Cheer squad coach Marion Wiseman, as well as the team moms were conspicuously absent from all the fundraising car washed. The team had also recruited other friends and family of the beneficiary to help, further skewing the lines between a school-related activity and a simply a community pulling together for one of their own.
Lindsey Campbell and Danielle Walker were squad captains. It had been their idea to forego attending a competition in Orlando to instead raise money for their choreographer and assistant coach. Rita Price, a student teacher not much older than her charges, had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and her medical insurance wouldn’t cover the follow-up reconstruction surgery.
Her team wanted to hold several car washes, originally meant to raise funds for their Florida trip, to instead offset her medical bills. The event on this weekend was the first of four they had organized. Because they couldn’t advertise them as a school function, they went out of their way to avoid any connection.
That was the reason their coach, and their mothers weren’t there. They had behind the scene jobs of keeping track of the money raised and setting up a separate bank account in case donors wanted to just send in contributions.
At the beginning, Rita was reluctant to accept the girls’ offering. Marion told her that this was the community’s way of giving back to her. It was a gift of love and she should accepted as the out-pouring of gratitude it was. Rita’s doctors told her the stress of worrying over the lack of insurance was not helping, and she would benefit far more from alleviating that stress than any medication she could prescribe.
The day before, Marion had stopped by the bank to get seed money for the car wash. They would need ones, five, probably even a few ten dollar bills. Enough to make change for the car wash patrons. Pulling in behind an SUV with a Girl Scout bumper sticker, she filled out her withdrawal slip. An envelope of cash dropped down through the pneumatic tube system. Inside was an odd dollar bill, red ink stamped along each edge.
The girls had all made T-shirts to wear to the car wash, avoiding even wearing their school colors. They recruited other team members’ moms to act as chaperones, and
had enlisted area businesses to contribute supplies. The Dollar Store gave bottles of dish soap and buckets, Ace Hardware provided brushes and sponges, O’Reilly’s donated tire cleaner, and the Save Mart, whose parking lot their were commandeering, was letting them use the water tap outside the building for free.
Team dads joined the fun, hauling in shop vacs and garden hoses to complete the car wash paraphernalia. Signs were painted and held up at the roadside by teenage girls in shorts and T-shirts. Local TV and radio stations promoted the events on air, and other community businesses helped advertise too.
That first Saturday morning, they had at least 10 cars lined up before the scheduled 9 a.m. start and were still washing cars and taking in money well past the 2 p.m. closing time.
The night before opening day, Carter Rhodes was home visiting his family. His youngest brother Clinton was turning 18 and he promised to be there for his birthday. The celebration was Saturday night, so Friday meant hanging out with some old high school buddies. Carter had stopped off at Kroger to pick up beer and munchies before joining the party.
At the check out a huge white bucket sat, filling up with change and handfuls of loose bills. The photocopied pictured taped to the outside look familiar.
“What’s that all about,” Carter asked, pointing to the bucket.
“Oh, that. One of the high school cheer coaches was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and the team is trying to help raise money to help with her medical expenses. They’re having a car wash tomorrow at Save Mart too. You should go.”
Carter knew the cashier, if only by her face. She had worked at the grocery as long as he could remember. She always asked about him and Clinton when their mother shopped there.
“Mrs. Wiseman has cancer, that’s terrible.” Carter picked up the case of beer, tucking it under his arm, dropping $10 into the bucket. “I’ll bring my car by, and ask the guys to come over too. Thanks!”
“No, wait,” Estelle, came around the end of the grocery carrel to stop Carter from leaving. “Not, Marion. The other one, so young. You might have even went to school with her yourself. Rita is her name, Rita Price.”
Carter almost dropped his beer. He knew Rita. He’d had a crush on her all four years of school. She was always nice to him, but he was so shy, he could never build up enough courage to ask her out, but they had been and remained good friends. They stayed in contact after graduation, sometimes calling or emailing. He once sent her a drunk text after he sold his dom,com business professing his undying love for her, but was able to convince her someone else used his phone to send it.
“Rita has cancer? She’s only 25, she can’t have cancer! Why didn’t she tell me?”
Carter, in a daze, walked out of the store, mumbling to himself. Sitting in his car in the parking lot, he tried to process the news. Wondering why no one had said anything to him about Rita. He took out his phone, calling up her number, his finger hovering over the send button.
Why wouldn’t she tell him? They just spoke last week when he called to tell her he was coming for Clinton’s party. They had even made plans for dinner that weekend before he left. Maybe she was waiting to tell him in person. That had to be it.
Driving by Save Mart on the way to his friend’s house, he saw the signs the cheer team put up advertising the car wash. He made a note of the start time and promised himself he’d get up early enough to be first in line. He hoped Rita would make an appearance, he didn’t want to wait to talk with her.
The looked a little older, a couple had even begun to lose their hair, but they all still acted like they were still in high school. A few of them were deep into a game of beer pong when he arrived. Puddles of foamy ale beginning to whiten the table’s finish. One guy, Jason, their senior year football captain, was already passed out on the living room couch. A few of the old team mates were taking turns drawing on his face.
Carter opened a cold beer, and walked around the apartment taking in the circus atmosphere. Of the ten seniors on their foot ball team when they graduated, Carter had been the only one to lease their small hometown. The day after their commencement ceremony, Carter had his old Jetta packed to the headliner and was on the road to the big city.
While his classmates were simply trying to pass English and Math, he had already built a successful Internet company. As a sophomore Carter had shown a talent for computer programming. He kept taking more and more classes, even picking up a few over breaks and summers at the local junior college, and by graduation was well on his way to making his first million dollars.
None of his friends knew about his entrepreneurial endeavors, but if they had he would have been the target of endless hazing and ridicule. They liked nothing better than to harass anyone they considered nerds. Rita knew about his success with his business, but not how successful. Even his parents were unaware of his monetary status.
After building it for another five years, while away at college earning his business degree, Carter sold it for a comfortable $10 million. He turned that sale into capital for his next company and was currently ranked in the top 100 Forbes among the up and coming young computer moguls to watch. He had achieved all this success and his hometown friends still have no idea. It’s not like any of them would be reading the latest issue of Forbes or catching up on the Wallstreet Journal.
A few of the guys had brought their girlfriends and wives. They had congregated out on the deck, cackling among themselves, comparing men like they had done since high school. Carter found a spot away from the women, to enjoy his beer and to process the news about Rita.
Pam, Jason’s long suffering wife, came over to Carter, taking a seat across from him. She and Rita had been close in school. Maybe he could get some answers from her.
“Hey, Carter, how’s it going,” Pam was leaning close to him, elbows on her knees, a half empty beer in her hands. The way she was sitting, it would have been easy for Carter to look down her shirt, her arms squeezing her breast together accentuating her already ample cleavage.
“It’s going pretty good Pam, how’s it with you and Jason?” He didn’t rise to the bait and stayed leaned back in his chair, Pam’s boobs remaining out of sight.
“Not too bad, Jason just got a promotion at the dealership and I’m lead stylist at the Clip and Curl now,” since Carter wasn’t showing any interest, Pam leaned back in her own chair, draping an arm over the back and crossing one ankle over a knee.
“That’s great Pam, really great,” Carter took a drink, waiting for her next question.
“So, who’ya seeing now,” she tried to be subtle, but she took a quick look over her shoulder at the huddle of available women, watching their conversation.
“I am currently single, not seeing anyone,” Carter raised his beer bottle to the women, saluting them. They all twittered, doing that little girl happy dance that now just made them look desperate.
“What are you doing now, still living in New York,” she made no pretense now, looking at the gaggle, waving her hand at them to be quiet.
“I run my own computer business and yes, I still live in New York.” He decided to just go with the interrogation, never planning to ask any of the women out. He knew them all already and had no doubt they had not changed one iota over the last seven years.
“Computer? You own your own Office Maxx? That’s cool!” Pam turned to give a thumbs up.
“Office Maxx? No, not exactly,” Carter laughed, but didn’t explain his job status any further. “It’s more of an Internet-related company, not a brick and mortar store.”
The way Pam’s eyes glazed over, he knew he had lost her on that description.
“It’s an online company,” he tried to help her out, but knew she’d probably never understand.
“Oh.. So, how long are you staying in town, got plans the whole time you’re here?”
Carter was amazed at her short attention span.
“I’m only here a few days, visiting with my family. My youngest brother is turning 18…”
He didn’t get any further into his itinerary when Pam interrupted.
“If you get lonely while you’re here, I could fix you up,” she smiled conspiratorially, winking at him and reaching across the divide, patting his knee, once again showing off her cleavage. “Anyone of the girls would be happy to entertain you for an evening. Might even agree to make you breakfast. Hell, if you ask nice, I’d go out with you.”
“Wow, Pam… I don’t know how I could turn down an offer like that,” Carter stood up, hoping to walk away uninjured. “Really, I’m pretty much all booked up with the family, and I’ve got an early flight back on Sunday. But, thanks.”
He saluted the single ladies again, and headed back inside the house.
Pam flounced back into her seat, shaking her head. The haggle let out an audible groan.
The kitchen door opened, and Carter made his escape.
“Thanks, I didn’t think I could take another minute out there, they were out for blood,” he didn’t notice who was holding the door until he was already through the door.
“You did look like you could use some help,” Rita closed the door and reached in to give Carter a hug.
He was speechless for a minute, leaning into to accept her embrace.
“Damn, girl it is good to see you,” before he knew it, he had turned his head to kiss her, and was pleased that she returned his gesture.
“Do you want to get out of here,” she asked, still holding onto his waist.
“Absolutely! I can drive.” Carter dropped his bottle on the counter and took Rita’s hand, navigating them through the mod of bodies mingling throughout the house.
Once outside, he pulled her close for another kiss. She let him, relaxing in his arms.
“Do you think it’s okay to leave your car here,” Carter looked around at the car lot tht had grown up in the front yard.
“I got a ride here with Pam,” she had taken his hand, squeezing it lightly when he smiled at her.
“Funny, Pam didn’t mention you were here,” Carter opened the passenger door on his silver BMW, helping her ease into the seat.
“She wouldn’t have,” Rita laughed softly. “She is trying to fix up her townie pals. Besides, she’s pretty much given up on matchmaking for me.”
Carter wasn’t sure how to answer that. He couldn’t know if she meant Pam didn’t expect her to be around to enjoy her efforts, or that Rita typically rejected Pam’s ating choices.
He must have been quiet for too long, Pam poked him in the ribs.
“You okay?”
He took a deep breathe, and decided to just jump into the conversation.
“I should probably be asking you that,” he turned slightly to look at her, reaching over to take her hand. “I stopped at the grocery earlier and saw the donation jars. Why didn’t you say something?”
Rita tried to pull her hand out of his, but he wouldn’t let her go.
“You could have told me,” he pulled his car over into an empty parking lot, turning it off so he could talk to her in quiet.
“What was I going to say,” Rita twisted in the seat, crossing her arms over her chest. shrinking in on herself. “It’s not exactly something you tell someone you want to look at you like… oh hell, Carter. I’ve liked you since we were in high school. I had always hoped that you’d ask me out. When you never did, I settled for just being good friends. When you told me you were coming back for Clinton’s birthday, I thought I’d tell you then.
“Then everything happened so fast. I didn’t want you to feel sorry for me, maybe get with me for all the wrong reasons. I just couldn’t tell you.”
Carter grabbed the steering wheel with both hands, his head down, trying to think of the right thing to say. Finally taking another deep breath, he opened up about his own feelings.
He confessed to his own love for her, and that he never felt good enough for her. That he gave her most of the credit for his success because he wanted to be able to impress her, to win her over with his prosperity. He wanted to be with her because of who she was inside.
They both sat very quiet, just looking at each other, then Rita began to laugh, with Carter joining in.
“I never knew Carter,” she said, wiping tears from her face. “I would have given anything… and I mean anything… if you had asked me out when we were in high school. I just thought you weren’t interested in being anything other than friends.”
Carter had started the car again, pulling back onto the main road.
“I thought you thought I was too much of a nerd. You were the only one who knew anything about my interest in computers, you really still are.”
He drove them out to the lake, where they could talk and watch the sunset. They talked well into the night. Sharing memories, thinking back on moments when they had missed opportunities to tell each other how they felt.
She told him about teaching and helping Marion coach the cheer squad, her eyes lighting up when she talk about how excited she got when her students ‘got’ something she was trying to teach them.
He told her about building up his first company and how well he did selling it. How he was now making a name for himself in the business world, and confessed to his actual financial worth.
“You’re rich” she asked in hush tones, like she was actually asking him if he was from another planet.
“As in ‘filthy’,” he said.
“Hmmm, interesting,” and she began to laugh again. “I wonder what Pam will sayu.”
—
The next morning he ordered room service for two while she was in the shower. She was toweling her hair when she stepped out of the bathroom.
“You have a busy day ahead, thought you might like a good breakfast,” Carter had laid out the plates on the suite’s table. Holding her chair, he waved her in to take a seat.
“Busy day, what do you mean,” she bit into a piece of bacon.
“The first car wash is today, you were planning to make an appearance right,” bacon held in mid-air, squinted at him. “You’re going?”
“Of course, I plan to be first in line, and if they need volunteers, I’ll stay and help wash cars.”
—
The day was a complete success. Carter kept his promise and stayed the whole day helping with cars, making change and keeping Rita company under a canopy one of the dads set up for shade.
True to his word, Carter pulled his car in line first, handing a giggling Danielle a $20 bill for the wash. She handed him back ten ones, include an old bill with red ink stamped along the edge, even when he tried to get her to keep them. Later Danielle and LIndsey told him about how the team had given up going to a competition in Orlando to hold the car washes for Rita instead.
When Marion showed up later that afternoon to get her own car washed he took her aside. He found out that the deadline to apply to the competition had not passed yet. When he asked her how much the team would need to still go on the trip, he had already decided he would be the squad’s angel, paying their way anonymously.
Before he returned to New York, he sent a letter to Marion, along with a check, asking her to take the squad to the competition and to win it for Rita. Over the next several months, the squad continued to hold the car washes, raising enough money for Rita to have her surgery. Carter came back to town every weekend to be with her, and stayed for a week when she went in for reconstruction.
He was in the audience when the squad won the first place trophy. He had his own presentation to make, fingering the small leather ring box in his pants’ pocket.
When the girls held their award high over their heads, he took the box, and went down on one knee in front of Rita where they were sitting in the stands, as the girls celebrated their win and their coach’s recovery, Carter was making his own declaration…
“This one is for you Coach Price!”
