by Pat Simmons
Brecee had been fifteen when her father died. Uncle Bradford had stepped in and never missed a beat, providing the Carmen girls with the same guidance his brother surely would have during their teenage years. This would be a true family reunion, complete with a mini concert, compliments of Shari and her husband’s habit of toting their saxophones wherever they went.
After stepping out of the limo at the airport, Brecee and Shae thanked the driver, then headed to baggage claim to serve as the welcome committee.
As they waited, two businessmen gave them seductive glances. Brecee stared them down, while Shae did the mother thing—arched one eyebrow in a way that would put the fear of God into any child.
“Does the rock on my finger need to be any bigger?” Shae stated none too softly.
Brecee giggled. There weren’t many men who could afford the diamond gracing her sister’s ring finger.
That thought turned her mind to Adrian. “Do you think everyone will like him?”
“Nope.” Shae didn’t hold back. The Carmen sisters rarely did. “I hope his networking skills are up to par, because you know the family is going to force him to earn their approval.”
“I'm sure they will, after he finishes telling them about the best features of their cars.”
They chuckled, then continued chatting, keeping an eye on the board of arrivals. When the board showed that the plane had landed, it wasn’t long before travelers came spilling out from the terminal. Impatient, Brecee peeked through the crowd. It would be hard to miss the group of ten adults and three children.
“There’s Mom,” Brecee and Shae said at the same time.
When their family saw them, they hurried toward one another like magnets. Babies were being exchanged for kisses and hugs. Tears welled up in Brecee’s eyes. She’d missed her family so much.
She froze when she spied Uncle Marcellus at her mother’s side. He didn't wait for her to come to him but rather reached out and engulfed her in a warm embrace that broke the ice.
“You’ve made a good catch with the queen bee,” she told him. “What am I supposed to call you now? Still Uncle Marcellus, or Mr. Nash?” Once Garrett married Shari, he became their “uncle,” too.
“Whatever makes you more comfortable.”
His deep, rich voice and gentle tone made Brecee reconsider speaking her mind, as she was known for doing. She would have liked to tell him that she wasn’t comfortable with him dating her mother, but she held her tongue.
As if he had read her thoughts, Marcellus smiled and said, “Give me a chance.”
After taking a few moments to let his affections for her mother digest, she mouthed, Okay.
“Where is Mr. Cole?” her mother asked. “I was hoping he’d be here to greet us.”
Again, Brecee had to refrain from speaking her mind. Rahn’s not here. Why call Adrian out? God, help me. Why am I reverting to a childish mentality?
Almost immediately, God imparted a peace that settled her spirit. She smiled. “He’s at work. Everyone will meet him tonight.”
“At least he has a job,” Uncle Bradford stated, winking at Brecee before giving her another hug.
“But a car salesman?” Dino, the younger of her two cousins, smirked.
“Sales drives our economy,” Garrett said, holding Saul in his arms.
“C'mon, let’s get your bags,” Shae suggested. “Rahn has two limos waiting. He’s at home with Sabrina, barbecuing.”
The men gathered the luggage, and everyone walked outside to wait by the curb. After getting the women and children settled in the first limo, the men piled into the second one. The only exception was Stacy’s son, T.J., who wanted to ride with his dad and uncles.
Brecee was always in awe of how the men in the family were so attuned to the women’s desires and preferences. She wanted that in her man.
As they cruised to Shae’s Town and Country mansion, Brecee just soaked up the love she felt from being surrounded by the most important women in her life. Her mother, a former beauty pageant contestant, had always looked youthful for her age, but today, she glowed.
Now that they were all together with no men around, Brecee revisited her mother’s love life. “I can’t believe my mother is dating!”
Stacy chuckled. “Believe me, the idea took some getting used to.” She nudged their mother.
“I found a jewel in Garrett,” Shari said. “So, I was more than all right with the idea.”
“After she got over the shock,” their mother added.
The ride seemed too short as Brecee and Shae got caught up on what was happening back home. As the limo made the turn into the Maxwells’ driveway, Stacy looked at Brecee. “So, do you think Adrian might be the one?”
“That’s for us to determine,” her mother butted in, earning nods of affirmation from her sisters and aunt.
Rahn greeted them at the door, along with the housekeeper, Miss Vera, who worked only when extra help was needed. With a home full of guests, she was there to get everyone situated.
After the meal, the men started talking baseball. It wasn’t long before Rahn had to leave for the ballpark to join the team for the pregame warmup session. Dino and Victor accepted his invite to watch the last game in the series against the Atlanta Braves. Stacy’s husband, Ted, and Uncle Bradford tagged along, too. “We’re going for a sweep,” Rahn told them.
Hours later, Brecee became anxious for Adrian to meet her family, but she didn’t want to nag him. He was at work, and he knew they were in town.
She texted him. Do you think you’ll be able to make it here later tonight? Rahn BBQ’d earlier, so there is plenty.
I’m finishing up with my last client, he replied. See you soon.
She exhaled.
“Nervous?” Shae asked, watching the children help themselves to toys and games in the playroom. They got a kick out of watching Sabrina fight sleep to play with her cousins.
“I am. Do you think he’ll pass?”
Shae shrugged. “He’s charming and good-looking—superficial qualities. The only thing our family wants to know is the way he feels about you and how he’s going to treat you.”
“Don’t forget to see if there are any skeletons in his closet,” Stacy added.
“Should have done a background check,” Shari said.
“Stop playing.” Brecee shook her finger. “You wouldn’t risk getting disbarred.”
Brecee eyed the clock on the wall. The dealership should be closed by now, and Adrian was probably on his way. She gnawed on her lips. The last thing she wanted to do was nag a grown man, but she found herself wishing she had planted a GPS tracking device on his car, so she would know how close he was. She got up from her chair in the playroom and walked down the hall to the massive window overlooking the front yard. There were no car lights in sight on the road.
“Hey.” Shae came up beside her. “Why don’t you call, or try texting him again?” Even she looked concerned.
“He should be here any minute. Maybe there was some traffic,” Brecee said, trying to convince herself.
“Maybe he was in the middle of making a big sale,” Shae said, giving voice to Brecee’s fear.
She folded her arms over her chest. “I don’t want to be in constant competition with cars,” she said softly.
“Hey, I’m in constant competition with road trips and spring training,” Shae reminded her. “I can see my husband on TV but can’t touch him for more than a month at a time. But when Rahn comes home, even if it’s for just a day or two, I’m always the center of his attention. And that’s all that matters to me. When we’re together, it’s us.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, how does he make you feel when it’s just you two? If he’s focused on you, then the other stuff doesn’t matter.” Shae squeezed her shoulder.
When her mother and some of the other older adults started yawning fifteen minutes later, they started preparing the children for bed. It was then that Brecee knew Adrian had
earned a strike against him. There was no sense in keeping her family awake any longer. She was about to call and tell him not to come when he sent a text.
Sorry, babe. I thought everything was a done deal, but then the customer had second thoughts. My manager and I went back and forth with negotiations in order to clinch the deal. We couldn’t get it to happen. It’s too late now for me to come over. Forgive me?
Her heart sank with disappointment for his loss. Yes, was all she typed before informing her sisters and mother. “Adrian got tied up at work,” she told them. “He apologizes, and he’ll see you tomorrow.”
She turned and took the steps to the second-floor bedroom, which she used whenever she spent the night. The bedroom was big enough to be considered a suite, and her mother was sharing it with her for this particular visit.
Sitting in a rocker, Brecee stared out the window into the night. She heard someone come in, but she didn’t turn around. She could see her mother’s reflection in the window.
Her mother settled herself down on the bed. “Sweetie.”
Her presence reminded Brecee of being home. Whenever there was a problem, it seemed like her mom always had the last word before Brecee said her prayers.
“Why are you upset?”
“Why shouldn’t I be?”
“It all depends on why. Adrian sounds like a hardworking man. Don’t worry about us. We’ll check him out soon enough. Get some rest. God’s mercies are new every morning, so why don’t you extend that mercy to Adrian, rather than storing up what didn’t happen tonight for tomorrow? You can’t always have your way.”
Annette’s pearls of wisdom—how Brecee craved them. She nodded, then stood and gave her mother a hug and kiss on the cheek from her.
“Now, I’ve already said good night to Marcellus. Why don’t you send Adrian a sweet text while I take a shower?” Her mother got to her feet and went to the corner where her suitcase sat, then glanced over her shoulder. “Sweetie, if you’ll pray without ceasing, God will reveal all He wants you to know about Adrian.”
“Okay.” She smirked and texted Adrian: I missed you today, but I’m excited about tomorrow. Good night.
Almost immediately, he responded: Sorry. I missed you too. Tomorrow.
“Tomorrow,” she whispered to herself. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath to help release the unnecessary stress. Then she said her prayers. First, she repented of negative thoughts, bad attitudes, and deeds done that day that hadn’t pleased the Lord. With that out of the way, she thanked Him for the blood Jesus shed on Calvary, then interceded for others who were going through trials.
Before saying amen, she tagged on a personal request: “Jesus, I really want to know if Adrian and I are meant to be. Please show me.”
The next morning, the Maxwells’ mansion was a madhouse with the children carrying on in the playroom while her mother and aunt commandeered the kitchen, preparing a buffet of scrambled eggs, pancakes, and fresh fruit.
Rahn had already said hi and bye before heading to the stadium. When it was time to get dressed for the game, Shae was fully decked out in Cardinals gear to show her team spirit. Everyone else wore either a Cardinals hat or a jersey Shae liked to send home.
“Is Adrian going to make it?” Shari asked Brecee.
“Yes, he is.” She had to be positive. Despite Saturday being one of the busiest days for car dealerships, she hoped Adrian would make his monthly quota—and the game.
“He'd better,” Dino mumbled as the group climbed into the limos parked in the driveway.
One rule of Adrian’s work ethic was never to rush a client. Today, however, he’d make an exception. He needed to get downtown to the ballpark where Brecee and her family were expecting him.
Walking out of his office, Adrian shook hands with Dave Gleason and his wife as he discreetly steered them toward the door. Getting their financing had been a major holdup. He’d had to talk to the sales manager about upping the trade-in amount, then stretching out the Gleasons' payments for them to afford the E-Class Benz Coupe.
Once the Gleasons drove off the lot, Adrian’s quota would be met, evident with a corresponding mark beside his name on the sales board. He escorted them outside the showroom, where their brand-new luxury vehicle awaited them. After waving good-bye, Adrian spun on his heels with his mind set on getting out of there.
“Adrian.”
At the sound of his name, Adrian almost cringed. When he turned around, he saw a distinguished-looking gentleman walking toward him with his arm outstretched. Adrian obliged him with a handshake and learned that Mr. Russell was a walk-in referral from Rahn. Of all days.
Still, this was Adrian’s livelihood. Even if Mr. Russell didn’t purchase a car that day, he was still a prospective client, with the potential to refer friends and family members to Adrian.
Showing Mr. Russell to his office, Adrian sat down across from him to chat, his object being to get to know the man and his transportation needs.
“I’m retired from Boeing, and the house is paid off. My wife and I thought we would do some traveling and in style. What would you suggest?”
“The Lexus is the most dependable luxury car on the road. Of course, the Mercedes-Benz symbolizes our dominance of land, sea, and air. Behind the wheel of any Benz, you’re making a statement. Your status will show before you step out in your Stacy Adamses.”
Mr. Russell’s eyes danced with excitement.
“Now, I drive the Audi because—”
“No, let me see your selection of Benzes.”
“Sure.” Adrian stood. “We have sedans, coupes, convertibles, hybrids, SUVs. I guarantee that we have something that will hypnotize you.” He led Mr. Russell outside to the lot. The sun was shining brightly, offsetting the chilly breeze. “It’s a great day for a test drive,” he said as Mr. Russell admired one model after another.
The thrill of the thought of making another sale overrode his desire to get to the ballpark. Still, he discreetly checked the time. The game had started at one. It was now almost two, so he had some wiggle room. Some.
“That two-seater Roadster is calling my name.” Mr. Russell was almost salivating as he pointed at the vehicle.
“Excellent choice—until your wife sees it.” Adrian would love for the man to drive off the lot with the eighty-thousand-dollar car, but taking a convertible home to an unsuspecting wife was like a child bringing home a dog and expecting to be allowed to keep it. Adrian should know. He’d stopped counting how many times his parents had told him no. Mrs. Russell would definitely want a say in choosing a luxury model. “Let’s set up a time for you to bring her in and see if she would like it,” he suggested.
Mr. Russell looked thoughtful for a moment. “You’ve got a point,” he finally agreed. “But if Mae could get that mink she wanted, I’m getting a convertible. Do you think I could take it for a test drive? I can bring Mae back on Monday morning for her to see the new addition to the family. How does that sound?” Adrian nodded. “I’ll go get the keys.”
The man ignored Adrian as he inspected the car’s bumper.
When Adrian returned to the showroom, Kyle stepped into his path. “What are you getting ready to do?”
Adrian frowned. “Isn’t it obvious? We’re taking that beauty for a spin.”
Kyle looked over his shoulder. “Aren’t you supposed to be at a baseball game with your lady friend? You’ve met your quota for the month. You don’t always have to be top dog month after month.”
One of the two of them usually dominated that spot. To others, it might have seemed that they were fierce competitors, but they both knew the importance of having allies in the workplace. Adrian knew that if he needed someone in his corner, Kyle would be the man. They also had an understanding that they would take care of each other’s customers if something came up.
“If I had a beautiful doctor expecting me at a baseball game with great seats, I wouldn’t still be here,” Kyle told him. “Listen, invest in your personal life. Some things
are replaceable—things. You told me yourself she’s special. Don’t be like me. I alienated my children because I was chasing the money, and I lost my wife because she wasn’t my priority. Learn from my mistakes. Now, get out of here. You know I got your back on this. No fifty/fifty split. The commission is all yours.”
Kyle had taken away any argument Adrian might have raised. He nodded. “Thanks, man. You’re right.”
“I know.” Kyle snickered.
Once Adrian got the keys to the car and handed them to Kyle, both men walked out of the door toward Mr. Russell. Adrian made the introductions, then excused himself.
Taking the quickest route downtown, Adrian hopped on Highway 64. As he drove, struggling to keep within the speed limit, he thought about his mother and smiled.
Days earlier, she had asked about Brecee. When he’d mentioned that her family was flying in from Philly, the comment seemed to trigger something within her.
“I remember your granddaddy mentioning Momma worked for a bakery called Tastykake,” she’d told him. “I don’t know if it’s still there. Ask Brecee or her mother.”
Adrian’s grandmother had died young, so his mother knew very little about her own mother’s life. After rambling on for a while, she’d ended the call by saying, “Son, make time in your life for something else besides working. Dr. Carmen doesn’t seem like the type of woman who will settle, and no woman should.”
The wisdom of Kyle and his mother played in his mind until he arrived at the ballpark. Fans were swarming around Busch Stadium. Adrian turned on the radio broadcast of the game—why hadn’t he thought to do that before?—to see how late he was.
It was already the seventh-inning stretch, and the Cardinals were beating the Pirates, six to one.
Adrian pulled into a nearby lot and paid an outrageous price for what would probably amount to an hour at most. He hurried to the gate where Rahn had told him his ticket would be waiting. When he reached the assigned section, an usher helped him locate Brecee’s family.