Mismatched Forks: Author's Notes and Deleted Scenes

 Author’s Notes

·         I decided to challenge myself with this story.  First of all, it is the longest piece that I have written to date (August 6, 2023).  It is three times longer than any previous story and a bit shy of my goal of 40,000 words.  One of my fears is not being able to sustain a story for novel length.  The second challenge was to tell this story from four different points of view: Part One is told from Alex’s perspective, Part Two from Charli’s, Part Three in the form of memorabilia, and Part Four from Charlotte Ilsbeth’s point of view.

·         There are a few other aspects that set the different Parts from each other.  Part One is set in Texas, Part Two in Louisiana, Part Three in a box of memories, Part Four as a speech.  Also, you might have noticed that Part Two has chapter titles, but the rest of the story does not.  Two different people tell the stories in Parts One and Two.

·         There are two scenes that were the origin of this story.  The first scene is in Chapter 18 in the thrift store.  That scene, of course, gave us the title for this work.  The second scene is in Chapter 23, and it was originally written with a male protagonist having done the writing on the sheets as a play to seduction.  I changed it because I wanted Charli to make the decision to move the relationship forward.

·         Speaking of Chapter 23, you might wonder if Charlotte Ilsbeth…

·         This is a work of fiction, of course, but some readers might recognize that Part One seems to take place in a certain Texas city and school.  I liked certain aspects of that city and university, and I played loose with the setting.

·         The campus magazine actually has a name, I just never used it.  The Storyboard.

·         Part Two shifts the focus more toward Charli.  And if you didn’t catch it, the story really is about her, after all.

·         I apologize for the word play and puns in the titles of Part Two.  Again, it was another attempt to differentiate between Parts One and Two.

·         Charli actually changes appearance in Part Two, but I really didn’t emphasize it.  In Part One, she wears her hair loose or down.  In Part Two, she pulls her hair back or up into a bun.  This is in deference to Grand’Mere, who did not approve of the girls looking so casual.  I might work that into the story in rewrites.

·         I apologize for Charli’s cursing, but after all, Grand’Mere was a b****.

·         In Part Two, we get some of the backstory for Charli’s behaviors in Part One.  The use of quotes, for example, and sitting under waterfalls.

·         It was difficult to write the hospital scenes and about Charli’s father dying.

·         The little scene where Charli gives Alex a couple of forks to take back to Texas, set up a little scene that I discarded for Part Four.  I’ll address that in a little bit.

·         I had Alex leave at the end of Part Two because Charli really needed to do these things on her own.  She displays her strength of character in the boardroom.

·         I originally had Charli getting rid of Kevin Winfield, and I think he thought he was going to be shown the door as well.  But after her speech, it just didn’t seem right to send him away.

·         I was a bit surprised when Grand’Mere had a change of heart about Charli.  But after seeing Charli handle everything in the boardroom meeting, Grand’Mere knew that her granddaughter has the strength to carry the family into the future.

·         Part Two could have ended with Chapter 42, but there were a few loose ends that needed to be tidied up.

·         I thought Part Three was going to give me more trouble than it did.  I originally thought that I would recreate those particular mementoes but that would have been a nightmare of work.  I think how I handled it will work.

·         The idea of Part Three was to move the story forward just by using letters, notes, postcards, etc.  They are in chronological order starting with the note that Alex sent Charli in Chapter 12.  You’ll notice that she saves the letter in that scene.  There are other pieces that are mentioned in the story, then we begin to see things that weren’t in Parts One and Two.  Again, my challenge was to move the story along by using mementoes rather than traditional storytelling.

·         I was held up writing the last keepsake in Part Three.  The template that I used to write the wedding invitation was from an actual wedding.  I had to find a copy.  As an hommage to my wife, I used our wedding invitation.  Change the names and the year, and it’s ours.  Charli and Alex have the same wedding day as Jackie and I do.  Interestingly enough, November 25^th this year (2023) is on a Saturday, as it was back in 1978.

·         Part Four was completed before any of the other Parts of this story were finished.

·         If you didn’t catch it, Grand’Mere is Charlotte Grace, Charli is Charlotte Helena, and then there is Charlotte Ilsbeth, who goes by Chils (pronounced ‘chills’).  G, H, I.

·         Not written about, but there is a tradition for the women that earn scholarships from the Carriage House.  They get to stay there, of course, as part of the scholarship.  But every new tenant brings a new fork.

·         Part Four, as you saw, is an Epilogue and Prologue.  I imagine that Chils asked her dad about the mismatched forks, and he began telling her this story.  Charli jumped in later and continued the story from her point of view.  Chils filled some blanks in Part Three when she found her mother’s mementoes.  It’s a circular story.

·         If you wondered if Chils was conceived back in Chapter 23, you’ll notice there isn’t a birth announcement in Part Three.

·         ’We are all so much together, but we are all dying of loneliness.’  The expression “reverence for life” is the key to Albert Schweitzer's personal philosophy.  No person must ever harm or destroy life unless absolutely necessary.  This attitude permeated everything he did.  I don’t think it was so much a comment on loneliness, as much as he was calling on people to be together, to ward off being lonely.

·         Sometimes we draw strength from remembering that someone was there.

 

  

Deleted Scenes

I wrote the following scene for Chapter 41.  It was supposed to take place in the morning when Charli, Alex, and Chloe were setting up for the Thanksgiving dinner.  But because Part Two is told from Charli’s perspective, and this conversation takes place without her knowledge, I couldn’t include the scene as it was written.

 

Chloe walked up to Alex and pulled him aside.  “We need to talk.”  They sat down at one of the tables and she began to speak.  “I know there’s something between the two of you.  But before you go any farther with her, you need to know something.  Charli would walk away from all the money.  She was going to when she left here to go to college.  What she will NOT walk away from are all these people.”  Chloe looked Alex in the eye.  “What are you willing to give up for her?” 

= = =

This next scene would have taken place before the wedding invitation in Part Three.  Since the format for Part Three is in correspondence and assorted memorabilia, this scene never made it into the story.

 

He swung open the door to his apartment and was caught by surprise.  There, seated on the couch, was Charli.  “What are you doing here?  How did you get in?” he sputtered.

She smiled and dangled a key from her hand.  “Someone gave me a key.”

 

Mismatched Forks: Part Four

 Part Four - Epilogue/Prologue

“Welcome to the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the founding of the Carriage House scholarship program.  We are here today to celebrate that milestone and to honor the two founders of this program, Phoebe Sterling and Charlotte Helena Guillory.  My name is Charlotte Ilsbeth Guillory, and most of you probably know Charlotte Helena, my mother, by her nickname, Charli.  I’d like to tell you a little about Charli since she is a modest woman and highly unlikely to talk about herself.  But on this occasion, this re-dedication, I’m here to tell you the story of how this scholarship program began.  I first learned about it when I was fourteen, when I asked my father, ‘Dad, how come none of our forks match?’”

Mismatched Forks: Part Three

 Part Three

No one saves text messages and puts them in a box.  No one collects e-mails and ties them together with ribbon.  Letters survive.  Letters deliver the writer to other places, they carry the scent of that person, their grace in the sweep of their cursive, their personality in the choice of their stationery, their emotions on tear-stained paper.

 

- A Note written on office stationery from Campus Publications -

“Dear Charli,

Please come back.

Respectfully, Alex”

 

- A letter from The Desk of Louis Guillory –

“My dearest Charlotte Helena,

Today I sent you off to college, knowing that there was a chance that I might never see you again.  Why did I do that? you might ask.

I had to make a choice, whether to hold on to my little girl as tightly as I could or push you out of our respective comfort zones so that you could grow to become a strong, independent woman. 

Oh, how I wanted to hold on to you.

But Dr. Theriot told me that there is not much time.  Please forgive me for not telling you about my health problems.  I thought if you knew, you would not want to leave.  But taking that big step, making that move to college, was what you wanted, and it was what you needed.  I know that things will be tough, but I also know that you will be made ready by the experiences you will have away from home.  After all, you are a Guillory.

 “The turning point in the process of growing up is when you discover the core of strength within you that survives all hurt.”  -Max Lerner

I’ve given this letter to an attorney to be delivered to you when I’m gone.  You can use their services if you wish; I’ve vetted the firm and they have my trust.

I love you.

Dad”

 

- A copy of Dirge Without Music –

“I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the hard ground.
So it is, and so it will be, for so it has been, time out of mind:
Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. Crowned
With lilies and with laurel they go; but I am not resigned.

Lovers and thinkers, into the earth with you.
Be one with the dull, the indiscriminate dust.
A fragment of what you felt, of what you knew,
A formula, a phrase remains,—but the best is lost.

The answers quick and keen, the honest look, the laughter, the love,—
They are gone. They are gone to feed the roses. Elegant and curled
Is the blossom. Fragrant is the blossom. I know. But I do not approve. 
More precious was the light in your eyes than all the roses in the world.

Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave
Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind;
Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave.
I know. But I do not approve. And I am not resigned.”

- “Dirge Without Music” by Edna St. Vincent Millay

 

 

- A letter written on hotel stationery from the Antoinette Inn -

“Dear Charli,

One Step at a Time

I think one of the important steps is to remember to communicate.  So, I’m starting by writing you this note.

I’m going to be leaving you, but having met you, you will never be truly gone.  You left a piece of yourself with me, and for that, I will be forever grateful.

“We are all products of our environment; every person we meet, every new experience or adventure, every book we read, touches and changes us, making us the unique being we are.”       - C.J. Heck

Whatever happens, I’ll be there for you.

Your bestie,

Alex”

 

 

- From the personal notes of Charlotte Helena Guillory –

“Do not plan for the past nor the present, but plan for the future.

Focus on our people, not our profits

Make our people better.  Provide living wage, childcare, health care, retirement

Plan for community outreach, charities”

 

 

- A Graduation Announcement –

The College of Fine Arts

Announces the Graduation of

Alex Michael Whitman

Summa Cum Laude

Class of 2022

Presentation of Diplomas

Davis Hall Auditorium

Saturday, May 30, 2022

6:00 PM

 

 

- A Graduation Announcement –

Antoinette High School

is proud to announce

the Graduation of

Chloe Marie Guillory

Class of 2022

Please join us on

Friday, June 5th, 2022

at 10:00 AM

at the Antoinette Civic Center

 

 

 

- A letter from Morning, Noon, and Night –

“Charli,

It was wonderful to hear from you again!  I’m doing well and can’t wait to see you when you come down.  I think your plans for the carriage house are wonderful, and I can’t wait to talk to you about them.  I’m looking forward to catching up with all your news!

See you soon,

Phoebe”

 

- A letter from the desk of William Cooper –

“Dear Charli,

How are you?  I hope you’re doing well.

I’m flattered that you thought of me for the position of editor for your newspaper.  I am intrigued by your offer, and I think your idea of a digital publication is a great idea and very forward thinking.  I have some other ideas that we can discuss when we meet.

Thanks again.

William Cooper

PS. Kylie says hello!”

 

- A postcard –

“Charli, Paris is fabulous!  Le Vignoble de Guillory is a wonderful vineyard and I can’t wait to learn all about making wine.  Granduncle Marc says you MUST visit

Love Chloe”

- A Funeral Memorial Card –

In Loving Memory

Charlotte Grace Guillory

February 23, 1935 – August 3, 2022

In lieu of flowers,

the Guillory family requests donations to

the American Cancer Society

 

 

- A headline from a magazine clipping from Louisiana Business –

“Guillory Sisters Rise to Greatness”

 

- A postcard –

“Greetings from Dallas!  Hope you’re doing well!  Love, Alex”

 

- A postcard –

“View of Lake Michigan from my room in Chicago.  Love, Alex”

 

- A postcard –

“You should come to NYC.  We could visit MOMA!  Alex”

 

- A postcard –

“Boston winters SUCK!  Send baked goods.  Alex”

 

 

- A wedding invitation –

Ms. Chloe Marie Guillory

requests the honour of your presence

at the marriage of her sister

Charlotte Helena Guillory

to

Mr. Alex Michael Whitman

on Saturday, the twenty-fifth of November

two thousand twenty-three

at one o’clock

Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church

Antoinette, Louisiana

 

Mismatched Forks: Chapters 42 and 43

 Chapter 42 – It’s Not the Bored Room

A week later, a special meeting of the directors was called for 9 o’clock in the morning.

Ten minutes before the meeting was to start, Charli entered the boardroom, followed closely by Chloe and the attorney, Romy Devereaux.  She glanced down at the end of the table; her Grand’Mere was sitting patiently, her eyes narrow, her fingertips tapping the table.  Charli approached the other end of the table where Kevin Winfield, the CEO of Guillory Enterprises, was seated, his hands stroking the table.  Charli addressed him, “You’re sitting at the head of the table.”

“Well, I thought since your father was no longer here, someone should be in charge,” he said smugly.

“Oh!” She was taken aback for a moment.  “Did you call this meeting?"

Winfield faltered, “N-n-no.”

“Well, I did.”  Steely eyed, her stare drilled through his bluff, and his façade began to crumble.

With an impish smile, Chloe leaned into the conversation, “I think you better get out of her seat.”

 

Charli stood at the head of the table, acknowledging the other executives as they arrived.  There were some questioning looks, and several of the managers came over to give their regards and to ask how she was doing.  “Hello,” she murmured to each one.  “Thank you for coming.  It’s good to see you.  I’m good, thank you.”  The men took their seats, Chloe and Deveraux sat off to the side.  Chloe raised her hand and gave her sister a small salute with the crook of her finger, the lawyer was staring holes in the back of Winfield’s head.

At precisely 9 o’clock, Charli began to speak.  “Good morning.  Thank you for coming.  I called this meeting to make a few announcements.”  She took a deep breath.  “First and foremost, you should know that my father left control of Guillory Enterprises to me and my sister, Chloe.”

There was a moment of stunned silence before the room erupted in a cacophony of confused voices.  Someone muttered, not too softly, “You’re just a kid, what do you know about running this company?”

“Excellent question.”  Dead silence settled into the room as Charli began to answer.  “My father built this corporation and made it what it is today.  It is his legacy, and I will not stand by and see it dishonored or ruined by anyone, including myself.  He left it to me and my sister; he left it in our care.”

She paused for a few seconds and looked at each man sitting around the table before she continued.  “That’s where you come in.  I know that my father and this company did not get here by himself.  I understand that many gifted people joined him in this great endeavor.”  She took a deep breath.  “This is something else that I know.  My father hired good, smart people to head his companies.  Just because he is gone, that doesn't mean that those people have changed.  What he wanted, and what I want, is for you to stay with the company, and for you to continue the work in the same capacity that made this corporation thrive.”

“That’s not to say that there won’t be some changes.”  Charli nodded to Shirley, who began to pass out folders to each manager.  “At the top of this document you will see this statement: Do not plan for the past nor the present, but plan for the future.”  She paused for a moment to allow that thought to sink in.

“I want to infuse this idea into the entire fiber of this organization,” she continued.  “We will shift our focus to our people, not our profits.  When we make our people better, it will make this company succeed.  So, how do we make our people better?  We give them the resources to be more efficient and do their jobs easier.  Then we give them what they need to make their lives better.  Provide them with a living wage, access to childcare and affordable health care, and a safe and secure future.  If you remove the stressors they experience away from their jobs, their energies can focus on their work here, not on any problems at home.”

Charli looked at the group assembled before her.  “Your task is this.  Departments will have to run leaner.”  She glanced at Kevin Winfield before continuing to address the rest of the executives.  “Make no mistake, I am prepared to cut any unnecessary fat from this company.  With that said, I do not wish to see any of our people lose their jobs.  Repurpose them, retrain them; give them what they need to succeed.”  Charli put her hands on the table, leaned forward, and lowered her voice.  “I will look to their leadership if they fail.”

She took a deep breath and straightened up before she continued.  “If you have any doubts as to the direction that this company will take in the future, then you are free to clear out your office and leave.  But do know this; it would be a disservice to my father’s memory and everyone here if you took your talents elsewhere.  However, if achieving this goal isn’t something you feel like you can do, there is a very generous severance package waiting for you.” 

“My father, Louis Guillory, steered this corporation to be the success that it is, and there is no reason that, with your work and dedication, I can’t guide it as well.”

Charli closed her folder and calmly looked around the room.  “After all, I AM a Guillory.”

 

Chapter 43 – After the Boardroom

As Kevin Winfield was leaving, Charli called out to him.  “Mr. Winfield, if I could have a moment, please.”  His shoulders sagged and he stopped.  He took a deep breath and turned, retracing his steps back to the boardroom table.

“Yes, Ms. Guillory?” he said resignedly.

She stared into his eyes for a moment, then said, “Please reiterate to the managers that their action plans are due in my office by the beginning of the year.  The sooner, the better.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“And one more thing,” she continued.  “I don’t expect you to agree with me all of the time, but I would rather you speak to me privately before you express your differences in the boardroom.”  She cleared her throat.  “My father hired you because he believed that you were the best man for the job.  He depended on you.  Don’t ever forget that.  I will depend on you as well as we move forward with this new plan.”  She extended her hand.  “Thank you in advance for all your hard work.  I look forward to working with you.”

He blinked a few times, then shook her hand.  With a catch in his voice, he said, “I won’t let you down.”

“I know.  I’ll talk to you on Monday then.  Enjoy your weekend, Mr. Winfield.”

 

Charli walked over to where Shirley was straightening up in the boardroom.  “Shirley, I don’t think I’m going to need you as an executive secretary.”

With downcast eyes, Shirley responded, “I understand.  With your father gone, didn’t think-”

Charli interrupted her, “What I AM going to need is a Vice President of Special Projects, someone to oversee our community outreach and charitable programs.  It’s yours if you want it, and I can’t think of a better person for the job.”

 

Grand’Mere was still sitting at the end of the table after all the executives had left.  She slowly stood to leave and made her way to the head of the table.  She stopped for a moment in front of Charlie and said under her breath, “You’re going to do just fine.”  She patted a stunned Charli on the arm and made her way out of the boardroom.

As Charli stared at the departing figure, she heard Chloe’s surprised whisper, “Well, that was unexpected...”

 

 

Mismatched Forks: Chapters 39 through 41

 Chapter 39 - Recovery

The sun was beginning to set by the time the girls returned home.  Charli tiredly rubbed her face and stretched as she stepped into the house.  “It was really nice that all those people had so many nice things to say about Daddy.  I just can’t believe that there were so many of them who wanted to talk to us after the funeral service,” she said.  She made her way to one of the armchairs and took off her shoes.

Chloe nodded in agreement and added, “I’m just glad that the interment was private.”  She sighed and plopped down on the sofa.  “What happens next?”

Charli hesitated.  “The Thanksgiving dinner at the Civic Center is tomorrow…”

“Do you still want to do it?” asked Chloe.

“We’ve always helped out,” Charli said with a wan smile.  “I think we should go.”

Chloe nodded.  “I think so too.  It just won’t be the same though.”

“Nothing will,” said Charli, “but we’re going to make this work.”  She took a deep breath.  “As far back as I can remember, all I wanted was to be away from this place, to be free from being a Guillory.  And now that Daddy is gone, I think I might be stuck here forever, to take care of everything here.”

Chloe stared at her sister.  “Really?  I don’t see that at all.  When you and Daddy worked together to get you to that school in Texas, I thought that being a Guillory gave you the opportunity to go away and be anything you wanted to be.”  She continued, “I know that you’ll have to stay and work some of this stuff out, but I don’t think it’s a shackle.  I think it’s an opportunity for us to do all sorts of things.  Daddy believed in us, that’s why he left us the keys.” 

Charli shook her head.  “How did you get to be so smart?”

Chloe laughed, “I’m not smart.  I just wasn’t the first born like you were.  I got to sit back and watch everything that happened to you.  The baby of the family always gets it easier.  You got this.”

Charli corrected her, “WE got this.”

Chloe nodded in agreement.  “’We are all so much together’…” then she faltered.

A little smile flitted across Charli’s face.   “‘We are all so much together, but we are all dying of loneliness.’”  She gave her head a little shake.  “Alex suggested to me that the quote is about being together with people to push away the loneliness, not about being lonely.”

“Alex?  The guy from college?” asked Chloe.

Charli closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  “Yes.”

Chloe wrinkled her brow in thought.  “I can see that.”  She smiled.  “I think I like that explanation better.” She stared at her sister for a moment, then said, “He was standing in the back of the church today.”

“I thought I saw him,” Charli said with a sigh.

“You should go talk to him,” Chloe said rather pointedly.  “He drove all the way from Texas to see you.”

Charli rubbed her face.  “It’s complicated.”

“Still…”

“I know.” Charli conceded with a sigh.

 

Twenty minutes later, Charli was standing in the lobby of the Antoinette Inn, nervously rubbing her hands together, when she spotted Alex getting off the elevator.  She jammed her hands into her pockets and greeted him awkwardly, “Hi, Alex.”

“How are you doing Charli?” he said warmly.  “It’s good to see you.”

“All things considered, I’m doing okay,” she said with a sigh.  She looked up at him.  “I’m sorry I was a bitch earlier.”

Alex shrugged off her comment, “You weren’t.  You have a lot going on.  I understand.”  He shot her a little smile.  “You want to get something to eat?  There’s a diner next door that I wanted to check out.  I thought we could sit and talk there.”

Charli blinked a few times then said, “The jambalaya is good.  But save room for the beignets.”

 

After the waitress took their order and left them alone, Alex turned to Charli and said, “It was a privilege to be at your father’s funeral today.  It was a great service, and I thought the poem you read was really touching.”

Charli looked down and fidgeted with her napkin.  “Thank you for coming.  It meant a lot to me to see you there,” she said quietly.

“I’m glad I could honor your father.  I’m sorry that I never had the chance to meet him.”  He stared out the window of the diner.  “It’s the least I could do.”

“You didn’t come to Antionette because of him.  You came because of me; you followed me here.”

“That’s true,” he confessed.  He was quiet for a moment before he continued.  “The person that I love was hurting and I didn’t know what else to do but to be with her.”

Tears welled up in her eyes.  “I just can’t be with you right now.  I have to be here.  I have to take care of Chloe, I have to take care of my daddy’s estate, the company, everything.”

“I got that.  But that doesn’t change the fact that I love you.”  He took her hands in his and looked into her eyes.  “Wherever you are, and wherever I am, no matter how much time passes, I will always, always love you.”

A single tear dropped from Charli’s face and splashed onto their clasped hands.  “Alex, will this work?”

It only took a moment for Alex to push aside all the doubts, all the arguments, all the fear that he was feeling.  He lifted their hands and kissed the tear away.  “Yes, Charli, this will work.”

  

 

Chapter 40 – Talking Turkey

After they finished their meal, Charli and Alex made their way back to the hotel.  As she walked beside him, Charli asked, “How long are you going to be in town?”

Alex glanced down at Charli and sighed.  “I’m leaving on Friday.  I want to get ahead of the traffic, and finals are coming up, so…”

Charli nodded; her lips set in a tight line.  “We’re moving in different directions, Alex.  You’re going back to Texas, and I’m staying here in Antoinette.  You’re finishing school and I… I don’t see how I’m going to go back.”  She stared up into the night sky.  “I don’t know how this is going to work yet.”

“Are you saying that you want to call it quits?” he asked.

She looked at him sadly.  “Do you?”

“No,” he said quickly.  Alex took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  “I’m not saying that it won’t be challenging, but we’ll can take it one step at a time.”  He stopped and looked into her eyes.  “We’ve survived this far.”

“Survived?”  Charli shook her head and said softly to herself, “Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich starker.”  She noticed Alex’s puzzled expression and translated, “What does not kill me, makes me stronger.”

Alex pursed his lips in thought, then nodded slowly.  “Yeah, I can see that.  Do you think this is some kind of test?”

“I don’t know.  Maybe?”  She sighed and said, “One step at a time.”

“One step at a time,” Alex echoed.

They reached the front of the hotel and Charli turned to him and said, “Speaking of the next step, my next step is to go home and get ready for tomorrow.”

Alex raised an eyebrow.  “You have to get up early to make Thanksgiving dinner?”

She smiled and answered, “Yes, I do.”  Charli tilted her head and asked, “What are you doing tomorrow?  Would you like to celebrate Thanksgiving with me and Chloe and several hundred complete strangers?”

“What??” Alex laughed.

“We sponsor the annual citywide Thanksgiving dinner,” she explained.  “Daddy always said it was important for us to give back to the community.  Chloe and I are going to help.”

“That’s very cool.”  Alex smiled, “Count me in.  I’d love to help.”

“I’m going to warn you, it’s not glamorous.  We’ll be serving dinner to several hundred people.  They’re neighbors and friends.  People from town, people off the street, people passing through.  We serve, we share, it’s one day where we can give everyone something to be thankful for – What??” Charli was stopped by Alex’s stare.

He blinked a few times and said, “I forgot how passionate you can get about things.  I lov-”

She held up her hand to cut him off.  “Don’t say it, Alex.  Remember, one step at a time.”  She turned away to make her way to her car, then stopped and turned back to him.  “I’ll pick you up at seven in the morning.”

Alex nodded.  “I’ll be ready.”

 

True to her word, Charli drove up to the door of the hotel at seven o’clock.  The front passenger-side window rolled down and a young woman motioned him to the back seat with a grin.  “I’m Chloe.  I called shotgun.  You weren’t here.”

Alex smiled and climbed into the car.  He extended his hand, “I’m Alex.  Nice to meet you.”

Chloe shook his hand.  “Oh, YOU’RE Alex from college.  My sister has told me so much about you.  Oh wait, no she hasn’t.”

That’s when Charlie backhanded her sister on the arm.  She turned in her seat to make the introductions.  “Chloe, this is Alex Whitman, my friend from college.  I’ve told you about him, but don’t pry.  And Alex, this is Chloe, my nosy younger sister.”  She handed Alex a cup and a paper bag.  “Earl Grey and a blueberry muffin.”  She turned back around and put the car in gear.

“Mmm,” Alex closed his eyes as he sniffed the bag.  “I remember this.”

Chloe raised an eyebrow.  “Did my sister bake a lot for you?  -Ow!”

Charli returned her hand back to the steering wheel and shook her head.  “This is going to be a long morning.”

 

The work lived up to the promise.  The young trio were part of the second shift in charge of preparing the venue for the coming crowds.  They spent time setting up and wiping down tables and chairs.  Placemats that had been made by schoolchildren were set at the tables, and then it was time to ready the plates for the first guests.  Alex watched as the girls moved easily and efficiently, and he took a moment to ask Charli, “How long have you been doing this?”

She stopped setting out plates and stared off into the distance, deep in thought.  “We made placemats in elementary school, of course.  When I got to middle school, I helped serve desserts and refilled drinks.  In high school, we made and served plates.”  She shook her head and came back to the present.  “Our family has been sponsoring this for as long as I can remember.  It’s just a little way to give back to the community really.”

“It’s really nice that you do this,” he said.

Charli sighed.  “With all the resources at our disposal, I wish we could do more.”

“What else would you want to do?” he asked.

“Oh, I don’t know.  I have some ideas, but…”  Charli looked thoughtful as she moved around to the other side of the table to straighten a place setting.  Then she frowned.  “It’s just that Grand’Mere always wants to control things with such a heavy hand.  It’s like she wants to hammer down anything new that comes up.”

“She did seem a bit… tightly wound…,” he mused.  “Is she in charge now that your father has passed?”

“No, I am--”

Charli stopped suddenly.  Her eyes grew wide. 

“I’m in charge…”

 

 

 

Chapter 41 – A Fork in the Road

Charli darted out of the dining hall and found a quiet corridor.  She quickly pulled out her cellphone and made a call.  “Hello, Ms. Devereaux?  It’s Charli Guillory.  I hate to bother you on Thanksgiving, but I have a few questions.”

“Hello, Miss Guillory.  Happy Thanksgiving to you,” replied the lawyer.  “What can I do for you?”

“When you said that I was in charge, what does that mean exactly?” Charli asked.

“Well, to put it simply, you’re the boss.  You can do whatever you wish,” Deveraux answered.  “Your father made you the head of Guillory Enterprises, and since it is a privately owned company, you can make any decisions regarding the operations of the company.”

“I want to make some changes.”

“I can arrange for the business and financial advisors that your father retained to meet with you on Monday, and we can discuss whatever changes you have in mind,” offered Deveraux.

Charli smiled.  “That would be great.  I’m available all day, so let me know what time will work.”

“I’ll let you know…..Boss.”

 

After the dinner, Charli was sitting outside on the steps, staring off into the distance with her chin in her hand when Alex joined her.  He sat down next to her and asked, “What are you thinking about?”

She continued to gaze outward as she began to speak.  “Several things actually.  One, I’m in a position to make some meaningful changes in the lives of a lot of different people. It’s a little bit scary to know that I have that much power.”  She was quiet for a moment and then turned to look at him.  “Two, you’re going to leave tomorrow, and I’m not quite sure how to fit you into all of this, all the changes in my life.  I have to take care of my sister.  I have to take care of all the people who worked for my father.  I have to do this.”  Charli paused for a moment then said, “I know you said that we should take it one step at a time, and all this just seems way complicated right now.”  She sighed, stood up, and dusted off her hands.  “And three, we still have to clean up.”  She offered him a hand up and he took it.

He stood and pursed his lips.  “One, it looks like everyone is pitching in, so cleaning up will be easy.”  He took a deep breath.  “Two, I’m not going to stand in the way of anything you plan to do.  I will be there if you need me for any reason, but I will not get in your way because…” he put his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye, “three, you have some important things to do.”

Charli returned his gaze and nodded, “You’re a good guy, Alex.”

With a glint in his eye, he replied, “I’m a turtle, Charli, and you’re a butterfly.”

She smiled.  “Come by the house tomorrow for lunch after you check out of the hotel.  I can’t have you leaving Antionette on an empty stomach.”

“Well, there’s an offer I can’t refuse,” he said grinning.  “I’ll be there.”

 

The next day when Charli answered Alex’s knock, mouthwatering aromas danced out of the door to usher him into the house.  “I baked a few things for you to take back,” she said brightly.

His mouth began to water, and he asked, “Is there like a monthly muffin club that I can sign up for?”   He followed her into the kitchen where several racks of cookies were cooling.  “A bakery box subscription maybe?” 

Charli smiled.  “Something to consider.”  She had him sit at the table, then turned to the stove to grill some sandwiches.  “How long is the drive back?”

“It’s around eight hours or so.  I usually take a few breaks along the way.”

“Be safe,” she murmured.  “Good luck in school.”  She turned around to face him, changing the subject.  “I’m sorry that I won’t be there to work on the end of the year issue.”

Alex sighed, “We’ll miss you.  We’ll manage.  It will be mostly ads, but you’ll be missed.”

“Thanks for saying that.”  A small, tight smile crossed her face.  “You shouldn’t have any trouble finding someone to take my spot for the next semester though.”

“Well,” he gave a small cough, “it won’t be necessary.”

Surprised, she asked, “What do you mean?”

He took a deep breath and shook his head.  “There won’t be a next semester for the magazine.  We got shut down.  William found out right before Thanksgiving Break.”

Charli gasped, “I’m so sorry.”  She went over to Alex, gave him a hug and sat down at the table.  “I know it meant a lot to you.”

He nodded, then gave a rueful smile.  “We gave it a shot.  I just wish they would have given us more time to prove ourselves.”  He shrugged his shoulders.  “Well, there is one thing.  It will still look good on my resume.  And…”  he looked her in the eye, “I got to meet some really nice people.”

Charli clasped her hands over his.  “So did I, Alex…some of the best people.”

“That’s right, I AM your bestie,” he teased.

She smiled.  “Yes, you are.”  She gave him a quick kiss and got up to tend to the stove.  “I hope you don’t mind a grilled turkey sandwich.  After all, it IS the day after Thanksgiving.”

 

The lunch was delicious, the conversation, light.  Between bites of sandwich and slaw, Charli finally addressed the elephant in the room.  “I know I said that we were going in different directions, but I’ve been thinking about that.  I like to think that we’re not really going in different directions, but that we’re just taking different paths to get to the same place.”

Alex raised an eyebrow and asked quietly, “Where is that place, Charli?”

She took a deep breath, “It’s a place where we’re together, Alex.  I don’t know when exactly, or where, or how.  Back in Texas, when you said that I was the one you were waiting for, and it was like you had known me your whole life…I never told you, but I felt the same thing.”

He smiled.  “So, what happens next?”

“Well,” she brought out a box, “you’re going to take this box of muffins and go finish college.  I am going stay here, take care of my sister, and run my daddy’s companies.  Then, somewhere down the road, we’ll get together again.”

“That sounds like a good plan,” he said thoughtfully.

“I know, right?” she agreed, beaming.  “But there is one more thing I need to give to you.”  Charli turned away so that Alex wouldn’t see the tears in her eyes.  She went to one of the kitchen drawers, then returned a moment later.  “I want you to take this back with you.”  Clutched in her hand were two forks. 

Alex recognized the pattern from the set they had just used for lunch. “But these are matching,” he teased.

She sighed and tenderly looked down at the forks.  “One of these is for the carriage house.”  Then she looked up at him somberly and said, “The other one is for you.  Every time you use it, you’re going to be reminded that we’re just taking a fork in the road.  And…and now you’ll have a favorite fork.”

 

Chloe joined her sister at the door as she was watching Alex drive away.  “Are you going to be okay?”

Charli wiped the tears from her eyes, “You know what they say, ‘If you love someone, set them free…’”

Chloe wrinkled her brow and finished the quote, “…‘if they come back, it was meant to be.’  Who said that?”

Charli turned to her sister with a lopsided smile, “Sting?  Kahlil Gibran?  I have no idea.”  She took one last look down the road and said softly, “But we’re going to give it a try.”