Charlotte wondered what was so important, and it made her nervous. She called him immediately.
“Hey you,” he said.
“Hey. So, what’s up?”
“I called to let you know that Sybil knows about us.”
“What? How?”
“She says she knew about you when I started seeing you years ago, and she knows you met me at Gerald’s a couple of weeks ago. But it gets worse.”
“What?”
“She knows I rerouted my Miami flight to West Palm Beach, and that you were there with me. She’s been paying someone to follow me, and to be honest, I didn’t think she had it in her. I mean, women do that all the time, but not women like Sybil.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“She’s so laid-back and nonchalant. She’s angry as I don’t know what, but I just wouldn’t have pictured her calling any private detective. If you want to know the truth, I didn’t even think she was smart enough.”
“So what is she planning to do with all this information?” Charlotte asked, fearing the unthinkable.
“She’s threatening to tell your husband.”
“You…have…got…to…be…kidding…me.”
“No, I’m not. She’s blaming you for our breakup.”
“Why? Because it’s not like the two of you have been happy for years now.”
“I know. I told her the same thing but she said that regardless of how many affairs I’ve had, this was the first time I saw a reason to file for a divorce.”
“That’s crazy.”
“Well, maybe. But, actually, she is right because it was only after I fell in love with you that I knew I couldn’t be with her anymore. I knew it was finally over between us.”
“Unbelievable. Do you think you can stop her from calling Curtis?”
“I doubt it. She’s a woman scorned, and I don’t think there’s much anyone can say to her at this point.”
Charlotte wanted to laugh out loud just to keep from crying. This just couldn’t be. Not now, when she was still trying to figure out how to end this Tom foolishness and make things right with her son.
“This isn’t good,” she said.
“I know, and I’m really sorry to have to tell you all this.”
“I’m sorry, too. Very sorry that I slept with you. I never should have done that and now my marriage could be ruined because of it.”
Michael didn’t say anything.
“Why are you so quiet?”
“You don’t wanna know.”
“I do. So tell me.”
“Look. For your sake, I don’t wanna see your marriage broken up. But I’d be lying if I said it would make me sad. Not when that would mean I’d finally have a real chance at being with you.”
“I can’t believe you’re saying that.”
“I’m just being honest.”
“I have to go,” she said.
“Baby, please don’t be angry with me.”
“Good-bye, Michael.”
Charlotte tossed her phone onto the desk. How dare he wish that something bad would happen between her and Curtis? Yes, she knew he’d said he was in love with her, but he also knew she was in love with her husband. Michael knew because she’d told him so. He knew this was the reason she’d made it clear that she couldn’t see him again.
But what was she going to do now? What if Sybil was on the phone with Curtis at this very moment, disclosing everything? What if Curtis then called her to confront her about it?
Charlotte paced back and forth, wishing she had a drink to calm her nerves. But she knew alcohol wasn’t the answer, because alcohol had been part of the reason she’d been so quick to sleep with that Tom.
Charlotte’s phone rang, and all she could think was, Speak of the devil.
“What do you want?” she screamed.
“You, of course,” Tom said, snickering. “And how’s that kid of yours?”
“He’s horrible, thanks to you. And why on earth did you involve him in this?”
“All in good time. You’ll know soon enough. But in the meantime, I want to see you again.”
“No. I’m not doing that anymore.”
“You’ll do what I tell you, or I’ll send that little porn picture of yours to more than just Reverend Black.”
Charlotte felt faint and quickly sat down in her chair.
“For example,” he went on, “I wonder what your parents would think about it? Wonder how they’d feel about all the whoring around their little girl is doing.”
Charlotte couldn’t speak.
“What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?”
Charlotte still said nothing.
“Ignore me if you want. But you will do what I say or face consequences.”
Charlotte just sat there.
“Oh,” he said. “And I’ll call you with the location and time in a few days. You take care now.”
Charlotte set her BlackBerry down and wept. Lately she cried all the time, but she knew she had reason. Plenty of reason and far too much of it.
She wondered if maybe she should simply go ahead and tell Curtis the truth, so this part of her nightmare would be over with. But she knew he would never forgive her for this, just like he would never forgive her for Michael—once he learned about her affair with him.
He would probably never speak to her again, and neither would Matthew. They would shut her completely out of their lives, and she wouldn’t be able to bear that. There wouldn’t even be a reason to live.
Chapter 39
Curtis read through one of the résumés the headhunter had e-mailed him an hour ago. It was a pretty quiet morning, but he knew that was because not every staff member at Deliverance Outreach worked on Mondays. Many of them had various duties on Sundays just like he did, so it was only right that they only had to work four days during the week.
Curtis set aside the résumés of two potential candidates and skimmed through another. Some lived right there locally and others lived in the Chicago area, but they all seemed very well equipped to handle a CFO position. He was also looking forward to speaking with a guy Anise was highly recommending, since he currently worked as a VP of Finance for a large nonprofit organization. The other plus was that he was a man. Curtis wasn’t a male chauvinist and had no problem hiring any woman as long as she was the most qualified and a good fit for the position, but after that whole Raven fiasco, hiring a man would be a welcome change.
Even though four days had passed since Barry and Joel had escorted her out of there, Curtis was still pretty dismayed by her actions. She’d done a great job for the church and had seemed very well put together as a person, but then she’d switched her persona. She’d turned into someone he didn’t know, and he was glad he’d never gotten involved with her. Even the thought of what she might have done had he given in to temptation and had actually slept with her was disturbing, because there was no telling what the outcome would have been.
Then there was Sharon, who hadn’t been able to take her eyes off of him during service yesterday. He knew this not because he’d been staring at her nonstop but because every time he occasionally looked her way, her eyes were fixed on him. He wouldn’t deny that she made him feel a bit uneasy because of the chemistry they definitely had between them, but he was serious about not calling or seeing her again. He’d made up his mind about that and was very proud of his decision.
Curtis’s phone rang. “Hello?”
There was no response.
“Hello?” he said but then saw the call ending.
He wondered if someone’s mobile device had dropped the call or if someone had simply dialed the wrong number. He looked up when Lana knocked on his door, which was already open.
“I’ve got a few other items for you to look at and about five letters for you to sign, but it’s no rush.”
“Sounds good. I’ll try to get to them today, but if not, tomorrow.”
“So, how are things at home?” she asked.
; “Actually, they’re a hundred percent better. Charlotte has done a total turnaround, and she’s even warming up to Curtina in a way like I’ve never seen her do before.”
“Praise God. What a blessing.”
“I know. And I have to tell you, being happy with her again has dropped my stress tremendously.”
“I’m sure it has, and I’m so happy for you, Pastor.”
“I appreciate that, Lana.”
“Also, I let my niece read the early review copy of your book, and she said she’s never been more inspired.”
“Well, good. And thank you for giving it to her.”
“Now, she’s waiting on the next one just like the rest of us.”
“I’ve been gradually mapping out the outline, but with all that I’ve been dealing with personally, I haven’t done nearly as much as I would like.”
“Well, at least you got this one finished pretty early.”
“Yeah, and I’m glad because once we move closer to the dedication ceremony and begin all the other activities for the new building, there won’t be much time for anything else. I’m also glad it won’t be out until early next year, so that I’ll be here regularly for at least the first six months after we move in.”
“Oh that’s right. You’re doing a pretty extensive tour this time around.”
“Yeah, it’s time. I did maybe five cities for each of the last two books, but I haven’t done a standard tour since Curtina was born.”
“You haven’t traveled much at all. Not even for general speaking engagements, because I’m still getting no less than two calls per week from churches, seminaries, and a lot of other organizations. They’re still trying to book you.”
“I know. My publicist has been telling me the same thing, but I just don’t want to start back being on the road all the time again. Not when Curtina and Matthew really need me here right now, and Charlotte and I are finally content again.”
“I completely understand. And by the way, how is Matthew?”
“Still not himself. And over the last two days, he’s been more quiet than he was when the hostage incident first happened.”
“Poor thing. I will certainly continue to keep him in my prayers.”
“Yes, please do,” Curtis said right when his office phone rang. “Yes?”
It was one of the assistants who reported to Lana. “Good morning, Pastor Black.”
“Good morning to you, Kristen.”
“I have a Bruce Betts on the line for you. He says he and his former fiancée came in to see you last week.”
“Yes. Please put him through.”
“I’ll talk to you later,” Lana said, and Curtis nodded.
“Good morning, Bruce.”
“Good morning, Pastor. How are you?”
“I’m well, but what’s this ‘former fiancée’ news I just heard about?”
“Well, Pastor, I just want to thank you for meeting with us when you did, because that counseling session really opened my eyes.”
“It sure sounds like it.”
“It did. Stephanie is definitely not the right woman for me, and I’ve never been more positive about anything. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I love her, and it will be a while before I stop loving her, but she’s just not the one. Stephanie is a woman with her own agenda and couldn’t care less about our plans and our life as a couple.”
“Well, I’m really sorry things didn’t work out for you, Bruce, but it is better to have realized this now rather than later.”
“I agree. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know and to thank you again.”
“You take care of yourself, and please call me anytime.”
“I will. You have a good day now.”
“You, too.”
Curtis thought back to his meeting with Bruce and Stephanie and had to admit he wasn’t shocked over the breakup. They had two major incompatibilities, and he was sure that if he’d had the chance to counsel them again, he would have learned there were even more of them. He did feel bad for Bruce, but just as he’d told him, it was better to find out beforehand and not years and years down the road.
Curtis picked up another résumé but frowned when he heard his phone ringing again. No number displayed, just like it hadn’t the last time, but he still answered it. “Hello?”
Nothing.
“Hello?”
This time Curtis hung up first. He wasn’t sure if it was Raven or Sharon, but regardless of which one of them it was, he wouldn’t tolerate these kinds of games. He’d ended what brief relationship he’d had with Sharon and fired Raven, and he wouldn’t deal with any aftereffects. Not now or in the future.
Chapter 40
At least three hours had passed since Charlotte had spoken to Michael, but she was still nervous and very upset. Worried to death was more like it—over the possibility that Sybil would be calling Curtis anytime now. How could I have been so stupid? Why?
Charlotte looked out of the window, then went back to her desk and sat down. She sat there for a couple of minutes but then stood up again. The curiosity was killing her but not more than her fear of Curtis finding out the truth.
Charlotte’s cell phone rang, and she jumped. The words Deliverance Outreach displayed across the screen, and she was terrified to answer the phone. She knew it was Curtis, and that he now knew everything about Michael. So, she hesitated. Her phone rang and rang, but she finally answered it before it went to voice mail. She didn’t say anything, though.
“Hello?” Curtis said.
“Hey,” she responded.
“Why didn’t you say anything when you first answered the phone?”
“I did. There must be some sort of glitch with the volume.”
“Oh. So what were you doing?”
“Not much. Why?”
“No reason. I just wanted to hear your voice and to tell you I love you.”
Charlotte breathed normally again. What a relief.
“I love you, too, baby,” she said.
“And hey, did you check on Agnes?”
“I did. She sounds terrible, so I told her to take the rest of the week off if she needs to.”
“I’m sure she wasn’t happy to hear that.”
“No, she wasn’t. You know how she hates missing work.”
“That I do. I hope she feels better soon, though.”
“I’m sure she will. So, have you thought about what you want for dinner tonight?”
“Not really, but I’m fine with just about anything. Actually, I can pick something up on my way home, if you want.”
“That would be great, because I really don’t feel up to going out today.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she said, lying. “Just lazy is all.”
“Nothing wrong with that. If I were home, I’d be lounging around myself. But duty calls.”
“I wish you were here, too.”
“Well, baby, I’d better run, but I’ll see you this evening.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Charlotte set the phone down and thanked God she was still safe. So far, Sybil hadn’t called Curtis yet, and the longer she took to do that, the better Charlotte would feel. Maybe—just maybe—Sybil would realize calling Curtis really wasn’t going to benefit her in any real way, and she would change her mind about contacting him. Maybe she’d realize it wasn’t worth causing problems for someone else just because her marriage was over with. If only Charlotte could be so fortunate.
Charlotte browsed a few department store websites and then read some of the day’s headline stories on AOL. She clicked on one after another, but then her phone interrupted her concentration. She looked over at it and saw that infamous word again: Private. It was Tom, of course, but she decided to ignore it. It rang and finally stopped, but then he called a second time. Then he dialed her back again, and also a fourth time. She wasn’t sure why he was calling, since she’d just spoken to him this morning, but she couldn’
t talk to him right now. She couldn’t deal with hearing whatever he so desperately wanted to say to her. Not when she had to focus on this Sybil and Michael problem.
Charlotte went back to reading an article on health care and the ridiculous congressional fight that was still lingering because of it, but her phone rang yet again. If this was Tom, she was going to read him his rights and tell him where to go. Thankfully, though, it was Janine instead.
“Hey, J,” she said.
“Hey, how are you?”
“Girl, where do I begin?” Charlotte said, ready to pour her heart out. She didn’t want to tell anyone, but if she didn’t confide her feelings soon she was going to burst.
“Oh, no. This doesn’t sound good.”
“Do you have a little time?”
“I do. I just finished my last class for the day.”
“Well, the thing is, I had an affair on Curtis.”
“Charlotte, no,” Janine said.
“Yes. I did.”
“When?”
“Over the last two weeks. It wasn’t long at all, and I’ve already ended it.”
“Does Curtis know about this?”
“No, but Michael, the guy I was seeing, says his wife does and that she’s threatening to tell him.”
“How did she find out?”
“She had Michael followed. Even when we were in Florida together.”
“So that’s who you went away with during Super Bowl weekend?”
“Yes, and I’ll regret it from now on. I regret the whole thing.”
“How did you meet this guy?”
“I dated him right before Curtis and I started seeing each other again. But a couple of weeks ago, I was searching for people on Facebook and decided to look him up.” She then told Janine the rest of the story.
“What are you going to do?” Janine asked, sounding very hurt by what she was hearing.
“I don’t know. What can I do, except wait?”
“You have to tell him, Charlotte. You have to tell Curtis the truth as soon as possible.”
“I can’t.”
“You have to before he finds out from this guy’s wife or maybe even someone else.”
“Curtis will never forgive me for this one.”
Love, Honor, and Betray Page 20
