Beachfront Embrace

by Michele Gilcrest

  Chapter 13

  “Ms. Mae, if you wouldn’t mind covering the front desk for a few minutes. Clara and I need to go over some things in my office,” Mike said.

  “Sure, no problem. It’s nice to see you two getting along again,” she called out as she peered around the corner, watching them disappear into his office.

  Inside, Clara excitedly started sharing everything that was on her mind on the morning drive to work.

  “I know we have to catch up on business, but you will not believe what I have planned for this Friday,” she said.

  “Yes, that’s right, our date. I didn’t realize you were set on this Friday. Before you go into the details, I’d really like to-”

  “Oh, Mike. Please, humor me for two minutes. I really thought you’d want to hear about our date, and also about how things went with my sister last night.” She interrupted.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, not wanting to take away from her excitement.

  He sat on his desk and reached out for her hands.

  “Tell me everything. Why don’t you start with your sister. Is everything okay?”

  “Yes, as a matter of fact. We had another long talk. She shared a few things that I wasn’t aware of, which helped me to look at everything through a fresh pair of lenses.” She admitted.

  “Like what?” he asked. Then he thought better of it, realizing it may not be something she was comfortable sharing.

  “Wait. Don’t answer that if you don’t want to. If it’s a sensitive topic, I don’t want to pry.”

  “No, it’s okay. You’re just as much a part of my world as she is. I’ve finally been able to make sense of our last conversation before I left New York. Agnes was expecting when our parents died. She kept it to herself, feeling afraid that she wouldn’t be able to take care of the baby. She’d even considered options for ending the pregnancy but ended up having a miscarriage.” Clara explained.

  “Wow. She’s really been through it. Both of you have in one way or another.”

  “Sometimes it feels like my family was destined to walk this earth with a dark cloud hovering over us. Even when we find a little joy, it doesn’t seem to last long. It’s almost as if we can count on something else bad waiting for us just around the corner.”

  “You can’t think that way, Clara. Last time I checked, your life turned out pretty good, despite everything you’ve been through. I firmly believe it’s because of a series of choices you made along the way. Those choices changed your life for the better. That coupled with blessings from above…. and blessings from Joan,” he said.

  “And blessings when I met you.” She added.

  He planted a sweet kiss on her hand, encouraging her to hopefully see things differently.

  “That’s exactly why I need you in my life, Mike Sanders. You’re like the yin to my yang. We balance each other out.” She smiled.

  “We sure do. Now, tell me, what did you have in mind for this date? I still can’t believe you stole my thunder.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I was the one who was supposed to be planning the last date before things got all out of hand. I was really pumped about it. But, now we have another issue. I kind of… sort of… made last-minute plans for us. I would’ve told you about this a lot sooner but-” He turned around and reached on his desk for a white envelope and passed it along to Clara.

  “Look inside,” he said.

  Clara wondered what he had up his sleeve given that she’d already booked a couple’s massage for two. She thought it might be a great way to relax and hit the reset button after all the crazy turn of events.

  “Two round-trip tickets to Ft. Lauderdale… for this weekend?” she said, not sounding nearly as excited as he thought she would.

  “Surprise. I know it’s last minute, but I thought you’d like to come with me to meet my parents in person,” he said, holding his arms wide open as if he were expecting a hug.

  “That’s… sweet. Maybe even a little sudden, given that we already had plans. But, sweet,” she said.

  “Are the plans set in stone? I figured you barely had time to arrange anything since we just talked about it. I’ll admit, visiting with my cousin, and doing the video conference was definitely a motivating factor for me. And, I know it’s last minute. But, I thought you’d enjoy flying down for the weekend and spending time with the people who brought me into this world,” he said enthusiastically. He felt confident that would win her over.

  Clara paced around for a moment, quickly trying to come up with the perfect response under pressure.

  Come on, pull it together, Clara. It’s just a quick weekend trip to meet his parents. But why do I feel so uncomfortable? I mean, there’s Agnes, who will be alone all weekend. No, that’s stupid. She can take care of herself. The real question is how are you going to respond when they ask about your parents, your past, or what brought you to Maryland? You barely understand it all, and you 're definitely not ready to talk about it with anyone else, she thought.

  “Hello over there. I seemed to have lost you. Did a cat get your tongue?” He teased, while walking up to her, gently tugging on her arm.

  “So, what do you say? Will you join me?”

  She continued to stew in her own fears.

  “Clara, these tickets weren’t cheap, but besides that, I thought you’d genuinely be thrilled to go. Did I miss something here?”

  She didn’t know what to say, so she just went with the first thing that came to mind.

  “Of course, I want to meet your parents some day, Mike, but talk about poor timing.” It was yet again one of those moments she knew she’d later regret.

  “What’s the big deal? I figured Agnes could handle a couple of days by herself. We can even make sure she’s all stocked up with groceries if that’s what you 're worried about. It would be like a weekend date for the two of us. Just a quick change in pace, and we’ll be back before you know it. I talked to my folks, and they really liked you. They want to get to know you, Clara. I thought that would be something you'd be pleased to hear.”

  “I am pleased, Mike… this just caught me off guard. I set my mind on us going for a couple’s massage. I had no idea you were planning a big trip. I want to go… I just-”

  There was a knock at the door. It couldn't have been a more awkward moment.

  “Ms. Mae, just another minute and we’ll be right out,” he yelled.

  “Your business partner, Kenny, is here. He says he has a 9 o'clock appointment with you,” she responded from the other side of the door.

  “Darn it. I forgot all about our appointment. I don’t have the documents ready,” he murmured to himself.

  “Look, I can sense your reluctance. I thought this was a fun and spontaneous idea that would allow you to bond with my folks. Not a big deal. I’m still going. Hold on to your ticket and think about it if you want. It’s not like the ticket is refundable,” he said.

  There were three more knocks at the door to which Mike walked over and immediately responded to.

  “Kenny, I’m sorry, man. Come on in. Clara and I were just wrapping things up.”

  She exited the room, looking his way one last time, before taking a long walk back to her desk.

  “Must’ve been one heck of a meeting you two were having. It’s not like Mike to forget about his appointments.” Mae teased.

  A lump that felt like the size of a golf ball was welling up in Clara’s throat.

  “Ms. Mae, I have a lot of work to get done if you don’t mind,” she said, walking past Mae.

  Her lack of emotion took Mae back, but she decided not to press the matter.

  “Sure, honey. My tour doesn’t leave for another hour. I’ll be in the back if you need me.”

  “I’m really questioning if I'm cut out for this whole relationship thing.” Clara admitted, sitting on her lunch break at the café with Mackenzie.

  “Is it that time of the month?”

  “Mack, I'm being serious. It's very po
ssible that my ten-year sabbatical left long-lasting affects. Let's face it, I have communication issues, and I'm way too strong-willed for my own good. That kind of behavior is better suited for a woman who’s used to being single, don’t you think?”

  “I’m still stuck on the part where you admitted to being too strong-willed for your own good.” Mack teased.

  “Funny. Look, I have to be willing to face the music. Maybe things with Mike and I have just run its course. If so, I couldn't blame him. Perhaps I'm not as ready as I thought I was to be in a serious relationship.”

  Mackenzie placed her hands together, palm to palm, patiently waiting for Clara to speak her mind. As a woman she could relate to needing a moment to vent. It was natural and usually the result of some sort of internal battle or simply one's way of freaking out.

  “The two of you are perfect together in every way. Unless you’re going to tell me something terrible like he's cheating or he broke up with you, which I highly doubt.”

  “No, of course not, but a major part of being in a relationship is opening up and sharing all of who you are with someone else. I'm used to dealing with all of my problems on my own. I just recently arrived at the place where I'm working really hard to do that with Mike, but now he’s sprung this trip on me. He's inviting me to fly down to Ft. Lauderdale this weekend to meet his parents. I'm almost certain they're going to ask questions… a lot of questions so they can get to know me, which means getting to know my past.”

  Mackenzie took a sip of her soda and placed the cup down firmly, looking at her best friend as if she’d lost her mind.

  “Really? Is that all you got?” Mackenzie asked.

  “Well, yes.”

  “So, what I really hear you saying is a) Mike is in love and he's ready to take things to the next level. And, b) you've invited fear and doubt to have a front-row seat in your life, therefore eliminating yourself out of something really special?”

  Clara thought about the daytime talk shows she used to watch where therapists analyzed one’s behaviors and were spot on with identifying the root of the issue.

  “I’m not trying to, but my bio isn’t exactly squeaky clean, Mackenzie. I can hear them now asking me questions like... what brought you to Maryland? What should I say…Oh, that’s easy, I was actually trying to run away from my ex who was a mentally abusive nut job, and my sister who I didn’t get along with… and if that doesn’t sound crazy enough you won’t believe that after ten years of living in Maryland-”

  McKenzie placed her hand over her best friend’s, stopping her before she went too far.

  “You don’t have to tell them your entire life story. In their eyes, if you’re the one Mike has chosen to bring home, that’s all that matters.” She explained.

  “But, how do I explain myself when they ask these kinds of questions? Anything other than what I just told you would not be true. My past feels so broken and with Agnes showing up, I feel like I’m being forced to relive so much of it all over again. Mackenzie, I’ve never told anybody this, but there were times where Keith looked me in the eyes and told me I’d never amount to anything, and I’d never leave him because I was too much of an imbecile to figure out how to make it on my own.”

  “Good thing you didn’t tell me this when he was on the island. I would’ve knocked the creep into next week had I known,” Mack said.

  “Please. I probably should’ve laid across a therapist’s couch years ago, but I became great at suppressing my animosity toward him and my sister. All the way until now at least.”

  “Only you can answer this… do you really think you became good at suppressing your feelings… Or did this whole thing cause you to develop insecurities? It’s never too late to go see a therapist. I did after Stephanie’s father walked out on us. It was the only way I could cope for myself and for Stephanie. Traveling the world and joining a rock band… how embarrassing is that? I still don’t go around telling that story to this day. I figure no one would believe it, anyway.” She chuckled.

  Clara checked over her shoulder before leaning closer in.

  “A rock band?” she asked.

  “Yes, can you believe it? Of all the lame excuses. I’ve never repeated those words to Stephanie. Don’t know if I ever will. It’s bad enough I had to tell her he was young and not able to stick around to be a father. The idea that he chose a rock band over her would just crush her little soul.”

  “I’m sorry, Mack.”

  “No need to be. Hopefully, your takeaway is this… what you’ve been through is not up for discussion unless you want it to be. Mike will understand. Now, what I’m really curious to know is how did your sister deal with that numskull’s abusive tendencies?”

  Clara chuckled.

  “Great minds think alike. I asked her the same thing. She claims she had a no-nonsense approach that was too much for him to handle. Now that I think of it, she has a smart mouth on her. We used to go at it all the time as young girls growing up.” She smiled, shaking her head at the thought of her childhood memories.

  “Sisters. You can’t live with ‘em, and you can’t live without them. At least that’s what I hear.” Mackenzie added.

  “Isn’t that the truth?” Clara grunted.

  Josh slid into the booth, scooting Mackenzie over so he could give them the scoop.

  “Sorry to interrupt, ladies, but I figured you’d want to know this.”

  “Oh boy, I knew it was a bad idea to take my lunch break in house. What’s wrong?” Mackenzie asked.

  “Nothing is wrong. Just thought you’d be interested in knowing that Ms. Violet over there is broadcasting her matchmaking skills to the entire bridge club. I overheard something that involved your name and Brody’s name, so you might want to look into that. You know the woman is sweet as pie but can’t keep a secret to save her life.”

  Clara and Mack broke out in laughter.

  “The second update is Mr. Garrison, the owner, just got off the phone. He said he’s coming to the café on Friday and wants to meet with you. His voice sounded rather urgent, so whatever it’s about, I wouldn’t miss it,” he said.

  “Why didn’t you call me so I could talk to him?”

  “Because you were on your lunch break. Duh.” Josh rolled his eyes and departed as quickly as he appeared.

  “I wonder what it’s all about?” Clara said.

  “Who knows? The man hasn’t really stepped foot in the place since he took over. Maybe he’s taken a sudden interest in how business is going. I don’t know. Now I’ll have to sit around wondering about it all week. Great,” she mumbled.

  “No, you won’t. Tonight, you’re going on another date with Brody. I’m certain that will help take your mind off things.”

  Mack giggled.

  “I know. I’m trying to contain my excitement. I keep telling myself we’re just meeting for coffee. It’s no big deal. Yet somehow I can’t stop thinking about what I’m going to wear.”

  “Look at you. It’s only date number two, and you’re already smitten. I’ll bet it was the skinny dipping that did you in.” Clara chuckled.

  “Oh, hush. I already told you I didn’t take my clothes off.”

  “Yeah, sure. Don’t worry. I won’t tell. What happens in the Patuxent, stays in the Patuxent,” she said, cracking herself up.

  Mackenzie playfully rolled her eyes.

  “I’m just kidding. I’m sure he’ll be happy no matter what you put on. Just go and have a good time and promise me you won’t waste one minute thinking about this Friday,” Clara said.

  “I will. Promise me you’ll give Ft. Lauderdale some serious thought?” Mackenzie asked.

  “We’ll see.”

  “Ladies first,” Brody said, opening the door to the coffee shop for Mackenzie. A hazelnut scent greeted them as they walked inside. It was a quaint little shop with three tables, including seating for two.

  “Thank you.”

  “I probably should've asked if you’re a fan of coffee before inviting you her
e. This was the only place I could think of knowing that you’ve already had a long day and need to get home to Stephanie soon,” he said.

  “Are you kidding me? I drink coffee like it’s water. It’s a terrible habit, but it gets me through the day. I think this was perfect for a Monday evening. Plus, I love their lattes,” she said, inhaling the aroma.

  “Good evening, Mackenzie and Brody.” Sidney grinned, greeting them from behind the counter. He worked the evening shift a few nights a week for extra pocket change while making his way through his last year of high school.

  “It’s nice to see you, Sidney,” Mackenzie said.

  Brody waved, then offered Mackenzie the chance to place her order first.

  “I think I’ll go with a medium latte.”

  “Make that two lattes, please.” Brody added, winking at Sidney in a way that only they seemed to understand.

  “Gotcha. Two lattes coming right up. Why don’t you go ahead and grab a seat. I’ll bring your lattes right over,” Sidney said.

  “Thanks, buddy.” He then turned to McKenzie with a sweet smile.

  “After you…”

  Brody pulled out her chair like only a gentleman would, assisting her, then making himself comfortable.

  “Do you come in here often?” she asked.

  “I pop in every now and again. Mainly if I’m heading home after a quick grocery run. It’s a nice treat, but nothing beats making your own coffee at home.”

  “Oh my gosh, I feel the same way. It’s like I’m some sort of coffee snob or something.” She giggled.

  “That makes two of us. But, I still can’t discount the coffee shop. It’s all about the socialization. Don’t get me wrong, the coffee is great, but look at the couple behind us, and the teenagers sitting behind them. They all look like they would enjoy themselves whether they had coffee or not.” He chuckled.

  Sidney arrived at the table with a tray carrying two lattes and a bouquet of red roses in the other hand.