He couldn’t believe his luck—of all the days he’d gone to Bevy for a drink, he chose tonight. With his drink halfway to his lips, he paused when he noticed the lady sitting with her sisters. They were celebrating something, with their champagne flutes held up in the air in a celebratory toast.
“Faith McClendon,” he whispered to the air.
When did she get back? How long would she be here? They were the two questions that immediately popped into his head as he studied her from afar. He had no idea she was even in town, and wondered if she would have told him anyway that she would be coming. Maybe his eyes were deceiving him and it wasn’t really her, because it had been several years since they’d seen each other. But even with the flashing neon and dim lighting, he’d recognize those beautiful features anywhere.
He watched closely as she took a sip from her glass before throwing her head back in laughter, proving that she was truly enjoying herself. Her long hair now caressed the sides of her perfectly oval face, and immediately he wanted to go over and rejoice with them.
Turning left and right the short glass filled with a popular premium brand of vodka, Michael contemplated whether or not he should go over and say hello. At one time, Faith had been his most trusted friend and confidante. The only person in the world he’d ever told his secrets to…all but one. The fact that he’d been in love with Faith since they were adolescents wasn’t something he wanted to reveal to her at that time. Never wanting to take the chance of losing her friendship, he’d kept quiet.
But one summer while he worked in New York as an artist in residence at a community college, Michael ran into her in Central Park and his biggest fear came true. He suffered a devastating blow when his precious Faith announced that she was getting married in the fall. That fateful day, Michael lost his love and his friend to another man.
Since Faith valued his opinion, she asked him to spend the weekend with her and her fiancé because, as she put it, she wanted her fiancé, Kevin, to get to know her dearest friend.
Disappointed and hurt, Michael hid his true feelings for her and agreed to her request because she would always matter to him, married or not. But when he discovered that he didn’t care for the man his dear friend had fallen in love with, he knew he had a problem.
Michael had to think through carefully his opinion of Kevin Harrington, to be sure that it wasn’t based on selfishness. He told himself that his dislike for the tall, well-dressed investment banker wasn’t because he’d be taking Faith away from him, but because of the arrogant and unrelenting behavior Michael saw in him. He would have told Kevin about himself, but out of respect for Faith, he didn’t bother. It would only cause confusion and he didn’t want Faith to have a problem with her fiancé because of him.
A woman like Faith deserved a man who would love and cherish her, but the only thing Michael felt as he observed the couple those three days was that Kevin was only out for himself and what he could get. Faith was tall, slender and beautiful, thus would look good on any man’s arm.
By the end of the weekend, Michael had deduced that Kevin didn’t have a heart and if he did, it only beat a couple of times a year. He just wasn’t a good man—at least not good enough for Faith.
Michael dreaded telling Faith his truth about how he felt about Kevin and at first hoped that maybe she wouldn’t ask him to reveal his thoughts about her fiancé. But Michael knew better because for many years he had been Faith’s confidant. When it came to matters of the heart she valued his opinion.
Once he and Faith were alone at a little restaurant in the village near her luxurious apartment, she asked him what he thought of Kevin. She was so giddy and her eyes sparkled with excitement.
Michael didn’t want to answer, but he knew she wouldn’t back down. He gave her his honest opinion about the arrogant, self-centered, controlling and greedy man. A person who didn’t deserve Faith’s love and support, but she was so eager and willing to give it to him.
Even though Michael knew Faith would be disappointed in what he had to tell her, he never imagined her reaction would be so mean and hurtful. He could still hear her stern voice accusing him of being jealous because she’d finally found true love and he had not, further damaging Michael’s already scarred heart.
In fact, Michael had found love with a woman whom he loved with all his heart. The problem was Faith didn’t know that it was she whom he loved. Deep within his heart, Michael recognized that he was right about Kevin, but was disappointed that after asking for his opinion, Faith didn’t heed his warnings. She didn’t want to hear another word about Kevin.
Michael wasn’t asking her to choose between him and her fiancé, but it was evident that she’d chosen Kevin when she walked out of the restaurant. And without another word between them, she left him to process his own thoughts, wondering if he could have handled the situation better.
It was the truth, Kevin only cared about himself, and after that day, he wouldn’t speak to Faith again nor would he be included on the guest list of her upcoming wedding. He didn’t mind that so much because he didn’t want to witness her making the biggest mistake of her life.
Today was the first time Michael had laid eyes on Faith since that day.
Pretty soon, he noticed the sisters were walking away from the table, leaving Faith alone. It was a sign.
Gripping the edge of the table, Michael swung his legs around and drained the glass, placing it back on the table. He stood, rubbed his hands together and threw caution to the wind. With deliberate steps, he walked over to Faith’s table.
“She’s beautiful,” Michael whispered as he moved closer to her, his pulse racing with anticipation of their impromptu reunion. There she is, in the flesh, he thought to himself. The woman who’d captured his heart and had never been far from his thoughts since they were teenagers was right in front of him.
“I don’t believe it,” Michael said, approaching the table. “I thought I was hallucinating at first,” he said, then stretched his arms out.
Faith looked up at him and Michael hadn’t realized that he was holding his breath until she slid from the booth and into his arms. He wrapped them around her, feeling her step closer to him, resting her head against his shoulder like she used to do. This was his friend from way back; he’d known her for twenty-five of his thirty-one years. They used to do everything together, he had even taken her to her senior prom, and right now hugging her felt so good.
Once she stepped back, breaking the embrace, his eyes absorbed her beauty. Her deep-brown eyes shined brightly in the light, and his gaze fell on her lips and lingered there for a while. She always had full, kissable lips that he’d hoped one day to sample. He leaned down, kissed her silken cheek as the alluring fragrance of her perfume lingered in his nostrils.
“Faith, it is so good to see you,” Michael said, gazing into her eyes.
“Mikey, it’s been a long time,” Faith said, retaking her seat.
Swiping his hand over his curly hair— “Wow, no one has called me Mikey in a while.” He extended his hand to the empty seat across from her, silently asking if he could sit down.
“Oh, please have a seat,” Faith said, moving her sisters’ drinks out of the way.
The sultry sound of her voice was soothing to him; he couldn’t take his eyes off her lips. He was relieved and excited that she seemed genuinely glad to see him.
“It looked like you guys were celebrating something. I noticed everybody with their glasses raised,” he said.
“I’m back.”
“Back? Where’s Kevin? Shouldn’t he be celebrating with you?” Michael had to ask that question since he’d been wondering about the man she called her husband ever since he spotted her earlier.
“Kevin and I are through.”
Michael was a little taken aback by her statement and hoped his facial expression didn’t reveal his happiness over their breakup. Even thoug
h it wasn’t good when marriages dissolved, in her case, he was pleased that Kevin was finally out of Faith’s life.
Michael wanted to give her his contact information, but didn’t know if she was still caught up with her ex. Would he be starting something he’d regret, and have it end up like the last time?
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his business card anyway and handed it to her. “Here’s my card. I’d love to catch up on old times. I’d like to take you out…as a friend,” he said, correcting himself. He didn’t want her to think that he was hitting on her, since he had no idea if she was even ready to start dating.
Faith accepted the card. “I need a friend,” Faith admitted with a smile forming on her lips. She stared down at the card for a few seconds before looking back at him.
“Give me a call when you get home tonight.” Michael didn’t want to waste any time; he wanted to reconnect with her as soon as he possibly could. He was happy to supply her with moral support or whatever she needed, which was something he used to do all the time.
“I may not get home until late,” Faith said.
Michael reached across the table and laid his hand on top of hers. “I’ll always make time for you.”
Michael saw Patrice, Jennifer and Renee returning to the table first, so he stood up. He’d always liked all the McClendons, but the sisters were the most fun to watch. They could capture a man’s attention without even trying and tonight they—especially one in particular—had captured his.
“Hey, Mikey,” they said in unison.
“No, it’s Michael, girls,” Faith said, correcting them.
“Well, excuse me, Michael,” Patrice said.
Michael chuckled and shook his head. He knew, if anybody had something smart to say, it would be Patrice. He had to admit the woman was beautiful, but, boy, did she have a mouth on her.
“Ladies, lovely as ever,” Michael said, giving each of them a kiss on the cheek.
“You don’t have to leave on our account,” Patrice said, sliding onto the chair next to Faith.
“Thanks, but I was just getting ready to leave. I stopped in and had a drink.”
“We see your mom all the time, but you haven’t been around,” Jennifer said.
Michael hadn’t been on their block in several weeks because he’d been so busy, only seeing his mother at church on Sundays, when he could make it. If he had gone home, he probably would have known that Faith was back in town. Pushing his hands down into his pockets, he said, “I know. My schedule has been so hectic.”
“I’m sure since Faith is back we’ll see you more often now, right?” Jennifer asked, smiling as she looked between Michael and her sister.
A smile touched the corners of his lips as he winked at Faith, causing her sisters’ eyes to dart in her direction.
Renee sat in the chair across from Faith and Patrice and patted the empty seat next to her. “You sure you don’t want to join us?”
Michael bent over and kissed Renee’s cheek. “No, Renee, thanks so much for the offer, but I just couldn’t leave without coming over to see my girl.” He kissed Jennifer’s cheek as she stood next to him, then Patrice’s before giving Faith another wink. “Don’t forget to call me,” he said, his lips curled into a smile, and he left the table.
Patrice shook her head before glancing from Jennifer to Renee, and then finally to Faith. “Was it my imagination or did Mikey wink at Faith?”
Faith rolled her eyes and released a groan because she knew that Patrice had come to a conclusion that wasn’t real and she wasn’t going to let it go. “It was just a wink, Treecie,” Faith said.
“Looked like more than a wink to me.” Patrice peeped at her other sisters who sat quietly. “Y’all saw that, I know you did. It’s not that dark in here.”
“They’ve been friends forever, Treecie,” Jennifer said.
“Right, and I’m sure that wasn’t the first time that Michael has done that to Faith,” Renee said.
“You know how Michael is, Patrice,” Faith said, hoping that her sister would drop it and they could continue with their celebration. Michael had always been a playful, fun-loving guy, so there was no need to make something out of nothing.
Patrice smacked her lips, rolled her eyes and picked up the champagne bottle. “Okay, y’all want to play me like that. We’ll see what happens.” She poured a half glass of champagne and Faith was so glad they could move on, but she had a sneaking suspicion that wasn’t going to be the end of it.
Michael slid behind the wheel of his late model sport-utility vehicle, punched the Engine button, shifted the car into Drive and eased out of his parking space and onto the street. With his windows down, he turned on his favorite satellite radio station and maneuvered along the side streets before turning off on Seventy-Ninth and Halsted. As he approached the ramp to Interstate 94, he took a quick glance to be sure it was safe to enter, then pressed the accelerator of his steel-gray Jeep Grand Cherokee and hit the freeway.
Listening to the quiet-storm musical programming on his favorite satellite radio station, his thoughts turned to Faith and the hug she had given him. She’d always given the best hugs, he remembered, with her arms around his neck or waist each time, squeezing him gently like she cared only about him. Seeing her tonight was the highlight of his evening and the change of her marital status was a dream come true. There had to be a really serious reason for Faith to have split up with Kevin, since she had always been loyal, almost to a fault. But, no matter what the reason, he hoped Kevin’s tragic loss would be his glorious gain.
Michael was excited about her letting bygones be bygones, and hopefully he and Faith could get their relationship back on track. Her agreeing to dinner was a step in the right direction, so he would wait to see what happened next. With that flashback, he realized just how much he’d missed her these last few years.
Michael turned on the 1900 block of Belmont Avenue in a very established area in the Roscoe Village neighborhood where he lived. He loved the convenience of living within easy access to nearby restaurants, coffee shops and grocery stores. Having leased the top-floor apartment had its advantages as well, with the open floor plan and amenities. Pulling up in front of the brown-brick, three-story multi-unit building, which sat behind a decorative black wrought-iron gate and housed two other families besides Michael, he parked his car and went inside.
Michael dropped his keys on the granite countertop as he walked through to his bedroom, taking his shoes off first, then his socks. Removing the loose change from his pocket, he dropped it in a container on the dresser, before removing his clothes, walking barefoot across the Brazilian cherry floor to the adjoining bath.
After showering, he picked up a bath sheet and patted himself dry, slipped on a clean T-shirt and pajama bottoms before putting all of his dirty clothes and towels into the hamper as he walked to the kitchen.
He took an imported bottle of beer from the fridge, headed to the sitting area to relax in his favorite comfortable leather recliner. Turning on the television, using the remote control, he pressed the buttons so that he could watch ESPN’s SportsCenter. Even though his favorite anchor, Stuart Scott, had recently passed away, the show had great commentary, so he still watched it every evening when he could.
Just as he got in to the program, he dozed off until his phone started beeping, jerking him out of sleep.
“Hello”—his voice groggy.
“Michael?”
After hearing the sultry sound of Faith’s voice, Michael was wide-awake. Pushing his chair into an upright position, he shifted the phone to his other ear. “Hey, you.”
“Did I wake you?” Faith asked.
“No, I’m just sitting here,” he lied. He didn’t want her to think that she was interrupting something. This conversation was more important than any sleep he could want to have. He’d go to sleep after he secured his date.
“I have some other stuff lined up for next week, but I’m free tomorrow night.”
“Great, tomorrow works for me too,” Michael said in return. A smile touched the corners of his lips as he considered being with Faith again. “How about we go to Gibsons?”
“I love that place.”
Michael knew that it had been one of her favorite places to eat, which is why he suggested it. He felt things would go more smoothly if she was in a comfortable environment. They’d gone there a time or two before anyway. He had heard the smile in her voice, which made him feel that so far he was doing everything right. “I’ll make reservations. What time is good for you?”
“Seven o’clock works for me, how about you?”
“Sure, I’ll pick you up at six,” he said.
Michael heard Faith release a yawn. “I see somebody’s getting sleepy.”
“I am actually, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I look forward to it,” Michael said before hanging up the phone.
Satisfied with his accomplishment, he turned off the television and walked into his bedroom so he could get some sleep. Hopefully, when he closed his eyes, the face he’d see would be Faith’s…at least until tomorrow.
Chapter Three
Michael got up the next morning ready to get his work done at the studio, in anticipation of being with Faith later on that evening. He called and made the dinner reservations for seven o’clock at Gibsons and went about his day.
After work, he went home quickly to find something to wear. Being meticulous about his clothing had never been something Michael worried about, but this dinner was different. He wanted to look his best. He’d gone through his closet several times, mixing and matching pieces in order to find the right outfit for the occasion. Choosing several combinations of casual or dress slacks, long- or short-sleeved shirts—or jeans—he didn’t know which look he wanted.
A McClendon Thanksgiving Page 2