The Food Desert

Her face relaxed for a second before she put her business face on. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. I think you have a fine if somewhat unusual family. I especially liked your grandmothers. More wisdom between them than you would find at most colleges. Seriously, are you going to partner with me?"

"I've thought it over quite a bit, gone over the figures with my lawyers. After their advice I've decided not to take the deal."

Her eyes clouded over and the tears came. I couldn't help it and walked over to hug her. She melted into me for a minute before her spark came back and she started hammering me with both fists. "Let go of me you asshole! You know what you can do with your money? You can..."

I put my hand over her mouth and muffled her. Before the shock could register I started talking. "You have a way with food and a flair for presenting it. The restaurant would be very successful, but the money you want isn't nearly enough to start out right. You need a six-month cushion to get established and start operating in the black. Therefore, I'm doubling my stake to make sure you can focus on growing the business without worrying about money. Don't worry, I'll honor the terms of the partnership. What do you say? Ready to sign the papers? We could go over to the law office right now. Ms. Chen has everything ready. She advises that you get your own lawyer and have them look it over just to be sure everything is spelled out and understood. Good enough?"

She stopped struggling, went pale, then turned bright red. Then she started crying again. It would seem that was her go to response. Cry if you're hurt, cry if you're happy. I would bet she had a different set of tears for every situation. I let her cry it out, handing her a box of tissues.

Fifteen minutes later she wiped her eyes, blew her nose, and started on me. "You're grandmothers warned me about your sense of humor. Just so you know, I think you're a jerk for making me cry." Sandra stopped for a minute before grinning. "I also think you're just a big sweetie pie for making me shed tears of joy."

I grinned. "I would much prefer you not use those words to describe me in social situations."

She just grinned. Three months later, at her grand opening, she made a short speech about how much support and encouragement she'd gotten, especially from her "sweetie pie." My grandmothers looked like they'd swallowed an elephant, trying to keep from laughing.

Chapter 16

We were thrown together a lot getting the business off the ground. I helped where I could, but it was her baby so I left it up to her. Gradually she was calling me every day to ask my opinion about various business related topics. Then we began to have "working" lunches and a couple of dinners. She began giving me soft touches once in a while, and held my hand or arm when we walked. I got a glimpse of her true feelings once we ran into a former lover. We'd parted on good terms and when she saw me at the restaurant she came up to say hi. Sandy had gone to the restroom and when she came back we were standing there talking. She locked down on my arm so hard she left bruises as I introduced her. April just grinned, kissed me on the cheek, and walked away.

I looked over, surprised to see Sandra steaming. "What?"

"I've suddenly lost my appetite. Take me home, please."

''No."

"What?!"

"I said no. I don't know exactly what's happening here, but I know I don't like it. You're an adult. At least I think you are. April and I were close once but we both knew it wasn't going anywhere so we decided to go back to being friends. She was telling me she had found the right man and would be getting married in six months. I expect the invitation soon. If you need to leave I'll call you an Uber. Just so you know, if you leave, there will be no more lunches or dinners. Our only interaction will be about the restaurant."

I watched the emotions flit across her face. Then she got a determined look on her face. "Steve, can I ask you something? Do you have a problem with mixed race couples?"

"Not that I know of. My second wife was Costa Rican and it never bothered me. I wanted the woman, not the race."

"Ever dated a black woman?"

"As a matter of fact I have. Two."

"Why did you stop dating them?"

"One was a gold digger, attracted to the money I was making. She was subtle, but I had it figured out by the fourth date. When she started talking about moving in together, I stopped seeing her. It was not exactly an amicable breakup."

"What about the other one?"

"Honestly, she was boring. She was a lawyer that I met through Ms. Chen, attractive, intelligent, but there was no spark. We made love after the fifth date, and realized our relationship would never progress. We never dated again, but we've become pretty good friends. Why the interest?"

She snorted. "Don't play that game, white boy. I've sent you enough signals to get a fleet moving, but you've ignored them. My progressive bitchiness is a result. If you just want this to be a strictly professional relationship then I can live with that. I wouldn't like it, but I would deal with it."

"You know, there's a well-known rule in the business world. Never mix business with pleasure. Then again, if I'd followed rules all my life I wouldn't be where I am today. So yes, I'd love to explore, see if we connect on a romantic level. I want one promise. If either of us decides we're not that compatible, we part ways and maintain a courteous professional relationship. Is that agreeable to you?"

She studied my face for a minute before grinning. "Agreed. You may take me out Saturday. It may be the last Saturday we get for a long time when the restaurant opens. Just so you know, the restaurant will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays, so you need to adjust your schedule."

So we started dating. Pretty much everyone close to me gave me a version of "I told you so" over our relationship. The grandmothers were very happy, even my genetic one. I asked her once if she had a problem with Sandy's race.

"No and yes. You two obviously meld together very well and I can tell you're happier than you've been in a very long time. The circle you move in is multicolored so they won't have a problem with you getting serious. You know how some of your uncles on your mothers' side are, though. It might get a little sticky at family functions."

My father had passed away when I was in my late teens, and my mother had remarried just as soon as I moved out to the man she had been seeing. I didn't like him, he didn't like me so we kept our interactions to a minimum. He always made fun of me to the family, especially after I started farming. He was a middle manager at a small manufacturing facility and thought what I did demeaning.

A lot of it stemmed from the way I ignored his instructions on how to live my life, but most of it was because he wanted me to sell my land to him for a ridiculous price. He had plans of turning it into an industrial park, even had investors lined up. Besides being a good farm, it held a lot of sentimental value. It had been in my family since 1846, divided many times until there was only forty acres left. Some of my fondest memories were of helping my grandfather farm. I pretty much spent every weekend in-season, and later lived with him during the summers. He had intended for my father to have it, but he passed suddenly so he left it to me.

Pops had a pretty good lawyer, so I used him when Mom's husband started hinting at eminent domain. The lawyer managed to get the farm listed as an historic property, making it almost bulletproof to development as long as the land was worked. That's why when I had to give up farming I leased it to my cousin on the condition that he keep the farm viable. I sweetened the deal by buying everything he raised for my stores after I got established. He was paid about fifteen per cent more than he could get on the open market, so he was more than happy with the deal. He eventually leased another fifty acres to try and keep up with demand.

Mom's hubby lost a little on the deal, making promises and deals he had to prove up on or reimburse the money they had fronted him. Needless to say there was no love lost between us, and my mother barely spoke to me. They would have a field day knowing I was dating a woman of color. I'm sure the story would make the rounds and I would be the object of ridicule, but I knew they were smart enough not to let it get back to me. One cousin tried it with Mickey's Mom, and though his opinions came to be eerily true, it earned him an ass kicking of epic proportions. I was smart enough to know what button to push, and when he swung first I owned him. Still sued me in civil court for 'violence not warranted by the situation', saying I should have stopped when I had him down. My lawyer countered, suing the cousin for emotional distress, and I had a better case. The cousin finally agreed to drop the whole thing if I would. I made him post an apology on Facebook as part of the settlement. You could tell it was killing him, but he gritted through it.

Chapter 17

All that being said, it took four months before we became intimate. The restaurant opened to rave reviews. Soul Food International was a big hit. The food was excellent, the ambience relaxed, and Sandy made it a point to thank everyone for dining with her, making friends in high and low places. The stress was starting to get to her, so I decided we needed a little break.

She came in exhausted on Sunday afternoon. The place was open for a lunch buffet and then closed at four, giving her a little more time to relax. I took her into the bathroom, showing her the bubble bath I had prepared, along with the candles and soft music.

"Relax, babe. You need it."

She was startled at the effort but soon agreed it would be just the thing, moaning that she didn't have clean clothes. I just grinned and told her we'd find something for her to get comfortable in. I closed the door and was soon rewarded with the sound of her singing along to the music.

Her assistant manager was a good chef in her own right, and I had bribed her into getting Sandy's sizes and doing a little shopping. A trip to Victoria's Secret netted a couple of really nice gowns, two teddies, bras and panties that were sexy, some that were just comfortable, and some that were both. There was a nice silk robe to finish the set.

I also got her to get three nice dresses, two sundresses and a slinky number suitable for clubbing. There were a couple of pair of shorts and nice casual tops, two pair of jeans, new walking shoes and two pair of high heels, one two-inch and one four-inch. I had all but the prettiest gown and panty set and the robe packed into two suitcases.

I gave her 45 minutes and went back to check on her. She'd gone to sleep. I could hear her gentle snores through the door. I grinned as I tapped on the door. "Honey, wake up. I've got something for you to wear and it will be right outside the door. Come to the living room when you're done."

I had to repeat it several times until I was sure she was awake and understood me. I heard the door open as I walked back into the living room. I put the lights to low and poured her a glass of her favorite wine, unsure whether she would want it but wanting to be unprepared.

Five minutes later she came into the room, the robe belted loosely, giving me glimpses of her gown. The pale lavender contrasted nicely with her caramel skin. Just the thought of seeing her in it had me hard as a rock in seconds. There was a shy smile on her face. We had never been intimate or stayed over with each other before.

She gave me a soft but firm kiss, lasting more than a few seconds. She drew back and twirled, the robe floating out a little, revealing a very nice looking body. The lavender panties made her skin even more vivid in contrast. "You have excellent taste."

"Don't thank me. You need to give your assistant a raise. She got it for me, along with a few other things."

Her smile was radiant. "What other things?"

"In due time, honey. You're staying with me tonight. Will we make love? I'd sure like to, but you're exhausted and we need to get up early in the morning."

"Why? I've got two days off. We can sleep in."

"No we can't. We have places to be. And that's all I'm going to say, so don't ask any more questions. Bed, now."

I took her hand and led her to the bedroom, turning the covers down and snuggling her in. "Aren't you coming to bed?"

"In just a minute. I need to wash the day off me before we snuggle."

That made her smile. I probably set a world record for a shower, coming out in just my boxers. She grinned as I turned out the lights. I slid into her arms as I settled down. It took me a second to realize while I was in the shower she had taken off the gown. Then she grabbed my shorts, tugging. "I'm not really that sleepy, honey."

I woke to the alarm; Sandy snuggled to me, her head on my chest. The night was glorious. I kissed her softly, stroking that magnificent body gently. She woke with a start, then relaxed, flexing her body into mine with a purr. "Ready to continue from last night?"

I think I shocked her. "Absolutely, but we don't have time. We need to shower and dress. We have two hours to get to the airport and you know how long it takes to get on the plane."

"Airport? I'm not moving until you tell me what's going on."

"We're going on vacation, baby. I haven't taken one in years, and you need to recharge. Belize, for three days of sun, sand and relaxation. So get it in gear."

She looked a little pissed. "What makes you think I'll just drop everything and go off with you?"

"Because you love surprises. And me. Don't look so shocked, if I can see it, everyone in the universe can see it. Here's another tidbit. I love you, too. So get that fine bottom out of that bed or I'm going to shower without you."

Her mouth hung open a little. "I... we... you... Oh Hell! I do love you, honey, and I'd love to go on vacation with you. Do we have time to stop long enough to pack a suitcase?"

"Already done. The two green suitcases are yours. Pick something out to wear while I start the shower."

I heard her squeals of delight as I stepped into the shower. Thirty seconds later she was in the shower hugging and kissing all over me. Sandy was trying to talk and cry at the same time and it wasn't working. I stopped her the only way I knew how, with a long firm kiss. She started making other noises and I pulled back. "Shower now. Play later." That being said, there was a good bit of groping going on while we showered. She finally got out, leaving me flushed and with an aching erection. She giggled and flipped the water to cold. I gasped with the shock before turning it off and coming into the bedroom. She had the green sundress laid out and had a new bra and panty set that made me want to miss the flight. She grinned and did a slow turn. "You like? Good. I'll model everything for you later. I'll be wearing the green teddy to bed tonight. That is, if you want me to wear anything at all."

"The teddy," I said decisively. "It'll look great on you and I've always enjoyed unwrapping presents."

"In that case I'll find a bow to go with it. Now get dressed!"

Chapter 18

It was the highlight of my life. She was beautiful, vibrant and she was mine. We spent a lot of time in bed, but we did hit the beach a couple of times. She wore the most conservative bikini, the first time, then went with the racy thong bottomed one the next. When she found out tops were optional, it was gone instantly. Men and women stared; she was that beautiful. Oddly, it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. I was proud of how attractive she was, and was confident that although others would look, I was the only one allowed to touch.

We went dancing, and though I was a decent dancer she wore me out pretty quickly. We'd shared a lunch with another couple at the resort, and they were there. Her husband was as worn out as I was, so the girls danced together, ignoring the men who tried to dance with them. They danced over to our table and gave a little bump and grind that had us rushing back to our rooms. She laughed the next day on the plane. "I have zero interest in girls, honey. Pam is the same way. I have to admit it was fun, but the purpose was to rev our men up. I think we accomplished that goal, wouldn't you?"

"Don't talk. Exhausted. Need nap."

She cooed and snuggled into my arm.

She came back to the condo I was leasing and never left. A month later she gave up her apartment. five months later, I gave her a diamond. I walked into her restaurant and demanded to see the chef. She thought she was going to be confronted by an irate customer and was surprised to see me on my knee, holding up an open box. The diamond twinkled in the candles of the closest tables.

"Sandy, love of my life, will..."

Well, I think that's about as far as I got before she dove on me so hard she knocked us both to the floor. She yanked so hard on the box it flew out of my hand and landed under a table. We were on hands and knees scrambling for it while she screamed "YES' over and over. The whole placed clapped and cheered when she found the box and got the ring on her finger. That's when the kissing portion of the evening began, followed by her parading through the place, me in tow, while she showed every table there the ring.

My "family" was very happy for me. They had seen how depressed I had been after the break-up with my second wife. The grandmothers descended immediately, grabbing Sandy and spiriting her off to make wedding plans. Her first was basically just a ceremony in a courthouse anteroom. She once expressed to Grandma Greely how she had longed for the full wedding experience and they were determined to give her her dream. They did not hesitate in telling me they were paying and all I had to do was show up when and where they told me. I was more than happy with that.

Ms. Chen lost her grandmother status when she told me she thought she was too young to be a grandmother. "Well, then. I have another position I needed to fill. I need a new Mom, my old one isn't working out," I told her. She and her husband were childless. I never asked why, but she was so overcome with the offer she cried in my arms, the first time I'd ever seen her cry. She did, though, become a hell of a grandmother to Mickey. She would have taken him every weekend if I would have let her. Sandy's mother had passed and she stepped right into the role. There were endless discussions about flowers, color schemes, invitations, venues, until I thought I would go crazy if I was asked one more opinion. Finally they decided to leave me alone. All I needed to do was make sure the tux fit and be there on time.

Mickey was my best man. Jose, Dan, Miguel, Michael and my cousin Billy were my groomsmen. Sandy had two of her college friends, her assistant from the restaurant, Connie, and Alice. Her maid of honor was her sister. I met her for the first time at the rehearsal. We didn't hate each other, but we had nothing in common. She was pissed at Sandy marrying a white guy, and me for having the nerve to marry her. Probably the first true black racist I'd ever met. Luckily she went to school on the other coast and we wouldn't be seeing each other that often.

I understand she and Sandy had a pretty good row about it. Sandy told her if she didn't tone it down she would be returning to California before the wedding.

Finally, on a sunny afternoon in June, we became man and wife. We married at a Baptist Church that we started attending two months before the wedding. Actually Sandy had been attending for a few months before we became intimate and dragged me along. I liked the people and most liked me. The preacher loved me because I told him if he ever paid for food for his fundraisers again I would never forgive him. I even helped when I could. Over the years I've probably cooked thousands of hot dogs and hamburgers, plus breakfasts.