A Glass of Merlot

Jolene looked at herself in the mirror. Her big brown eyes were tinged with thick black lashes. Her full lips were painted in plum colored lipstick, and her dreadlocks were pulled up into a top bun. She wore a dress she bought on the way home. She saw in the window of the boutique and thought it would be perfect for tonight. She had not bought anything new in an age, and although she was nervous about tonight, she wanted it to go smoothly.

She reached for the glass of Merlot on her dressing table. She did not usually drink, but she thought it would help calm her nerves. It was from a bottle her mother had given her when she graduated from college two years ago. Tonight was the first night it had been opened. It was dry, but had a pleasant taste. It went down rather well. She hoped she did not regret this indulgence and make a fool of herself. She sighed.

She looked at the clock. 7:50. Her date would be there to pick her up in ten minutes. She looked at herself again. She wore a thigh length red A-line dress. It hugged her curves nicely. She startled when the phone rang. Was it Tony? Was he canceling their date? She swallowed and picked up her cellphone. It was her mother.

"I just wanted to wish you luck on your date tonight," she said.

"Thanks, Mom."

"Call me as soon as you get home. But if you feel in any way uncomfortable, get away as soon as possible," she said.

Jolene smiled. Her mother was always cautioning her about the wiles of men. She liked that she was concerned, but she thought her mother's concern was sometimes to over the top. But she would follow this advice. She did not want to end up on the news as statistic.

"Yes, Mom," she answered.

She hung up and smoothed down her dress. She blew out a breath and glanced at the clock again. 8:00. The doorbell rang. He was on time. A plus. She took one more deep breath and went down the stairs to the door. Tony stood there with a lopsided smile and a hand full of white lilies.

"For you, Jolene," he said in his deep voice.

Tony was a co-worker. They had known each other for the last two years. He was six foot of muscle. His black hair was neatly cut and beard and mustache were neatly trimmed. His hazel eyes were warm as they regarded her. She felt weak in the knees. His brown skin was smooth. It had only been quite recent that she realized she was attracted to him, and he totally surprised her by asking her on a date.

"How did you know?" she asked.

"I make it my business to know about things, or people, I'm interested in," he murmured.

She blushed. She took the flowers into her kitchen and put them in a vase of water. She had not realized Tony had followed her inside. He stood at her fireplace looking at the photos on display.

"Is this your mother?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, walking over to where he was.

"I know her," he whispered.

A sense of foreboding came over Jolene. She looked at his face. If it were possible, it looked pale.

"You do? How?" she asked.

He turned his eyes slowly toward her. The pain she saw in his eyes went straight to her heart, but she was also afraid of what he would tell her. She took his hand and led him to the sofa. She sat beside him and waited for him to speak.

"When I was in the eighth grade, my family home burned to the ground. I was the only one to escape. I tried to go back in to save my mama and my little brother, but the fire was so hot and overwhelming. I had barely got out myself out of the window in my room. I screamed and screamed for them to come out, but they never did. Later I learned that they had been overcome by the smoke," he said, tears coming down his face. Jolene was not sure he knew he was crying. She grabbed his hand.

"A kind lady came up to me and wrapped me in her arms. She smelled like lemons and peppermint. When the firefighters arrived, she took me into her home. She washed my face and gave me some water. She had the kindest eyes I'd ever seen. The police came and asked me questions, and she stayed right by my side, holding my hand. When they wanted to take me away, she told them that she would watch over me until they found a foster family for me. I stayed with her for two days. She let me grieve the only way a thirteen year old could. I yelled and lashed out at her, but she never yelled back or reprimanded me. She just loved me. And I know that was what it was. Even though I had never met her before, she loved me. She was your mother," he finished.

Jolene sat stunned. She remembered a story she overheard her mother tell her aunt one day about a boy who had lost his family. It had been Tony?

"I tried to find her once, but she had already moved away," he said.

Jolene did not know what to say. She reached up and wiped the tears off his cheek. He started as he realized he had been crying. He gave her a wobbly smile.

"I'm sorry. Some first date, huh?" he chuckled.

"There is no need to apologize, Tony. I'm sorry for your loss. It obviously still affects you."

He nodded and looked away. She turned his face back toward her.

"Want to watch TV and order some pizza?" she asked.

He laughed.

"I had a reservation at Bachanalia."

"Next time," she said.