Chapter 3

© Copyright 2005 by Kimberly Jones

Those two weeks flew by rather quickly as Sharon worked at her current office and helped Michael after hours to get the office ready for business. Because Sharon had comfort in knowing that Constance was in good hands with her grandparents, she was able to succeed in learning more about her new position.

One evening after work, Sharon was assisting Michael in painting the lobby. As she painted, she began to think of when they were small, and how they would always seem to make a competition out of everything. They had competitions from running the fastest to climbing the trees the fastest. Thinking about her childhood brought a smile to her face. She hadn�t realized until that moment how truly blessed she was.

�What are you thinking about that got you smiling?� Michael asked as he added more of the paint onto his paintbrush.

�I was just thinking about how we use to be,� she moved a string of hair from her face. � How we use to be so close back then.�

�And we�re not now,� he stopped to look at her.

Feeling his eyes on her made her pause in the motion of her arm as she looked at him. �Well,� she shrugged and bit her lower lip as she thought of the words to say. �Things changed. I mean�I�ve changed. I�m not that same girl you grew up with. There are things that I went through that you don�t even know about, and I�m sure that there are things that happened to you that I don�t know.�

�True,� he continued to paint. �How about we get to know each other all over again? Because I remember a girl in pigtails chasing after me, and always trying to hang with me and the boys,� he said with a smile.

Sharon laughed, �Oh, please, don�t bring that up,� she used her free hand to cover her face. �I was a tomboy, wasn�t I?�

�Yes, you were,� he chuckled, �You could play football better then the next, but of course, you couldn�t beat me.�

Sharon playfully pushed Michael�s shoulder. �No, but I did beat the other guys.�

�Yes, you did, but you didn�t beat me,� he said as he pointed to himself. �As always, I�m the champion.�

Sharon laughed, �I�ve beaten you before.�

�I know you have, but not in football. My record is undefeated,� he said with pride.

�Yeah, keep talking. One day, I�ll make you eat your words.�

�We are much older now, and you�re too girly now to make me eat my words.�

�Is that a challenge?� Sharon said as she looked at him with her game face.

�It�s whatever you want it to be,� he shrugged and kept painting as if the look she gave him didn�t bother him.

�Okay, how about this Saturday at the park?�

�Oh, I can�t. I have something that I have to do.�

�Okay, then. How about next Saturday, and don�t chicken out now.�

�Alright, and you be ready to get whooped.�

Sharon laughed and she knew at that moment that she was making the right decision. With Michael�s playful attitude, it made the evening pass by quickly, which made her more excited about working with him.

She couldn�t wait for her two weeks at her other job to be up. She was missing the quality time that she usually had with her daughter after hours. Even though she knew that Constance was having a great time, she still missed the times that they had watching television and talking to each other at night.

~*~*~*~

On her last workday at Financial Solutions, Sharon began to pack her belongings. While she was packing, she stopped and smiled at a picture of her daughter, who had a huge smile on her face showing off her missing tooth in the front. Sharon remembered that day as if it was yesterday. Constance was in first grade and didn�t want Sharon to comb her hair, but in the end, Constance was very happy with how she looked.

�Hey, Shar, come here. I want to show you something,� Sharon looked behind her and saw a good friend of hers. Erin James was a very special person to her, and she knew that she was going to miss her. They had become closer over the few months that they began to know each other. There was only one thing that separated them from time to time, and that was the fact that Erin didn�t know the Lord. She found herself praying for her friend day and night.

�Let me finish with this,� she turned around and grabbed her certificates for employee of the month and more photos of her daughter, �I�ll be right there.�

�No, come on,� Erin grabbed her hand and escorted her into the conference room where everyone was gathered as they all stood and clapped their hands. Tears came to Sharon�s eyes as she began to realize just how much everyone appreciated her.

After some kind words from a few people that she had known, it was time for her to go. The day was over, and she was somewhat ready to move on with her life. She was very excited about going somewhere to help a friend as well as gain more experience, but she was sad to leave all her friends that she had gain over the years behind.

�I�m going to come by every chance I get,� Erin smiled sadly as she hugged her friend tightly.

�You better,� she said and then with a wistful sigh, �I�m going to miss that smiling face in the mornings.�

�Oh, come on, this is going to be a new start for you. Plus, it�s more money,� she said with a smile. �Believe me, once you see that first check, you�ll be happy that this face isn�t around.�

They both laughed as Erin helped her put her things in the car.

�Kiss that little girl for me, and I�ll be over as soon as I think you are getting adjusted to you new life style.�

�Okay, thanks a lot,� they hugged one last time before she got into her car and drove to her new office building. She was filled with excitement on the way to the new building. The last time she was there, Michael had finished painting the walls a very soft yellow with beautiful white crown molding. The new furniture was already bought and ready to be arranged for decoration. Everything centered on this one portrait that he had bought. It was abstract and had some colors of yellow, blue, red, green and white. It was a beautiful portrait, and when she seen it, all she could do was stare at it for a while trying to figure it out. The two love sofas that were purchased where covered with blue slipcover over them and red plush pillows decorated the sofas with one yellow pillow in the center. A huge rug that had these same colors in it with a coffee table on top. Her desk was a cherry wood desk and her chair was red. Everything was centered off of that on portrait and when he put the lighting in, the room seemed to glow.

Excitement filled her as she turned into the parking lot. She couldn�t wait to see how he had arranged the furniture. She grabbed her box from the back seat and hurried inside. Then stopped, and nearly dropped the box, as she spotted a woman hugging Michael and talking to him. Who is she? She wondered, and as the door closed, they both looked at her. Michael was the first to break the embrace as he rushed over to help Sharon with her little box.

�Here, let me get that for you,� he said as he took the box and placed it on her desk. �Sharon, I have someone I would like for you to meet. Tracy, this is Sharon,� he paused as Tracy smiled, �and Sharon, this is Tracy my fianc�.�

Sharon voice seemed to have got caught in her throat. Her mind began to swim with unanswered questions. Why didn�t he tell me about her before? How long have they known each other? When is the wedding? Oh, no, did I make the right decision? Tracy was saying something to her, but she didn�t hear any of it. She had to focus as she caught the tail end of her words.

��meet you,� she said with a smile.

�Oh�uh�I�m sorry. I have so much on my mind right now with changing jobs and everything.�

�I said. Michael has talked nonstop about you since I met him, and it is so great to finally meet you.�

�Oh, well, thank you. It�s good to finally meet you too,� she said as she looked at Michael, who was staring at her intently as if he was trying to read her. Sharon looked around the room and loved the way he chose to set the furniture. He had the place looking like home, and she liked it very much. �Oh, Michael, you did a wonderful job. I can see why you wanted to start your own firm.�

�Yeah, well, pretty soon I�m going to have to hire a crew, but for right now we�ll see how things go,� he said as he touched her lower back to guide her to another room. Sharon immediately stiffened at the contact, and tried hard to ignore it. �Come, I want to show you something.�

Michael opened the door and Sharon�s breath caught at the beauty she saw. His office was decorated with so much sophistication that she was afraid to walk in the room because she might mess something up. The wooden brown walls and the desk matched perfectly. He had white curtains hanging from the window, which allowed the sun to shine in, and the big round wooden table was set up with a candy dish filled with mints and Sharon figured that the table was for meetings with clients. He had two brown cushioned chairs in front of his desk. Everything was perfect.

�Michael, I believe I might be a little jealous. This is beautiful, and very masculine and perfect.�

�Thank you. Everything you said is what I was aiming for.�

�Wow. Well, you definitely succeeded.�

�Oh, baby, I got to go. I�ll see you for dinner tonight, right?� Tracy asked.

�Of course, seven o�clock, right?� he said as he kissed her cheek.

�Yes, see you then,� she said and then looked at Sharon, �It was really nice meeting you.�

�It was nice meeting you, too,� Sharon smiled and then turned to look at the room once more.

�So, what do you think?�

�I like it. It�s beautiful,� Sharon said as she stepped into the room to get a better look.

�I�m not talking about the room. I mean, Tracy. What do you think?�

�Oh, she�s nice,� Sharon said as she turned away from him and tried to focus on the portrait that she was looking at.

�And?�

�And what?�

�Sharon,� he touched her shoulder and turned her around. �Come on, tell me what you really think about her.�

�Why? I mean�I just met her.�

�I don�t know. I�I just want the two of you to like each other. I mean, the both of you mean the world to me,� he said as he looked at her in her eyes hoping that his words were seeping in her head. �I love the both you, and�I�I don�t want to have to choose.�

If she hadn�t looked away when she did, tears would have came down from her eyes. He had said that he loved her, and she hadn�t heard those words from him since before her daughter was born. She knew that he wanted her to like Tracy, and she didn�t understand why she was so emotional at that moment. She knew that she didn�t have anything against Tracy, but for some reason, she wanted so badly to find some kind of fault that she may have, but she couldn�t. Sharon sighed and looked at him in his eyes, as she tried to smile. �She�s a nice person. She seems very sweet and kind. Does she go to church?� she asked, trying to get to know more about her.

�Yes, she loves going,� he sat on the sofa.

�How long have you known her?�

�For five years now. I met her in college. She lives in North Carolina and she took a vacation for the grand opening of Thomas Designs.�

�Well, that�s wonderful,� she said as her voice sounded more excited than she felt. �But why didn�t you tell me at first?�

�I don�t know,� he shrugged. �I guess I was more focused on opening up my own business than my personal life.�

She looked at him and the way he looked reminded her of when he was younger, and how he was so disappointed with his father. She wanted so badly to comfort him, but instead said, �I must say you found yourself a lovely woman.�

�Thank you, I don�t think you know just how much that means to me. Come here,� he said as he reached out his hand to her.

Sharon took his hand without hesitation, and he pulled her down so that she sat next to him, and he loosely wrapped his arms around her. �Words can�t describe how much I appreciate you and thank you for giving up your job to help me. You are a true friend, and when you find that special someone, he�ll be the richest man alive.�

�Thank you,� Sharon said as she finally let the tears fall from her eye. Because the only thing that seemed to feel her heart at that moment was a bittersweet happiness, and she wondered why.

~*~*~*~

The days that followed, Sharon was busy. While trying to get the hang of all new terms and understanding all of the proper procedures, she didn�t have time to think about Michael and Tracy. She tried to focus on the fact that they were friends and that she should be happy from him, but whenever Tracy walked into the office, the thoughts of them getting married entered her mind.

Tracy was a beautiful woman, with short hair and when she smiled, the deep dimples in her cheek made her eyes sparkle. Every time she came in, she would help out around the office, and even help Sharon with some of the paper work. As Sharon took the chance to get to know her, she thought that she was a very nice person, and she was definitely deep in the Word. Most of their conversations was about the Lord, and Sharon found herself wanting to be happy for Michael, but for some reason she couldn�t.

One morning while Sharon was busy setting up a filing system, Tracy walked in.

�Good morning, how are you today, Sharon?� she asked with a smile.

�I�m doing wonderful. I�m blessed. How about yourself?�

�I�m blessed as well. Maybe one day we could get together and have lunch. It would be fun.�

�Okay, that sounds like a great idea, just let me know ahead of time,� she said with a smile and thinking that if she let herself, she might just come to like Tracy.

�Good,� she looked at Michael�s closed office door, �is Michael in?�

�Yes, he just came back from a meeting with a new client.�

�Great, it was nice talking to you,� she said as she walked in that direction.

�Same here,� Sharon watched her disappear into the office and went back to work. After putting all the important documents in the correct folder, Sharon looked at the clock and realized that it was lunch time, and she was suppose to be meeting Erin for lunch. She quickly grabbed her purse and knocked on Michael�s office door, and then opened it. She flinched when she saw the two of them on the sofa talking, �Oh, excuse me,� she said as she was about to close the door.

�Oh, no, that�s okay. We were just making plans for the wedding,� Michael stood and went to Sharon. �Is there anything I can help you with?� he took her hand and led her into the room.

�Well, I just wanted to let you know that I was leaving for lunch. Did you want anything back?�

�No, Tracy had brought me some chicken. Thank you for asking,� he smiled at her.

�No problem. See you love birds later,� Sharon turned and walked out of the office. Hoping that her legs would carry her to her car, she quickly left the building with a heavy heart.

~*~*~*~

Once inside the restaurant, Sharon and Erin sat at their table, and Sharon had so much on her mind that she wasn�t answering Erin when she was suppose to, nor did she recognize the waiter at their table when he came to take their orders.

�Is everything okay?� Erin asked once the waiter left the table to place their orders.

�Sure,� Sharon took a sip of water, �why do you ask?�

�Well, you�ve been on another planet since you got here. What�s going on?�

Sharon sighed and looked at her friend. �I don�t know. It�s�It�s silly.�

�What�s silly? Is something wrong with Connie?�

�Oh, no, she�s fine. It�s me. I think I�m going through some type of phase of loneliness,� she sighed and played with the ice in her water with her straw.

�Loneliness? Sharon, what�s going on?�

�Well,� Sharon paused as the waiter came with their food. She had an order of chicken strips and French fries, and Erin had a grilled shrimp salad. �Michael is getting married.�

�Well, that�s good news, isn�t it? You don�t look to happy,� she looked closely at her friend before pouring the dressing over her salad and stirring it up.

�See, that�s the problem. She�s a nice person and everything, but I just�I just hope that he is making the right decision,� Sharon poured the ketchup over her French fries. �Am I a bad person? I mean, one of my best friends is getting married, and I can�t find it nowhere in my heart to actually be happy for him. All he ask for is my support, and I feel like a hypocrite.�

�Oh, Shar, don�t be so hard on yourself. You�re a good person. The only thing I could think of is that you might be a little jealous,� Erin shrugged as she took a mouthful of her salad.

�Jealous?� Sharon said with surprise. �Erin, I can�t believe you would say something like that about me. Why would I be jealous of my friend? I want nothing but the best for him.�

�Not him, her.�

�Who, Tracy? Why would I be jealous of her,� she chuckled at the ridiculous thought as she took a bite of her chicken.

�Because before she came, it was just you and him, and now it�s you, him, and her. I don�t know,� she shrugged, �It�s just a thought.�

Sharon continued to eat as she thought about what Erin said. Could she truly be jealous of Tracy? Everything that Erin had said made sense, but she couldn�t see herself jealous of the woman. Sure she was beautiful and seemed to have everything going for her at the moment. She had a job, a man who loved her, and her faith, but�Oh, no. Is it true? Lord, if I am, please take this jealousy away, she prayed silently as she ate.




HEY! and don't forget to e-mail Kimberly Jones if you have a comment! She would really like to hear from you.





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