“I just have something I need to take care of,” Terrance softly responded. Even though he was twenty-nine years old and an esteemed pastor, his aunts still had a way of making him feel like a little boy.
“I know you ain’t got a date you haven’t told us about,” Mamie said.
Terrance bit his lip. He knew at some point in his life he was going to have to cut the apron strings his aunts had tied firmly around his neck. “For your information, I do.”
“With who?” all three women asked in unison.
“I don’t know why you all feel like my dates need your stamp of approval,” Terrance said, trying not to let his frustrations show.
He didn’t date much and had never brought anyone home to meet his family. It’s not that he couldn’t get women. On the contrary, he never had a hard time attracting women. Truthfully, he just had a lot of demons he was dealing with, so a serious relationship wasn’t on his radar. And the few women he met that he did like could never measure up to the “Lily Grove” standard anyway.
“Now, Terrance, that is so unfair of you to act like we don’t want you to find a woman,” Eva said. “Remember, I tried to set you up with Sister Eloise’s daughter.”
Terrance caught himself from rolling his eyes. “Yeah, the girl with the stuttering problem. Look, I don’t want to have this conversation again. If and when it looks like this date is going anywhere, I’ll bring her home to meet you all. Until then”—he leaned in and kissed each woman gently on the cheek—“get you some business and stay out of mine.” He smiled widely, while they narrowed their eyes in disapproval.
“I know, I know”—he laughed as he walked off—“as if that would ever happen.”
chapter 2
Ireally hate dating, Terrance thought as he sat and listened to his blind date ramble on about her supposed modeling career. She had not once stopped to ask him how his day had gone, or anything about himself for that matter.
Terrance had reluctantly given in when Monty, his best friend from college, claimed to have “the perfect woman” for him. Terrance should’ve known if Monty had anything to do with it, she was a perfect ten and that was about it. She was absolutely gorgeous. Tall, thin, and shapely, caramel-colored skin, and a Colgate smile. But looks were about all she had going for her.
“So, what do you think? Should I get blond highlights or bronze highlights?” she asked as she ran her fingers through her long locks.
Terrance looked at her, confused. “Excuse me?”
She playfully reached across the table and slapped his hand. “Silly, I was talking about my hair. I want to do something different for the modeling shoot I have next week. It’s just a catalog, but did you know Naomi Campbell started in catalog modeling? So it’s really just a springboard for me like it was for her.”
Terrance took a sip of his iced tea, then glanced at his watch. “Wow, we’ve only been here twenty minutes.”
She giggled. “I know, time is just flying by.”
Terrance flashed a fake smile. He didn’t realize he’d said that out loud. For him, the twenty minutes felt like hours.
The waitress came and set their food in front of them. Terrance took that as an opportunity to try to change the focus of their conversation. “So, did Monty tell you I’m a minister?”
“Get outta here. Naw, he failed to mention that. I ain’t never been on a date with a preacher man before. No wonder you wouldn’t have a martini with me.” She raised her glass.
Terrance finally displayed a genuine smile. “No, I do have a drink every now and then, but I especially don’t drink on Sundays.”
She sipped her martini, then seductively bit into the olive. “Shoot, I’ll drink any day of the week. It don’t matter to me what day it is. Besides, didn’t Jesus used to love him some wine?”
Terrance was just about to say something when he looked up to see Savannah standing over his table.
“Hi, Pastor,” she said with a surprised smile.
“Well, hello, Sister Savannah. And who might this be?” He motioned toward the young girl standing next to Savannah. She had long crochet braids, a sleeveless tank top, and some skintight blue jeans. She wore a scowl across her face, and her arms were folded defiantly across her chest.
Savannah lost her smile. “This would be Misha. She’s my Little Sister.”
Terrance’s eyebrows raised. “Oh, I didn’t know you had any sisters.”
“She’s not my real sister. We’re in the Big Sisters program. I’m supposed to be mentoring her, but as you can see, it can prove quite challenging.” Savannah forced a small smile.
“That’s because I told you I don’t want to come up in this ol’ fancy restaurant,” Misha snapped. “Why couldn’t we go to Timmy Chan’s or somethin’ and get some wings?”
“I told you, because I want you to be exposed to some finer things in life.” Savannah sighed.
“Whatever,” Misha said, rolling her eyes.
Terrance’s date loudly cleared her throat.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. Where are my manners?” Terrance motioned across the table. “Savannah, this is Nadia. Nadia, Savannah attends church with me.”
Nadia didn’t bother to hide her displeasure. “We were in the middle of dinner, you know.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Savannah said. “Pastor, I just saw you and wanted to come say hello.”
Nadia waved her off. “Well, you said it, so now you and the little juvenile delinquent can keep going.”
“No, you didn’t,” Misha snapped, rolling her neck. “You don’t know nothing about me.”
Savannah gently put her hand on Misha’s arm, trying to keep the girl from going off. “Misha, we talked about keeping your anger under control.”
“Then, you’d betta tell this tramp not to be disrespecting me.” Misha wiggled her finger toward Nadia.
“Tramp? Little girl, I will beat you like your mama should’ve been beating you years ago.” Nadia threw her napkin down on the table and stood up.
“Nadia!” Terrance admonished. “She’s a child.”
“I ain’t no child,” Misha screamed. “I’m fourteen and I ain’t scared of nobody!”
This time Savannah grabbed Misha’s arm with a lot more force. “Misha, calm yourself down, girl! What have I told you about how a lady acts? A lady doesn’t have to resort to fighting, name-calling, or acting a fool—especially in a public place.”
Savannah’s words must’ve gotten to Misha, because the teen backed down. She looked like she wanted to say something else, but she just rolled her eyes at Nadia instead. Savannah smiled. “Good job. I’m proud of you,” she softly said, before turning back to Terrance. “Again, I apologize for interrupting your dinner.”
Terrance stared at Nadia, trying not to let his disgust show. “Don’t apologize, Savannah,” he said, his eyes still glued to Nadia. “We were just wrapping up anyway.”
“No, we weren’t,” Nadia snapped as she sat back down in her seat.
“Pastor, I’ll see you on Sunday.” Savannah took Misha’s hand and led her across the restaurant.
Terrance pulled his wallet out.
“I said, we aren’t finished with dinner.” Nadia glared at him.
“Yes. We are.” Terrance pulled out enough money to pay for the meal, then politely stood. “Thank you so much for dinner. I would like to say it’s been a pleasure, but it hasn’t been.”
“Oh, so you’re mad because I didn’t let that little ghetto girl talk to me crazy, huh?”
“She’s a child.”
Nadia threw up a hand as she reached down and picked up her glass. “She needs to act like one then.” She sipped the rest of her drink.
“Have a good night.” Terrance shook his head as he made his way out of the restaurant. As he waited on the valet to bring his car around, Terrance pulled out his cell phone to call Monty and let him know that there would absolutely be no more blind dates.
chapter 3
Terrance stared in disbelief at
the perfectly shaped figure in front of him. He had to blink several times to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. When he deduced that he wasn’t, he said, “Zinetta, put your clothes back on.”
Zinetta locked the bathroom door and slithered toward him. “Come on, Pastor. Don’t tell me I’m not turning you on.”
He took in her body, which was healthy and perfectly toned. Her short, feathered haircut made her look like a lighter version of the actress Gabrielle Union. Of course she turned him on, but her being completely naked in the men’s restroom of the Hyatt Hotel also turned him off. Monty might jump for joy at the sight of a naked woman trying to seduce him in a public restroom. But for Terrance, it was disgusting, especially because the scholarship banquet was taking place right in the room next door. Terrance was the keynote speaker for the banquet, held by Calvary Baptist Church. He’d taken a moment during dinner to run to the restroom. Did Zinetta really think he was about to get it on with her in the men’s bathroom?
“Zinetta, I will ask you again. Please put your clothes back on.”
A confused look crossed Zinetta’s face. “I…I don’t understand.”
“What’s not to understand?” Terrance asked as he reached down to pick up her dress and underwear, which she had discarded at the door. “I want you to put your clothes back on.” He handed the clothes to her.
“B…But Gwen said you were in here waiting on me. She told me how she overheard you telling Brother Baker that it was your ultimate fantasy to have me in a public place.” Zinetta took her clothes from Terrance and covered up her private parts. Her butterscotch skin was turning crimson. “I would’ve never done something like this. But Gwen said you liked aggressive women.”
Terrance let out a long sigh. “Gwen as in Tongela’s friend Gwen?”
“Well, yeah.” Zinetta closed her eyes as realization set in. “That witch.”
Terrance suddenly felt bad for her. He couldn’t believe Tongela had set Gwen up to do that. Well, yes, he could. Tongela and Zinetta had been rivals for his affection for months. Truthfully, he didn’t care for either of them.
“Just put your clothes back on, Zinetta. I’m going back into the program.”
Zinetta slipped her dress over her head. “I hope you don’t think bad of me, Pastor. I was just—”
Terrance cut her off. “Don’t worry about it.” He’d become used to the women of his church—and every church within a fifty-mile radius—throwing themselves at him. As one of the only single, black male ministers in the city of Houston, he’d become a prime target for the husband-stalkers. If he had a dime for every time someone had tried to fix him up or come on to him, he’d be a rich man.
He had politely shunned most of the women who had all but thrown themselves at him. They just didn’t capture his interest. Well, that excluded Savannah. He didn’t quite know what it was about her, but something inside him wanted to get to know her better.
Terrance walked out of the bathroom and back toward the ballroom. He saw Tongela and Gwen snickering over in a corner as they watched the bathroom.
“Evening, Reverend Ellis,” Tongela called out.
“That was foul, Tongela. And you know it,” Terrance responded as he stopped in front of the two.
Tongela was just about to say something when Zinetta came racing out of the bathroom like a crazed woman. “You tramp! I’m ’bout sick of you!”
Terrance grabbed her just as she clawed at Tongela. The attack caught Tongela off guard, but only for a minute, because she quickly began to attack back.
“Don’t be mad at me cuz you’re a ho! Like he would want you anyway!” She swung wildly at Zinetta, hitting both Terrance and Zinetta on the side of the head.
Two other men who were walking out of the ballroom noticed the brewing fight and came rushing over. By that time, Terrance was smack-dead in the middle of a girl fight.
It only took about five minutes to get the women under control, but it seemed like an eternity.
“Sir, we’re escorting the ladies out,” said a security guard who had come upstairs in the midst of the chaos. “Can you come to our office and give us a report of what happened?”
Terrance sighed deeply. He had never been so embarrassed. The program had all but stopped as everyone stood around staring.
“I’m sorry, sir,” Terrance responded, “but I’m here to deliver a speech. I’m not involved in what happened here. I was just trying to break it up. I can talk to you after the banquet, but right now, I’d like us to refocus on the reason why we’re here. Now, please excuse me.”
Terrance held his head up as he made his way back in the banquet room. Thankfully, a lot of people were there. Maybe no one would piece together that the two women fighting were from his church.
He took a quick gulp of water after returning to his seat at the head table. He needed to settle down—and fast—because these women were getting completely out of control.
chapter 4
Terrance took a deep breath and tried not to let his frustrations show. “Brother Baker, we have gone back and forth about you and this bickering and name-calling. Now this is my last warning.”
Carl Baker, one of the longtime deacons at Lily Grove, didn’t try to hide his scowl. “Well, tell that old battle-ax to stop interrupting me.”
Mamie stood up. Her white hair hung limply on her shoulders. Her turquoise blue dress draped her size eighteen frame. “Who are you calling a battle-ax? Don’t make me get ugly in the Lord’s house. I will take off my wig and beat your—”
“Aunt Mamie!” Terrance snapped. “I know you’re not about to go there.”
Mamie glared at Carl, poked out her lips, and sat back down. “This fool ’bout to make me lose my religion,” she muttered.
Terrance let out a long sigh. “This is getting ridiculous. We’re in the midst of getting a new building. Our church is growing by leaps and bounds. We’re getting new members every church service, and yet, we’re dealing with the same old problems.”
“That’s cuz you got the same ol’ battle-axes trying to run things,” Carl spat.
“One mo’, Carl. Just one mo’ time you call me out of my name and it’s on,” Mamie threatened.
Terrance slammed his palm down on the large conference-room table. “Enough! I said.” He turned to his aunt. “Aunt Mamie, you know I love you, but I will put you out of this business meeting. You and Brother Baker,” he added, glaring at Carl. “Now, I will ask you for the last time, be quiet and refrain from name-calling.”
Mamie rolled her eyes. Carl leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms defiantly.
“Now, where were we?” Terrance said, looking at his agenda. These business meetings were getting more and more stressful, particularly because Carl and his aunt mixed like oil and water.
Raquel, who was sitting next to Terrance, reached over and pointed at the fifth item on his agenda. “We were discussing some new ideas for the youth.”
“And as I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted,” Mamie continued, “I think we should start a mentoring group for the young people, but I think we should open it up to the surrounding community.”
“And I still say, we’re not in the business of caring for juvenile delinquents,” Carl interjected.
“It would be a great way to get some of these kids off the streets,” Mamie added, ignoring Carl.
“I don’t know, Mamie,” Eva said skeptically. “Why can’t we just do it for our youth here at the church? Why should we open it up to the public?”
“Because our youth here at Lily Grove are pretty much on the straight and narrow, and we need to help others who aren’t,” Mamie replied.
“Don’t they have a youth program like that at Zion Hill?” Raquel asked.
Mamie nodded as she reached down in her bag and pulled out a photocopy of a newspaper article. “Ummm-hmmm. They call it the Good Girlz, and I’ve heard such wonderful things about it. We’re always talking about looking at ways to bring more young peop
le into the church. I think this is a way to do it.” She pushed the paper toward Terrance.
Carl continued to shake his head. “Y’all ain’t gon’ be happy till some teenager done stole the stereo system,” he mumbled.
Terrance decided to ignore Carl as well as he glanced over the article. “You know, I think that’s an excellent idea, Aunt Mamie. A church is more than just the four walls. A church that’s truly serving of God goes out into the community and does good as well.”
Mamie smiled triumphantly.
“And I have just the person to lead the group.” Terrance took a deep breath and flashed a wide grin. “Sister Savannah would be perfect to head up something like that.”
The room grew silent. Mamie’s smile slowly faded.
“Excuse me.” Eva cocked her head to the side. “Who did you say?”
Terrance thought back to Savannah and the young girl she was with. He’d only been around them a short time, but he could tell Savannah was making a difference in the teen’s life. He’d truly been impressed with the passion Savannah seemed to show toward the girl.
“I said, Savannah McKinney,” Terrance repeated.
“Flo’s granddaughter Savannah?” Mamie asked with an incredulous look across her face.
“Yes. And what’s wrong with her?” Terrance knew the answer, but for some reason he was hoping they would give Savannah a chance.
Eva leaned in like she was studying her nephew, trying to see if he was serious. “Terrance, you’ve got to be kidding, right? Savannah McKinney is not the type of woman we’d want being associated with this church in any shape, form, or fashion.”
Terrance knew people around Lily Grove didn’t particularly care for Savannah, but he did always like her spunky personality. And seeing her with Misha allowed him to see her in a whole new light, one that really impressed him. “You still haven’t told me, what is wrong with Savannah?” Terrance asked. “Something based on fact and not church-house rumors.”
The Pastor’s Wife Page 2
