“You guys need to do whatever it takes to close. Now, down to the reason for this little get-together. Top salesperson for 2012…” He put on his reading glasses and looked around the table. “Drum roll, please.”
Everyone tapped the desk until Walt held up his hand for them to stop. “The winner and still champion, Mary Lou Stots.”
Mary Lou stood up to receive the dark plaque Walt held out to her. Then he snatched it back before she could take it. “Mary Lou, stand up. Oh, you’re already standing.” He roared a laugh, and the others joined in, except for Joe.
Walt handed the plaque to Mary Lou in a grandiose gesture. She grasped it and held it out in front of her. She inspected the gold lettering on the polished walnut board. It read, International Enterprises, Salesman of the Year 2012. Under that, she read her name: Mary Lou Sluts.
Sluts? She blinked to clear her eyes and inspected the third line a second time. They misspelled my name. For crying out loud, did Walt do this on purpose? Heat crept into her cheeks.
Salesman of the year? Do I look like a man? She put on her best business smile and muttered, “Thank you.” She sat and placed the plaque face down in her lap.
Walt continued, “As you know, the prize for first in sales is a four-day cruise, so Mary Lou will be taking a luxurious cruise to the Bahamas. Everyone give her a hand.” His smile bordered somewhere between evil and conniving.
Later the same day
Denver, Colorado
A bit unnerved after the meeting and still smarting from the “no more sleeping with clients” and the “Sluts” error, Mary Lou sat in her office. She brought up her computer to look at her client messages. Happy cruising to me! I can’t wait to get out of here.
Mary Lou was about to shut down her computer when a message flashed up. It was from Joe, asking her to come to his office.
When she got there, the strange man from the sales meeting sat across from Joe.
Joe stood as she entered the room. “Mary Lou, I’d like to introduce our new salesman. This is Denny Adams.”
Denny stood. His handshake felt firm and sure.
She smiled. “Welcome to International Enterprises.”
“Thank you, sweetheart.” Denny’s slight Southern drawl sounded endearing and a little condescending. “You’re the number one in sales. Congratulations.”
“Oh, yes. I saw you at the meeting.”
Denny chuckled. “Walt just couldn’t wait for me to get on board. He asked me to stop by and observe the meeting. It was very interesting.”
Joe sat, and Mary Lou and Denny sat across from his desk. “Mary Lou, I wanted you to meet Denny right away because he’s eager to know more about what goes on here. You’re probably the best one to show him the ropes, since you’ve been here over five years.” He looked at Denny. “I started three years ago, and I’m still getting information from Mary Lou.”
Denny leaned back and looked Mary Lou up and down. “Next week’s going to be a ‘short’ week, pardon the pun.”
Mary Lou grimaced.
Denny continued, “Walt says the office will be shut down Monday for Martin Luther King Day. Maybe you could come in for a few hours Monday morning and help me get oriented.”
Joe’s forehead wrinkled. “Denny, the office is closed. No one will be here. I don’t think—”
“Walt said she’d be happy to help out,” Denny interrupted. “Now come on. She could come in Monday, at least for part of the day.”
Joe, still frowning, said, “That’s not—”
“Let her decide. What about it, Mary Lou. You’re a team player, aren’t you?”
I’m better than a team player. Mary Lou shrugged. “Sure, I can come in a few hours on Monday. I’ll have to leave by noon. I’m having dinner with family.”
Denny smiled at Joe and then looked back at her. “Sure. I didn’t know you were married.”
She felt the hair stand up on the back of her neck. “I am not married. I still have a life.” She tried to keep her tone even on the second sentence.
Denny slapped his knee. “All right, then. See you Monday at eight!”
Evening, the same day
Friday night, Mary Lou asked Eileen to meet her for an early dinner at Chili’s, and afterward they went shopping.
On Saturday, Mary Lou cleaned house, did more shopping, and cleaned house again. At eight thirty, she fell into bed, exhausted by the activities of the day. Before she fell asleep, she thought of Bobby and about what could have been. She missed him.
Sunday, January 20
Arvada, Colorado
Sunday morning she slept in until nine a.m. and barely had time to dress and get to church on time. A light overnight snow thinly covered the ice from last week’s frozen rain, making driving treacherous. The church parking lot looked half empty; her tires crunched ice as she pulled into a space near the entrance. Eileen waved from the front door and then ducked inside, keeping warm until Mary Lou joined her.
Mary Lou quickly closed the door behind her. “Man, it is cold out there.”
Eileen turned toward the sanctuary. “The wind makes it worse.”
Mary Lou wrinkled her nose and closed her eyes, “I see fluffy white flakes floating to the ground outside my window, while basking in the warmth of a fire in the fireplace.”
Eileen nudged her and put her finger to her lips. “Shush. The service is about to start. I’m so glad you came. Did you forget your Bible?”
Mary Lou accepted a bulletin from the man in the foyer. “Oh, no, I left it in the car,” she lied. “There’s no way I’m going back outside.”
She followed Eileen to the fifth row of pews from the front, where they always used to sit. They took their seats as the praise team started playing “What a Mighty God We Serve.” The words on the screen in front of them made it impossible not to join in singing.
Half an hour of praise songs passed, and then Pastor Don Elliott came forward with his message for the week. The tall, thin man stood in front of the group, adjusted his thick-rimmed glasses, and opened his Bible.
He surveyed his congregation and spoke. “The message today is titled ‘The Power of Prayer.’ Prayer is the greater part of worship. When we pray, we acknowledge our thoughts and desires to the King of the universe. This is good, and this is what our Lord wants us to do. Let me reference the Scriptures; turn in your Bibles to Philippians chapter 4, verse 6.” He paused a few seconds, then read, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Let me explain this verse to you. It is not a plea. It is a statement, a command. You don’t see any question marks there, do you?”
Eileen shared her Bible with Mary Lou.
Pastor Elliott continued, “Prayer is the most powerful weapon we have against the enemy. And, as you know, the enemy comes in all forms. He is so tricky, he can be in the midst of us in an instant, plant deception, and disappear before we’re aware of him. He can camp out on our front mind and cause immediate and lasting depression. With prayer, we can throw it off. Because it is the power of God that heals and protects us.
“It’s also the evil one who is responsible for sickness. Again, prayer is the most powerful weapon you can use to fight illness. Jesus Christ is the Great Physician. Yes, it’s all right to pray for God to help your