by Debby Mayne
“Um . . . ” I look at him and shrug. “I’d kinda like to go. We haven’t seen none of our old classmates since we had our weddin’.”
Jimmy smiles, and I start laughing. Me and him ran off and got married right before the last reunion. When I found out Laura was hurt on account of she wanted to be my maid of honor, we had a weddin’ that Laura quickly threw together at the church. It was sorta gaudy, but Laura really wanted to wear sequins, and she made me a big ol’ honkin’ bouquet, and since we was doin’ it for her, I said, “Fine, do whatever you wanna do.” Even Mama came to see me walk down the aisle. That was before she took sick.
“Okay, we’ll go, but I can’t be on the committee.” Jimmy gives me one of them looks that near ’bout melts my toenail polish. “I have too much work to do here.”
“Maybe we can just take a couple days off,” I say in the sweetest voice I can manage.
Jimmy grins, winks, and places his hand over mine. “I want you to be happy, Celeste. You surprised me and turned out to be the best wife a man can have, and you deserve it.”
I know that Jimmy had his doubts when we was datin’ . . . and even after we first got married. But once we got comfortable, his whole entire attitude changed, and he fell into his husband role like he’d been doin’ it all his life.
“Why don’t you bring some of your business cards and hand ’em out like some of the others do?” I ask.
“I doubt I’ll get much business in Piney Point.”
“That don’t really matter, does it?” I tilt my head toward Jimmy and give him my flirty-eye look.
He pushes back from the table and pats his lap. “C’mere, Celeste. I wanna hold you.”
We cuddle at the kitchen table before I clean up the kitchen. Jimmy moseys on into the den to watch TV while I stack the dishes in the dishwasher and think about the reunion. I done had my biggest makeover before the ten-year party. Now I plan to stroll in wearin’ one of my fancy outfits from the expensive department store that I still have a hard time shoppin’ in. I was born bein’ thrifty on account of Mama never lettin’ on we had a dime to spare. Maybe I’ll check Goodwill first. Recyclin’ has been the trend with the economy bein’ down, and everyone wantin’ to go green. Besides, no one has to know.
6
Priscilla
Trudy’s call comes from out of the blue, and she actually sounds like she’s gotten her act together since the last reunion. Her voice has a professional quality, and she comes across as a sincerely caring person. Clearly she’s matured, and I know this might sound cynical, but I wonder how much of what I’m hearing is an act she’s learned and how much of it is real.
“You and I are so much alike, Priscilla.”
I nearly choke. “Yeah? How so?”
“We’re both businesswomen who know what we want, and we’re not afraid to go after it.”
That’s not exactly how I’ve always thought of Trudy, but I don’t tell her that. “By the way, congratulations on your corporate success.”
“Thank you, Priscilla, and same to you. I’m so happy for you and all you’ve managed to accomplish.” Since when has Trudy ever cared about anyone besides herself?
Okay, there I go sounding judgmental. As I get older, I’m afraid I’m seeing and hearing more of my mother. That’s so not what I want. Now I realize that deep down, Mother is a good person, but she tends to judge everyone and everything in her world, and I don’t want to be that way.
“Here’s what I was thinking. You and I can go out to dinner before the party, and we can arrive a little bit after it starts so we won’t have to deal with all that awkwardness in the beginning.”
“Oh, sorry, but Tim will be with me, and Laura is counting on him to help with the preparations.”
“Oh.” She sounds disappointed but only for a few seconds. “Maybe I can pitch in and help too.”
“Are you sure you want to do that?” I don’t think I’ve ever seen Trudy pitching in for anything that required manual labor. “It usually involves hanging decorations and helping the caterer put things where Laura wants them . . . and sometimes moving them several times until she’s happy.”
Trudy sucks in a breath. “I can do that, as long as I don’t have to lift anything heavy or do anything that’ll mess up my outfit.”
Whew! Now she sounds like the Trudy I’ve always known. “Tim usually gets all the tough jobs, but he doesn’t seem to mind.”
“So what’s in this for Tim?”
“He’s made friends with all the people on the committee, and I think he likes feeling needed.”
“Too bad I don’t have a Tim in my life,” Trudy says. “He’s not only helpful, he’s real cute.”
“Yes, he’s very cute.”
“I know it’s none of my business, Priscilla, but I’ve been wondering something for a while . . . ”
“What’s that?”
“Tim is cute, and he obviously likes you in spite of the fact that you’re a professional woman. Why don’t you and him . . . I mean, you know, it seems like . . . um, you’re not getting any younger . . . ”
I laugh. “Are you asking why Tim and I aren’t a couple?” It doesn’t seem so funny anymore, but I’m not sure why I feel that way.
“Yes, I suppose I am.” Trudy pauses. “But it’s really none of my business, so never mind. I’m sorry I asked.”
“That’s okay. I like Tim, but he and I are such good friends I don’t want to ruin what we have.”
“Sounds like the chemistry just isn’t there,” Trudy says. “I reckon I better run. Looking forward to seeing you in Piney Point.”
I hang up and rock back on my heels. If someone had told me back in high school that I’d even be invited to hang out with Trudy, I would have told them they were hallucinating. Trudy was the homecoming and prom queen, and I was voted Most Likely to Succeed. The only times those two paths ever crossed were in articles in the school paper and during end-of-the-year awards ceremonies.
My life has been pretty much a steady progression to where I am now, while Trudy’s has taken so many detours I’m surprised she has any idea where she is at any given time. And I have to hand it to her. She’s managed to take all the bumps and dips without faltering too long. Even after she passed out at the ten-year reunion, she got up, dusted herself off, and got right back out there to find her way. I’m happy for her—that she’s discovered a side of herself she obviously never knew existed before Michael dumped her. He’s the one who’s spiraled downward, and no one seems surprised or upset.
Thoughts of Michael lead to memories of my own high school crush on Maurice, the other cocaptain of Piney Point High School’s football team. During the ten-year reunion, Maurice managed to get my heart beating faster when he acted interested in me. I’m ashamed to admit I fell for it so hard I ditched Tim the next day. At least I came to my senses when his motives became obvious. And Tim was a good enough friend to accept my apology without so much as an I-told-you-so. But I still hate the fact that I hurt him. I’m usually not that kind of girl, and to think that I did what I did . . . well, it sort of makes me sick to my stomach.
Then seeing Didi Holcomb with Maurice at the fifteen-year reunion didn’t faze me in the least. Didi had always felt competitive with me, and she resented the fact that my grade-point average was a tenth of a point higher than hers, so she wound up being salutatorian. As valedictorian, I got to make the class speech, while she sat next to me and seethed. She went on to medical school after getting her undergraduate degree, and I dropped out my first semester at Ole Miss to go to beauty school. I can only imagine how that made her feel.
I’m sure Didi felt like she’d pulled one over on me when Maurice proposed to her. From what I’ve heard, he sweet-talked her out of her savings to ramp up his business, and she moved her medical practice to Hattiesburg to be closer to him. Last I heard they still aren’t married, and she’s growing more impatient by the day. For such a smart woman she sure is clueless about Maurice.
Tim and I are meeting
for dinner at my favorite restaurant on Fifth Avenue in an hour, so I quickly finish getting ready. I like to walk when I’m in the city, so I slip out of my heels and into a pair of comfortable ballet flats.
As I exit the hotel on Times Square and head in the direction of the restaurant, I look around at all the people who lead lives completely different from mine, yet they still have the same basic emotional needs—to be accepted by some, loved by others, and tolerated by the rest. Not one mentally healthy person I know wants to be a complete social outcast, but so many of us are too afraid to do what it takes to ensure the balance we need. I for one have been guilty of holding people at arm’s length, simply to make sure no one gets in my way of achieving my goals. And here I am, exactly where I’ve wanted to be all my adult life. But I still have people who care about me, right? What a silly question. Of course I do. Mother and Dad will always love me, even though they’re no longer together. Then there’s Mandy, who has my back at the office. Sheila, the manager of the Piney Point salon, respects me, and Chester, who’s been one of the hairdressers there forever, appreciates the fact that I always listen to him. Then there are the other hairdressers and managers, like Vanessa, Rosemary, and . . . well the list goes on and on.
I glance over at a couple leaning against the stone building, holding hands, gazing into each other’s eyes, and I feel a tinge of something I can’t quite put my finger on. It’s not jealousy. It’s more of a feeling that I might never have what they have and that I’m missing something. Hmm. Maybe that is jealousy. And it’s ridiculous. I would be willing to bet neither of those people has the kind of professional status or respect I have. They don’t appear to be well-to-do, if their attire is any indication. The guy’s shoes look rather worn, and the woman’s handbag is of the discount store variety.
They both look up at me and smile. I nervously grin back and avert my gaze so they won’t think I’m . . . Well, what am I doing?
“Priscilla!”
I turn around at the sound of my name and see Tim standing beside a cab he obviously just got out of. “Hey, there, Tim. Looks like we’re both early.”
“I knew you would be.” He hands the driver some money and holds up his hand, indicating to keep the change. “So how’d your airing go?”
“We sold so many big-hair systems it looks like we might have another sellout. You should have seen us.”
Tim winks and chuckles. “I did. Priscilla, you looked so pretty standin’ there holdin’ up that new device while the show host . . . what’s her name?”
“Felicity.”
“With you demonstratin’ the device, and Felicity sprayin’ and combin’, there’s no stoppin’ you.”
We walk the last few steps toward the restaurant and stop at the door. “Tim, you’ve been wonderful about everything, and I have to give you credit for some of my success.”
“Nope.” He shakes his head as he holds the door open for me. “I can’t . . . I won’t take credit for one single solitary ounce of your success. You done . . . er, I mean did it all by yourself.”
“You’ve always been there for me, though.”
The host leads us to a table, and we sit down to order our drinks. After the server leaves, Tim leans back in his chair, still grinning. Then it dawns on me that he’s itching to say something. He has some news of his own to share.
“Do tell,” I say.
“Tell what?” The smile on his face turns playful.
“What is going on? Why are you absolutely beaming?”
He makes a silly face. “Can’t I just be happy to sit at a table for a meal with one of my favorite people in the entire world?”
“Yes, of course you can, but I’ve known you a long time, and I can tell something else is going on with you.”
“Oh, all right. I might as well tell you now instead of later. Uncle Hugh is turnin’ his entire business over to me . . . that is, if I want it.”
I study Tim’s face and try to figure out what he really wants. He’s smiling, but he’s always been such a happy person who is able to put a positive spin on almost anything.
“Well? Do you plan to accept his offer?”
He lifts his water glass, takes a sip, and slowly puts it back on the table before looking directly at me. “All depends.”
7
Tim
I know I should prob’ly jump on Uncle Hugh’s job offer, but I’m not so sure it’s right for me. Now that I’m older and a tad wiser, I understand some things that escaped me when I was younger, like why Uncle Hugh insisted I finish college. Mama got a little ticked that he didn’t put me in a management position right away, but at least he offered me a job as a salesman after I got my degree. That was one of the best moves he could have made, but I doubt even he realized just how good it was at the time. How could he have known that assigning me the territory that includes Piney Point, Mississippi, would be the start of something big and beautiful with the most successful hairdresser the South has ever known?
Priscilla snaps her fingers in front of my face. “Earth to Tim, are you there?”
I catch a whiff of her citrus-spice perfume that nearly knocks me to my knees every time I smell it. “Yeah.” I laugh.
“So are you going to take the offer or not?” She leans toward me, and I catch another whiff of her perfume.
I close my eyes for as long as I think I can get away with it and open them to find her staring at me. “I’m still so shocked by the offer I don’t know yet.”
“When do you have to decide?”
“Soon.” I lift my water glass again, but she puts her hand on my arm and firmly holds it in place.
“Don’t let this opportunity slip away, Tim. You’re a very smart man and good at what you do.”
“That’s what worries me. I’m good at what I’m doin’ now, but what if I take on more than I can chew by runnin’ the whole entire company?” I’m not about to admit that my biggest fear is managing all the sales folks and lettin’ them down.
“I’ve never seen you like this, Tim.” Her expression changes.
Uh-oh. Now I’ve disappointed my favorite girl. “I’m sure I’ll be just fine.”
“Yes, I know you will. All you have to do is look at what you’ve done with your territory since you started with the company. You managed to double the profit in your area in the first year, and then—”
“Quadruple,” I correct her.
She holds out her hands. “Okay, so that proves what I’m saying.”
“That’s just sales, Priscilla. Runnin’ the company is a lot more than that. I have to manage all the sales teams, make sure their salons get their orders, organize product lines, and—”
“How is that any different from what you’ve done with all my class reunions?” Her lips twitch into a crooked smile that sets my heart to beatin’ ninety-to-nothin’.
“I don’t get what you’re sayin’.”
“Look at it this way, Tim. You’ve stepped in and helped Laura finalize every class reunion since the tenth. If it weren’t for you, we would’ve been standing around looking at each other waiting for entertainment that might or might not show up, staring at an empty food table, and maybe even been run off the property for not getting a permit for the bonfire during the tenth.”
“Well . . . ” I think back over the things I done for Laura Moss. “That’s true, but I’m sure someone would’ve stepped up.”
“Like who?” She shrugs. “I can’t think of anyone. And now you’ve become one of the most important guests at every one of my class reunions.”
That does make me feel real good, but I also know it’s dangerous ’cause I don’t think it can last, since I never even stepped foot in Piney Point High School until ten years ago. “You make some good points, Priscilla. I’ll have to consider ’em while I make my decision.”
She reaches for the menu. “That’s all anyone can ask. I’m starving. Did you see the board with today’s specials?”
“Braised beef tips.” I rare
ly miss anything related to food—particularly when I’m this hungry.
“See? We were talking when we walked in, and you still managed to see the board. You don’t miss much, Tim, which is another reason why I think you’ll be a wonderful CEO.”
“Priscilla, you sure do know how to sweet talk a guy.”
The sound of her laughter goes all through me—in a good way. Whenever I’m down, all I have to do is call her up and say somethin’ . . . anything, and she’ll laugh. It don’t even have to be funny for her to find the humor in it.
“But it’s gonna be hard if I decide to take the job ’cause I’ll have to move up here, and in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly a city boy.”
Priscilla’s smile fades, and she gives me one of her serious get-down-to-business looks. “You’re not any kind of a boy, Tim. You’re a man who can tackle whatever you need to in order to get the job done.”
All but one thing, and that’s to get her to fall in love with me. Lord knows I’ve tried. But her focus has always been on her career—except for that brief time when Maurice distracted her—and by now I’ve accepted that she’s not ever gonna want me to be the man she settles down with.
“Enough talk about me,” I say to lighten the mood. “I saw you on air, and you looked mighty fine.”
She tries to hide a smile, but it don’t work. “Did you see when Felicity spilled that conditioner all over the tray?”
“Well, yeah, but that didn’t seem to hurt sales none.” I see her flinch, so I correct myself. “It didn’t hurt her sales any.”
“True. But Felicity was upset, and when they went to B-roll so we could clean it up, Felicity fussed at the set stylist.”
“Why would she go and do something like that?”
Priscilla shrugs. “I like Felicity and all, but she doesn’t ever like to take the blame for anything going wrong on the set.”
“But I bet she takes credit for stuff goin’ right, don’t she?”
“You got that right, but to be fair to her, the TV business is tough, and everyone is stressed all the time. I’m just glad they had enough B-roll footage to cover the time it took to clean up.”
