Chapter 38
Buggies and a Bell
Mike knew that Martin had told him if he needed anything to let him know, but he was far from destitute. He had called the house and talked with Celia’s mother. She gave him a list of things they needed. He, as a single man, was no stranger to going grocery shopping.
He shopped at several different stores, and in all of them, he normally caught the eye of at least one lady before he was out the door. He figured he looked out of place shopping, but what was he supposed to do? Pay someone to shop for him? He assumed that there were other single guys who shopped, but none of them ever seemed to be in the store when he was.
Ladies were always trying to help him. They would tell him about some new brand that was better than the one he was buying. Sometimes, they hinted that they were looking for someone to date, but he’d not taken any of them up on their hints in months.
The last time he had gone out, it ended badly. The girl had an ex who was a flake. He had come to their table in a tirade. Most women, after finding out what he did for a living, thought it was boring. Or, they wanted to know how much money he made and that was the way the date would end. And that pretty much eliminated the possibility of a second date.
This was one reason he had gone out of his way to keep Celia from knowing that he was actually the owner of his family’s business. She knew that he was a mechanic and that he liked to flip houses. Both of those things were true. One item, not yet revealed that might create a problem, was that in that family business, he owned five car dealerships.
Mike went on with his shopping. This time when a couple of pretty young ladies started in his direction, he picked out the item he wanted and hurried along. He did give one of them a quick smile as he pushed his buggy past hers. He could see she was about to speak, and rude or not, he moved on. He wasn’t looking for a date with anyone but Celia.
The thought came out of the back of his mind as he reached for a box of cereal. ‘Do I really think that something may come out of this thing with Celia?
After all the times he’d told Martin that she was wrong for him, and that she was too stuck on herself, was he actually thinking about going down the same path? Was God having a good laugh at his expense for meddling in Martin’s life?
He pushed the thoughts out of his mind as he checked out. Only time would answer that question, but he did need to think about it. Was it going to bother him that she and Martin had been an item? Out of all of the women in the world, he had to pick one who had dated and slept with his best friend.
These thoughts were still floating through his mind as he pulled into the long driveway at the mansion. At his age, most anyone he might date would probably have slept with someone. It wasn’t something he thought about often, but this situation would be looking him in the face more often than usual.
Shaking his head, he busted the image into pieces of Celia and Martin kissing at the dinner table. Most of the time when he’d been around them, they had not been ‘physical’. He only had a few times to think back on though he didn’t have to think very hard to imagine them in a more intimate situation than he really cared to think about.
When he got into the house with the first bags of groceries, his mind was back on Celia and her family. He would also have to be careful what he said to Roger. He didn’t want any of them learning that he was more than a mechanic.
He had to be crazy to even be thinking about dating someone he had to hide so much from. And, you should really trust the family of the woman you wanted to date. You shouldn’t be making mental notes on what to say and what not to say! He felt like Martin hiding things from Randi and wondered if he was being punished for being so hard on Martin.
Celia’s mother met him at the door with a smile that made him immediately wonder if he’d misjudged her. She seemed so nice, so sincere, and not once had she asked him any questions that could be considered prying. She called over her shoulder and told Roger to come help with the groceries.
When Celia wheeled out of the room off the kitchen, she asked, “Goodness sakes, did you buy the store out?”
“Almost, and always remember, never shop when you’re hungry.”
“Bad move man,” Roger said, as he came walking in. He pulled a bag of chips out of one of the bags and opened them and smiled. “But, good taste in food.”
“I’m going to cook, young man. Don’t eat too much junk.”
“I won’t.” Roger went to a cabinet and found a bowl. He shook some chips out then closed the bag. “How can we repay you for feeding us?”
Mike smiled, dug down into one of the bags, pulled out a small box and handed it to Roger. “Take care of your sister.”
When Roger opened the box and found a small brass bell, he laughed and handed the box to Celia. “I can do that, but if she rings it too often, I might have to get a real job.”
Celia laughed and tried out the bell. “I’ll do my best to not wear you down unlike someone I know from my past.”
“I think there’s a couple more bags,” Roger said, taking another bite of his chips before hurrying out the door.
“The guilty will pay,” Celia called out after him as he disappeared around the corner. “Thanks for the bell, but Roger’s right, you shouldn’t have bought so much.”
“Well, I’ll be staying here, too, and I’m not a light eater.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” Celia’s mom said. “A man who likes to eat. I’ll be helping pay you for all your kindness in hot meals. If you’ll take Celia outside for some fresh air, I’ll get Roger to help me put these things away and then start supper.”
“Are you sure?” Mike asked, looking at the bags.
“I’m sure. She’s been in this house all day and the fresh air will do her good.”
“You might as well not argue with her. She always gets her way,” Celia said, pushing her way toward the front door, the little brass bell now lying in her lap.
“Then outside it is,” Mike said.