by Debby Mayne
“You two run along. I’ll be fine,” Christina said as she laughed and waved them off. “I’ll book as many appointments as I can.”
Once he had Mandy behind a closed door, Tony had a chance to observe her without any distractions. She exuded confidence in a quiet sort of way, and she made him feel all was right in the world.
“You needed me?” she asked.
Her choice of words struck him hard. There was no doubt in his mind that God had placed Mandy in his life for a reason, and Tony suspected it wasn’t just to have someone nice and trustworthy to work with.
“I talked to Ricco early this morning, and he wants you to clear your schedule the week after next. We’re going ahead with your promotion immediately, so you’ll get paid for training.”
When she opened her mouth, he thought she might argue with him, but she quickly closed it and smiled. His heart pounded, and warmth filled his soul.
“I appreciate how you’ve shown your sister some phone techniques, since it’s vital to company growth. While she gets comfortable with that, I’d like for you to work with a couple of new part-timers I just hired.”
“When do they start?” she asked.
“The day after tomorrow.”
Christina tapped her fingernails on the counter. “Are they management trainees, too?”
“No, they’re part-time photographers. You can work with them together, and once they catch on, you can spend some time behind the camera with Christina.”
❧
After Tony left them alone, Mandy started to say something, but the phone rang. She instinctively reached for it, but Christina beat her to it.
“Small World Portrait Studio, this is Christina, how may I help you?”
Mandy was impressed. Her sister had the spiel down pat, and she had a friendly lilt to her voice.
“Please hold,” she said. She punched the Hold button. “How do I let Tony know he has a call?”
Mandy showed her how to buzz Tony to let him know which line to pick up. Once that was done, she complimented Christina on her phone skills.
“I said what was in the manual. It’s easy.” Something caught her attention, and she diverted her gaze to something behind Mandy, smiled, and waved.
Mandy turned around and saw Brent from the electronics store. “Be careful with that guy, or you’ll never get rid of him.”
“Why would I want to get rid of him? I already told you I think he’s cute.”
“Remember, he’s a little nerdy.”
Christina giggled. “Nerds are cool. I like the smart guys.”
Mandy wasn’t so sure how smart Brent was, but if Christina liked him, what did it matter? “So have you had a chance to talk to him?”
“Yes, and we have a date for tomorrow night.”
That was a shock. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Christina groaned. “You’re acting just like Mom and Dad. I’m a grown woman. I shouldn’t have to tell you about everyone I go out with.”
“True.”
The next appointment came in, so Mandy left Christina in Tony’s care. By the time she finished, it was almost time to close up shop.
Brent stood by the door waiting for Christina. Tony saw that, so he offered to walk Mandy to her car.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, why?”
He gestured toward Christina and Brent who stood about a foot apart facing each other, with Christina leaning against their mother’s car, looking like a flirty teenager. “When Brent showed up, you started acting different.”
“I’m just disappointed she didn’t tell me about Brent.”
“You’re not jealous, are you?” he teased.
“No, of course not!”
“Whoa, don’t get all worked up. I was just asking.”
“Sorry. I guess I was being overly protective of my little sister.”
Tony made a humorous face. “I don’t think you have to worry about Brent. He seems pretty harmless.”
“I’m sure he is.”
He backed away from her car. “See you tomorrow, Mandy.”
As she pulled away, she thought about how everything in her world changed and how the Lord had such a sure hand in her life.
She rounded the last corner to her house, when her cell phone rang. It was Tony.
“I forgot to ask you something. What are you doing for dinner tonight?” he asked.
“Um. . .” She racked her brain and couldn’t think of anything. “I don’t know, why?”
“Would you like to go out to dinner with me?”
fifteen
“Um. . .” Mandy thought about the alternative—a microwaved frozen dinner. “Sure, that sounds good.”
“Can you be ready in an hour?”
“Absolutely.”
As soon as they hung up, Mandy headed straight for her closet. She wanted to look nice but not like she’d put too much effort into it. After skimming her closet for about five minutes, she chose a knee-length pencil skirt and a teal silk blouse Christina had talked her into buying—nothing elaborate, but nice enough to go anywhere.
Tony arrived on the dot, looking more handsome than ever. Even though she’d been with him outside of work before, this felt different—more like a date. That realization alone made her tummy flutter.
“Very pretty,” he said. “I like that color on you.”
“Thank you.” She felt the heat rise to her cheeks. “You look nice, too.”
He laughed. “I do clean up well—or so I’ve heard.”
To her surprise, they drove straight to Figaretti’s, one of her favorite restaurants in town. The cozy atmosphere added to the intensity of how she was starting to feel toward Tony.
After they ordered, Tony leaned toward her. “I wanted to discuss some things. . . .”
Her heart hammered in her chest, but he’d quit talking. Instead, he studied her face like he’d never seen it before. “What do you want to discuss?”
“I want to talk about—” He glanced away and pursed his lips before turning back to her. “I thought we’d talk about Small World, but I thought it would be better to talk away from the studio.”
Mandy’s heart sank. So this was a business dinner. She had to look away to cover her disappointment.
“I’ve been talking with my uncle about a strategy for the future, and he agrees that we need to work on building more business skills in our managers and encouraging them to hire more part-time photographers. That will take care of two issues—burnout and being able to see who has a knack for the job.”
She tried to focus on his words, but her ears rang with embarrassment over her misperception of his intentions. “That makes sense.”
He continued. “I’m thinking that I’ll probably put Christina in an assistant manager position until I’m sure she’s ready to run the studio as a full manager.”
“The one here?” Mandy asked. She’d assumed Christina would get her own studio but somewhere else.
“Yes. I think she likes it here, and there’s no point in moving her into a situation she’s not comfortable with.”
“So,” Mandy said slowly. “Where will you go?”
He shrugged. “Wherever they need me. After I agreed to work for the family business, they made it very clear that I’d most likely have to move around a bit and travel a great deal more before they settle me in a long-term position.”
“Oh.” Mandy hated the feelings that bubbled inside her.
“Did I say something wrong?”
She dared a look into his eyes but instantly regretted it. “No.” Her throat constricted, causing the word to come out in a squeak.
“Your new position is still on the drawing board. We’re trying to decide how we want to use you. Ricco was thinking that we’d bring the full-time photographers here for training, and they could go back to their studios and work with the part-timers.”
Mandy nodded. “That makes sense.” She felt like she was going through t
he motions, while all she wanted to do was jump up and run away from Tony.
“It does, but I like my idea better.”
At least he was giving her cues to keep her in the con-versation. “What’s your idea?”
“Since you’ll be a regional trainer, you can go to each studio and work with the photographers as a group. That way, the instruction will be consistent.” He paused and smiled before adding, “That is, if you don’t mind traveling.”
“I don’t mind. I figured I’d have to travel some.”
“Good. You and I are on the same page, then. Fortunately, Ricco is open to our suggestions. It’s important to him and my uncle that our management team is happy. That’s the only way we’ll keep skilled and committed people with the company.”
At least her career seemed to be going well. Mandy took a couple of deep breaths and forced a smile. “I’m happy with Small World, and I’m grateful for your confidence.”
“But?” He tilted his head and studied her.
“No buts. Everything is going even better than I ever imagined.”
“I’m glad.”
Their food arrived, so Mandy was able to divert her attention away from Tony’s warm brown eyes that melted her insides. He bowed his head, and she followed. He softly said a blessing before they started eating.
They made small talk for a few minutes, until he asked about her mother. “Christina says she’s doing well. Have you had a chance to see her?”
Mandy nodded. “She’s been busy lately, between all her long walks and the fact that Dad has suddenly turned all his attention toward her. I think it scared him to think he might lose her.”
“I can see how that would happen. Sometimes it takes fear to make us realize the importance of something we have.”
The way he said that gave Mandy the impression he understood firsthand. “She’s lost a few pounds, and Christina said Mom fusses at her when she brings junk food into the house.”
“That’s understandable.”
“Mom used to bake cookies, pies, and cakes all the time. We had dessert after every meal. Now Mom keeps a big bowl filled with fresh fruit.”
Tony laughed. “I’m afraid there would have been a mutiny in our house if my mom did that.”
“There probably would have been when we were younger, but after our scare and finding out how high her cholesterol was, we’re happy she’s making these changes.”
“I’m glad to hear your mother’s doing better. She’s been on my family’s prayer list.”
“Thanks, Tony.” Mandy took a sip of her tea as she thought about how nice Tony was. He couldn’t help it if she’d developed a crush on him.
When she put her napkin on the table beside her plate, he gestured for the server to bring the check. “I had a wonderful time, Mandy. I think it’s a good idea for us to get to know each other better, since we’re working on the same team. I think the timing on company growth is perfect, and with you on board, there’s no doubt we’ll have the best children’s photographers in the industry.”
Tony had just given her one more reason she couldn’t let him know how she felt. His focus was on company growth, nothing else. But when he looked at her again with such a tender expression, she couldn’t help the sensation of swirling into an abyss.
❧
The following Sunday, Mandy arrived at church early, so she sat toward the front and saved Christina a spot. When she turned around to watch for her sister, Mandy spotted Tony, who made eye contact right away. He waved then walked toward her as though on a mission. She scooted over more to make more room for him.
“Mind if I join you?” he asked.
“Of course not.”
She kept glancing around, looking for Christina, while Tony chatted with the man next to him. Finally, her sister arrived, arm in arm with Brent.
“I cannot believe what I’m seeing,” Mandy said.
Tony turned around and waved. Brent’s deer-in-the- headlights expression changed to one of relief. He and Christina made a beeline toward their pew.
Everyone scooted to make room. It was a tight squeeze, so Tony lifted his arm and rested it on the pew behind Mandy. She wanted to snuggle into him, but that obviously wasn’t suitable for two very strong reasons—this was church, and he was her boss. Her face flushed.
With so many people in the pew, Mandy and Tony had to share a hymnal for the traditional songs, and they put their heads together to see the contemporary lyrics on the screen in the front of the church. As the tall man on the front row swayed to the music, Tony and Mandy had to move in the opposite direction. After a few times, it became comical, and Mandy let out a giggle. Tony winked and smiled down at her.
After church, Tony walked out to the parking lot with Mandy. “What are you doing this afternoon?” he asked.
“I’m stopping by Mom and Dad’s house. They’ve been so busy, it’s hard to catch them home.”
Tony grinned. “I’m happy your mother is doing so well.”
“I know. We used to think she was content cooking all day, but after her heart attack, she said it was time to really live while she was able to.”
“Well, I was going to ask if you wanted to do something.”
Mandy wondered if she should risk asking if he’d like to join her. She hesitated for a few seconds before deciding to just go for it.
“Would you like to join me?” she asked. The minute she said that, she second-guessed herself and wanted to take back the invitation. “I mean, my parents really appreciated how much you helped when Mom was in the hospital and all. . . .” She felt like crawling into a hole.
“I’d love to, if you don’t think they’d mind.”
Mandy’s heart raced. “They wouldn’t mind in the least.”
He nodded. “I miss my family, and the opportunity to spend some time with yours would be nice.”
“They used to always have a big spread of food on Sundays, but I’m not sure now.”
“I don’t want to impose on them at mealtime.”
“Trust me, Tony, if there’s food, there will be plenty for you and leftovers for a week.”
“If you’re sure. . .”
“I’m positive. Why don’t you come to my apartment in about an hour?” she said. “I can drive us to my parents’ house.”
“Sounds good.”
As soon as Mandy walked into her apartment, she called her parents. Her dad answered. “I wanted to make sure we were still on for this afternoon,” she said. “And if you don’t mind, I’d like to bring Tony.”
“Absolutely.” His voice sounded more cheerful than she remembered since she was a little girl. “We went to the early service this morning so we could come home and start cooking.”
“You said ‘we.’ Does this mean you cooked, too?”
“Yep. Your mother told me she doesn’t think it’s fair that she has all the fun. Just wait until you taste my fruit salad. In your mother’s words, it’s heavenly.”
Mandy laughed. “Can’t wait. I’m glad you and Mom are enjoying yourselves.”
“After the scare, both of us realized we’d been on a treadmill, doing things we’d always done, and not truly enjoying God’s blessings.”
After they hung up, Mandy rocked back on her heels and thought about what her dad had said. She’d never thought of her parents as unhappy, but they didn’t exactly exude joy, either. Now they sparkled with laughter and happiness every time she saw them. Her mom even said that her heart attack was the best thing that could have happened to their marriage.
The more Mandy thought about her parents, the more she pondered her own life. Basically, she was guilty of doing exactly what her parents had always done in the past—running on a treadmill and hoping nothing bad would happen. She’d wanted to be promoted to manager of the studio, but other than that, she never put much thought into anything else she might want.
Now that she had the surprise promotion to photography trainer, Mandy decided it was time to take stock of what s
he had, decide what she really wanted in life, and make plans based on what was in her control. She couldn’t do any of that without His help, so she bowed her head and prayed for guidance, wisdom, and the ability to recognize opportunity—both professional and personal.
❧
The first thing Tony noticed when Mandy opened her door was a sense of self-awareness he hadn’t seen before. She smiled and invited him in.
“Mom and Dad know you’re coming. I hope you’re hungry.”
He lifted his eyebrows. “I didn’t mean to invite myself for lunch, but I never turn down good food.”
Her smile was warm but filled with amusement. “This will be good, as in healthy for you. I have no idea how it’ll taste without Mom’s trademark butter, salt, and sugar.”
Tony patted his belly. “I could stand to eat a healthy meal, so I won’t complain.” He gestured toward the door. “Ready?”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
“Mind if I drive?” he asked.
She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter to me.”
He pointed his remote toward his car to unlock it. “Good. I have to admit I’m a little nervous, and driving will give me something to do with my hands.”
Her eyes twinkled as she smiled at him. “That’s cute.”
On the way to her parents’ house, Tony asked questions about her upbringing. “Christina doesn’t seem like the domestic type. How about you?”
“Neither of us has a domestic bone in our bodies. Mom took care of everything, from food to cleaning. We just had to maintain our rooms and help out with one chore a day.”
As they came to a light, he contorted his mouth and cut his gaze to her. “I hate to admit this, but until I went into the army, I didn’t even do that. All I had to do was make my bed every morning.”
“So you were spoiled, huh?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know if you could call me spoiled. I always appreciated everything, and I found ways to make my spending money. My parents didn’t believe in unearned allowance.”
“Same here. We didn’t get a dime until Mom checked our chore list to make sure everything was done.” She sighed. “I just wish I’d learned how to cook.”
“It’s never too late to learn.”
“True. My dad’s proof of that.”