Paxton's Peace

by Bailey West

  “I know most accounting software. I was the bookkeeper for my ex-husband’s company for as long as we were married. I didn’t handle all the accounts, just a few special ones.”

  “So, you’re good with numbers?”

  “Not to toot my own horn but I’m a wiz with numbers. I can tell you that what you ordered and what I ordered will total forty-seven dollars and sixty-five cents…toot toot.” She used her pointer finger to gesture like she was pulling the horn chain on a locomotive.

  That made me smirk.

  “I see numbers before I see words. I memorize them without trying. So, don’t worry about the financials being off at the Academy, I have that covered.”

  I was impressed, to say the least. Our conversation continued over dinner. She was smart and funny. This was the first dinner I had been to in a long time where I wasn’t ready to for it to be over.

  Olivia

  “Thank you, Paxton. Dinner was filling and delicious.”

  I spoke as we pulled up to my house.

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it. I hope it won’t be the last time you let me treat you to dinner?”

  “Yes, but next time you should let me treat you,” I smiled.

  He frowned, “No ma’am. It will always be my treat.”

  “If I cook it, then it will be my treat.”

  “Well, I can’t argue with that.”

  We both laughed.

  I haven’t heard him do a full-on belly laugh, but his chuckle makes me smile. It doesn’t seem like he does it very often.

  I remembered what he said earlier about opening the door, so I didn’t try this time.

  “I will help you out.”

  He got out of the truck and came around to open my door. We walked to my front door.

  He held the screen door open for me while I unlocked the door.

  “Thank you again, Paxton. I really enjoyed the dinner and the conversation.”

  “Good night, Olivia. Lock your door.”

  I stepped into the house and made sure to lock the door. I made it to my bedroom window in just enough time to watch the last few steps of his confident stride before he disappeared on the other side of his truck and got in.

  I don’t know how I thought it was going to go, but it was so fun and relaxing. He didn’t make me feel like I needed to be on. He didn’t silently judge my food choices. As a matter of fact, he encouraged me to eat and enjoy my food. Mason always made me feel self-conscious about eating in public. When we arrived at the restaurant, I didn’t even look at the menu because I was so used to Mason ordering for me. He always felt like he knew what was best for me. I felt silly at first when Paxton asked me if I knew what I wanted but he didn’t miss a beat, we continued the conversation. Like I said, I felt free around him.

  Paxton didn’t attempt to hug me or kiss me, so I don’t think he’s interested in anything but a friendship, maybe? I guess that’s accurate since he did ask me to have dinner with him again. I got a chance to really examine his features while we were out. He is so unique with his red hair and freckles. He has a few chocolate colored freckles scattered across the bridge of his nose and on his cheeks, but they are so cute. He oozes sex appeal and authority. It’s like he frightens you and makes you horny at the same time. Even the waitress came to our table a couple extra times trying to get him to notice her. He completely ignored her, but she tried. I don’t blame her.

  I undressed preparing to get into the shower. I heard my phone ringing. I saw Paxton’s name on the screen.

  I answered with a smile, “Hello?”

  “Are you smiling?”

  “Huh?”

  “It sounds like your smiling, and I wanted to know what made you smile.”

  “How can someone sound like their smiling?” My question made me smile wider.

  “I can just tell,” he answered nonchalantly. “So, are you going to answer my question?”

  “Well, I was smiling because I saw your name on the screen and I was happy that you were calling me.”

  Might as well tell the truth.

  “I will call more often if it makes you smile.”

  “It does, so you should.”

  “Noted. I was calling to ask if you had any plans tomorrow evening, I would like to have dinner with you again.”

  That made my smile grow exponentially.

  “I don’t have any plans. I would like to have dinner with you again.”

  “Same time?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good night, Olivia.”

  “Good night, Paxton.”

  I ended the call.

  “EEEEKKKKK!”

  I did a shimmy dance to the bathroom and got into the shower.

  9

  “Virginia, what’s the name of that restaurant you said Arthur took you to on your date night a couple months ago?”

  I was sitting in my office with my secretary, Virginia going over some reports.

  “Kenobi’s, they serve authentic Mexican cuisine, and it’s delicious. Arthur thought he could handle the Salsa Verde. He thought it was the same green sauce that we get from Taco Bell, so he put a heaping spoonful in his dish. That fool started sweating like he was sitting in a sauna in one of those plastic sweat suits. I laughed at him so hard I was crying!” She laughed and then straightened her face. “Why you ask?”

  Virginia has been with me since we started the firm. She is irreplaceable. She is proactive and usually out ahead of any problems that pop up. She is a couple years younger than my mother, so she has a very nurturing side. She is another woman in my life that constantly asks me about my love life. I have let her introduce me to a couple of women. Both were a no-go.

  “Because I want to go there for dinner tonight.”

  “With whom? Oh, is it with Unity? I think she’s a sweet girl, don’t you?”

  “If by sweet you mean weird, then yes, I agree. You know she is the reason I won’t let you set me up on any more blind dates.”

  “What? She is pretty and educated. She has good child-bearing hips…”

  “First of all, what are child-bearing hips and secondly I told you how terrible that date was. She kept trying to grab my hand so that she could read my palm. I told her no thank you, but she kept trying to reach across the table for my hand. I got Ezekiel to call the restaurant and tell the Maître D to find me and tell me that there was an emergency I had to get to.”

  “Mr. Bluette, you didn’t!” She tried not to laugh, so she snickered instead.

  “Yes, I did. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but I also couldn’t take another minute of her telling me which astrological signs should date and which months are best to conceive and have children!”

  “I knew she was a little quirky…”

  “Why would you hook me up with someone you knew was quirky?”

  “Quirky is not a bad thing.”

  “If by quirky, you mean weird, which you do, then yes, it is. So, like I said, you no longer have permission to choose a woman for me.”

  “I hear you, it sounds like you are finding them on your own anyway.”

  “I always have found them on my own. I’ve just been blessed with three meddling women who I know love me but can't choose a woman for me.”

  “Alright, alright. I hear you. I just don’t want you to be alone. Arthur and I have been married for almost thirty-five years. I don’t know how life would be without him, you know? It’s just good to have that person to spend your life with.”

  “Yeah, it is.”

  I arrived at Olivia’s house ten minutes early. I wanted to see if last night was a fluke or if she really was punctual. I rang the doorbell. She opened the door fully dressed and ready to go. She had on a dress similar to the one she wore last night. This one was blue, but it was the same fabric and the same length. It wasn’t ugly, but it wasn’t something I would choose for a woman younger than my grandmother to wear.

  “Hi, Paxton,” she smiled, and her cheeks nearly made her eyes disappear agai
n.

  “Hi Olivia, you all ready to go?”

  “Yes.”

  She turned and locked her door. I turned the knob just to be sure. We walked to my truck, and I opened the door for her and helped her in.

  “How was your day?” I asked as I pulled away from her house.

  “It was nice. Zanetta and I went over some of the curriculum being considered for the Academy. I got to put on a hard hat and go to the construction site. That was fun. I’ve never worn a hard hat. I thought I would be stepping over nails and pieces of wood, but they keep the area surprisingly clean.”

  “What do you think about the progress of the construction?”

  I was responsible for selecting the contractor for the project. I’d chosen him after we’d used him on some other projects to include the recent changes Zanetta had made to the offices at the church.

  “I don’t know anything about construction but, I was impressed by the contractor and his ability to help me see the vision. The construction seems to be progressing well. He said they are a little ahead of schedule, so that’s good. How was your day?”

  “My day was good. I’ve recently started a bowtie company with my nephew, Braeden.”

  “The one in the picture?”

  “Yes, he’s the only one I have right now. Braeden and I had a meeting today with a couple of fabric companies that we are considering working with. It was a productive meeting.”

  “Why bowties?”

  “He saw my brother with one on and has been fascinated by them ever since. We had a hard time finding ones that he liked, and that fit him, so Nette had several made for him. A few people commented on how much they liked the ones he wore, so we started a company. BJ’s Bowties will be in a couple children’s boutiques, and eventually, we will open an online store.”

  “That’s amazing. How old is he?”

  “We just celebrated his fourth birthday. He’s an old soul, though.”

  “And he already has a business?”

  “Yes, and he’s working it too! He knows his role and what I expect of him. It’s not a lot, but I think if we can teach children about money and finances early, we can set them up for future success.”

  “I agree. That’s something that I want to add to the curriculum at the academy. I want curriculum built around the five pots of money; tithes, investments, savings, community giving and spending. I want to start money discussions in Kindergarten; how to spend and how to save, how to build credit and make a good name for yourself. By the time they graduate from the Academy, I want them to have a complete understanding of money and how it works. It’s so important.”

  “It is.”

  I was impressed with her passion for teaching children and her knowledge of money.

  We pulled up to Kenobi’s and found a parking space. We were seated immediately and started looking at our menus. I didn’t have to remind her to look at her menu this time.

  “My secretary’s husband brought her here a couple weeks ago. They both said the food is good, but she warned against the green sauce.”

  “Is it not good?”

  “No, it very spicy.”

  “Oh, good to know. It’s so much to choose from. I have no idea what I want to try.”

  “I’m having the same problem. Why don’t we just order a little of everything, that way we can try it all.”

  “Yes, that would be nice.”

  The waitress came to take our order. I ordered two different types of tacos, Carne Asada, chicken in chipotle cream sauce, pork tips and enchiladas.

  “Paxton, that is going to be a ton of food.”

  “Maybe we will finish it. If not, we will have lunch for tomorrow, right?”

  She smiled and drew my attention to her glossed lips. She has full ‘black girl’ lips complete with the perfect cupid’s bow. Women are paying top dollar to have lips as full as hers. She licks them out of habit. I don’t think she realizes how sexy it is to watch her tongue glide across her top then bottom lip. I wonder if they are as soft as they look.

  “How long has Pastor Bluette had a church here?”

  “Four years.”

  “You have accomplished a lot in four years.”

  “We have. We still have a lot that we want to accomplish. Have you visited the church?”

  “No, I plan on it though.”

  “You should. I think you would enjoy it.”

  “It will be different than what I’m used to, I’m sure.”

  “How so?”

  “My mother and I went to a Methodist church. It was very reserved. We sang from hymnals. Reverend Perry gave us a few inspirational words, sometimes we took communion, and then we went home.”

  “Yes, it will be different than what you are used to.”

  Our food was brought out. We had a table full of dishes. The waitress pulled over another small table to give us space for all the food. I watched Olivia fix her plate. I wanted her to get what she wanted before I dug in. She put a little of everything on a plate then surprised me by passing it to me.

  “Is that enough of everything?” She questioned.

  “Yes, it is. Thank you.”

  I put the plate in front of me and waited while she prepared her plate the same way. After she finished preparing her plate, I said a quick prayer and started eating. The food was very good.

  “What was it like being a Pastor’s kid?”

  “It was interesting. My brothers and I have tons of stories about being forced to do speeches and things in front of the church but especially during the holidays. What I learned once we were older, is that Ezekiel would mess his speeches up on purpose so they wouldn’t ask him to do it the next year. Not me and Roman, we quizzed each other on our speeches and everything. We tried hard to be right until we became teenagers.”

  “Then you were typical teenaged boys?”

  “Worse, we were sneaky, teenaged boys.”

  She chuckled.

  I looked down and realized we’d finished most of the food. There were a couple tacos left.

  Olivia placed one of the tacos on her plate and then grabbed the spoon in the green salsa Verde.

  “Whoa, remember it’s hot.” I put my hand on top of her hand to stop her from using the sauce.

  “You only live once, right? Might as well try it,” she shrugged.

  I moved my hand, and she took a spoonful of the salsa verde and drizzled it into the taco on her plate. She picked up the taco and took a huge bite and chewed it slowly.

  I sat up in my seat to watch her reaction. At first, she played it cool. She blinked a couple of times. I thought she was okay, but then I noticed her cheeks and the tops of her ears started to turn red. She reached for her glass of water and took a large gulp.

  “Geezuz! What’s in this stuff, Hell?” She fanned her hand in front of her mouth. “No, I mean the actual location of Hell is currently in my throat! Fire, brimstone, and everything!”

  She took another huge gulp of water. She fanned herself with her hand again. “Oh my God, it’s getting hotter. How is that possible?” Beads of perspiration dotted her forehead as she fanned with both hands. The waitress brought another pitcher of water to the table. Olivia picked up the pitcher and drank the water directly from it. She downed about half of it before she put it down.

  “I’m sorry, I know this is so un-lady like but this shit…oh my goodness…it made me curse. This stuff is hot! Where is the waitress?”

  She motioned for the waitress to come back to the table. Our waitress hurried back to the table.

  “Can I get some…ummm….milk or white bread…or something? I think I am about to have a heat stroke! I’m going to be sunburned this crap is so hot!”

  She made me laugh. I laughed out loud and hard.

  “Paxton, please don’t laugh,” she started laughing too. “It’s just so darn hot!”

  “I tried to warn you, Ms. You-only-live-once,” I continued to laugh.

  The waitress came back with a glass of milk a
nd some white bread. She was trying very hard not to laugh out loud, but her shoulders moved up and down as she was walking away. That made me laugh too. Olivia ate the bread and drank the entire glass of milk.

  “Whew! Whew! Okay, I think I’m better now.”

  I was still trying to stop myself from laughing. My stomach started to cramp from laughter. This had to be the hardest I’d laughed in years. We drew attention to our table with our loud laughter, but I didn’t care.

  We finally calmed down.

  She wiped the sweat from her brow and said, “You should try it.”

  “No thank you,” I laughed.

  I paid the bill, and we left. I gave the waitress a little extra for helping Olivia calm down.

  “Paxton,” she turned to me while I was driving us back to her house. “I’m so sorry for acting up in the restaurant.”

  “You have nothing to apologize for. I haven’t laughed that hard in years. I watched all of your degrees, class rankings, and education all fade away and the only thing left was a black woman trying to get some relief. It was hilarious.”

  “The heat melted it all away!” She laughed. “Remind me to never be a daredevil again.”

  “I like daredevils…” I glanced at her, then back at the road.

  “Well, I guess I will have to try something else. Just nothing that should be marked toxic!”

  We both laughed.

  “Finally,” she huffed after looking at her phone.

  “What?”

  “My landlord has been promising to send a plumber to the house to check the water pressure and replace some old faucets. There’s also some patchwork that needs to be done on the drywall around the house. He just left a message and said that a crew would be by tomorrow. I guess I will work from home until they complete the work.”

  “Did he say how many people are in the crew? Are they his crew or is he hiring professionals?”

  “He didn't say. I hope they can get everything fixed.”

  “Did he say what time you should expect them?”