Return to Love

Tenisha appeared, smocked in the jumbo trash bag that Regina had tied at her neck and around her waist. And thank goodness. The bag was covered from top to bottom with splotches of paint, swipes from the brushes and handprints of various sizes.

Tenisha hesitated when she saw a man there.

“Come, sweetie. What is it?” Regina coaxed, giving her full attention to the child and relieved to have a moment to collect her thoughts.

Nigel stepped back around the counter, his eyes fixed on the little girl.

Behind Tenisha trailed a path of paint that was dripping from the ceramic bisque platter she was carrying. It was shaped like a butterfly, its various quadrants plastered with pastel shades of glaze.

“I’m finished with mine. Kyle is still working on his.”

“Did you get the bottom, honey?”

“Yup. Look.”

She turned it over for Regina to inspect, all the while smudging little fingerprints of paint from one color to another.

Regina took her back to the table in the classroom.

“Let’s just set it here to dry for a few minutes before we add a topcoat.” She turned to the little boy, still vigorously applying paint to the baseball-shaped bisque platter he was working on. “How is yours going, little one?”

“Uh-huh.”

Regina could see that Kyle was fully engrossed, and so she turned back to Tenisha.

“Once we add the topcoat, we can put these in the kiln and head upstairs to have something to eat. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“You sit here and keep Kyle company while he finishes his. Is that okay?”

“Okay.”

Regina turned and walked back to the register. Nigel had popped up thinking...whatever he was thinking, but it wasn’t going to work on her.

“I’ve had enough, Nigel. There is no us, and there will be no us.”

When the corners of his lips twisted into a smirk, Regina’s temper stirred again, and she seethed. She’d wanted to be calm, but he wasn’t going to let that happen.

“Get out. Get out, and don’t come back here.”

“Reggie, I—”

“No. Get out.”

When the chime at the door sounded, neither one looked over.

“Get out,” she said again.

Neither moved.

“Hey, hey. Is anything wrong here?”

Regina knew Jason’s voice immediately and was relieved when he came over to stand next to her. He was over six feet four inches, and he worked out religiously. It was clear to all three that Nigel, despite his new height and weight, couldn’t take Jason even if he tried. There was nothing left for him to do but withdraw.

Only he wasn’t going to back down easily. He held his ground and gave a brief nod to the other man, as if sizing up his competition. Yes, he must be a formidable adversary in the business world.

“Nothing’s wrong. This man is just leaving,” said Regina.

Nigel didn’t move right away, and when he did, it wasn’t in the direction of the door. He casually searched one of his inner coat pockets and took out a silver case—a business-card holder.

“You asked if I have a card.”

He took out one of the cards and stepped up to the register, handing it in her direction.

When Regina didn’t move to take the card, he laid it on the counter. She glared at it as if it had leprosy and then glared at Nigel.

“I’ll get that item out to you as soon as possible,” she said in a professional tone, stifling her hostility.

Nigel bent his upper body toward her.

“This isn’t over, Reggie.”

She picked up the business card and put it in the pocket of her jeans.

“It will be soon enough.”

* * *

Regina watched as Nigel slowly walked out of the studio. She was completely shaken.

Jason, holding Kyle on his hip, sat down at the workstation in the back of the shop.

“You need to talk?”

“No. Yes.”

Regina walked over to the table, glancing in on Tenisha before sitting down. Tenisha was blowing on her plate to get it to dry, and Kyle squirmed down to go get his piece.

“It can wait until tomorrow.”

“I got time now.”

“No. Really. It will be better said tomorrow.”

Kyle returned with his baseball platter. “I made this for you, Daddy.”

“I can see that you did.”