Page 7 of Divine Sense
Five years later, there were two things that I never scrimped on: my clothes and my home. Buying a 150-year-old home in the historic part of Charleston wasn’t something people did for fun. They were investments and typically required hundreds of thousands of dollars to restore and maintain. And that was before you had to jump through the hoops the preservation society would put you through to get the job done. I did it though, because I always dreamed of living in a beautiful home with plenty of space and appliances that worked. I also never blinked at what I spent on my clothes. Growing up, I was teased mercilessly because my clothes were too big, too dirty, or had too many holes in them. As an adult, I would never allow anyone to comment on the way I dressed again because I assured myself they would have nothing to give me a hard time about in the first place. So I spent whatever money I needed to have perfectly tailored suits and all the updates my home needed to be in the best condition it could be.
After choosing which suit to wear to the Sinclairs’, I got dressed and headed out. I left with plenty of time to get there early but even with the extra twenty minutes I gave myself, Ipulled up the long gravel driveway with only five minutes before the meeting was set to start. Driving up to the old plantation home was like being in a movie. Horses milled around the open pastures behind pristinely kept fences and the driveway was lined with oak trees that were older than the city itself. Spanish Moss hung low from their branches and dragged along the roof of my black G-Wagon. When I pulled up to the front door, there was a woman who looked like she worked at the house waiting for me on the porch.
“Good morning, Mr. Vesey. The Sinclairs are inside waiting for you.” The stout woman with skin the same color as my own called out to me as I stepped out of my car. I buttoned my suit jacket across my front as I walked up the front steps towards her.
“And good morning to you, ma’am,” I replied with a smile. My mama always preached to me about politeness and manners growing up and that applied to anyone I met.
“Oh, please, the‘ma’am’‘ain’t necessary, Mr. Vesey,” the short, round woman clicked her tongue and waved her hand at me as she turned to lead me inside. “I simply work for the family, no need for the formalities.” Her voice and the way she waved her hand at me reminded me of my mother. So did the way her eyes crinkled in the corners when she made a face at me calling her ‘ma’am.’
“Alright, then how about a name?” I looked down at her with a grin and she turned to look at me with round eyes as if she was surprised I asked anything about her at all.
“My name?”
“Yes, your name,” I confirmed. “What’s your name?”
She paused for a moment before pushing open the front door to the estate and looked at me through squinted eyes as if she were unsure of if she should answer my question. “You can call me Ruthie.”
“Alright, Ruthie. How are you today?” I wasn’t sure what it was about her, but she gave me a familiar sense of steadiness and warmth. It felt like we were somehow connected and I made a note to look into her once I was back in the office if I got her last name. Maybe we were family somehow?
“I’m fine, Mr. Vesey,” she hummed with a gentle smile on her face, quickly walking towards the formal living room inside the Sinclair manor. I remembered the home from my last visit here and knew where she was taking me. Before we reached the doorway she turned over her shoulder and clipped, “That’s enough of that now, the Sinclairs are waiting for you in here.” She waved her hand into the room and watched me as I walked inside.
“Kobie,” William Sinclair’s voice boomed with optimism. He looked at me from across the room with a wide smile that showed all of his perfectly white teeth, standing in front of a clawfoot couch, and opened his arms to welcome me. “Welcome back to our home, we are so happy to have you here.”Yet you still can’t get my name right?
I smiled politely and took in the other figures standing next to him. To his left was his wife who I met during our first meeting. Susan Sinclair was the classic, Southern trophy wife with her hair wrapped tightly behind her head and was standing up straight in her classy, yet respectable, two-and-a-half-inch heels. She was wearing a dress that was form-fitted but modest and hit just around her shins. Unlike last time I was here, there was a third person in the room standing to greet me. While she wasn’t sporting the skin-tight leggings or running shoes like she was the last time I saw her, I recognized her instantly.
Hardly more than five feet tall with black as night hair, she was wearing a floral printed dress and a pair of ballet flats that didn’t help but accentuate how tiny she was. Her long hair fell down her back in loose waves but a few pieces were cut in a waythat framed her slender cheeks. She stared at me, her mouth slightly agape and her sage green eyes pierced through me as the words she said to me last Saturday rang in my ears.
‘I don’t need someone like you pretending like they can help someone like me.’
“Welcome to our home, again, Mr. Vesey,” Susan said with a polite smile. She stayed standing in front of the couch and had her hands clasped together in front of her while William made his way towards me to shake my hand. The girl, their daughter I assumed, didn’t say anything as I took his hand and gave him a professional smile.
“Thank you so much for having me. I’m always happy to meet with my clients in their homes when asked.” I gave them a half laugh. While I didn’t mind having to meet with them, the annoyance of the last minute beckoning was still fresh. My schedule was fucked for the rest of the month because I had to take this meeting.
“We appreciate you coming out on such short notice,” Susan started, “but we wanted to introduce you to our daughter. Magnolia, please say hello to Kobie Vesey.”
The girl finally closed her mouth and set her shoulders back before extending her hand towards me. “Magnolia Sinclair. It’s very nice to meet you Kobie.”I guess we’re pretending like Saturday didn’t happen.My hand encased hers entirely when I grabbed it to shake and I gave her a knowing grin. One that said,I know who you are, and I know you know who I am.She returned the same smile to me.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Magnolia, but it’s Kolbi,” I finally corrected. Her name rolled off my tongue and the green in her eyes reminded me of the Spanish Moss you could see all over Charleston. The same Spanish Moss that when I saw it, I knew I was home.
“Kolbi…” she whispered to herself. We held each other’s gaze for a beat before she pulled her hand from mine and dropped it to her side.
“Let’s all take a seat, shall we?” William signaled towards the two couches that sat in the center of the living room. He and I sat on one while the women sat on the other. As we took our seats, Ruthie came in with a silver tray that carried four china tea cups, a teapot, a French press, and small finger foods.
“Thank you, Ms. Ruthie.” Magnolia smiled warmly at the woman and thanked her quietly before she exited the room again. Her mother pursed her lips at her for the briefest of moments before turning her attention back to me.
“So, Kobie, I would love to know your company’s plans when it comes to security for my campaign. I will be doing several speeches around the city and state, and want to make sure that my family and I are kept safe throughout the entire campaign trail.” William spoke as he poured himself some coffee and I had to bite the inside of my cheek when he called me the wrong name.Again.
“Well, sir, I’ve put my best men on your security detail. Your team will be led by one of my top security advisors who is a veteran of the United States Army who served more than ten years. The men under him will keep you and your family safe in whatever way you need.”
“I really think we should have round-the-clock security, William. There are some crazy people out there these days. What if someone tries to break into the house? Or tries to kidnap me while you’re traveling?” Susan clutched her hand to her chest as she spoke and I couldn’t tell if she was being serious or not. William was running for the state senate, not the presidency. I tried to hide my bewilderment at her words and almost broke when I saw Magnolia roll her eyes as she sipped her tea.
“Susan, dear, I don’t think that’s necessary quiet yet. Let’s let Kobie and his team do their job and trust that he will do it well. I’ve heard nothing but good things about you, Son.” He clapped a hard hand on my shoulder and I nodded my head as my lips pulled back into a tight line.
For the next forty-five minutes, we discussed all the options the family had in terms of security for the next year while William ran for office. The few times Susan worried about how sheneededfull-time security, I watched as Magnolia made a face at her mother while she wasn’t looking or coughed to cover up what I knew was a laugh. She knew her mother was being dramatic just like I did. Once I had assured the Sinclairs that I would be happy to give them any kind of security they needed and promised to keep the family updated on any changes within their team, they saw me to the door.
“Thank you again for coming out this morning. I’ll be sure to call should we need anything as the campaign really starts to ramp up.” William gave me a firm handshake as we stood in front of the large wooden front door before placing a hand on his wife’s back. Magnolia stood next to her parents, watching me with one arm crossed in front of her. She hadn’t spoken the entire meeting except to object when her mother suggested we place a bodyguard outside her townhouse which was located downtown. The way her mother scoffed at her disagreement told me there was more to that relationship than I understood.
“I look forward to it. Thank you again for having me, you have a lovely home.” I bowed my head to the three of them as Ruthie opened the front door and signaled that it was my time to leave.
