Though small, like most yards in Ghent, Katz’s was well utilized. No space was spared, but it was not cramped. From the back door he had a small deck with a cute sitting area and along his fence facing the deck was well manicured landscaping; the plants looking as though they were preparing for the winter ahead. To the left of the deck was a garage, which Temi assumed, correctly, as being the shed Thom mentioned. “Artemisia, I’m not sure how much… or little… Thom has told you, but I like to collect and resell special items.”

“You’re correct about the little he’s told me.” She side-eyed Thom.

Katz chuckled as he opened the door to the garage. “Well, it’s kind of a side hobby for me, my day job is teaching theology at Old Dominion University.”

As they weaved through all the treasures held in the garage, Temi was amazed by some of the items to catch her eye; Tiffany lamps, books which appeared to be first additions, pie safes, an old ice box. She was listening to Katz as he spoke and was not surprised by his being a professor. He just seemed like one.

“Ah. Here we are. Thom, will you get on the other side? We can lift this off together.”

Temi stepped back a few paces to get out of their way as they maneuvered what looked to be a heavy sheet from the item beneath. Temi watched intently as the sheet slow rose to reveal what appeared to be the wooden legs of a head or footboard. Higher and higher the sheet rose, and as it uncovered the bed Katz believed perfect for her, Temi couldn’t help but move closer.

The wood was beautifully swirled shades of brown, gold, and blond. The legs were thick, and the swirls curled upward to a broad headboard. Carved into the headboard was an unbelievable scene, or at least unbelievable to Temi. Carved into the beautiful wood was a forest, so many trees, animals, the moon, and at the center was a young woman holding a bow in one hand and reaching into her quiver with the other… a fawn walking with her. Temi reached out to gently run her fingers over the scene.

“Well, how serendipitous is that!?” Thom stared at the headboard.

“Serendipity is based on chance, Thom. This, I believe, was meant to be.” Katz joined Temi as she traced the contours of the headboard. “I acquired this bed only two days ago. A young man in the Navy, purchased it overseas as a gift for his girlfriend to whom he intended to propose. However, when he returned, he found she had run off with one of his boyhood friends.”

“Interesting that he would buy a bed depicting a virgin as a gift for his girlfriend,” Temi said more to herself than anyone else.

“I hadn’t thought of it that way,” Katz stroked his beard. “Hmm. I was merely thinking this bed could have a new beginning, as you are on the precipice of your new beginning.”

“Good Lord, I hope this bed doesn’t curse her to a life of celibacy,” Thom joined the onlookers. “That shit never works”

Temi rolled her eyes. “Mr. Katz, this bed is remarkable, but I don’t think I can afford it.”

“Thom, will you help me pull this out? Acacia wood is rather heavy.” As Thom moved back to his previous position, Katz turned to Temi, “I said nothing of you buying the bed. It was meant to be yours. It’s not every day that you are in possession of something that should belong to someone else.”

To that Temi had nothing to say. Never before had anyone given her something so amazing.

It took them almost an hour to get the headboard, footboard, runners, and slats into their cars. Luckily, Thom’s FJ Cruiser and Temi’s Rav 4 were made for hauling. They were able to get everything inside with the seats down rather than strapping it to the rack atop Thom’s car. While they worked, Katz made them sandwiches and lemonade after hearing Temi’s tummy rumbling. He was such a nice man.

“Well, Katz, I think that’s it!”

“Yeah, I think we have it all,” Temi closed her trunk. “I can’t thank you enough for such a generous gift. I have never had anything like this before in my life.”

Katz smiled. “Oh, Artemisia, it was meant to be. However, if you would like to thank me, I’d like to hear how things turn out for you. Perhaps you will stop by from time to time to give me an update like good old Thom?”

“Absolutely,” she smiled.

Twenty minutes or so later they were back at Temi’s setting up the bed. In all the shock and amazement, Temi hadn’t noticed it was a king, so once they set it up in the bedroom, she had to remove one of the nightstands to make extra space. Magnificent; as it was, it took up most of the room, but Temi wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Phew. Well, Suga, it’s still early. What would you like to do next?”

Temi caught an image of herself in the full-length mirror hanging on the closet door. “I think I should get a gym membership.”

Thom caught her eyes in the mirror and his heart sank. He walked over, wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and kissed her on the cheek. “Artie, I hope you know how beautiful you really are. I mean it.”

Temi chuckled and turned to give him a hug. “Oh, Thom, why do you have to be gay?”

“God was afraid of the female death toll due to stampede as they all rushed to get to me. It would be tragic. Hundreds, no thousands of women dead for their love of me.”

Temi pulled back a little. “How on earth do you fit through doorways with that inflated ego of yours?”

“Oh, that’s not ego, honey. You and I both know it’s the truth.” Then returning his serious mask to his face. “But seriously, if you want to go to the gym, I have a platinum membership. We can add you to my account for free and you will have full access to the gym, the classes, and the spa.” He looked her in the eyes, “Artie, I am all for this if you’re doing it for yourself, but if you’re doing it for that piece of shit, I think a lobotomy is in order.”

Temi sighed. “I’m doing this for me. I want to be able to do all the things I used to do without being so tired.”

He nodded. “Okay. Well, I keep a gym bag in my car, so why don’t you go ahead and change. I’ll get my bag and change too, and then we’ll head out.” When she nodded, he went to leave the room, but stopped in the doorway. “Hey, Costco isn’t far from the gym. I’m pretty sure we can find you a memory foam mattress and a topper there.”

She nodded again and he was gone.

Temi had never been to Aceso Mind and Body before; in fact, she’d never heard of it until now. The facility was rather large, a combination gym, spa, and nutritional education center. The gym looked like your average Planet Fitness with machines everywhere but grouped by type of workout; it was bright and had a lot of mirrors and televisions. Then, down a long hall, correction corridor, leading to the spa, the light was slightly dimmer and there were several massage chairs lining both sides. Now, the spa was something else… beautiful. There was a large wall fountain just a few feet from the reception desk. Water came from somewhere in the plant and rock wall to run down into the pool below where a sculpted woman dipped a wide bowl as if she were going to fill it. The spa was dimmer than the gym and the corridor, also unlike the quick paced jams of the gym music, the spa’s music was soft and relaxing. Adjacent to what looked like a small hair salon was a glass door leading to the nutritional education center.

“Okay, diva, we don’t need to go in there. You know what’s good and what’s bad.  Tour’s over.” Thom winked at her. “Let’s work out.”

Temi was not a gym virgin. Before Jordan she used to work out every day. It was a way to center her mind before going into work. While working out, nothing existed but the movement of her body and the occasional burn in her muscles. However, this time was different from all those years ago. This time was hard. She couldn’t go as long on the treadmill as she used to, she had a hard time lifting more than twenty pounds, and the machines for working her thighs was nearly impossible. She was breathing hard, sweating profusely, and was tired as hell.

“Hey take it easy.” Thom was standing next to her as she leaned forward on an ab machine. “It’s been a while.”

“God, Thom,” Temi tried not to cry. “What have I done to myself? What have I allowed him to do to me?”

Thom shook his head. “Shit, Artie, are you kidding? You work harder than anyone else I know. You manage the center when I’m,” he cleared his throat, “sick. You took care of that bum of yours and you take your mother to all of her doctor’s appointments. So, you’ve gained a little weight. It’s no big deal. You’ll lose it if and when you want to lose it. Personally, I think you’re perfect.”

Temi almost laughed when Thom made his “sick” comment. He was never sick. More like he was hungover or just woke up in someone else’s bed and wasn’t ready to leave yet. “Thanks Thom, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to lose it now.”

“One step at a time She-Ra. We’ve been at it for over an hour. Let’s get out of here.”

Temi and Thom hit the showers, dressed in clean clothes and headed to Costco. Thom’s family had memberships just about everywhere. Wealthy, they had made most of their fortune in recovering money through collections. Yep, theirs were the phone calls everyone avoided. They paid low wages and squeezed their money out of people like the ones that work for them. These days, they still owned the collection agency, but they have branched out into call centers that assist other, larger, corporations as well as the government.

Thom was never very comfortable with how his family achieved their wealth, so he avoided working in one of their collection call centers. However, he also didn’t know what to do with his life. Generally good with people, Temi could see him going into sales, but knew he wouldn’t like the hustle of a sales job. He had received his degree in marketing and communications, but as long as she had known him, he didn’t seem to take much interest in either. In fact, as brilliant as Thomas William Fuller was, he never let people see it. Thom preferred to play the fool, the nice guy who only cared about fashion, his physique, and what tail he was chasing on any given day. Temi smiled. He often reminded her of the Scarlett Pimpernel minus the whole saving the French aristocracy from the guillotine bit.

“Hey Thom,” she asked as they were leaving Costco; having purchased a king bed-in-a-box. “Have you ever seen the Scarlett Pimpernel?”

“The Scarlett what?”

“Never mind,” she helped him get the box into the back of his car. “We’ll have to have a movie night sometime soon, and I’ll show it to you.” She smiled.