Page 22 of Pregnant by the Texan
She was aware of her plain brown suit, her skirt ending midcalf. She wore a tan blouse with a round neck beneath her jacket. Her low-heeled brown pumps were practical and her hair was in its usual bun. When she crossed the lobby, no heads would turn, but she didn’t mind because it had been that way all her life.
When she walked up to him, he took her arm. “The car is waiting,” he said. “You look pretty.”
“Thank you. Sometimes I wonder if you need to get your eyes checked.”
He smiled. “The last time I was tested in the air force, I had excellent eyesight,” he remarked. “You sell yourself short, Stella. Both on giving this talk and on how you look.”
She didn’t tell him that men rarely told her she was pretty. They thanked her for her help or asked her about their problems, just as boys had in school, but they didn’t tell her how pretty she looked.
In minutes they were on the highway. She pulled out a notebook and a small stack of cards wrapped with a rubber band. “These are my notes. I have a slide presentation. I think the pictures may speak for themselves. People are stunned when they see these.”
When she walked into the private meeting room in a country club, her knees felt weak and the butterflies in her stomach changed to ice. The room was filled with men and women in business suits—mostly men. It was a business club and she couldn’t imagine talking to them. She glanced at Aaron.
“Aaron, I can’t do this.”
“Of course you can. Here comes Boyce Johnson, my friend who is president,” he said, and she saw a smiling, brown-haired man approaching them. He extended his hand to Aaron, who made introductions that she didn’t even hear as she smiled and went through the motions.
All too soon, Boyce called the group to order and someone made an introduction that Aaron must have written, telling about how she had helped after the storm hit Royal. And then she was left facing the forty or so people who filled the room, all looking at her and waiting for her to begin.
* * *
Smiling and hoping his presence would reassure her, Aaron sat listening to Stella make her presentation, showing pictures of the devastation in the first few hours after the storm hit Royal. That alone would make people want to contribute. After her slide presentation, Stella talked. She was nervous and it showed. He realized that right after the storm, adrenaline—and the sheer necessity for someone to take charge with Mayor Vance critically injured and the deputy mayor killed—had kept her going. Now that life in Royal was beginning to settle back into a routine, she could do it again, but she had to have faith in herself.
He thought of contacts he had and realized he could help her raise funds for the town. Her slide presentation had been excellent, touching, awesome in showing the storm’s fury and giving the facts about the F4 tornado.
He sat looking at her as she talked and realized she might like a makeover in a Dallas salon. She could catch people’s attention more. The men today were polite and attentive and she was giving facts that would hold their interest, but if she had a makeover, she might do even better. It should bolster her self-confidence.
She had done interviews and brief appearances almost since the day of the storm. Maybe it was time she had some help. He had statewide contacts, people in Dallas who were good about contributing to worthwhile causes. While she talked, he sent a text to a Dallas Texas Cattleman’s Club member. In minutes he got a reply.
He sent a text to a Dallas salon, and shortly after, had an appointment for her.
He hoped she wouldn’t balk at changing her hair. She clung to having it up in a bun almost as if she wanted to fade into the background, but hopefully, the makeover in the salon might cause her to be willing to change.
When she finished her speech and opened up the floor to questions, she seemed more poised and relaxed. She gave accurate facts and figures and did a good job of conveying the situation in Royal. Finally, there were no more questions. Boyce thanked her and Aaron for coming. He asked if anyone would like to make a motion to give a check to Stella to take back to Royal now because they seemed to need help as soon as they could possibly get it.
Boyce turned to ask their treasurer how much they had available in their treasury at present and was told there was $6,000.
One of the women made a motion immediately to donate $5,000. It was seconded and passed. A man stood and said he would like to contribute $1,000 in addition to the money from the treasury.
Aaron felt a flash of satisfaction, happy that they could take these donations back to Royal and happy that he had proved to Stella she could get out and lead the recovery effort now, just as she had right after the storm.
By the time the meeting was over, they had several checks totaling $12,000. Stella’s cheeks were once again rosy and a sparkle was back in her blue eyes and he felt a warm glow inside because she was happy over the results.
With the help he planned to give her, he expected her to do even better. As he waited while people still talked to her, he received a text from the TCC member he had contacted. Smiling, he read the text swiftly and saw that his friend had made some contacts and it looked hopeful for an interview on a Fort Worth television station. Aaron sent a quick thank-you, hoping if it worked out Stella would accept.
It was almost four when they finally said goodbye and went to his car. When he sat behind the wheel, he turned to her, taking her into his arms. His mouth came down on hers as he kissed her thoroughly. Finally he leaned away a fraction to look at her.
“You did a great job. See, you can do this. You’ve raised $12,000 for Royal. That’s fantastic, Stella.”
She smiled. “My knees were shaking. Thank heavens you were there and I could look at your smiling face. They were nice and generous. I couldn’t believe they would take all that out of their treasury and donate it at Christmastime.”
“It’s a Christmas present for Royal, thanks to you. That’s what that club does. It’s usually to help Lubbock, but Royal is a Texas town that is in desperate need of help. You did a great job and I think I can help you do an even bigger and better one,” he said.
She laughed. “Aaron, please don’t set me up to talk to another group of businesspeople. I’m an administrative assistant, not the mayor.”
“You did fine today and I promise you, I think I can help you do a bit better if you’ll let me.”
“Of course, I’ll let you, but I keep telling you, this is not my deal.”
