Into Each Life

by Shelia E. Bell

  Ruth found herself in a dilemma when Ralph asked her to marry him. Fifty years old and he was now ready to get hitched. She had to be careful because the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him. He meant too much to her for that. But she couldn’t accept his proposal of marriage. She would be cheating herself if she did.

  “Ralph, I care about you. I really do,” Ruth started. As a matter of fact, I care about you a lot. But I…”

  “I know, you can’t marry me,” he said, finishing her sentence. “You don’t love me in that way. I know that Ruth. But we’re not getting any younger. I mean, look here woman. You know we’re good for each other. I’ll do whatever I can to make you happy for as long as we both live. You know that.”

  “I know you will. But you deserve more. You deserve someone who wants to make you happy too. That’s not me, Ralph. I can’t give my all to a man anymore. I just can’t. Solumun will always have my all. Now maybe you don’t understand that since he’s dead, but if you ever find that soul mate, that special one, then you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.”

  “Ruth, I do understand where you’re coming from. But won’t you just give me a chance. We can do this. I know we can,” Ralph pleaded with her.

  “No, we can’t. I know I haven’t been true to my faith over the years. But that doesn’t mean that I condone the kind of relationship we have. What we’ve done is a sin, Ralph. I know it and you know it. How can I call myself a Christian when I’m sleeping around with you? How can I keep on doing this?”

  “Ruth, listen to me,” Ralph said in an attempt to try to reason with her.

  “No, let me finish.” She put two fingers against his thin lips. “We aren’t children. Either we get married or we don’t. To be honest, I’m not ready to marry you or any one for that matter, Ralph. I don’t know if I’ll ever be.”

  After what seemed liked an eternity of silence, Ralph finally spoke. “You’re a heck of a woman.” He kissed her gently and rose from the sofa. “I guess you’re ready to leave now.”

  “Yes, I think that would be best. Do you mind?” Ruth said, rising off the couch as well.

  “I’m a big boy. I can’t say that I’m not disappointed, because I am. But I respect you for being honest and I really do understand.”

  Several minutes later, they pulled up at Ruth’s house. “Can I at least walk you to your door?” Ralph asked, smiling, but serious at the same time.

  “Sure you can, come on.” They moved down the trail in silence until they reached her front door. She turned to the side and looked over at him.

  With a hint of sadness on his face he returned her stare. “I’m leaving now. You know I won’t be back, not after this. I just can’t come back.”

  “I understand, believe me I do. But we’ll both be all right. You’ll see. You’re a good man, Ralph Gordon. Your day will come. When it does, make sure you send me an invitation.” They hugged each other like the best of friends often do. He walked away, not once looking back. Ruth unlocked the door, stepped inside and closed the door behind her. Strolling to her bedroom, she grabbed her remote off the dresser, turned on the TV and began to laugh when she saw the odd looking couple on the Jerry Springer show.

  Three months later, she took Fantasia up on her offer and retired from the hospital, packed her bags and moved to Belleaf.

  chapter 26

  New Birth

  “Come right this way, Mr. Phillips,” Ruth said. “I’ll show you to Fantasia’s office.”“Please, call me William,” he insisted.

  “This way then, William.” Ruth led him down the long, winding corridor that was expertly lined with African American art, abstracts, pastels, and Fantasia’s infamous heart pieces.

  William prayed that Ruth could not hear the heavy pounding of his heart. What was going on with him? He didn’t understand how this woman was having such a tantalizing affect on him.

  God, I sure hope he doesn’t notice how nervous he’s making me,” Ruth thought to herself. I’m as excited as two toads on a lilly pad with a pile full of June bugs. She let out a soft giggle.

  “Did you say something, Mrs. Runsome?” William asked her as they continued down the corridor.

  “Oh, no, I was just clearing my throat. It’s a little scratchy.” Thank God, she thought when they approached the entrance to Fantasia’s office.

  “Here we are, William. And by the way, please call me Ruth.”

  “My pleasure,” he replied.

  “Fantasia, William Phillips is here.”

  Fantasia immediately looked up from her desk, eyeing both her mother and William Phillips. She could swear that the both of them had a flushed look about themselves, like they had been caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar or something.

  “Mr. Phillips, how nice it is to finally meet you in person. It’s great to see the man behind the scenes, the one who loves my art but who for some reason has refused to grace me with the pleasure of meeting in person- until now.”

  “The pleasure is mine as well. And by all means, call me William,” he said with a dashing smile.

  “Okay, I shall, William,” Fantasia answered with a pleasant smile of her own. “Please, won’t you have a seat?” Gesturing with her hands, she directed him to another area of her office. Approaching the round office table and chairs, William pulled out one for Fantasia then looked over his shoulder as if beckoning for Ruth.

  “No, I’m afraid I won’t be joining you at this time,” Ruth explained. Ruth took this as the perfect opportunity to excuse herself. “I have tons of paperwork and phone calls to finish. I’m going to my office, Fantasia.”

  “Alright, Mother,” Fantasia replied.

  “It was nice meeting you, Mr. Phillips. I mean, William,” Ruth said, correcting herself.

  “Surely this won’t be our last meeting.” He paused a moment before mouthing under his breath so Ruth couldn’t hear him, “you can rest assured of that, Miss Runsome.”

  Fantasia gave her mother a wink on the sly as if saying, you go girl.

  ♦

  “Mrs. Runsome, Mr. Phillips on line two please,” the gallery receptionist’s voice echoed over the intercom.

  “Good morning, William,” Ruth said, politely, while smiling on the other end. “How are you this morning?”

  “I’m doing great, and yourself?” William replied, cheerfully.

  “I’m good. How can I help you?”

  “I thought I should call to confirm that we’re still on for this evening’s planning session. You know the annual charity ball is only a few months away.”

  “It’ll be here before we know it,” Ruth agreed.

  “Right you are, and we still have a long way to go before we finalize the plans about the roles both our companies are going to play.”

  “Yes, I know. So of course we’re still on. You know you could have just had your assistant to follow up with ours.”

  William paused momentarily. Her response made him feel somewhat awkward because she was right. What she didn’t know was that he had made it a point to call her himself. Every since he met her that day, he couldn’t get her off his mind. The day Fantasia contacted him, asking if he would work with her mother on the charity ball, was the best suggestion he’d received in a long time. But now, talking to Ruth this morning, William didn’t want to do or say anything that would put this woman on the defensive. He didn’t want to make any unwelcome moves. He missed his wife, but like his sons often told him, it was time to move on, to take the next step forward in his life. Lois would have wanted him to.

  “William? William, are you still there?” Ruth called out. She had been talking to him, and for the past few seconds, she hadn’t heard a thing over the phone line.

  “Yes, I’m still here. I was thinking about what you said. You’re right. I could have asked my assistant to call the gallery but I had some free time myself and she’s going to be coming in late this morning, so I decided to go ahead and call. That is all right with you isn’t it?”
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br />   “Sure, I just know how busy you are so I wouldn’t want you to bother with matters that can be taken care of by someone else. You do understand what I mean, don’t you?”

  “Yes, but I have a confession to make.”

  “I’m all ears.”

  He hesitated. “I wanted to call personally.”

  She listened intently while her stomach churned.

  “Ruth?” William said.

  “Yes,” Ruth answered.

  “Did you hear me?”

  “Yes, I heard you, William.”

  “Like I said, I thought I’d call personally.” He treaded as cautiously as he knew how. “I wanted to know if instead of meeting here at my office, if you’d like to discuss plans over dinner?”

  “I mean,” he stuttered, "I, I uh thought it would be something different.” He shut his eyes real tight and said a prayer that Ruth would not think him too brass or forward. Just let her say yes, he prayed.

  “That’s a great idea. Where do you want me to meet you?”

  “I have an off site meeting scheduled for later this afternoon. I should be finished with it by six. If you like, I can pick you up after that. I can come by the gallery or your place, or wherever you’re going to be. Tell me where and I’ll be there, say around seven?”

  “Seven’s fine. You can pick me up at my condo. My address is 3290 N. Guifford in Charles Village.”

  Certainly. I’ll be there at seven,” William responded while he wrote down her address. His penmanship was somewhat shaky as he came to the realization that he had succeeded in making plans to have dinner with the most attractive woman he’d seen in a long time.”

  “Any ideas as to where we’ll dine?” Ruth asked.

  “I thought we’d go to Hampton’s.”

  “Hampton’s? My, I’m impressed. You couldn’t have chosen a better place. Their food is simply heavenly. So I guess I’ll see you later this evening. Bye for now.”

  “Goodbye, Ruth. Have a good day. I’ll see you tonight.”

  When Ruth hung up the phone, she jumped from behind the oblong walnut desk and let out a low scream.

  “Ooohhh. I’ve met the man. Ooohhh,” she screamed underneath her breath.

  Throughout the course of the day, she could hardly keep her excitement hidden. She strolled proudly through the gallery all day with a big smile etched widely across her round, dimpled face. Ruth was quite a looker as some men had been known to describe her. The years had definitely been kind to her. Her deep dimpled cheeks were encased by her flawless mocha colored skin. Every strand of her thick, curly hair was in place. She was usually somber looking and pensive but not today. No, today was a record breaker for Ruth. Even Taiwan, the gallery receptionist, stared at Ruth in awe of her perky attitude. It wasn't that Ruth was mean or anything, but she was always about business, never showing that she had a personal side. She was friendly and courteous, but she never asked anyone about their personal affairs and no one was to ask about hers was the unspoken rule of thumb around the gallery.

  ♦

  “Yes,” William screeched, raising his closed fist up and down in a swift motion that signified he’d crossed over his first hurdle. He felt doggone good about it too. He let out another yelp and a laugh at the thought that he finally had asked her out.

  “Well, I mean I did tell her it was going to be a business meeting,” he mumbled. I don’t guess that constitutes as a date. But who cares? We’re going to dinner, so what the heck. I’m calling it a date.

  Unlike Ruth, William was a jovial boss who was personable with his staff and always concerned about what was going on in each of their lives.

  “Mr. Phillips, is everything okay?" His assistant had a look of concern plastered across her face when she asked.

  “Yes, everything is fine,” William answered. “Why, do I look like something’s wrong?”

  “I guess I’ll have to answer yes to that question, Mr. Phillips. I’ve been standing here calling your name for about thirty seconds and not once did you look up. You’ve were sitting there staring out the window with a strange look on your face.”

  “Oh that. I guess I’m just thinking happy thoughts this morning,” he jovially responded. He rose from his high backed leather chair, strolled over to the table where coffee and water were always readily available and poured himself a fresh cup of decaf.

  “Would you like some?” He offered his assistant.

  “No, thank you, Mr. Phillips. I just wanted to let you know that I was here. Do you need anything, sir?”

  “No, not at the moment.” He paused. “On second thought, I do. Will you make sure I have the files pertaining to the charity gala before lunch? I need to look over them. Also, call Hampton’s and make reservations for two please. I’d like you to reserve one of their private dining rooms. I have an important engagement this evening with Mrs. Runsome from Trinity Three Art Gallery. Make the reservations for eight o’clock.”

  “I’ll get on it right away, sir.” She turned to walk away and smiled. She had an idea that her boss had a liking for Ruth Runsome and she was happy for him. She’d witnessed the loneliness on his face from day to day. Women from his company were after him like a dog after a bone, but he wouldn’t bite. He made a habit of attending galas like the charity ball solo. He’d arrive early and leave even earlier. Maybe the beginning of something good in his life was about to take place. He had certainly suffered his share of pain.

  ♦

  With the perfect blend of contemporary and classic design, richly lacquered panels, subtle ambiance and soft lights, Hampton’s was nestled in the heart of downtown Belleaf. Its reputation for excellent American cuisine complemented its exquisite beauty. Ruth and William had barely made their entrance into the restaurant when they were greeted by a tuxedo dressed host.

  “Good evening, Mr. Phillips, Madam, the host remarked. “Right this way,” he gestured with one hand, leading to the private dining room. “Your dining area is ready, sir.”

  “It’s been some time since I’ve been here,” Ruth told William as they entered the private area of the four star restaurant. “Everything is lovely,” Ruth complimented.

  “I’m glad you approve of my choice,” William smiled. His eyebrows perked and his eyes seductively lingered on her. “I must tell you again, Ruth that you look absolutely stunning this evening.”

  “Thank you.” She smiled with added confidence and assurance.

  Ruth was especially glad she’d chosen a Badgley Mischka wine silk, off-the-shoulder designer dress with capped sleeves. The delicate gathers around the top of the dress and along the hem formed a diamond like pattern, framing her curves perfectly. The sash around her waist further exuded the ultimate femininity of Ruth Runsome, and it showed in every step she took.

  Ruth and William laughed and talked with ease while dining on roasted veal with ginger spiced apples and champagne.

  “I like the ideas you’ve presented for the gala. Teaming up with you, I see, is really going to pay off,” Ruth said.

  William raised an eyebrow before replying, “I have a sneaky suspicion that the pleasure of working along side you is going to be all mine,” he countered.

  Ruth blushed and basked in William’s smile that highlighted his silvery mustache and porcelain veneers. She acknowledged his response with a business question.

  “What do you think our next step should be?” she asked.

  “I think we should follow your suggestions and send out sponsorship letters right away. What I’d add to that is advertising the gala through TV and radio spots.” He looked over at her empty glass. “Would you like more champagne, dessert, anything?”

  “No, I can’t eat another morsel and I’m afraid if I drink any more champagne, I’ll forget the reason we’re here.”

  “Fine, no problem.”

  They chatted for almost two hours before Ruth brought their time together to an end.

  “William, it’s been fun and informative too. I think we covered a lot of
ground tonight, don’t you?” Ruth asked him.

  “Yes, I agree. Tomorrow morning I’ll have my assistant to type up our notes and courier them to you. We’ll go from there after you’ve had a chance to review them.”

  “Sir is there anything else I can get for you?” the waiter asked as he approached the table.

  “No, everything was fine,” William replied. “I’ll have the check now please.”

  William paid the $185 check, leaving a generous tip. He proceeded to take Ruth home. Seventeen minutes later they arrived at her tri-level condo.

  “Thanks for a lovely evening,” Ruth said, staring at William as she spoke. She couldn’t seem to take her eyes off of him. The physical attraction was far too strong. She cleared her throat and gathered her wine sequined clutch bag as she readied herself to exit the car.

  William zeroed in on her long, svelte legs. He hated the evening had to end. What I wouldn’t give to taste those sensuous looking lips of hers, he thought to himself. I bet she’s soft as a ball of cotton. I’d better end this evening. I don’t think I can continue acting like a gentleman; this woman is too fine and sexy.

  “Hold up, I’ll get the door,” he offered, rushing over to her side of the car. Opening the door to the Lincoln, he reached out his hand to help her. Her hands were smooth and soft, just like he knew they would be. “Let me walk you to your door.”

  “No, that won’t be necessary, William.”

  “Please, allow me. The pleasure would be mine.”

  Ruth blushed again. He sure knows the right words to say. Lord, have mercy. Control yourself, girl, control yourself, she gave herself instructions. “Goodnight,” she said as she reached the door.