by Betsy Anne
It gets me riled up thinking about it. I’d love nothing more than to get back out there and prove myself. I just need the chance.
“I have an opportunity for us both. A wife of one of the assistant coaches for the Bears has started a charity. It’s to benefit homeless women and children in the Chicago area. She needs assistance getting it off the ground, and I immediately thought of you. Jason and her husband are friends, and we all went out to dinner last week. She talked to me about it throughout the entire meal. I told her about you, and she really wants to meet you! I’d love to get involved in some capacity myself, but I don’t have the business background you do. Plus it would save the foundation a lot of money not having to pay a huge salary to someone in that position. What do you think?”
This all takes me aback. It sounds too good to be true, but at least it’s not a man this time. Katie looks excited. She’s wanted to do more outreach, too, and this sounds like it’s perfect for us.
“I’m in, for sure. When can we meet with her?”
Katie jumps up and hugs me.
“I’m so excited! She’s a doll, you two will really get along. Her name is Jill Livingston, and she’s around our age. Let me find her number, and I’ll call her right now.”
I listen as she and Katie make plans for us to get together. Lunch tomorrow, downtown is about all I’ve picked up so far. Katie says her goodbyes, and tosses her phone down on the table.
“She’s as excited as we are! Lunch tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.”
I pick Kat up around 1:00 p.m., and we get downtown in no time. We’re early, so we go into a high-end shoe store next door to the restaurant to kill time. As soon as we walk in, I hear someone shout Kat’s name.
“Katie! Over here!”
There’s a heavy woman wedged into one of the chairs, with a sea of shoes lapping at her feet. Katie motions for me to follow her.
“That’s Jill! How funny that we all had the same idea.”
We weave our way through the gauntlet of tables and shoeboxes to get to where she is. She has a pretty face with tiny features, and even though she’s large, she wears it well.
“I’m embarrassed. I got here early on purpose so I could have time to look at some new shoes. Busted!”
She gives Katie a hug. Her warmth and enthusiasm radiate. Katie was right; I do like her.
“You must be Melanie. It’s so nice to meet you! I couldn’t sleep last night; I was too excited for today to come. I hope I can lure you two to come on board with us.”
She puts on her own shoes, gives the salesman two boxes to put on hold, and leads us out of the store. Our table is ready when we get to the restaurant, so we sit down and she starts to talk.
“You know, I’ve never been rich, but I sure have been blessed. I grew up in a loving household surrounded by people who cared about me. I have beautiful children and a terrific husband who works hard for a living. I’ve always tried to give whatever I could to those less fortunate, be it money or time, but it just feels like it’s not enough anymore. Now that my kids are older, I want them to see firsthand that we are put on this Earth to help one another. We can give needy women and children food and shelter to give them a fighting chance. Carl is so supportive of what I’m trying to accomplish. We already have a board in place, thanks to Jason and his connections. When things are meant to be they just fall into place, don’t they? Now, Melanie, tell me your story. Katie told me some, but you never really know a person until you hear it firsthand, right?”
She said all that practically without taking a breath. She is sweet and genuine, just the kind of person you can tell anything to and not feel judgment. I pour out my long story to her, and she listens intently, never interrupting with anything more than a thoughtful nod of the head. When I finish, she sits quietly as she dabs her eye with her napkin.
“I’m sorry for your situation, Melanie. You seem like such a fine person, I just know there is a man out there for you. Not that you need one or have to have one, but you have love to give, and it should be reciprocated. Those men were jerks. There are good ones around; you just have to be patient. In the meantime, I’m ecstatic you want to join my cause! I’m putting Miss Katie here in charge of logistics. We need to find some shelter space, and I know you can do it.” She pats the top of Katie’s hand.
We talk for hours, until the dinner crowd starts to file in, and we get quite a bit accomplished. I am so excited to start this new chapter. I begin by finding office space to accommodate the staff Jill wants to hire, and start going in myself just about everyday. I’m home before the boys get off the bus. This is the perfect situation.
Jill’s husband will be gone most of the summer for training camp. Football season starts soon, and she really wants our first big fundraiser to coincide. She chooses a Saturday after preseason, but before the regular season gets underway. This way, coaches and players can attend. I offer to have it at my house. I can open up our three-season walls and utilize the backyard, too. I’ve never entertained the way the house had been remodeled to handle; I can’t think of a better way to christen it. This gives us about three weeks to get everything together.
Jill, Katie and I spend long days and nights together getting everything just right. Katie finds two different locations for a women’s shelter. We’ll have a better idea of our operating budget after the fundraiser, so we’ll know what we can afford. Jill is such a people person, which works in her favor. We haven’t had a single person fail to RSVP yet, most of the list is attending. She keeps the guest list to two hundred, only A-list CEOs, local celebrities and the coaches and athletes of local professional teams.
The name of the event is “Help Us Raise The Roof”, and Jill has done an amazing job. The invitations are professional; she selects a picture of a house being built out of dollar bills. The décor, including the entire first floor and backyard of my house, is construction-themed. My house is covered in tools, wood and hard hats. She’s even put together a photo booth with backdrops of famous Chicago landmarks as they were being constructed, so that our guests can take home mementos of the evening.
She solicited a staggering number of silent-auction items from friends that we anticipate will bring in a good amount of cash. All of us on staff will be dressed in construction-worker garb, with hard hats and tool aprons we’re supposed to shake and hold out for donations throughout the evening. It’s our responsibility to encourage friendly donation competition, so we’ll make grand announcements when we get the really big checks. I don’t think there’s one person on the list who has a net worth under a million. We’re auctioning off the naming rights of the shelter to the highest bidder. She’s even finagled the entire thing to be catered as a donation, including the booze, by a friend who owed her a favor. We’re breaking even before the checkbooks come out.
The boys are staying at Katie and Jason’s house tonight. They’ve been there since early this morning while we’ve been putting the finishing touches on everything. The silent-auction items are set up in my formal living room, the caterer will set up food stations in the dining room and the rest of the house and yard have been transformed for mingling.
“Oh my God, I’m so nervous I feel like I’m going to be sick,” I say to Katie once we get a chance to sit for a minute.
“What in the world for? Look at this place; it’s incredible! You and Jill really outdid yourselves. Don’t be nervous; be proud. This event will raise a lot of money, all for a great cause. Enjoy it, for Pete’s sake!”
She’s right. I’m just a bit rattled by the guests we have coming. I’m not great at hobnobbing with the rich and famous. That’s why Katie and I have always gotten along so well: no pretenses. We ceremoniously clink our coffee cups, and leave to get ready for the big night. My glamorous outfit of cutoff jeans, a beat-up white tank top, and hardhat and apron will make getting dressed nice and easy. Hair in a messy bun, and I’m done. I need a glass of wine before we get started to ease my stress. I know that once the event is in full swin
g I won’t have time to sit.
“You guys ready?”
Jill is over the moon. Her enthusiasm is contagious and any nerves I had before are long gone, and I’m looking forward to having two hundred people in my house. How does she do it? I swear, the woman could charm the venom from a snake.
An hour later the house is packed. We are having so much fun, as are our guests. Most of the people here know each other already, so the banter is fun and free-flowing. Jill’s introductory speech brings even the biggest of men here tonight to tears. She shares the stories of two homeless women and their children. She introduces the staff, including Katie and me, and thanks us profusely. Then she screams, “Let’s raise the roof!” and the fun really begins. The DJ is playing upbeat music while Katie, the rest of the staff and I walk around and beg for money. The begging is pretty easy considering everyone here is ready to give. Hundred-dollar bills are peeled off one by one from large wads and tossed into our aprons. We had all put change at the bottom so we would make noise as we walked. The real fun, and money, will come later during the auctions.
I’m exhausted. I’ve been on my feet for more than two hours, and we’re just getting started. I have to take a break. The upstairs is corded off so everyone will know that the area is off-limits. I slip around it and go upstairs to pee and put my feet up for a few. They can handle it while I’m gone. It’s quiet up here; you’d almost never know I have two hundred people in my house. My ears are pounding from the noise downstairs. As I head down the hallway to my room, I see that John’s bedroom door is open. I know I closed it because that’s where I put Benny with his bed and food for the night. I’m startled when I see a large - very large - guy in the doorway. He’s bending over and petting Benny who’s on his back loving every minute of it. Some damn watchdog. Who does this guy think he is, wandering around my house? How rude can you be?
“Excuse me, this area is supposed to be off-limits. Can I help you find something?”
Ooh, my tone is bitchy.
“Oh, I’m sorry. My head was hurting and I needed a quiet place to close my eyes for a minute. Your valet took my car, so I came up here. I heard your dog whining and I couldn’t help myself. He’s a cutie.”
No, you’re the cutie, but I don’t care. He barged into my private rooms. Not cool.
“Well, I can have the valet find your car if you’d like to leave.”
He looks stung. I don’t know why I’m so riled up, perhaps because a total stranger is in my personal space, but I need him out of here so I can lie down.
“Your boy like Georgia?”
He’s tilting his head toward John’s large collection of Georgia memorabilia on his shelves. He took over my collection and has added to it heavily, thanks to my family, over the years. My mood is so sour that all I feeling like saying is “No shit, Sherlock,” but I manage to keep a civil tongue.
“Yes, he does. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get off my feet. Thanks for coming.”
I reach around and push Benny back in the room as I close the door in the guy’s face.
“Yeah, OK. Thanks for hosting; it’s a great cause. Jill is really a special person.”
He gives me a long stare, which I interpret to mean, “And you aren’t, bitch,” but he smiles and turns to go back down the stairs. That was an odd interaction. I don’t know who he is, but based on his size I’m guessing he’s a football player or coach. They’re mostly dumb jocks, so no wonder he got lost. I should have drawn a picture on the sign instead. I reach my blessed bed, don’t even stop to pee and collapse.
“Hey you, wake up! The auction is about to start and we need you.”
Katie is shaking me to wake me up. Oh boy, I disappeared for an hour. I hop up and run to the bathroom to relieve myself. I wipe the smeared mascara from under my eyes and follow her back downstairs. The party is still in full swing, doesn’t look like I missed too much. The guests are beginning to assemble in the backyard where we set up chairs for the auction. The silent-auction items are still inside, but we gathered the best and began a bidding war. Not only is it fun, it usually brings donation amounts up considerably. Now that everyone is in one location, I’m on the lookout for the big guy I was so rude to. I see a few large men, but none of them are him. Oh well, he’ll just have to go on believing I was the bitch of the century.
The auction begins, and it goes just as expected. Ski weekends in Aspen, yacht rentals, jewelry, you name it, we got it, and they’re fighting over it. You could send a child to college for what some of these people are bidding. With a cause this important, it’s nice to see everyone open their hearts and wallets. Jill has called in many favors, and now she gets to reap the rewards. I’m so happy for her and the charity. The shelter is a big step closer to reality.
After the last guests depart, we leave the cleanup to the caterers so that we can count the money. We have a large pile of cash and checks in front of us in the middle of my dining-room table. Katie is in charge of credit-card transactions using her smart phone, so she’s on the laptop printing out receipts. After an hour or so of adding everything up, we get a grand total of $519,250. Holy crap! I had no idea we would come even close to that. Katie walks into the room with a huge smile on her face.
“Ladies, we forgot to count one. I found a plain envelope on the entryway table while I was helping to clean up. It wasn’t sealed, but there was a large check in it, and by large I don’t mean paper size!”
She is about to burst, I can tell.
“How much?” Jill asks with tired enthusiasm.
“Five-hundred.” She pauses for half a second. “Thousand!”
She runs to Jill and slams it down on the table. If Jill is tired, you’d never know it now. She jumps up from the table, grabs Katie and swings her around.
“Oh my God!!! Who’s it from??”
We all scramble for the check to see who could possibly have given us that amount. Jill gets to it first.
“That’s strange. It’s a cashier’s check made out to us but no name on it. Why would someone give that much anonymously? We can’t even properly thank them! We have to find out who it was. Starting tomorrow, that’s our mission. For tonight, though, we’re finished. Go to bed and have sweet dreams from a job well done. I never could have done this without you.”
She gives us all big hugs, and everyone leaves except Katie. Jason had gone home already, and our kids are long since asleep so she decides to stay here. The house is in good shape, so I pour a small nightcap to celebrate.
“Here’s to us, we all did good tonight. So, who do you think gave us that fat check?”
We clink glasses, and turn quiet to think. I don’t remember anyone who didn’t donate in public tonight, and why do it twice? Maybe it came from a larger organization that needs to be quiet about charitable giving? I really have no idea. Whoever it was must really believe in Jill and her mission.
“Do you think it was that basketball player with the hot wife? She had more rocks on her fingers than she had God given sense.”
Kat laughs at my drawl.
“Nah, I don’t think so. They seemed to enjoy everyone noticing it every time they put another hundred in my apron. How about that older man who owns the car dealerships? He was friendly, and had a subtlety about him that might indicate he didn’t want the attention.”
“He gave enough. I took a large check from him for some auction items, as well as many cash donations. I just don’t know. Maybe someone brought it for someone else who wasn’t here?”
We keep digging for a while, and don’t get any closer to figuring out the mystery. Kat goes to the couch, and tucks herself in for the night.
“Thanks, Mel, you were a great hostess tonight. Next time I have a party, you have to help. Love you.”
And she’s out.
Chapter 11
It’s been three weeks since the fundraiser, and we’re still no closer to finding out who our mystery donor is. It’s about to drive Jill insane. She’s compelled by her g
ood upbringing to send a thank-you card, but this time she can’t. We’ve shifted our focus back to the here and now, and the work we have ahead. I’m about to finish hiring our meager office staff, while Katie is busy contacting the other local shelters, social services and schools for those who are in need. She’s usually an emotional basket case after each meeting or phone call. Too many needs, and not enough resources to go around is the common theme. I offered to take that job on myself, knowing what a marshmallow she is, but she insists she can handle it.
“It just kills me, Mel. All these poor women and children with no place to go. Most are even working two or three jobs and juggling their kids from shelter to shelter. It’s going to be hard turning some away.”
This experience has been life-changing for both of us. I know having something other than myself, or my own kids to focus on has been really fulfilling. I haven’t even cared that I haven’t had sex in, well, it doesn’t matter.
We finish organizing the offices, and call it a day. Katie told Jason we would need extra time today, so he got our kids off the bus and said he would cover dinner. She and I decide to stop for a drink on the way home.
“How are you, Mel? You seem like a different person. I haven’t heard you mention men in a long time. Are you lonely?” Kat asks as the first sip of wine dribbles down her chin. I swear, she’s like a little kid sometimes.
“Here, you slob.” I toss her a napkin. “I’m great, Kat. I am so happy using my brain again for good and not evil!”
That comment elicits a laugh from her, causing more wine to escape from her mouth.
“Stop!! I look like I’m drunk already! I haven’t even had a full sip yet. Come on, no more jokes. Are you OK?”
“Yes, my dear friend, I’m better than OK. I’m happy. I don’t remember when I’ve felt so sure my life was headed down the right path. I always seem to take the wrong fork in the road. Now, I sleep well at night, and have zero time to cry in my soup. Even my boys have noticed how much calmer I am these days.”