by Tyora Moody
Southern Delights
A Victory Gospel Short #2
Tyora Moody
Tymm Publishing LLC
Columbia, SC
Southern Delights: A Short Story
Victory Gospel Short #2
Copyright © 2019 by Tyora Moody
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author. Southern Delights is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Published by:
Tymm Publishing LLC
701 Gervais Street, Suite 150-185
Columbia, SC 29201
www.tymmpublishing.com
Editing: Felicia Murrell
Cover Design: TywebbinCreations.com
This short story was originally published in Love Walked In, Aspiring Love Collection, Volume 2.
Check out other short stories in
Love Walked In
Table of Contents
Southern Delights
Table of Contents
1
2
3
4
5
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1
I’d taken a few days off from the day job where I worked as a public relations manager. I loved my job, but I longed for the day when I could write full-time. Not that I didn’t do a lot of writing for my day job, I was constantly writing press releases and copy for my company’s social media platforms and blog. And while I was not a believer in writer’s block, I couldn’t find time to write my next book no matter how hard I tried.
My editor had been harassing me the past month and had already extended the deadline for another six months. So, this week, I was determined to nail down a few chapters. With two books under my belt, I was still tickled to see my name, Nia Michaels, on a book cover. Crazy thing was, I wrote sweet romance novels that weren’t anything like my life.
Maybe that’s my problem. I need romance in my own life. Sigh!
Lately, I’d been in a funk. Three years had passed since I’d been in a serious relationship, and let’s just say the last one turned me off to the whole dating, boyfriend process. That’s what it was to me, a process to see if I was a good match for someone else. I wasn’t having much success. My constant prayer was to be ready for when Mr. Right would find me.
Lord, I’m wondering if I’m even showing up on the GPS.
After my last break up, I received the inspiration to write a novel. I’d always wanted to write a book, and I’m not certain if it was just the right time or whether it was due to me not wanting to be depressed, but I wrote a whole book. Sebastian Windsor, the male character from Sugar & Spice was indeed the man of my dreams. I wanted to marry Sebastian myself by the time I typed the end. Then, I proceeded to write another book, Sweet on You, with yet another male character that I wished was real. Avery Vance was his name. What can I tell you? I’m good at writing the perfect man. My readers agree with me because both books have had relatively good success. I enjoy visiting with book clubs to talk about my stories. For the past year, those same readers have been hounding me on social media wanting to know when to expect my next book.
I sighed for like the fifth time since I entered Southern Delights Cafe, a coffee shop owned by my aunt Linda. I wasn’t sure what was going on with book number three, but I was anxious for something to spark my imagination. When I arrived, my aunt took one look at me and fixed my favorite, a caramel mocha latte on the house. I guess she could tell from my face, it was one of those kind of days.
I’d been sitting in a back booth for close to forty minutes, positioned where I could see the lunch crowd walk through the door. By now, a whole lot of customers had ventured inside to grab a cup of their favorite coffee beverage, usually paired with one of Aunt Linda’s sweet treats. I finished nibbling on a mini pecan pie only to find a blank page still staring back at me. I drained my cup and thought about trying another sugary delight. What I needed was for my brain cells to focus on my laptop instead of obsessing over the dessert counter. My bottom sure didn’t need the extra calories. My jeans were fitting way too snug, and I was basically wasting away my gym membership.
While I struggled with temptation, a figure caught my eye outside the cafe. I’m not sure why, but I found my eyes roving from the dessert counter to outside the window. Maybe it was
the beautiful chocolate skin or the strong jawline visible from the side that captured my attention. When the man reached for the door, I sat still, almost not breathing and watched as the most gorgeous man I’d seen in a long, long time walked through the doors. He had a bit of swagger to his walk as he glided towards the order counter.
For a brief moment, he turned and caught my eye.
I smiled.
He smiled back.
It crossed my mind that I must have looked quite silly gaping at him. Yeah, I was pretty sure, my mouth had fell open at some point. He actually smiled at me. Me. To save myself, I turned my attention back to my laptop determined to look like I was busy. I even started typing on the keyboard. What I was typing, I don’t know. I just knew my body had grown warm despite the cool flow of air in the cafe.
My aunt Linda was usually in the back pulling fresh baked goods out of her oven, but she must have given her barista a break. I heard her voice ask, “What can I get for you, sir?”
I cocked my ear to the side so I could hear his voice, and what a melodious voice it was. Deep and smooth with a southern drawl. “I will have a Cafe Americano.”
Mr. Cafe Americano knew his coffee. It was mid-afternoon and his espresso selection would definitely be the perfect perk-me up. I could almost hear the smile in my aunt Linda’s voice without even turning around. “It will be right up. Would you like anything to go with that today?”
I took that moment to turn my attention towards the dessert counter, this time my focus on the goods outside the glass counter. Lord, help me. Mr. Cafe Americano’s back was to me, but I could tell he was a man who probably worked out. His muscles weren’t bulging, but his crisp white button-down shirt stretched over broad shoulders. I observed as he stepped over to the dessert counter to peruse the sweet treats behind the glass.
Southern Delights Cafe was known for their southern baked goods as much as their coffee. Aunt Linda’s specialties were her pies which often included pecan pie, sweet potato pie, peach cobbler and apple pie. Lately, she’d been experimenting with mini-pies.
I heard tapping from the left and swiveled my head to catch my aunt eying me with a mischievous smile on her face. Ugh! I’d been caught gawking at her customer. Knowing my aunt, she was not going to let that slide. She knew I couldn’t help it. Aunt Linda was over fifty, but she’d been quite the catch in her day. Age had calmed her down, along with Jesus, but she had no qualms with checking out a good-looking man.
I could almost hear her favorite saying, “Girl, God gave us eyes to see with.”
There was no arguing with my auntie about the part of the bible that mentioned “lust of the eyes” was not a good thing. I took a deep breath to cleanse my mind and refocused on my laptop. I read the gibberish I typed.
Mocha colored brother. Swagger for days. Deep, smooth voice.
Seriously, that’s what I typed?
The more I looked at the words, the more I thought this wasn’t a bad thing. This guy, Mr. Cafe Americano, was the perfect male interest for my novel. Inspiration had finally arrived. From the
side of my eye, I noticed the man who’d now become a character in my book was eagerly pointing to a tray of freshly baked mini apple pies. When he spoke, my ears perked up.
“I definitely want to try one of those.”
My aunt Linda asked, “Would you like me to heat it up for you?”
“That would be great.”
A minute later, I heard my aunt call my name. I turned to look at her. She stood grinning and holding up a silver carafe. “Nia, you look like you’re hard at work over there. You want a refill?”
The man turned around and looked at me, his white smile dazzling.
If I could have disappeared at that moment, I would have. I tried not show a grimace on my face. “Sure, I could use some more coffee.” I scooted out of the booth, suddenly feeling shy. Wearing my purple t-shirt emblazoned with “I’m Blessed” in large white letters on the front and my favorite jeans, which were not too shabby but definitely fitted, I believed in being comfortable. I hadn’t come dressed to impress.
I tried to not look at Mr. Cafe Americano, but sensed him checking me out. I walked over to the counter and handed my aunt my empty cup.
She gave me a sly smile. “You like the view today?”
I rolled my eyes. Even though it was a bright and sunny day, I knew she wasn’t talking about outside. Southern Delights Cafe was located in the heart of downtown Charlotte, so the views around us were tall buildings and people bustling up and down the sidewalk. A decent view for a writer looking for inspiration within a metropolitan setting. But today, inspiration had walked through the door and was patiently waiting beside me.
I murmured thanks to my aunt as she passed my refilled cup. She winked at me, knowing she had me all flustered. I felt like I was walking like some old woman on the way back to my booth, fearing I would do something foolish like trip and spill my coffee. As soon as the thought entered my mind, I paused in the middle of my walk, willing myself to forget the thought.
To my right, a voice interrupted my brief trance. Stunned, I turned to catch Mr. Cafe Americano smiling at me.
He really was gorgeous!
“Looks like you’re hard at work over there,” he said. “I can imagine you needed that shot of caffeine pretty badly.”
I smiled back, “This time of day? Yes, it’s a bit of a struggle.”
He nodded, “Oh, I know the feeling. I like to come here to get a quick pick me up for the afternoon. Today has been especially rough at work.”
I wanted to ask him where he worked. Had to be nearby since he walked over. Once folks around here parked their cars in the nearby garages, they usually didn’t move them until rush hour in the evening.
My aunt said, “Your order is ready. Enjoy.”
I observed his well-manicured fingers as he reached for his cup and bag. He winked at my aunt, “Thank you, ma’am.”
He seems like a bit of a flirt.
The thought sobered me, and I headed back to my booth. But before he left out, Mr. Cafe Americano turned and waved. “Nice talking to you. I hope the rest of your day is blessed.”
“You too,” I waved back, and then watched him walk down the sidewalk as far as I could see out the window.
My aunt guffawed. “Girl, if you lean over any farther, you will fall out that booth.”
I straightened my back, ignoring my aunt’s laughter. I was glad there wasn’t many other customers inside the cafe to witness my embarrassment.
A few seconds later, my aunt appeared at my booth and sat down. “What have you been working on all this time?”
“My new novel. By the way, you didn’t have to embarrass me. I was just checking out the guy. He’s actually perfect as my character.”
“Mmm. He’s also perfect for other things too. He seemed interested.”
I looked at my aunt as if she’d grown something on her nose. “Seriously, I’m pretty sure I will never see him again.”
“Oh I don’t know. He’s a regular.”
That piqued my interest. “Really?”
“So you are interested?”
“No.”
“Girl, stop playing. It’s been too long. I have always told you God has someone for you, but you have to be open to the possibilities.”
“I am open. He seemed nice.” I squinted my eyes, “Did you have to call my name out like that?”
My aunt laughed, “How else was I supposed to get your attention? You were staring. Which is rude, by the way.”
I couldn’t help it.
“Whatever! I need to get back to work. I appreciate the free coffee today. Thank you, Auntie.”
“Mmmm, I hope it’s helping. I’ve been waiting on a new book from you. You seem to have been on hold for some reason. It’s time to wake up.”
“That’s what I’m doing, Auntie.”
Once my aunt left me alone, I began tapping away on the keyboard and before I knew it I had a very rough, but deeply satisfying first chapter.
To keep the story flowing though, maybe I should return. I wouldn’t mind meeting Mr. Cafe Americano again.
2
The next few weeks were super busy at work. The story was flowing and I wrote whenever I had a chance, usually during my lunch break and at night before bedtime. When I wrote at night, I would write to the early morning hours. I wasn’t a morning person so the late nights didn’t help. I stopped by Southern Delights Cafe mainly in the morning to grab a cup of coffee and some breakfast quiche. Aunt Linda served bacon and cheese or sausage and cheese quiches to the morning crowd.
My aunt amazed me with the amount of baking she did. She was always in the kitchen Monday through Friday. Since her business was located downtown and pretty busy throughout the week, she kept the cafe closed on the weekends. The baking didn’t stop though.
One particular Saturday, my aunt was preparing desserts for an afternoon program at Victory Gospel Church. My family has been a part of this congregation since I was a child. Now as an adult out on my own, I still attended with my mom each Sunday. I was the youngest of three, but my older sister and brother both moved away after graduating high school. Even though I was the only sibling who remained near my mother in Charlotte, I had my own place. My dad had passed away about five years ago from a heart attack, and my aunt Linda moved in with my mom and took over my old room.
When Aunt Linda required some help baking, she could always count on her older sister to help. Usually, between the two women, I would get roped into helping too. That was how I found myself armed with my laptop on my mom’s couch trying to add to my word count before I was held hostage in the kitchen.
My mom walked through and kissed me on my head. “You getting some writing done today?”
“Yes, I have to get this book finished.”
Mom smiled at me, “You can do it. I know you can.”
Aunt Linda came through the living room, dressed with an apron that was already covered in flour. “Are you two going to leave me hanging today?”
Mom narrowed her eyes at her younger sister, “Linda, let Nia work on her book. We can handle the baking today.”
Linda looked over at me. “Oh, I forgot. Speaking of your book, you missed your man yesterday.”
I blurted, “What? When?”
My mom swung her head back and forth between me and my aunt. “What man?”
Linda grinned and slapped her hand on her apron, sending flour dust into the air. “A few weeks ago, this handsome young man came to Southern Delights and took your daughter’s breath away. He is gorgeous, the kind that makes a girl trip over herself. Also quite the gentleman.”
I eyed my aunt. “I didn’t trip.”
Linda waved her finger, “No ... but you definitely got his attention. He asked about you.”
She had my attention. I swiveled on the couch to stare at her, my laptop forgotten. “What do you mean?”
My aunt rubbed her hands together as if she had something really good to tell me. Her grin reminded me of Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland. “He asked
if I knew the woman that was sitting with the laptop that day. I told him you were my niece.”
I jumped up from the couch. “No, you didn’t. What else did you do?”
Linda rolled her eyes. “Well, I didn’t give him your number if that’s what you’re worried about. He’s a regular; I see him all the time. In fact, I believe his first name is Brendan...” She placed her hand under her chin, deep in thought. “No, maybe it’s Brandon ... something like that. So many people come through the café, and we try to write their names on their coffee cups, but the names start to blend together...”
I cut off my aunt’s rambling. “Okay, so that’s all you know about him? Does he work nearby?”
My mom frowned at me. “Why are you asking her? What are you planning to do?”
I sighed, “Nothing. Look, Mom, I learned my lesson the last time. You said don’t go chasing after a man.”
“That’s right.” Mom exclaimed, “It says in Proverbs, ‘He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.’ Mom placed her hands on her hip and stared at me.
Mom knew how much my last boyfriend had upset me. She warned me then not to go chasing after the business executive who liked to travel. I decided to chase after him, surprise him while he was away, and showed up at his Atlanta hotel I learned the hard way that he often had a woman for company during his travels.
The surprise was on me.
Aunt Linda swatted at my mom, “Your daughter is just curious about the man. Their connection was really obvious even in that short time. He’s obviously been thinking about her.” My aunt narrowed her eyes. “If I’m not mistaken, you must have been thinking about him too.”
I wasn’t about to admit to my mom and aunt that every single time I worked on my manuscript, and even when I wasn’t writing, I thought about Mr. Cafe Americano. I sighed, “He was just a gentleman. You don’t see that these days.”
My aunt winked at me, “No, you don’t. Not in young men like him. I will see what else I can dig up on him. I can tell you he usually comes into the cafe mid-afternoon. Not every day, but at least once or twice a week.”