“It was good talking to you, Alicia, and remember what I said, you can call me anytime.”
“Okay, bye.”
Alicia pressed the flash button and dialed her father’s cell number.
“Hi, baby girl,” he answered.
“How’d you know it was me?”
“Caller ID of course.”
“Oh.”
“So how are you?”
“I’m fine, but who’s making all that noise in the background?”
“Those are just some other ministers having a few laughs. But hold on a minute while I go into another room.”
They sounded like wild animals instead of ministers, but she wasn’t going to tell her father what she was thinking.
“Okay, so to what do I owe this precious phone call?” he said.
“My school is having a ninth-grade father-daughter dance on the twenty-sixth, and I wanted to see if you could take me.”
“Of course I can, baby girl. You know I wouldn’t have it any other way. What time is it?”
“Six o’clock, and you have to wear a tux.”
“Well, you know I already have one of those, so I’m all set. But what about you? Do you already have a dress for it?”
“No, but I’m sure Mom will take me out this weekend to get one.”
“Well, if she can’t, you know Mariah would be happy to take you, too.”
“No, that’s okay, I’ll just have Mom do it.”
“Well, I’m glad you called me, baby girl, because I haven’t heard from you since you spent the weekend with us. I’m sorry for yelling at you, but the last thing I want to see is you failing one of your classes. You’re too smart for that, and I won’t be content until you’ve graduated from high school and gone on to college. I’ve been saving for your college education since the day you were born, and even though I had a setback when I left Faith, I never took any money from that account. So you getting the right education is very, very important to me.”
Alicia was a little shocked at what she was hearing. She’d heard him mention a college fund when she was younger, but she hadn’t heard him talk much about it in the last few years. At least he cared about something that had to do with her, and while she still wasn’t happy with him, she was elated to know that he was saving money for her education. Most of her friends couldn’t care less about their parents saving for college, but Alicia knew just how expensive it actually was.
“I know it is, Daddy, and that’s why I’ve turned in all of my history assignments.” She wasn’t sure if he knew about her skipping an entire week of math classes or not, so there was no sense in bringing it up.
“I’m glad to hear it. So tell me, how’s your mom doing?”
“She’s fine.”
“Tell her I said hello, and that if she needs money to get your dress, she can call me.”
“I will.”
“And, Alicia?”
“Yes.”
“You do know that I love you, right?”
“Yes.”
“I know I haven’t always done the right things, but next to God, you really are the most important person in my life.”
“Then why don’t we spend time together the way we used to before you married Mariah?” she asked, though she hadn’t meant to.
“Is that what you think? That Mariah is the reason I haven’t been able to see you as much?”
“Yes, because we did a lot of stuff together before you met her.”
“Well, let Daddy tell you a little secret. Mariah complains almost every day because she says I’m not spending any time with her either. So, baby girl, it has absolutely nothing to do with her and everything to do with the fact that I’m trying to get situated at my new church. I have the same responsibilities that I had when I was pastor at Faith and a whole new set of duties to go along with them.”
“Well, I still wish you’d make more time for me, because I miss seeing you,” Alicia said, and wondered if her father was telling the truth. If he was, she was glad to know that he hadn’t placed Mariah higher than her on his list of priorities.
“I miss you too, and I’m going to try to do better, starting with your dance next week.”
“Okay, well, I’d better let you go, Daddy. But don’t forget, it’s at six o’clock on Saturday. Not this Saturday, but the next one.”
“I won’t forget. I’ll have Whitney put it on my schedule, and I’ll also put it in my Palm Pilot. And, baby girl, you know you should come hear your daddy preach this Sunday for Easter.”
“I already told Mom and James that I was going with them to our church,” she said, knowing full well her mother and stepfather wouldn’t have minded one way or the other.
“Oh well, I just thought I’d ask. Maybe another time then. Also, I guess I’ll see you next week, because your mom left me a voice message a few days ago saying we have a counseling session scheduled.”
“Yeah, we do.”
“Okay, well, I’ll see you then, baby girl.”
“Okay. Good-bye, Daddy.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Alicia hung up the phone feeling happier than she had in a long time. She couldn’t wait to tell Julian how good his advice had been and how she was finally working things out with her parents. She was still sorry that she’d laughed at him that day he’d tried to have phone sex with her, but now at least he wasn’t angry anymore. He wasn’t angry because she’d called him back the very next night and two other nights thereafter and did everything he told her to do. She’d experienced sensations she didn’t even know existed, and she wished she could feel that good all the time.
But two nights ago when they’d chatted on-line, Julian had told her that phone sex was nothing, and that he could make her feel ten times better than that if she wanted him to.
He told her that all she had to do was come to his house for a visit.
Chapter 11
Right after Mariah pulled the taupe skirt from the sale rack, she checked to see if it was a size 10 and smiled. She and her best friend, Vivian, were standing in the misses department at Saks, down on Michigan Avenue.
“Girl, the one thing I was hoping to find was another one of these skirts, and now it’s even on sale,” Mariah said.
“You can’t beat that. But then, you could afford it even if it was still regular price.”
“Girl, please. I’m always looking for bargains just like everyone else.”
“Yeah, right, but not because you have to, Miss Thing,” Vivian teased.
Mariah loved Vivian like a sister. She was down-to-earth, very caring, and told everything exactly the way she saw it. In a word, she told the truth whether a person wanted to hear it or not. And she was beautiful, too. She wore a size 8, and at five eleven she looked more like a supermodel than the web site developer that she was. Her skin was smooth, she had crystal white teeth and a smile that would warm the attitude of an enemy. Even her hairstyle, which was barely one inch in length, was becoming of her.
“You know, V, I’m really glad we decided to go shopping today, because now I know that I really needed to see you,” Mariah said, still searching through the sale items.
“I’m glad we did, too, because it’s been a long time since we’ve gotten together. Especially since you married that fine-as-wine minister of yours. But as they say, I ain’t mad atcha, because if it were me, I’d be spending all of my time with him, too.”
Mariah hadn’t told her how scarce Curtis had been the last few weeks or about his not wanting them to have a baby. She wanted to pour her heart out right then and there, but there were too many customers surrounding them. Actually, there were more people than usual shopping in all the stores, since it was the day before Easter. So it was better to wait until they went to lunch.
“Look at this.” Mariah held up a to-die-for sleeveless turquoise blouse.
“That’s absolutely beautiful. You should definitely try that on.”
“I w
ould, but it’s a size eight and it’s got your name written all over it.”
Vivian admired it and pulled out the price tag. “I’m loving it, but this is way too rich for my blood.”
“But the question is, do you want it?”
“Girl, I’m not paying sixty dollars for this. And on top of that, it has the nerve to be on sale.”
“Give me that,” Mariah said, laying it across her arm on top of the skirt she was purchasing for herself.
“You know you don’t have to do that,” Vivian said.
“I know, but I want to. And if it’s okay with you, I don’t want to discuss it any further, thank you very much.”
“Oh, so now you’re running things, I guess?”
“You do catch on very quickly,” Mariah said, and they both laughed.
“You know I really appreciate it,” Vivian said, hugging Mariah.
“I know, and if you see anything else you want, all you have to do is say the word.”
They made their purchases, left Saks, and walked over to Water Tower Place. Once inside Lord & Taylor, Mariah found a pair of fuchsia shoes and matching purse to go with the fuchsia hat she’d ordered from a specialty catalog two months ago. All of her accessories would accent the off-white suit she was wearing to church tomorrow, so for the most part her shopping was complete. Vivian ended up finding the perfect deep teal skirt to go with the blouse Mariah had bought her, and Mariah offered to buy that, too. Now they were sitting inside FoodLife, a unique food court, if you will, filled with a variety of restaurants. Vivian was a devout vegetarian, so they’d both purchased huge salads and bottled water.
“So what do you and Curtis have planned for this evening?” Vivian asked, patting the corners of her mouth with a napkin.
“Not one single solitary thing.”
“Okay. Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“It’s the same thing I told you about when we spoke on the phone a couple of weeks ago. But now he’s gone even more than ever before. Even right now I don’t have the slightest idea where he is. He mentioned something about going to look at some new cars with one of his minister friends and then doing lunch with him. But I don’t believe it, because he just saw Tyler the other night.”
“Well, why do you think he would lie?”
“Because he has way too much lost time. He comes in around nine or ten on most nights, and the only reason he came home right after Bible study on Wednesday is because I was all upset.”
“Why? What happened?”
“I told him that I wanted us to start a family, but he was adamant about having us wait. He says it’s because he wants Alicia to get used to the idea of me being in the picture, and that he wants us to spend more time with her. But now I think he just doesn’t want to have a baby with me period.”
“Well, you’ve only been married for a few months, so maybe he just wants to have some time with just the two of you.”
“But that’s just it, we don’t see much of each other at all. He gets up bright and early every morning, works out for an hour, and then heads to the church. And then he doesn’t get home until nighttime. Sometimes he shows up early evening, but not very often. It’s always some ministers’ meeting, some meeting with the deacons, some revival at another church. It’s always something. And the one thing I haven’t told you is that I accidentally found out that he had a son with a teenager five years ago.”
“He what?”
“He has a son, and the only reason I know about it is because Alicia mentioned it when she was arguing with him. But if that hadn’t happened, I know he never would have told me.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Vivian said.
“Of course you do, you always have something to say, but you don’t want to hurt my feelings. But right now, V, I really need to hear what you think, because I’m not sure what I should do about this.”
“Well, first of all, any man who has fathered a child with a teenager and didn’t bother to tell his wife certainly can’t be trusted. I mean, you just don’t hide serious information like that. And now that you’re saying he’s never at home and doesn’t want to have a baby with you, I would have to question what he’s really doing when you’re not with him. And as much as I hate to say it, Mariah, I would have to wonder what whore he’s laying up with.”
That was the Vivian that Mariah knew all too well. But even though she’d asked her to say what she thought, hearing her words still hurt terribly.
Vivian obviously noticed. “I didn’t mean to be so blunt, but, girl, something doesn’t seem right with Curtis. Not based on what you’re telling me.”
“I know, and I feel so stupid. I feel like I’m some naïve little girl, and I don’t understand why I’ve always had to be so trusting of everyone.”
“There’s nothing wrong with having a big heart, and it only becomes a problem when someone takes advantage of you.”
“The sad part is that I love him so much. He has become my whole world, and now when I complain about what’s going on, he tells me I need to find other interests and that he can’t run a church and be with me at the same time. Even my mother said I should find other things to do and that I should stop nagging him.”
“No disrespect to your mother, girl, but if you’re telling me that the only time you see your husband is around bedtime, then you have every right to nag the shit out of him. I know you told me that he wasn’t at home as much as he used to be, but I had no idea that this had become an every-night thing.”
“Like I said, he is home early on some evenings, but it’s usually when I’ve gone on and on about how alone I feel. He only does it to pacify me, and I always allow it.”
“Have you thought about following him?”
“No.”
“Well, you should. All you have to do is wait for brother to leave the church and then follow him to his final destination. Because I’m telling you, the only way to catch any man dead in his tracks is to see it with your own eyes. It’s the only way you can confront him and prevent him from denying it at the same time.”
“I don’t know. I just hate having to go to such extremes,” Mariah said, folding her arms and feeling defeated.
“But if he’s messing around, it’s the only way you’re going to be able to prove it. I’ve never been married, but you know I have busted a couple of boyfriend-wannabe-players in my time.”
But that was just it, Mariah thought, Curtis wasn’t some boyfriend, he was her husband. He was the man who stood with her before God and his congregation and took everlasting vows. He was the man who’d said he loved her more than anything and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
“You know, all I ever wanted in life was to fall in love with the right man, be the best wife I could be, and live happily ever after,” Mariah confessed.
“And you deserve nothing less than that. So that’s why I’m saying you have to see if Curtis’s nightly excuses are legitimate or if he’s laying up in a hotel somewhere. And don’t get me wrong, I pray that he’s been telling you the truth, but if he’s not, then you have to give him an ultimatum. Either he can stop messing around or he can sign some divorce papers and pay you alimony.”
Mariah cringed at the thought of losing him and wished he would just go back to being the man he was when she met him. That way, she wouldn’t have to play detective, trying to find out if he was sleeping with another woman. Although if he was but was willing to stop doing it, she would gladly forgive him. She didn’t dare share her thoughts with Vivian, though, because she knew Vivian would think she was crazy.
“When I get home, I’m going to talk to him again,” Mariah said.
“That’s exactly what I would do, except I wouldn’t just talk to him, I’d tell him flat out that you’re not going to keep spending all of your evenings by yourself and that you want to start going with him to some of these so-called church events he can’t seem to miss. And you know what else? I would have a talk with his ex-w
ife. You said she seems pretty pleasant, so maybe she’ll be willing to shed some light on Curtis. I know he told you that he only messed around on her twice and that that’s the reason she divorced him and the reason he lost his church, but the one thing you can always count on is that there are definitely two sides to every story.”
“This is true.”
But Mariah wasn’t too keen on calling Tanya, because the last thing she wanted was for his ex-wife to learn that she and Curtis were having problems. No woman wanted her man’s ex-wife or ex-anything to know that there was serious trouble in paradise. Maybe she would call Tanya as a last resort, but she was hoping that there wouldn’t be any need for something so drastic.
“If I were you, I wouldn’t even take the chance of him not being at home when I got there. I would call him right now and tell him to get his behind home.”
Mariah didn’t want to do that either, but she went ahead and pulled out her cell phone just so Vivian wouldn’t think she was a wimp.
She dialed the house but he wasn’t there. She dialed his cell phone and heard it ring four times before his voice mail connected.
She didn’t bother leaving a message.
Vivian looked on curiously.
Mariah didn’t bother explaining.
Why? Because she knew Vivian was right. She knew she had to confront her husband in a way like never before.
“I still can’t believe that after all these years, here I am lying in your arms again,” Adrienne said, smiling.
“And just think, this is only the beginning,” Curtis said.
It was almost 9 P.M. and they’d been lounging around Tyler’s condo since ten that morning. They’d ordered lunch from a nearby restaurant, Italian for dinner, and they’d already made love three times.
“I really didn’t mean to stay here so late,” Adrienne said.
“Well, you know how time flies. And it flies even faster when you’re with the person you want to be with.”
“I guess I can’t argue with that, because this is clearly the best day I’ve had in a long time. I finally feel like I know what it’s like to be with you for a long period of time again. Remember when we used to spend all those hours together?”
Too Much of a Good Thing Page 11
