“I just wanted to surprise you with a little something because I truly am proud of you, baby.”
“You’re always doing so many nice things for me.”
“I do them because you’re my wife and because I love you.”
“Will you put it on me?” she asked.
“Of course,” JT said, taking the bracelet and placing it around her wrist.
When he’d fastened the clasp, Alicia turned her arm back and forth, admiring it. “You couldn’t have chosen anything better.”
“Well, actually, I could have, because there’s always something bigger and pricier to choose from when you’re shopping at Tiffany’s. But I thought this was pretty appropriate since I saw an asterisk marked by it in their catalog that came last week.”
JT saw the embarrassment on Alicia’s face, but then she said, “I hope you don’t think I was trying to throw you some sort of a hint, because I really wasn’t. I never even expected you to see that.”
“But even if you had, that would be fine, because how else will I know what it is you really want? I mean, yeah, you could simply just tell me. But this way you had no idea I was going to get it for you, and that made receiving it a lot more enjoyable. Right?”
“Yes,” she said. “It did. More than you know.”
“Then that’s all that matters,” he said, taking her into his arms again. His feelings were mixed, though, because while he was glad to be holding his wife, he couldn’t stop thinking about the woman he’d just slept with less than three hours ago. Veda Scott. The woman who not only resembled Michelle but who also felt like her in bed. He’d told himself this was just another impromptu tryst, the kind he enjoyed having on occasion, but he couldn’t push the woman’s beautiful brown eyes, her perfectly structured cheekbones, or her soft lips from his mind. Then there was the gentle way she’d stroked his face and the way she’d held him. The sex had been as wonderful as he’d expected, but what he couldn’t seem to let go of was the emotional connection. He knew it didn’t make sense, not with them just meeting each other, but he’d felt a certain level of closeness when he’d been with her. He’d felt as though he’d known her for years, and it was the reason he had to see her again.
Chapter 17
JT lifted his shiny black Montblanc pen away from the yellow legal pad and marveled at how good he’d gotten at writing Curtis’s signature. His diligence about practicing it over and over had paid off tremendously and only in one day’s time, too. He’d worked on it yesterday and then again all this morning, and he was now ready to move forward with the next phase of the process.
He picked up his desk phone and dialed his assistant. “Hey, can you come in for a few minutes to go over the ministry listings you’ve been looking up?”
“Sure. I’ll be right in.”
JT set the phone back on its base and slipped the pad of paper he’d been working on inside his desk drawer.
When Janet walked in and took a seat, he said, “So, how has all your research been going?”
“Wonderfully. And as it turns out, I was able to find a really neat website that lists congregations with five thousand or more members. It even included NLCC, so that was nice to see as well.”
“That’s very good to know because this means we truly are considered a megachurch. A mini megachurch, but still a megachurch nonetheless.”
“Absolutely.”
“Were you able to find anything else that might be helpful?”
“As a matter of fact, I found another listing that highlights only pastors who televise their services. Some locally, some regionally, and some nationally.”
“It’s amazing what you can find on the Internet these days.”
“I know, and all I did was Google a few different keywords and that was basically it.”
“Well, then once you have the addresses typed into a data file, we should be ready to mail out everything. Then I want to review the cover letter I wrote a couple of more times, and I should have my father-in-law’s recommendation letter on Tuesday or Wednesday. At first I was going to ask him to sign an original for each package, but since there will be so many of them, I figured I’d just have him sign maybe ten or twenty for the top ministries and then we can send Xerox copies to the others.”
“I agree, and since you’ll have Pastor Black’s letter by Wednesday, then I should be able to ship everything by next Friday. I’ll print all the documents and then have Martha assemble them,” she said, referring to one of the other secretaries who reported to Janet. There was a total of three of them, but Martha was the most efficient, and JT was glad Janet was assigning her to his mailing project.
“Then, after that, it’ll just be a waiting game,” he said.
“Oh, I think they’ll begin calling right away. You’re an excellent speaker and you’re the son-in-law of a very famous pastor, so what more could they ask for?”
JT sighed heavily. “I hope you’re right.”
“Of course I am, and if anything, you’ll have to figure out which engagements to turn down.”
“That would be an absolute dream. I mean, I know traveling is going to take me away from NLCC a lot more than some of our members will want, but if everything goes as planned, I’ll only have to do this for a year or two. Then, after that, my prayer is that our ministry will have grown in great numbers and we’ll be broadcasting nationally.”
Janet smiled and nodded her head in agreement. “It’s all so exciting, and I can’t wait to see it come to pass.”
“Well, I couldn’t do any of what I do without you, and I want you to always remember that. Hiring you a couple of years ago was the best decision I could have made, and I’m very grateful for all your loyalty and dedication.”
“You are quite welcome, and I just appreciate having the opportunity to be a part of New Life’s mission and the lives of the people who will eventually be helped by this ministry.”
“If I have things my way, we’ll be able to reach millions of souls on a regular basis,” JT commented, and then his cell phone rang. But when he looked at it and saw the word “private” displayed on the screen, he hit the ignore button. He’d unblocked Carmen’s phone number, thanks to all her petty threats, but he’d also made it very clear that if she couldn’t help calling him, he would much prefer she disguise her number before dialing his.
“So, what are you, Richard, and Kayla doing for the holiday?” he asked Janet, trying to forget about Carmen and the fact that she wouldn’t stop bothering him.
“We’re eating at my parents’. They do a huge cookout every Memorial Day, and all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins usually attend. What about you and Alicia?”
“We’re going to my in-laws’. Alicia’s mom and stepdad.”
“Oh, okay. Will there be a lot of people there?”
“No, I think just the four of us, and to be honest, I’m really looking forward to not having to mingle with a whole lot of people. It’ll be nice just to hang out and enjoy a day of peace.”
“I don’t blame you,” she said, looking at the wooden clock on JT’s wall. “Gosh, I didn’t realize it was so late. So, if that’s all you have, then I’m going to head out to meet Richard for lunch.”
“Yep, I think that’s it for now.”
“Sounds good, and just let me know if you want to add something else to the package.”
“I will,” he said. “Also, if you don’t mind, can you shut the door behind you?”
“Sure.”
When Janet was gone, JT picked up his cell and dialed into his voice mail system. There was only one message, obviously from Carmen, and he dreaded listening to it. Still, he pressed 1 to play it.
“Hi, baby. I didn’t want anything but was hoping to speak to you for a few minutes. Anyway, I’ll see you in a few hours, okay? I love you.”
JT rolled his eyes toward the ceiling in disgust and pressed 7 to delete. This woman literally made him sick. She irritated the heck out of him, but sadly he had to go along with the program for now a
nd there was no sense in complaining.
Next, JT scrolled through his BlackBerry until he saw an entry for Victor Scott—the name he’d typed in when he’d entered Veda’s phone numbers, just in case Alicia ever saw reason to snoop through his contact listing. He’d given each of his women male first names, David Redding for Diana Redding and Carl Wilson for Carmen Wilson. This method had always worked in the past, even when he’d been married to Michelle, so he hadn’t seen a reason to discontinue using it now. He’d also asked Verizon years ago to stop sending itemized pages listing all of his incoming and outgoing calls, so he never had to worry about Alicia questioning any particular phone numbers. He never had to worry about her suspecting anything out of the ordinary when it came to the women he communicated with.
He selected Veda’s cell number and dialed it.
“Hello?” she answered.
“Hey, pretty lady. How are you?”
“I’m fine. How are you?”
“Couldn’t be better.”
“Wonderful.”
“So, are you at the airport?”
“Yes. It sounds like we’ll be boarding in just a few minutes, though.”
“That’s what I figured, because I remember you said your flight was leaving around noon.”
JT waited for her to say something but when she didn’t, he said, “I know this is going to sound strange, especially since we barely know each other, but I’m already missing you.”
“Yeah, right,” she said, slightly chuckling.
“I’m serious. I mean, I really like you a lot, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t get over the fact that you remind me so much of my former wife.”
“So, is that the only reason you wanted to be with me?”
“Well, I do have to be honest. Your resemblance to her is what initially attracted me to you, but now after being with you last night, I’m attracted to you as a person. There’s just something very special about you.”
“You think so, huh?”
“I do.”
“And I’m what, maybe the hundredth person you’ve told that line to in the last week?”
They both laughed and JT said, “Come on now. You’re not being fair.”
“I’m just saying.”
“I won’t lie to you, I meet lots of attractive women, but you can’t deny that there’s some pretty noticeable chemistry between you and me. Am I right?”
“I guess.”
“Well, I don’t guess. I know this for sure because it’s very unusual for me to feel like this so quickly.”
She didn’t respond again, so JT said, “I do have one question for you, though.”
“What’s that?”
“Are you seeing anyone?”
“Actually, I’m married. Unhappily. But still very married.”
“So am I, but I’m sure you already figured that out.”
“Yeah, I did. I saw the wedding ring on your finger, remember?”
“True. But on the other hand, I didn’t see one on yours.”
“Stopped wearing it a long time ago.”
“Then you’re on your way out, I take it.”
“Eventually. I have an eighteen-year-old who’s graduating next Friday, so once he’s off to college this fall, I’m planning to file for a divorce.”
“So, it’s that bad?” he asked, wondering how old she was, because she definitely didn’t look old enough to have a child who was about to finish high school. Not that it mattered to him one way or the other, though.
“I’m miserable.”
“I’m really sorry to hear that, but if it’s any consolation to you, I’d certainly like to see you again.”
“Oh yeah?”
“I would. So, when are you going to be back in the area?”
“I’m not sure, but I’ll let you know when I have another visit planned. My company sends me here at least a couple of times per month, so chances are I’ll be back in a couple of weeks.”
JT heard what sounded like the gate representative preparing to begin the boarding process.
“Hey, they’re calling first-class, so I have to get going.”
“That’s fine, but, Veda, I really want to see you again, and soon.”
“Just call or e-mail me, and we’ll talk about it.”
“I will, and you have a safe flight, okay?”
“I will, and you take care.”
JT ended the call, laid his phone on his desk, and looked at the picture-perfect five-by-seven wedding photo of him and Alicia. He wasn’t sure why she simply wasn’t enough. He wasn’t sure why he couldn’t resist being with other women. He honestly didn’t want to hurt Alicia, but he also couldn’t control his sexual desires or impulsive feelings. He couldn’t help doing a lot of the terrible things he did, and he wished there was something he could do to modify his way of thinking. He wished he could be a better man and stop lusting over this woman he’d just hung up with. But he knew that was never going to happen. He knew JT was going to be JT and that there wasn’t a thing he could do to change that.
Chapter 18
Thank you so much for treating me to lunch,” Carmen said to Alicia, and then leaned against her little red Nissan. The two of them were standing in the parking lot of a popular Asian restaurant located a few blocks down from the office where Carmen worked, and Alicia was glad they’d had a chance to get together.
“You’re welcome, and I’m really glad we could do this.”
“And thank you, too, for bringing me the manuscript,” she said, holding the brown envelope close to her body. “I’m so excited, and I can’t wait to read it.”
“Well, I just hope you like it.”
“I know I will, and I’ll be calling you as soon as I finish it. I also can’t wait for the actual book to be released, because then I’ll be able to tell everyone that I’m close friends with a published author.”
“You’re funny,” Alicia said, smiling.
“I’m serious. I’m so proud of you and everything you’ve accomplished.”
Alicia leaned against the side of Carmen’s vehicle but closer to the front of it. “Well, I’m just happy you made the decision to look me up online and then e-mail me, because if you hadn’t, we might not have ever connected with each other again.”
“I know, and now I’m sorry I didn’t try to contact you before now. Although, you know what they say, better late than never.”
“This is true.”
Carmen looked at Alicia for a few seconds and then said, “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course. What is it?”
“Did you ever in your wildest dreams think that your father would eventually be known all over the world and that you would ultimately marry a man like JT? A man who’s clearly on his way to being just as famous himself?”
“No, not really. I mean, I knew my father was very successful, but I don’t think I ever guessed he would do all the amazing things he’s been able to do.”
“Girl, you are so blessed. You have everything you could ever want, and most of us will never get to know how that feels.”
“I am blessed and very thankful for the life that I have.”
“You’re beyond blessed. And didn’t you say you only met JT because your dad spoke at NLCC one Sunday?”
“Yeah, and normally, I don’t even go with my dad and Charlotte when they visit other churches. But this time I’m glad I did.”
“I’ll say. And then there’s that huge rock you have on your finger,” Carmen said, reaching over and lifting Alicia’s hand. “I mean, my goodness, it must have cost a fortune.”
“JT is definitely very good to me.”
“Girl, he’s better than good, and I just pray that I’ll eventually find a man just like him.”
“You will.”
“I don’t know. I keep thinking that all I have to do is be patient, but what I want more than anything is to find someone and get married. Sooner rather than later. What I want is to love someone, have them love me
back, and then live happily ever after just like in the fairy tales.”
Alicia set her take-home container on the car hood. “Have you been praying about it?”
“Every day.”
“Then all you have to do is trust and believe and keep praying for the kind of husband and life you want just like I did. God always gives us the desires of our heart, and you have to keep your faith in that. My first marriage turned out terribly, but now I couldn’t be happier.”
“Maybe I just need to pray a little harder and a little more often.”
“It certainly won’t hurt, because you can never talk to God too much. My dad is always saying that the more time you spend with Him the better off you’ll be, and I think he’s right.”
“I’m sure he is,” Carmen said, turning the top of her wrist upward and looking at her watch. “Well, girl, I’d better get going. I hadn’t told you, but the other reason I took this afternoon off was because I have a hot date.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yep.”
“And when do I get to meet this hot date of yours?”
“Maybe at some point.”
“Okay, well, do your thing, girl,” Alicia said, hugging her. “Have a great time.”
“I definitely will. That you can count on.”
JT had just finished showering and now stood in front of the gold-trimmed, full-length, oval mirror in Carmen’s room, putting his clothes back on. She was sitting on the side of her bed watching him.
“I’m so glad you came by, baby,” she said, but all JT could think was how, for the first time since he’d met her, sex with Carmen had been average at best. He hadn’t even wanted to do it at all, and the only reason he had was because he hadn’t wanted to hear any of her whining.
So he pretended as though he couldn’t have felt better. “I’m glad I came over, too.”
“I’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you, too,” JT said, zipping his pants.
“You’re everything to me, baby, and no man could ever take your place. You hear me?”
“I’m glad you feel that way.”
Be Careful What You Pray For Page 10
