“Oh, Senior, this is soooo good, as always,” one of Robert Anderson, Senior customers said to him referring to his turkey and dressing. He smiled and nodded at her and is happy that she’s happy with the addition to the menu.

Robert and Cassandra Anderson are the owners of two restaurants and bakeries called Nana’s, all the recipes are a combination of both their grandmother’s creations; when Cassandra ran across her grandmother’s dressing recipe, they added it to the menu during the holiday season, but, now, it’s available for daily enjoyment since customers are always asking for it.

The Anderson’s wanted both their children to be involved in the operations of the restaurant, they didn’t force their desire on the kids, but they gave a strong push towards their involvement; which in the end worked out just fine because they both, Robert, Jr. and Nicolette, are very involved and because of their part ownership and work, they do well for themselves.

“Is this the last of the cakes for the reunion?”

“Yes, ma’am; all the desserts are in your office,” Yelena, Robert, Jr.’s wife said, she being the head pastry chef for both restaurants. “But, I did want to ask you about this order for Mrs. Butterfield,” she said pulling the request and speaking to Cassandra. “I called her to ask if she really meant 150 apple cinnamon half loaves, but she didn’t call back. I ask because there’s not been any deposits for this volume of an order.”

“I didn’t know she had called, yet, I know it’s for the high school band’s fund raiser, but I didn’t know it would be this many,” Cassandra said taking the request from Yelena. “Yelena, thank you sweetheart, I’ll take care of this, but do order the product for this order in case you haven’t already,” she said to her daughter-in-law who she really likes.

Cassandra looked at the order request, it was not what she and Mrs. Butterfield had agreed to, she didn’t have a problem with the request especially since they’d be supporting the kids, it was that the woman had the audacity to alter the amount without clearing it with her first.

“Hey, baby, where are you?”

“In my office,” Robert, Jr said. “Is there something wrong?” He asked knowing there was, his mother usually doesn’t call him without there being something going on—which he knew this would be different because as mother’s go, she rarely bothers him.

“Mrs. Butterfield, that woman, ugh, she altered the order for the high school…”

“Oh, yes, I’m aware of that, I’m sorry I forgot to tell you. I spoke with her and since we’re doing better this quarter, I told her let’s add 50 more loaves to really get the kids some additional support,” Cassandra was glad that her son could not see her face, she didn’t like the Butterfield woman who always used her Jessica Rabbit figure to beguile men.

“Oh, I see, well, if you think its best…”

“We’re fine, Ma—don’t worry. Oh, did DeWayne tell you he’s bringing his buddy to the reunion?”

“Jonathan, right?”

“Yes, that’s the one…you sure Nicolette won’t freak out?”

“I’m sure she will,” Cassandra said and they both laughed.

Robert has been meeting up with DeWayne and Jonathan at the gym and Jonathan was telling them about this woman who practically called him everything but a child of God in the grocery store one day. They had a huge laugh about it, until Jonathan started describing the woman, and then all jokes stopped.

Robert often remembers that conversation as if it were yesterday, “Man, this fine woman was in the store the other day, she was trying to get the paper towels and was climbing on the shelves. She had taken her heels off, had beautiful feet, and up she went. I was standing watching her in amazement how determined she was, and how beautiful she was climbing the shelves in these jeans that hugged her in all the right places.”

At this point, both DeWayne and Robert put the weights down because they had to hear this. They knew Seattle had a plethora of beautiful women, but the way Jonathan was going on, they knew this woman was Miss America, Miss USA, and Miss Universe rolled into one.

“But when she climbed back down,” Jonathan continued, “she looked at me and just went in. ‘So, you just gonna stand there and watch me climb this shelf, you didn’t try to help me, what if I fell, what if I broke my body, what were you going to do—keep watching with that dumbass look on your face. Oh, I see, you like all this, huh, you’re one of those men believing in that Gloria Steinem bs about women being equal crap.’ She’s saying all this while coming closer to me, heels clicking the tile floor so hard it sounded like she was tap dancing. Then she gets in my face, looks me up and down and says, ‘thanks, your father would be so proud raising a gentleman so chivalrous it’ll make God himself shed tears.’ I did nothing. I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t move. My baby maker wanted to stand up and applaud. I’ve never been so happy to see a woman ever. Had she let me talk, I would have asked her to marry me right there on the spot.”

“What did this woman look like?” DeWayne asked because for as long as he’s known Jonathan no woman has ever made him feel like this.

“Let’s see, 5’8—5’9 before those heels. Curvy, like JLo—50-year-old JLo not that young one. Curly brownish hair. Eyes like almonds—chocolate covered almonds, lips like Tamia, and there was this little scar on her left cheek, it looked a dimple, but it’s not.”

“Oh, no, wait…what did she have on?”

“Jeans and a Nana…oh, shit!” This was when they knew the beautiful, curvy, smart mouth woman was Nicolette. “I’m so sorry Rob, man, I had no idea,” Jonathan said, grabbed his bag, and was going to leave.

“Where you going?”

“I, ah, I’m so sorry—I didn’t know she was your sister. I mean DeWayne said somethings about her, but I didn’t think she was that fiery, she don’t like me, and I don’t want there to be any uncomfortableness at your family reunion.”

“First of all, it’s a family reunion there is bound to be uncomfortableness, and, secondly, Nicolette doesn’t know you well enough not to like you; plus, chances are she won’t even remember you.” Robert says to Jonathan who looks at him, like that’s some bull, but he just shrugs his shoulders and starts to pick up his gym bag.

As Robert comes back to reality, he knows that Nicolette will remember Jonathan because for the past two weeks that’s all she’s talked about the guy at the store who forgot what it was to be a gentleman.