"More like they're both waiting to celebrate," Burt muttered. "He was a good businessman, but a lousy human being. That's all there was to it, Norma."
"Don't y’all speak ill of the dead," Norma said, narrowing her eyes and giving both men a cold stare. They shrugged their shoulders and slunk off to join the other guys from the warehouse at the back of the room.
As I watched them go, I noticed that Jack Yates had moved to the back of the room as well and was talking with a tall, elegant, blonde woman. She stood close to him as she talked, and it was obvious that she was telling him something of great importance because when he looked away, she reached up and grabbed his chin, turning his face back toward her.
When he looked away, he caught me staring at them for a split second before I resumed my conversation with Norma. Part of my brain remained focused on Jack Yates, and I wondered who the woman was and what was so urgent that she had to corner him at his father's wake.
"So, what do you think, Leah?" Norma asked.
"Huh? About what?" I asked, shaking my head and trying to focus on what the woman was asking me.
"Who do you think is going to run the company now that Mr. Yates is dead?" she asked impatiently. "What's going to happen to Baby Steps?"
"I'm sure there is something in place that will take care of it, Norma," I said, trying not to let her worry work its way into my brain.
"I've been working for this company for twenty years, and I've seen everything there was to see. But I've never seen the paperwork for who would be in charge if Mr. Yates died," Norma whispered to me. "I'm wondering if it's going to be his younger son."
"You're kidding, right?" I said. I turned my attention toward Jack Yates and observed a tall, broad shouldered man who was dressed completely inappropriately for his own father's funeral and who was passionately discussing something with the tall, blonde woman in the designer dress. Jack Yates appeared to be the exact opposite of everything his father stood for. "There is no way they are turning the company over to that man."
"Who else is going to run it?" Norma asked. "I mean, his other son is a high-powered attorney at Bank of Manhattan. He's not going to drop his clients to run the company. And his wife isn't someone who knows how to run a company. Who else are they going to get?"
"There's no way they're going to turn over the company to Jack Yates," I said shaking my head.
"You wanna bet on it?" Norma said with a twinkle in her eye as she held out her hand to shake. I looked at her then down at her hand before looking back over at Jack Yates who was now downing a bottle of beer that someone had handed him. He had one arm around the woman, and he was eyeing her the way I'd seen the men at our local pub eye me after one too many drinks. I looked at Norma grinning and grabbed her hand.
"It's a bet," I said shaking firmly. "What are we betting?"
"If I win, you take me to dinner, hon," Norma said.
"What the hell kind of bet is that?" I demanded. "If you’re right, you win, and if you’re wrong, there’s no consequence!"
"He’s already made his interest in you pretty clear, so if I’m wrong and he doesn’t take over, I’ll find a way to fix you two up,” she grinned. "I might just do it anyway. You’re not a spring chicken, you know, darlin’.”
"Norma!" I protested. "I resent being treated like chattel."
"Oh honey, don’t go getting your knickers in a knot," Norma nodded. "I'll keep you posted on the progress in the executive suite."
"Norma, you’re a piece of work," I said shaking my head.
"Nah, darlin’, I’m just a woman with a mission," Norma said as she drank from her flask and watched the rest of the mourners pass by Mr. Yates's casket. "I think I need to get home."
I said goodbye to Norma, and she went outside to find a cab.
*
A little while later, I stepped away from my coworkers to get some fresh air and try to keep my swirling emotions at bay. I felt a deep sadness about losing Bernard, but I also felt conflicted about my mother. For a moment, I thought about how all of this would have been different if my mother had died instead.
"My problems would be solved and the company would be fine, if only Mama had died instead of Bernard," I muttered as I wrapped my arms around myself and tried to put that horrible thought out of my mind.
"What problem would be solved?" a deep voice asked breaking into my private moment.
"What?" I said as I whipped around to see who was talking to me. I found Jack Yates standing a foot away, grinning.
"I said what problem would be solved?" he repeated as he stepped slightly closer and closed the gap between us. I could smell his cologne: a deep, musky scent that was decidedly masculine and incredibly intoxicating. Jack Yates was well over six-feet tall and had a head full of curly dark hair that looked like it would be heaven to run my fingers through. His dark-brown eyes were warm, but had a hint of danger that made my pulse race as I looked into them. But it was his full mouth that caught my attention and left me slightly dazed. H
is bottom lip begged to be nipped at, and I shook my head as I looked away to keep myself from imagining what I’d do if I were alone with the man. He was wearing a dark suit with a blue dress shirt that looked like it hadn’t seen an iron in quite a while, and unlike the rest of the men at the wake, he’d skipped the tie and left the neck of his shirt open. I could see his broad, smooth chest begin to.…
"Oh, I was just working out some frustrations," I said shaking my head and stepping backward as I tried to widen the space between me and the handsome son of my late boss.