The Gift of a Good Start (Harlequin More Than Words)

by Sewell, Earl

  “It’s time for Matthew’s medication and dinner, and his mother is waiting for him back in his room,” said the nurse.

  “That’s fine. We’re done,” Olivia said and began packing up the materials she’d brought along. Matthew gave her and Langston a goodbye hug before the nurse took him down to his room.

  “I hate taking pills.” Matthew said, his eyes glistening with tears.

  “I know you do, buddy, but remember, it’s the medication that’s helping you to get stronger,” Langston said.

  “I don’t want to be sick anymore,” Matthew spoke softly.

  “No one likes being sick, buddy.” Langston squatted down so that he could look into Matthew’s eyes. He reached out and placed his hands on Matthew’s shoulders. “You’re going to keep getting stronger and, before you know it, you’ll be at home sleeping in your own bed.”

  “Remember you said that when I go home you’ll come and visit me?”

  “I remember,” Langston said.

  “Time to move along, Matthew.” The nurse released the wheel locks on his wheelchair. “You guys have a good evening,” the nurse said as she wheeled Matthew out.

  “He’s a great kid,” Langston said as he watched Olivia pack up.

  “Yes, he is,” she agreed.

  “So, why didn’t you give me a call?” Langston asked.

  “I had my reasons,” Olivia said coyly. Langston took a moment and allowed her vague comment to take root.

  “Okay. I can respect that. I hope you have a good evening and a safe trip home.”

  “You give up too easily,” Olivia murmured.

  “Pardon me?” Langston turned and met her gaze.

  “I said that you give up too easily.”

  “I apologize. I’m a little rusty at this—” Langston began making gestures with his hands “—getting to know people thing.”

  “Okay. I’ll be more direct. Now would be a good time to ask me if I’d like to grab a bite to eat.” Based on his involvement with Matthew, Olivia had decided that Langston was worth spending a little time with.

  “Really?” he asked.

  “If you’re busy, I completely understand. It was just a spontaneous thought.” Olivia offered him a way out of her suggestion.

  “I’d love to have dinner with you. We can catch a cab and have dinner at Riva on Navy Pier,” Langston suggested.

  Olivia nodded. “I’d like that,” she said.

  They left the hospital together and hopped into a cab that someone was exiting.

  “Should we have called ahead to make a reservation?” Olivia asked.

  “We should be fine,” Langston said. “So, what made you change your mind about dinner?”

  “The way you were with Matthew back there... I’m curious to see how badly I misjudged you,” Olivia said.

  “I told you I wasn’t a bad guy.” Langston flashed his infectious smile. “Well, for the record, I’m happy you decided to be spontaneous this evening.”

  The cab ride to the restaurant took ten minutes. When they arrived, they had to walk along the pier until they reached the restaurant. The pier was bustling with tourists, hand-holding couples and patrons waiting to board the Spirit of Chicago yacht for an evening dinner cruise. Olivia and Langston stopped for a brief moment and took in the beauty and greatness of Chicago’s skyline. They entered Riva from the pier and asked to be seated.

  “There’s about a twenty-minute wait, sir,” said the young hostess who greeted them.

  “Is it okay if we sit at the bar until our table is ready?” Langston asked.

  “Certainly, sir. Right this way.”

  “What can I get you to drink?” Langston asked once they were seated at the bar.

  “A glass of white wine, please,” Olivia whispered. Langston got the bartender’s attention and ordered two glasses.

  “This is a nice restaurant,” Olivia said as she looked around at the tables set with white tablecloths and blue napkins. She liked the view of the pier and the boats that were cruising on Lake Michigan. “Do you come here often?”

  “I come here from time to time. I like the view.” Langston appeared to relish the fact that he’d picked a good spot.

  “I like the view, too,” Olivia said as the bartender placed their glasses of wine on the bar. Langston paid for the drinks and they both took a sip.

  “I would have never pictured you as the type of guy who’d do volunteer work.” Olivia repositioned herself on the bar stool and took another drink of her wine.

  Langston mock-tsked her. “Didn’t your mother teach you not to judge a book by its cover?”

  “Yes, she did.” Olivia brought her glass to her lips and studied his features over the rim. He was clean shaven today and his skin was smooth. The crow’s feet at the borders of his eyes made him look seasoned rather than weathered and badly aged.

  “So, what do you like to do for fun, Olivia?” Langston asked.

  “Oh, no. You first. You tell me what you like to do for fun,” Olivia said and thought to herself that getting involved with Langston seemed like a wonderful possibility.

  “Okay. I enjoy horseback riding and rodeos. I have some cowboy in me,” Langston said and chuckled.

  “Now there is an answer I didn’t see coming.” Olivia was definitely intrigued.

  “Most people from the Midwest wouldn’t,” Langston said without a hint of superiority.

  “I pegged you to be a football or basketball junkie. Horseback riding and rodeos certainly would have never come to mind. My people-reading radar must be malfunctioning.”

  “I don’t believe you’re experiencing a malfunction,” Langston said jovially. “I grew up in Denver. Rodeo shows were a big thing in my community, and when I was in high school, I even entered a few. I eventually discovered horseback riding and really enjoyed it. You know, there are a few places around Chicago where I ride sometimes. You should come out and try it.”

  Olivia laughed louder than she’d intended to. “Me, on a horse? Oh, that is way out of my comfort zone. The day I ride a horse will be the day that pigs start flying. A city girl like me doesn’t do horses unless they are made of wood and attached to a merry-go-round.”

  “You can’t say that you don’t like something until you’ve tried it. I’m sure you’d do just fine with the right horse and instructor.”

  “So are you saying you’d teach me how to ride a horse and become a cowgirl?” Olivia bit back a smile before she took another sip of wine.

  “I could if you’d like,” Langston said.

  “So tell me, Mr. Urban Cowboy. Do have a cowboy outfit?” Olivia held on to his gaze longer than necessary.

  “If you’re referring to chaps, boots and a cowboy hat, yes, I do own that stuff.”

  “How cute.” Olivia was tickled. “Do you have a gun belt and a side pistol, too?”

  Langston leaned back on his stool and feigned disbelief. “Are you making fun of me?”

  “No.” She laughed. “I’m just trying to picture you wearing all of that stuff. I mean, right now you look so conservative in your suit and tie. I’m just having a hard time visualizing you in a cowboy outfit.”

  “Well, for the record, guys do wear suits with cowboy hats and boots. At least, they do in Denver.” Langston waggled a finger at her. “I have said it once and I’ll say it again. You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.”

  “Yes. I’ve learned that,” Olivia said and placed her empty wineglass on the bar.

  The hostess signaled to them that their table was ready, so they grabbed their belongings and followed the waitress. Once they were seated, Langston’s phone vibrated. He removed it from its holster to see a text message. He then excused himself and responded. A few seconds later there was another buzz and he excused himself once ag
ain. When his phone buzzed a third time, Olivia couldn’t resist the urge to say something any longer.

  “Are you going to spend the night conversing with whoever is on the other end of your cell phone or with me?” Olivia asked, her voice rising with irritation.

  “I apologize. I have to step away to make a phone call,” Langston said and then, true to his word, he stepped away from the table, leaving her sitting all alone.

  “Fine.” Olivia recoiled as if a cat had just scratched her. She watched as Langston talked on the phone and she couldn’t help but wonder if the reason he stepped away was because he was talking with another woman. The more she studied his behavior, the more it reminded her of Gerald. Then a feeling of dread began to stir in her belly. Langston was gorgeous, successful and charming. As a package, he was totally irresistible. There was no way she could be so lucky to land a guy like him—unless he wasn’t what he seemed. The longer he took to handle his phone call, the more Olivia worried she was going to be made a fool of again. She watched him end his call and head back toward her. As he approached, a woman who was just entering the restaurant called out his name. She was tall and beautiful. She was wearing a navy blue pin striped skirt, with high heels and had a pair of shapely legs that looked like they belonged in the latest pantyhose commercial Of course.

  “Oh, my God, Langston! I’ve miss you so much.” The woman hurried over on her high heels and wrapped her arms around him, kissing his cheek and holding on to him tightly.

  She pulled back and looked him in the eyes. “I love you,” she said, smiling wide.

  “I love you, too,” Langston responded in kind.

  “Why don’t you call anymore?” the woman asked. That did it. Olivia had seen enough. Anger had begun to blur her vision. She reasoned that her gut feeling was accurate. Langston was a playboy, just like Gerald. It was obvious to her that this woman was a love interest that he still had feelings for. Olivia grabbed her purse and left the restaurant without Langston even noticing. A little ways down the pier, she hailed a cab and went back to the hospital to pick up her car.

  Chapter Four

  By the date of the public hearing about the school closures, Olivia had organized teachers, students, parents and community leaders to make their opposition known. She’d held a bake sale to help raise money for T-shirts with the name of her school on them and the slogan Underrecognized, Not Underutilized printed in big letters on the front. She had signs and banners for everyone to carry. She asked students who wanted to speak at the hearing to write down their talking points so they could express their thoughts and feelings clearly. On the night of the hearing, people crammed into the gymnasium where it was being held. There was barely room to stand. Olivia was overjoyed to see so many people come out and fight to keep her school open.

  As the crowd waited for the hearing committee to emerge, someone shouted out, “What do we want?”

  The crowd answered back, “Justice!”

  “When do we want it?” the voice shouted again.

  “Now!” the crowd answered back.

  The chant was repeated over and over again. It wasn’t long before the energy of the crowd was higher than a kite in a hurricane. Olivia had come prepared for a fight and added her voice to the chanting. She maneuvered through the crowd and positioned herself near one of the microphones along the left wall. The longer it took the hearing committee to emerge from the room in the rear, the more emboldened the crowd became. Finally, members of the hearing committee, all males wearing dark colored suits, emerged from the back room and took their seats at a table that had been set up for them.

  When Olivia saw the fifth and final member of the hearing committee, she froze like a deer in headlights. It took a moment for her mind to process that Langston was on the committee that was trying to close her school. She hadn’t seen or contacted him since she’d walked out on him at Riva more than two weeks ago. Now, seeing him sitting on the panel, she felt her blood boiling over. Langston approached the podium that had been set up for the hearing panel and waited for all the chanting to subside.

  “Good evening, everyone,” Langston’s voice echoed throughout the facility. He waited for a respectful response from the impassioned crowd. When he didn’t receive it, he spoke again. “I said good evening, everyone.” It took a few more prompts to get the crowd to settle down and be courteous.

  “First of all, I would like to thank everyone for coming out this evening. Parents, teachers, community leaders and students. I know that the conversation we’re about to have is going to be a challenging one. Everyone here, including the members of the hearing committee, feels strongly that every student should have access to a quality education. We will try to answer all of your questions and concerns to the best of our knowledge. All of you should have received a handout when you came in that shows a complete list of schools that are slated to be closed. You will notice that the list has been reduced to fifty-five schools. We value your input and will definitely take the remarks received back to the school board president and his board members so that they can make a final decision. We also have a court reporter here, who will be taking extensive notes so that the information relayed back is accurate and factual. With that being said, we’ll begin. When you want to speak, please step up to one of the microphones so that you can be recognized and given the floor.” Langston sat, and a hush went over the room as everyone waited for the first comment from the crowd.

  A thin blonde woman in a plaid shirt stepped up to the first microphone. “Hi, my name is Vicki, and I am a parent who has three children going to this school. The school is located less than a block from my home, which makes it easy and safe for my kids to walk to school. If you close this school, my children will have to walk through neighborhoods that are unsafe to attend a school that they don’t want to go to. I am against closing this school.” The crowd clapped for the woman as she took her spot back in the crowd.

  “My name is Billy Travis and I am a third-grade student. Please don’t close my school. I like it here and the teachers are great. They help me when I am struggling and always encourage me. I also have a friend named Matthew who is very sick and is in the hospital. My teacher is so dedicated that she takes the time to tutor him at the hospital. Matthew wants everyone to know that if this school closes he would be very heartbroken. Thank you,” Billy said before he sat down. The crowd clapped and cheered for the young man who had clearly practiced what he wanted to say.

  “Hi.” Olivia stepped up the microphone and focused directly on Langston like a missile zoning in on its target. When he met her gaze, he gave no indication that he knew her. The blank look on his face only served to incite her fury.

  “First of all, I’d like for every committee member up there to turn off their damned cell phone, so that everyone knows that we have your undivided attention.” Olivia’s fire was raging through her blood and it came through in her voice. The capacity crowd reacted to her energy and began cheering. Olivia got a deep sense of satisfaction when she saw Langston and several other committee members turn off their phones.

  That was just the first cut, Langston, she thought to herself.

  “May I also suggest that everyone in the audience please place their phones on vibrate, so that if they ring, they will not interrupt the person speaking at the microphone.” Langston piggybacked on what Olivia had said.

  Olivia lowered her eyes to slits. The war had begun. If he thought for one minute that he was going to try and make himself look good in front of everyone, he was sadly mistaken.

  She cleared her throat and bent toward the microphone again. “Good evening. My name is Olivia Harris and I’m a teacher at this school. You people on the panel have no idea what you’re doing. Please excuse my bluntness, Langston.” Olivia had begun firing at will. “Closing this school would be a huge mistake and would only harm the children you claim to care so much about!” Oli
via shot red-hot daggers through her eyes at Langston as if he were Judas.

  “Get him, girl!” someone shouted out from the crowd.

  “Committee members, have you done your research on this school? You claim that the school is underutilized, so you obviously have factual data to support that claim. If so, can you please enlighten us with your credible data?” Olivia looked at the committee members sitting on stage, but no one said anything or produced any relevant material, so she continued.

  “This school and its students have exceeded the state standardized test requirements for the past seven years!” The crowd erupted into loud cheers. “The attendance rate at our school is also very high, which shows that parents, students and teachers are committed to excellence in education. My next point...” Olivia checked off a talking point on the notepad she was holding. “With all due respect, your recommendation to send students who are performing at levels that exceed state requirements to a school that is and has been on probation for the past three years is unfair to our kids. Langston, would you send your children to an academically underperforming school? Don’t worry, I’ll answer that for you. No, you wouldn’t, and neither would any of the members of this committee. It is a fact that teachers throughout this school are passionate and work very hard to give students the best education possible. Students remain with us from kindergarten through 8th grade and we work hard to give them the gift of a good start. My colleagues and I put in long hours and go above and beyond what is required of us. We do it because we love our jobs and we love our students. We are not an underutilized school, Langston. We’re an underrecognized school.”

  The crowd once again erupted in applause. Olivia tried to meet Langston’s gaze to gauge whether or not her artillery was hitting its mark. Based on the fact that he wouldn’t make eye contact with her, she knew that she was accomplishing her mission. In her mind, not only was Langston a lying son of a bitch, but he was the jackass who was trying to put her out of a job. She was so angry with him that when she read off her next point, she spoke so quickly that she stumbled over her words. Frustrated, Olivia wanted to fling her notepad at him so that he and the committee members could read it, but she knew that wouldn’t resolve anything. She stepped away from the microphone and allowed those who were waiting to express their feelings about the situation to speak. Olivia retreated deep into the crowd, but she kept her gaze trained on Langston and wondered if he could feel her eyes burning holes into him.