His Redemption

by Nikki Chase-Coakley

  Tony’s smile turned genuine after that. “As a matter of fact, it’s gotten quite a bit better. I hired a new manager to replace Mike and she's been a huge help in improving things. We’re actually in the process of expanding the second store.”

  The older man turned surprised eyes to his son but Celeste was quick to jump in and change the subject. She stood stalk still and looked up at her son then. Tony tried not to squirm under her extremely close scrutiny but knew he was blushing.

  “You’ve met someone haven’t you?” She finally pronounced.

  “What makes you think that?” He hedged.

  “Don’t play games with me Anthony. I know you too well for that to work. Besides, all I had to do was look around the place to know something was up. The house hasn't looked this clean since before your father and I moved out. I wasn't sure you knew what the vacuum was for much less how to use it. So don’t just stand there looking sheepish. Tell us about her.”

  She looped her arm through his and dragged him into the living room and onto the couch to interrogate him. Tony opted to address the subject of Sarah directly and hoped that neither of his parents would read between the lines at least not too much. “Yes, I’ve met someone. Her name is Sarah and before you ask, she works for me. She’s the new manager and the one responsible for all the successful changes that have been taking place in both stores.” He went on to tell them about the expansion and the little changes in the big store as well. “Overall profits are up thirty two percent from last year. It’s amazing really. She’s amazing.”

  “Just what does this paragon look like?” Celeste’s asked.

  Tony smiled at the mental image of his Sarah. “She is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.” He confessed.

  “She has these incredible blueish-gray eyes. They were the first thing I noticed when I met her. And she’s a tiny little thing Mom, not much taller that you but there’s something about her. I swear nothing scares that woman, not even me when I get in one of my moods. She's half French and cooks the most amazing meals.”

  He closed his mouth abruptly, realizing just how much he was carrying on about a woman he was involved with. And in front of his parents, talk about awkward. Peter gave him a hearty slap on the back and chuckled warmly.

  “It sounds as if this Sarah is quite a woman. To hear you go on about her reminds me of the way I behaved when I first fell in love with your mother.”

  He looked over at her then and grinned in a way that made the man look almost as young as his son. “I still do, truth -be told. I can’t wait to meet this young lady.”

  Tony skirted the issue of his feelings for Sarah. It made him a little uncomfortable that his parents understood just how much she meant to him without the words, but to deny what he felt for her seemed like a betrayal. The best he could hope for was a change in topic. He checked his watch. “Well, I had planned to pick her up in a little bit. If you want I can take you to meet Sarah then we can show you around the new shop.”

  Peter nodded looking more than pleased with the arrangement. “Sounds like a great idea. Let’s go Mother.”

  Tony pulled into his usual parking space next to Sarah’s silver Lexus twenty minutes later. Part of him was as excited as always about seeing her again but another part dreaded the idea of introducing her to his parents. He never wanted to put any pressure on her while they continued to sort out their relationship but now here he was asking her to meet his folks. He hoped like hell she didn’t take one look at the situation, realize how serious he really was about her and run like the wind. Taking a deep breath for courage and patients he pushed the door open and helped his mother emerge from her side of the car. Peter took a moment to take in the outside of the building. It still looked the same as far as Tony could tell. It hadn’t been that long since the man had retired and moved to Tampa with his mother, two and a half years to be exact.

  “The place looks good son.” Peter commented.

  “Thanks Dad,” he answered and led the way inside.

  He started the tour on the ground level where the aquariums were kept and worked his way up explaining any changes or improvements he and Sarah had implemented since he’d taken over. His father continued to smile and nod looking well pleased. His mother remained silent and unreadable. When he finished his tour on the second level and still hadn’t encountered Sarah he left his parents on the main sales floor to play with the puppies that were rolling around in the large play area. He found Sarah in her office bent over her computer. She hadn’t heard his knock before he entered but the minute he stepped inside she looked up and smiled brightly at him. A second later she was in Tony's arms kissing him for all she was worth.

  He chuckled when they finally parted. “So what exactly did I do to earn a greeting like that?”

  She gave him a playful swat. “I missed you. That’s all and I’m glad to see you.”

  "I missed you too, Beautiful. You know how much I hate it when you make me sleep alone."

  "That's not fair." She protested. "You make it sound like I was trying to punish you. I'd just promised my girls we would have a ladies only night out. You're not really angry at me about that are you?"

  He tried his best to appear stern but in reality he was just glad to see her, to have her back with him again. "If I said yes would you be willing to make it up to me?"

  "Maybe, but if it makes you feel any better, I didn't have that great a time. I missed you too much and it felt strange to not be with you last night. I even brought one of your shirts to wear to bed thinking it would help but it just wasn't the same as being in your arms."

  "I know what you mean. I had a lousy night without you too. But on a brighter note, I got the boss to let you off early and I have someone I want you to meet.”

  “Really, who?”

  “My parents,” He grimaced. “They surprised me by just showing up this afternoon and asked about the shop. I promised to introduce you to them and take them on a tour of the new store. Are you up for it?”

  “Which part?” She asked looking suddenly petrified. She stepped back and looked around as if she might bolt at any moment.

  Tony rubbed her arms up and down in an effort to soothe the tension he felt in her. “Relax Baby, it’s just my folks. They’re good people. I promise they won’t ask any nosey or embarrassing questions. It will be painless trust me.”

  She didn’t look convinced. “How can you be so sure? Do they know we’re seeing each other or do they just think I work for you?”

  “They know you're the new store manager. I told them all about the improvements you’ve been making around here and they're really impressed. They also know you are the woman I love and they’re dying to meet you.”

  “I don’t know Tony. What if they don’t like me?”

  “Trust me Baby. They are gonna love you almost as much as I do.”

  He slid his hand beneath her hair to cup her nape and leaned in for another kiss. It was a kiss meant to reassure her but was quickly turning into something much more intense. They heard the sound of someone clearing their throat loudly. Sarah jumped and let out a squeak at the unexpected intrusion. Thankfully Tony’s height allowed him to shield Sarah from their visitor. Tony took a deep breath and turned to calmly greet his parents. The hope was that if he acted normal unaffected everyone else would too.

  “Well, if they didn't know Tony was involved with her before they sure knew it now.” Sarah whispered from behind him and judging by the expressions on his parents faces she was correct.

  “Mom, Dad I would like you both to meet Sarah Fournier, the new store manager and my girlfriend. Sarah these are my parents, Celeste and Peter Mason.”

  Several beats passed where they all just stood staring at one another. Sarah was the first to break the awkward silence. Holding out her hand to shake, she greeted them. “It’s so nice to meet both of you. I hope you approve of the work I’ve been doing for your son.”

  Peter took it and offered her a firm hearty
shake and a jovial smile. Celeste on the other hand, gave Sarah a limp, fingertip only shake and only turned the barest corners of her mouth up. Peter was quick to cover his wife’s odd behavior. “I’m sorry if we’ve been staring Sarah but when Tony told us you were pretty he wasn’t doing you justice.”

  Sarah smiled at the older man and tried her best to act as if she believed him but deep down Tony knew her too well. She was hurt and doing her best to cover it up. His folks were stunned by her appearance alright but not because they thought she was attractive. Tony protested his father’s statement. “That’s not true. I told you she was the most beautiful woman I've ever met.” He looked down at her with such pride. “I was really lucky to find her.”

  Peter clapped his hands together then and asked. “Well now that we’ve finally met your young lady, why don’t we head over to the other store and see just what else the two of you have been up to?”

  “Sounds good to me.” Tony offered then turned back to Sarah. “Baby, are you able to get away now?”

  The cringe on her face was hard to interpret. Was she upset at the use of his endearment for her in front of his parents? She’d always loved it when he called her that but maybe it was too familiar for that setting. Or was she bothered by his mother’s cool reception? At least his dad was trying.

  “Sure, I just need to close down my computer and grab my purse. Christy and Jimmy were scheduled to close up the shop tonight anyway.”

  “I’m really impressed.” Peter pronounced later as they left the mall shop. The work was nearly complete. Cages had been installed in the enlarged kennel space and the bins had been placed on the main sales floor. Only the minor details were left to be taken care of and then they would be fully operational. In the meantime, the two regular employees that manned this particular store were working hard to scan all of the sales merchandise into the new inventory system. Tony explained that this way they would never have to do inventory again since the new system would keep track of everything down to the last rubber chew toy. This of course would enable them to order accordingly or place surplus items on sale when necessary.

  Tony grinned over his shoulder. “Thanks Dad, in truth all the thanks should go to Sarah. She was the one that gave me the kick in the pants to make some changes to the place. Then she took the lead on this and did all of the leg work and even helped to crunch the numbers to make sure we got the most for our money. The designer and the architect are friends of hers and they were able to hook us up with the contractor. She was also the one to finagle a better leasing price for the combined space since the former tenants had to break their lease when they went out of business.”

  Peter regarded Sarah with new eyes after that. “You just keep getting more and more impressive young lady. No wonder my son is so nuts about you.”

  Sarah flushed with pleasure at the comment. She had done a phenomenal job and it made Tony proud that his father was willing to make an effort. But when he studied his mother’s reaction his heart sank. The look on Celeste’s face said she would rather see the younger woman dead than hear her husband and son sing Sarah’s praises for another moment. He wanted to confront the older woman and ask what her problem was but he knew the answer already. Still, he was a determined man. Somehow, he would make her see what a wonderful woman Sarah was and she would learn to accept the woman he loved if it was the last thing he did.

  Sarah, for her part, seemed just as determined to make a good first impression. Putting on her brightest smile she addressed the two elder Masons. “If you would like, I would love to make dinner for all of you tonight.”

  Tony’s smile grew a little brighter. Damn, he loved this woman. “I think they would love that. I’ve already told them how great you are in the kitchen.”

  “That would be lovely. Wouldn’t it Mother?” Peter asked looking at his wife.

  “I can cook my own family dinner.” She snapped.

  “I wasn’t suggesting you couldn’t.” Sarah quickly tried to explain. “I just thought you might enjoy a night off and I would be honored to prepare a meal for all of you.”

  Tony threw an arm around his mother’s shoulders and cajoled her. “Come on Mom. You’ll love her food and it will give you a chance to relax after your flight.”

  Celeste looked up at the two men in her life. They looked so much alike with similar height and solid frames. Although Tony had a more generous amount of muscle padding his upper body than his father, they were both physically fit. Unlike Tony’s nearly black hair, Peter’s was now liberally sprinkled with gray making him look more like a distinguished gentleman than an impish rogue like his son. They stared back at her from the same dark eyes and shared the same eager expression. Celeste heaved a deep dramatic sigh knowing she’d been out gunned and had no choice but to relent. “Alright, fine you can cook for us.”

  Despite the less than gracious acceptance, Sarah beamed with pleasure. “Great, I just need to go home and get cleaned up first then I can head over to get the meal started. I can have dinner on the table by seven. Will that be alright with everyone?”

  They all nodded and Tony walked her to her car leaving his parents to follow several feet behind them. “Thanks for doing this Baby. I know I kind of put you on the spot with all this but I really appreciate the effort you’re making to get along with my folks.”

  She darted a brief glance at the older couple before turning her attention back to him. “It’s not a big deal Tony. It’s just dinner. You know I love cooking for you. And you don’t have to tell me, I already know we’ll have to tone things down until they’re gone. After we eat I’ll say my goodbyes and scoot, alright?”

  The realization hit him hard and his smile quickly changed to an expression of frustration. They would be apart even longer than expected. “Damn, I hadn’t even thought of that. I’m glad you did though. Hopefully, they’ll only stay for a day or two. That’s how long their other visits were before they decided to head back. I don’t think I could stand it if they stayed any longer than that. I hate sleeping alone now. I just might go back to being an insomniac if this keeps up.”

  “Poor baby,” Sarah crooned playfully in a tone meant for his ears only. “Don’t worry. If that happens I think we can come up with some imaginative ways to help tire you out.”

  They’d reached the cars by then and Tony gave a quick glance over his shoulder to see how far away his parents were. He lowered his voice suggestively as he reached for her hand. “Well, that at least, will give me something to look forward to. In the meantime, I hope you're going to miss me as much as I'm already missing you.”

  “You know I will.”

  ∞∞∞

  Peter and Celeste continued to follow behind their son and the stunning young African-American woman that had managed to capture his heart as they all headed back to the cars in the parking lot. Neither said a thing as they watched their only child lift the woman’s hand and bring it to his lips. There was a wealth of meaning behind the sweet gesture and in the expression in his eyes as he gazed down at her. It was amazing to the two of them just how different Tony had become since they’d last seen him. It wasn't just that he was more physically affectionate. He smiled more and he even laughed now, a full whole hearted sound that they'd missed hearing for a long time. They’d wondered for years if they would ever see this side of him again.

  Also hard to miss was the adoring look on the young woman's face a she gazed up at him. There was no missing just how much they meant to each other. Peter mentioned this to his wife when they were alone later that night preparing for bed.

  “I don’t care what you say that girl needs to leave my son alone.” Celeste complained. They’d shared a wonderfully prepared meal of southern fried chicken, the creamiest macaroni and cheese they’d ever eaten with a crunchy breadcrumb and herb topping, fresh green beans and for dessert strawberry shortcake. The men had raved over the meal and Celeste grudgingly admitted that the other woman clearly knew her way around a stove.

&n
bsp; “What is it with you? I don’t understand what it is you have against Sarah. She seems like a perfectly nice young woman. She makes Tony happy and she definitely knows the way to his heart, right through his stomach.” He teased. “Did you see the way he wolfed down dinner tonight? I’m not even sure he tasted it. He just sucked it up like a Hoover and asked for seconds.”

  “Hmp,” she sniffed while brushing out her long gray hair. “He probably only ate it that way so he wouldn’t have to taste it.”

  Peter stopped buttoning his pajama top to rest his hands on his wife’s shoulders. He peered at her through the vanity mirror where she was seated. “You’re not being fair. Sarah was trying very hard to get along with you. I don't know if you've picked up on it or not but our son loves this woman and it was equally clear that she feels the same way. Do you honestly think she would have ignored your treatment if she didn't? You're going to have to accept the fact that our little boy is a now a grown man capable of making his own decisions. I would think you’d be happy he’s found someone to hopefully share his life with.”

  Tears glittered brightly in Celeste’s eyes as she reeled on her husband. “Don’t even joke about that. You know very well this is not going to work out. That girl is not the kind of woman that can make Tony happy long term. Relationships like theirs are doomed to fail. I’m sorry to sound so harsh but it’s the truth. They come from different worlds and can’t possibly relate to one another. There isn’t enough there to sustain a lasting relationship. I give it another month at the most, that’s it.”

  “If that was true you wouldn’t be sitting here worrying about it now would you? Personally I think you’re wrong. You may as well get used to the idea, Lessie. Tony is happy for the first time in years and Sarah seems to be the cause of it. You have eyes. You saw the way she looked at him. Any woman that can relate to our son and put the smile back on his face after everything he’s been through deserves not only our respect but our gratitude. We owe it to our son to support his choices.”