How Sweet It Is
Page 17
She stood and kissed him soundly on the cheek. “Thank you for all your help.”
Brad nuzzled her neck. “I’d rather have kisses anyway.”
Delphine became aware of her disheveled state, knowing for a fact she looked hideous in the morning. She gave him a little push. “I need to go home and clean up before starting work.”
“Me, too,” he said, rubbing his chin. “Couldn’t find razors and shaving cream in your bathroom.”
She laughed. “Really. I’ll have to correct that.”
Brad turned and shut down the computer. “I’m also suspicious that this isn’t the first time you’ve spent the night here.” He held up his hand and ticked each finger. “Blanket and pillow on the couch, dental hygiene and hair products in the bathroom, along with several changes of clothes hanging on the back of the door.”
Delphine shrugged and spread her hands in a gesture of acquiescence. “Sometimes I work late and fall asleep. Sometimes I just don’t want to go home.”
He walked up to her and gave her a long hug, silently communicating comfort in a way she wasn’t used to. She closed her eyes and squeezed him back.
Finally, Delphine withdrew from his arms and went into the small cramped bathroom next to her office. She frowned at her sleepy expression. Ugh. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she dragged a comb through her hair.
She also noticed that Brad had made himself comfortable while he worked through the night. She shook her head at the new toothbrush in the holder, pilfered from the small stash of toiletries she kept under the sink.
Smoothing down her blouse, Delphine took a deep breath and exited the bathroom.
Brad smiled at her. “Ready?”
She nodded and followed him out the back of the shop. Locking it up behind her, she turned and smiled up at him, amazed that a mere twenty-four hours before, her life seemed mired in despair.
Brad placed his hands against the door on either side of her head. “You look adorable in the morning.”
Delphine wrinkled up her nose. “That can’t be possible. I know what I look like in the morning.”
“You look extremely kissable, too,” he went on, unhindered.
Before she could stop him, Brad lowered his head and caught her lips in a kiss. Her last coherent thought before succumbing to a wave of love was that her neighbors were probably getting quite an eyeful.
****
Stephan pulled into the parking space and turned off the ignition of Minnie's car. At the same time, he heard her gasp.
“It worked, Stephan! They’re back together!”
It took a moment for Stephan to realize who she was referring to. Since going home after helping Minnie the previous night, he’d only thought about her.
He focused his attention on a couple near the back door of the shop. His jaw slowly unhinged when he saw his boss being thoroughly kissed by the has-been surfer dude from the Internet site.
Stephan quickly gathered his wits and put his hand over Minnie’s eyes. She was too young and tender to witness such a spectacle.
“Stop it!” she screamed and dragged his hand away. “Oh, it’s so romantic!”
Apparently unaware they were being watched, Delphine and her boyfriend walked off down the alley, arm in arm, until they rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.
“Well!” Stephan sniffed. “Seems our boss has found more important things than work! Good thing I have a key to the shop!”
Minnie launched from the car, she marched around to the driver’s side and stood staring at him with a martial glint in her eye. “How can you say that? Didn’t you learn anything last night?”
Alarmed by her sudden behavior, Stephan racked his brain for what she might mean. The only thing he could remember was how nice it was to be kissed by her. Had there been anything else?
His silence apparently wasn’t what Minnie wanted to hear. She strode to the back door and yelled over her shoulder, “Oh, hurry up and whatever you do, don’t forget your precious key!”
Seventeen
Brad dropped Delphine off at her apartment, then headed home after agreeing to meet back up at the shop. Tired but happy, she stopped at the mailbox before going upstairs to her place.
Inside her door, she once again felt saddened by the tomb-like silence of the place. The sunlight from the kitchen window couldn’t quite penetrate the gloomy shadows shrouding the room. It even smelled lonely, cold, and sterile. Coming home to a place that used to be inhabited by her noisy, jovial parents made it difficult to be here when it was so empty. She walked over and turned on the floor lamp.
Blowing out a sigh, she sorted through the mail, and smiled at a postcard sent by her mom picturing the crumbling ruins of a French chateau amid rolling hills. The postcard didn’t say anything on the back, but she knew her mom had meant well by getting it in the mail to her.
Aside from several bills, Delphine found an envelope from the insurance company she’d contacted at her mother’s request. She stared at the envelope that, in a way, represented her father’s death. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she wondered if it was the policy payout. When she’d notified them, she hadn’t asked about the amount, as it seemed a greedy thing to do. Besides, she knew it would be worth very little.
Delphine opened the envelope and took out a check. After staring at the dollar figure, she staggered to the couch and collapsed.
Twenty-five thousand dollars!
Tears sprang to her eyes. She felt mean and grubby and guilty at the relief surging like a tsunami through her. The amount could easily pay off the loan, the funeral, and even her airline ticket. But at what a cost! Her poor Papa.
“I hate money!” she yelled into the silent room. She breathed hard, clenching the check in her clammy hands, hating the turmoil of anguish and relief. Money held too much sway over people, over her. Delphine closed her eyes and cried.
Several minutes later, she wiped the tears from her face, reminding herself the money was not hers, but her mother’s. After checking the time, she made the call to France. Once Clarice heard the details, her mother firmly told Delphine she must use the money to settle her debts.
“But you are the beneficiary, Maman,” Delphine said, gripping the phone. “Papa meant this for you.”
“I have no needs here, ma chèrie. Josephine takes great care of me. Let me know what it will take for you to cash the check and then do what you will with it. Perhaps for your business, non?”
Delphine stifled a sob. “Oui, Maman,” she whispered. “Oui.”
After finishing her conversation, she hung up the phone, still in shock. As she distractedly sifted through the remaining mail, she saw a letter from Delta. Inside was a refund check and an abject apology for her inconvenience.
What timing.
Delphine showered and dressed, all the while in a kind of daze, hardly able to believe her financial burden was about to be lifted. She wanted to call Brad and tell him the news, but at the same time, decided if he knew about the money, he wouldn’t let her pay off her debts the way she wanted.
The phone rang. Brad! She missed him already. Delphine tripped in her haste to answer it. She yanked the receiver off the base. “Hello?”
“Delphine, how are you doing?”
She silently released a pent-up breath. “Fine, Mrs. Larsen. And you?”
“I’m doing good. I called to say thank you for the lovely card you sent.”
She tucked a damp curl behind her ear. “You’re welcome. Your family has been such a blessing to me, I wish I could do more than just send a card.”
They talked for several minutes about the shop. Delphine tried to wind up the conversation so she could get to Chez Chocolates and see Brad.
“We sure miss you. I want to invite you over to dinner soon. I know you’re getting ready to open the store, so check your calendar and let me know when a good time would be.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Larsen. I’d like that.”
“Oh! Brad’s ri
ght here and wants to talk to you.”
When he got on the phone, his voice warmed her to her toes.
“Hey, sweetie.”
“Hi.”
“Change of plans. I won’t be able to make it to the shop.”
“Oh.”
“I forgot about plans my dad had for me today. There’s a business owner he wants me to meet.” He lowered his voice. “If I get a job with this guy, I’ll still be able to help you out, okay?”
“Of course.” She tried hard to keep the disappointment out of her voice. Naturally, she couldn’t expect Brad to work for free, no matter his intentions.
“Believe me, I’d rather work for you.”
She laughed softly. “I understand, and you’ve already helped so much—”
“Delphine, don’t you dare write me off. I’ll be there—just a little less than before.”
“Okay, okay.” She smiled, imagining his determined expression. “You better not let me down. You are my best taste-tester.”
He chuckled. “The other part is that I’ll have some loose ends to take care of, so I might not get to come by for a few days.”
She gripped the phone. “No problem. I understand.”
He sighed. “I love you, Delphine.”
“I love you, too.”
After a few more minutes of chitchat, Delphine said goodbye and hung up the phone.
As she made her way out the door and to the bus stop, she attempted to rein in her churning emotions. Brad was not getting cold feet. She had nothing to worry about. She could be confident of his love and affection. He’d be back soon and everything would be okay.
Vraiment!
****
As Delphine knocked on the Larsen’s front door the day after cashing the check, she reflected that it was probably better that Brad was busy and away from home. He might interfere with her repayment plan and try to convince her that there was doubtless some tax advantage for his father if she defaulted on the loan.
She smiled to herself. I can easily imagine him saying just that.
The front door swung open. Brad’s mom smiled in welcome.
“Delphine! What a surprise! Please come in.”
“Hello, Mrs. Larsen,” she said, stepping into the foyer. A rush of fragrant smells—Mrs. Larsen’s floral perfume, the scent of fresh bread, and something lemony mingled in her nose.
Delphine shook the thought away. “Mrs. Larsen, I know your husband is out of town, but I have some business with him, and I was hoping I could do it through you.”
Brad’s mom touched the pearl pendant at her throat. “Business, dear? Are you sure it can’t wait? Bradley and Donald will be back tonight.”
“It’s very pressing, I’m afraid.”
She waved her hands in a way that reminded Delphine of her own mother. “Well, all right. What can I help you with?”
“I’m here to pay off the loan.”
Mrs. Larsen stared at her, her eyes wide. “I don’t understand. Is it due?”
Delphine shook her head, uncomfortably aware of the cashier’s check in her purse. “It’s not due, but I have the money to pay it back now and would like to do so.”
At the older woman’s continued puzzlement, she added, “I re-read the contract and there’s no pre-payment penalty. It would be very simple to figure up the per diem payoff amount.”
Mrs. Larsen took a deep breath. “You seem very determined.”
“I am.”
“Well, let me see what I can do. I’m not privy to Donald’s business arrangements anymore, but I can look in your file. Let’s go to his office.”
She followed Brad’s mother down the hall to a small room next to the den. French doors opened to a room containing a leather chair, heavy wooden desk, and wooden file cabinet. Potted plants and an upholstered side chair completed the space.
Mrs. Larsen reached for the phone. “Let me just call my husband. That way I can know just where to look.”
“Of course.” Delphine turned away. She spotted a picture on the opposite wall. She approached it and peered closely at the image of Brad with his family members. He wasn’t going to be happy when he found out what she’d done.
“Oh, dear,” Mrs. Larsen said. “Either his phone is off or he doesn’t have reception where he is.”
She turned back and smiled. “That’s okay. All I need is the total pay-off amount.”
Brad’s mom looked at the filing cabinet and pulled open the top drawer. “Let’s see what we can find.”
Delphine closed her eyes. Come on! She longed to have the task done, longed for the freedom from the crushing burden of debt, longed to be free from it for once and for all.
“Ah! Here it is!”
She opened her eyes to see Brad’s mom slide a file from the cabinet. She put it on the desk and opened it up. “Maybe you can peek at this and show me what to look for.”
Stepping over to the desk, Delphine skimmed the copy of the contract she’d signed. “If you have a calculator, I can figure the final amount.”
Mrs. Larsen opened the desk drawer and found a small calculator. She slid it across the desk.
Delphine punched in the numbers, figuring in the date and interest and arrived at the same number she’d come up with at home. “Do you want to double check this, Mrs. Larsen?” she asked, turning the calculator around for her inspection.
“Of course not, dear, I trust you completely. But I do have to ask why you’re doing this? Is anything wrong?” Her French manicured fingernails toyed with the pendant while her blue gaze, so like her son’s, begged for an explanation.
She smiled, hoping to reassure her. She needed to keep her impatience hidden or Brad’s mother might suspect something untoward.
“No, nothing like that. My father had a life insurance policy in force when he died—”
“You don’t need to say anymore, dear. Bless your heart.”
Delphine blinked away a sudden rush of tears. Keeping her eyes averted, she opened her purse and pulled out the check. “This is for the amount I figured.”
Brad’s mom took the check and put it in the file folder without looking at it.
“If you could please write me a receipt to show that the loan has been discharged.”
Nodding, Mrs. Larsen opened another drawer. “Years back I acted as Donald’s secretary, so I think I can remember how to do it.”
Delphine watched her write out the receipt and date stamp the loan. She replaced the file in the cabinet and shut the drawer before handing her the receipt.
Heart pounding, Delphine took the weightless slip of paper. The red capital letters PAID blurred before her eyes. A dry sob shook her frame.
Delphine sank into a chair. She was now debt-free, but it had personally cost her nothing.
That burden had fallen to her father.
****
Brad, edgy with impatience, scanned the freeway populated by cars that shimmered in the summer heat. I just want to get home!
His dad seemed distracted by the traffic, leaving him to plot and plan—and things were beginning to fall into place. The only wild card was the mercurial French girl who’d stirred up his life in ways he’d never imagined.
Now it was his turn to stir things up.
First, he now had a job with a large chain store selling office supplies, managing the ordering department. The meeting had gone well, he’d hit it off with the boss of the company and was offered a position, starting in two weeks. He had to admit it annoyed him how his dad practically frog-marched him to an interview with a business friend of his, but the position would be a good fit for now.
Thank you, Lord, for such a quick success.
He hoped Delphine really understood he wasn’t reneging on his plan to help out at the shop. Besides, he couldn’t move out until he was gainfully employed. One needed money for that kind of thing and he was flat broke at the moment.
He smiled as he thought of his current financial status. It hadn’t taken long to liquidate e
verything, and it had been more fun than he imagined. His smile faded. Hopefully Delphine will take it the right way.
Sure she will. She won’t have to worry about that loan.
Yeah, but she’s stubborn and proud. Might give you a French lecture on how to mind your own business.
He also looked forward to getting out on his own again. A summer was about as long as he could stand under his parents’ roof. The tug-of-war between his mom wanting him to stay and his dad giving him the boot got old after a while.
Besides, you can’t romance a girl properly while your mom is hovering with questions about a wedding.
The agent who told him of the shop for Delphine should be able to find him something reasonable until he could afford better. He’d call him that afternoon.
Next on the list—the check. His banker had called and told him the funds were ready to be picked up. By the end of the day, he could discharge Delphine’s debt and hopefully be the hero slaying the dragon—or facing it, depending on which way she reacted.
He imagined the way her expressive eyes would light up at the news—trying to ignore the more realistic probability that’d she’d be furious.
Well, tough. For once that woman is going to learn to accept a gift without a fuss!
The moment his dad pulled into the driveway, Brad made a hurried excuse, jumped out, and headed for his own car. He didn’t want to wait another second to pick up that money.
****
Brad walked through the front door. “I’m home!” He tossed his keys onto the hall table and looked forward to a hot shower, then going to see Delphine.
But first, business.
“In here, dear!”
He followed his mom’s voice where it issued from the den. When he crossed the threshold, he stopped abruptly. Delphine sat in a chair opposite the couch. The unexpected pleasure at seeing her faded as he noticed her tense expression. She offered him a small smile.