Pastor Damon moved his lips from Charisse’s mouth and kissed her up and down her neck. He breathed heavily and his hands wandered all over her body. Charisse moaned without realizing it. Pastor Damon unzipped her dress and pushed it off of her shoulders. When it dropped to the floor, Charisse stepped out of it and unbuttoned the one-piece garment she was wearing. Then she removed her panty hose. Pastor Damon removed his suit jacket and loosened his tie but never bothered removing his shirt. Then he stripped off his pants and boxers and waited for Charisse to bend over the edge of his desk.
When she did, Pastor Damon entered her aggressively. He acted as though he was punishing her.
He gave her exactly what she wanted and she welcomed it.
Chapter 17
TAYLOR
HEY, MARVIN,” I said, walking into the entryway. “I’m sorry to stop by so late, but I promised Brianna I would bring her package to her.”
“No problem. That girl has been waiting for you all night. She’s a clothes fanatic.”
“Auntie Taylor,” Brianna said, rushing down the stairway, smiling.
“Hey, sweetie,” I said, hugging her and kissing her on the forehead, and she reached for the UPS box I was holding.
“Let me see,” she said. “Will you wait for me to try it on?”
“I won’t leave until I see you model it.”
Brianna skipped back up the stairs.
“I was in the kitchen looking at the new television I bought today,” Marvin said. “Wanna see it?”
“Is it one of those miniature flat-screens?”
“Yep. I’ve been wanting to get one for a while but I kept waiting for the price to go down.”
We walked into the kitchen and I sat my purse down in one of the chairs at the granite-topped island.
“This is nice, Marvin. I’m not sure when I’d be able to watch it, but I’m getting one of these.”
“I like it, too. Charisse will probably throw a fit since I didn’t consult her. But that’s just too damn bad.”
Okay, time-out. First, Charisse was acting strange at lunch today, and now Marvin was saying that he didn’t care what she thought regarding his TV? And had he actually used the word damn?
But I decided not to comment.
“Can I get you anything to drink?” he said, and I sat down in the chair.
“No, actually, I’m fine. I had a vanilla latte on the way over here.”
“This late?”
“Unfortunately, yes. I’m planning to leave work kind of early tomorrow, so that means I’ll be up to the wee hours tonight working at home.”
“The life of a big-time attorney.”
We both laughed and he sat across from me.
“Check this out, Auntie Taylor.” Brianna appeared, sporting her new jeans outfit.
“You look good, girl. It’s definitely you.”
“I like it, too, sweetheart,” Marvin said.
“Now I’m going to try on the dress,” she said, and left the room.
I looked at my watch and saw that it was ten-thirty. “Charisse is at church awfully late, isn’t she?”
“To be honest, I really hadn’t noticed,” he said, popping the top from a bottle of beer.
At that moment, I wanted to run for cover. Why? Because I didn’t want to be anywhere near Marvin or this new beverage of his when his wife got home. Liquor? In Charisse’s house? Please.
“You know how she is when she goes around her church people,” he continued. “Time just flies like the wind. And she doesn’t even notice it.”
Marvin was being so sarcastic and now I was even more curious about what was going on between them. Usually he was this very reserved, speak-only-when-spoken-to sort of guy, but today he was different. He was acting like, well…a real man.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
“Has it ever been?”
I wasn’t sure how to respond to his question. Not when he’d always been such a yes-man and had always allowed Charisse to rule over him. The man was as compassionate and pleasant as can be, but Charisse treated him like he was soft.
“I guess I don’t know what you mean,” I finally said.
“Now, Taylor. Let’s be honest. Charisse and I have been married for years, but things were never okay. Maybe for her it was, but I was miserable.”
As much as I litigated cases week in and week out, I was still at a loss for words—again.
“I guess you’re shocked to hear me say that, huh?”
“No, not really,” I admitted.
“Well then, you understand why my attitude has changed.”
“So, how does Charisse feel about all this?”
“Your friend has got some real mental problems and she needs to see a doctor. Don’t you think?”
I’d heard that one before, even back in college from some of our dorm mates. Charisse did do and say some strange things, but I’d always overlooked them. Maybe I’d just gotten used to her personality and had accepted her for who she was.
Brianna walked back into the room before I could say anything and I was glad. She twirled around like she was on a fashion runway.
“I love that one, too,” I said. “And it fits perfectly.”
“What do you think, Daddy?” she asked.
“It looks good. As a matter of fact, I’ll probably have to hurt some little boy when you wear it.”
“Daddy,” she said, whining, and then said, “Thanks, Auntie Taylor. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too, sweetie.” Brianna held on to me longer than usual. She didn’t seem sad or like anything was wrong, but it was almost as if she hadn’t wanted to let go. Now I wondered what had gone on today between her and her mother. There was just no telling.
“I’ve gotta call Ashley to tell her about my stuff. Make sure you come say good-bye, Auntie Taylor, before you leave.”
“I will.”
Marvin flipped through the channels of his new toy.
“Well, I was planning to wait around until Charisse got home, but if I’m going to get any work done, I need to get going.”
“Aren’t you going to answer my question?”
“Which is?”
“Don’t you think Charisse needs to see a psychiatrist?”
“I don’t know. I mean, before tonight, I wouldn’t have thought she needed to see anyone.”
“But that’s only because she acts pretty normal around you and Whitney. She does the same thing at work and at church. But around here, she acts like a raving lunatic. Just this morning, she told Brianna that she loved her and that she wanted them to start doing things together, which is pretty weird in itself because you know how she normally treats Brianna. But when Brianna hugged her, she burst into tears and ran downstairs. And then guess what?”
“What?”
“When the kids and I finally got dressed and came down here to the kitchen, she had already cooked breakfast. It was as if nothing had ever happened. She was acting like June Cleaver or somebody. You would have sworn she was the perfect wife and mother.”
“Maybe you should get her to talk to someone after all.”
“I already tried. I figured I would wean her into it by getting her to see a marriage counselor with me, but she’s not hearing it. She went through the roof when I suggested it.”
“Maybe she’ll listen to me.”
“Maybe. But just so you know, I only want her to get help for Brandon and Brianna’s sake. Because as far as our marriage is concerned, that’s pretty much over. I’ll stay here until the kids graduate from high school, but after that, I’m outta here.”
All I could do was stare at him. I wanted to ask him to rethink his position, but I could tell his mind was made up.
“I really hate hearing that, Marvin.”
“I know, but it is what it is,” he said, and at that moment, Charisse walked inside the house.
“Hey, Taylor,” she said. “Marvin.”
“Hey,” I said.
Marvi
n just looked at her and turned up his bottle.
Now I wished I had left ten minutes ago.
“Did Brianna like what you bought her?” Charisse asked, and I couldn’t believe she was ignoring Marvin’s drink. She hadn’t said a thing about the television either.
“She loved the jeans outfit and the dress,” I said. “She tried them on and then went up to her room to call her girlfriend.”
“Good.”
“But hey, how was church?”
“Taylor, for the first time in a long while, I felt like God was right in my presence. I don’t mean in the usual way, but like He was with me physically. It was an experience that everyone should have before they leave this earth.”
Amazing. I was astonished by the way she was acting, and I could tell that Marvin was completely disappointed because he’d been hoping his new drinking activity was going to upset her. I assumed he’d wanted to reimpress upon her his new freedom to do whatever he wanted. But Charisse didn’t care. She’d had this massive revelation with God and was sitting on top of the world.
Marvin had said she was crazy, but now I didn’t know what to think.
Although I had a feeling I’d learn soon enough.
Chapter 18
TAYLOR
YOU KNOW WHAT, Jessica? I wouldn’t pay attention to a thing your husband says. He knows he’s going to have to pay and that’s why he’s trying to discourage you.”
“He told me that his attorney is much bigger than mine and that I won’t get a single dime. He says he has information that will keep me from collecting anything.”
“Like?”
“Nothing. I haven’t done anything but be a good wife to him and a good mother to our children. I’ve never done anything except what he wanted me to do.”
“Then if I were you, I wouldn’t worry about it. He’s only bluffing because he knows he doesn’t have a leg to stand on. The man has a deluge of residential and commercial property situated throughout this entire city, so he can certainly afford to give you child support and alimony. As a matter of fact, he’s going to pay you a percentage of everything he owns.”
“You really think you can make that happen?” Jessica asked.
“I’m positive.”
Jessica was so fearful, yet so innocent. It was the reason I wasn’t about to let her husband walk away scottfree. Jessica had somehow found the guts to follow him and his mistress to a hotel and had called me the very same afternoon. That was three weeks ago, but it hadn’t been the first time. She had called me six months ago, too, when she’d learned that Thomas was sleeping with yet another woman who lived down the street from them, but Thomas had convinced her to reconcile with him.
Now, though, Jessica had finally had enough, and I could tell she was going all the way to the finish line. She had finally decided that ten different women over the last twelve months were enough. And those were just the ones she knew about personally or those that the private investigator had discovered.
“Well, I sure hope so,” she said. “Because I can’t make it without money or a place to live.”
“Of course you can’t, and you’re not going to. When I’m finished, your husband will regret the day he slept with anyone.”
“Then I can’t wait till this is over.”
“It won’t happen overnight, but you’ll be satisfied in the end.”
“I appreciate all your help, Taylor. Especially since I can’t pay you up front.”
“It’s no problem at all. Thomas is going to compensate both of us eventually and I certainly don’t mind waiting.”
“I just hope he doesn’t become violent. He never has in the past, but I’m not sure what’ll happen once he realizes all the money he has to give up.”
“Well, if he does, we’ll slap an order of protection against him. We’ll do whatever we have to to keep you safe.”
“Maybe I’m just being paranoid.”
“Cautious is a better word, and there’s nothing wrong with being that way.”
“Like I said, I’ll be glad when this is over.”
“Believe me, I understand.”
“Oh well, I’ll hang up now, but I’ll call you if anything develops.”
“Please do. And you take care.”
It was almost a shame, but for as long as I’d been practicing, I’d always found satisfaction in punishing men who messed around on their wives. There was something so liberating about bringing them to their knees and then making them surrender part of their assets. I was sure it had to do with my college boyfriend proclaiming his love for me and then sneaking around with one of my sorority sisters. I remember how he hadn’t even denied my accusation. He’d acted as though he was well within his rights and that I should simply accept and get over it. It was the reason I hadn’t truly trusted another man until I’d gotten to know Cameron.
I made a few more phone calls and dictated a few letters for my administrative assistant. It was only two o’clock, but I’d cleared my calendar for the rest of the afternoon. I’d decided yesterday to cook dinner for Cameron. I didn’t do it very often, but I was starting to feel like we needed an entire evening with just the two of us. I wanted to have dinner, make love, and then talk about our future plans together. Quite obviously, the making-love part would be special because it had been over a week for us.
As I packed a few items in my briefcase, I heard a knock on my door.
“Come in,” I said, and sighed when I saw that it was Skyler.
“Going somewhere?” he said.
“Why?”
“Because your secretary told me that you were leaving early.”
“And?”
“You were just gone three days last week.”
“So,” I said, and looked away from him.
“So? Well, in case you haven’t realized, we have responsibilities around here.”
“Oh please, Skyler. My work is always done when it needs to be and I work more than enough overtime to make up for taking off the rest of the afternoon. The real partners aren’t complaining, so why are you?”
“You know, I’ve just about had it with you snubbing my position of authority.”
I looked at him and laughed. “You are such a whiner and the sad part is that I don’t even think you realize it.”
“What’s going on with the Harris case?” he said, ignoring my comment.
“I just got off the phone with her and everything is fine. With the PI report, we’re home free.”
“I hear her husband just retained John Wilcox.”
“And?”
Now Skyler was laughing. There was no doubt that he wanted us to win the case, but there was a part of him that wanted John to clobber me. He had seen me lose a few small cases, but never any major ones, and he longed for it. He needed it to happen so he could feel better about himself.
“You don’t have a chance in hell,” he said.
“Whatever you say.”
“I’ll be happy to take over the case if you want.”
“No, that’s okay. I’ll take my chances.”
“And it’s a mistake, too.”
“Oh well.”
“First, you conveniently get out of handling the case against your father’s employer, then you take on a case you can’t win, and now you’re leaving early.”
“And I won’t be here in the morning either,” I said matter-of-factly.
“And why is that?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I have a doctor’s appointment.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Are you saying that I’m lying?”
“I don’t know if you are or not.”
“Okay, Skyler, I’ve had enough and I’d like you to leave.”
“You know what your problem is, don’t you?” he said, heading toward the door and then looking back at me. “You need a man.”
“I already have one, remember?”
“I’m talking about a real one.”
“He is
real. As a matter of fact, he’s more of a man than you’ll ever be.”
“Then why are you always so uptight?”
“Because you bring out the worst in me. You’re always trying to question my ability.”
“I do it because you don’t respect me.”
“I respect those who deserve to be respected.”
“See, that’s what I’m talking about. You think you’re so much, and I get sick of you walking around here all high and mighty.”
“Skyler, please go. And for the record, the next time you come into my office trying to hassle me, I’m going to the senior partners.”
“Oh, so now you’re planning to tattle. I knew you weren’t as strong as you pretend to be.”
“If you keep pushing me, I’ll go see them now.”
“I’ve got a better idea. Why don’t you go work at another firm?”
“I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction—not personally or professionally.”
“You know what, Taylor…I’m sure you wouldn’t. Especially not personally.”
Skyler stared at me in a strange way and then walked out. And I couldn’t even say he was angry because that’s not what I was sensing. If I hadn’t known better, I would have sworn his feelings were hurt. But I knew my thinking was ludicrous. I knew I’d read his facial expression incorrectly and that I’d taken his words out of context—specifically the word personally.
I knew that Skyler and I detested each other and that’s all that really mattered.
I couldn’t believe it was already five and I was just now walking through the doorway. I’d stopped at the grocery store on the way home and picked up four salmon fillets, two bunches of spinach, and a bag of red potatoes. This was Cameron’s favorite meal and he loved when I made it for him. I had to admit that I loved salmon, too, and I usually had it at least four times a month.
I unpacked everything I’d purchased, put it away, and then went into my bedroom. It wouldn’t take long to bake the salmon, sauté the spinach or boil the potatoes, so I decided to take my shower beforehand. I thought about calling Whitney to see how her dieting had gone this afternoon, but since I’d already spoken to her this morning and she’d seemed fine, I didn’t. She was still very much into her new man and I could tell he was helping her motivation.
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