Preach to me Baby

by Hazel Parker

  When Sebastian got there, Mrs. Burns was beside herself, practically dragging him to the living room to serve him with a huge plateful of her famous cookies and milk. She chatted to him about her big concern for her son, telling him how absolutely sad she was that her precious little child was turning away from the Lord and succumbing to life’s evil ways.

  “What has your son been doing to make you think that, Mrs. Burns?” Sebastian asked politely while chewing over a cookie, which was still warm.

  The middle-aged woman turned teary eyes at him. “He has not been himself. He is distracted and sullen, and lately he has resorted to talking back to us whenever we try to reason with him! I’m just about all out of my wits trying to get him back in the world and the Lord. It’s the devil, I tell you!”

  Mrs. Burns launched on with more descriptions of her sullen son, and after a while, decided to introduce Sebastian to the said boy, named Adam. She made a stomp for upstairs and dragged the boy down, who was protesting at the indecency of being dragged down by the ears. Sebastian saw a tall, lanky boy of about fifteen, who looked like he might still fill out his body if he ate right.

  Mrs. Burns kept on with her nagging, and the boy only turned redder, avoiding his eyes. Sebastian didn’t say anything, merely kept eating his cookies and finishing his milk as he waited for the mother to finish.

  Once she did, she turned to Sebastian expectantly, pleading for his help as she told him even her husband couldn’t control the boy’s rebellious ways anymore. Sebastian took one look at the boy. Then he nodded his head.

  “I’d like to take him out, please, so we could have a heart to heart talk.”

  There was surprise at the request, followed by eagerness. Mrs. Burns wished him good luck. With a smile, Sebastian thanked her.

  *****

  Adam Burns was in love—or rather, on the cusp of a very passionate teenage desire for his delightful sixteen-year-old schoolmate. It took Sebastian half an hour to pry it out of him, and even then he was reluctant to give out the details.

  The schoolmate, Angela, had the face of an angel and was very popular in school for her kindness—but she was so, so poor that he knew his family would never accept her. Sebastian let him talk as he took the teenage boy to the town’s diner, ordering the works for the both of them—burger, fries and creamy milkshake.

  When Adam was done discussing the love of his life, Sebastian turned serious and gently asked him what he thought rebelling from his mother would do to his chances with the said girl. Adam explained that it was the only way for him to gain independence. Sebastian contradicted this with as much calm and diplomacy as he could, by asking the boy one question.

  “Don’t you think your parents will love it more if you’re obedient and respectful to them, and in turn it will make them appreciate the girl who had inspired you to such values?”

  Obviously, Adam hadn’t seen it from that angle. It was like a cloud had parted and all the answers were clear based on the boy’s expression, and Sebastian inwardly smiled as the boy exclaimed out loud how so much easier that sounded.

  When they went back to the boy’s home, he was back to his old, affectionate self, giving his mother a heartfelt speech about how he was going to be respectful from now on and apologizing for all his rebellion and talking back like an ungrateful son. Mrs. Burns looked teary-eyed again as her son excused himself and went back upstairs, but not without a wink from Sebastian, as if they shared a very special secret.

  In gratitude, the middle-aged lady declared that the devil was banished and it was all thanks to the good pastor Seb. She gave him loads of cookies in one huge container, and he ate the delicious things on the way back to the church, leaving some for the other pastors.

  At noon, there was a charity bake sale that was held in the front yard of the church. Headed by Ethel Green, it featured all the married women of Sunnydale with their favorite recipes.

  The delicacies spread out consisted of home baked goods that were almost always to-die-for, especially when warm: baked apple pie, cinnamon croissants, and caramel brownies, among others. He was pretty sure Mrs. Burns’ chocolate chip cookies would make an appearance in a few minutes. The most popular so far was Mrs. Green’s chocolate fudge cake, which apparently had been a family recipe for years. She beamed when everyone heaped her praises and managed to cajole him to get a few bites of his own, despite already being full.

  Sebastian spotted Janice soon after, gulping down some brownies and eyeing the apple pie. With a grin, he strode over in her direction and gently nudged her shoulder.

  “Hi, there.”

  Janice took one look at him and rolled her eyes, her mouth full. “Ahjrfrhh.”

  “I’m sorry? I don’t think I quite understood you.”

  She gulped and cleared her throat. “I said, you are quite late.”

  He told her a brief explanation of where he had been, and she caught on enough to chuckle. Janice had been fresh out of college just last year, and was now working for the sheriff’s office filing papers and organizing things. Despite the age difference, they got on quite well, considering Janice was basically the most sarcastic woman who had the knack of getting away with it, and it never failed to amuse him.

  They kept on chatting and catching up until Janice’s attention got snagged by someone behind him. Her eyes widened in recognition and a smirk slid up her face.

  “Why, hello there.”

  The smell of jasmine drifted up his nose, subtle and light. He would recognize that scent anywhere—especially after the day after he stayed too late at her house. Sebastian’s body immediately tensed before she even said a word, and to subdue his reaction, he didn’t turn, even while he heard her approach.

  “Hi, Janice. This event looks awesome.”

  Her voice drifted into his senses, making him think of hot summer nights. Slowly, because he was already being rude, he turned his head in her direction and looked.

  Her light gray eyes met his, a hint of joy in them as she looked at him shyly. It reminded him of her warmth when he had been at her house, her openness as they talked about some parts of their lives. Then she said that one word, that almost-forbidden word—and what had been a semi-friendly chat suddenly shifted into territory that he was all too aware of, one that made his hands itch to touch.

  “Hello, Pastor Seb.”

  Not letting any of that show on his face, Sebastian nodded his head. “Hello, Lily. How have you been?”

  Like he didn’t know how she had been when he was a little too close to her last night. A certain hint of awareness drifted up in her eyes, but she blinked and he wondered if it was his imagination. Lily smiled brightly. “I’ve been very good. Very excited about this bake sale. And you?”

  “Wonderful,” he murmured.

  Her eyes strayed to his lips before returning to his eyes, and no change of expression happened as she nodded innocently. “Good. I’ll go and mingle now. Want to come, Janice?”

  Janice was all too pleased to find someone near her age, and together they went off to hunt for more good food and conversation. Sebastian did his best to ignore them, tried not to think of how alluring she was in her outfit.

  She was wearing another conservative one, come to think of it—jeans and a slightly loose shirt that she tucked in a bit at the front of her waist. There was a blue, thin band on her head, nothing worth remembering.

  And so Sebastian tried not to remember. He kept himself busy with the bake sale, helped those that weren’t selling well by charming the buyers to splurge, at the same time putting some of his own money in as an addition to the charity. The husbands and the partners soon arrived after their shift at work, and Sebastian soon found himself conversing with the town sheriff, who was the head of that department for years now and was a pretty affable—and overweight—fellow. Oftentimes, he would see flashes of blue within his field of vision.

  All the time, he would ignore it, and ignore the temptation to turn in that direction.

 
One of the kids’ aunts, Rhonda, sauntered up to him just as the Sheriff left, holding a plate of chocolate cookies and giving him a coy smile. He immediately became wary, considering she had propositioned him before. True to habit, as Sebastian politely took one cookie and took a bite, she sidled closer and whispered in his ear.

  “You know, there’s plenty more where that came from, Pastor Seb. Why don’t you come over to my house so we could discuss the recipe over dinner?”

  There was a certain heat in her eyes, which she didn’t even bother to hide. A flash of blue appeared beside him, and the scent of jasmine made desire leap in his blood. He tamped it down and declined Rhonda’s invitation in his usual charming manner, complimenting her on her cookies and inviting her to come to his classes with the others when she had the time. Disappointed, but obviously not deterred, she slinked away with a definitive sway of her hips, one that didn’t arouse him in the least.

  Not everyone was like Rhonda, though. There were a few women at the bake sale who were genuinely interested in him as a person, and who made time to ask him how he was doing. They were interested in him as a person and he felt more like a part of the community and not just a pastor of the church.

  Eventually, the sale came to a close, and the town raised a larger amount than they had last year. The mayor, Mr. Dawson, went around and congratulated everyone on a job well done, and the front yard ended up being cleaned thoroughly before everyone left. After a quick settling of things with the Reverend and the other pastors, Sebastian got into his car and drove home.

  He passed no broken cars along the way.

  CHAPTER SIX

  The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it. – Oscar Wilde

  This was ridiculous.

  Being in a place of worship and peace was supposed to be all about putting your own needs and wants aside and seeking words of wisdom to enlighten you, a sense of well-being to help you move forward, and an inner joy to help you see the positivity of everything. It was all about finding yourself, which was what her uncle had told her she needed more than anything before she returned to the city.

  Instead of doing that, here she was, unable to take her eyes off a certain pastor.

  She was trying, she really was. The truth was, Lily was a bit reluctant to attend the session today, but her uncle had invited her, telling her he would check in with her after since he had been too busy the past few days to do so. She didn’t want to say no to him, which was why she was early and had managed to chat with some people before they all went inside to start.

  Sebastian greeted everyone in his deep voice and politely told everyone that he hoped they were having a good day so far. He was wearing glasses along with khaki pants and a plaid shirt, which should have made him look unattractive; instead, it only accentuated his long, lean body and those green eyes. She may have heard some women sigh dreamily as he started, and would have laughed if not for the even deeper reaction inside her.

  He began discussing the importance of respect and equality, and she listened. Then he began walking, and she found herself getting distracted by the smallest things. There was the sweep of his hair when he moved, which he absently tried to sweep back with his free hand. There was also the way his pants shifted when he walked, but she did her best not to let her eyes stray there, because hello—that was perversion zone.

  Then there were his hands. He used them often when he gestured or wanted to make a point, and she couldn’t help but notice how long his fingers were and how large his palms looked in general. She also couldn’t help but think how those big hands would sweep all over her skin, singeing her with his touch before she could stop herself. Or him.

  A drop of sweat trickled down her neck, and she absently wiped it with a handkerchief. The heat was unbearable today, but it couldn’t compare to the heat building up inside her body, as slow as simmering water.

  Sebastian passed by her aisle, and she looked down.

  “Respect begets respect. It is the most beautiful form of praise for someone, and it is quite sexy, if I do say so myself.”

  She looked up, and their eyes met. Lily held in a breath until he kept walking and the contact was broken, and she shifted in her seat as the heat inside her spread down below her stomach in unmentionable places. His words felt intimate, and while she told herself it didn’t make any sense, it felt like a promise.

  When the session ended, instead of mingling, Lily did her best to say goodbye, but not before finding time to speak with her uncle.

  Then she flew out the door and didn’t look back, afraid her feelings would show.

  *****

  This was beyond ridiculous.

  She could have sworn she had gotten the hang of car maintenance, or at least the basics of it. Hadn’t she spent an entire day just reading up on that and finishing two books in a row? She did the recommended daily check, finding nothing wrong and confident that she would be able to keep using her car for a few more weeks without investing in a professional mechanic to fix things up permanently.

  Of all the things she had been so religiously checking, she never thought to check her gasoline.

  And she didn’t keep any extra in her trunk.

  Lily cursed inside her car, then promptly shut her mouth when she realized how her uncle would lecture her for doing so, and for not keeping a cool head. With a sigh, she thought things over for a few minutes inside before finally deciding to go outside and walk a bit, hoping she would spot a Good Samaritan. She was halfway crossing the fields when the clouds gathered swiftly and blocked out the sun. Then the rain started to fall, and it was suddenly too late to run for the car as it poured like mad.

  No wonder it was so hot lately; the rain was just biding its time.

  Drenched and miserable, Lily glared at the sky and shivered in her clothes, trudging back to her car with the intention of calling her uncle. It was a good thing she had finally taken his number. She really didn’t want to ask for help and wanted to keep up her independence thing, but there were just some situations that couldn’t be helped. It wasn’t like she could do a marathon towards her house, which was still a few kilometres away.

  Just as she was reaching her car, headlights caught her attention. Lily squinted her eyes at the vehicle headed her direction, celebrating her good luck.

  Then she recognized the black vehicle’s form and plate number, and realized bad luck was trying to tempt her today.

  *****

  Sebastian was prepared, as always, and he didn’t hesitate to climb out of the car and pour some of his spare gas into her tank. Then he insisted on following her home as usual, just to make sure she arrived there safe and sound. She felt guilty as hell for he was as drenched as she was, though she doubted the term drowned rat was appropriate for him. She invited him again for dinner inside, this time insisting because she felt she owed him for all the things he had done for her without asking for anything in return.

  Because it was a full-on dinner this time, she expected him to refuse now—but like he did all those other times, he surprised her again by accepting.

  They ran for the front porch and she hurried to get inside, the cold now penetrating her bones and making her tremble. Sebastian took notice.

  “You’re chilled, Lily. You should get changed.”

  She gave his clothes a pointed look, to which he eyed her in amusement. The plaid shirt he was wearing was now molded against him, and his brown hair fell flat on his face. He tried to sweep it back, but all that did was drip water all over her floor, to which he looked sheepish and she waved with laughter.

  “Stay there. I’ll go get changed and I’ll get you some towels and extra clothes. I’m so wet.”

  Green eyes drifted down to her feet, focusing for a few minutes on her knees and carefully skipping her aroused parts before reaching her face. It only served to arouse her further, and her mouth went dry as their eyes met.

  “Yes,” he murmured. “Go get dressed.”

  There was nothing
wrong with what he said, but her mind suddenly supplied her with images of him ordering her to do the exact opposite of getting dressed. Flushing, she dashed for her room and took the quickest shower of her life before putting on loose clothes and frantically looking around for anything men-related for him. She found her uncle’s old shirt and sweatpants, got some towels, and went back to hand it over to him, already worried that he might catch pneumonia or semething from taking too long to get re-dressed. As Lily reached the door to the living room, she opened her mouth to begin a joke about how her uncle’s wrinkled clothes were the only ones she could find that fit him—and hey, at least they would look loose on him.

  The words halted in her throat, didn’t bother coming out as her eyes took in the sight.

  Sebastian—Pastor Seb—had already removed his shirt—or rather, was in the process of doing so when she stepped out, his back turned to her. It was a fast movement, but it might as well have been in slow motion with how her brain was processing it. He shook his head, and droplets slid down his back. He reached behind, as if to wipe them off, and the movement caused the muscles on his back to tense and his biceps to appear. Erotic images entered her mind, and she froze altogether.

  She must have made a sound—a squeak or a groan or something—because he suddenly turned around and eyed her. A charged moment linked them, lasting seconds that felt like forever.

  Then his gaze went to the items she had in hand, and the spell was broken.

  Inwardly shaking her head, Lily continued stepping forward and offered the clothes and towel, smiling and pretending the moment didn’t happen.

  “Here. Hope they fit you,” she said lightly. “The bathroom’s that way. Feel free to roam around. You might find some hidden closets or secret passages.”

  “Sounds lovely,” he replied with a straight face. A hint of a smile threatened, but he didn’t let it out.

  The sound of the rain surrounded them, hard and unrelenting. It would be awful to ask him to go, and the only polite choice was to ask him to stay and wait until the rain let up.