The Replacement Date Read online

  I scooped up the last of my strawberry cheesecake as Maxwell asked, “So, what happened to your date? Is this someone you’re serious about?”

  I’m glad I waited to take the last bite because I probably would have choked. I snorted. “No, this was my first date in years.” My cheeks grew warm.

  Did I really just blurt that out to him?

  His fork lingered over his tiramisu as his eyebrows shot up. “Really?”

  I grimaced. “Remember Fatima? She set me up on this date tonight.”

  He starting laughing. “I remember Fatima. She liked doing that sort of thing.” He placed his elbows on the table. “I hope you tell her she needs to get out of the matchmaking business.”

  “Oh believe me, I will.”

  He fiddled with his fork before placing it on the dessert plate. “It was good to run into you tonight. You’re still beautiful, Donna.”

  Did someone just turn the heat up in the restaurant?

  My face was already on fire, and now the heat was creeping down my shoulders and my back. I clutched my hands under the table and mumbled a thank you. This man and I had spent a lot of time together growing up, and I couldn’t recall Maxwell ever complimenting me like that in the past. We were best friends. Him seeing me as beautiful didn’t seem possible.

  I looked down at our empty dessert plates and realized this evening had to come to an end. I turned my attention back to him. His eyes were still riveted on me. I remembered getting lost in the intensity of those eyes when I was younger. I wasn’t that young girl anymore, but I still felt the same. I cleared my throat in an attempt to control my whirring emotions and looked around. “Were you meeting someone here? We’ve talked all night, and I never asked why you were here.”

  He shook his head. “No, I was actually on my way home from work. I have a friend who’s a manager here. He’s supposed to cater an event at my job in a few weeks, and I thought I would check in. But...” Maxwell held his head down as if in shame. “I actually never... never... Well, I saw you. You were sitting alone and I just walked over.” He smiled, stretching his hands out in front of him. “And, here I am.”

  I didn’t know how to respond, so we sat there grinning at each other for what should have been a really awkward moment. Knowing what I remembered about Maxwell, he didn’t believe in coincidences either.

  Maxwell leaned in. “I’d like to meet with you again.”

  I didn’t think it was possible to grin any bigger than I was already grinning. But, with the way the evening had gone, it didn’t hurt to ask. “Are you asking me out for a real date?”

  He flashed a smile. “Technically, we had a date tonight.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, more like a replacement date.”

  “So, let’s do this for real next time. How about I pick you up from your house next Friday? We can go out for dinner and a movie? A real date where you won’t get stood up.”

  I squeezed my hands together under the table. “Sure, I would enjoy catching up with you.”

  We exchanged phone numbers and stepped out the restaurant. It was the first time I’d noticed the rain. Even though we sat near a window, my focus never wavered from Maxwell. I opened my umbrella.

  “Let me hold that for you.” Maxwell extended his hand.

  More conscious of his spicy cologne than I was when we were inside, I passed the umbrella handle to him. His shoulder touched mine as he held the umbrella high above both of us. Caught up in Maxwell’s closeness, I barely remembered walking to my car.

  “I’ll call you,” he commented after I opened my car door.

  “Great, I look forward to talking to you.”

  With a wink, Maxwell trotted away to a dark SUV that wasn’t very far from my car.

  I sat inside my car for a few minutes, trying to grasp what actually happened over the last few hours. I had a feeling my sleep tonight would be full of sweet dreams for the first time in a really long time.

  2

  The next morning, Fatima and Kim sat in my kitchen staring at me as I relayed the events from last night.

  Kim exclaimed, “What happened to George? How did you just get a blast from the past as your date?”

  I looked over at Kim before answering. With the way she was side eyeing me, if I didn’t know her any better, I would’ve thought she was jealous. But, I’ve known Kim Wilson since college. Previously married for a few years herself, Kim now opted for perpetual dating. I couldn’t imagine introducing myself to strange men over and over again. But she did and had the stories to tell. I got a kick out of her dating horror stories, but deep down I think Kim just didn’t like to be alone.

  I explained. “According to the message I received about ten o’clock last night, George had to rush to the hospital for an emergency. Apparently. his youngest son fell and ended up breaking his arm.”

  Fatima held her head in her hands. “He still should have called you. I’m sorry he just stood you up.”

  I shook my head. “It was his child. If it was one of you and your children were hurt, they would be priority too.”

  Fatima shook her head. “George still carries a torch for his ex-wife too.”

  Kim yelped before I could. “What? You knew this and you still set him up with Donna?”

  “Really?” I giggled and shrugged my shoulders. “I’m fine, Kim. But to answer your other question, it was a chance meeting running into Maxwell. Not a big deal.”

  Fatima peered at me. “Umm, no. It is a big deal.” She wiggled her eyebrow. “God is obviously the better matchmaker here.”

  Though I secretly agreed, I wasn’t going to admit that to Fatima or Kim. I reached for my empty coffee mug and then grabbed the carafe. “Last night was me having dinner with an old friend. That’s it. Besides, he still hasn’t gotten over his wife. He said it's been two years since her death, but he was still wearing his wedding ring.”

  Kim shook her head. “Yeah, but he was interested in seeing you again, right?”

  I almost spilt the coffee and concentrated on holding my shaking hand steady while I poured. “He mentioned he had been wanting to connect with old friends.”

  Fatima placed her cup in the kitchen sink. “Old friends. You two were best friends. So, when do you plan to meet again?”

  “Friday.” I rubbed my nose. “He has three teenagers though. I’m sure he’s a very busy single dad. He might change his mind.”

  Fatima placed her arm around me. “Not a chance. His kids are going to love you.”

  I arched my eyebrow at my friend. “Let’s not go that far yet.”

  I’d already spent too much time thinking about Maxwell as a single dad. Could it really work to have a relationship with him? Would his kids even accept another woman in his life?

  Fatima kept going as if I hadn’t said anything. “This is your chance. You and Maxwell were like this when you were younger.” She crossed her fingers together and held them in front of me. “I never understood how the two of you just remained friends. You were crazy about him and he loved him some Donna.”

  “You mean you guys never dated?” Kim blurted.

  I shook my head. “No, we were just best friends. He lived down the street from me. We’ve known each other since we were like nine years old.”

  “Wow!” Kim’s incredulous look turned contemplative. “I never understood how a man and woman could just be friends. Seems impossible especially the older you get.”

  Fatima sighed as if expressing a point for the hundredth time. “A relationship should start with friendship. It should be the foundation of any relationship. You should be able to be yourself and unconditionally accept the other person in your life, flaws and all.”

  “Whatever.” Kim scraped the rest of her yogurt cup. “I will say something is different about you this morning, Donna. You’re glowing!”

  “I am not.” I protested. I don’t know why I was trying to deny Fatima and Kim the satisfaction of seeing me happy. I guess deep down I didn’t want to be disappoi
nted. I had loved this man for a good portion of my young life. As a teenager, I stood on the sidelines, watching my friend grow into a handsome athlete, attracting the attention of what felt like most of the girls at our school. And then he went off to college, came home less and less, and our friendship faded.

  I never found another male like Maxwell. I was able to be myself with him, and I truly enjoyed being around him. My ex-husband Allen was clearly a fluke. His good looks fooled me for a little while, but I didn’t have the friendship with him that I had with Maxwell. Maxwell and I spent so much time together. We had known each other so well, we finished each other’s sentences.

  The bond that had always been between us was there again last night. How else could we have fallen into that comfortable rhythm of being together after fifteen years? And, why would God bring us together when we were both single for the first time in a long time?

  I hoped this was more than just a chance meeting with an old friend.

  3

  Maxwell kept his promise. He called Saturday night and I lost track of how long we talked. I just know when we finally got off the phone it was close to one o’clock in the morning. I did catch a glimpse of him with his kids at Victory Gospel on Sunday. His daughter was almost as tall as me from what I could tell, and the boys had their dad’s height.

  My heart longed to move in that direction, but logic kept my feet planted. I wanted to be in Maxwell’s presence, but convinced myself to let him and his kids enjoy the day. Before I made it out the sanctuary, I felt someone touching my arm. When I turned, Maxwell stood so close, he practically took my breath away. Like Friday night, it was as if everyone around me disappeared.

  How had he made it over to me so fast? Victory Gospel Church had a large membership trying to pile out the doors. “Maxwell, I see you found me.”

  He smiled. “I saw you when you came in so I knew which direction to head. I know you and I have a date Friday, but I was wondering if you would be interested in joining us for dinner next Sunday?”

  “Us? You mean, you and your kids?”

  He nodded. “We’re living in my mom’s house. I was still managing the upkeep while I was away.”

  I frowned. “You moved back into your childhood home? Really, how have we not ran into each other before now?”

  “I know, right? I’ve been wondering about that too. The neighborhood and the school system is still good. Even better than when we were growing up there.” He shrugged. “Just never been able to let go of the house. I’ve been renting it out for years. After Alison died, I decided to pour some money into renovating. It really doesn’t look like the same house.”

  I looked around, stumbling a bit with my words. “Wow, I would love to see what you’ve done with the house. Next Sunday?”

  “Just me and the kids. I wanted to introduce them. They are always interested in people I knew when I was younger.”

  Meet his kids.

  Maxwell’s eyes held a hint of concern. “Is that okay? It will be a simple meal.”

  I cocked my head. “You cook?”

  That smile of his returned. “My daughter and I cook together. She’s probably the better cook since she cooked all the time with her mom.”

  I nodded, still grasping the invitation. “Does she know you invited me?”

  “Yes, my kids know I invited a guest. They’re excited to meet you.”

  I smiled. “Okay.”

  He winked. “Looks like we will be seeing a lot of each other.”

  Instead of following Maxwell out, I stood and watched his retreating back. It took me a minute to realize I was clutching the back of the pew as if I needed support.

  I was planning to stop by my mother’s house this afternoon. If Maxwell had moved in right down the street, Mama should have known that.

  Funny, she never mentioned it.

  My mother still lived in the same house where I grew up, a few houses down from Maxwell’s mother’s house. I couldn’t believe it was now his home.

  I pulled out my key and entered my childhood home. The house was quiet and lacked the usual smells of Sunday cooking. I called out, “Mama, are you here yet?”

  My mama yelled down. “I’m up here, Donna, changing out of my church clothes.”

  I headed up the stairs to catch my mom slipping into a sundress. I didn’t blame her, summer was a month away, but the temperatures were in the high eighties today.

  She smiled. “Hey, I didn’t see you at church today.”

  I reached over to hug her. “I was there. I slipped into the sanctuary after cleaning up the Sunday School classroom. The class created a bit of a mess today.”

  “Well, I’m taking a break from cooking today. Beulah invited me over to her house. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if I brought another person. She always has plenty of food.”

  Beulah Samuels was one of mom’s oldest friends. I was tempted to join them, but felt the need for some alone time this afternoon. “No, I just wanted to come and check on you.”

  Mama raised her eyebrow. “Check on me? Donna, everything okay?”

  I sat down on the edge of Mama’s bed. “Did you know Maxwell was back?”

  Mama placed her hands on her hip. “I did. I thought you did too. I meant to ask you about it. I just kept forgetting. I noticed he has kids. They have to be teenagers. I haven’t seen a woman though.”

  Figures. Nothing happened around here that Mama didn’t know.

  “His wife died a few years ago. Breast cancer.”

  Mama sat down on the bed beside me. “Oh my. That’s awful. Same thing that took his mom out of this world. Bless his heart.”

  “We ran into each other on Friday. Had dinner and talked. He invited me to Sunday dinner next week.”

  Mama smiled. “Well, that can’t be a bad thing. Who’s cooking?”

  I laughed. “Apparently he and his daughter are the cooks.”

  Mama nodded. “Sounds like you’re going to have an interesting afternoon.”

  I cleared my throat. “And we’re going out on a date. A real date on Friday.”

  Mama raised both eyebrows. “A real date?”

  I told her about our unexpected date.

  She sat for a few moments soaking in my story. “Well, that’s something. The Lord does work in mysterious ways.” She turned to me. “I’m glad you two are reacquainting. I remember how close you two were when you were younger. Sadie and I always used to wonder about you two.”

  I frowned. “Wonder what?”

  Mama swatted my hands. “You know? If you two would get married. I remember how both of you fussed like an old couple when you were only what, nine years old. Sadie was kind of disappointed when Maxwell didn’t ask you to the prom. He ended up asking that cheerleader.”

  My mind recalled that evening like it was yesterday. I too was hoping Maxwell would ask me. Instead, I attended my senior prom with a boy from my Sunday School class.

  “Back then Maxwell saw me as one thing. His friend. Maybe that’s the way he still sees me.”

  Mama placed her hand on my shoulder. “I’m sure Maxwell is remembering that one of the best people in his life was you. Sometimes it takes a while for people to appreciate us. We get off on the wrong paths, but God has a way of making those paths straight.”

  4

  Like clockwork, around nine o’clock every night for a week, Maxwell and I talked on the phone, catching up on each other’s lives. I almost felt like I knew his kids after our conversations. I knew how much Ashlee loved Instagram and Alex was following in his dad’s footsteps on the basketball court. And, if I ever needed any computer help, Adrian was my boy.

  Late Wednesday afternoon, while at my desk editing copy for a client’s brochure, my cell phone rang. I looked at the caller ID.

  “Hey, you,” I answered with a smile. “Nice surprise.”

  Maxwell responded. “How’s your day been?”

  “Not bad. I’m wrapping up some edits for the day.”

  “You think y
ou’ll be ready to head home soon?”

  I peered at the clock, four forty-five. Usually I stayed late to avoid sitting in traffic so I was looking at another hour. “Did you have something in mind?”

  “I was hoping we could meet, maybe for coffee.”

  I couldn’t keep the grin off my face if I tried. “Coffee sounds great. I know the perfect place. A lady from our church has a great place uptown right off College Street. It’s called Southern Delights Cafe.”

  “Sounds like it’s walking distance from my office.”

  “Mine too. I’ll meet you there in thirty minutes?”

  “That sounds great.”

  Despite our planned date only two days away, my skin tingled with giddiness over our impromptu coffee meeting. I had learned in one of our late night talks that Maxwell’s office building was only a few streets over from mine. Like me, he parked in the nearby parking garages and battled with rush hour traffic. We’ve been so close to each other for months.

  By the time I entered Southern Delights Cafe, Maxwell was already at a table with two cups of coffee.

  “Wow, you already grabbed coffee.”

  “I remembered how much you liked caramel. Thought you might like the caramel latte.” He dipped his head with a slight smile. “I hope I’m not being presumptuous.”

  I sat stunned. “You remembered that?”

  “Oh yeah. You still eat Twix candy bars? Remember how you liked to eat the caramel off the cookie?”

  I giggled. “I still do.”

  I’m not sure why I felt compelled to look, but I noticed Maxwell wasn’t wearing his wedding ring. When did he take it off?

  We chatted for an hour about the old days until Maxwell’s phone rang. “Sorry, I need to take this. It’s my daughter.”

  I nodded and sipped my remaining latte which had now grown cold. I watched Maxwell’s face as he talked. His smile slipped away, replaced by a wrinkle in his eyebrow. His voice rose slightly. “Where are you? Alright calm down, I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

  “Is everything okay?” I asked.