A Husband by New Year's

by Sean D. Young

  As chairperson for this year, Renee had the responsibility to oversee the entire event from choosing the venue to the party favors. She, along with her sisters Jennifer, Patrice, and Faith, were trusted to handle every detail. Today, they were going to go over the ticket sales and give updates on whatever loose ends they might have.

  The conference room door swung open and her sisters walked in with Cara following behind them carrying a manila folder.

  Renee swiveled her chair around, standing.

  “Hey, sissy,” Faith said, coming around the table to greet Renee.

  “I’m so glad that you’re here,” Renee said.

  Faith was the oldest and looked most like Renee, with her heart-shaped face, shoulder-length dark brown hair, and flawless skin. Faith had only been back in Chicago for a couple of years, but in that time she’d married her childhood best friend, and they were living their happily ever after. She hadn’t participated in a New Year’s gala for several years, but Renee was happy to have her with them this year.

  “Me too. I’m excited,” Faith said, taking a seat at the table.

  Her sister Jennifer waved her greeting.

  “Hey, Jenn. So you got away from your clients?” Renee said.

  As pretty as she was petite, Jennifer was the youngest of the four McClendon girls. She managed a popular hair salon in the River North area and was happily married with beautiful twins.

  “Yes, but only for the next two hours, then I’m going back,” Jennifer said as she took her seat next to Faith.

  “It won’t take that long, so let’s get started,” Renee said, eyeing the folder Cara was holding. “Is that more responses?” she asked.

  “Yes, I decided to go through the mail before our meeting so that you’d have an accurate accounting.”

  “This whole thing is so important to me,” Renee said, reaching for the folder.

  After handing it to her, Cara pulled out a chair next to Renee and sat down. “I know it is, and you can do this. We’re all going to do it together.”

  “Right,” Faith added. “Don’t worry. Everything will fall into place like it’s supposed to, Renee.”

  “I just don’t want to let Mom and Dad down,” Renee said as she sorted through the responses so that they could be recorded on the master list.

  “You won’t let them down, Renee. I think you and your sisters are on the right track,” Cara said.

  Renee pulled up her list of things to do. “Before we get to the numbers, I’d like to get an update on some things. Cara, do we have all the volunteers we need for the different committees?”

  “Yes, we only have a few spots open for the site preparation and the silent and live auctions,” Cara said, glancing over her notes.

  “We can always hire someone to do the site prep, Renee,” Faith suggested. “I would think that we’d have to hire a company for an event as big as this one. We can still have volunteers oversee things.”

  “We’ve contracted the special events planner at the Field Museum, so they have staff over there that will actually be doing the setup,” Renee said.

  Cara flipped through her tablet. “We have twenty-two items for the silent auction so far and will set up the tables in a high-traffic area so they’ll get noticed right away. We have Lyric Opera tickets, celebrity goodies, signed footballs and T-shirts from the Chicago Bears, restaurant vouchers for meals, and salsa lessons. I was thinking about maybe seeing if we could get one of the Chicago Bulls or Bears to host.”

  “Great job, Cara. Let’s make it easy for the guests to place their bids,” Renee said.

  “As for the live auction, I had an idea to maybe auction off a date with an eligible bachelor or bachelorette,” Cara said, looking around the room.

  Renee liked the idea, but was a little leery. She glanced at her sisters to gauge their thoughts on the idea. “It’s a great idea, Cara, but would there be any liability on our part? Do you have anyone in mind?”

  “Well, maybe you could volunteer,” Cara said, her eyes on Renee.

  Renee threw her hand over her chest. “Me? I don’t know about that. Who would pay a ton of money to go out on a date with me?”

  “You never know. And remember, it’s for a good cause,” Jennifer said, her voice teasing.

  “Well, if that’s the case, then why can’t Cara do it?” Renee asked.

  “I don’t think so, Renee,” Cara said. “We also need someone to head the check-in area, and a photographer to snap people’s pictures as they enter the venue.”

  Renee looked at Faith. “Can you please ask Michael if he’ll be our photographer for the evening?”

  “You haven’t booked a photographer?” Faith wanted to know.

  “Yes, we have one, but we could make it look like we have a swarm of paparazzi just dying to take the guests’ pictures as they arrive,” Renee explained.

  “I can ask him,” Faith said.

  “What about the food and the band, Cara?” Renee asked.

  “We still need to do a tasting. I figured your parents would probably want to be in on that,” Cara said.

  “Yes, it would be a good idea. Let me talk to them and then give you a date and time so that we can check it off the list.”

  “We’ve spoken with the folks from Camp Fun Zone so that they’ll be in attendance. We’re waiting for confirmation from the artists that are supposed to perform,” Cara said.

  “Why?” Renee asked, everything else forgotten. Not having the right kind of entertainers for a New Year’s Eve party could be detrimental to the success of the event.

  “That should have been done a long time ago. What do we need to do to confirm them?” Faith asked.

  “I thought that you told me that Charlie Wilson and Selena Johnson would be the performers,” Jennifer said.

  “It was a great idea to include Selena Johnson as a performer since she’s a Chicago native. The problem isn’t with her, is it?” Faith asked.

  “I’ve been in contact with their management; it’s just that neither performer has confirmed their appearance,” Cara explained.

  “Oh no. We’ve sent out promotional material with their images on it already. We can’t falsely advertise a performance if they haven’t agreed.” Renee started typing up notes so that she could follow up.

  “That is not a good look for us,” Jennifer said.

  “Cara, please send me the information for their representatives, so that I can call them,” Renee said.

  “If you’re too busy, I’ll call them for you,” Faith offered.

  “No, I need to tackle this task myself.”

  “Let me know if you need my help,” Faith replied.

  Jennifer looked at her watch. “How are the sales for the tickets going?”

  “By the looks of it, they’re steady. I think we’ll get more once we get through Thanksgiving,” Renee said.

  “I was thinking about giving some type of commemorative ornament to each of the guests at the event,” Jennifer said.

  “I hadn’t thought of that,” Renee replied. “Do people have favors at a gala? I thought we were trying to raise money.”

  “We are, but they can use it on their Christmas trees next year. It could be something that has the charity logo on one side and the McClendon Cares logo you created on the other side. It’s just an idea,” Jennifer said.

  “I think it’s a good one,” Cara said in response.

  Faith nodded in agreement. “I think so too.”

  “Do we have to take a vote to do it?” Jennifer wanted to know.

  “I don’t think so. We’ve just got to get to it before it’s too late to get them in time for the gala.”

  “Okay, I have a list of things to do, so we need to reconvene in a couple of weeks,” Renee said. “I’ll talk to Treecie this evening and get her up to speed.”

&n
bsp; Jennifer pushed back from the table. “I need to get back to the shop. I’m going to stop by Mama’s later.”

  “I’m going over there myself, so I’ll see you,” Faith said.

  “I’m going to stop by the boutique,” Faith said, getting to her feet.

  Renee loved working with her sisters. She was so happy that they were both following their dreams. Now she just hoped that things would start happening for her too.

  * * * * *

  Later, Renee looked up from her desk to see Cara walking into the room.

  “Have you thought about who you’re going to get to escort you to the event?” she asked Renee.

  “No. It hadn’t crossed my mind. I’ve been so busy with the bet that I haven’t even had the time to worry about a date.”

  “Well,” Cara said slowly before Renee cut her off.

  “I don’t even have a prospect.”

  Both women laughed.

  “Plus, I already know there will be plenty of couples kissing and embracing when the clock strikes twelve. I don’t want to be there with a man who isn’t worthy of me putting my lips on him.” Renee couldn’t help but giggle.

  “You never know what might happen,” Cara said in response. “Have you ever thought about speed dating?”

  Renee rolled her eyes. “No, what a weird idea. To me that would be like being interviewed by the police for a crime.”

  She could tell that Cara wanted to laugh because her eyes widened and she pressed her lips together.

  “Come to think of it, speed dating is for people who clearly don’t want a long-term relationship. How can you find the person you’ll spend the rest of your life with after only talking to them for five minutes? Doesn’t work.”

  “Right,” Cara said.

  “Do you think you’re ready to start dating again, Cara?”

  Cara frowned. Her response made Renee regret that she even brought up the subject. She knew that her friend had been through a horrific ordeal with her ex-husband. Much like her sister Faith’s ex, Cara’s husband was mentally abusive, but he also hit her and was the cause of her losing their child. She had been to hell and back, but she was still standing.

  “I’m sorry, Cara, I shouldn’t have brought up the subject.”

  “There is nothing to apologize for. I’ve left that part of my life behind me, but sometimes my reactions even take me by surprise. I know you didn’t mean any harm. But to answer your question, I’ve been having so much fun learning about myself that I haven’t thought about dating. I know I’ll eventually get around to it, but for now, I’m good just the way I am.”

  Renee smiled, happy that her friend had started to prioritize her life the way she wanted it.

  Cara stepped closer to the desk. “I will tell you one thing, though, whoever the man is, he would have to be something special.”

  Renee pushed aside her keyboard, laid her elbows on the tabletop. “That’s why it’s so important to make a list. You can put down on paper the qualities that you’re looking for in a man. That’s what I did.”

  “But you still haven’t found a man that fits the criteria and you’ve been at it for years.”

  “I hadn’t been diligent with it until I made that stupid bet with Julia.”

  “What did your sisters say when you told them about the bet?”

  Renee was silent.

  “Renee, you didn’t tell them did you?”

  “Nope, I sure didn’t. I don’t want to hear about how dumb it is,” Renee said.

  “Ooo-kay, I think I’m going to leave that alone,” Cara said, walking to the door. “I’m going to get back to work, it’s almost time to get out of here.”

  “I have one more meeting then I’m going to get out of here too,” Renee said, watching Cara walk out of her office.

  After returning from her meeting, Renee noticed the voicemail light on her phone. She picked up the receiver, punched in her passcode, and listened to the message from Monte Jackson. He’d called to ask her to attend an industry event with him later that evening. Renee didn’t mind, because she and Monte had been to several networking affairs together. She had casually dated the handsome PR exec from time to time. They’d started dating exclusively and she couldn’t have been happier, but after a few months Renee noticed that Monte was always blowing her off because of some work opportunity. Renee had a sneaking suspicion that the ambitious man would step on his grandmother if it meant that he could get ahead.

  She called him back.

  “Ms. McClendon,” Monte said.

  Renee giggled at the way he spoke her name. One of the things Renee did like about Monte was that he was a lot of fun to be around.

  “Mr. Jackson, I’m calling in reference to the networking event this evening.”

  Monte cleared his throat. “Yes, I knew you’d want to be there.”

  “Cool,” Renee said.

  “Why don’t I pick you up at a quarter to six, if that’s not rushing you too much?”

  “I think I can make that.”

  “Good, we haven’t been out together in a while. I’ve missed you, girl.”

  Renee smiled. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  “See you soon,” Monte said before disconnecting the call.

  Excited about being with Monte again, Renee wanted to hurry and get home. She just needed to finish up a final proposal for a start-up lawn care service. She loved working with entrepreneurs, helping them make their dreams come true. She took on one pro-bono project annually and was proud to be able to help Benjamin Jones, the owner of A Cut Above this year. Renee quickly pulled up her document and got to work.

  An hour-and-a-half later, Renee got home, showered, and changed so that she would be ready for Monte. She was excited about the Public Relations Society of America networking event, but more importantly she’d check out Monte’s behavior. She knew he was still interested in her, but would things be different this time?

  Both she and Monte had been members of the group for some time now, and Renee loved to meet new people in the industry. This kind of event brought together several chapters of the organization that spanned Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan.

  Renee continued to check her watch and then the clock on her bedside table. It was six o’clock and Monte hadn’t arrived yet. She called his cell phone and the office, but no one answered either line.

  She quickly realized that Monte had stood her up. She wondered why he would do that to her, especially since he was the one who’d invited her. Why lie and say he was coming to get her when he didn’t have any intention of doing so? Even if he’d decided he didn’t want to go with her, he should have respected her enough to call and tell her he’d changed his mind.

  Renee had had enough of disrespectful, thoughtless guys. She couldn’t deal with it anymore. She wasn’t going to waste her time on men who didn’t respect her, and Monte’s standing her up was more evidence of his unreliability and insincerity, something she had decided to ignore in the past.

  Without another thought, Renee picked up the phone and called a cab. She would show Monte that his reneging on their date wouldn’t stop her from being there. Ten minutes later, the cab pulled up alongside the curb, and she was waiting by the door ready to go.

  Chapter Four

  Renee sat with her hand on the door handle, anxious for the taxi to come to a complete stop in front of the hotel. Once they turned onto Monroe Street, limousines, private cars, and taxicabs were lined up trying to get their clients to the door of the Palmer House Hotel.

  Anxious to see Monte’s face, Renee contemplated getting out of the cab at the corner and walking the rest of the way to the hotel. She had to push aside the fact that he’d stood her up and focus on the prospect of being able to network with others. This could be a great opportunity for her to find resources for building her business. She did
n’t need to act out of character, giving people proof of the angry black woman syndrome everyone talked about. After all, she had been taught to act like a lady, and being unprofessional was not a good look, so she stayed in the taxi until it was her turn to get out.

  She swiped her credit card on the pin pad machine attached to the back of the front seat and waited for the driver to give her a receipt before getting out of the car.

  Stepping onto the curb, she slammed the car door, pulled her coat together, and exhaled in the crisp night air. She heard someone call her name and quickly turned in the direction of the voice. There were so many people milling about, she was sure it was Monte, but she didn’t see him through the crowd.

  After a few more seconds, the man called her name once again, but this time he was closer, and she could see it was William’s driver. Renee never forgot a handsome face, plus they’d had a nice conversation. She was surprised he remembered her.

  She stopped as he approached, smiling at her. She recalled how easy it was to talk to him when they got stuck in traffic the other night. He seemed to be a nice guy with kind eyes, but for the life of her she couldn’t remember the man’s name. How embarrassing. She hated when that happened, so she hoped it would come to her quickly.

  “Renee, how are you this evening?” the driver asked, extending his gloved hand to her.

  Renee shook it vigorously. “I’m doing very well, and yourself?” she asked in response, scanning the area just in case Monte was outside.

  “Are you waiting for someone?”

  Renee didn’t know how to answer that question, but figured he was just making small talk.

  “What are you doing here?” Renee asked, watching him remove his leather gloves. He was dressed as he was the other night, with one difference—he had removed his tie.

  “I just dropped off clients who are staying at the hotel.”

  Renee had a crazy thought, but she didn’t know if he would agree to it. She stared into his brilliant brown eyes, trying to see if she should even approach him with it. After all, they’d only met one time and didn’t know much about each other.