Beautiful, Loved and Blessed

Courtship (Part One)

"So you're not going to speak to me this morning?"

 "You haven't spoken to me or returned my calls in six days and now you prance in my office acting like everything is fine?  I don't think so Ms. Devareaux."  She sternly said with a little sass in her voice.

 "Ms. Agnes, I thought we were better than that...girlfriend?!"  I said in an humorous tone.

 "So did I."  Unable to keep her stern demeanor she started laughing at me.  Then gave me a big smile.

 "Come over here and give me a hug with your spoiled behind." She said while opening up her arms to hug me.

 "I am so sorry for how I acted Ms. Agnes.  I really am."  I said with all sincerity while being held in her arms.

 I loved Ms. Agnes to pieces and I had to apologize to her for losing my temper the way I had.

 "Don't worry about it baby, I still love you.  I'm getting too old to hold grudges and you're too young to make enemies; don't ever forget that." 

 "Yes Ma'am, and I love you too."  I said smiling at her.

 Letting  me go and walking behind her office desk to take a seat in her chair, she motioned for me to have a seat as well.

 "So what's been going on with you?"

 "Nothing."  I said while looking at my nails with a conniving smirk on my face.

 "Nothing?  Girl, you look like you're about to burst at the seams!  What's gotten into you and why are you sitting over there all giddy?"

 "I wanted to ask you something.  When you started dating your second husband, being that he was a little older than you, were you a little apprehensive?"  I asked.

 With an unreadable look on her face she leaned forward in her chair and said, "Does this have anything to do with Mr. Nelson?"

 "Was Mr. Nelson your second husband?  Let's not get off topic Agnes."  I said with a chuckle.

 Pointing her finger with a scolding look on her face she responded, "That's Miss Agnes to you and don't come into my office buttering me up just to get sassy with me little girl!"

"Okay, okay...geesh." I said while putting my hands up to surrender.  "But seriously Ms. Agnes, were you apprehensive about dating your husband?"

 Squinting her eyes at me, she leaned back a little and exhaled.  "Yes, I was very apprehensive.  I had just divorced a terrible controlling husband who was slightly older than me and I thought every older man was the same way, but he proved me wrong."

 "How so?"

 "His name was Charles and he was very gentle and understanding with me. I was standoffish at first, but once we became friendly, he started courting me.  Took me out on the town; dinner, dancing, drive-in movies and just showed me a good time.  Then he would lavish me with small and sometimes big gifts, but the most important thing was that he treated me like I was the only woman in the world."  She said as if all of the memories she had was playing like a movie in her head.

 "Did you like being courted?"  I curiously asked.

 "Of course!  What woman doesn't? That's how you know if a man is worthy of your time...and your goods." She said with a wink.

 "But why not just be a man's girlfriend and get romanced along the way? Dating and courting just seems like a waste of time."

 "It's not a waste of time. You want a man to court you.  Young girls today just seem to be happy sitting in a man's living room watching T.V.  It's a whole world out there and any man who thinks you're worth anything, is going to show it to you the best way he can."