Michelle and Jodie laughed, but Amaryllis found no humor in it at all.
“I don’t wanna look trashy, Jodie,” Michelle said.
“Not trashy, Michelle, but sexy is more like it. Remember how James acted a year ago when you came to church that night y’all met? You were looking as fine as you wanted to look and that messed him up. You had on a simple spaghetti strap dress. Imagine what it will do to him if you showed a little cleavage. Girl, he’ll probably tell Bishop Graham to skip the vows and go right to the ‘I do’s’. Then he’ll pick you up and carry you to the limousine and go straight to the hotel for a quickie before the reception. You’ve had James on lock down for a year and you know he’s set on go.”
The two of them laughed again. “Jodie, you are a bad, bad girl,” Michelle said.
“And in six more weeks, you will be one too.”
After they had left the bridal boutique, Michelle stopped at J.C. Penney to find a bustier that would make James’ knees crumble.
“You’re rubbing off on me, Jodie,” Michelle said as Jodie helped her into a hundred dollar strapless bustier.
“That’s a good thang, girlfriend.”
Amaryllis didn’t want to be a part of Michelle’s venture to buy undergarments that would make James’ head spin. She faked a headache and sat in Michelle’s truck and babysat Mya while the child napped.
Michelle and Jodie returned to the SUV. The ladies were on their way to Jodie’s house when Michelle’s cellular phone rang. She looked at the caller I.D. and recognized James’ number. “Hello, gorgeous. Not me, you are.”
Amaryllis’ blood began to boil.
“The girls and I just left the bridal boutique for our fittings. My dress is beautiful. You’re gonna love it.”
Jodie was sitting behind Michelle. She leaned closer behind the driver’s seat and spoke loud enough for James to hear. “You’re gonna explode.”
Michelle waved her hand, motioning for Jodie to be quiet. “Uh, she didn’t say anything, baby.”
Jodie yelled again. “I hope you’re a patient man, James.”
Michelle waved her hand at Jodie again. “Uh, she said don’t forget our plans, James. Remember, tonight we’re going out to dinner with her and Michael. Afterward, we’re going to see the stage play, Men Cry In The Dark.”
Amaryllis and Michelle got home at 4:30 P.M. Michelle had gotten the mail from the mailbox and saw the gold writing on an envelope. In the living room, Michelle set her purse, bags and keys on the cocktail table. “Jodie sent another one, Amaryllis.”
The puzzle piece showed the other half of a woman’s back and butt, and the man’s legs and thighs.
“I hope she’s not sending me a picture of her and Michael while they’re in the heat of the moment,” Michelle chuckled as she read the letter.
Nicholas Price has a little lamb, Whose fleece is as white as snow. Michelle is her name, Purity is her game. Being churchy is all she knows.
Michelle folded the letter and took it and the puzzle piece up to her room. “That Jodie is crazy.”
Amaryllis stood in the living room thinking to herself, Three puzzle pieces down and four to go.
James rang Michelle’s bell an hour early. She opened the door dressed in her red, satin robe. “Sweetie, you’re early.”
James looked at his bride to be. Even in her robe, wearing no make-up and with her hair pulled back into a ponytail, Michelle was breathtaking. “I know, baby, but I’ve been waiting to see you all day. I couldn’t stay away any longer.”
“That is so sweet, James. You always know just the right thing to say. You’re good for my ego.” She pulled him inside and hugged him, neither of them realizing that Amaryllis was at the top of the stairs listening.
“I’m going upstairs to take a shower. Why don’t you go into the den and watch television?”
“Okay, baby. I think a game might be on.”
As Michelle turned to walk away, James pulled her back to him. He started the kiss that followed, but it was Michelle that deepened it. When their lips parted, James was breathless.
“You trying to test me, Mickey? You better go on upstairs with that or else.”
“Or else what?”
“Or else I’ll backslide and it’ll be your fault.”
Michelle double dared James. She kept standing there, tracing his lips with her index finger. “I don’t think you got it in you, preacher.”
James reached for Michelle again and she took off screaming and running toward the stairs. Amaryllis hurried into her bedroom on the third floor.
James chased Michelle halfway up to her bedroom, but before he could reach the top step, Michelle slammed her door shut and locked him out. James, laughing, walked back downstairs and got himself a glass of Kool-Aid. He took it into the den and sat down to watch television while he waited on Michelle. Amaryllis stood outside of Michelle’s door and made sure she heard the water from the shower before she went downstairs.
James was into the television when Amaryllis came and stood nude in front of it. “Is this what you want?”
James was in shock. He looked at Amaryllis’ body and had no doubt that it was just as built and beautiful as Michelle’s. Alexander was right, they were identical in every way. But it was Michelle’s body that he’d been waiting a whole year for, and he’d continue to wait until the night of their wedding.
He took his gaze away from Amaryllis’ pierced navel and looked into her eyes. “Not from you.”
“Did you really think Michelle was gonna let you have her?”
“Let me tell you something, Amaryllis. I could have caught Mickey going up those steps if I really wanted to. I let her get away because I knew she was only fooling around. I respect my woman and I’m willing to wait until she’s ready. Besides, there is nothing you can do for me. Mickey is all the woman I need.”
Amaryllis walked to James and straddled him. He pushed her off and jumped up. “Get off of me, girl. When Mickey comes down, I’m telling her what you’re doing.”
Amaryllis gave James a wicked smile. “I dare you.” She turned and slowly sashayed toward the stairs. A moment later, she looked over her shoulder and caught James admiring her.
James sat down on the sofa and exhaled loudly. At that moment he realized the devil truly hated him.
Chapter 12
In the sanctuary after church, Cookie hugged Michelle. “It’s almost that time. How much longer until the big day?”
Michelle squealed in delight. “A little over a month. We’ve been planning this wedding for months and now I’m getting nervous.”
“It’s natural to be a little nervous.”
Michelle’s expression became serious. “Can I ask you a personal question, First Lady?”
“Of course, sweetie.”
Michelle looked around to make sure they were out of everyone’s hearing range and whispered, “Were you a virgin on your wedding night?”
Cookie chuckled. “I knew that was the question.”
“The reason I asked is because James will be my first and I’m freaking out. My nervousness isn’t about the wedding. I’m nervous about that night. I don’t know how to talk to him or how to touch him. I don’t know if I should wear a long sheer nightgown or something short, made of leather that comes with a whip and handcuffs. Do I initiate the lovemaking or let James take control?”
As Michelle was speaking, Cookie could see her hands shaking. She grabbed Michelle’s hands and guided her to the first pew and sat down. “I understand how you feel. I won’t say that you won’t be nervous because every bride is; especially a virgin. And yes, I was a virgin on my wedding night and my husband knew it. Does James know that you’re pure?”
“Yes.”
“James is like a son to me and I happen to know that he’s a very loving and caring man. My advice to you is let him be king. In other words, relax, follow his lead and go with the flow. Allow him to explore your body and mark every area with his scent. I have no clue if James is
a virgin or not, but if he is, he will be just as nervous as you.”
“He’s not a virgin, Cookie.”
“And how do you feel about that?”
Michelle shrugged her shoulders. “To be honest with you, Cookie, I don’t feel one way or another. Truth be told, I was shocked when James revealed his sexual past to me, but I have no control over what he did before he and I met. I’m just thankful that he hasn’t pressured me for sex. He’s been very patient.
“Well, if that’s the case, then he’s gonna want to make up for what he hasn’t been getting in a long time.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you can leave the whip and leather in the store. But if you come out of the bathroom and see James lying on the bed wearing a Lone Ranger mask and a red silk thong, then you’ve got yourself an undercover freak.”
Michelle hollered out loud then covered her mouth when she attracted attention. “What do you know about being a freak, First Lady?”
“You’re looking at one,” Cookie answered with no shame.
Michelle hollered out again. “Oh, no. I don’t believe it.”
“Believe it, honey. I may be a pastor’s wife, but I’m a woman first. And every move my husband throws my way, I can match it or master it. Why do you think we were late for church this morning?”
Michelle’s dark cheeks turned crimson red and she lowered her voice. “On a Sunday, Cookie?”
“Girl, yeah. On a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and twice on Saturdays if I make him pancakes.”
Michelle laughed so loud that she caught James’ attention.
He walked over to them. “What in the world has got you waking up the dead?” he asked his fiancé.
Cookie looked at him. “What’s your favorite breakfast food, James?”
“I’m coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs.”
They laughed at him as Cookie looked at Michelle. “Girl, if I were you, I’d buy stock in Cocoa Puffs.”
The women were hysterical. James stood looking foolish because he knew that he was the center of a private joke between his First Lady and future wife. “Uh, Mickey, I’ll wait for you in the car,” James said as he turned to leave. When James walked away, he heard laughter and turned around and saw them looking at him.
Cookie grabbed Michelle’s hands and held them inside her own. “With all kidding aside, Michelle, I want you to know that lovemaking with your husband will be wonderful. I’m sure on the first night James will take control, because he knows you’re delicate. But there are gonna be times when he’ll want you to initiate intimacy and that’s fine. During this time with him, you’re allowed to let your guard down and be open and carefree. Hold nothing back from James. His body is yours and your body is his. The marriage bed is undefiled. In other words, what goes on in your bedroom is between you and your husband, and as long as you’re not hurting one another physically, enjoy that private time. Your main goal, as James’ wife, is to keep him happy, satisfied and at home.
“Never, ever; I’ll say it four times, ‘Never, ever, ever, ever’ make the mistake of denying James access to what’s his. If you have a headache, take two aspirin, cast the pain out in the name of Jesus, then pleasure your husband and ... wear ... him . . . out. I want you to really understand what I’m saying to you, Michelle. You know what you got in James. He is a good man and there are plenty of women who would love to have your blessing.
“And trust me on this, sweet baby, whatever you do on your wedding night that pleases James, is what you gotta keep doing throughout your marriage to keep James. One more thing, if it turns out that James is a freak, then you’ve got to become a freak too because it takes one to keep one. Don’t you dare become so holy that you limit yourself between the sheets with your husband, because what you won’t do, another woman most certainly will. So, get on top of your game and let James turn you every which way but loose. I guess what I’m really trying to say is ... drop it like it’s hot.”
On the following Wednesday evening, Michelle held a fourth envelope in her hands addressed to her in gold lettering. The puzzle piece showed the left shoulder of the woman with blond hair.
Virgins are sheltered, And they never
get none. But as you can see in this pic-
ture, Blondes do have more fun.
Upstairs in her bedroom, Michelle added the piece to the puzzle and thought to herself. So, Jodie is wearing a wig. I always knew she was a freak.
As Michelle was going downstairs, Amaryllis was coming upstairs. She saw a blue box from Blessed Events Consulting in Michelle’s hand and asked, “Where are you going?”
“Over to James’ to address these invitations. I gotta mail them in the morning. You wanna come with me?”
“No, there’s an eight o’clock movie coming on that I wanna see.”
“Okay, I may be late getting in, so don’t wait up.”
Late? What does that mean? “You’re not spending the night with him, are you?” Amaryllis asked Michelle the question like she was scolding a ten year old.
“Excuse me?”
“How late are you going to be?”
Michelle was stunned at her sister’s tone of voice. “I don’t know, and why is that your business?”
Amaryllis knew she had to back off of Michelle. She didn’t want Michelle to know that her going to James’ house infuriated her. “Girl, I’m just trippin’. Don’t pay me any attention.”
Amaryllis went upstairs to her bedroom and slammed the door. Michelle wanted to go up and talk to her, but decided to let it go. She remembered what Jodie said about people not being happy for her and James. Amaryllis was too old to be behaving that way and Michelle was too old to be worried about it.
In her bedroom, Amaryllis placed a stamp on another letter addressed to Michelle and put it in her purse. She’d mail it in the morning.
James greeted Michelle with a hug and kiss when she arrived at his place. “Hi, gorgeous.”
“You’re the gorgeous one,” Michelle insisted.
“Not me, you are.”
“No, you are.”
Michelle sat down on the sofa. She leaned back and something dawned on her. She looked at the gray leather sofa and recalled seeing it somewhere other than in James’ living room. The puzzle, she thought to herself.
Chapter 13
The following Friday evening, James, with his best man, Alexander, his groomsman, Michael, and his future father in-law, Nicholas, all looked like royalty as they modeled their white tuxedos and white patent leather shoes at Just The Right Tux. James spotted a white top hat and a cane on a nearby rack. He put the hat on his head and then leaned on the cane, crossing his right ankle over his left. “Well, gentlemen, how do I look?”
Michael couldn’t help himself. “All you need is a pair of bifocals and you could pass for a black Mr. Peanut.”
The men laughed, then Alexander stepped to him and took the hat from his head. “Don’t get carried away.”
“Jealousy doesn’t look good on you guys. Don’t be bitter just because I’m about to marry the most beautiful woman God has created,” James boasted.
Michael looked at him. “That’s impossible, James, because I married that woman four years ago.”
“Michael, you’re crazy. Jodie ain’t even in Mickey’s league,” James argued.
“What? My wife will give Michelle a run for her money and leave her bankrupt.”
From his wallet, James withdrew a picture of Michelle. “Look at how long, silky and shiny my baby’s hair is. Look at how pretty her eyes are.”
Michael showed a picture of Jodie. “So what? Who cares about hair? Look at how beautiful Jodie’s nose and lips are.”
“So what? Mickey’s color can put Hershey’s out of business,” James said proudly.
Alexander stepped in. “That’s because she eats chocolate so much that it sank down into her pores, with her stingy self.”
“And Jodie’s hips are the reason hip huggers are back in
style,” Michael said.
“So what? Mickey’s got double D’s.”
That shut Michael up, and he placed Jodie’s picture back in his wallet. “I can’t touch that one.”
Alexander said, “I would love to take both Michelle and Jodie off your hands, but since they’re already spoken for, I’ll have to settle for Amaryllis. Now she’s finer than fine. How about it, Nick, may I have your daughter’s hand in marriage?”
“Alex, I’ll pay you to marry her and move to Alaska,” Nicholas responded.
“Why Alaska?” Alexander asked.
“Because it’s ice cold there and so is Amaryllis’ attitude. She’ll fit right in.”
Alexander chuckled. “I could live with that. We’ll settle down and get a penguin for a pet.”
James spoke. “Don’t be surprised if you come home from work and find that penguin on top of the stove boiling in a pot of water.”
That evening, Michelle opened another letter. This puzzle piece showed the right side of the woman’s back and butt. Michelle could also see her holding the man’s hands as they cupped her breasts.
When I was a girl I played with
dolls, But that was then. Now that I’m a
woman I like to play with men.
Michelle connected the piece to the rest of the puzzle. It was clear from what she received so far that Jodie and Michael were having a good time disguising themselves. But the sofa they were on wasn’t the sofa that was currently in their living room. Maybe it was an old picture, because in the two years she’d known Jodie and Michael, they’d had a white sofa. Michelle was certain that the sofa in the picture matched James’. Michael and James were friends. Was it possible that he and Jodie were at James’ apartment? Michelle quickly dismissed this thought because James would never permit this type of behavior on his sofa.
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