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her house shoes and slid on the sandal.
    Perfect fit. How did he know?
    Curiosity effectively piqued, she walked back over to the rack and lifted the first bag. A gasp escaped her mouth before she could stop it. Before her was a stunning gown in burgundy satin, a strapless creation made to fit like a glove. The second bag held a gown made of emerald-colored raw silk. The halter neck and trim waistline gave way to a ruffled skirt with an uneven hem that created a modest train. Jacqueline held her breath as she unzipped the final bag. She pressed her hands to her cheeks in wonder. She reached out, her hand brushing against the stark white fabric that had been sprinkled with Swarovski crystals in a haphazard way. Another body hugger, the dress’s straps were made of crystal and the neckline was designed in such a way as to accent one’s cleavage. Blinking back tears as she took away the bag and removed the dress from the hanger, Jacqueline had no doubt which dress she would wear. If only it fit.
    It did. Perfectly. As if measurements had been taken and patterns drawn. Without even pulling the sandals back out, she knew they would pair just right with the white dress, and after checking the remaining five boxes she realized she was right. She was overwhelmed with Randall’s kindness. He had changed her world in a matter of minutes, and her head spun.
    “What does all this mean?” she asked the empty room.
    That he likes you of course. Duh.
    “I want to believe it. But I’m so afraid of getting my heart broken again.”
    She looked at the clock, and with only forty-five minutes until the time she was supposed to meet Randall in the lobby, she headed for the shower.
     
    “Today wasn’t bad. I’m not as tired as I thought I’d be.”
    Randall sat in the lobby listening to his friend James spout on about the day’s activities. “I love what I do,” James finished. “But sometimes I agree with Debbie. I need to slow the pace.”
    “I hear you, man. When I established the Atwater Achievement Module five years ago, I planned on being totally hands-on. But for the past several months, I’ve basically had to leave it in the hands of the mentors.”
    “How is your tutor program going?”
    “Excellent, really. Right now we have twenty-five students from surrounding universities who are helping with science and math. Because of its integral part in our modern world, we’re getting ready to add computer technology as well.When I last attended the monthly roundup three months ago, I was overjoyed. The kids are smart, excited, and determined to succeed. That’s all I can hope for.”
    James watched as Randall’s face took on a somber appearance. “Still feeling guilty, huh?”
    “I know I shouldn’t but yes, I do.”
    “You tried to save him, man; did more for him than the father he never knew. You tried to keep him out of the streets. At the end of the day, it was his choice and his alone that brought about deadly consequences.”
    Both were quiet a moment, remembering the horror five years ago when Randall learned that his nephew had been gunned down. “If anything,” Randall said, finally breaking the silence, “Joshua’s death reminded me of the lifestyle I barely escaped, one all too familiar among African-American males. That man wasn’t a news story or a statistic in the newspaper that I read. He was alive and breathing. He was my nephew; someone I knew, someone I loved. If I can save just one kid from meeting the same fate as he did . . .”
    “I’m sure you already have,” James softly replied. “You’re doing good things, bro. Makes me want to step up my game as well.”
    “You’re being a good stepfather to Debbie’s son. We all do what we can where we are.”
    “Damn!”
    Randall’s eyes traveled to where James was now staring. “Is that the same woman who interviewed me this afternoon ?”
    “Yes, that’s Jacqueline Tate.”
    James looked at him. “I thought she was attractive then but .