“WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?”
Kendra stared at Moses Reeves as if he’d taken leave of his senses. “Good morning, Grandpa. I thought I worked here.”
Moses tied an apron around his impressive girth. “I figured you’d take the day off.”
Reaching for an apron from the stack on a shelf near a storeroom, she looped the bib over her head. “Why would I do that, Grandpa?”
Taking two long strides, Moses dropped a kiss on her hair. “So you could get all gussied up for your date.”
A frown settled into her delicate features. “What on earth are you talking about?”
“Aren’t you going out with your husband tonight?”
“Ex-husband,” she corrected. “And going to Gibson’s is not a date.”
Moses opened a walk-in refrigerator and picked up several cartons of eggs. He handed them to Kendra and lifted another box filled with slab bacon. “In my day whenever a man took a woman out to eat it was a date, and I don’t believe things have changed that much. And if your mother and father were here they’d tell you the same thing.”
“I’m glad they’re not, because there’s no way I could put up with you, Grandma, Mom and Dad ganging up on me. The only person who wouldn’t take sides is Kenny.”
Her parents, who’d taken early retirement, had embarked on a six-month around-the-world cruise, and her banker brother had a stay-out-of-other-folks’-personal-business attitude.
“Grandbaby-girl, what I’m saying is you can’t go out smelling like eggs, bacon and burgers. Hang up that apron and go get your hair done. Since you’ve been back you’ve worn nothing but that silly-looking ponytail, jeans and those clunky shoes.”
“Don’t forget the apron, Grandpa,” Kendra teased.
Setting down the box, Moses rested his hands on her shoulders, giving her a gentle shake. “I want you to take the day off, and that’s an order.”
She resisted the urge to salute her grandfather. “Yes, sir.”
Maybe she would try to get an appointment at the salon for after breakfast… Kendra carried the eggs into the kitchen, carefully transferring them from the carton to the rack next to the griddle as Moses turned it on. Iman, whom Moses had threatened to fire on the spot the next time she came in late, walked through the front door just before six. Five minutes later the first customer entered and sat at the counter.
As the morning went on, each time the bell over the door jangled, she glanced up. She told herself she was not waiting for Nathaniel to come through the door of Pearl’s Kitchen.
It was after nine when she slipped into the storeroom to make an appointment for her hair. Fortunately her favorite stylist had a cancellation and could take her if she got there before ten.
Removing her apron, she informed her grandfather she was leaving. Moses placed a “Table Service Only” sign on the counter as she went upstairs to her apartment to get her handbag. Kendra had just walked over to where she parked her car when a gleaming dark blue BMW Z4 roadster with Florida plates maneuvered into the space next to hers.
Her heart stopped, then started up again when she saw Nathaniel unfold his long frame from the low-slung sports car. Missing was his tailored attire and in its place was a pair of jeans, a black long-sleeved cotton pullover and low-heeled black boots. He hadn’t shaved, but the stubble on his lean jaw only enhanced his masculine good looks.
“Where are you running off to?” Nathaniel asked as he approached.
Tilting her head, she stared at the man who still had the power to make her weak in the knees and make her heart beat a little too fast. The man who’d always made her feel as if she were the only woman in the world.
“I have a hair appointment.”
Nathaniel ran a hand over his cropped curly hair. “Maybe I should go with you.”
“Your hair looks okay.” Kendra knew Nathaniel had his personal barber cut his hair every two weeks.
“So does yours.”
“You’ve never been a good liar.”
His expression changed, becoming serious. “Why would you say that, Kendra?”
“A ponytail hairdo smelling like bacon, eggs and coffee isn’t that appealing.”
Nathaniel gazed down at her, his thick black lashes touching his high cheekbones. “It’s not what you smell like, but how you look—and you look incredibly beautiful this morning.”
Time and space might have separated them, yet Nathaniel was as Kendra remembered. He’d always been open about his feelings. There wasn’t a day when he hadn’t told her she was stunning, or how lucky he was to have her in his life. Most men were reluctant to commit or tell a woman he loved her, but it hadn’t been that way with Nathaniel.
“You need to have your eyes checked. I have to go or I’ll miss my appointment.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, Nathaniel angled his head. “Have you changed your cell phone number?”
“No…it’s the same.”
He leaned forward, hesitated, then pulled back. “I’ll call you later.”
Kendra held her breath, feeling the rapid staccato beating of her heart against her ribs. For a fleeting moment she had thought Nathaniel was going to kiss her. “Later,” she mumbled as she pressed the button to unlock her car.
Nathaniel opened the driver’s door, waiting until Kendra slid behind the wheel before closing it. Their eyes met. He saw sadness and indecision there. There had been a time when she had looked at him with love, joy and trust. He wanted to see her smile and laugh, as she’d done before the light went out behind her tortured gaze. He wanted to hear her say she loved him and would always love him, as he still loved and would always love her.
Unwilling to dwell on what was and might never be again, he stepped back when she started the car that had been his last Christmas gift to her.
Nathaniel stood in the same spot long after the taillights of the white Jaguar disappeared from sight. When Kendra had asked what he was doing in Chicago he’d told her only half the truth. He’d come on business, but he’d also come to see if he could make peace with his ex-wife.
THICK, GLOSSY CURLS bounced around Kendra’s head as if they’d taken on a life of their own when she ducked her head to get into her car. Her stylist had put her hair into large rollers, set her under the dryer, then styled her hair with her fingers instead of blowing it out in the smooth look Kendra favored. The talented beautician claimed the effect was perfect for seduction. What she didn’t know was that her client planned to have dinner with her ex-husband, not seduce him. Kendra had remained at the full-service salon to have a mani-pedi and her eyebrows waxed.
It had been a long while since she’d pampered herself. She used to have a standing weekly appointment to have her hair and nails done and biweekly appointments for a facial and full-body massage. Although she’d traded a classroom for a restaurant counter, Kendra decided it was time to pay attention to her personal needs again.
Pulling down the vanity mirror in her car, she stared at her reflection. The curls were different and a welcome change to the sleek style that typically framed her face and fell around her shoulders.
“A new do calls for a new outfit, so Michigan Avenue here I come,” she whispered, flashing a wide grin. Browsing in the many boutiques along the Magnificent Mile would be the perfect way to round out a day of self-indulgence.
Pressing the start-engine button, she shifted into gear, but before she could maneuver out of the salon’s graveled lot, her cell phone rang. Kendra reached into her purse and took out the BlackBerry. The number of Pearl’s Kitchen appeared on the display.
“Hello.”
“Kendra, this is your grandmother.”
“What’s up, Grandma?”
“There’s a girl here looking for you.”
“Who is she?”
“I can’t make out her name because she’s crying and slinging snot like someone who’s lost their natural mind. Talk about gettin’ red in the face. I think she said her name is Sheena, or maybe it was Seren
a like that tennis player.”
“Does she have reddish hair and freckles, Grandma?”
“Her hair does have a lot of red in it.”
“It must be Shirah.”
“Yeah, that, too,” Pearl drawled. “Do you want to speak to her, because folks are talking about dialing 9-1-1.”
“Yes, please put her on.” Kendra shifted into Park and cut off the engine.
“Miss…Miss Reeves?”
“What’s wrong, Shirah?”
“I can’t use my cousin’s computer anymore because her mother found porn on it. My cousin swears it wasn’t her who downloaded the site.”
“If she didn’t do it, then does she know who did?”
“She thinks it was her boyfriend. How am I going to do my lessons without a computer, Miss Reeves? I went to the library, but a bunch of senior citizens were using all of them. When I asked the librarian how long they were going to be on, she said ‘as long as they want.’ Miss Reeves, I have to get my GED so I can get into college next year. I’m already two years behind.”
Kendra closed her eyes when another wave of sobbing came through the earpiece. “Shirah, please stop crying. I’ll figure something out.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. Now, I don’t want you to worry about your lessons until I follow up on an idea. Write in your journal, keep up with your books and read Goodnight Moon and A Snowy Day to Ricky before he goes to sleep at night. Do everything you would normally do except stress over a computer.”
“O-kay.”
“Say it like you mean it, Shirah.”
“I’m not going to worry about a computer, Miss Reeves.”
“That’s my girl.”
“I gotta go home now, because I need to cook and feed Ricky.”
“Have you had lunch?”
“No.”
“Stay where you are and put my grandmother back on the phone please.” Kendra waited for Pearl to pick up. “Grandma, do me a favor and don’t let Shirah leave without packing up something for her and her little boy.”
“Don’t fret, I’ll take real good care of the child. Where are you now?”
“I’m on my way to Michigan Avenue.”
“Buy something sexy that will knock his socks off.”
“Grandma!”
“Bye!”
Kendra held the phone to her ear until she realized her grandmother had hung up on her.
The loss of Shirah’s access to a computer presented a problem—a big problem. Kendra couldn’t lend the girl her laptop, because then she wouldn’t be able to scan and download the lessons.
Palming her cell, Kendra closed her eyes. There had to be a way of getting a computer for Shirah, short of purchasing one for her. Giving the girl her laptop and buying another one for herself was out of the question because for a licensed teacher that was illegal.
Kendra opened her eyes and stared through the windshield. Her gaze shifted to the cell phone and she scrolled through the directory, stopping at her brother’s name. She dialed his office at one of the country’s leading banks. The call was answered after two rings.
“Mr. Reeves’s, office. This is Alma.”
“Hello, Alma. It’s Kendra.”
“Hi, Kendra. How are you?”
“I’m doing well, thank you. May I please speak to Kenneth?”
“Hold on. Your brother was just walking out. Do you want me to get him?”
“Please.”
Kendra drummed her fingers on the leather-wrapped steering wheel as she waited for her brother. She’d told Shirah not to worry, but she was the one worrying. Had she really been so pampered that she believed everyone owned a computer? And with the current state of the world’s economy and the country’s housing crisis, she doubted that computers were high on the list of necessities to maintain quality of life.
“Hey, Kendra. Now, why has my favorite sister called me?”
She smiled. “Don’t play yourself, Kenny. I’m your only sister.”
“That, too,” he teased. “What can I do for you?”
“Didn’t you tell me that when your bank branches update their computers they donate the older models?”
“Yes. Why?”
“I’m tutoring a GED student online, but the problem is she doesn’t have a computer or ready access to one. Is there a way I can get your bank to donate a discarded computer to her?”
“I’d love to help you, but the bank’s policy is they only give to not-for-profit organizations. Maybe try searching online for charities that donate refurbished computers or serve under-resourced students. Or, if you’re serious about tutoring, you could set yourself up as a not-for-profit.”
“But Shirah is my only student, Kenny.”
“Aren’t you also involved in a literacy program at GCC Outreach?”
“Yes…I am.”
“How many are in your literacy group?”
“Ten.”
“That’s enough to incorporate and establish a charity.”
Kendra’s mind was awash with ideas. “I may not have to do that if I use GCC Outreach as my base of operation.”
Kenneth chuckled. “There you go. Talk to Reverend Blake and see if he’s willing to help you create a program that will find refurbished computers for disadvantaged youth under the umbrella of the church’s outreach program.”
Excitement swept through her like a wildfire. Kendra had known talking to her brother would steer her in the right direction. Even if she couldn’t get computers from individuals and corporations, as a component of GCC Outreach she could fundraise to get the money to buy older models.
“I love you, Kenny.”
“I love you, too. I know you’re busy working at the restaurant and tutoring, but whenever you get a chance, why don’t you give Michelle a call so we can get together? And I’m certain your niece and nephew would like to see their auntie.”
Her thirty-five-year-old brother and sister-in-law had tried for years to have a baby. After more than eight years of marriage, the couple had elected to have an in vitro procedure, resulting in fraternal twins. Kendra and Nathaniel were still godmother and godfather to her four-year-old niece and nephew, despite the divorce.
“Well, I did promise myself to get out more now that the weather is getting warmer.”
“Don’t plan anything for the Memorial Day weekend. Michelle and I want you to come Friday night and stay over until Monday.”
“I don’t know.”
“Think about it. I’m sorry, but I have a luncheon meeting with another vice president. Let me know when you get approval from the church board to use their not-for-profit classification.”
“Thanks, Kenny. I will.”
“Good.”
Kendra ended the call, placing her phone on the console between the seats. Her brother had solved half her dilemma. The other half was getting the church board and the outreach director to approve her setting up a permanent tutoring program and computer lab on church property.
But before she approached them she thought it would be a good idea to go online and research organizations with the same or a similar purpose. She didn’t think she would face a lot of opposition from the pastor or his board, but Kendra wasn’t as certain about the outreach director. The woman ran the center as if it were her own little fiefdom. It had taken undue pressure from the church board to get her to agree to operate the literacy program two evenings a week. What would she say if Kendra suggested using the building four or five nights a week?
Shaking her head, Kendra sought to banish the negative thought. She’d promised Shirah she would take care of everything, and she did not make empty promises.
But first, she had a little shopping to do. She started up the car and drove it out of the parking lot toward downtown Chicago.
STANDING IN FRONT OF A full-length mirror, Kendra peered over her shoulder at the back of the midnight silk sleeveless sheath dress that fit her body like a second skin. She’d forgotten how much she loved
shopping for new clothes and how it always made her feel special. Her grandfather was right. She’d neglected herself for far too long. Jeans, clunky shoes and bib aprons were hardly haute couture. And her omnipresent ponytail was better suited for a high school cheerleader.
She’d placed her teaching career on hold, ignored her appearance and was living in a furnished apartment above her grandparents’ restaurant. Maybe it was time to reassess her lifestyle and her future. Her day-to-day routine wasn’t going to change unless she changed it. Launching a program to offer refurbished computers to economically disadvantaged students was definitely a change.
“It looks perfect on you,” said the salesclerk standing outside the minuscule dressing room.
Kendra smiled at her reflection in the mirror. “I’ll take it.”
“Would you like me to bring you anything else?” the woman asked.
It took all of thirty seconds to ponder the question. “Yes. I’d like to see some pants, tailored blouses and several pencil skirts.”
The woman pressed her palms together in anticipation of a sizable commission. “We just got in a limited collection of incredible twinsets, silk scarves and leather belts à la Michelle Obama.”
Kendra took a quick glance at her watch. She had several hours before she had to meet Nathaniel. Her smile was dazzling. “Please let me see them, too.”
Ninety minutes later she drove back to the South Side, the trunk of the Jaguar overflowing with boxes and shopping bags filled with garments. Not only did she look better—she also felt better than she had in more than a year.
CHAPTER THREE
Kendra’s phone rang as she slipped her foot into a black silk stiletto. Hopping, she reached for the phone, recognizing the number.
“Nathaniel, I’ll be down in two minutes.”
“Take your time, Kendra.”
Punching a button, she ended the call and pushed her foot into the other shoe. A single strand of pearls and matching studs were the perfect complement to the black sleeveless sheath dress with a squared neckline and matching bolero-style jacket.
Picking up a small evening purse, she filled it with a compact, a tube of lip gloss, a credit card, cash and her cell phone. Reaching for her keys, she walked out of the bedroom and down a narrow hall to the front door.
More Than Words, Volume 6 Page 25