by Pat Simmons
David got a whiff of whatever they were cooking behind closed doors as he was about to knock. Valerie opened the door, casually dressed with house slippers topping off her look.
In other words, she appeared comfortable.
Her bright smile greeted him before he shifted everything in one hand to give her a hug. When she stepped back, he handed her the flowers.
“These are for your mother.”
“She’ll like that.”
As if on cue, Helen Hart strolled into the room. She still possessed the same air of sophistication as she did at the center without the color coordination of her outfit.
“Why thank you, Brother David. Come in,” his host said.
David did and planted a kiss on her cheek. “It’s good to see you again.”
Helen blushed, which caused Valerie to shake her head as she took his hat and coat.
Since he had already met her mother, David felt relaxed until the three of them gathered around the table.
“As our guest, do you mind blessing the food?” Helen requested and David did.
A few mouthfuls into his collard greens, the interrogations began as if she had never seen him before. It started off with where he worked, then progressed to whether he had ever been married.
“Did Valerie tell you she was supposed to be a Valentine’s Day baby?” Helen laughed.
“No.”
“She came a week early. My late husband thought he was about to have two Valentines.” Helen paused. “If Valerie’s daddy was here, he would ask you what’s so special about his little girl, and you’d better have the right answer.”
“Yes, ma’am.” David held his own. “She loves God and hasn’t put anything, including me, before Him.” He reached for Valerie’s hand, and she didn’t hesitate to rest hers in his. “I’m starting to get a new appreciation for Valentine’s Day.”
“Me too,” she whispered.
At that moment, it seemed as if their hearts became as one. The rest of the evening became a blur.
Chapter 17
As the weeks turned into a month, Valerie and David were inseparable.
The flowers still came to Valerie’s workplace regularly. The mysterious identity of her admirer was revealed when David showed up at The Stallings Group with a bouquet and an invitation to take her out to lunch.
His presence reminded her how happy she felt when she was with him. David had a patience that she admired when they were together.
He seemed unhurried as she gave him a tour of the production studios and made introductions to her nosy coworkers.
Soon they left for Maggiano’s, which wasn’t far from her job.
Despite the lunch crowd, they were seated in minutes. They quickly skimmed their menus, then placed their orders.
Anchoring her elbow on the table, Valerie rested her chin in the palm of her hand. When she lifted a brow, he winked. “Did I tell you my mother received this offer in the mail claiming she had won an all-expense trip for two to Aruba?”
David frowned and shook his head. “Nope.” He reached for his glass of water and gulped a large portion down as if he had been in the desert.
Twisting her lips, Valerie did her best to maintain a poker face. “Isn’t that a coincidence that it just so happens to be the same weekend as Christian and Joy’s wedding—in Aruba? Would you happen to know anything about that, Mr. Andersen?”
He looked at her sheepishly before answering, “Guilty as charged.”
She tried not to laugh at his puppy dog expression with his bottom lip poked out. From the look of mischief on his face, Valerie imagined he was not only adorable as a child, but a handful as one of three boys.
“What man wants to go to a beautiful island without the love of his life by his side to watch the sunset?” All playfulness was gone. The seriousness of his expression was evidence that she’d heard right.
Slowly, his words revolved in her head as she dropped the roll she had just reached for. Valerie blinked rapidly to digest his words. “You love me?”
“Yes,” he said softly in a low, confident voice. “The first time I saw you, you became a marked woman. It wasn’t easy biding my time.”
The revelation that he had been pining over her made Valerie’s vision blur until a few tears spilled over. David reached across the table and caught them with a gentle swipe of his thumb.
Valerie shook her head in disbelief. It seemed as if she had been waiting her entire life to hear those words, which were spoken honorably and not with the intent to get her in bed. “I can’t believe I met the love on my life on Valentine’s Day. You’re easy to love, David Andersen.”
David took both of her hands in his and rubbed them softly as their server brought their luncheon special in record time. He didn’t break eye contact with her, and once the server was gone, he picked back up the conversation. “My only regret is waiting until after Valentine’s Day to ask you out. That was foolish of me to think you were like the others.”
“Excuse me?” Valerie cringed as if she heard a needle scratching a vinyl record. As she tried to slip her hands out of his hold, David tightened his grip.
“What do you mean?” Suddenly, Sister Felicia’s odd remark resurfaced. No way would the man she had fallen for be so insecure about such petty issues.
Leaning closer, David whispered, “It was torture, but I purposely waited to approach you until after Valentine’s Day.”
He looked away and then met her eyes again. “I’m ashamed to say I thought you would…never mind that. I’m just glad God gave us a chance that night at the banquet center.”
Valerie sat back, pulling her hands from David’s restraint. She took a deep breath. Lord, I’m not understanding this conversation. “What type of woman did you think I was?”
When David fumbled with his napkin, Valerie wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer.
“Baby…”
That bad? It didn’t go unnoticed that it was the first time David ever used that endearment.
Valerie folded her arms, hoping she wouldn’t regret hearing it.
“Unfortunately, for some women all they are looking for is a man, not his heart. I vowed after my last disastrous relationship with a woman named Karla that I had to be sure that the next woman I pursued wanted me for my heart.
“There was no doubt I loved her, and there was nothing I wouldn’t do to make her happy—shopping, lavish gifts, and more. Money was no object on Valentine’s Day. Stupid me, I even thought about buying her a car.”
That had to be some kind of stupid love. Valerie restrained from voicing her thoughts.
“The more I spoiled her, the more she expected. In the end, I accepted it was never about us, but her. She practically threw my Valentine’s Day gift back in my face when the box wasn’t the size for a ring.”
Valerie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Where she thought their meeting was serendipity, it was nothing more than David’s timing because of his preconceived notions about her.
As the disappointment began to flood her senses, Valerie refused to cry, but she was fuming, hurt and quickly losing her appetite despite the aroma of her chicken and roasted pepper flatbread.
If he sounds too good to be true, he usually is. Brittany’s words about David were coming back to haunt her.
“I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you, but you have to understand that women aren’t the only creatures who can suffer a broken heart…and mine was shattered.
“After we broke up, I had a checklist of rules to protect my heart. You’ve changed my Valentine’s Day forever.”
“Stop it.” She waved her hand in the air. “What about my heart?” Valerie pushed away from the table and her food. No doubt she would regret missing this meal later. “I’ve had my share of broken hearts, too.”
She huffed out of frustration. “Your mindset is a good example of how we miss God’s blessings. You were too busy protecting your heart, to even think about mine.
Do you have any i
dea how depressing Valentine’s Day is for good women like me who want to be cherished and recognized for the goodness we possess? I for one believe in fairytales,” she mumbled, then held her tongue.
“Don’t tell me women don’t set standards—usually money is at the top of the list. A man has to find a woman who meets his criteria. All I’m saying is you’re the one, you passed the test.”
“Am I supposed to be flattered?” Valerie’s nostrils flared as she reminded herself they were in a public place, and in the end she represented God.
“Test? I’m not a classroom experiment.” She refused to cry. Grabbing her handbag, Valerie stood, and so did David. “Enjoy your lunch. I’m taking a cab back to work.”
When it appeared he was about to argue with her decision, she nipped it in the bud. “I’ve heard enough, and I don’t want to make a scene. Goodbye.”
Valerie weaved through the tables with her chin held high, so as not to alert the patrons that her heart was breaking.
Once outside the door, a cab was waiting. She whispered her thanks to the Lord. Valerie didn’t know what made her angrier, David not putting up a fight or him not demanding to pay her fare. The short ride to The Stallings Group did nothing to tame Valerie’s temper. She stormed into her boss’s office with determined strides. “I’m taking the rest of the day off and will be working from home tomorrow.”
Her tone meant it was nonnegotiable, so George closed his mouth with a curious expression and nodded. Valerie left his office, gathered her things and left.
Crying and driving were a bad combination. She was just as impaired as if she had been drinking.
Then to add another distraction, she called her mother who couldn’t understand a word she was saying.
“Calm down and drive. I’ll meet you at your apartment.”
When their connection was severed, she thought about calling Brittany, but she knew all she would hear from her would be, ‘I told you so’.
Once she arrived at her complex, Valerie prayed she wouldn’t come face-to-face with any other residents.
Her face was puffy from crying and her thoughts were jumbled. She made it to her apartment and collapsed on the sofa.
“Men are so stupid…” She began to fuss when the intercom alerted her that her mother had arrived. Minutes later when Valerie opened the door, she fell into her mother’s arms. The tears were gone, but so was her energy.
Contentment filled her while she was cocooned in her mother’s embrace. “All right. Let me get in the door all the way.”
She ordered Valerie to take a seat on her sofa while she scrutinized her.
“You scared me half to death with your bawling. I’ll make us some herbal tea, then you can tell me why you’re so frazzled.”
Valerie leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes. She could feel a headache coming—either from her missed lunch or emotional shock.
Within minutes, she felt the soothing coolness of the damp cloth her mother placed over her forehead and eyes.
“Shh, whatever is wrong, Jesus will fix it.” She refused to let her say a word until after at least one cup of tea.
In no time, Valerie had drained her mug and was somewhat recharged. Giving her mother a point-blank stare, she asked, “Do I look like a gold digger?”
Helen lifted a brow. “Did that young man call you that?”
“I am so mad at that man—”
“But did he call you a gold digger?” her mother pressed.
“Might as well have. How dare he have a list and check off my assets as if I’m on an assembly line? I’m not a show horse or something.” Valerie humphed before she reined in her frustration when she really wanted to continue ranting.
“Sweetie, women make lists, too.”
Valerie tried to block out her mother’s reasoning.
“Who do men think they are? I have to measure up in a man’s eyes. What’s next? If I don’t produce a son, I’ll be beheaded?” She fumed. “What happened to two people meeting, getting to know each other, falling in love, and deciding they want to spend the rest of their lives together?”
Helen sat by Valerie and hugged her. “That’s a fairytale, hon.”
“It seems like I’ve waited so long for that fairytale,” she said quietly.
Her cell phone rang. She had given David his own personal ringtone, and it was annoying her at the moment. “Don’t answer that,” she warned her mother.
“I like that young man. When a person’s been hurt, they go into protect mode. The only bone I have to pick with David was that he phrased it so that it didn’t come off as a compliment.” Helen smiled. Standing, she gathered their mugs and took them back into the kitchen. “I think I’ll spend the night and go home in the morning. I have to make sure my baby girl is okay. Maybe we can watch a good comedy.”
Valerie welcomed the company. She pulled herself up from the sofa and headed to her bedroom. “I’d like that. I’m going to take a shower.”
“That will make you feel better,” Helen yelled from the kitchen.
There was nothing like a mother’s love when she needed it. And the ten-minute shower did ease some of her tension, causing Valerie to feel more composed and in control of her life. “I have waited so long for love,” she told her reflection in the mirror. She had hoped it would have come in a perfect package.
When she came out of the bedroom, her mother had made herself comfortable, lounging across Valerie’s bed and surfing the cable menu for movies. She smiled. It was like old times when she and her sister, Rachel still lived at home.
“I think I’ll go back to your church for a while.” She knew she would feel guilty for taking a hiatus from her church ministries, but other members took breaks for various reasons and this would be a first for her.
“Although I would like to see you work this out with David rather than avoid him, I’m delight to have my daughter attending service with me again.” She grinned. “Of course, Pastor Lee would be glad to see you. He still preaches the word of God without compromise.”
Yeah, but he can’t break it down like Pastor Peyton, Valerie didn’t dare argue. She gnawed on her lips as she remembered the trip her mother had “won”. “Ah, I don’t think we should go on that trip to Aruba.”
“Why?” Her mother look grieved as if a loved one had passed on.
Sitting on the bed, Valerie brought her knees to her chest to deliver the bad news. “You didn’t win that trip, Mom. That was David’s way of inviting us to his brother’s destination wedding—in Aruba.”
Helen looked like she was about to cry. Her mother didn’t believe in turning down anything free. Slowly, she nodded as if the news was sinking in. “It’s too bad you won’t be able to join me, but no spat between you two is going to keep me from going on a vacation. I’ve already started packing.”
She patted the space next to her and resumed looking for a movie.
“This is supposed to be about me. You’re a traitor,” Valerie said.
“No, I’m a single woman who loves to travel, and I’m not about to turn down a free trip. Now, hush. We’ll pray on your situation later. Right now my favorite movie, Bride Wars, is about to come on.
Chapter 18
“You idiot!” Christian paced David’s living room floor. “Do you know how hard it is to find a good woman who loves God? That alone puts Valerie in a different league from Karla and the other selfish chicks that you unfortunately became their prey.”
David’s day had gone from the anticipation of professing his love, to the disaster of watching Valerie walk out of the restaurant without a backward glance. Stubborn, he had let her leave mad while he ate his meal and took hers to go.
“Your wounded pride got the best of you. You need to win her back” Nathan said from his perch on the sofa with one ankle resting on his knee. His older brother’s look was too relaxed, compared to David’s mental chaos caused by his bad judgment.
“If she’ll let you,” Christian added with a smirk.
“See, that’s where you went wrong.” Nathan used their father’s authoritative voice. “It’s part of the blue book code of dating.”
“Huh?” David and Christian gave him bewildered looks.
“Whatever.” Nathan acted as if both should have known what he what talking about. “You don’t bear your soul too soon. Well actually, it’s not something you should ever share—maybe not even on your death bed.”
“Man, how would you know?” Christian eyed their oldest brother. “You haven’t been in a serious relationship in a while.”
Nathan shrugged with a snicker. “As far as you two knuckleheads may know.” He left them hanging. His stare seemed to dare them to pry into his implied covert affairs. “Okay, what’s your game plan? Crawling back on all fours or moving on?” he taunted.
David rested his head on the back of the sofa and closed his eyes. “There has to be a plan C or D.” He racked his brain. He really wanted this relationship, really wanted her.
“If you can’t get past security at her apartment complex,” Christian paused, “my guess is you should corner her at church tomorrow night. Surely, you two wouldn’t cause a scene in God’s house.”
“Probably not.” But David wasn’t so sure. The misunderstanding and the hurt he caused crushed him.
She was the most genuine and sweetest woman he had dated in a long time. He couldn’t lose a good thing now. “I’ll need help from both of you, though.”
Unfortunately, Valerie was a no show at their midweek Bible class.
That was a fact because he had dispatched Christian and Nathan to be posted at the church’s side entrances while he waited at the main one.
Before the night was over, David had to contend with his brothers’ backlash for missing most of Bible class because of his foolishness. Once it concluded, only Joy sympathized with his plight.
Bethani gave him a hug as if knowing he needed it. “I love you, Uncle David.” Her adoring gaze backed up her declaration before she made a dash to join her friends.