by Rich Amooi
She smiled and nodded.
Cedric wanted great conversation and a woman who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. Soledad agreed with everything Cedric said, didn’t matter what they were talking about. She never offered her own ideas or opinions and that got boring. Ellie, on the other hand …
Cedric should have known his thoughts would drift to Ellie again. The woman had enough personality and intelligence for ten people.
“Where did your mind just go?” asked Veronica. “That was some grin on your face.”
Cedric laughed. “Maybe I’ll tell you later.”
“I hope so.”
They stepped down into the backyard and smiled as Tofu lay on the grass with all four legs in the air while Lucie rubbed his tummy. “You little cutie. I’m taking you home with me. Cedric will never ever know.”
“Oh yes I will,” said Cedric. “And I wouldn’t know what to do with the extra room in my bed. That flea bag is a serious bed-hog.”
“Arf.” Tofu protested.
“Okay, sorry, you’re not a flea bag. But you are a bed hog.”
“Arf.”
“Liar.”
“Extra room in your bed?” Soledad said, quickly moving in on Cedric.
She doesn’t waste any time.
She bit her lower lip and tried to look sexy as she kissed Cedric on the cheek.
Nope. Not doing it for him. Little Cedric was out cold. In a coma.
“Hi, Soledad,” Cedric said, looking around the yard.
Michael and Veronica had the kick-ass backyard—to die for—complete with full outdoor kitchen, pizza oven, swimming pool and jacuzzi, a lawn area under the king and queen palm trees, a bronze fountain with dolphins that appeared to be jumping out of the water, and a state-of-the-art bocce court.
“Hey, Cedric.” Sam grabbed a beer from the outdoor fridge and handed it to him. “How’s the garlic biz?”
Cedric popped the top off the beer and took a sip. “It stinks.”
Sam laughed. “I never get tired of that one.”
Cedric and Sam clinked bottles.
Michael was busy working the barbecue. “Cedric, get your ass over here. I need a hand.”
“Yes, sir.” Cedric sent Michael a military salute. He set his bottle on the counter next to the barbecue, inspecting the salmon and chicken on the grill. “Looks great. You don’t really want help, do you?”
“Hell no. Just wanted to say sorry for Soledad being here. Try to have some patience, and remember, it wasn’t my idea. Here she comes. Act natural.”
“So, Cedric,” the vulture said, swooping down on him again, this time brushing her claws against his chest. “You said you’d call me after that wonderful chat we had last time.”
Wonderful?
Thank God, Veronica came to the rescue. “Dinner is served.” She balanced three platters of food and set them on the patio table. “Caprese salad with avocado, pasta with white wine, garlic and mushrooms, and garlic bread.”
Veronica was an amazing chef and she loved to cook for others. It didn’t matter if she was in her restaurant or at home. Michael brought the platter of salmon and chicken from the barbecue and placed it on the table.
Michael turned to Cedric. “How’s the volunteering going at the library?”
Veronica’s eyes opened wide. “I didn’t know you were volunteering.”
“Well, technically, I haven’t started yet. I just finished the training.”
“What will you be doing?” asked Lucie.
“Reading to kids.”
Veronica snuck a piece of chicken under the table to Tofu. “How fun.”
Cedric smiled. “I’m looking forward to it. You know how much I loved it when my mom read to me.”
“You were obsessed.”
“I prefer to say I was eager.”
Veronica laughed. “How often will you volunteer?”
“Just once a week to start. They have a book shortage in the children’s section at the moment. Someone broke into the library and vandalized a bunch of books, tearing out pages, and marking up others with Sharpie pens. What were they trying to prove by doing that?”
Michael sat up. “That they were assholes.”
“Yeah. Well, the good news is, the library is doing a fundraiser, so hopefully they’ll be able to replace the books with new ones.”
“When’s the fundraiser?”
“Next week. You want me to send you the info?”
“Definitely. If we can’t make it, we’ll cut you a check.”
“Us too,” said Lucie.
Cedric wasn’t surprised Lucie wanted to be involved. Not only did she have a heart of gold, she and Sam had a truck of gold. That happens when you win four hundred million dollars in the Powerball Lottery—although they chose the cash option and came away with a tiny check for two hundred and twenty-three million. They were two of the most generous people he knew. Sam and Lucie immediately gave half of their lottery winnings to their ten family members—eleven million each person.
Good people.
He looked over at Soledad to see if she was interested, but she was busy texting someone. Perfect. He didn’t have to ask her.
Around forty-five minutes later, everyone had finished eating, and Michael stood up. “Cedric, grab a few of those plates. We’ll let these lovely ladies relax.”
“Good idea.” Cedric hoped he would be able to fill Michael in on the Ellie saga.
“Don’t I get to help?” asked Sam. He pursed his lips and fluffed his hair. “Or do you consider me a lovely lady?”
Michael waved him over. “Come on tough guy.”
Veronica laughed. “Look at these macho men clearing the table. We’ve trained them well.”
“Yes we have,” Lucie said, laughing with Veronica.
Michael, Cedric, and Sam cleared the table and went inside.
“Okay, Cedric,” Michael said, setting some plates on the counter. “Tell me the latest with what’s-her-name. Ellie, isn’t it?”
“Yes, and she’s driving me crazy.”
“That’s a woman’s job.” Michael opened the dishwasher. “It’s in their DNA.”
Sam scraped leftovers from the plates into the trash. “It’s also on their resumes. But God, I would be nothing without Lucie.”
“You got that right, brother,” said Michael. “So, have you gone out with her yet?
Cedric shrugged. “It’s complicated.”
“It’s a yes or no question.” Michael rinsed off the plates and handed them to Cedric to put in the dishwasher.
“Okay, remember I called you when I was outside of the library, getting ready to go in and ask her out.”
Michael nodded and turned to Sam. “She’s a librarian.”
Sam smiled. “Nice.”
“So,” continued Cedric, “I go inside and she’s not there. And her co-worker tells me she’s at a memorial because her brother died.”
“That sucks,” said Michael.
“Tell me about it. So anyway, I go to the memorial, Ellie’s crying, and next thing you know, I see her dick ex-boyfriend kissing her in front of everyone.”
Michael scratched his head. “Was tongue involved?”
“He practically swallowed her head.”
“At a memorial? No way, I don’t believe it.”
“I saw it. “
“Then what happened?” asked Michael.
“The ex got in my face and pushed me into a bunch of chairs. Then Ellie kicked us both out of the funeral home.”
Michael laughed. “Your life is never boring.”
“Never. She did call and leave me a message, apologizing for kicking me out.”
Michael slapped him on the shoulder. “See? Did you call her back?”
Cedric shook his head.
“God. How much do you like her?”
“Too much.”
“So what’s the problem?” asked Sam.
“Her ex is a cop with a couple of screws loose. He doesn’t look stable,
plus, he may still be sticking his tongue down her throat. Is it really worth it?”
“Hell yes,” said Michael. “It’s probably not what you think. Talk with her. Be straight up with her and tell her how you feel. And ask her what’s going on!”
Michael was right. Why speculate when you can just ask and find out the truth? Cedric wasn’t going to give up so easily. Next time he saw Ellie, he would ask her out. Again.
Sam smiled. “Things will work out. And I look forward to the wedding.”
Veronica entered. “What wedding?”
“No wedding,” said Cedric. “But you’ll be happy to know I’m officially interested in the opposite sex again.”
“Great!” Veronica kissed Cedric on the cheek as Soledad came in.
“Glad to hear it,” said Soledad. “I wanted to ask you something …”
Cedric’s timing was always perfect.
“Cedric was just telling us that he’s very interested in a particular woman at the library,” said Michael, to the rescue.
Cedric wanted to kiss him on the lips.
Soledad looked as if someone just ripped the head off of her favorite Barbie doll and set it on fire. “Oh, that’s … great.” She glanced up at the clock. “Oh wow, is that the time? I better get running along, lots to do. Where is my purse?” She practically ran outside.
It looked like Michael was going to be getting another free round of golf. Cedric shot him a look that said, “I owe you, buddy.” Michael winked and Veronica caught it.
“Okay …” Veronica eyed Cedric. “You’re not leaving until I get the details.”
After Soledad left, Cedric filled Veronica in on everything regarding Ellie from the beginning, including his idiotic behavior.
Veronica nodded. “Looks like you two have it bad for each other. I think you just need to get her alone and tell her how you feel. Don’t beat around the bush. Lay it out there. Women appreciate honesty more than anything.”
“And the ex?”
“Well, you definitely need to be careful there.”
Chapter Seventeen
Ellie was on a roll, accomplishing and checking off one thing after another on her to-do list. The fundraiser was just a few days away, but there were still plenty of things to organize and confirm, in addition to selling more bricks. She was happy with her fundraising efforts so far, having raised over five thousand dollars.
She’d just about finished everything she wanted to do in the morning, so she took a moment to stretch, bending forward and touching her toes.
“Don’t forget to breathe,” said Julio.
Ellie stood back up and smiled. “If you see me turning purple, you know I forgot.”
“Purple looks good on you.”
“It’s good to look on the positive side of passing out.”
Julio grimaced. “How are you doing with your brother? I know how close you two were.”
“I’m better. Thank you” she smiled. “I was just thinking about how he used to call me almost every day to check up on me when I went away to college. Just the sound of his voice helped me get through some rough days.”
“I remember you told me it was hard.”
Ellie nodded. “There was no way he was going to pass up being park ranger at Yellowstone and I understood that. I was sad to see him move away, but happy to see him doing what he loved.” Ellie smiled. “He’ll always be in my heart. Forever.”
“Your brother?” Peggy asked, approaching with a slip of paper in her hand.
“Yeah,” said Ellie.
“Well, I know you said you didn’t want any time off, but let me know if you change your mind.”
“Thanks. I’m good.”
“Good, then. I have two more things to add to the list.” She waved a piece of paper in the air. “Well, three.”
“Okay.”
“If you could confirm the arrival time of the photo booth and the band, that would be great.” She handed Ellie the piece of paper. “And we never did receive this autographed 49er football helmet for the silent auction. We just need to confirm the whereabouts of the helmet and who’s actually signing it. If it’s not Kaepernick, hopefully we can get one signed by Joe Montana. And if I can meet Joe, even better!”
Julio held up his hand. “Me too.”
Ellie smiled. “No problem.”
“I appreciate it.” Peggy turned to leave but Ellie stopped her.
“What was the third thing?”
Peggy stopped and turned back around. “What do you mean?”
“You said there were three things to add to the list. You only gave me two”
“Oh, of course. How could I forget Cedric?”
That got Ellie’s attention. “Cedric?”
“Yes. Well, it’s not actually something for the fundraiser. Cedric Johnson is here and—”
“Where?” Ellie looked around the library but didn’t see him.
“In the children’s area. He may need some hand-holding today.”
Julio leaned into Ellie. “Some gland holding could be fun too.”
Ellie smacked Julio on the shoulder. “Behave.”
“All these years and you still haven’t perfected your library voice,” said Peggy.
“I’ll work on that.” Julio smiled as he walked off.
Because of Julio, Ellie was imagining Cedric on a deserted island. He just sliced the top off a coconut and was letting her drink from it. Then Cedric dropped the coconut to the sand, cupped her face, and leaned in to—
“Ellie?”
“Yes?”
“Please peek in on Cedric to see how he’s doing. I forgot to tell him that he was going to be reading to a group of a hundred kids, which may be overwhelming for someone on their first day solo. I’m sure he’ll be wonderful, but it wouldn’t hurt to check.”
“Of course.”
Peggy leaned in and lowered her voice. “And I’ll give you some unsolicited advice. I’ve seen the way you and Cedric look at each other, and you certainly didn’t fool me with that slap after the kiss. Better snatch that man up quick. He won’t last long on the open market.”
Right. Like it was that easy. He hasn’t returned her phone call.
Cedric was sending her a strong message. Not interested.
*****
Cedric felt like he was going to throw up. Where the hell did all of these kids come from? There must be a thousand!
He paced back and forth trying to relax. He was going to be fine. He’d completed his volunteer training, including the one-on-one reading session, and was told he was ready to go. He’d asked Peggy if maybe he should do more training, but she’d said—with confidence—he didn’t need anymore.
Still, his hands were sweaty and he was pretty sure he could feel his pulse trying to bang out of his neck. Most of the three and four year old kids sat on the floor in front of him in a few semi-circles, even though he gave them no such instructions. Others sat on the clover-shaped ottomans. They’d obviously been here before. Maybe they had high standards. He certainly didn’t want to let them down. He wanted them to enjoy the story, but even more, he wanted them to be enthusiastic about wanting to learn to read. The thought brought memories of Cedric’s mom and those unforgettable times when she would read to him. He suddenly felt a little more relaxed. Time to get to work.
Cedric smiled at the kids. “Welcome. Ready for a story today?”
The kids answered in unison, “Yes.”
They crossed their legs and waited in anticipation, staring up at Cedric with their big beautiful eyes hungry for a story.
“Great. Let’s get started.”
Cedric opened the book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and began to read. It didn’t take long before he was lost in the story with them, alive and full of life. Every eye was glued to him, and it was the quietest roomful of kids he’d ever seen. Peggy taught him that it was good to pause the reading and ask the kids to predict and anticipate what was going to happen next.
“Woul
dn’t it be cool to have a tree as a friend?” asked Cedric.
Many of the kids agreed, but a cute girl wearing a dress covered with pink hearts raised her hand. “My dog is my best friend. His name is Bruno. He farts when my older brother gives him cheese.”
The kids laughed and Cedric smiled, even more relaxed. “Interesting. Trees don’t eat cheese so we won’t have to worry about that. But they love water, though.”
“Water doesn’t give you gas,” said the girl.
“That’s good to know since I was getting thirsty.” Cedric made a funny face.
The kids laughed again and Cedric felt connected to them. He imagined having his own children and reading to them every night. His confidence was coming back. For two years, he’d shut women out of his life, but things were going to change. No more denying himself the pleasure of having a wonderful woman in his life. The thought of Ellie crept into his head.
Lovely Ellie.
In his peripheral, Cedric sensed the presence of someone, but didn’t want to look and get distracted.
Was it her?
Maybe she was checking up on him to see if he was doing okay. He knew he shouldn’t look, but he couldn’t help it. He waited until he reached the end of the paragraph and then shot a look in that direction.
Ellie.
Looking like an angel.
And oh, crap, he lost his place in the book.
He felt his cheeks burning and his heart rate going up. Idiot.
What a rookie mistake. Cedric paused, took a deep breath, and then continued with the story. Another minute passed and Cedric stopped reading, looking around at the children. “What would you do if you had a tree like this?”
A girl with ponytails and a Cinderella T-shirt raised her hand. “I would hug it.”
Cedric smiled. “That’s sweet. I’m sure the tree would like that very much.”
After the reading, Cedric strolled through the library with only one thing on his mind: find Ellie and ask her out. This was going to happen today. Right now.
He approached the Tech Center and spotted her inside with the last person he wanted to see. Vlad. Ellie turned and saw Cedric. She said something to Vlad, who also turned and saw Cedric.
She came out of the room, leaving Vlad inside. “Hi. How did the reading go? I peeked in on you and it looked like the kids were enjoying it.”