by Rena Olsen
It was an old argument that wasn’t actually an argument. We were both creatures of habit and got the same thing at all our favorite haunts, so it had become a tradition for whoever arrived first to order for both. Back when we were hanging out more regularly, it had gotten a little out of hand, with one of us arriving up to an hour early and putting in the order. Old habits die hard. I was fifteen minutes early and she’d still beaten me. I loved my friendship with Savannah. I knew that no matter what came, we would be able to come back here, to our roots, and be right back where we started.
Our food came and we chatted about work and family, catching up in a way that we hadn’t been able to when we went out a couple of weekends ago. I was perusing the dessert menu, looking for something to share, when Savannah got down to business.
“So. Jules. You haven’t mentioned the guy once tonight. What’s up? He break your heart already? You break his? Do I need to break something else of his?”
I laughed. She was always the first to my defense. “Actually, things are good, Van. Really, really good.” I paused, trying to figure out how to fully encompass all the emotions I had toward Bryce and his world, and my desire to become more a part of it. “He brought me to his church yesterday.”
It wasn’t what Savannah expected to hear. She blinked at me. “Girl, I’ve been trying to get you to my church for years. What makes him so special?”
I shrugged. “The guy who runs the church is sort of like a father figure to Bryce. I couldn’t exactly meet them and not go to church.”
Savannah leaned forward. “And?”
“And . . . it was good, Van. It was nothing like anything I’d experienced before.” The words rushed out of my mouth now as I described what the service had been like, how it had made me feel, how friendly and welcoming everyone had been.
“Which church was this?” she asked when I paused for a breath.
“Church of the Life.”
Her brow furrowed for a moment, and then she frowned. “That big one with all those gardens and the school and stuff?”
“That’s the one.” I wasn’t sure how to read her reaction. “You’ve heard of it.”
“I’ve heard things.”
It was my turn to frown. “You’ve heard what things?”
“Just things,” she said. “People who go there are a little . . .” She made a swirling hand gesture by her ear, and a surge of irritation rushed to my fingertips.
“Have you ever been there, Savannah?”
She must have heard the annoyance in my voice, because she looked a little stunned at my reaction. Plus, I rarely called her by her full name.
“No, I haven’t,” she said, her voice careful. “But, Jules—”
“Then do you really think you should be judging the people?” I was angry now, and hurt. I had been so excited to share with her, so certain that she would understand and be happy for me, happy that I’d found a church after she had bugged me for so long. Instead, she was insinuating ridiculous things about Bryce’s church, and, by extension, his family. “Just because it’s not your church doesn’t mean it’s a bad place, or that people are crazy for going there.”
“That’s not what I meant, Julia.”
“I thought you church people were supposed to keep from judging others, and accept people who are different. But I guess if it’s not how you do it, it’s not right.” I dropped the dessert menu and began gathering my things.
“You know that’s not true,” Savannah said, laying a hand on my arm. “Please, just hold on a moment.”
I took a deep breath, raising my eyebrows, refusing to say more. I wanted nothing more than to storm out in a fit of righteous anger, but I also didn’t want to leave things like that with Savannah. We would recover, of course, but even in my agitated state I knew I would sleep better if we talked things through tonight.
“I’m sorry, okay?” she said, and the apology sounded genuine. “Look, I’ve just heard that people from there can be a little weird, a little Stepford, but you’re right, I shouldn’t judge it if I’ve never been there.”
I slumped back into my chair. “I thought you’d be happy for me, V. I thought you’ve been wanting me to find a church for so long that you would be glad that I’m excited for the first time.”
“I am, I swear. Just . . . it seems like it happened really fast. Like, boom, you’re dating this guy and then you’re going to church and after one Sunday you’re willing to get into a fight with me about it.”
“We wouldn’t have to fight if you were nicer.” I tilted my head toward her in mock challenge.
“I’d be nicer if you didn’t always try to fight me,” she responded, teasing. The tension dissipated almost immediately.
“Listen, I appreciate that you’re concerned, because I know you’re looking out for me, but I need you to trust me. Bryce’s family runs the church, and I spent the afternoon with them and they’re really great. I just want to know them better and find out more about the church. I promise I’ll look at everything carefully, and maybe you can help me talk through some things?”
Savannah’s golden eyes sparkled. “I’d really love that.”
“And maybe you can come with me sometime if it’s something I decide to continue with.”
She smiled. “I’d like that, too. Then I can make informed judgments.” She winked at me, and I just shook my head at her.
Despite our easy resolution, a small sliver of doubt crept in after our conversation, and stayed with me. I wanted to talk to Bryce when I got home, but he had texted to say he was hung up with the cleanup from the event he’d helped with, and would talk to me tomorrow. So instead, I tried talking to God again. Still, it took me a while to fall asleep that night.
Chapter 9
Sorry about last night. The text arrived from Bryce as I sat down at my desk the next morning.
It’s fine. I got to hang out with Savannah. I told her about your church.
??
She had some questions. But I think she’s happy for me.
I got a message from Elaine asking me to come into her office before I could see Bryce’s reply. He knew I was at work, so I didn’t bother signing off before throwing my phone into my desk.
Elaine was studying her computer screen as I knocked on the open door, entering without waiting for a response. “You needed something?”
She looked up at me and her face creased in a rare smile. “Yes, Julia, please sit down.”
Elaine never asked me to sit, so this was new. “Should I close the door?” I asked, aware that Micah’s head was tipped toward Elaine’s office. She had her standard earbuds in, but I was well aware that she rarely had music playing in them. I overheard her saying once that people got overly careless about what they said when they thought she was listening to music. It’s how she knew all the gossip.
“Yes, please. Let’s keep this meeting private,” Elaine said, and I saw her glance through the window at Micah as well. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who was onto her. I hid my amusement as I sat across from Elaine.
It was another minute before Elaine spoke again. “I’ve been looking over your presentation, Julia.”
My stomach fluttered, and I clenched my fists to keep my fingers from twitching in anxiety. I didn’t even respond, just nodded, for fear that my voice would betray my nerves.
“This is very good work, Julia,” Elaine said, turning her computer screen so that I could see my work on full display. “It needs a few tweaks, but I think together we can make a presentation the client will be happy with.”
“Together?” I asked, wondering if that meant what I thought it meant, not daring to dream it.
“Yes, I have a couple hours this afternoon. We can set up in the boardroom and talk through some changes.”
“Okay,” I said, biting my cheek. “That sounds fine.”
“Excellent.”
I stood to leave, and Elaine’s voice stopped me.
“And, Julia?”
“Yes?”
“I’d also like you to be there for the presentation. I think you deserve to see the client’s reaction to your hard work.”
This time I didn’t try to hold back my grin. “I would love that,” I said. “Thank you so much, Elaine.”
“You earned it.” With those words, Elaine turned back to her computer and I was dismissed.
I practically skipped all the way back to my desk, hardly able to believe what had just happened. Within a few weeks of doing this extra work for Elaine, I was already attending a client presentation. Of course, this followed years of hard work on the more menial, but necessary, tasks of the office. I had always seen Elaine as cold and aloof, not really paying attention to anything I did unless I messed it up. I had a feeling she had been keeping an eye on me for longer than I suspected, assessing my potential.
Remembering I had been texting Bryce, I pulled my phone out of my desk to check in and share my news. My eyes widened as I saw his stream of texts.
You think she’s happy? What does that mean?
Why wouldn’t your best friend be happy for you?
What did she say?
Julia? Are you getting my messages?
Did she say anything about the church?
My meeting with Elaine hadn’t lasted that long, but Bryce had been busy. It was sweet that he was worried about how my friend saw his church, since it was such an important part of his life. He had expressed similar concerns about my family, and what I would tell them, since it wasn’t part of our family tradition.
Sorry, Elaine needed me. You’ll never guess what she’s letting me do!
You can tell me in a minute. Help me understand your conversation with Savannah first.
I rolled my eyes. Men could be so single-minded. Look at one thing completely before moving on to the next. What’s the fun in that? I shoved my excitement down for a moment so I could explain, but just then the elevator bell dinged and I looked up to see Elaine’s boss stepping off the lift.
Big boss is in the building, I gotta go. I’ll explain later, promise!
I shoved my phone back into my drawer before Mr. Roberts turned in my direction. I pinged Elaine through the messaging program and she immediately started stacking her haphazard piles more neatly on her desk. She stood and smoothed her skirt and hair, and then sat back down with an air of professionalism. Elaine always appeared put-together, but it seemed that even the most composed person has someone they are intimidated by.
“Hello, Mr. Roberts, are you here to see Elaine?” I stood and greeted the man.
“Yes, errrr . . .” His eyes hunted for my nameplate, which was buried under my own pile of papers.
“Julia,” I supplied, holding out a hand. “I’ll just let Elaine know you’re here.”
“Thank you,” he said, clasping his hands behind his back. His small eyes took in the details of our work area, and I had a feeling he didn’t miss a thing. I rushed to Elaine’s office.
“Elaine, Mr. Roberts is here to see you.”
“Thank you, Julia,” Elaine said, as if I hadn’t forewarned her. “Please do see him in.”
“Right this way, sir,” I said, gesturing into the office.
“Julia, why don’t you stay and take notes?” Elaine said. “This pertains to our presentation.”
I flushed with pride that she was already describing it that way. I ran to my desk to grab a notebook, ignoring Micah’s envious stares stabbing into me. Maybe if she spent less time gossiping she would be in a similar position. She wasn’t untalented, just unmotivated.
I paused. That was a rather pompous thought, but not untrue, at least not in my opinion. I sent up a quick prayer for Micah, and for my own fast fingers, remembering how well I had focused after my prayer before, and how that presentation was turning out. Maybe there was something to this church thing after all, even if I didn’t really know what I was doing quite yet.
* * *
—
It was almost two hours before I reopened the door to Elaine’s office. I was exhausted, but happily so. Mr. Roberts shook my hand enthusiastically before taking his leave, and I shuffled to my desk and dropped my notebook onto its surface. The pages of the notebook were filled with scribbles and ideas and my own brainstorming. I had expected to sit in the corner and take notes, but the meeting had gone an entirely different way. Mr. Roberts had asked for my input, had been genuinely enthusiastic about my ideas, and before I knew it, he was calling his office manager to set me up with classes on design and DMA certification. I was so deliriously happy, I almost forgot about my hastily typed message to Bryce from earlier.
My lunch hour had started already, but before I could dig out my lunch and go call Bryce from the break room, Micah cleared her throat.
“You have a . . . umm . . . visitor, Julia.” I looked over at her and she nodded toward the small waiting area near the elevators, which actually consisted of two chairs perpendicular to each other with a square table in between them. Out-of-date magazines spread over the surface of the table, along with a basket of fake flowers, and Bryce sat in the chair facing my desk, the picture of practiced calm.
Butterflies took flight in my stomach, and I jumped to my feet and rushed over, my tiredness of a few seconds ago forgotten. I bounced right up to him and raised my face for a quick kiss. His mouth curved and he leaned down to peck me on the cheek. I could feel Micah watching us, and I flushed. I knew he probably didn’t want to make a public scene, but it definitely felt like a brush-off, and in front of Micah no less.
He reached down to pick up a basket from the floor with one hand and gripped my hand with the other. “I brought lunch. Is there somewhere we can have some privacy?”
Micah snorted, and I shot her a look. “There are probably others in the break room, but there’s usually a table in the corner that’s a little set apart,” I said. “Not complete privacy, but the best we’ve got.” I shot him a bright smile, hoping to elicit one in response, but all I got was a furrowed brow.
“That’s fine, I suppose,” he said. As we walked past Micah, he nodded at her, and she gave a finger wave. I wondered how much they had spoken while I was in my meeting.
We made our way to the break room, which was indeed buzzing with activity. We got a few glances, but people mostly stuck to their groups. They tended to congregate around the larger tables in the center of the room, rather than the smaller ones on the outskirts. Micah walked in a few seconds behind us as we claimed the table farthest from the crowd, and immediately began whispering to her minions, who snuck looks in our direction.
I ignored their stares and turned to find Bryce staring at me intently. “What’s going on, Bryce? I’m glad you surprised me, of course, but is everything okay?”
“I didn’t surprise you,” he said, still staring. “I texted and asked if I could bring you lunch so we could talk about Savannah.”
“Savannah?” So much had happened this morning, my casual mention of Savannah seemed like a distant memory. Obviously not to him, though. “I just told her about going to church with you. She was curious about it.”
“Curious about what?”
I took a deep breath. It was understandable that Bryce would be interested and anxious about someone’s reaction regarding the church. It was so important to him, and I loved that passion, so I wanted to be very clear. “Van has been trying to get me to go to church for years. Years, Bryce.”
He leaned forward, listening, but didn’t say anything.
“I always found excuses not to go. We’ve been friends for such a long time, I think she figured if she kept inviting me, eventually I would cave, if for no other reason than to shut her up.”
This earned me a small smile.
“I think at first she was a little hurt that after years of her asking me to go to church and me refusing, you were able to get me to go with you after only a few weeks.” I shrugged. “We talked about it and the Reverend and Nancy and how they’re leaders of the church, and how I went really out of a desire to meet your family more than a desire to attend church.”
Bryce shifted and I could tell he wanted to say something, so I quickly continued, holding up a hand to keep him from interrupting.
“That’s probably not the best reason to decide to go to church, but I want to be completely honest with you. It’s not that I don’t believe in God, but it’s never been a big part of my life. My ex absolutely refused to go to church, and I let that influence my decision to stay away as well. Once I knew how important your church was to you, I wanted to honor that.”
“And what did Savannah say when you told her that?”
“It took a little bit of explaining, and I think she got it by the end, but I also think she was still annoyed that you were the one who got me to go.”
Bryce’s shoulders had lost some of their tension, but he still didn’t look completely okay. I wasn’t sure why he was so freaked out by my conversation with Van, but I felt the need to reassure him.
“I wasn’t lying before,” I said, reaching over to cover his hand with mine. He flipped his hand palm-up and enclosed my fingers in his warm grip. “I’ve never been to a church service like that before. I felt things I’ve never experienced, and I mean that in the best way possible.”
He reached over and grabbed my other hand. “Really?”
I nodded. “Really.” I squeezed his fingers. “It’s not that I don’t have a lot of questions. I’m still a little skeptical. But I felt something while I was there, during worship for sure, but especially after dinner with your . . . uhhh . . . the Reverend and Nancy.”
He laughed. “You can call them my parents, Julia. I consider them to be my parents, and they look at me as a son. It’s easier. Less confusing.”
“And your real parents . . .” I knew it was a risk, but I was very curious about the part of himself that Bryce kept closed off from me.