Renee couldn’t see much as they passed the open rooms going down the hall to the area where the repast was being held. As they approached the room, she could hear the chatter from the people who had already taken seats at the multiple tables that had been spread throughout the room.
At the door, there was a photo of Patrick’s father displayed on an easel. In it, he wore a three-piece suit with a matching hat and a black cane.
Stepping inside the room, she saw that they had other photos of Mr. Dunlap at various times in his life on easels situated around the room.
“Wow, this room is huge,” Renee said to Patrick.
There were at least twelve round tables set up with black satin tablecloths, red napkins, and what looked like real china. Renee couldn’t believe how the room had been transformed. The tall centerpieces all had red roses, peach, and red peonies, and fuchsia orchids.
The room had high decorative ceilings, polished brass, and crystal fixtures. It looked more like a setup for a wedding reception than a funeral repast. She thought her family did things in a big way, but Patrick’s family definitely beat them hands-down. She had never been to an event in someone’s home like this.
“Yes, I arranged to have all the furniture removed so we could have everyone in the same room as we dined,” he explained. “Aunt Bernice, I believe you’re supposed to be sitting at the table up front,” Patrick said, then looked over at Kathy. “You too. Please save two seats for Renee and me. I’m going to introduce her to some of my mother’s sisters and cousins,” Patrick said, grabbing Renee’s hand.
They came upon a group of younger adults sitting at a table, having a lively conversation. “What am I missing?” Patrick asked.
A lovely young woman with a short haircut stood. “Cousin Patrick, I told Quincy and Wayne that you were the one who graduated from Howard Business School, not cousin Robert. They’re arguing me down, but I remembered what you told me about going on to business school.”
Patrick hugged her. “Yes, you’re right, Clarissa, it was me. Robert went to DePaul for engineering.”
All the young men at the table let out a sigh and Clarissa turned to them, rubbing her fingers together. “All right, mother wants her chips,” she said, laughing.
Patrick leaned over to the guys. “Don’t tell me you made a bet with her?”
One of them pulled his wallet from his jacket pocket. “Yeah, we did.”
Patrick patted Clarissa on the shoulder. “Get yo money, girl,” he said, laughing as he and Renee walked away.
Renee loved the easy way Patrick interacted with his family. The younger relatives clearly respected and looked up to him. She leaned in close. “I bet they won’t do that again.”
“They should have known better. Clarissa is always getting the better of those two,” Patrick said as they approached another table where four older ladies were sitting together.
“Hi, Aunt Ruby, Glennis, Willie Mae, Louise.” He greeted each one by kissing them on their cheek.
“Pat, when are they going to serve the food? You know that Ruby has diabetes,” his Aunt Glennis said.
“The service was simply wonderful, and you really put your father away nicely, Patrick,” his Aunt Louise commented.
Patrick checked his watch. “The wait staff should be serving the hors d’oeuvres at any moment, but I can go back and get Auntie something to munch on. I don’t want her getting sick on me.” He crouched down in front of his Aunt Ruby. Picking up her hand he got even closer. “Are you feeling okay, honey?”
Ruby cupped his face. “Yes, baby, auntie’s okay. It’s more for your Aunt Glennis than me. I ate my peanut butter crackers while we were at the services, so I’m good,” she said before kissing him on the cheek.
At that moment, three men dressed in black slacks, white shirts, and jackets strolled into the room carrying gold serving trays filled with food.
Patrick’s Aunt Ruby didn’t notice the men, but she adjusted her eyeglasses so that she could see Renee better. “Who is this young lady? I’ve been watching you holding her hand, walking around here.”
“Auntie, this is my special girl.”
Willie Mae slapped her thigh. “Well, it’s about time, boy. I was beginning to wonder about you,” she said.
Renee felt her face redden at the older woman’s remarks.
Patrick leaned forward so that he could see his aunt who sat on the other side of Ruby. “Auntie Willie Mae, why would you say something like that?” He stood, capturing Renee’s hand again. She shook her head. She didn’t want him to say anything more to his aunts. They might ask her a question she couldn’t answer.
Willie Mae hunched her shoulders. “Well, I’m just saying. How special is she to you, Pat?” the older woman said with her hand on her hip.
“Special enough that I hope to marry her one day.”
Renee saw that he was getting ready to say something else, so she squeezed his hand. After clearing her throat, she said, “It very nice to meet you, ladies. My name is Renee McClendon.”
“Hi, Renee,” the women said in unison.
“Now, you be good to our sister’s boy,” Ruby said.
Renee could tell these were the outspoken ones in the family, much like her own sister, Patrice. She smiled at the women. “I promise I will.”
“We’ll talk to you later; they’re starting to serve the food. We’re going back to our table,” Patrick said.
“Nice to meet you, Renee,” Ruby said.
Renee waved at the women as she followed Patrick back to the table.
“Why did you tell them that?”
Patrick kissed her jaw and gave her a wink. “I’ll tell you later, when I take you on the tour.”
Renee didn’t know what Patrick had up his sleeve, but she hoped that an explanation of past events was involved.
* * * * *
The Dunlap family had a dinner fit for a king. It was definitely a royal affair, and Patrick was so glad to be able to pull it off. He looked around the room at his family and felt blessed to be a part of it. He loved being with them, listening to all the talking over each other, chaos, and confusion his family brought when they came together. The sad part was that everyone was there because they’d lost one of the patriarchs of the Dunlap clan—his father.
He regretted that his brother left early, but sympathized with his feelings of guilt. One of the others told Patrick that their cousin took Robert to get his car from the church.
As he watched Renee interact with his family members, it struck him that he wanted to have a family of his own. He wouldn’t mind having children to keep his father’s branch of the Dunlap legacy alive. And the only woman he wanted to share that with was Renee. She was everything he desired and more. She was beautiful, smart, funny, and compassionate. And she’d showed her love for him today by being there with him. He watched the loving the way she naturally fit in with everyone else. He could tell that his relatives embraced her, by the way they treated her.
The snow was coming down pretty heavily by the time the dessert was being served. Patrick offered to put up some of his relatives who’d traveled a long way in a hotel if they didn’t want to stay at the house. But some insisted that they had to get on the road so that they could get back to their various homes and lives.
After the last person left, Patrick went back into the den to find Renee helping Mrs. West clear the dishes from the tables. He walked up behind her. “Baby, what are you doing?”
“Helping get this place cleaned up,” Renee responded.
Patrick hadn’t expected her to help out. They had hired the wait staff so that Mrs. West wouldn’t be overwhelmed trying to clean up after such a big crowd. Though he didn’t want to be selfish, he now wanted her all to himself.
He took the stack of plates she was holding. “Give those to me. Why don’t we work together on clearing
plates, and then I want to show you the house,” he suggested.
“Sounds good to me,” Renee said, kicking off her shoes.
Patrick stood staring at her stocking-clad feet.
“What?” she asked. “I can move around better without those heels. Do you know how long I’ve had them on?”
“I didn’t say anything,” Patrick responded, taking in her beauty.
“Everyone is gone; I don’t have to be cute anymore,” she said, then chuckled.
As they busied themselves, Patrick’s thoughts went to Robert. He wondered why he didn’t stay for dinner.
Working with the wait staff, it didn’t take long for them to clear the tables, place the dirty plates and silverware in the dish tubs, and take them into the kitchen.
Renee brought the last plate. “I think that’s it,” she said.
“Thank you, Renee,” Mrs. West said as she re-loaded the industrial-sized dishwasher.
“Come with me,” Patrick said, grabbing Renee’s hand.
“Where are we going?” she asked, pulling him in the direction of where she left her shoes in the den.
Serious about the tour, Patrick took Renee into every room in the twenty-four-room house. He saved his bedroom for the last stop.
With his hand on the doorknob, he twisted it, pushing the door open. “This is my private space,” he said, walking into the room.
Renee followed behind him.
“Can we have a heart-to-heart talk, Renee?” Patrick asked in a soft tone, closing the door behind her.
“I would like that,” Renee said.
“Did you get my flowers?” he asked, taking a seat on the chaise in the corner of the room.
Renee sat down beside him. “Yes, I received all of them. The ones you sent to my job and the arrangement you sent to my apartment.”
“After you didn’t answer my calls and text messages, I went to flowers. I tried anything I could think of to get you to respond. When that didn’t work, I didn’t know what to do.”
The two sat silently for a couple of seconds before Patrick reached over and grabbed her hand.
He shifted in his seat. “Please know that I didn’t intend to hurt you. I never wanted to do that.”
Renee gave him a silent nod.
“My heart overflowed with joy when I saw you at the church today,” he said, his voice a whisper.
Renee put her right hand over his. “I couldn’t make up my mind whether I should come or not, but in the end, I just couldn’t stay away.”
Patrick placed a quick kiss on her lips. “I’m so glad you’re here. It’s been the one bright spot in a horrific day.”
Renee shifted, her knees touching his. “Patrick, why did you let me believe you were just a limousine driver?”
Patrick took her hand and placed it against his ribcage. “Renee, you can’t judge a person just by looking at them. I believe when we do that, most of the time we get it wrong.”
“What are you talking about?” Renee wanted to know.
“You made an assumption about me the night we first met. I was the lowly limo driver, and you didn’t allow your mind to change when I told your colleagues at the networking event that I owned my own car service.”
“But you never said a word to the contrary, Patrick,” Renee said.
“No, I didn’t, and that’s where I went wrong. I should have told you the truth that first night. You were really upset that Monte had stood you up, and you went on to talk about him and William being selfish and arrogant, so I kept quiet because I wanted to get to know you better. “
“Everything I said about William and Monte was true. You’re nothing like them. You’re sweet, humble, and I love being around you,” Renee said, dropping her head. “But didn’t you think it was important for me to know the truth when we continued to go out?”
“Of course I did. After we went out the first time, I knew I wanted you, so I didn’t want the fact that my family is wealthy to jeopardize that. And now I have to admit something to you, Renee.”
“What’s that?”
“I had my assumptions about you too.”
“Me? What kind?”
“At first, I thought you were only wanting to go out with men that could do something for you.”
Renee’s eyes widened. “That was the impression you got when we met?”
“Like Julia’s friend, Felicia. She was a woman who wanted a man who had money and could buy her whatever she wanted.”
He wished that he hadn’t been used to humiliate Renee in front of Julia after all the things that Renee had told him about the woman. Julia had caught him by surprise when she mentioned Felicia. He’d had no idea what to say.
“Well, I’m not her, and I resent you thinking that I was a gold digger,” Renee said.
“And I could say that I resent you for thinking that a chauffeur’s job is menial,” he said, growing more frustrated. It was time to end the conversation, because it was only getting worse.
Dragging his hand over his hair, Patrick released a sigh. “Listen, baby, all I can tell you for sure is that I love you. It doesn’t matter to me how we met, what you had, or what I had. I want to be with you. I can’t think of any other words to tell you other than the plain truth,” Patrick said honestly, pouring his heart out to her the only way he knew how.
He pulled her into his arms. “I love you, Renee,” he whispered. “I want you to share my life with me. We do so much better together than we do apart.”
Renee’s eyes sparkled. She leaned forward, placing a kiss so soft on his lips that Patrick thought it was a whisper. Her eyes were shining and he could see that she had gained some clarity from their conversation, but it still didn’t tell him how she felt.
“I love you too, Patrick. I didn’t realize it until today. Ever since I was a teenager I’ve been using this list of character traits that I thought my perfect man should have. When I found men who fit that criteria, they would look good on paper, but weren’t at all what I thought they would be like,” she said, releasing herself from his grasp.
Renee stood and walked to the other side of the expansive bedroom. She stood at the window then turned to face him. “Then I met you. I don’t know why I thought you’d made up the fact that you weren’t just a driver. I wasn’t turning my nose up at what I thought you were doing for a living, because my father is a retired fireman, a regular guy, and one of the best people I know.”
Patrick raced over to her and drew her into his arms. “Baby, I see your heart, I do.” He kissed her lips.
A tear ran down Renee’s cheek as she cupped his cheek. “I see yours too, and you may not be perfect, but you’re the perfect man for me. After everything you’ve gone through today, you’re still standing strong.”
Patrick stepped out of her embrace, turning his back to her. “I don’t want your pity, Renee. I know how close you are with your family, so please don’t feel sorry for me because I lost my father. I want you to love me for me.”
Renee grabbed his hand and pulled it, prompting Patrick to face her again. “You are compassionate, loving, kind, sincere, and a myriad of other things. I’ve grown since you’ve been in my life.”
With their hands still connected, there was a short period where they stood silently staring into each other’s eyes until Renee spoke again. “I admit that I came to the wrong conclusion about you when we met, but there was something about you that drew me. You made me feel good about myself. I had fun when we were together, and wasn’t frustrated because you put something or someone else before me.”
Patrick reached for Renee and she moved the rest of the way until their bodies were flush against each other. As they held each other, Patrick could feel his manhood harden at the feel of her lush body. He wanted to make love to her, but he didn’t want her to feel that he’d said all those things to her so
that he could get her in bed. No, he wanted her to see what was inside his heart.
Stepping back, he led her over to his bed, and they sat down beside each other. “I promise you that it wasn’t my intent to deceive you. Things just got out of control, and when I started feeling closer to you, I didn’t want to take the chance of losing you. My reasons for operating as a chauffeur had nothing to do with you and everything to do with my father’s company.”
Patrick explained what happened between him and his brother all the way down to the fight that caused their father’s deadly heart attack. He then spoke with her about his plan to get his brother out of the family business for good.
Renee could hear the anger and sadness in Patrick’s voice as he revealed the chaos that had been going on in his life. She didn’t know how she would feel if one of her siblings betrayed the family the way Robert Dunlap had.
Her family had owned and operated an aromatherapy and day spa since the late 1980s and they’d never had a problem with someone stealing. Even though the business wasn’t nearly as large as the Dunlap’s, Renee was confident that her sister Patrice and her husband Jacques, who had expanded the brand and managed the day-to-day, would never steal from the company.
She watched as his face contorted while he spoke about his brother. “Patrick, remember when you asked me to help with the marketing?”
He nodded. “Yes, I’d come to your office that day to have a meeting about it when Julia revealed my identity.”
Renee waved her hand in dismissal. “Right. Anyway, I’d already started drafting a plan.”
“Great. Once I get my father’s financial affairs in order and work things out with my brother, you and I can move forward.” He hugged her. “I can’t let my father’s blood, sweat, and tears die with him. At the rate my brother was going, the death of the company would have been imminent.”
Renee glanced at the big clock on the wall. “Do you think my car will be okay at the church this long? It’s getting late.”
“Yes, it should be. I thought you’d stay here with me tonight and I can take you to get it in the morning.”
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