The Summer of Me: A Novel

by Angela Benson

  The warmth in the woman’s smile did it again. Destiny felt herself relax. “It’s fine with me.”

  “Okay, then tell me a little about Destiny.”

  Destiny shrugged, unsure where to begin. “What do you want to know?”

  “You can start by telling me why you want to come back to school and why now?”

  Destiny breathed a sigh of relief. She could answer those questions easily. “I’ll start with the why now. I have six-year-old twins who are out of town for the summer so I had some free time.”

  “I gather you’re raising your kids alone?”

  Destiny shook her head. “I have custody of them but I coparent with their father. They’re spending the summer in California with him and his wife.”

  “Do they go there every summer?”

  Destiny shook her head again. “Oh, no, their father lives here in Atlanta. His wife is on a work assignment in L.A. for the summer and they wanted the kids to go with them for a long vacation.”

  The older woman smiled. “I admire you for letting them go. I know it has to be hard being without them, especially at that age. The good news is that school will definitely help you fill up some of the time.”

  “So I’ve been told,” she said.

  Mrs. Robinson lifted a questioning brow.

  “To be honest, school wasn’t high on my list of things to do this summer,” Destiny continued, surprising herself at how open she was being with the older woman. “My mother and my friends encouraged me to do it.”

  “Sounds like you have a strong support network of people who care about you. That’s good.”

  Destiny nodded. She was blessed in that way even though she often took it for granted.

  “What was the source of your reluctance about school? Why did you need a little push from your friends and family?”

  Destiny gave a sheepish grin. “You’ve seen my records. I wasn’t a very good student when I was here the first time. And I was much younger then. My brain probably worked a lot better back then than it does now.”

  Mrs. Robinson met her gaze. “Grades tell only a part of the story,” she said. “I find that students do well when they’re passionate about their subject area, if they see a purpose in the learning. And it’s been my experience that older students, like you will be, tend to do well because they come here with a purpose. They’re not here because their parents sent them; they’re here because they want to be here, because they see the education, the degree, as valuable for their life’s plans.”

  Destiny wasn’t sure where school fit in her life’s plans. Her mother thought of a degree as a credential to get her to the next level in her job at Marshalls. Her friends, like most people, just knew that people with degrees ended up in better financial condition than people without them.

  “What are you passionate about, Destiny?” Mrs. Robinson asked. “What do you enjoy doing?”

  Destiny thought for a few long seconds before answering. The older woman’s question reminded her of one that Daniel had posed about her calling. She hadn’t been able to answer him then and she wasn’t sure she’d do any better this time. “Let’s see. I enjoy my children. And I actually enjoy my job at Marshalls. A lot.”

  “What do you do there?”

  “I manage the cosmetics department.”

  “You’re a manager and you don’t have a degree. That’s impressive.”

  Destiny wasn’t sure how that was impressive but she smiled anyway.

  “What about the job do you like?”

  Destiny thought about the young girl she had taught to apply makeup today. Today had been a very good day at work. “I like making people feel better about themselves. The best days are when somebody comes in for a makeup session who has never used makeup or who rarely uses it. I like the way their eyes light up when I give them the mirror and they look at themselves. That look of joy makes me happy. I feel good knowing I helped put it there.”

  “And you should feel good about it. You’re helping to make a difference in folks’ lives. What else do you like about the job? You’re a manager. How do you feel about the managerial tasks?”

  Destiny shrugged. “To be honest, I do them because I like the manager’s paycheck. The enjoyment comes from working with customers. The good thing about my job is that I get to do both. Our department is so small that it wouldn’t work any other way.”

  “You’re fortunate, you know. There are a lot of people who find no enjoyment or fulfillment in their work.”

  “Excuse me,” a man’s voice said. Destiny turned and saw a young man, about the same age as the receptionist, standing in Mrs. Robinson’s doorway. “I have your printouts, Mrs. Robinson.”

  “Thank you, Larry,” she said, extending her hand toward him.

  He put the papers in her outstretched hand. “You’re welcome,” he said, backing out of the room.

  Mrs. Robinson glanced down at the papers and then back at Destiny. “Before we get into these assessments, is there anything else that you enjoy or are passionate about?”

  Destiny was quick to answer this time. “I also enjoy doing hair,” she said. Daniel’s words came back to her and she began to wonder if she was identifying her calling.

  Mrs. Robinson’s eyes seemed to brighten. “You do? What’s your specialty?”

  “I can do a little bit of everything—chemicals, pressing—but my passion is natural hair styles. I’m pretty good at it, too,” she said confidently. Whether she’d be a good student this time around was a big question, but she was confident in her skill with hair and cosmetics.

  Mrs. Robinson smiled. “You want to know what I think, Destiny?”

  Destiny nodded. She wouldn’t be there if she didn’t want the woman’s opinion.

  “I think you’re going to be a great student the second time around because we’re going to relate your schoolwork to your passion. You’re going to be as passionate about school as you are about makeup and hair, or close to it.”

  Destiny wasn’t sure she agreed, but she hoped Mrs. Robinson was right. “You really think so?”

  Mrs. Robinson shook her head. “I know so.”

  A part of Destiny believed her.

  Chapter 15

  DESTINY WAS SO PSYCHED AFTER MEETING WITH Mrs. Robinson that she didn’t want to spend the evening alone. Instead she called Bertice and arranged to meet her at her house for dinner. It didn’t matter that she had to pick up takeout from Dreamland Bar-B-Que. Her friend had a lot of talents but cooking wasn’t one of them.

  “You’re a good cook,” Bertice said, licking her fingers.

  Destiny chuckled. “Yeah, well, I have to give all credit to my American Express card.”

  Bertice laughed. “You’re a trip.”

  “Hey, I’m about to be a college-educated trip, so treat me with some respect.”

  Bertice lifted her glass of tea in the air. “That deserves a toast.”

  Destiny lifted her glass and tapped it against Bertice’s.

  “To my best friend and soon-to-be college graduate. You go, girl!”

  Destiny took a swallow from her glass and then placed it back on the table. “You have to meet Mrs. Robinson,” she told her friend. “She was so motivating. I really felt like she believed in me.”

  “Why wouldn’t she?”

  “Yeah, but why would she? All she knows of me is my record and, believe me, it’s not that impressive.”

  “She knows more than that,” Bertice said. “She met you, talked to you.”

  “Well, yeah, still.”

  “Still nothing,” Bertice said. “I don’t know when you lost your self-confidence but you need to get it back in a hurry.”

  “I’m confident about some things,” Destiny admitted. “Just not school. When I was talking to Mrs. Robinson and answering all her questions, I realized how much I enjoy my work at the cosmetics counter and how much I enjoy doing hair. I also realized how good I am at it.” She shrugged. “I guess I never really thought about it
before.”

  “Well, you need to keep thinking about it. You are good, Destiny. Better than good. Keep listening to Mrs. Robinson. She’s good for you.”

  “I’m beginning to think so. Did I tell you that she owns a salon?”

  “A salon? I thought she was a career counselor.”

  “She is. She’s worked at the college for almost twenty years but the salon is her passion. She says it also generates income for her retirement.”

  “I see why you two hit it off. You have a common interest.”

  Destiny nodded. She had felt an almost instant connection with the older woman. Her warmth drew Destiny in and made her feel safe. Learning about their shared interest in hair care had solidified that connection. “She got me to thinking about what I want to do with my degree. Maybe I could open a shop one day.”

  “I don’t see why not,” Bertice said. “Now you’re talking.”

  “Not right now, of course,” Destiny said. “It’s just something for me to think about as I go through my classes. Mrs. Robinson said I needed to look at my degree as something that will help me achieve my goals.” Destiny chuckled. “But first I have to come up with some goals.”

  “Sounds like you had a very productive session. I’m glad it’s working out for you, Destiny.”

  “Let’s not get too carried away. Classes haven’t started yet. I could still flame out.”

  “Don’t say stuff like that. You’ve got to stay positive.”

  “You’re a good friend, Bertice,” Destiny said, remembering Mrs. Robinson’s comment about her support system. “I don’t say it enough, but I really do appreciate you and our friendship. I can’t imagine my life without you and Natalie. You’re like the sisters I never had.”

  “Same here, girlfriend,” Bertice said. “You’ve been there for me, too. We’ve been there for each other. That’s what friends are for.”

  Destiny chuckled. “Please don’t start singing. I love you but you’re no Dionne Warwick.”

  Bertice laughed. “Don’t hate.”

  Destiny got up and got some more potato salad from the bowl on the counter. “You want something?” she asked Bertice.

  “Nah, I’m good,” she said, licking the barbecue sauce off her fingers. “So when do classes start?”

  After Destiny was seated at the table, she said, “Monday of next week. It’s perfect timing. Can you believe it?”

  “Yeah, I can believe it. It was meant to be.”

  Destiny was feeling the same way. “Of course, it’s too late for me to get financial aid, so I have to pay for the two courses I’m taking.”

  Bertice chuckled. “Well, since you have three jobs, I guess you can afford to pay.”

  Destiny shook her head. “Three jobs and school. Can you believe it?”

  “I believe it,” she said. “But I don’t envy you. When does your job at the church start?”

  “I’m not sure,” Destiny said. “I meet with Natalie and Daniel tomorrow after work. I guess they’ll tell me then.”

  “Girl, you’re going to have money and a man. Somebody upstairs must really like you or you’re living a charmed life.”

  “I don’t know about all that,” she said. Thinking about all the good things happening to her made Destiny want to pinch herself. Her summer had gone from bust to a bevy of riches in no time.

  “You just don’t know how to accept when good things happen to you,” Bertice said. “You’d better learn. You’re going to miss out on something special if you keep up the negative thoughts.”

  “I hear you,” Destiny said.

  “I’m serious, Destiny,” Bertice said. “You have a great life and this summer things are only getting better. You’d better appreciate these days and everything you have.”

  “I do,” Destiny said, and she did. She wasn’t taking anything for granted.

  “Then stop looking for the negative. Believe you’re going to do well in school. Believe Daniel could be the start of something good, a solid relationship. Believe your financial needs are going to be met, and then some, this summer. It’s all lining up for you, Destiny. You and the kids will soon be moving into that house. Don’t mess it up.”

  “Okay, Mom.”

  Bertice chuckled. “At least you didn’t frown when you said it this time. What I wouldn’t give to be there when you tell your mom about school and the job at the church.”

  “That can be arranged, you know?”

  Bertice shook her head. “I was only kidding. Ms. Patricia likes me better in small doses.”

  Destiny wished she could tell her friend she was wrong, but she couldn’t. Her mother had always had problems with her friendship with Bertice, though she’d become a little more tolerant after learning Bertice had bought a house. She’d had problems with her friendship with Natalie as well but all of those seemed to fade away after Natalie became a preacher’s wife. Though she’d deny it until the cows came home, her mother was something of a snob.

  Destiny looked at her watch. “I’d better get home,” she said, clearing the table of her plate, glass, and utensils. “I want to get there and get settled before the kids call.”

  “How are they doing?”

  “So far, so good. They’re enjoying themselves, which is good for them. And they haven’t forgotten me, which is good for me.”

  “There you go again,” Bertice said. “Your kids are not going to forget you.”

  Destiny stood behind the chair where she had been seated. “I know,” she said, “but I still worry.”

  Bertice stood and gave her a hug. “We’ll have to work on that worrying another day. Just try to be happy today.”

  Destiny pulled back. “I’m gonna try,” she said. “I’m really gonna try.”

  Chapter 16

  DANIEL WATCHED THE INTERACTION BETWEEN NATALIE and Destiny and concluded that their bond was similar to what he shared with Gavin, William, and George. The only wrinkle was the secret he knew Destiny was keeping about her work at HR Solutions. On second thought, maybe that was another similarity. He, William, and George were keeping a secret from Gavin in much the same way Destiny and Bertice were keeping a secret from Natalie. Of course, the men were keeping a secret about a crime they were trying to solve, while the ladies were keeping a secret about a crime they were committing, even if they didn’t know it. Significant difference.

  Daniel took a quick glance at Destiny out of the corner of his eye. He wasn’t quite sure how he was going to pull this off. He was about to perpetrate a fraud on Destiny and he didn’t like having to do so. But he didn’t see any other way to protect her and Bertice. He wished he did.

  Daniel caught the sly glance that Natalie exchanged with Gavin before his friend cleared his throat. “I think Natalie and I have contributed about as much as we can to this project,” he said. “The two of you will have to take it from here.”

  “You’re leaving?” Destiny asked. “We’re just getting started.”

  Natalie stood when her husband did. “We’ve hashed out your salary and established the general parameters for both programs. You and Daniel can work out the details without us, can’t you?” She glanced at her watch. “We had hoped to drop by the hospital and see Deacon Jones before it got too late.”

  Daniel tried to catch Gavin’s eye but his friend wouldn’t look at him. Daniel began to wonder if this Deacon Jones even existed. He let it go. A quick glance at Destiny revealed that she wasn’t buying the couple’s act either.

  “You two can handle it,” Natalie said, repeating her husband’s words before giving Destiny a brief hug. “We have all the confidence in the world in you.”

  Gavin turned to Daniel. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but thanks again for what you’re doing. These programs are going to make a difference in a lot of lives.”

  “Ephesians 3:20,” Natalie said. “‘Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.’”

  “What�
��s that?” Destiny asked.

  Natalie turned to her. “It’s what this program is going to mean to people and it’s the name Daniel and I thought about giving it. What do you think?”

  “It works for me,” she said.

  “Good,” Gavin said. “Now all we need is a roll-out schedule, and some materials that describe the programs and its applications.”

  “That’s all?” Daniel said, his words dripping with sarcasm.

  Gavin grinned. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Daniel.” Giving Destiny a hug, he told her, “I’ll see you when I see you, which should be pretty often now that you’ll be working around here.”

  Daniel watched as the couple left his office. Destiny’s laughter made him turn to her.

  “If they weren’t so obvious, this wouldn’t be so funny,” she said. “They are the absolute worst matchmakers ever.”

  Daniel smiled. “They mean well.”

  “We have to give them that,” she said.

  “To be honest,” Daniel said, “I appreciate their efforts. If it were not for them, we would not have met. And that would have been a loss for me. A big loss.”

  Destiny responded to the sincerity she saw in his eyes. “Okay, they did good, but that doesn’t mean we have to tell them.”

  Daniel chuckled. “I’m with you. Gavin’s head would be too big to fit through the door.”

  Destiny laughed with him. “So would Natalie’s.”

  He stopped laughing and sobered. “In all seriousness, how are we going to handle working together and whatever else may be happening between us?”

  She met his eyes. “I’m open to suggestions.”

  “Let’s agree that we want to get to know each other. That can start here at work and it can continue after work with our friends.”

  “Natalie and Gavin?”

  He shook his head. “No way,” he said. “We’re staying clear of them. A buddy of mine is interested in your friend Bertice.”

  Destiny chuckled. “What? Who? Is it somebody from church?”

  Daniel shook his head. “No, he doesn’t go here now but I hope he will start soon. He’s somebody I met a while back and ran into since I’ve been here. All he could talk about was this Bertice woman who’d stolen his heart. Even though Bertice is a fairly unique name, when I met your friend at the cancer walk and heard her name, I wasn’t sure your Bertice was Phil’s Bertice. Turns out she is.”