come from?" she asked, completely surprised by the question.
Anna Mae raised both hands, but she didn't break her stride. "Just passing on some information. A person can never have too much information."
CeCe forced her feet to start moving again, but she didn't respond to Anna Mae's comment. She wanted to know more about Nate, but she knew she couldn't ask without showing more interest than she wanted to show. Exactly what did unattached mean, anyway? Was he single, divorced, widowed? Did he have kids? For someone who thought a person could never have too much information, Anna Mae sure didn't give a lot.
"So what are you thinking about?" Anna Mae prodded.
"Oh, nothing much. Just letting my mind roam." Roam to Nate Richardson, that is.
They strolled on in silence, which was broken by Anna Mae's laughter just as the Rec Center came in to view. "He's divorced and his ex-wife is remarried, so I guess you could say he's free as a bird," she said as if she'd guessed CeCe's thoughts. CeCe could hav
e hit her.
* * *
Nate tried to keep his attention on Mr. Hood's complaints about the Braves, but his eyes kept going to CeCe, who spoke animatedly with Anna Mae Wilson as they walked up the street to the Center. He hadn't intended to spend the day down here, but, as usual, the time had gotten away from him. He'd stopped to talk to one person, and then to another, and then another. And now it was after four.
He glanced in the direction of CeCe and Anna Mae again. He'd thought a lot about CeCe since Stuart had given him the tickets to the Gala. She was the first woman he'd thought about this way since Naomi, and he wasn't sure yet if the attraction was a good thing or not. First, he didn't know her very well, and second, he wasn't ready for anything romantic. But, he admitted, he found the idea of getting to know CeCe very appealing. Since she wore her emotions so close to the surface, he found her familiar and comfortable, as though he'd known her a long time. He smiled to himself. Familiar and comfortable sounded more like a description of a pair of old house shoes than the description of a woman.
So how was he going to ask her to go to the Gala, if he decided to ask her? He couldn't remember the last time he'd asked a woman to go somewhere with him. He could give her the ticket, he supposed, and tell her she was welcome to attend as a guest of Genesis House. In which case, they would meet at the Westin Peachtree Plaza. Or he could ask her if she'd like to go with him to represent Genesis House. In that case, he'd pick her up.
He nodded at Mr. Hood's next complaint and tried to keep his attention focused on the older man, but it was no use. When Mr. Hood stopped to take a breath, Nate made his excuses and went to meet Anna Mae and CeCe.
"It's about time you got some new blood around here, Nate," Anna Mae teased as he approached them. "I think I like this one."
Nate pulled on one of her braids and grinned at her. "What's new about that? You like everybody, Anna Mae."
"Well, not quite," Anna Mae said, her eyes directly on him. At times like this, Nate knew the church he attended was much too small. Too many people knew your business. Too many people cared.
"Anna Mae is going to help me with the workshops," CeCe said. "She has some great ideas."
Anna Mae shrugged off the praise. "Not really. I just know what I wish somebody had told me. I think this job series is a really good idea. I'm just sorry that it's taken us so long to do it."
"All in God's timing," CeCe said.
"Well, yeah, maybe, but sometimes I get the feeling God is waiting around for us to make a move." Anna Mae turned away when someone called her name. When she turned back to CeCe and Nate, a frown marred her lovely face. "That's my girl, Danita. Apparently, they got back early from the field trip. You'll have to meet her the next time you're down here," she said to CeCe. "I think you'd be a good influence on her. That girl makes me wonder how my mother survived my teenage years. Well, let me go. I'll see you next week, CeCe. And I'll see you tomorrow, Nate."
"I look forward to it, Anna Mae," CeCe called after her.
Nate noticed CeCe was quiet as she turned and followed him over to their cars. He wished for the animation she'd shown with Anna Mae or the teasing banter she'd displayed on their first meeting. "So you and Anna Mae hit it off," he said.
"Definitely. She's a really nice woman. Thank you for introducing me to her. Now you won't have to squire me around the neighborhood. Anna Mae said she'd do it."
He kicked away a stone that was in their path. "Sounds like Anna Mae. She's the best. I've known her a long time. We go to the same church."
CeCe's eyes twinkled with what he suspected was mischief. "She didn't mention that you went to the same church, but I did get the impression that she knew you well. She said that I should watch out for you because you're a slave driver."
The teasing in her voice made him smile. "That's Anna Mae. She calls ‘em like she sees ‘em. Of course, in this case, she's overstating the situation. I'm not a slave driver. At least I don't think I am. Am I?"
CeCe laughed, a melodious sound to his ears. "I don't know. I do know that I had only planned to be out here for four hours, and I've been here almost eight. We just finished an early dinner with Mrs. Vines."
They stopped walking when they reached CeCe's car. Now that the mood between them was light, Nate was reluctant to end their time together. "Let me guess. She gave you potato custard for dessert."
CeCe shook her head and licked her lips together in an exaggerated fashion. "That's for my next visit. I got peach pie this time. The woman could sell the recipe and become the next Famous Amos."
He raised a brow. "I guess you told her all this, right?"
CeCe nodded and leaned back against the door of her Maxima, making Nate wonder if she was as reluctant to end the conversation as he was.
"You were too easy. Anna Mae should have told you to hold back a little on the praise. You would have come away with enough food to last you a week."
She tapped the toe of her shoe against his. "You're so bad. I know you don't do that."
"I plead the fifth." He raised his right hand. "You have to remember that members of my sex don't tend to be that strong with baking. Now we can grill up a side of beef in a minute, but a pie—forget it."
"Sounds just like a modern man," she chided.
"True because, above all, the modern man is honest."
"Touché," CeCe conceded.
Their conversation had about run its course, but Nate still didn't want her to leave. "So you think this job is going to work out for you?" he asked, when he could think of nothing else to say.
"Maybe too well," CeCe said in a way that made him think she'd seriously considered the matter. "I have a feeling that working for a slave driver like you is going to take all my energy, and I won't have time for my real estate business or anything else for that matter." She studied him for a long moment before continuing. He wasn't sure what she was looking for or whether she found it. "How do you keep the work from consuming all of your life?" she asked.
He thought about her question because he sensed his answer was important to her. "I haven't really considered my work at Genesis House as consuming my whole life. I've had a lot of time to give." For Nate the job had been a godsend. It had given him something productive and worthwhile to do while he waited for the reconciliation that he prayed for and dealt with the guilt he felt for the role he'd played in the failure of his marriage. "Actually, I think the time requirement has been a positive aspect of the job for me. Besides, the job has its benefits. For example, I get invited to all sorts of functions. I have complimentary tickets to this year's Fourth of July Black Tie Gala."
"And those go for about two hundred and fifty dollars each, don't they?" CeCe asked, clearly impressed. Nate considered that response an encouraging sign.
"You got it."
"Well, I guess there are benefits. So why didn't I get a ticket?"
Nate knew she was teasing him, but she'd also just given him the perfect opportunity to invite her to the Gala. Should he, or shouldn't he? Well, it was an open door, he reasoned. He decided to walk through. "I do have two tickets and I'd love to—"
Nate felt a tightness in his chest when she lowered her eyes. The somber expression he'd read in them told him that she knew where he was going, and she didn't want him to go there. The lightness of the afternoon and their time together slipped away as she began to speak. "Nate, you're a very nice man and I think we're going to work very well together, but I try to keep my work life and my personal life separate. I think it's best that way. Nobody gets confused. You know what I mean?"
"Yes," Nate said, her "you're a very nice man" still ringing in his ears. "I know what you mean. Maybe that is best." When she moved away from the car and turned to open the door, he held it open for her and closed it after she was seated. As she drove off, he chided himself for even thinking about asking her. What did he know about women, anyway? Not much, as his experience with Naomi made very clear. Besides, he didn't need any complications in his life. If CeC
e wanted it strictly professional, he'd keep it strictly professional.
* * *
CeCe had cut Nate a glance as she started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. She couldn't help but notice the twitch in his cheek. She'd hurt him. She knew she had. But it had been necessary. A little hurt now was better than a lot of hurt later. There was no future for her and Nate. Oh, but how a part of her had wanted him to ask her. She'd never been to an event like the Gala, and the thought of going with someone like Nate was tempting. Too tempting. She just wasn't sure she was ready for the associated risk.
She hadn't been around Nate very much or very long, but she'd known from their first encounter that he was a man who could break her heart. Maybe not intentionally, but break it just the same. She'd been down heartbreak road before, and she couldn't go there again. Clarifying the boundaries of her relationship with him had been the right thing to do. Whoever said it was better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all must never have lost at love.
Chapter 4
CeCe was apprehensive as she drove to the Robinwood Recreation Center at nine Saturday morning for the first of the series of employment workshops that she and Anna Mae would be conducting. First, she felt guilty for having to bring David along this morning. It really wasn't fair that he had to be cooped up inside with her on a sunny day like today, but she had no other choice. Miss Brinson and Mr. Towers had gone to Savannah with the Seniors group from church, and the baby-sitter had canceled at the last minute. Second, this would be the first time she'd seen Nate since she'd declined his invitation two weeks ago. Her planning meetings with Anna Mae had occurred at Anna Mae's home or here at the Center, and her one or two trips to Genesis House had occurred when Nate wasn't around. During the two weeks, she'd replayed their conversation over in her mind at least a thousand times. Her conclusion: she'd overreacted. And third, she didn't know how Nate would react when he found out she had a child. He didn't know anything about her, and she knew very little about him. What if he turned out to be as shallow as the Erics and Larrys who'd passed though her life?
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