Always Tried and Proven (2 page)

    "No."  Sadie lamented.  "A few near misses, but nothing I'm sorry I backed away from." She said, putting her lip out slightly.  "I am really starting to want to find someone, but I just can't settle for what I've found so far.  There's just not been any fireworks, you know?"

     Callie nodded wistfully.  "Maybe there just aren't going to be any.  Doesn't that ever occur to you?  I mean, I just wonder if there really are any 'Mr. Wonderfuls' out there.  I sure haven't found them, if there are."

     "Yeah.  Well, if I don't find one, I'll keep doing what I'm doing.  That's the big problem for me, the thought of giving up this job.  I feel stifled every time a guy starts making noises about my settling down and staying put."

     Callie looked at Sadie fondly.  She was sultry, and buxom, and gorgeous.  She was boyishly lean everywhere except in the chest, which made her extremely sexy.   Her lips were full and nicely shaped.  Her eyes were soft and brown, a knockout combination with her shiny, straight, dark golden hair. 

     Sadie's cell phone rang and she reached for it with a look of apology.  "Sorry, Callie, I need to get this."  She explained.

     Callie nodded, and obligingly turned off the air jets so she could hear better.

    "Sam!"  Sadie squealed, sitting up straight, with obvious delight.  "Where are you?"  As Sadie listened, her jaw dropped in amazement.  "That is so awesome, Sam.  I really feel that you're needed here.  This is already going to be much bigger than L.A. was, if you can believe it.  They are projecting at least a thousand people a night, and some nights in excess of three thousand!  I have a meeting with all of the pastors tomorrow morning in the tent, at ten o'clock.  It will be perfect if you can be there.  Great!"

     Sadie shot an uncertain look at Callie.  "Sam, I'm staying with a friend while I'm here.  Let me give you the number and address, and I can show you out to the tent from here.   I can make some coffee."

     After giving the caller Callie's name, address and phone number, Sadie said goodbye and pushed the ‘off ’  button gleefully.  "Oh, wonderful!" she sighed, happily.

    Callie watched her friend, with raised eyebrows.  "Unless that Sam was a female, which I know he was not, he sounded like someone you were pretty darn happy to be hearing from." She challenged in a sultry, teasing, voice.

     Sadie beamed.  "You can say that again!  Sam is my pastor.  The tent ministry is under his direction, and I was ecstatic to hear from him.  He just flew in from Hong Kong, and he's going to be here for the opening day of the tent tomorrow.  Nothing could have made me happier!  I wasn’t at all sure he was going to make it in time."

     "Oh."  Callie replied listlessly.

    "And please, don't get the wrong idea.  I saw the wheels turning!  Sam and I are not even remotely more than buddies.  He's incredible, but he is not interested in Sadie.  I got a few stars in my eyes when I first met him, but I got over it, because I wanted to work with him.  He’s not the kind to tolerate any nonsense from girls.  I’ve learned from being around him that when you look like Sam, you have to be very cautious with females."

     "A good-looking preacher, huh?"

     "That is an understatement.  Callie, I hope it’s all right that I asked him to pick me up here in the morning.  That way, I can brief him and save him the trouble of trying to follow directions out to the tent.  He's got jet lag and it would just be so much easier.  He’s staying just down the street at the Imperial, tonight."

     "No problem."  Callie yawned.  "Fine with me."

     "Want to go with us?"  Sadie asked hopefully.

    "Naw.  Even though I don't work tonight, I need to catch up on my sleep.  I’m not used to early morning rises."  Callie tried to let her voice tell Sadie that the subject was closed.

     "Callie, I've got an idea.  Will you listen?"

    Callie stared suspiciously at Sadie's wistful expression for a second before she responded.  "I'll hear you out."  She answered lightly.

    "Do you think you’d maybe like to sing a few songs at the tent?  I mean, it would be great publicity for you, there will be thousands of locals every night.  And it occurred to me that you could sing at seven, then go on to work.  I don't know how much I could pay, but there would be some offerings in it for you."

     Callie's eyebrows crashed.  "Sadie, you can't be serious."  She admonished.

    "I am!  Think about this, now.  If you came and sang one song every night, you are guaranteed to have thousands of people hear you this month.  Probably many more than that.  Most of them will be from New York, where you work, but some of them will be from far away places.  Isn't that worth thinking about?"

    "No wonder you're in Marketing."  Callie grumbled.  "Sadie, I can't even imagine singing in a church tent.  Every night for a month?"

      "Just do it when you want to, then.  Once in awhile.  It would be seen as a very charitable act, you know.  And I'm sure you could really help us get things off to an awesome start.  The tent has never been to this city before.  So, some people are bound to be a little bit apprehensive.  Oh, Callie;  if you came in and sang some well-known songs and hymns, I just know you'd have them all warmed up and you'd just pull the people together, every time.  You're so good, and such a good public personality.  Please, will you consider this?  I'll make it worth your while in publicity, I promise. The tent isn't like a church; it's very relaxed and open, and accepting.  People come from all walks of life."

     Callie sighed heavily.  "Sadie, the only thing is, it would be wrong for me to do it.  It would be totally misleading.  You know and I know that I would be a hypocrite, if I were to do this.  I don't buy into it and I don't intend to."

     "Well, Callie; I see what you're saying, but I really don't agree.  I mean, we aren't going to make any statements about your faith, and the tent is not like a church.  It's going to be a big melting pot, everything from zealots to homeless and professional people.  I understand that you think it would be implied that you're in agreement with us by being a part of the team;  but you really are very good at dodging uncomfortable questions, and honestly, you'd only be there half an hour or so.  And I do think ... no, I know that you would be such a key to our success!  You are the perfect one to open the doors for us with the people of New York.” 

     "They'll listen to you, Callie.  They'll know that you're real, and not some stuffy thing.  It won’t be all that different than what you did at Chapel, back in school.  No one would ever have dreamed that you weren’t completely devout, the way that you sing!  I think it’s because you have such a fine voice and presentation, and such a gift for interpretation.  You seem to mean, deeply, whatever you are singing.  It’s just how you are.  What do you say?  Will you give it a whirl?"

     Callie gave another deep sigh.  "Oh, for heaven's sake.  You aren't going to take no for an answer, are you?"

     "No."  Sadie replied sweetly.

     Callie rolled her eyes.  "I will come
tomorrow. 
And I will help you kick things off tomorrow night.  After that, we will have to see.
I make no promises, we'll just have to see how things go."

     "Oh, Callie!   Wonderful, I am so thrilled!   Thank you so much!"

     "Sure.  I can't argue about the great exposure."

     "That's what makes it ideal for both of us.   Callie, you won't be sorry!"

    "I'll remind you that you said that."  Callie answered dryly.  "Especially, if your dear people figure out you've got a 'bar fly' singing in your 'sweet by and by' tent."

     "Oh, Callie, it won't be like that."  Sadie promised.

     Callie snorted.  "Sadie, I think perhaps I know some of your religious friends from a perspective you've never imagined.  There's a whole bunch of people who think that if you set foot in a bar, especially every day, that you're a
bad
woman.  No better than a whore, because if you aren't one when you go in, you're going to become one if you stay there very long.  My mama always used to say, 'if you lay down with dogs, you're going to get fleas'.  And that's the way people see it.  They figure that the bar has surely 'tainted' me and I must not be any good."

     Sadie shook her head.  "Callie, are people really so cruel to you?" she asked worriedly. 

     Callie took a sip of her soda.  "They can be, on occasion.  I can only imagine the uproar you're going to face, if your religious community figures out who and what I am."

     Sadie sighed.  "Well, darn it, Callie, I don't care what they say or think.  I'll risk it, if you will."

    Callie shook her head ruefully.  "I'll do it for you, but I wouldn't for anybody else, Sadie.  We've been friends a long time."

    "Thank you, Callie.  I'll do all I can to ensure that it's wonderful.  And, very comfortable for you, too."

    "That would be great.  But right now, I'm headed for bed.  You just make yourself at home, and yell if you need anything.  And, thanks for a great day."

     "Thanks, Callie.  It was great!  I'm very much enjoying being here with you.  I’m very grateful to be staying with you this month, and catching up with you."

       Callie smiled and waved a light-hearted goodnight with her fingers.

      The sound of the doorbell woke Callie from a deep sleep.  She groaned and looked at her clock.  "Nine-thirty in the morning?" she snapped groggily.  "Ugh!  Now who in the world could that be?"  She groaned, as the sound of the shower accompanied the doorbell's second round. 

     Growling, Callie rolled out of bed and shrugged into her short, terry robe.  "Coming!" she yawned, trying with fumbling fingers to fasten her robe and push her hair back as she stumbled to the front door.  She opened the door as far as the safety chain would allow, and looked out sleepily through locks of long, brown hair.
             

     "Yes?" she asked the strange man, a bit suspiciously.

     “Are you ... Callie Wilson?"

     "Yes."

     "My name is Sam.  I’m here to pick up Sadie."

    "Oh.  I'm sorry, just a minute."  She mumbled.  She unhooked the chain, and swung the door open to let him in.  She looked up at him inquiringly, and waved him in.  "Please come in," she offered, her voice sounding husky with sleep.

     He thanked her, and looked at her with perplexed amusement as she closed the door.  He reached for her hand, and she let him take it.  He just held it, and looked at her.  His eyes crinkled into a smile that warmed her clear through. 

    "I'm very happy to meet you, Callie."  He said with his interesting accent.  "Sadie seems to be very fond of you, so you must be delightful."

     Callie looked up at him sharply.  "No, not really."  She denied with a chuckle.  “Especially, this time of the morning.  Please excuse me for sleepwalking.” she bantered.

     The man was ... arresting.  She couldn't seem to take her eyes from his, and then, she finally noticed that he was still holding onto her hand.

     He was
beautiful
.  Nothing but purely male, yet beautiful just the same.  He was well over six feet, and very broad.  He had very shiny golden hair, full but nicely layered and smooth.  It lay against his shoulders, like a mane.  His eyes were blue and green.  Both.  Literally, she could see both colors and could not decide which they were.  There were flecks of green, yet just as many of ocean blue.

     As she studied his eyes, she discovered that he was staring at her, every bit  as intently.  He seemed to look through her, causing her to feel very exposed.   Very vulnerable.  His eyes were honest, but they cut and probed.  She knew without wondering for a second that you just wouldn't try to lie to this man.  He was extremely discerning.

     He had round cheekbones, and a firm chin.  He was lean, but very powerfully built.  He emanated strength and power in a quiet, calm way.  His lips were finely shaped, his teeth were very white and even.  He was simply the most beautiful human being she'd ever seen.

     She realized she'd been staring shamelessly, and blushed brilliantly.  She pulled her hand out of his, and turned away.

     "I think I hear the shower running, which explains why Sadie didn't come to the door.  I'll see if she put on a pot of coffee, and then I'll find out how she's doing."  She said tightly.  She didn't wait for his reply.  She hurried into the kitchen, and poured him a cup of hot coffee.               

     "Cream, if you have it."  A voice said, from just behind her shoulder.  Callie’s heart turned over, and she jumped.

     "I'm sorry, Callie.  First I wake you up, and then I startle you out of your skin.  Please forgive me."  His hands on her arms, steadying her, made her whirl around to escape his touch.

     "Oh, that's all right.” she chuckled.  “I'm just used to being here alone."  She explained quickly.

     He smiled at her so warmly; and she found herself simply staring again, as though mesmerized.  Then, she was acutely embarrassed all over again.

     "There's some Half and Half in the 'fridge.  Please help yourself, while I see about Sadie."  She tumbled the words out over her shoulder, put her head down, and darted out of the kitchen.  She didn't look up again until she was safe in her room, with the door closed.