by Honey
“Why can’t you just leave it alone, Zora? Confronting Royce could backfire in your face. I think you should stay out of your sister’s business. I’m against her relationship with Father Gregory too, but it’s her life, and she’ll have to deal with the consequences. So back off.” Eric returned his attention to the soccer game on television.
“I will not! I’m her big sister, and I know she’s making a terrible mistake by having an affair with a priest. It’s my responsibility to tell her the truth. It’s not like I snooped around in her business. Because of her carelessness, the information landed in my lap, so to speak.”
“I’m warning you, Zora.”
“Don’t waste your time, darling. My baby sister and I are due for a little talk about her wild and crazy life.”
Chapter Thirty-one
Royce sucked her teeth when her cell phone rang. It was Zora again. It was her pattern to call the landline first and then her cell phone whenever she was attempting to reach Royce. This evening wasn’t a good time for them to talk. She had promised her mother that she would reach out to Zora so they could clear the air between them, but it wouldn’t be today.
“Aren’t you going to answer the phone, baby? Somebody really wants to talk to you.”
“I’m busy trying to get dinner on the table. I don’t have time to chat. I’m starving. Aren’t you?”
Father Gregory walked to the island and stood behind Royce. He wrapped his arms around her waist. “Who are you trying to avoid, Royce?” His kissed the right side of her neck.
“I’m not trying to avoid my sister. I just don’t have time to talk to her right now. I’ll call her tomorrow.”
“I can take over the cooking to give you and Zora some time to catch up. You told me the other day that you two haven’t spoken in a while.”
“One more day won’t hurt us. I’ll ring her back early in the morning before I go to work.”
“Okay. I spoke with Tyler earlier this evening,” he announced, returning to his seat at the dinette. “He said the strangest thing to me.”
“What did he say?”
“He told me I should come here to visit you while he’s away. He’s worried that you’re lonely without him. He also said you’d probably be so happy to see me that you would cook for me.”
“I knew he’d planned to call you today because he told me so. But I had no idea he was going to ask you to check up on me.”
“Tyler is a good kid, and he loves his auntie. He wants you to be happy.”
“You make me happy.”
“I’m glad. I just hope I can make you happy for a very long time.”
* * *
Father Gregory’s warm, wet mouth left Royce’s hardened nipples and moved lower to her flat belly. He kissed and licked her flesh as he inserted two fingers into her dampness. He strummed her clit gently and licked around her belly button. The buzz of his cell phone he’d purposely switched to vibrate mode caused him to freeze in motion.
“Don’t answer it, Nicholas. Please, baby, don’t answer it.”
“I don’t have a choice,” he whispered with his moist lips still pressed against her belly. He gave her heated flesh one last kiss before he sat up and reached for his phone on the nightstand. “This is Father Gregory.”
Royce listened to his side of the conversation in an attempt to guess who the late-night caller was. She covered her face with both hands in frustration. From the sound of Father Gregory’s voice, she could tell there was an emergency on the other end of the call. The timing sucked.
“I’ll be there in forty-five minutes. I just need to shower and dress first. Then I’ll join you and your family at the hospital.” He fell silent and glanced down at Royce. “It’s not a problem, Mrs. Strozier. I’m your priest, and it’s my godly duty to be with you and your family in your time of need. I’ll see you soon. Goodbye.” He replaced the phone on the nightstand and looked at Royce.
“What is it?”
“The doctors don’t expect Mr. Paul Strozier to live through the night. His battle with prostate cancer is coming to a sad end. His wife wants me to come to the hospital and offer his last rites in the presence of the family.” He stood from the bed with beads of sweat covering his naked body and made his way to the master bathroom.
Royce released air from her cheeks and rolled over onto her stomach, totally disappointed.
* * *
“Tonight will be our last night together for a while. I spoke with my dad this morning. He and Mama will be here with Tyler by noon tomorrow.”
Father Gregory swiveled around in his comfortable desk chair a couple of times. “Time sure does fly. How would you like for us to spend our last night together?”
“I’m going to take you out on a date.”
“Royce, you know we can’t be seen out together in public.” He sighed and shook his head. “We’ve had this conversation a million times. I thought you understood.”
“No one will see us. Trust me. You’ll see.”
* * *
Royce paid the attendant inside the glass booth and drove away. She sneaked a peek at Father Gregory and grinned when she pulled her SUV onto the lot of the old drive-in theater. “Surprise!”
“Wow,” he said, looking at the monstrous screen. “I haven’t been to a drive-in movie since I was a kid. Max used to take the entire family whenever a new Disney flick was released. Those were the good ol’ days.”
The action thriller had already started. Royce rolled down her window and secured the speaker in it. She turned to her man, who looked irresistible in his signature all-black attire. “Would you like popcorn and a soft drink or are you going to be a cheap date?”
“I’m cheap, but you’ll have to treat me to something special when we get home.”
“It’ll be my pleasure.”
Chapter Thirty-two
“Royce, both phones have been ringing all morning long. Maybe you should see who’s trying to reach you. It may be important.” Father Gregory kissed her lips softly and pulled her naked body closer to his.
“It’s Zora. I know it’s her. She’s the only person inconsiderate enough to call me this time of morning. That chick has no shame. Go back to sleep. We have a few hours before Tyler and my parents will arrive.”
The two lovers drifted off to sleep again nestled in each other’s arms. They were exhausted after a night of smoldering nonstop lovemaking. Their sex marathon had started at the front door as soon as they returned home from the drive-in movie theater and finally ended at dusk in the master suite. There was a trail of discarded clothes from the foyer to the staircase and beyond. Neither of them had seen the need to gather the garments after the fact.
A few hours later, the sound of the doorbell ringing out of control woke Father Gregory from his sleep again. Royce was lying on top of him as still as a corpse. “Sweetheart, someone is at the door,” he whispered and checked the time on the clock. “Sweet Jesus! It’s after twelve! We overslept. It’s probably your parents and Tyler.”
Royce jumped up and ran around the room frantically. She rushed inside the walk-in closet, grabbed a bright orange caftan, and put it on. “Stay here and be quiet. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
She rushed from the room and hurried down the stairs, picking up underwear and socks along the way. When she reached the bottom, one of Father Gregory’s athletic shoes, his belt, and his jeans were strewn on the floor along with her T-shirt, bra, and sandals. She gathered everything quickly and threw them into the closet near the front door.
“Where is his other shoe? Damn it!” Royce spun around in circles, looking everywhere.
Tyler’s voice was growing louder and more impatient on the other side of the door, yelling her name. He was also ringing the doorbell nonstop. “I’m coming, honey!” Royce shouted. “I was asleep.” She rushed to the door and deactivated the security system. She took a deep, composing breath and pulled the brass handle. “Hey, you guys. I’m sorry it took so long. I was sleeping li
ke a baby.”
“I was about to kick the door in, baby girl.” Mr. Phillips pecked his daughter on the cheek and entered the house.
“You always did sleep like a log, child.”
“How are you, Mama?”
“I’m fine, sweetie.”
“I’m back,” Tyler told his aunt and threw his scrawny body into her arms for a quick hug. Then he followed his grandpa into the kitchen.
Mrs. Phillips stood in place with a stony countenance. She stared at the ficus tree in the left corner of the foyer. She walked closer, apparently to get a better look. Leaning over, she lifted a black men’s athletic shoe from the ceramic planter. Mrs. Phillips turned to face Royce, who was fidgeting with her fingers nervously and gnawing on her bottom lip.
“Is he still here?” her mother asked, handing her the large sneaker.
Royce hung her head and accepted it. She opened the closet, exposing the other discarded clothing items she’d stuffed inside. She tossed the shoe mindlessly on top of the pile. “Yes, ma’am. He’s upstairs in my bedroom. He was supposed to have been gone already, but we overslept.”
“Humph, it must’ve been one hell of a night,” Mrs. Phillips said with an attitude.
“I’m sorry, Mama.”
“Don’t be sorry, Royce. Just be careful. I don’t want any hanky-panky going on in this house while my grandson is here. Send him to Andra the next time you get the urge. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, Mama.”
“Father Gregory would be happy to spend time with Tyler while you entertain your male friends.” She snapped her fingers. “Oh, my goodness! I left his sweet potato pies in a box inside the trunk. I’ll get them and find an excuse for your father to take Tyler and me to the store. I want that man out of this house before we return.”
“I promise he’ll be gone.”
Royce ran up the stairs, skipping over them two at a time. Her mother would have a conniption if she knew that Father Gregory was the male friend she had entertained all night long. With that in mind, she hurried to her bedroom to warn him about their sticky situation.
* * *
“I’ll give you some time to spend with Tyler. Expect a call from me later.” Father Gregory leaned down and kissed Royce’s lips. “It was another close call, baby. We’ll have to be more careful in the future. I love you.” He pulled her into his arms.
Royce hugged him tightly. “I love you too.” She stood under the doorjamb as he descended the three steps.
Father Gregory walked to the side of the house to retrieve his motorcycle from the bushes. He then hopped on the fancy piece of machinery and guided it onto the pavement. He fired the engine and waved to Royce before he sped down the street. His mind immediately went into overdrive, thinking about how close he and Royce had come to getting busted. If Tyler had had his key with him, they would have been exposed for sure. His double life was becoming more difficult to maintain by the day. He would never leave the priesthood or the church, and he wasn’t willing to live his life without Royce either. She was his heart and his soul. She completed him. Without her, Father Gregory would not be able to breathe.
* * *
“Thanks again for dropping off the pies. Your mother is the master of the sweet potato.”
“She does know her way around the kitchen. I’ll tell her how much you’re enjoying your special treat. Anyway, get some rest, sweetie. You have to deliver three sermons tomorrow. I love you.”
“I love you more.”
The phone rang again only seconds after Royce had ended her late-night conversation with Father Gregory. She figured he must’ve forgotten to tell her something. She lifted the receiver from its cradle. “Yes, Nicholas?”
“It’s not your priest-slash-bed-buddy. It’s your sister, damn it!”
“Zora?” Royce gasped and checked the clock on the nightstand. It was after midnight in Atlanta, which meant it was past five o’clock in the morning in Sierra Leone.
“Yes, it’s me. Why haven’t you answered any of my calls, Royce? Were you so busy screwing your priest while Tyler was away that you didn’t have time to talk to me?”
“What are you talking about? Are you calling me with more crazy accusations about an imaginary affair with Father Gregory, Z?”
“Don’t do that, little sister. Please don’t insult my intelligence. I know for a fact that you’re sleeping with the man. I heard you and him getting busy a few days ago. You must’ve left your cell phone on the bed while he was serving you his penis. Your naked ass accidentally called me. I heard everything, so you can’t deny it.”
Silence fell over the phone line after Zora’s revelation. Royce fingered her braids nervously. She clearly recalled the night she had insisted on getting her cell phone from the kitchen. She’d lost it somewhere near the bed the moment she and Father Gregory started making love. It was one of the most passionate nights they had ever shared, and Zora had heard it all. Royce and Father Gregory no longer had a secret hidden from the rest of the world. Zora now knew about their affair.
“I love him, Z, and he loves me,” she finally confessed as tears poured heavily down her cheeks.
“He’s a priest for Christ’s sake, Royce! You have no future with him! Nothing good will come out of your bedroom romps with a man of the cloth! When the archdiocese reassigns him to another church somewhere clear across the globe, you will be history!”
Royce had never given any thought to Father Gregory leaving Atlanta to lead another congregation someplace else. They’d never really discussed their future as a couple. He had only promised to love her forever. And that was good enough for Royce for now.
“I’ll go with him wherever they send him. It doesn’t matter how far away. We love each other, Z. Accept it. We’re going to be together no matter what.”
Zora laughed hysterically, and it pissed Royce off. “Are you serious? Girl, you are delusional! That man is making a complete fool of you. You’re not his first whore, and you definitely won’t be his last. You are his Atlanta sex kitten. I’m sure he had one in Barbados, Boston, and in every other city where he’s served. Don’t be stupid, Royce. Priests have been screwing women and filling their heads with empty promises for centuries. I wish the Vatican would allow them to marry already, so they can stop banging little boys in their butts and having affairs with desperate, naïve women like you!”
“Z, I’m going to hang up now because I love you and I don’t want to disrespect you. You have no idea what you’re talking about, and I don’t have the time or desire to fill you in. But you’re wrong, dead wrong,” Royce said softly through a fresh flow of tears and ended the call.
Now that Zora knew about her affair with Father Gregory, Royce knew their relationship as sisters and friends would never be the same again. She felt so ashamed. As a young girl, she had admired and looked up to Zora because she was smart, beautiful, and popular. Royce had imitated her big sister and aspired to be just like her. The only reason she had chosen a career in nursing was that Zora had dreamt of becoming a nurse. The Phillips sisters used to talk about meeting rich and handsome men who would marry them and become the fathers of their children. Zora was the lucky one. She had it all. Royce had fallen short in the romance department. Even now, although she was very much in love with Father Gregory, their relationship was more than complicated. But Royce wasn’t willing to give up on what they had. She wouldn’t allow Zora to interfere either.
She reached for the phone again to call Father Gregory to tell him about the conversation she’d had with her sister. He had a right to know that their relationship was no longer a secret. Two other people knew now. Surely, Zora had shared her discovery with Eric. They told each other everything.
Royce placed the phone down again suddenly when it occurred to her that telling Father Gregory that her sister and brother-in-law knew they were having an affair may not be wise. What if he became upset and overly concerned? He would probably end their relationship at once. Royce’s heart couldn�
�t bear the pain of losing him. She decided he didn’t need to know after all.
Chapter Thirty-three
Zora smiled at her mother through the computer screen. She always looked forward to their weekly video chats. It gave them a chance to catch up on all the Thomasville, Georgia gossip. Estelle Phillips always had a mouthful to report. Zora was happy that her mom was technologically savvy at her age. She was so unlike her husband of many years who was still stuck in the Stone Age. Mr. Phillips had invested in a cell phone only last year, and somehow he had lost it at least twice a week every week since he’d brought it home.
“You look pretty in pink today, Mama.”
“Thank you. You look like you’re dressed for bed. What time is it over there, honey?”
“It’s eleven o’clock at night.”
“Shouldn’t you be asleep already, Zora?”
“No, ma’am. I don’t have to work tomorrow. My handsome boss and I are taking the day off to do some sightseeing in Freetown and the city of Bo.”
“Where is my son-in-law?”
“He’s asleep. He had a long day.”
“Eric is such a fine young fellow. I’m so proud of him. I wish your sister could find a good man like him and settle down.” Mrs. Phillips looked around the room before she leaned closer to her computer screen. “Royce is seeing someone. I don’t know how serious they are, but they’re sleeping together. But shush now. You didn’t hear that from me.”
“Mama!” Zora squealed and pressed her palm to her chest. “How do you know that?”
“Your father, Tyler, and I nearly caught them in the act.”
“What? When, Mama?”
“It was the morning we took Tyler back to Atlanta at the end of his spring break. Your sister and her beau must’ve had a wild night because his shoe ended up in a potted plant. I’m so glad your father didn’t see it. He would’ve taken a switch to Royce. The man had the nerve to still be in the house, upstairs in your sister’s bed. She claimed they had overslept, but I think they were too worn out to move.”
