by Pat Simmons
Did God give him the right words to say? “Okay. I’m at my house. You know I don’t have my furniture, but I have carpet.”
“I figured as much, but I do need you in the purest way God intended for a man and his wife. We’re not there, considering you don’t even love me yet…”
Let him fish. Jet bit her lip to hold her amusement. She wasn’t going to profess her love until she was good and ready. “I don’t want you to entertain me unchaperoned,” he continued. “I’ll be there in a few minutes, and we can have a picnic lunch in the park across the street.”
“Okay,” she said softly. His thoughtfulness made her good and ready. “Rossi, I do love you.”
Chapter 17
“Jesetta, don’t ever run away from me again,” he scolded, standing outside her front door with the boxed lunch and a bouquet of flowers. His puppy-dog expression tugged at her heartstrings until she wanted to wrap him in her arms and kiss him to make him feel better. “All you have to do is call my name once. I would stop whatever I’m doing for you.” His eyes reflected the love behind his words.
“I won’t.” She took the flowers he offered and sniffed them. The aroma immediately seeped into her senses, calming her nerves. Holding hands, they walked across the street together.
Once Rossi spread the blanket he had in his SUV, they sat, gave thanks, and ate. Between bites they discussed what happened.
“I feel like a drama queen, and I’m not trying to be.” She shrugged and looked away. “I thought coming to Christ, my life would be better.”
“Don’t let the devil play mind games with you,” Rossi said with a stern expression, then he smiled. “And don’t change the subject—please. I have never told another woman I loved her, not even puppy love when I was growing up because I was afraid it was probably lust. I love you, and I need you in my life permanently.”
“And I love you, too, Rossi, but I’ve watched the Tollivers over the years. You’re a tight-knit bunch, and no woman should come between that.”
“Levi and I will always be family and eventually shake hands and make up, but I’m not backing down when it comes to you. Maybe, it’s time for Levi and me to go our separate ways.”
“What are you saying?” she asked cautiously, hoping he wasn’t about to do anything drastic. “I contacted the attorney to draw up the paperwork for Levi to buy out my shares. I’m done with our business partnership. You’re not the only one who needs a career change.”
“What?” She frowned. “There’s a difference between leaving the finance or banking industry for another job and walking away from a business you helped build from the ground up,” she tried to reason with him.
The set of his jaw made her wonder if he was trying to convince her or himself. Regardless of his bold declaration, Jet held the copyright on hurt, and she recognized it on Rossi. “Did you pray about this?”
He didn’t answer right away. When he finally said no, that worried Jet. Rossi prayed about everything.
Even in the midst of the storm, Rossi was concerned about her clearing her head and getting rest for her interview. Once he felt they were both okay, he trailed her back to his mother’s house.
Despite their declarations of love, Rossi didn’t kiss her good night. Instead, he engulfed her in a hug. “Good night,” he whispered, made sure she was inside his parents’ house, then walked back to his car.
“What a hot mess.” Jet went straight to the guest bedroom, showered, prayed, and willed herself to wake up in the morning and hope the day had been a nightmare.
The next morning, Jet hadn’t slept well and barely had enough energy to pray or dazzle on an interview. But she slid to her knees anyway. She prayed for forgiveness, favor, and peace. “Thank You, Jesus, for everything. Lord, let Your perfect will be done in our lives. Rossi says he needs me, but I know he needs You.” By the time she whispered, “Amen,” she knew she was willing to walk away from Rossi so as not to be the cause of breaking up the Tollivers. Family was too important. She knew firsthand.
Her day was too busy to dwell on her woes from yesterday. She had to prepare herself for the interview, and the movers would arrive at her new home with her furniture that afternoon. Plus, Layla would be in town and they could have some girl talk in person. One thing was for sure, she wouldn’t badmouth Levi.
Before she dressed, Jet stripped the sheets from the bed and wiped down the bathroom. Next, she packed her belongings in her three suitcases and garment bag. She showered and applied her full makeup, something she hadn’t done in months, then she tackled her hair. Accustomed to her princess ball on top of her hair, she combed it down. She donned her blue power suit and slipped her feet into her stilettos. She never let her height keep her from wearing the fashion trends. After grabbing her portfolio and purse, she headed downstairs.
“Good morning,” Jet said as she walked into the kitchen and froze. Instead of Laura, Rossi was wielding a spatula as he tossed a pancake.
He turned and whistled. His eyes seemed to smile before he said a word. “Good morning, Miss Hutchens. Ready for your big day?”
“I should be asking you the same thing.” She rested her head on his shoulder and stole a piece of bacon. She could feel him flex his muscle. “I’m praying for you.” She moved away, asked for blessings over her food, then chewed on the crispy strip. “Where is everybody?”
“Dad’s in the garage, checking the oil in Mom’s car while she ran to the store for something. I’m sure Chaz is still sleeping, so I’m your chef. Sit and I’ll fix your plate, then I’ll get your luggage from upstairs. How much time do we have?”
She checked the time. “Half hour. Lake St. Louis is forty-five minutes with traffic.” She paused. “Ah, don’t you think leaving the business is a bit drastic? I mean it was one argument.”
“No, babe, it was one of many. I need to focus on you and me.”
“What does God want you to do?” Reaching across the table, she rested her hand on top of his. “You’re so in tuned with me. Help me to return the favor. What aren’t you sharing?”
He filled her plate and then his before looking at her. Not only did he evade her questions, he switched the subject. Stubborn, but she let him as they ate rice, scrambled eggs, turkey sausage and of course, Laura’s biscuits.
“How do you feel about the interview this morning?” The smile tugged on his lips until his dimples appeared and the smile reached his eyes.
“Excited. I’ve always wanted to learn to play pool, so working for the American Poolplayers Association will teach me that and more.”
Jet checked the time. For a month, she had no job or other commitments to keep her from being with Rossi. Now, on the day of her big interview, he had a crisis, and she wasn’t available to hold his hand. It seemed like their timing was always off. “Well, I’d better leave. The traffic should have thinned, but I wanted to give myself an hour to Lake St. Louis.” She stood and gathered her portfolio and purse.
He stood too and gathered their plates. He looked so domesticated with an apron tied around his waist. “I’ll run upstairs and get your luggage.”
Rossi returned within minutes, and they walked out the door together. Once he stored her things in the trunk, he faced her. “I still can’t believe this company is headquartered in St. Louis for the U.S. and Canadian association. Go win them over, Jesetta.” He winked.
“I wish I could win you over to confide in me.” She kissed him on the cheek. His eyes twinkled.
During the drive, she prayed for Rossi and Levi, asking the Lord what she could do.
Pray, the Lord responded.
So she did until she pulled into the business parking lot some fifty minutes later. Jesus, I want this job, but Rossi warned me against claiming something that wasn’t Your will. So Lord, please let me find favor. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
She had enough experience to land the finance manager position. If she was offered the job, her commute could be a nightmare from Lafayette Square to St. Charles County
. In hindsight, she could have purchased a house closer.
The American Poolplayers Association was on the top floor of a five-story building. After introducing herself to the receptionist, Jet took a seat as instructed. While waiting, she wondered what Rossi was doing. Before she could think more, the vice president of the company strolled into the lobby. She stood as he introduced himself as Mark Scull.
“Jesetta Hutchens.” She gave him a firm handshake. Her height usually intimidated shorter men, but he didn’t appear affected.
Following him to his office, she listened as he pointed out the various departments behind open, closed, and cracked doors. What caught her eye was the impressive number of plaques that stretched from one end of the wall to the other. She caught a glimpse of some of the awards: Forbes, Entrepreneur, GI Jobs, Franchise Business Reviews,and other magazines had featured American Poolplayers Association on their cover for various honors: Low Cost Franchise for three years; Franchise 500; Best of the Best Overall Top 50 Franchises, and on. Even speed-reading she couldn’t read fast enough.
The company wanted team players; Jet definitely wanted to be on this team. That meant stability. After offering her a seat, Mark sat behind the desk and scanned her résumé, then folded his hands.
“Your phone interview was with my colleague, Dan Risen.” He paused. “I’m curious. With your background and experience with federal agencies and national banking companies, what attracted you to APA?”
“I think your wall of fame is number one.” She pointed to the plaques outside his door. “I wanted a working environment where success is not only recognized within, but outside too. The St. Louis Post listed your company as this year’s top work places, plus you’re the headquarters for the U.S. and Canadian association, right here in my backyard. That’s impressive.” She grinned. That was just the tip of the research she had uncovered.
“And Japan,” he added. “Yes, the franchises are a big part of our association’s growth.”
Okay, so she missed one. “I was also surprised to learn billiards started as a lawn game, like croquet. Eventually the sport found its way inside and confined to a wooden table covered with a green cloth to look like grass.” When he nodded, she continued, “In the film The Color of Money, Tom Cruise performed all his trick pool shots, except for one.”
He nodded. “Do you play?”
“No—” Jet shifted in her chair—“but I can learn.” He got her. If she wasn’t so busy starting family fires, she could have visited a few pool halls.
“That’s not a prerequisite for employment. Even though APA is the world’s largest amateur pool league—we boast a quarter of a million members and just under three hundred leagues—believe it or not, we don’t even have a pool table on the premises.”
He chuckled. “Our focus is to bring amateur pool players together to form leagues. Over the course of time, pool has been tabooed because of gambling ties and other scandals. We run a tight ship to keep our league drama-free. No money is allowed to change hands in our leagues. If players want to win money, they can compete in any of our four annual national tournaments—two in Vegas, Davenport, Iowa for a junior championship and Tampa. Our staff is welcomed to attend if they like. This is not just about skill, but fun. My ten-year-old son can beat me using our Equalizer® handicap system, which basically gives games to a lesser skilled player to even the match with a more skillful opponent.”
After Mark gave her a three minute lesson on the art of pool playing, they discussed salary expectations, then he concluded the interview. He escorted Jet back to the bank of elevators with the standard closing: “We’ll make our decision in a few days.”
Thanking him, Jet didn’t exhale until she got behind the wheel of her car and sat there. Did she win him over? Did she seem too eager, come off as too overly qualified? Did she ask for too much money? Did they have any minorities? If not, would being a qualified African-American woman give her an edge? After a few minutes of obsessing about the position, she laughed.
God, how could I forget You are in control of my life? The bank shooting was proof of it. Since she had an hour before Layla’s plane landed, she texted Rossi.
Interview went well. :)
I’m sure you wowed them.
The man seemed to have confidence in her when she didn’t have it in herself.Thank you. Is everything peaceful at the office?
Don’t know. Working from home.
Uh-oh. She was about to call him when an unfamiliar number came across her screen. She debated answering, but did anyway.
“Jet, this is Octavia, Rossi’s friend…”
“It’s nice to hear from you. How are you?” She welcomed the call from the woman whose calm personality made Jet want to emulate. Plus, she possessed an engaging smile.
“Wonderful. I really enjoyed meeting you last week, but you’ve been on my mind lately, and not because you were supposed to close on your house. How did that go anyway?”
“Ha.” Jet explained the bank situation. “My movers are coming later this afternoon.”
“You were in that bank? I saw it on the news. Praise God. Isn’t it wonderful when God shows up when we need Him and shows off?”
“Amen. Because of that I had to reschedule my closing. Rossi was so scared, he proposed.”
Octavia screamed. “I knew it. So when’s the wedding?”
“I haven’t said yes yet.”
“But you will, right?” Octavia asked confidently.
“Maybe.” They both laughed. “He’s a sweetheart. I’m just not sure I’m the perfect fit for him.”
“Huh? Why would you say that? You complement him, and he seemed pretty content to me.”
Briefly, Jet debated if she should share her doubts with a woman she had only met once, but there was something about Octavia that made Jet trust her. “Levi and Rossi got into an argument over me.”
She sighed. “We’ve got to do lunch. What are you doing later today?”
“I’m leaving a job interview in Lake St. Louis, and my best friend is flying in from Nashville.” She paused and checked the time. She was at least half hour from the airport, so she decided to head toward the city.
“I would love to treat you two to lunch, but if you both want some sister-girl time, I understand.”
“I’ll let you know.” Jet ended the call with a smile. She cruised I-70 east to Lambert Airport without delay and parked in the garage for Southwest Airlines.
Scanning the crowd, she spotted Layla from the slight bounce when she walked. When her friend saw her, they hurried to hug. Stepping back, her friend scrutinized her from head to toe.
“Nice, sister.” She smirked. “Please tell me you killed that interview.”
“I hope so,” Jet said, looping her arm through Layla’s and steering her downstairs to the baggage area.
Both women were the same stature at five-ten. Where Jet wouldn’t think twice about wearing heels, Layla always said she was more comfortable in flats. Their other contrast was skin tone. Jet was bronze, and Layla’s dark skin reminded Jet of the flawless, rich, and pure dirt.
“So how are things between Rossi and his jerk cousin?”
Jet laughed. Despite wanting to be on good behavior, Layla’s unbridled tongue was just what she needed to hear. “Be nice. I want you to form your own opinions, not go by what I say when I’m frustrated.”
“Umm-hmm.” She put her fist on a hip. “I have formed my own opinion. How are things between you and Rossi?”
They stopped in front of the carousel and watched for her luggage. Jet frowned before answering. “I feel like I’m being cheated out of what is supposed to be romance.”
She nodded. “You do have a lot of distractions.” She pointed to her suitcase coming toward them. “I brought you Goo Goo Clusters.”
Jet stepped up and swiped the luggage while her friend snickered. The sweet treat was one of the things she couldn’t resist from Nashville.
The accompanying bag was coming toward the
m. Before Layla could reach for it, a muscular gentleman of Mid-Eastern ethnicity intercepted and grabbed it for her. “Yours?”
“Yes,” Layla flirted and blushed.
Jet shook her head and tugged Layla away from the trance the man had put her under and rolled her suitcase toward the parking garage. “I got a call from a woman I met through Rossi. She invited me to lunch. When I told her you were coming in, she invited both of us, but if you just want to catch up, that’s cool too.”
“I’ll be here until the end of the week. I’m hungry, and if you think she’s nice, I want to meet my girlfriend competition.”
“There is no competition. The people who have touched my life are irreplaceable. If you’re my best friend and have claimed the maid of honor spot, I’ve got to pick up a couple more girlfriends.” They snickered, then Jet called Octavia back. “It’s a go.”
“Great! Let’s meet at Bananas Yummies. It’s not far from the airport, and I’m just leaving a showing. Say in about twenty minutes?”
“Got it.” It was another ten minutes before the pair left the airport and headed to the restaurant.
“Is that her?” Layla asked when they pulled into the parking lot and saw a woman with what could be called wild hair blowing in the wind, a short dress, and tall heels.
Jet smiled. “Yep.” She and Octavia had the hair and shoes in common.
Getting out of the car, they met her at the entrance. After the introduction, the trio hugged like old friends.
They made themselves comfortable and scanned the menu.
“So how did you find this place?” Jet asked.
“By accident.” Octavia grinned. “I had to meet buyers at a house not far from here. I stumbled upon this place. Now, whenever I come in this area, I stop for a stuffed burger.”
“Good choice,” Layla said and rubbed her stomach. “I’m hungry.”
Octavia and Jet ordered the cheesy cheese stuffed burger while Layla kept changing her mind until deciding on the Gouda apple onion turkey burger.
