From This Day Forward: Multicultural Romance Page 4

  “It sure is honey, it sure is,” Velma nodded her head and patted the steering wheel as she drove.

  “But I didn’t know how to change things. I wanted to, but I didn’t see a way out. And you know, those pains in my chest were getting worse?”

  “You’ve got to get those checked out, Loretta,” Velma peeked over at her with concern. “I don’t know why you keep fighting seeing a doctor about that.”

  “Because I already know what I need to do; I’ve known for a long time now. I need to exercise. I’ve been carrying around these extra pounds for years now. I need to hit some of these pretty trails and start walking. I can’t blame it on anybody but myself. I felt my behind spreading in that chair year after year, but the truth is, I wasn’t motivated to go to the gym after work. I was just tired, Velma. I think I just got in a rut trying to make it.”

  “I know,” Velma said.

  “But after getting this chance, with the money, I just feel so blessed!” Loretta sang. “Lord, it seems like a dream that I don’t want to wake up from.”

  Velma glanced over to see her friend tearing up.

  “Get it out, Loretta. God is good. You’re a good person, and you’ve had some tough years raising those kids alone. This is your time now, and I want you to enjoy every second of it. And don’t entertain one iota of guilt about doing something for you. You deserve this happiness.”

  “Your support means the world,” Loretta sniffled, drying her eyes with a tissue from her purse.

  “I’m right here,” Velma assured her. “Right here.”

  “Thank you,” Loretta said.

  Velma smiled as Loretta started cheering back up and began talking about this or that recipe. She was enjoying listening to her friend just chatting away. It did her heart good.

  ***

  There was a loneliness inside of Velma.

  She was glad Loretta had moved out to the valley. On the outside, things seemed like they were just fine in her own life, but on the inside, Velma craved companionship.

  The success she enjoyed as a result of her business was great, but having her friend around the past couple of weeks cemented even more a growing loneliness in her that could not be filled by her work, or by the secret in her basement.

  The chatter stopped as Loretta noticed Velma’s silence.

  “You alright over there?” Loretta asked, picking up on a sudden somberness about her friend.

  “Girl, I’m fine,” Velma lied, reminding herself she wouldn’t think about what had happened. After all, it had been over four years now, and what was done was done.

  “No you’re not,” Loretta said, her eyes filled with concern.

  “Yes, I am,” Velma emphasized. “Now go on, tell me about your plans. I’m enjoying this life bursting from you,” she said in earnest as she smiled and guided the truck on toward the first restaurant site visit.

  Loretta talked about the feel she wanted, something reminiscent of a small Italian restaurant.

  “You’ve really thought this through,” Velma said, marveling at the specifics she went into.

  “I’ve more than thought it through. Remember when I told you a while back I was taking classes at the junior college?”

  “I remember,” Velma said.

  “Well, I was taking small business classes. I even took up some marketing classes and some specific workshops on restaurant management.”

  “That’s good,” Velma said. “But you didn’t need restaurant management classes. After managing Patterson’s for what, over two decades now, you can run a restaurant with your eyes closed.”

  “I wish,” Loretta said. “But at Patterson’s, we had all the policies and procedure in place. I mean, the vendors were already established, the menu was already set, and the customers were already built-in. With my restaurant, I’ll be starting from scratch.”

  “You’ve got a point there,” Velma said, glancing at her GPS as she made the next left turn off the wiggly coastal road.

  “I know I can do it, but it’s a lot to think about. I think I’m as nervous as I am excited,” Loretta said, pointing at the building in front of them. “That’s it! It looks just like the picture.”

  Velma eased the truck down the driveway to the empty restaurant. After a couple of minutes, they got out and put their hands on their hips at the same time.

  “Humph, the place has good bones, I can see that.” Instinctively, Loretta knew right off it was not the space for her. The block was nice enough, but it was more industrial in appearance, and the area didn’t have much charm for the Loretta’s Garden she’d envisioned.

  “It’s old, but it does seem solid enough. This stone’s probably been here since the beginning of time.”

  “Yes, you’re right. But you know, Velma, I already know I’m not feeling this place,” Loretta said as they walked down the cracked pavement toward the building.

  “You might not like it, but as my realtor once told me, you might have to look at several places before you find the right one for you. So let’s go peek inside anyway since we’re here, so you’ll have something to compare the others to.”

  “Good idea. I see why they let you into medical school,” Loretta teased.

  “Oh hush up,” Velma chuckled. “The realtor said the key would be under the mat.”

  The women strolled on toward the building. Within seconds, they’d located the key and gone inside. The place was well cared for, and it had the remnants of a previous commercial kitchen in the back. But overall, it looked more like an office building than a restaurant. They spent less than ten minutes looking around the space before they were back on the road again.

  The next spot they stopped at was nearby. It was a handsome building, practically new. The kitchen was fully built out, and it sat on a nice corner. But it was too big. And it was expensive.

  “You can feed an army in this space,” Velma marveled.

  “I know, but it’s too big for my needs, in square footage and in dollars. I couldn’t afford this -- even if I wanted to. Besides, it just doesn’t have that coziness I’m looking for.”

  “Alright, let’s keep looking,” Velma said, as they got back in the truck. “We can see a couple more I’ve mapped out within a five mile radius, but I’m going to take a chance and throw something out there now that I was kind of saving for last.”

  Loretta gave her a curious glance.

  “I know of this little spot that used to be open years ago. It was one of my favorite places to eat. Malachi and I used to visit it often,” she heard herself say.

  “Malachi?” Loretta said. “I haven’t heard you say that name in a long time.”

  “I know, I try not to say too often.” Hurt filled Velma’s eyes for a quick second and disappeared as quickly as it had come.

  “You can talk about it if you want to,” Loretta offered.

  “Nothing to talk about,” Velma said, pursing her lips. She quickly turned the conversation back to the space. “The restaurant sits on a vineyard, and it is right outside of town.”

  “On a wine vineyard?” Loretta asked.

  “No silly, a vodka vineyard,” Velma laughed, making a U-turn at the next T in the road. “Of course a wine vineyard. I haven’t been out there in some time, but I know the owner, and he says it’s still sitting empty. His wife used to run it, but she left him years ago. I really think it might be perfect for what you want, if you don’t mind your business being intermixed on the vineyard.”

  Loretta thought about it for a few seconds. She didn’t like the idea of her business being part of somebody else’s property, but it could mean a built-in clientele.

  “It can’t hurt to look, drive!” Loretta beamed.

  In less than ten minutes the women were pulling into the tall, wrought iron gates of the massive wine vineyard.

  Loretta’s eyes glanced at the ornate name scribed in iron and welded onto the gate. It read THORNTON VINEYARD.

  Thornton, Thornton, Thornton. Loretta knew that last name
, and she’d heard it since she’d been in Bordeaux Valley.

  Chapter 6

  Ah, yes, she thought, remembering the handsome man who had insulted her in Baggage Claim at the airport. It was just a coincidence, she was sure. It couldn’t be the same man. Loretta waved her hand and dismissed the thought as she took in the charm of the place.

  As they got out of the truck and walked toward the oval shaped stone entrance, Loretta marveled.

  “It feels like we’re in one of those Italian places I’ve seen on the Travel channel.” Her eyes flitted from the hanging, wrought-iron, outdoor candelabras, to the terra cotta and multi-colored stone pathway, to the charming restaurant less than 200 feet away. The outside verandah was wide and deep. A towering outdoor brick oven was visible from the entryway.

  “Is that it? Oh my goodness!” Loretta’s eyes lit up.

  “That’s it,” Velma said as she watched her friend rush toward the open verandah in the distance.

  Velma knew she would like the place.

  “Velma?” a familiar Italian accent said from behind. She tensed up at the sound of his voice, finally taking a deep breath and turning around to face him. Studying his eyes, she let out a soft sigh of relief.

  “Alonzo,” Velma said. “It’s been too long.” She laughed as the tall, broad man almost picked her up with his strong embrace.

  “Yes, it has been my friend,” he said. “You are good for my eyes.”

  “And mine, too,” Velma said with sincerity. “Mine, too.”

  Loretta turned around to glimpse the commotion.

  It was the same man from the airport.

  Butterflies filled her stomach as she locked eyes with the tall, dark stranger. She couldn’t move.

  As they approached, his eyes let her know he recognized her, too.

  Alonzo’s gaze fastened on hers. He smiled and nodded a polite hello, and seemingly an apology, too.

  But she steeled her body and tried to remind herself she was angry at him.

  Alonzo’s gaze held Loretta’s.

  Velma studied them. They were clearly having a conversation that had nothing to do with her or the restaurant space. She looked back and forth at both of them, realizing they’d forgotten she was in their midst.

  Velma cleared her throat. “Alonzo, this is my friend Loretta I was telling you about. Loretta this is --,” she started.

  “Alonzo Thornton,” Loretta said with a coolness that did not match the adoration shooting from her eyes in his direction.

  “You know each other?” Velma asked, confused.

  “Yes, we’ve met. This is the gentleman I was telling you about. The one who assumed I was his new maid,” she said, folding her arms and thrusting her nose up a little.

  Alonzo shook his head from side to side with a slight chuckle.

  Velma looked back and forth between the two of them.

  “And would that have been so bad?” Alonzo asked, not taking kindly to her attitude toward the profession. “My mother was a domestic servant in Italy most of her life. And my father, God rest his soul, when he first came to your country, performed domestic work to put food in my belly. Would that have been so bad, being a maid?”

  Who did he think he was questioning her right to be highly offended? He didn’t know anything about her.

  “No, it wouldn’t have,” Loretta shot. “I have no problem with the occupation. It’s the stereotype that offends me, Mr. Thornton. You didn’t know me from Adam, but because I was the only African-American woman in that airport, you assumed I was the help. Of that, I took -- and still take -- offense,” Loretta stated emphatically.

  Understanding creased Alonzo’s brow as he chuckled, now clearly amused.

  “I don’t see anything funny!” Loretta huffed.

  Alonzo couldn’t help himself. He threw his head back and let out a throaty laugh.

  “I thought you were my new hire because you wore a pink scarf. That’s what the agency said the employee would be wearing so I could identify her in the airport. It had nothing to do with anything else.” He shook his head, still smiling.

  Loretta was rendered speechless -- again -- by this handsome man.

  “Oh--,” was the only thing she could finally muster. She looked around as if admiring the place.

  “What a lovely place you have here,” she sang, trying to change the subject.

  “I think you owe me an apology, Miss Devon,” Alonzo said, a serious undertone in his voice.

  “I do,” she admitted right away, clearly embarrassed at her own assumption. “I apologize, sincerely,” Loretta said, looking into intense, dark eyes that made her want to blush.

  “Apology accepted,” Alonzo said, giving her a warm smile back.

  Velma cleared her throat to interject. “Let’s try this again.”

  They both dropped their heads, then looked at her.

  “Alonzo Thornton, this is my best friend in the whole world, Loretta Devon. Loretta, I present to you Alonzo Thornton,” Velma said, motioning for them to shake hands as if they’d just met for the first time.

  The two laughed and shook hands. The sensation of his strong hand on hers made her feel something she hadn’t felt in a long time … sheer lust. As Alonzo’s rugged palm held onto her fingers for what was a noticeable few seconds longer than a handshake should last, their eyes met again.

  In that instant, something passed between them. Their touch, accompanied by a quick darting of the eyes, resulted in an unspoken desire to learn more about each other.

  Alonzo let Loretta’s hand go and gestured for them to follow him inside the restaurant.

  A little while later, at the end of the tour, Loretta already knew she wanted the place.

  And she knew she wanted something else, too.

  The space was perfect, more than she could have ever dreamed of. The back courtyard was breathtaking. It looked out over the vineyards toward a large, shimmering pond in the distance. Alonzo walked them almost to the back of the area that was slated for use by the restaurant to host catered events.

  “Well, what do you think?” Alonzo asked. He was hoping she liked it. Something about her fit the place like a glove -- even through their rocky start. He enjoyed the sound of her voice filling the air. Her soft, yet slightly high-pitched tone was almost like song when she spoke, and her smile filled the air as he watched her envisioning this or that for the space the mother of his child had conceptualized.

  “It’s nice,” Loretta said, trying to use a nonchalant tone. She actually liked it a lot, but she was trying to contain her excitement.

  “Well, does that mean you’re going to take it?” Velma egged her on, knowing it was perfect for what she wanted to do.

  Loretta wanted to say yes, but she’d learned from her business classes to take her time before signing a long-term commitment for a space. She also remembered it didn’t hurt to negotiate terms beyond the initial ones being presented by a leaser.

  “It means I’m going to give it serious consideration, but first, I want to discuss the lease terms again,” she said.

  Alonzo had given her the details of his proposed long-term lease. They were excellent terms, Loretta couldn’t argue with that, but she had her sights on something else, too.

  “Well, what do you want to know?” Alonzo asked, intrigued that she would perhaps try to get a lower price.

  “That empty cottage out back, down the path, near the pond, can it be included in the lease price? I’m new to the area and it would be great to have a home near my restaurant?”

  Alonzo remembered the cottage and how it came to be built. He hesitated, but only for a second. The past was the past, and there were no happy memories associated with how the cottage had come about. It was a long time ago, and it was time to move on.

  “The cottage? Yes, I don’t see why not,” Alonzo said, to Loretta’s surprise and delight. “It most certainly can be included as part of your lease.”

  The cottage was perfect. It was a small stone dwelli
ng with a matching, traveling fence which was enclosed by a tall, ornate gate resembling the one at the front of the vineyard. The house was flanked by wild flowers and blossoming trees. A small area with rows of what looked like wild grapes was fenced off behind the home.

  It was all too perfect! Before she knew it, Loretta had stuck her hand out to seal the deal.

  “Mr. Thornton, you’ve got yourself a new tenant.”

  Alonzo smiled wide and shook her hand back. “That’s great,” he said, nodding a thank you to Velma for bringing her friend by to see the restaurant. “Miss Devon, welcome to Thornton Vineyard. I hope you’ll be very happy here for years to come.”