Birdman of Greenville Part 3

Birdman of Greenville PART 3

The Wind Beneath His Wings

Part 3 of 4

PREAMBLE RAMBLE: This has become my longest story by far. The novel I've been trying to write isn't even this long. As I stated at the beginning. I'm writing this for me, even though I still worry how it will be received. I have looked for cuts that might be needed to shorten the story. But, everything I've written so far leads to where the story needs to go.

The first part has been my highest rated story. I feel the pressure. This is like when I had my food business. I sold flavored mac and cheese. Every event I would freak out and worry if people would like it, even though in ten years I never received a complaint, only complements. I feel, if you stop worry about your customer, or the reader, you'll put out crap. I hope this isn't crap.

I hope you stuck with the story this far. I think you will really like the fourth part.

I appreciate the comments, positive and negative.

***oooOOOooo***

When he got to work on a breezy Sunday, he was greeted by Junebug, who had a big grin on his face when he said good morning. He didn't say anything else.

Alex walked to his station. Everyone got quiet. For five long minutes, no one said anything. "Okay, what's going on with everybody?"

They looked at each other. And all at once, "Alex has a girlfriend, Alex has a girlfriend!" They all broke out into a raucous laugh.

Alex rolled his eyes, "Jeez, it was only one date. That's all."

"Yeah, to the most expensive place in town," April said. "My husband never took me there."

"If I was him, I wouldn't take you there either." Causing her to throw a towel at him.

"So how was it? Did you have a good time? A REALLY good time?" Keisha asked, causing more laughter.

"I had a very nice time. We enjoyed ourselves. That's all I'm going to say."

Alice asked, "So you didn't get any? All that money and nothing? Come on, man!"

"A gentleman never tells," Alex said with a smirk. Nichelle was lucky she was off today. He would have some words with her. The rest of the day was uneventful except for occasional teasing. He found out Nichelle had posted pics of him and Deedee on Instagram. He got several compliments. April even said, "My mom is looking for a good man." Marvin even commented on the date.

Monday found him greeted by a grinning Marcella and Gladys. "Okay, let's get it out of the way. Let me hear it." He said as he stood waiting for the comments to come.

"What are you talking about, sweety?" Gladys said with a sly grin.

"Did something happen this weekend?" Marcella added with her heavy Spanish accent.

"Okay, fine, nothing happened, and there's nothing to talk about." He went to grab a sack of potatoes.

"No, no, we want to hear all about it!" Gladys yelled before he could take a step. He talked to them about the date while he put potatoes into the peeler. They were happy he had a good time.

Nichelle came in right before he left. "Hey, Mr. Alex." It was the first time they had seen each other since the date. "I hear you both had a good time Saturday."

"We did. I really enjoyed myself. Your mother is an amazing woman. She tell you we have a date for next Friday?" He asked.

"Yeah, she told me. Now I have to find a babysitter for Charnae." Sounding a little stressed.

"Do you have someone?" He asked

"No, I have to ask one of the neighbors. My mom always babysat for me."

"If you find someone, let me know. I'll pay for it. I don't want it to cost you money. If you can't find someone, I know some people who might do it." He saw the hesitant look she had. "They are my neighbors at the motel I stay at. I have an elderly couple on one side and a nice lady with three kids younger than Lil Bit on the other."

The rest of the week was uneventful, as things had settled down after Alex's big date. Alex had fixed some small things around the restaurant. Mr. Elwood would throw in a couple of extra dollars in his paycheck. The only drawback was Ellie. She would snap at him for the smallest things. She used passive-aggressive techniques to get under his skin. He tried to ignore her as much as he could.

He had decided to take Bob Johnson's offer for a part-time job. He went to talk to Ellie on Monday. "Excuse me, Ms. Ellie, do you have a minute?"

She looked up from the desk and huffed, "Yes, I can spare a minute."

"I wanted to know if I could work four days a week. I don't have a problem with working the weekends. If I can work Friday to Monday, and be off Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday?"

"Why are you ready to quit already. I honestly didn't think you would last this long." She said smugly.

"No, I wasn't thinking of quitting.' He was finally tired of her attitude. "For some reason, I still want to work here. Even though you treat me like shit every day. I don't know what I did for you not to like me, or even respect me. I've been nothing but nice to you. I work hard and never miss a day. Yet you treat me like crap. I'm not your ex-husband. All white men didn't do you wrong!" he said loudly. Butch and Junebug came into the kitchen area. Several people were standing by the doors from the serving area.

Her eyes widened at his remark. "What did you say?"

"I said, I'm not your ex-husband. So you either need to start treating me better or fire me. I've done nothing to you to be treated like you have been treating me." He told her harshly.

The veins in her neck bulged from anger. "Get out, get the hell out of here right now. I knew you wouldn't last. Men like you never do!" She screamed.

"What kind of men, white men?" He barked back.

Banging her first on the desk. "Yes, you're all alike. Just get out; I never want to see you again!" She pushed him out of the office and slammed the door.

Alex looked around and saw everyone looking at him wide-eyed. He saw Keisha, Alice, and Candy standing at the doorway. He shrugged his shoulders. "Tell everyone I said it was nice working with you all." He said sadly.

As he walked out the back door, he passed Butch and Junebug. "What the hell happened?" Junebug asked.

"I have no clue. I asked if I could work 4 days a week, and she went off on me. I'm just tired of taking her shit. Because her husband cheated on her, she must think all white men are bad."

"Damn, Alex, that's fucked up. So you quitting?" Butch asked.

"She fired me. I still wanted to work here. I have a part-time gig in my old profession. The guy is letting me work part-time, which is unheard of in marketing. I wanted to keep working here. I like it, except you two knuckleheads. It is what it is." They talked a little more before he left for home.

He was sitting out front talking to Ms. Agnes and Mr. Herman when his phone rang. Ms. Agnes was getting on him about Mr Herman now smoking "those fancy cigars" now. He looked, he didn't know the number, but it was a Memphis area code. "Hello."

"Mr. Alex, what happened? They said you quit." It was Nichelle, and she didn't sound happy. He figured she got his number from her mother.

"No, I was fired by Ellie. You know how she talks to me. I asked to work only four days, and she started yelling at me. I asked her if it's really because I'm white and reminded her of her husband. She really lost it then and pushed me out of the office." He explained.

"Man, that's whack. Keisha called right after you left. I had to wait until my mom got home to get your number. Why did you want to work 4 days?"

"I have a job offer in my old field. They are letting me work part-time. I wasn't trying to quit Elwood's. She didn't give me a chance to tell her that." He told her.

"That sucks. It's not going to be the same without you." She said sadly.

"I'm going to miss you guys too. I'll be stopping by for some barbecue sometime." They talked a little more. Nichelle had found someone to babysit for her. He Cashapp'd her the money to pay for it.

That night for the first time in more than a month, he didn't set his alarm clock for 5 AM.

***oooOOOooo***

Tuesday found him eating breakfast at Brother Junipers out on Walker Ave. He was halfway through his cheesy eggs and grits when his phone rang. It was Elwood's. He almost didn't answer. "Hello."

"Where the heck are you, boy?" Mr. Elwood bellowed into the phone.

"I'm eating breakfast, sir." He answered.

"Why ain't ya at work?" He spat into the phone.

"They didn't tell you, Ellie fired me yesterday. So that's why I'm not there. I thought she would have told you."

"Gosh dang it.' That's the closest he ever comes to actually cursing. "That girl will be the death of me. What happened, Alex? Something set her off?" He asked.

"Well, sir, I asked if I could only work four days a week. I got a part-time job, but I don't want to quit working for you. She didn't give me a chance to explain. She said something like, men like you never last. I think she was comparing me to her husband. She pushed me out the door and slammed it. Wasn't anything else to do but leave, So I did."

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph, that girl.' He didn't finish his thought. The phone was quiet for a minute. 'I wondered why everyone was pussy footing around this morning. I know you're probably tee'd off with her. But if she apologizes will you come back? You're a good worker and you saved me a lot of money fixing things around here."

Alex thought for a minute. He really did like working there. He knew it would never be a lifetime career. But over the last several months the people there have helped him heal. He didn't know what kind of work place Johnson Advertising would be. Letting out a breath. "I like it there sir. Even with all the crap Ellie gives me. You know the way she fired me leaves you ripe for a lawsuit, don't you?' he could hear Mr. Elwood begin to sputter. "Don't worry, I would never do that to you, sir. But, if I come back I need a raise and a promotion." He finished

"Raise and a promotion? What are you trying to pull Alex? I know you got me over a barrel with all Ellie did."

"Wait, hear me out. I want a 10 cent raise to start with."

Taken aback at his demand. "10 cent, I can do that. The promotion though. This ain't some fancy business. Ellie and Keisha run the place mostly. As much as I think about firing Ellie, she's still family. And I can't get rid of Keisha." He explained.

"No, I would never think of you firing someone. I want a new position. I want to be your Head of Marketing."

"Head of Marketing? What are you talking about Alex? You want to change the place, make like every other place in town?"

"No, no, I would never think of doing that. One thing you learn in marketing is, if it works, you don't change it, you promote it. You let everyone know about it. Instead of talking about this over the phone. How about I stop in in a couple of minutes. I'm at BJ's (as it's commonly called in Memphis by the locals.) now." He hung up, paid the bill for his half eaten and now cold breakfast and headed to Elwood's.

He arrived twenty minutes later and walked into the front of the restaurant, and sat in a corner booth. He hadn't done that since he got hired. He was immediately greeted by the ladies up front. News of him being fired as spread faster then the COVID outbreak. He asked Jamella to tell Mr. Elwood he was here.

When he came out the from the back, "Why didn't you come in the back like usual?" He asked in greeting.

"I didn't want to cause any confusion." He responded.

"Pe'shaw boy, wouldn't be no problem. Now what's this you talking about Director of Marketing. With his heavy Memphis accent it, it came out, Dahrector of Mauketing. They walked back to a corner of the restaurant.

"First, I want you to know I'm not looking to change anything. You have a great business here. It's a big achievement you have accomplished. Not many people can say they built a business this successful." He started.

"Stop Alex, my back hurts from you patting it so hard. I'm old, you need to get to the point."

"Okay, Mr. Elwood. Like I said, you have a great business now. What about tomorrow, or next year, or the next decade.' He saw the look he gave him and before he could interject. "Ellie will one day be in charge. I hope none to soon mind you, but she will. You have a lot of people who depend on this place to stay running. Things change, nothing stays the same. Sure, people will always love barbecue. But what changes is where they go to get it."

"I get it, things change, but what does that have to do with me?" He wondered.

"Let me ask you, and I want an honest answer. "Do you care if there is an Elwood's fifty years from now?"

"Heck, boy, I won't be here in ten years, let alone fifty." He laughed.

"I'm talking the restaurant. I pray you would be here another fifty years. The world would be a better place. But look around. You have five legacies you have given the world. Your four daughters and this place, Elwood's BBQ. So, I'm going to ask again, do you care if there is an Elwood's fifty years from now?"

Mr. Elwood rubbed his stubbled chin. "I never given it any thought to be honest. Things are going good. I never thought it would change."

"So did the people in charge of Kodak, Aqua Velva, and buggy whips. They were on top of the world, until they weren't. They didn't keep up with the way things are changing. You have it easier then they did. You only need to do one thing, advertise. And now-a-days it doesn't cost an arm and a leg."

He could see Mr. Elwood taking in what he was saying. He let it soak in. Finally, "what are you talking. What kind of advertising are you talking about. Billboards, newspaper? I had people come by before trying to sell me on it. I'm not paying thousands of dollars for something that might bring people in."

"Well, it's gonna cost you something. No getting around that. How about this. We can do this several ways. You got a lot of young kids working for you. They all have Instagram, TikTok and all those other social media apps. Have them post pictures of the restaurant and food. For any post that get 1000 likes you give them $50. For every 2000 likes after that, its an extra $10."

"What the heck you talking about, Likes, what is that?"

Alex laughed to himself. "A like is when someone see's something online and they like it. They have to hit a heart or thumbs up button. Some accounts get hundreds of thousands of likes. Let's say Jamella or Lucy post something. It gets 1000 likes. That means 1000 people liked it enough to hit the button. Studies have shown that for every like, five more people have seen the post." He pulled out his phone and showed him his Facebook page. He didn't use it much, and since he left, hardly at all. He brought up some local restaurants so he could see their pages.

After nearly an hour he told him about another idea he had. "This cities is on the most visited cities in the country. Where do tourist stay, in hotels. Where do tourist get recommendations, hotel staff. Imagine someone walking into the Marriott Downtown. As they are checking in, the desk clerk ask where they are going to eat. They may say the Interstate, or Charlie Vergoes or where ever.' Alex leaned in to emphasis the point, He was in full sales mode now. 'Think about the effect it would have if the desk clerk, Oh no, If you want real Memphis barbecue you need to go to Elwood's. It's where all the locals go and its not a tourist trap. The clerk doesn't give them a card for Elwood's. They write their name on the back of a hotel business card and tell them to mention them at the door. This way, its not so obvious they are getting paid to do it. Now, for every person that comes in with a hotel card, that person gets $20 or whatever you feel comfortable paying them.

If you could get one desk clerk from half the hotels in the city to give 10 cards out a week and 2 out of 10 show up, wouldn't that increase business greatly?" He sat back and let Mr. Elwood think about it. He could see the wheels turning. "50 hotels, that's another 100 meals a week? Maybe 175. For argument sake, lets say 100 meals a week. At an average ticket price of $25. $2500. But that's wrong. How many tourist, travel solo. So double that. That's 200 meals. Throw in the odd group. So we're back to 275, we're talking nearly $7000 extra a week for doing nothing, except having great food and solid reputation. Sure it cost you $2000 in referrals. Instead of money they exchange it for free meals. Are you with me so far?"

"I hear what you're saying. It all sounds good. I don't know. It sounds like a lot of work. Ellie and Keisha have a lot on their plate already, and I dang sure don't know anything about likes and Facetime."

"You can have Carla do it. You know she's going to be going to college for business administration this coming school year. If she can't do it, I'm pretty sure Alice or Candy could. All it is is keeping track of the returned business cards. You could pay it out weekly or monthly."

"Well, if you're going to be the Director of Marketing what will you be doing?" He considered, leaning back on his chair.

Alex leaned back in his chair. "I'll set it up and get it running. I can show the girls how and what to do. Isn't that worth an extra 10 cents an hour?" He said grinning. "I'm surprised Ellie hasn't talked to you about any of this." He added.

"She talked something about... whadda call them, influencers or something or other. Wanted me to pay for people to eat and post a video online. She couldn't guarantee results so I didn't bother."

"I don't want you think I can guarantee results either. No one can. But, what I'm doing is reducing the risk. No upfront money. Money paid out on result only. What's the worst that could happen? The customers don't come in from the referrals? Or you have to pay a desk clerk $20 for a customer that only paid $10? We both know that won't happen. You don't have to make a decision right now. Think on it."

"Okay, I'll think about it. So when are you coming back to work?"

"I can com back Saturday... Oh ho, here comes Ellie. You want to have some fun?" He asked. Looking over Mr. Elwood's shoulder.

"What are you going to do?"

"Pretend like we're arguing. Follow my lead." Alex insisted.

As Ellie got closer, Alex raised his voice. "I'm telling Mr. Elwood, I Have a pretty good case. I've talked to a lawyer already."

Mr. Elwood was old, but he was still quick minded. "You know I can't afford a lawsuit Alex. How can we resolve this without involving lawyers."

"What is he doing he? I fired him, he shouldn't be here!" She said angrily.

Ignoring Ellie, Alex looked at Mr. Elwood, "Well sir, the first thing I need is an apology."

"Boy, you know I'm sorry for all of this." He said trying to hold in a laugh.

"No, not from you, from her." He said as he pointed at Ellie.

"An apology for what? For firing you? This is an at will state. I don't need a reason to fire you."

"Oh, Ms Ellie, you do when you fire me for being white. That's called discrimination. The EEOC would think very differently about this. And lets not forget the Civil Rights Act of 1964. I asked you if it's because I'm white like your husband and you said yes, to quote you, 'you're all alike'. I want an apology."

They could see the steam coming out of her ears. "Ellie, you need to apologies to this man. He has me over a barrel because of you. I could lose everything." He faked pleaded.

"I'm not apologizing to him!"

"So, you're willing to let your father lose everything he's worked for? All because of something a man did to you years ago? You know what Mr. Elwood, instead of an apology I want 5 minutes alone with Ms Ellie."

"Hold on now, I'm all for having fun, but I can't let you hurt her." Mr. Elwood said.

"No, I would never do that. I just want to talk. five minutes, if she doesn't like what I have to say. You, and most importantly, she will never see me again. five minutes Ellie? Can you handle that or are you scared?" He prodded.

"Five minutes and I'll never have to see you again?'

"And I won't sue your father for unfair termination. Since that's the most important thing, right?"

"Five minutes, I'm keeping track." She responded as she started to sit down.

"No, out back. It's to crowded in here." He saw the look on Mr. Elwood's face. "Don't worry. I'm only talking, plus Butch and Junebug are back there, if she attacks me." He laughed.

They walked through the restaurant and kitchen area. People could feel the tension between the two. They went out to the picnic table set out for people to take their breaks.

She looked at her watch. "Okay, you have five minutes."

"Are you always such a bitch?" He challenged. She looked at him with surprise.

"What did you call me?" She barked. He saw Butch peek around the corner.

"I asked you, if you were always such a bitch? It's not a difficult question. Either you are or your not."

"I'm not going to sit her and be insulted."She rose to get up.

"So, you're willing to let your father lose his restaurant because you're not only a bitch but a sensitive bitch? Fine. I can really do a lot with this place. Maybe even franchise it. I can see it now. Elwood's all over the country." He saw her hesitate.

She sat down with a humph, "I'm not a bitch."

"Then, besides being a white man, what have I done for you to treat me like you have? I'm not the enemy, Ellie." She sat silently. He could see her fist balled in anger. "I know some of what happened with you and your husband. I know what you're going through. I walked in on my wife cheating on me.' She looked up in surprise. 'I know what it's like to be betrayed."

"You caught her, like walked in and caught her in the act?" Alex nodded.

"Yep, that's why I ended up here. I left. Walked out from my job and just started driving. So, if anyone understands what you went through it's me." He stated.

"I didn't know." She choked out.

"Because you never gave me a chance. You saw a white man around the same age as your husband. You didn't know anything about me and assumed the worse. You probably thought I was the cheater and my wife threw me out. As a Black woman in this country you should know how bad it is to lump everyone into one pile. To be prejudged. It's even worse when you're a business owner. I could have sued for what you did.' He held up his to stop her interjection. 'But, I'm not an asshole. I like your father and the people I worked with to much." He stopped to gauge her reaction to everything he said.

"I think my time is up. Do you want to start over, or do I walk away and you never see me again? I don't know if we'll ever be friends. I haven't got the chance to know you enough to be a friend like the other people here. I don't know if you'll ever like me. But can we work together? I'm willing to try if you are."

She looked at him incredulously. "You still want to work here? Why? You could be making a lot more money somewhere else."

He shook his head. "I learned something on my way here. There's a lot more to life besides money. Even with your crappy attitude I still liked working here. It's a lot better than the last place I worked at. Sure I was making five times what you're paying me. This is less stress, even with all the food I eat, I'm getting more exercise than ever before. And I like my coworkers." He explained.

"Then why did you want to only work four days a week?" She asked.

"Well, before you rudely fired me, I was going to explain to you that I got a part-time job in my old field. I met a guy at one of the cigar lounges I go to and he offered me a job. I've been putting him off for a while. He finally told me I could work part-time until I felt comfortable about getting back on the bicycle. It's a stressful field Everyone wants you to work miracles. So it's only three days a week."

"What were you and my Dad talking about, coming back?"

Alex waved away some smoke that had drifted their way. "Me coming back to work. I guess you didn't tell him I was fired. He called asking where I was. So I came in to discuss my terms."

Ellie face made a deep frown. "Terms, what kind of terms?"

Alex smiled. "A raise and promotion."

She yelped, A raise AND a promotion?" He got the desired effect.

Alex's grin got even bigger. "Yep, a 10 cent raise and I'm now the Director of Marketing."

"What the hell does that mean, Director of Marketing? Marketing what?" She strongly questioned.

"Elwood's of course." he went on to explain what he talked to Mr. Elwood about before she came in. Half way through she went and got Keisha. Ellie was put off at first. She said she approached her father about doing social media advertising. He explained why he got further with him than she did. Keisha was excited about it, especially the chance for crew to get paid for posting pics. Ellie and Keisha both agreed Alice would be the perfect person to handle it.

"Okay, your father didn't say he was for it 100%. But, he didn't say he was against it. I think if all three of us approached him he would go for it. Before we do that, lets make sure we have the right numbers and our plan down 100%" They made an agreement to meet again. Keisha would talk to Alice about it.

As they were walking back into the restaurant, Alex pulled Ellie back. "Ellie, there's one more thing that need to be done." He didn't say any thing else. They stood looking at each other. Ellie not understanding what he needed. Alex saw the light bulb go off.

"Oh yeah, "I apologize for firing you because your White. Next time it will be because you're an asshole." She smiled.

"Was that an actual joke and a smile. Be careful, your face might crack." She punched him in the arm. He let her know he would be in on Saturday.

***oooOOOooo***

The next day he went and purchased two new suits and two sports coats, as well as some dress pants. He and DeeDee talked every other day. He had to assure her he was still okay to take her out Friday. He was going to start with Johnson Marketing the following week.

He had just returned from taking Dolly to the market, and was sitting out front with Herman and Agnes. It was a nice warm day with a slight breeze blowing. They were sitting talking about nothing in particular. He told them about the part-time job he had gotten. "Jesus, you got two jobs and some of these bums can't get one." Herman said as he took a pull of the budget cigar Alex had given him. As much as he liked Herman, he wasn't going to give him an $18 Ashton Maduro, so he brought a twenty-five pack of Camacho surplus. They looked fancy because of the large red bands. And they had a decent smoke.

Dolly chimed in, "I love to work. It's just so hard getting the kids to daycare on the bus and then to work. And an Uber cost to much to that everyday. I have vouchers for the kids to be in daycare so it doesn't cost me anything. I just can't get them there."

Alex asked her, "What kind of work do you do, Dolly?"

"I worked at a nursing home until I had Destiny. I'm a licensed CNA. I worked at a couple of fast food places before that." She explained.

"You have your license?"

"Yeah, just no car. I had one but it broke down and cost to much to fix." She told him.

Herman asked, "Did you keep up on the maintenance? I know a lot of you young ladies never get a regular oil change."

She looked at him for a minute. "How often do you have to get the oil changed? I thought you just put more in when it needed it."

Alex and Herman groaned. "No sweetheart, you have to do it every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. Depending on what kind of car you have.

"Oh, the mechanic said something like that." The men just shook their head.

***oooOOOooo***

The date he had with DeeDee was wonderful. This time they went bowling and had some food from the little cafe. Nothing fancy, nachos, hot dogs, and fries. They both had a beer. They were sitting between games as they ate.

"So, what are you going to do. Move back home and try to work it out, and stayed married? Get a divorce or just keep things the way they are?" DeeDee asked.

Alex put down his hot dog. "Well, I haven't given it much thought. I mean this is only our second date. Isn't it soon to think about marriage."

DeeDee gasped, "What, no, I'm not talking about it like that. I was just wondering is all. I know men who have been married for years and haven't been with their wife in just as long. I was wondering if you were one of those guys."

"I honestly haven't given it any thought. I don't think about Tracy like that, any longer. No, that's a lie. Every once and I while I wonder what she's doing or worse, who's she's doing it with. But then I realize I'm being a hypocrite. I left so she can do what she wants. I think about the kids. But we haven't had the kind of relationship were we would call to check up each other in a long time. I know I have to do something eventually. Maybe a third date might motivate me to get a divorce." he said as he wiggled his eyebrows up and down. Causing DeeDee to laugh.

"I must be losing my touch. I thought that dress last week would have been enough."

"Oh, you still have the touch and a whole lot more." he knew she wasn't thinking about marriage. "Do you feel uncomfortable dating a married man? I understand if you do."

"Well, your not the first married man I've dated. But, you are the first that I knew was married. Considering your circumstances, I don't mind. But, until you decide on what you're going to do, it's only dating. You can't be in two relationships at the same time. I'm not going to be the side chick. No matter how far away your wife is." She pointed out.

"That's one of the reasons I like you DeeDee. Besides those beautiful eyes I could fall into. At dinner the first time, you questioned me about my relationship with Chelle. I respected that. I hadn't thought about dating at all until Chelle ambushed us.

"I've lived more these last two months than I had in years back home, well in Greenville. I have friends I sit and talk to at home. I like where I work and as well as the people, even the customers. And to top it off, I'm sitting with the prettiest lady in the whole southeast." He smiled.

"Oh, so I graduated from being the prettiest in Memphis to the whole southeast, huh?" She smiled and batted her eyes.

"Don't get a big head, there's the rest of the country you have to beat." They talked and bowled and had a great time. She invited him to dinner Wednesday. Saying she wanted to find out how his first day went.

***oooOOOooo***

The weekend at Elwood's was busy as usual. They didn't get much time to talk about their new project. Only in brief snippets. Alice said there should be a way to combine likes with shares. Each share should count as two likes, since more people would be seeing the post. Ellie and Keisha had things to offer. While all of this was going on, he had something in the back of his mind percolating. On his down time, he googled the information he needed.

He went to work Tuesday at Johnson Marketing. He was led to Human Resources, and filed out the needed paperwork. After that was done they took him on a tour of the offices. It was a little larger than his old firm with 60 employees. There were 5 sales people, 8 in administration, 40 in creative and the rest writers. After the tour, and being introduced to everyone it was nearly lunch time. Bob wanted to take out to lunch along with Walter Wiggins, Head of Creative, and Mike Jacobs, Lead Writer.

He took them to McEwen's that was a few blocks from the office. The staff seemed to know all three gentlemen. Walter mentioned they ate there often with clients. Once they sat down and had their orders taken. "I talked to a couple of people at your old firm. Don't worry, I told them you declined my offer. I figured if you wanted them to know, you would tell them yourself." Alex nodded at that. "They mention that your a Swiss Army Knife, able to do pretty much anything. Is that right?"

"Pretty much. I learned almost everything there is to do in the business. I was in sales when I left."

Bob Started. "They know why you left and why you're only working part-time. It works out for what we want to do. We don't want to put a lot resources into without proof of concept."

"Okay, sounds... intriguing so far. What kind of project are we talking about?" The waitress brought their drinks before anyone could continue.

Bob took a sip of his beer. "We want to get into micro adverts. Those ten/fifteen second ads you see online and on games. I know more agencies are getting into it. So far, no one local is doing it. I know your agency was doing it as well as another agency in your old city. I want to see what kind of interest we have in the city for that. Do you think you could do that?"

Alex took a drink of his mocktail. He didn't want to give the wrong impression in their first meeting. Bob knew he drank, as they had scotch at the lounge. At the lounge and at work, especially your first day, are two vastly different things. "Sure, I can definitely do it. Is there any particular industry you want to focus on?"

"I'll let you decide. I'll have Walter sit down with you to go over our client base. See what we can expand on. Linda Marks, our Sales Manager is in Pine Bluff today. You can meet with her tomorrow. That will give you our sales structure. Of course, it will be different with these ads. That's something you and her will have to decide on the rates. This week you can get to know everyone and how we work, agreed?"

"Sounds like a plan." Alex agreed. They talked through lunch. Walter had been with the agency for twenty-seven years. Mike twelve years. They talked about their experiences dealing with customers and some of the wild demands they had. When Alex told them he was now the Director of Marketing at Elwood's they had a laugh when he explain what it entailed.

They hit briefly on his exodus from Greenville and the reason behind it. Bob was single after two failed marriages. Walter was Divorced and Mike married and in his words, holding on by a thread. People didn't realize the hours you had to put in and the stress it caused. That he was married as long as he was, was a minor miracle. Maybe the marriage hadn't been happy for as long as her thought.

The rest of the day was spent with Mike. There wasn't a lot that they did differently from his old agency. He noticed there was a good mix between people who had been there for a long time and some new people.

When he left for the day, he sent DeeDee a text asking if he needed to bring anything. She told him no. He stopped and brought flowers for her as a surprise.

By now, people were used to seeing the red Mustang convertible in front of Ms. DeeDee's house. He got out of the car in a new suit and flowers, the kids came running again and asking questions. "Are you going to Marry Ms. DeeDee?" One little girl asked. He laughed and shook his head.

He knocked the door was open almost immediately. "Hey Mr. Alex." Charnae yelled as she held her arms out.

"Hey Lil Bit." He returned, carrying the little girl into the living room. "I'll get mom mom." And she ran off into the kitchen. She yelled from the kitchen for him to have a seat, and dinner should be done soon.

A couple of minutes later, Chelle came in. "Hey, Mr. Alex." She said carrying Charnae.

"Hey, I feel bad, I could have picked you after work." He said.

"It's okay, how was your first day?" She asked.

"It was good." He told her. Dinner was ready in twenty minutes. Chelle had showered and changed. He talked about his day, how he met all his coworkers, and what they had planned for him.

"What's this I hear about you getting a raise and promotion at work?" Chelle asked him.

He laughed, "News travels fast. Hey, what can I say. I'm a good worker."

"That's not right. I had to wait a whole year to get a raise. And how you get a promotion over anyone else?" She huffed.

"Calm down Chelle, it was only 10 cents an hour. I've spent more than that on parts fixing things around the restaurant. As far as the promotion goes, its a joke between Mr. Elwood and me. I'm the new Director of Marketing." He announced with a smile.

"What marketing? You know Mr. Elwood holds on to a nickle like their going to stop making them."

"I figured as much, that why I came up with something that he won't have to pay for unless it shows results. We're pushing something to help the crew make money also."

"We? Who's we?" Chelle inquired.

"Ellie, Keisha, Alice, and me."

"Ellie, oh, I guess your friends now, huh?" She asked not sounding happy at the prospect for some reason.

"Friends, hardly. We had a nice talk Tuesday and came to a cease fire. That's the best way to call it. I don't think we'll ever be friends."

"Why do you want to keep working there? You're probably making more on those 3 days then the 5 you were working at Elwood's." DeeDee asked.

"Someone said, Don't trade away your happiness now to earn money in hopes that if you make enough you'll be able to buy it back later. You can't. That's what I was doing. I was working and not living. I was unhappy and unappreciated. I know I'll never be rich working at Elwood's. Heck, I might not even be able to pay my bills. But I like it. For now it suits me. I even like working with you." he said, pointing to Chelle.

DeeDee asked, "What would you have done if you didn't get this new job? You can't stay at the Starlight forever."

"I have some savings and investments. I'll be good for a while. As long as I don't have to take you to those fancy restaurants all the time."

"I told you we didn't have to go there. I would have been just as happy to go to Second Line or the Green Beetle. Now I feel bad."

"Delores, I didn't have to sell blood to take you there. I'm not independently wealth, but I am comfortable for the foreseeable future. So, please don't feel bad. Look at the money I'm saving by eating at work and here. For meals like this, I'll take you wherever you want to go." He declared.

"Oh, just because I'm a good cook?" She probed.

Alex grinned. "Well, you are the prettiest lady on the east coast."

"Oh God, I think I'm going to be sick. You two need to cut it out." Entreated Chelle.

"Don't worry, after we get married you can still call me Alex." He laughed.

"You're going to marry my Mom Mom? Will you be my Pop Pop?" Charnae asked excitedly.

Chelle gave him the evil eye. "See what you started. No baby, their just joking."

"Why can't Mr. Alex be my Pop Pop, I like him. He takes Mom Mom on dates." She pouted. Now he was getting the evil eye from both women.

"I can't be your Pop Pop unless me and your Mom Mon get married. We're just dating now. If I'm nice to her, maybe she will marry me one day. Is that okay for now?" He pleaded his case.

She thought about it for a minute. She had that little girl thinking face. "Okay, but you better be nice to my Mom Mom so you can get married." She said as forcibly as a five year old could. With her now placated they finished dinner. Alex offered to clean the dishes. DeeDee helped him while Chelle gave her daughter a bath.

"Two dates and we're getting married?" Sounding a tad perturbed.

Alex looked at her out the side of his eye. "Well, if we count the dinners I've eaten here, that would be four dates. I don't usually kiss until the third date. So I'm one date behind." He looked at her grinning.

"I don't want you to fall behind." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

"Oh, I'm all tingling now. Makes me want to rush out and buy an engagement ring."

"Not until you get a divorce, Mister." She scolded him. Slapping him with the dish towel.

"Since we talked about that, I've been thinking about it. There's no need to put off the enviable. I'm going to contact a lawyer sometime this week or early next. Might as well get it over with." He offered.

"I hope you're doing it for yourself, and not what could be with us. You're cute and all, I haven't been in a serious relationship for nearly ten years. You were my first date in three years. Don't get a big head, You just looked pitiful, so I had no choice but to say yes." She said with a grin. He bumped with his hip.

"And I thought it was my charming personality, and dashing good looks. But, no, I'm doing it because it needs to be done. There's no need to put it off." He explained.

"How do you think, what's her name, Tracy? How will she take it?"

"Doesn't matter, she knows she's the one in the wrong. It's all on her. The deer is already wounded, I'm just putting it out of its pain." They talked a little more after finishing the dishes. He was rewarded with a quick kiss on the lips.

The next two days at Johnson Marketing was spent with Mike Jacobs and Linda Marks learning more about the company. It gave him an outline and some idea's of what he needed to do.

Thursday evening he called Tracy. They hadn't talked for several weeks. "Yeah." She answered curtly. It caught him off guard.

"Um, Tracy, I'm not going beat around the bush. I'm going to file for divorce. I'm filing under no fault, irreconcilable differences. We have to be separated for another month before it would go forward. Maybe we can sit down and go over what needs to be done to move forward."

She hadn't said anything while he was talking. "If that's what you want, Alex. Let me know when you're back in town." She said dispassionately. Like she was finally resigned it would end this way.

"Okay, I have to get some time off from my job. I usually work weekends. It might be a couple of weeks. I'll text you okay?"

"Sure, Alex, I'm sorry and I did love you." She hung up before he could say anything. He looked at his phone. Like it would change the conversation he just had. Sitting on the bed in his room. He thought about how he got to this point in his life. A year ago, he would have fought you if you said Tracy was cheating. He would have laughed at the thought of them getting divorced. Here he was, 700 miles from home. Living in a motel and working at a BBQ restaurant. Life, what the fuck, he thought.

***oooOOOooo***

Going into Elwood's that Friday felt good. He was welcomed back with open arms. He let people know that he and Ellie talked it out and that he apologized. Being a manger, owner, he didn't want people to think less of her. While they were all working they floated some idea's about the social media advertising they were thinking about. They all had idea's, some were even good ones. Alice was working that day, and Alex had her take down idea's as people presented them.

On the way home, he realized how much of a difference working at Elwood's and at Johnson's was. One was physically tiring and the other mentally. He sat outside talking with Dolly for a while, since the kids were sleep. He had brought her and the kids, as Agnes and Herman some food home. At ten he headed in for bed.

Saturday morning he was up early to make a couple of stops before work. Saturday was the second busiest day, so there wasn't a chance to talk about their project. They all decided to get together Monday before lunch to finalize the plan to be able to present it to Mr. Elwood.

Sunday was busy as usual. He told Chelle that he would give her a ride home and tell her mother not to cook anything. On the way to Chelle's, he stopped home, he quickly showered and changed. Chelle knew were he lived but had never been there before. She waited outside for him. He came out wearing some khaki pants and a button up shirt.

As he drove to her home, "Your neighbors are very nice."

"They are, I sit outside talking to them when I'm not working. Everybody watches out for each other there. I like it, but I know I'm going to have to move eventually."

"You sound a little sad about that. You don't want to move? I figure you be a nice house by now." Chelle Insinuated.

"I guess I am, I'm going to miss most of the people there. They became friends." Realizing that for the first time in years, besides coworkers, he had some true friends.

They got to Chelle's house and she ran in to get changed. As usual she was greeted by Charnae at the door. Carrying her into the living room, he found DeeDee sitting on the sofa. "So, what's the special occasion?" She asked in greeting.

"Well, you have cooked for me twice. And I thought I would take the prettiest lady east of the Mississippi and her family out to dinner."

"East of the Mississippi, really, are you sure you're not a car salesman?' She chuckled.

Charnae pipped in as only kids can, "You think my Mom Mom is pretty?"

"No, I think she's beautiful. Don't you, Lil Bit?' He returned, tickling the girl in the ribs.

A few minutes later Chelle came back down the stairs. Charnae ran to her. "Mr. Alex thinks Mom Mom is beautiful!" Chelle laughed and shook her head.

He took them to Jasper's. He had checked out their dinner menu so there would something for Charnae to eat without being to fancy. They had a nice time while they were there. Alex was even compliments ion having such a beautiful family. Which causes chuckles from each of them, except Charnae.

***oooOOOooo***

Ellie, Keisha, and Alice had decided Monday before lunch would be the best time for them to present their updated plan to Mr. Elwood. They had advanced Alex's plan to include having shares count as 2 likes. For every thousand they would pay $30 and $10 for each thousand after that. It would be paid along with their paychecks. Desk Clerks and hotel staff would receive $20 for each referral that came in and the guest would receive a 10% discount if they turned in the card or mentioned the persons name. For every 50 customers the referral partner would receive an additional $50. That would be paid out at the end of the month. Ellie had made up a two sided pamphlet that they would place in travel centers surrounding the city. She had already priced it out. One thing they were insisted on was not paying influencers for reviews.

When they sat down with Mr. Elwood, they had decided to have Alex outline the plan. Keisha and Alice convinced him they could handle the new business and take care of keeping up with the referrals. They had found TikTok and Instagram post, as well as Google reviews about other local restaurants and showed him the comment section.

Ellie had provided the numbers he needed to prove his concepts. She finished by showing him the cost of the program and its projected returns. Throughout the talk he had questions which they could easily answer. By the time they were done, he surprisingly gave them the okay to start.

Alex looked at him as everyone walked away. "You were going to do it anyway, weren't you?"

"Sure thing, I just wanted you to work for that extra 10 cents I'm paying you." He said with a laugh.

He caught up with Ellie to ask if he could have a couple of days off. He explained he needed to go back to Greenville to start divorce proceedings. Either a Sunday and Monday or Friday and Saturday. She agreed, saying she would to talk to some people to fill the shifts.

Before the meeting, he had caught up with Marcella and Gladys who was glad to see him back. When he got home, he looked for Andre. He was twenty-one and out of work. Well, he worked mostly part-time when he could find it. Alex would have recommend him to Elwood's but didn't want to take the risk. He didn't believe he was 100% reliable. He found him at his usual spot, sitting on the steps on the side of the motel. "Hey, Andre, do you have a drivers license?"

"Yeah, I got one." He quickly responded.

"Do you have a valid drivers license?" He asked with a smirk.

"Come on man, I wouldn't do you like that. You need to be a get-away driver? Who we robbing?" He asked smartly.

"I thought you were smarter than that. Who would rob someone when driving a bright red Mustang convertible with North Carolina tags? I might as well put a sign up. I need you to pick up a car and follow me. I'll throw something your way."

Jumping up from the steps, "sounds like a plan Stan." On the way, they talked about things, life in general. Andre had left home because his mom was drinking and his pops was in jail. He hadn't talked to her in more than a year. He had some older siblings, but they moved out of town.

Most people by now knew at least some of Alex's story. Andre asked him about the woman he was dating and who was the "young thing" he brought by Sunday. He explained that was the ladies daughter and he had to come home to change so he could take them to dinner.

They pulled into the lot of Jim Davis Chevrolet. "What ya doing here?" Andre inquired

He smiled, "I told you, picking up a car, of course."

They walked into the sales office and went to the receptionist desk. She called a salesman who came to greet them. "Alex, she's all ready for you. Full tank of gas and detailed. We also have the two car seats and one booster seat. We had to get one of the new fathers to put them in. Their a lot different than our kids were little." He joked.

Alex thanked him and they walked out to a blue 2020 Chevy Equinox. "Why you buy this when you already got a car?" Andre asked.

"It's not for me, you'll find out when we get back. Drive straight back home. No detours, don't pick anyone up, don't get into an accident and don't get pulled over for dumb shit." Alex ordered.

"Come on man, I got you. Straight home, no detours, accidents or picking anyone up. The police thing I can't control."

"Okay, if something happens call me. I got $50 for you when we get back. Cool?"

"Cool."

They got back with no incidents. Andre actually got there before Alex. He had parked in front of Alex's door. He met Andre and gave him the money. Herman, Agnes and Dolly were out front with the kids playing on the sidewalk.

"You get a new car Alex?' Herman asked.

"I did and I didn't." he said, trying to hide the smile.

"Well, I dang sure know Andre didn't buy it."

With Andre driving a car with T-tags people were wondering what was going on. "This isn't my car." Alex announced.

"The man said you bought it?" Andre questioned.

"Yeah, I brought it, but it's not my car. It's Dolly's car." He walked over to a surprised Dolly, holding the keys out to her.

She reared back, afraid to touch them. "What ya mean its my car? I ain't buy no car." She croaked.

"No, I bought it for you. Now you don't have to worry about getting the kids to day care, you can get a job again and be back on your feet."

You could hear people murmuring. "Alex, I can't take this. It's to much." She whispered. Still not taking the keys.

"Yes, you can. It's paid for and you have insurance for the next year. You just have to put the car in your name. I already had them put in child seats for the kids."

She broke down crying. She was shaking so much, her kids ran up thinking something is wrong. "What you do to my Momma?" Tariq, the oldest yelled, facing Alex.

"I didn't do anything, she's crying because she's happy, I hope. You have a car now, look." He pointed at the new to them SUV. "Let me show you inside." He opened the doors and the kids climbed in.

He turned to a still crying Dolly. Agnes was holding her trying to calm her down. "Well, aren't you going to look at it?" She nodded her head and finally got up from the plastic lawn chair.

She walked around it. Her running along the sides like she didn't believe it was real. She mumbled, "I can't believe this."

"Come on, let's take it for a spin." he said as he tossed her the keys.

"You want me to drive?" She cringed.

"I did my part, now it's all yours. Let's go get some ice cream, my treat." The kids yelled in joy at that.

When she got in, he showed her all the buttons and how they worked. Even though she had her license, it had been a while since she drove. She was so scared to wreck the car, she almost caused accidents driving so slow. "Why would you do this for me, Alex? I don't understand." She asked as she scooped up some butter pecan ice cream. "I don't have to do anything, do I?" She said with a hint of suspicion.

"Dolly, you should know me better that. The only thing I want from you is for you to reach your full potential. I know its hard being a parent. It was hard with two in the house. But, I see you. I see how you take care of the kids. The way you talk to them. I've gotten to know you pretty well. I wouldn't do this for just anybody." He explained.

She started to cry again. "Thank you Alex, I really mean it. This is just want I need. First thing tomorrow. I'm enrolling them in day care and after school programs for Tariq. And them I'm gonna go looking for a job." She said proudly. He told her to put him down as a reference. She was amazed he would do this for her. Men always wanted something from her, even for the smallest favors.

Getting back home, he sat out front as usual smoking a cigar. "That was a real nice thing you did Alex." Agnes said, as she patted his arm. Dolly's kids came up and gave him a hug before going to bed. For the first time, they called him Uncle Alex. Dolly was estranged from most of her family. Her father and brother were in jail. Her younger sister was in college at Vanderbilt. She hadn't seen her mother in some time.

***oooOOOooo***

He went into Johnson Marketing and began working on his new project. He had some ideas and he went to Bob to discuss them. "Excuse, I know a guy that is doing what we want to do in Greenville. He just went out on his own. Right now it's only a 6 man shop and they focus primarily on the Charlotte area. How about If I go and talk to him. I'm leaving Friday to start the divorce and talk to the future ex. Maybe I can leave Wednesday night and talk to him Thursday. Bounce some ideas and get some info. What do you think?"

"I like that, it might give us the start we need. Their far enough away not to worry about competition. Sure, go see him Thursday and let me know how things work out."

That evening he made reservations at the Quality Inn off New Hope for Thursday, Friday. He would leave Saturday night. He knew Harper Stewart from several business luncheons around the city. Alex had been surprised when he left the company he worked for. Not as surprised as when it closed shop a year later. Harper probably saw the writing on the wall. Word was, was that they were slow to embrace internet advertising. Sticking with old school, Radio and TV. Harper's agency strictly did online adverts. Alex was thinking, maybe there could be some synergy between the two agencies. He had made an appointment with a divorce attorney, Debra Gibson, at one the larger law firms in the city.

He planned for a hectic three days. Getting to the hotel in time to change and meet Harper for Lunch. Getting a quick nap before having dinner with his mother. Seeing the attorney in the afternoon and then Tracy for dinner to discuss the divorce on Friday.

Both jobs went pretty smoothly the rest of the week. He told Herman he would be gone until late Saturday night. He had already talked about him filing for divorce. He was loaded up and ready to go. His traveling humidor was packed with his favorite cigars. He took a power nap and left at midnight. Traffic was light at that time, so he made very good time. With the one stop for gas and the bathroom he still made it to Greenville by 8:30. He would have made it by eight, except there was a traffic accident on 85, as usual.

TO BE CONTINUED.