Dixie Belle

by Debby Mayne

  “At least it’s so small you won’t have to buy much furniture.”

  “Well, there is that,” Cissy conceded as they went back down in the shaky elevator.

  “I can take you curb shopping.”

  Cissy shot Charlene a puzzled look. “Curb shopping?”

  “Other people’s trash can be your treasure.” Charlene stood at the door. “I’ll try to stall the superintendent and say you have to get everything in order before you sign a lease.”

  “Thanks, Charlene. I’ll call you in the morning, okay?”

  As Cissy walked back to the office, she had a hard time pushing the image of Charlene’s look of dejection out of her mind. There was no way she could even consider moving into such a tiny apartment. And that smell. Hoo-eey, that place reeked. How could Charlene even suggest curb shopping? Somehow that just seemed all wrong. She was so deep in thought as she passed the building right before her destination she nearly bumped right smack dab into a rock-hard chest clad in a business suit.

  “Whoa, nice to run into you again so soon, Cissy.”

  Cissy looked up into the eyes of Tom Jenkins. Her breath caught in her throat. “I’m sorry. I had a lot on my mind.”

  “Like our date next week?” He grinned. “I’ll be waiting for your call.”

  Cissy wanted more than anything to set up their date, but Uncle Forest’s image popped into her head. She looked down at the sidewalk.

  “If you don’t want to go after all, I certainly understand,” he said softly. “I haven’t exactly given you the opportunity to tell me to get lost.”

  She jerked her head back up and looked him in the eye. “I want to go.”

  His slight grin widened to a big ol’ smile, showing off his gorgeous teeth with a slight overlap in the front. Man oh man oh man, he sure is good looking.

  “Then you will call?”

  “Um . . . ” What could she do short of lie to her uncle? He’d never agree to letting her go out with the man he called his enemy.

  “Will you?” he asked, his voice lowering almost to a whisper.

  Cissy knew exactly what she had to do, and it didn’t exactly involve an out-and-out lie. If Charlene could be happy in such a tiny apartment, so could she. She’d figure out a way to make that space work, and of course she’d do what Charlene did to get rid of the musty smell. “Yes, of course I will.”

  Seeing the look on his face made the stench and all the mac ’n cheese dinners she’d have to eat for the next year in order to pay the exorbitant rent for the hole-in-the-wall apartment worthwhile.

  “I should be getting back to Uncle Forest.” She looked up at his office, wondering if he could see them talking on the street.

  He hesitated then nodded. “I would like to have a talk with your uncle soon. It’s long overdue, and I want to explain a few things to him.”

  Cissy thought about Uncle Forest and the way he’d warned her away from Tom. “That might be difficult. He can be rather . . . stubborn.”

  “And he obviously holds grudges,” Tom added. “I can’t say I blame him after what happened.”

  “What exactly happened?”

  The smile faded from Tom’s face. “Just business.”

  Cissy tilted her head. “What do you mean by that?”

  “I had to do what was necessary to turn my company around.” He frowned. “I took over a failing business, and I don’t like to lose money.”

  Alarm bells sounded in Cissy’s head, but she forced herself to ignore them.

  He shrugged. “That was about four years ago, and we’ve both recovered. He needs to get over it.”

  So that explained her uncle’s attitude. “So you bought the company that almost put him out of business.”

  “Basically, yes, that’s pretty much it.”

  “Sorry, I’m sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong.” She tilted her head. “But I’m still curious. How did you get into selling sewing notions?”

  “I was working on Wall Street, and the stress started getting to me. I decided to get out, but since I was about to lose money on Sewing Notions Inc., one of my investments, I had a choice of staying on Wall Street or taking over and turning the business around.”

  This was a lot of information for Cissy to process. She decided not to pursue the conversation any longer for fear she might say too much or something she’d later regret.

  Tom glanced at his watch. “I have to run.”

  “I have to go too. Uncle Forest is waiting for me.”

  She lifted her chin and tried her best to adopt the sophisticated expression she’d seen on so many women over the past few days. However, one glance at her image in the window of her office building let her know it wasn’t working. She sighed. Did she have what it took to be an uptown belle, or would she forever feel like a ditzy chick from Dixie?

  Chapter 9

  WHAT TOOK YOU so long?” Uncle Forest asked when she arrived back at the office. “How bad was the apartment? Was it a dive?” He laughed. “I’m glad you got to see how expensive the city was so you could get that silly notion of moving out of your mind.”

  “It might seem silly to you, but . . . ” She inhaled and let out a shaky breath that she tried to disguise with a smile. “I’d like to take the apartment.”

  His eyes bulged. “What?”

  Cissy nodded. “It’s really not that bad, and it’s close enough to the office to walk. Charlene lives across the hall, so I’ll have someone to hang out with.”

  “Do you have any idea what your monthly expenses will be?”

  She mentioned the amount. “I know it’s a lot, but I think I can make it.” She swallowed hard. “What do you think?”

  “It’s about time you asked my opinion.” He looked thoughtful as his expression softened. “It will be tight. You won’t have a lot of wiggle room for extras, so if you were counting on adding to your collection of shoes and outfits, I’m afraid you’ll be mighty disappointed.” He paused. “And I hope you can live on rice and beans.”

  She nodded. “I don’t really eat that much.”

  “You know you can always come to our house. Your aunt Bootsie and I won’t let you starve to death.” He chuckled. “So you’re seriously considering taking the apartment?”

  “I think so.”

  “But—” He stopped himself. This was the first time she’d ever seen her uncle speechless. It broke her heart to be the one to make it happen, after what he’d done for her.

  “It’s really small, but that’s probably a good thing. I won’t be able to get all my clothes in the closet, so I’m hoping you and Aunt Bootsie don’t mind if I keep some of my stuff at your place.”

  Uncle Forest shook his head but didn’t say another word about the apartment. “Let’s go home and talk it over with Bootsie. I’m sure she’ll have plenty to say about it. She always does.”

  As they rode down in the elevator and walked to the parking garage, Cissy noticed the downward slope of his shoulders. He looked as though he carried the weight of the world.

  “It’ll be good for all of us,” Cissy said, hoping to lighten the mood. “I’ll come for visits, and we’ll still see each other every day.” She paused as a thought occurred to her. “That is, if you still want me working for you.”

  He opened her car door with one hand and ran his fingers through his hair with the other. “Of course I do. Your mama would never forgive me if I changed my mind. I just hope she doesn’t think I made you move out . . . or did anything to push you out.”

  “Oh trust me, she won’t. I’ve done this before, even when she tried to talk me out of it.”

  “I know.” He smiled as he slid into the driver’s seat. “She told me all about it. Let’s change the subject.”

  Cissy was familiar with avoidance. She’d practiced it for as long as she could remember. “That’s fine.”

  “I wonder what Bootsie cooked for supper tonight. She wants me back on a low-fat diet, so it’s probably something healthy.” He made a face
that elicited a giggle from Cissy.

  “You know it’s because she loves you.”

  “Yeah, I know.” He let out a heavy sigh. “Sometimes I wish she didn’t love me so much.”

  Even though their conversation took a different turn, there was no doubt the weight of her moving out hung heavy in the back of their minds. Cissy hated confrontation, which was odd because she found herself the subject of so many battles. Maybe Mama was right. Trouble did have a way of finding her. She wished it didn’t overflow to others she cared about.

  Aunt Bootsie stood at the stove, holding a spoon but not moving as they entered the kitchen. Uncle Forest went up and gave her a gentle squeeze and a kiss on the cheek. “What’s for supper?”

  “Baked cod, steamed mixed vegetables, and brown rice. Cissy, could you set the table?” Disappointment tinged her voice. Had Uncle Forest already told her about the apartment?

  “Okay. Do we need spoons?”

  “No.”

  Oh, wow. That totally wasn’t like Aunt Bootsie. She never gave short answers.

  Cissy turned to Uncle Forest, who glanced away just as quickly. “I’m gonna go wash up. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  As soon as he left, Aunt Bootsie spun around, still gripping the spoon. “So is it true?”

  “Is what true?”

  “Forest called me and said y’all would be a little late on account of some apartment you wanted to see.”

  Cissy slowly nodded. “Yes, it’s true.” She put down the flatware and closed the distance between herself and her aunt. “But it has nothing to do with y’all. I love both of you very much, and I appreciate what you’ve done for me, but I’m sure you understand that I need this.”

  “Sweetie, aren’t you being kind of hasty? You’ve only been in town a week. You’ve barely had a chance to adjust to your job, much less living in New York City.” She tipped her head to one side and held Cissy’s gaze. “I’m not so sure you have any idea how expensive and lonely it can be.”

  Cissy didn’t see how she could possibly be lonely with so many people around, but she wanted to carefully choose her words and only answer the objection she was already familiar with. “I know it’s expensive, but I don’t have a lot of financial needs. I’ll be able to walk to work, and I already have plenty of clothes.”

  “You most certainly do,” Aunt Bootsie agreed.

  “And it’s close to the office.” Even to her own ears, Cissy’s words sounded rather weak compared to her aunt’s reasonable tone.

  Aunt Bootsie allowed a faint smile to play on her lips. “That is one good thing. You can sleep an extra hour in the morning.”

  “And I’ll get home an hour earlier.”

  “More than that, since you won’t have to stick around and wait for Forest.”

  Cissy nodded. “My friend Charlene and I can walk to and from work together every day.”

  “I wouldn’t count on that to continue forever. One of you will meet someone or get a job elsewhere.” Aunt Bootsie put down the spoon and held Cissy’s gaze. “At least you know you’ll have a place to go if things get unbearable. We’ll always be here for you.”

  Tears sprang to Cissy’s eyes. She had no doubt one of the reasons she’d been so fearless all her adult life was knowing she had a safety net. Mama and Daddy would never abandon her, and now that she was here, she knew she could count on her aunt and uncle for the same.

  Uncle Forest strode into the kitchen, pulled out his chair, and plopped down without saying a word. He picked up his napkin and placed it in his lap.

  “How much longer before supper’s ready?” he asked.

  “It’s ready now.” Aunt Bootsie pointed to the stack of plates. “Cissy, why don’t you give me a hand with this?”

  After they had everyone’s plate filled, Cissy sat down in her chair. She bowed her head and started to say a private blessing. Uncle Forest cleared his throat. With her head still lowered, she glanced at him from the corner of her eyes.

  “I might as well say the blessing,” he mumbled. “I don’t want my two favorite girls thinking I’m a heathen.”

  “I never said—” Aunt Bootsie started before Uncle Forest cut her off. She cast a quick glance at Cissy and offered a hint of a smile.

  “You don’t have to say a word. I can tell what you’re thinking.” He motioned for them to bow their heads. “Let’s get this show on the road so the food doesn’t get cold.”

  Cissy had to bite her bottom lip to keep from laughing. As he said the blessing, she sensed his discomfort, yet he continued all the way to “Amen.” When she looked up, she saw the mist in Aunt Bootsie’s eyes. It must have been a very long time since he’d led the prayer.

  After dinner Cissy offered to do the dishes so her aunt and uncle could watch the news. Cissy was dying to talk to her uncle about some of the details about the apartment, but she wasn’t sure how to broach the subject. The superintendent wanted a two-month deposit, and all she had was what was left in her checking account—not nearly enough to move out and buy food, and she didn’t want to have to choose one or the other.

  “Um, Uncle Forest?”

  “Yes?” His tone was neutral, but the look he gave her still showed hurt feelings.

  Cissy’s palms became damp. She hated asking for money, but she didn’t see that she had a choice. At least she wasn’t requesting something she wouldn’t earn . . . eventually.

  “What is it, Cissy? I know I’ve been hard on you, but I want you to know that I have faith in you and your ability. You’ve always been a smart girl . . . er, young woman. Hasn’t she, Bootsie?”

  Aunt Bootsie nodded vigorously.

  “Thank you.” Cissy glanced back down at her hands as she tried to think of how to put her request into words.

  Uncle Forest cleared his throat. “I’m really sorry if I came across so harsh earlier. It’s just that—”

  “You don’t have to apologize.” Cissy lowered her head and asked the Lord to give her a hand before looking back up. “It’s just I’m trying so hard to be independent, and it’s all but impossible with so many people doing everything for me.”

  “I understand.” He smiled. “Bootsie and I have been talking, and she reminded me that we forgot your last several birthdays. We wanted to do something nice for you.” She met his gaze as he picked up a rectangular piece of paper and handed it to her. “So I wrote you a check. I figured you could buy yourself something nice with it since I have no idea what an almost twenty-four-year-old girl would want.”

  She picked up the check and looked at it. Her eyes popped wide open. This was even more than what she needed to rent the apartment.

  “That’s a lot of money.” Her voice came out in a hoarse whisper.

  He grinned as he leaned over his hands that were folded on his stomach. “This is New York, where everything costs more. Remember?” He gave her a few seconds to recover. “And I figured you might need a piece of furniture or two for your new apartment. Now what was it you wanted to discuss?”

  Cissy looked around the room, hoping she could think of something. Her gaze settled on a framed photo of Uncle Forest, Aunt Bootsie, and their adult sons. “I just want you to know how bad I feel that this came up so soon. I never expected it to happen so fast. What you did for me by having me come up here and—”

  He held up a hand to stop her. “You’re family, and that’s all there is to it. Now enjoy your apartment, work hard, and make me proud.”

  Thankful for the dismissal, she hopped up out of her seat and started for the door. Before she left the room, she spun back around. “Thank you so much, Uncle Forest. I’ll do everything I can to make you proud. I’ll be the best salesperson you ever had.”

  Uncle Forest chuckled. “I’m sure you will. Now you’d better start packing, don’t you think?”

  Cissy pocketed the check and returned to her room. The future appeared much brighter than it had fifteen minutes ago. Now all she had to do was call the Charlene and the superintendent, the
n break the news to her mother. Good thing she was almost a thousand miles away, but now that she thought about it, even that might be too close.

  Chapter 10

  THE NEXT MORNING Uncle Forest greeted her with a smile and a bear hug. He was overly nice, making her uncomfortable, but she did appreciate his efforts. All the way in he talked about ways she could save money and how he’d have someone come in to help with decorating if she needed it. She wanted to tell him she wanted to do all that herself, but she didn’t want to be rude after the concessions he’d already made.

  Once they arrived at work, Uncle Forest went into his office, leaving Cissy in the bullpen with the other employees. Dave arrived as she booted up her computer. He crooked a finger for Cissy to join him by the window. She got up and went around the desks to see what he was looking at.

  “It’s him,” he whispered. “Prince Charming.” He pointed down the street. Sure enough, Tom was just arriving for the day.

  Cissy snickered and playfully swatted at him. Uncle Forest chose that moment to come out of his office.

  “Quit flirting, you two. If you’re going to act all lovey dovey, do it on your own time. This is a place of business.”

  A snort escaped Dave’s mouth, but he quickly recovered. “Mr. Counts, I think Cissy is ready to make a few calls on her own now.”

  Uncle Forest stopped in his tracks, spun around, and looked at Cissy. “Well, young lady, how do you feel about that? Do you think you can handle a sales call?”

  She nervously glanced back and forth between Uncle Forest and Dave before squaring her shoulders and nodding. “Yes, I can do it. I know all the parts of a zipper, and I can tell the difference between a flat button and a shank button.”

  Amusement played on the lips of both men. Uncle Forest held out a hand toward the phone. “Well then, since you’re now an expert, go ahead and make a few calls.” He looked at Dave. “Let’s start her on getting orders from established clients, and we can slowly move her over to new sales.”

  Cissy’s heart pounded at the thought of making sales calls. She didn’t want anyone to know, but she was afraid she’d mess up and cost the company a bundle of money.