July 9, 2019

Five years after a rocky divorce, Donna Madison is out on her first date. But when she is stood up by her date, she’s not too upset because a surprise “replacement” date saves the night. The man who shows up at her table is a childhood friend she hadn’t seen in fifteen years. Maxwell Anderson is no ordinary blast from the past, and Donna can’t help but wonder if the unexpected meeting has divine purposes.

Victory Gospel Shorts are sweet Christian romance short stories from 8,000 to 10,000 words, or 32-40 book pages. Meet a different member from the Victory Gospel Church family. Don’t be surprised if you see a character from the Victory Gospel Series or the Reed Family Series in a story.

NOTE: This story is a part of the Love Knows My Name anthology.

Read an Excerpt…

I pulled into the Carrabba’s Italian Grill parking lot and cut off the engine. This is where things got tricky. My stomach had calmed down the last few minutes of my drive, but as soon as I turned the key in the ignition, the butterflies returned in full force. I was ten minutes early so I sat for a few minutes. Tonight’s date was either going to be the change I needed or would have me scrambling back to the safety of my quiet non-social life.

Lord, I’m trusting you to help me out here. 

I stepped out of the car and glanced at the sky. The sky remained clear, but I could still see clouds in the distance. I reached for the umbrella and tucked it under my arm before peeking at my phone.

I was still about five minutes early for the seven o’clock dinner date, and I was definitely hungry. I hadn’t eaten anything since lunch. I hoped my hunger and nerves would settle down so I could enjoy my meal.

I swung the doors open and entered the restaurant. There was quite a crowd so I stood to the side seeking out signs of George. I had never met George in person, but Fatima supplied me with plenty of pictures. And last night, I friended him on Facebook, so this wasn’t totally a blind date. There was some advantages to social media. 

The crowd seemed to keep packing inside the doorway, so I inched my way to the hostess and asked, “Has George Saunders arrived?”

The hostess checked her list. “I don’t have a Saunders. Can I take your name?”

I was a little perplexed. It was officially seven o’clock, and someone needed to get the table. I placed my name on the list, and then sat on the edge of a bench occupied by a group of college-aged women. As they chattered, I pulled out my phone to see if George had sent a text message.

There was nothing. I didn’t like being late and frowned upon others’ tardiness as well, especially on occasions like this. Despite the crowd, the hostess called out, “Madison.”

Still a little worried, I popped up from the bench and followed her to a table in the back.

A few seconds later, a clean-cut, young man appeared and smiled down at me. “Ma’am, can I get you a drink?” He placed menus on the table. 

“Sure, I’ll start with a glass of water for now.”

“Great. Will someone be joining you?”

My nerves wrapped around my heart a brief moment. 

What if George didn’t show?

I pushed the thought away. “Yes, my date will be arriving soon.” 

After the waiter left, I noted that my phone displayed ten minutes after seven. I tried to not let my nerves take over, but a full fifteen minutes had passed.

The waiter came back with my water. “Would you like to order an appetizer?”

I was really tempted, but I shook my head. “No, I’ll wait.”

I peered at my phone again and grimaced. It was Friday night and Charlotte’s traffic remained heavy in some areas. I gripped the glass of water and took a sip. I often ate by myself, so I did what I usually did and kept busy with my phone. It occurred to me that most of my communication with George had been through Facebook Messenger. I wondered if he had sent a message and I missed it. I clicked to open the app, but none of the messages I saw were from George. By the time I responded to all the messages, another seven minutes had flown by. 

The disappointment of George not showing started to weigh on me. Not to mention the fact that I was really hungry. 

Should I just order something?

I searched the restaurant for my waiter.

I decided if George didn’t show in the next five minutes, I wasn’t going to waste my entire evening. And I would most certainly call Fatima and tell her what I thought about her matchmaking skills.

I passed the time looking through my emails. Most of them, I usually ignored and should have unsubscribed from a long time ago.

A shadow crossed over my face, and I felt the presence of a tall figure standing by the table before I looked up. I peered up with expectancy, hoping my eyes wouldn’t flash the anger I was feeling from waiting so long.

My eyes locked on the hovering figure. For a brief moment, it felt like everyone else in the restaurant faded into the background. 

The man who stood in front of me was definitely not George.