4

Nicole paced her living room, her emotions all over the map. Every time she convinced herself to call Michael and cancel, she heard Jasmine or Cora telling her to go through with it. She finally resorted to what she should’ve done from the start. She flopped on the sofa and bowed her head.

“God, thank You for always listening to me and helping me with my problems. Please help me decide what to do about Michael. I see how special he is, but I’m afraid he’ll reject me once he finds out about my past.”

A verse came into her mind.

And you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. John 8:32

It was so simple. She needed to tell Michael the truth. All she could do was be herself. If that wasn’t good enough for him, it was better to find out now. A peace flooded her heart as she made her decision.

With a renewed sense of optimism, she readied herself for her date.

~*~

Michael whistled as he tied his tie. He was taking Nicole to the nicest restaurant in town. He slid his arms into his suit jacket and dropped his keys into his pocket. After stopping at the local florist, he studied all the flowers in the store.

“Are you having trouble making a decision?” the woman behind the counter asked.

“Actually, yes, Linda,” Michael said, after glancing at her nametag. “I’ve been talking to a woman for a few weeks now, and she’s finally agreed to go to dinner with me. I’m taking her to Le Bistro.”

“Very fancy,” Linda said.

“She’s worth it,” Michael said. “I want flowers which say she’s special.”

“This may sound like strange advice from a florist, but you might want to skip the flowers for the first date.”

Michael blinked. “Really? Why?”

“You’re trying too hard. If she likes you, she likes you. Taking her to the fanciest restaurant in town dressed in a suit for a first date might be a bit too much, and adding flowers to the mix is downright overwhelming.”

Michael blew out a breath. “Now I’m even more nervous. Thank you for your honesty. I appreciate it, especially since you could’ve sold me the most expensive flowers in the shop.”

Linda waved her hand. “You might not find it surprising, but I’m quite the romantic at heart. Hence the flower shop.”

Michael pulled out his wallet. “I want you to make an arrangement of your favorite flowers. Take them home and enjoy them or give them to anyone you choose.” He placed a fifty-dollar bill on the counter. “I don’t want you to lose a sale due to your honesty.”

Linda’s eyes shone. “I have a good feeling about you. I expect you’ll be back once you’ve discovered your lady’s favorite flowers. Enjoy your evening.”

Michael waved and walked back to his car, his nerves on high alert. Was he trying too hard? He prayed the whole drive to Nicole’s place.

~*~

Nicole answered the door and her heart sank. Despite the thrill she got at seeing Michael, he was wearing one of his fancy suits. Was he planning to take her somewhere expensive? This was wrong, all so wrong. She forced a smile. “Hi. Should I change?”

“Of course not. You look lovely.”

“You’re only saying so because you’ve only seen me in my smoothie uniform and your sister’s clothes.”

Michael grinned. “Not true. You were wearing your own clothes at the mission, I assume.”

Nicole forced herself to relax. “True.”

“I’m really glad you agreed to go out with me tonight,” he said. “I’ve wanted to ask you for weeks now, but I never had the nerve.”

Nicole’s smile came easily now. Michael was as nervous as she was. Still, he may never want to see her again after she shared her past. Only one way to find out. “Shall we go?”

Michael offered her his arm and guided her to the passenger side of his car. He opened the door for her, and she smiled at his charm.

“I thought we’d head into Center City, if you don’t mind,” Michael said. “There’s a restaurant there with delicious food, and it might be nice to walk around the Christmas Village afterwards.”

Probably the kind of place she would’ve gone in a past life. Nicole nodded and turned her gaze out the window. After a few moments, she gasped as a dog darted across the road. Michael slammed on the brakes, but the sickening thud told her the worst had happened.

“Oh, no,” Michael cried. He pulled off the road and dashed out of the car. He approached the dog slowly. Nicole scrambled out of her seat and joined him. The dog lay still on the road, whimpering. Blood matted its fur.

“I can’t believe I hit him,” Michael said. “This is terrible.” He turned the dog’s collar to find the tag. “There’s a number here.” He lifted the dog and carried him to the side of the road where he’d be safe from any oncoming cars. After ensuring the dog was as comfortable as possible, he pulled out his phone and dialed the number on the dog’s collar.

“Hi, I’m calling about your dog. I’m terribly sorry, but I’ve hit him with my car. He’s alive, but banged up.” He paused. “The corner of First and Connelly… Great.” Michael slipped the phone into his pocket and turned towards Nicole.

“The owner is a few blocks away. It shouldn’t take long for him to come and get the dog.” He sat next to the dog in the gravel at the edge of the road, his hand absently stroking the dog’s golden fur. Nicole took her place on the other side of the whimpering animal.

Nicole patted the dog’s head. “I hope he’ll be OK.” The dog gazed at her with mournful eyes and then licked her hand. “I guess he’s all right if he’s giving me a kiss.” She glanced at Michael. A crease formed between his eyebrows. She tried to be reassuring. “It was an accident.”

Michael sighed. “Yes, but I still feel awful.” They sat in silence for a few moments until a car pulled beside them. A balding man hurried out of the car. The dog looked up, and his tail thumped the ground in recognition.

“Hey, Scooter, how are you doing, boy?” the man cooed to the dog.

Michael lifted Scooter and placed him in his owner’s arms. “I’m going with you to the vet. I want to pay for his care.” The owner nodded and placed Scooter in the back seat of his car.

“I’m sorry Nicole…” Michael began, but Nicole held up a hand.

“Don’t be sorry. Let’s follow them.”

Michael blew out a breath, and they followed Scooter’s owner to the animal hospital.

~*~

“Mr. Kaplan, Scooter is going to be fine.”

Michael stopped pacing the waiting room. He moved over to where Mr. Kaplan stood talking with the vet.

“He’ll be tender where he was hit, and we had to set his back leg, but there are no internal injuries. He’ll make a full recovery.”

Nicole could see Michael’s dark mood lift. He moved to the woman at the desk, gave her his information, and directed the bill to be sent to his attention.

He turned towards Nicole. “I’m so sorry for all this.”

“I don’t mind. I’m glad everything turned out OK for Scooter.”

“Me, too.” He glanced at his watch. “We’ve missed our reservation, though.”

“It’s OK. I’m not sure you’d meet the dress code anyway.” She nodded to his shirt, streaked with Scooter’s blood.

Michael glanced at the fabric. “You’re right.” They walked back out to his car, and he rummaged in the trunk. He shed his jacket and tie and unbuttoned his shirt.

With him standing in the parking lot in only an undershirt, Nicole’s stomach flip-flopped. He pulled on a T-shirt he retrieved from his trunk and then turned back to Nicole.

“I keep my gym bag in the car.”

Nicole nodded. The evidence he frequented a gym was in plain sight. Who knew those muscles were hidden under his suit jacket? Dressed in a T-shirt, with his hair rumpled, he no longer resembled the self-assured rich guy she knew him to be. He seemed more approachable. Her stomach flip-flopped again. The last thing she needed was to fall harder for him, especially when she still didn’t know how he’d react when he learned all about her.

“I’m so sorry,” Michael said. “I wanted this night to be special. Now it’s nearly eight o’clock and we haven’t even eaten yet. By the time we’d get seated…”

“Forget getting seated,” Nicole said, and pointed to a chicken restaurant across the street. “That’s good enough for me if it’s good enough for you. I’m starving.”

Michael nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

Less than ten minutes later, Nicole sat across from Michael at the fast-food place with nearly half her chicken sandwich eaten. She studied Michael while she chewed.

“Are you OK?” she asked.

Michael’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I feel so bad about how tonight turned out. I really wanted to show you a nice time.”

Nicole put down her sandwich. “Michael, this is a nice time to me. I don’t need fancy. To be honest, I don’t want fancy. I’d rather sit here with fast food and not have to worry about the other diners in the restaurant judging me.”

Michael’s brow knit. “What do you mean, judging you?”

“That’s what rich people do. They size you up to see if you’re worthy of their time, and if not, you get thrown to the curb.”

Michael stopped dipping his fry in ketchup and studied Nicole. “Sounds like there’s a story behind those words.”

Nicole sighed. “You’re right. Let me finish my food first, and then we’ll talk.”

After polishing off their meals, Michael gathered the trash and threw it away. Nicole sipped from her peppermint milkshake. “Can we go for a walk?”

The streetlamps were decorated with colored lights, and all the shops along the road had festive displays in their windows. It wasn’t exactly Philadelphia’s Christmas village, but the local merchants had made an effective effort.

Michael took Nicole’s lead and walked beside her on the sidewalk. She sensed his unease, but didn’t rush her words. After a few minutes of silence, she began.

“I want to tell you my story. You deserve to understand why I’m skeptical about whether this will work out between us.”

Michael opened his mouth to respond, but Nicole stopped and faced him. “Please, let me tell you the story. If you want to leave afterwards, fine, although I would appreciate a ride home.”

“Of course I’ll give you a ride,” Michael said.

Nicole drew a shaky breath. “My grandparents were very wealthy. When they passed on, they left everything to my mom. I was raised in the lap of luxury. The finest clothes, the best education money could buy. We lacked for nothing financially, but it wasn’t a happy home. I never spent much time with my parents. My mother was always concerned about her image and her place in society. She couldn’t be bothered with little-girl needs.”

“My father, on the other hand, didn’t come from money, and couldn’t handle it. He became obsessed with the idea of losing it and trying to figure out how to make more. He started gambling. A little at first, but it became an addiction. He and my mother fought about it constantly. She’d scream at him for gambling away her money, and he’d yell right back at her for spending it frivolously.”

“Eventually, my father’s gambling debts caught up to him. Apparently, in addition to his own addiction, he’d orchestrated an illegal gambling ring. He went to jail, and lawyer fees took care of what we had left. When my mother realized we were broke, she…” Nicole chewed on her bottom lip. “She killed herself.”

Michael stopped in his tracks and laid a hand on Nicole’s arm. “I’m so sorry. How old were you?”

“Sixteen and a half. I came home from school one day and found her in her bed. She’d taken a whole bottle of sleeping pills.”

Michael’s mouth dropped open. “How awful! What did you do?”

“With my dad in jail and my mom gone, I landed in the foster system. I couldn’t afford to go to the same school anymore. None of my so-called friends would speak to me any longer. I was trash to them. No money, a tarnished reputation, and not worthy of their time.”

Michael’s eyes filled with compassion. “What happened next?”

Nicole took another sip of her milkshake. “Let’s keep walking.”

Michael fell into step beside her in silent agreement.

“I stayed with the foster family for a while, but they couldn’t help. How could they? I didn’t know who I was anymore. I ran away and lived on the streets.”

As they came back around to a picnic bench, Michael guided her to sit. “Please. I want to look at you while you share this.”

Michael took a seat on the bench across from her while she continued.

“It sounds awful, but I didn’t get into drugs or selling my body or anything.” She gave a rueful laugh. “I guess God protected me from the worst of it.” She pulled her coat tighter around her, regretting her choice of a milkshake rather than a hot chocolate. She tossed the nearly empty cup into the nearby trashcan.

“You’re a better shot than I am.” Michael gave her a little smile. “Please, keep talking.”

“I spent a few months on the streets. I learned the best places and times to get a handout; where the people would drop a quarter in your cup and not pay any attention to you. Sometimes I got a handout, sometimes I stole what I needed. You do what you need to survive. I slept in an abandoned house. It was better to be on my own than to cause the foster parents any trouble. It wasn’t their fault I was so messed up.”

“How did you end up with an apartment and a job at the mall?” Michael asked.

“I’d gotten to the end of my rope. Thought about ending it all. Decided I could at least get myself a hot meal. I found myself at the mission, where I met Cora. She introduced me to Jesus. Told me I was the daughter of the king, and I’d better start acting like it.” Her heart lifted at the memory. “Cora saved my life. Just when I thought it was time to end it.”

Michael reached over and grabbed her hand. Warmth traveled through her body as she sensed his acceptance.

“I lived at the mission for three years while I saved money to get my own place. Cora and Milo made sure I got my GED, and helped me get scholarships for the college classes. I’ve been in my own apartment for almost three years. I’m going to be a teacher someday.”

“Sound like a wonderful plan,” Michael said. “You’d make an amazing teacher. Is that why you tutor the kids at the mission?”

“I tutor the kids at the mission because I don’t want them to end up like me. I want them to make something of themselves, and I want them to realize they are worthy of love, even though they’re poor.” A tear trickled down Nicole’s cheek, and Michael reached out a thumb to brush it away.

“God led me to Cora, led me to the mission, and gave me hope. The people at the mission are nothing like the girls I grew up with. They truly care about people.”

“They do,” Michael said. “Cora and Milo are two of the most loving people I’ve ever met. They care about the residents like they are family.”

Nicole gave Michael a sad smile. “Cora told me once she struggled with God. They desperately wanted a baby, but God said no. He had other plans. They have nieces and nephews they love to spoil, but God never gave them any children of their own, so the kids at the mission really do become like family to them.”

“It sounds like Cora and Milo came into your life at exactly the right time to give you the love you needed,” Michael said.

Nicole met Michael’s unwavering gaze. “They did. They are the kind of people I want to spend my life with. I don’t belong in the rich person’s world. I never want to go back there. I want to be with people who don’t judge people by the size of their bank account.” She pulled her hand out of Michael’s gentle grip. “I thought you were only a salesman at Cavanaugh’s. If I had known you owned the whole store, I never would’ve encouraged this friendship.”

“You assume I don’t care about people because I have money?” He leaned back, his deep brown eyes gazing steady into her eyes. “That makes you as judgmental as the people you’re condemning.”

Nicole’s temper flared. “I never treat people like they’re worth nothing!”

Michael’s gentle voice calmed her. “No, but you’re judging the wealthy and assuming they’re all the same. I think you owe me the chance to tell you my story.”

Nicole rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. “Cora said the same thing to me when I told her I couldn’t go out with you. You’re right. Please tell me.”

“Unlike you, I grew up in a happy home. We never had extra, but we always had what we needed. After I graduated from college, I worked in finance. I was very fortunate with my picks in the stock market, and money became no longer a problem. I made a lot of it for my clients, and a lot of it for me.” Michael leaned on his elbows. “Somewhere along the line, I interviewed at another firm, and was told if I got the job, I’d need to invest in a nicer wardrobe, since the firm had a certain image it needed to project. That did it for me. I opened a clothing store with my earnings. I learned some of the same lessons as you did: people judge you by what you wear. For me, though, my goal was not to improve what I wore, but to enable others to have nice clothes as well.”

“Which is why you started the program at the mission,” Nicole said.

Michael raised his eyebrows. “And how do you know about my program?”

Nicole’s cheeks warmed. “Cora and I discussed you a little the other night.”

“Oh, I see how it is,” Michael said with a twinkle in his eye. “But you’re right. I started the program because I don’t want any of the men to miss out on a job opportunity because they don’t have a suit for an interview.” Michael reached for Nicole’s hand, and she allowed him to take it. “Having money doesn’t define who I am, but it does give me the means to help others.”

“Where were you planning to take me to dinner tonight?” Nicole asked.

Michael’s lip curved downward. “Le Bistro.”

“Why? Did you want to impress me?”

“I wasn’t trying to impress you. I wanted to give you the best.”

“There’s one thing I don’t understand,” Nicole said.

“What?” Michael asked.

“Why didn’t you tell me your last name or tell me you owned Cavanaugh’s? Most guys try to impress the girls they want to date.”

“Because I wanted you to like me for me, not for my money. The caution works both ways, Nicole. I don’t want to be a commodity for some woman who’s just looking for a rich man. I want someone who wants me for me.”

“That makes sense.” Nicole squeezed Michael’s hand. “So now you understand that I’m one of those charity cases you’re trying to help, do you think of me differently?”

Michael shook his head. “Not at all.”

Nicole blinked. “Nothing I said surprised you?”

“I didn’t say that. What I said was: it doesn’t change how I think of you.” He gazed into her eyes. “You are a beautiful, giving, caring woman who works hard and gives back to the community. A woman any man would be proud to spend time with.”

“Oh, is that all?” she teased.

“No. There’s one more thing I think of when I see you,” he said.

“What?”

“I see a woman I want to kiss.”