“Okay, Bryan, you’ve really got to stop doing this.”
“What, a guy can’t even send his lady a teddy bear these days?”
“Bryan! He’s four feet tall, for crying out loud,” she exclaimed, looking exasperatedly at the gorgeous Steiff teddy bear that sat in the corner of her bedroom. His biscuit-colored fur had a sheen and luster present in only the most high-end stuffed toys. The fluffy white fur on his belly and snout was especially luxurious, and Callie had been compulsively stroking it since it arrived that afternoon.
“Nonsense,” Bryan replied. “Three and a half at the most!”
Callie tried the reasonable approach. “Bryan, he’s bigger than my mother.”
“Callie, I’ve seen garden gnomes bigger than your mother,” Bryan retorted.
Callie giggled into the telephone, enjoying this frivolous exchange with Bryan as she had all the others they’d had since she returned to Alabama. They’d developed a pattern: The UPS man delivered her daily gift, and she and Bryan would argue over that gift during their nightly bedtime telephone call. Over the past couple of weeks the gifts had varied from the sweet and simple—three-dozen pink tulips, her favorites ascertained from a very cooperative Tonya—to the ridiculously extravagant—a ten-carat, though Tonya claimed it was at least twelve, pink sapphire line bracelet. She’d never seen pink sapphires before, but Tonya, a font of information on just about every subject, told her that sapphires come in many colors. Along with the more familiar blue they could also be yellow, pink, green, or red, the red being known as rubies.
Though it was breathtakingly lovely, she had every intention of returning the bracelet to Bryan, despite his protests, as soon as possible. Unfortunately, she’d just been too busy in the past few days to do so. At least, that’s what she told herself. Deep down, she had to admit that the gift was enchanting and she was loathe to part with it. However, her dignity and self-respect demanded that she object to his generosity. She’d seen too much of that type of thing in L.A. The bear was absolutely beautiful, but Callie had no doubt that he’d cost a small fortune.
“Bryan, I thought we’d agreed, no more extravagant gifts,” she persisted.
“Extravagant? Look, it was either the bear or a pink Jaguar.”
“A pink Jaguar?” Callie gasped. Had the boy totally lost his mind? A frown marred her smooth brow as she pondered the next question. “And who buys a pink Jaguar?” She paused for a moment, stunned by the prospect of driving around Maple Fork looking like a Mary Kay lady going through a midlife crisis. “For that matter, where on earth do you buy a pink Jaguar?”
“This is L.A., baby,” Bryan replied breezily. “For enough money, you can get whatever you want. But anyway, Jon said you struck him as more of a Volvo kind of girl. I could see his point. You know, with you being an emerging robber baron and all. Unfortunately, there’s a six-week waiting list to get them in pink.”
“Bryan, don’t you dare buy me a pink Volvo!” Callie shrieked into the telephone.
“Why not?” Bryan asked, puzzled. “Tonya said pink was your favorite color. But that’s okay. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if I ordered another color. What would you like? Or would you prefer the Jaguar after all?” he asked hopefully.
“Bryan!” Callie shouted. “I don’t want you to buy me a car at all. Actually, I don’t want you to buy me anything else, period, okay?” When Bryan didn’t respond, Callie asked, “Why do you keep buying me stuff anyway? Aren’t you supposed to be rehearsing? You must spend all your time shopping.”
“I don’t know, it just seems like when I’m buying presents for you, we’re closer or something. I got so excited when I found the bracelet because I could just imagine the look on your face when you opened the box. The guy at Harry Winston’s showed me all kinds of stuff, but when I saw the bracelet, it just reminded me of you, so pretty and elegant. The stones kind of flashed and sparked, the way your eyes do when you’re annoyed with me. I just knew you would love it. I think that’s the cool part of it, imagining your reaction. I’ve never felt like this before. Sure, I’ve given women stuff before, but usually it was, you know, a part of the deal, and I usually sent Kelly to pick something out. With you, it’s different, you’re different. I like looking for things that’ll make you smile, that you’ll think are nice. It’s been lots of fun. I think in a way it helps me deal with being away from you.”
Callie smiled. She knew she would keep the bracelet now. How could she resist when there was such sweet sentiment behind the purchase? He was like a young boy with a crush, making daisy chains for the little girl down the street. Probably the world’s most outrageously expensive daisy chains, but daisy chains nonetheless. It was absolutely delightful, and a far cry from what she’d originally thought.
Bryan went on, “I guess if I can’t be with you, I can send something to be with you. Like the bear. If I can’t sleep with you, at least he can.”
“But he’s four feet tall, Bryan. Why did you get him so big?”
“Well, you’re a pretty fitful sleeper. I figured you’d lose a smaller bear,” he chuckled.
“I am not a fitful sleeper,” Callie protested indignantly, even though she knew that both Tonya and her sisters had made the same claim and refused to sleep with her under any circumstances. “Anyway, Bryan, I’m not the type of girl who sleeps with a stuffed animal. I think it’s sweet that you want to buy me things, but could you try not to be so excessive? There’s no way I can explain such expensive gifts to my family. I don’t want them to think that I’m…well, you know.”
“You don’t want them to think I’m keeping you?” Bryan asked softly, irritation evident in his tone.
“Well, yeah.”
“Callie, it’s not like that.”
“I know that, Bryan, but I don’t think I could possibly explain it to them. So no pink Volvo, okay?”
Bryan’s breath whistled as he blew it out between his teeth, not trying to hide his annoyance as he reluctantly capitulated. “Okay, baby, no cars.” He paused for a moment. “What about Christmas?”
“No cars for Christmas, either, Bryan.”
He laughed irreverently. “You know that’s not what I meant! What are you doing Christmas? The guys and I have decided that things are going so well that we’re going to take a couple of days for the holiday.” His voice dropped to a seductive whisper. “I miss you so much. baby. Would it be okay if I came back down there for a visit?”
“Oh, that would be great! I’d hoped y’all would break for the holidays, but I wasn’t sure you’d be able to. It would give my folks a chance to get to know you better, and you could help out in the store. This time of year we need all the help we can get.” Callie chuckled at the last comment. Clearing overstock bins was not her sweetheart’s idea of fun.
“Okay, I should’ve known you’d find a way to get more free labor out of me. I assume I’ll be staying with you?” Bryan asked, making love again foremost on his mind.”
“Actually Bryan…” Callie hesitated, she knew this was not going to go over well. “I don’t think that would be a good idea. I don’t want Cynthia and Addie to think that I’m sleeping around. My folks said if you came they’d like it if you spent the holiday at their house.” Bryan yelped into the telephone just as she’d known he would, but at least he hadn’t started swearing. Yet. “Don’t worry, I’ll be there too.”
“Yeah, but who’s going to call in the S.W.A.T. team?” Bryan retorted irritably. “Callie, I don’t think staying with my girlfriend’s parents is ever a good idea. Especially when her daddy’s already made it clear that he don’t like my kind around there,” he said in such an excellent imitation of her father’s big booming voice that Callie couldn’t help laughing.
“Bryan, we’ll have a great time.” Then at his snort of disbelief, “Okay, we probably won’t have a great time, but I really need to do it this way. Please? I want to see you, but I can’t just pretend my family doesn’t exist.”
Bryan groaned inwardly. Clearly there would be little or no opportunity for him to have her sweet body again, but he couldn’t resist doing anything Callie asked of him. “Okay, I’ll come to Alabama and let your dad kick my ass, again, but you’re going to owe me big time.” He perked up. “What about after Christmas? We’re doing a gig up in Canada for New Year’s. It’s just a warm-up really, to give Thad a chance to adjust to playing in front of a crowd. He’s really going to lose it. That boy just doesn’t like playing in public, but anyway, it’s at this really cool ski resort. You’ll love it. There’s a great spa, so you can even say you’re doing research for your five-year plan to dominate the American economy.”
“You’ve already had poor Kelly buy my ticket, haven’t you?” Callie asked suspiciously, knowing how Bryan operated.
Bryan hooted with laughter, but didn’t deny it. “You do know me so well. So, will you come?”
“Yes, Bryan, I’ll be there,” Callie agreed, relieved that he’d capitulated so easily and agreed to stay with her parents. Another cross-country trip paled in comparison.
The conversation continued as Callie asked about the band and Bryan told her how well Thad was working out. He explained that the situation was still strained at times, but they were playing great. Adversity sometimes produced the best music, or so Bryan sincerely hoped. Like all the other nights they strung the conversation out for as long as they could, but eventually they had to say goodnight.
After she hung up the phone, Callie lay in bed staring at the bear she’d decided to call Bartholomew. Somehow he looked right at home in her bedroom. Her taste was very tailored and the soft pink tones of her bedroom were absent of any lace or flourishes. Tonya referred to it as the “ruffle-free zone.” Of course any bedroom would be plain compared to Tonya’s, which in Callie’s opinion resembled an upscale bordello. Decorated in bright jewel tones, everything in Tonya’s room was festooned with ruffles, lace or bows, and sometimes all three. Tonya called it her “girlie” room. Callie preferred much softer, relaxing hues, and of course, a clutter-free environment. Her large brass bed was a hand-me-down from another relative, and the cozy pink quilt had been made by Big Mama, her father’s mother. Callie studied Bartholomew a little longer, then feeling lonelier than she had in her life, she pulled the bear into bed with her. Wrapping her arms around the furry creature, she fell into the first peaceful slumber she’d had since leaving L.A.
Tonya moved another stack of books, paused to wipe the sweat off her brow, then glanced back over her shoulder at Callie. “So when were you planning to tell me that you and Bryan did the ‘do’ while you were in L.A.?”
Her question was greeted by a resounding crash as Callie knocked over the pile of books she was moving out of the overstock bins. “Tonya,” Callie hissed in a high-pitched whisper, “did you forget that Cynthia and Addie are here?”
Tonya merely shook her head. “Callie, they’re in the break room getting something to drink, and you didn’t answer my question,” she pointed out.
Callie flopped down on the floor next to the stack of books she’d knocked over. It was well past midnight, and she was exhausted. Christmas Eve was only two days away, and they would open early with all kinds of door busters and special discounts for their early-bird customers. This was an ideal opportunity to eliminate their overstock and remaindered books, but keeping the shelves stocked was backbreaking work. With extended hours the store was open until nine o’clock the week before Christmas and customers were taking advantage of the specials. Cynthia and Addie had come down to help them restock the shelves, tidy the store and help maintain attractive merchandising.
Callie looked up at Tonya balefully. “How did you know?”
Tonya sank down beside her friend on the floor. “Let’s see, you come back glowing like an alien invasion, and old boy starts inundating you with diamonds and pearls and you didn’t think I’d guess what happened? Hell, I started to ask how it was, but I think it’s obvious because dude’s been spending money like Tiffany’s is having a fire sale.”
Callie buried her face in her hands, mortified by the accuracy of what Tonya was saying. “Tonya! He’s only sent one piece of jewelry, and I had every intention of sending it back.”
Sharp as ever Tonya caught her slip of the tongue. “Had every intention? Hmmmm, what happened to ‘most definitely’ sending it back? Told you those twelve carats would grow on you!” she added smugly.
“Hush, I don’t want Cynthia and Addie to hear about it! You know what my folks will think!” Callie paused, reflecting on what Bryan had said the last time they’d discussed this topic. “You know, Tonya, when he first sent the bracelet, I thought he was trying to buy me or treating me like a kept woman. I told you that.” Tonya nodded. “But the other night, we talked about it again, and I could see that he just really wanted to give me something pretty. It wasn’t about trying to own me or anything. I think I was being unfair to him.”
Tonya pursed her lips, “What do you mean by unfair?”
Callie rubbed her hands over her thighs as she tried to frame her words. “I think I was holding him to a different standard than I would a black man. I mean, would I have questioned a black man’s motives in giving me a bracelet? I think I let other folks’ stereotypes mess with my head. I know Bryan better than that. He’s not that way, and I shouldn’t have thought it for a moment.” She paused to mull over that thought. “Did you have these problems when you went out with Nate?” Callie referred to the white guy Tonya had dated when they were in college. She hadn’t asked too many questions about the relationship at the time, assuming that he was just another one of Tonya’s flights of fancy. The relationship had lasted more than a year, though, which was much better than her usual track record.