GIRL, HE ACTUALLY TRIED TO RAPE ME IN MY OWN HOUSE.”
“He what?” Anise said.
“Yes. He was supposed to meet Curtis after church, but before Curtis got there, he tried to rape me. And if Curtis hadn’t come home when he did, I’m telling you, he would have hurt me. He would have done whatever he wanted to do.”
“So what happened after Curtis came into the house?”
“He came upstairs to let me know he was home, and then he and Aaron sat around in the family room for another hour or so going over some new ideas for the church. And Aaron was laughing and talking like normal.”
“He’s insane, Charlotte, and if I were you, I’d tell Curtis everything. Because if you don’t, things are only going to get worse.”
“I am. Right after dinner. I’m taking him to Antonio’s, and then I’m going to tell him the truth.”
“You have to.”
“I know, but it’s going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. And I’m so afraid that he’ll try to leave me. Especially since I was the one who told him I would never accept him messing around with other women. I made that very clear before we got married, and now I’m the one who ended up having the affair.”
“It’s unfortunate, but at this point, you have to take care of this no matter what Curtis decides to do.”
Charlotte sighed. “I just can’t believe I allowed this to happen.”
“It was definitely a huge mistake, because like I told you the other night, you have a good man. A man who loves you dearly.”
“I know. And even though I was angry at you for saying that, I know you were right.”
“Well, the only thing you can do now is pray for the best.”
“Actually, I’ve been doing that since Wednesday. And since Aaron didn’t try to contact me yesterday and hasn’t tried to call me here at work this morning, maybe my prayers have been answered. Maybe he’s through with all of this for good.”
“Anything is possible, but I wouldn’t get too comfortable with that. Because the Aaron I heard on the phone that night sounded like a madman. He sounded like he was capable of doing anything to anybody.”
Charlotte leaned back in her office chair and closed her eyes. She’d tried to think just the opposite of what Anise was saying, but in all honesty, she agreed with her completely. Over the last week, Charlotte had seen a side of Aaron that she hadn’t even known existed, and she could tell he was someone to be afraid of. She was starting to realize that when she was alone, she needed to be more cautious. At the office, at home, and anywhere else she could think of.
“I hear what you’re saying, and I’m definitely planning to be careful.”
“That’s good, because you never know what people like Aaron will do. You never know what to expect.”
“This is true. And hey, thanks for listening to me and for not writing me off.”
“You’re my cousin, girl, and I love you. I don’t agree with what you did, but that doesn’t change our relationship. So know that I’m here for you if you need me.”
“I love you, too. And Anise, please, please don’t tell Aunt Emma. She would be so disappointed, and I would never be able to face her again if she found out about this.”
“I understand, and I won’t.”
“I mean it, Anise. Because I know you and Aunt Emma share just about everything.”
“But if you don’t want me to tell her, then I won’t. I promise. It wouldn’t be good anyway because she’d be worrying herself to death about you.”
“I know, and that’s why I’m not going to tell my parents either. They would do the exact same thing. And you know Daddy would get in his car and drive over here.”
“You know he would. And you couldn’t blame him because this is serious. People get killed by lovers all the time.”
“I know. Look at what that Adrienne chick did to Curtis, and then she killed herself.”
“Exactly. So just hang in there, girl. But call me if you need me, no matter what time it is.”
“I will. I love you, cousin.”
“I love you, too.”
Curtis slipped on the new Ralph Lauren polo undershirt and briefs that Charlotte had surprised him with. When he’d gotten home from the church, he’d found a huge box wrapped in beautiful silver paper with a black satin bow. Inside was everything he needed to go with his suit, the one she’d bought for him just a week ago. Underwear, socks, a dress shirt, a tie, and platinum cuff links. She’d gone on another one of her spending sprees, but he just couldn’t be upset with her tonight because they were still so happy with each other and had been for days now. She’d even made reservations for dinner at the best Italian restaurant in the area so that they could celebrate his new career accomplishments. And he had to admit, it was nice being able to dress in fine clothing. The suit alone brought back a lot of great memories. He still wore expensive suits, but they were mostly suits he’d owned for a few years. Which was more than acceptable, though, because the suits he owned never went out of style, not the ones that he’d paid at least a thousand dollars for.
He was pulling on his socks and then his dress shirt when Charlotte walked out of the bathroom.
“Baby, can you button this for me?” she asked.
“You look beautiful.”
“Thanks.”
Curtis couldn’t tell if Charlotte was wearing it or if it was wearing her, but she had on the most beautiful black dress he’d seen in a while. It was sleeveless, had a yoke that dropped toward her back, and the length stopped just above her knees. It fit perfectly. She looked exceptionally elegant, the way he liked her to. When they were first married, she’d dressed “okay,” but her taste had been no different than the average twenty-yearold, which she couldn’t help because she’d only been twenty-three at the time. But now, two years later, she’d grown up in a lot of ways, and Curtis was happy about that.
“You need to get your suit on so we can get out of here,” she said. “The reservation is for six thirty.”
“I’ll be ready before you know it.”
Charlotte turned to go back into the bathroom and the phone rang. Curtis walked over and picked it up.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Dad.”
“Hey, son. How are you?”
“I’m good. What about you and Mom?”
“We’re fine. Just getting ready to go to dinner.”
“Oh. Grandma and Grandpa and I had cheeseburgers and fries from that restaurant down the street.”
“Really? And they liked that?”
“Yep. They like anything.”
Curtis laughed because he knew that was the furthest thing from the truth. But he also knew his in-laws would do anything to make Matthew happy. They allowed him to run their entire household whenever he visited. Whatever he wanted to do they did with no questions asked.
“What did you do today?”
“We went to the movies and then to the arcade. And then they bought me a Game Boy Advance.”
“Is that right?”
“Yep. And they said I could bring it home with me, too. It’s so fun.”
“Well, it sounds like you’re having a good time.”
“Yep. But I can’t wait to come home because I miss Jonathan and Elijah.”
“What about us? Your mom and me?”
“I miss both of you, too.”
“And we miss you. A lot.”
“I know.”
Curtis couldn’t help chuckling. Matthew had so much confidence in himself because Curtis had made sure of it. He’d made sure that Matthew knew he was loved by his parents and was worthy to be loved by anyone for that matter. A self-esteem issue he would never have if Curtis could help it. He would walk with his head held high at all times and know that he was just as good as the next person.
“Well, son, I need to finish getting dressed, so I’m going to let you speak to your mom.”
“Okay. Bye, Dad. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Charlotte came back into the bedroom and Curtis passed her the phone. She talked to Matthew for maybe five minutes before hanging up.
“I miss him so much,” she said, and Curtis could tell she wanted to cry.
“I know,” he said, hugging her. “But he needs that time with your parents, and he’ll be back on Tuesday. The days will pass by before you know it. Plus, we needed some time alone to ourselves.”
“You’re right. This has been one of the best weeks of my life.”
Curtis had to agree. He’d learned that he would soon be able to give Charlotte some of the luxuries she wanted, and they were loving each other like wild animals. What more could a man ask for? Not a single thing. He was in excellent health, had a beautiful wife, a handsome son, a great church, and a comfortable income. There wasn’t a thing he could truly complain about. Finally.
When they arrived at the restaurant, they were seated immediately. It was a bit crowded, which was the norm on a Friday evening, and Charlotte was glad she’d made reservations.
“So what are you having?” she said.
“Prime rib, I think.”
“Then I’ll probably have the same.”
“Why don’t we order a couple of appetizers?”
“Whatever you want. It’s your night, remember?”
“Does that mean you’re paying, too?”
“As a matter of fact, my published author, it does.”
“You mean, almost published.”
“You will be. And soon.”
The tall and slim waitress walked over to the table.
“What can I start you with?”
“How about the stuffed mushrooms and bruschetta?” Curtis answered.
“Okay. And to drink?”
“I’ll have cranberry juice mixed with 7UP or Sprite,” Charlotte said.
“I’ll have the same,” Curtis told her.
“I’ll be right back with your drinks, and then I’ll take your dinner order.”
“Thank you,” Curtis said. “So. How was work today?” he asked.
“It was good. It’s always good, but yesterday I made a major decision about my career.”
“Meaning?”
“On Monday, I’m planning to give the firm a one-month notice of my resignation.”
“Whoa. Now don’t make me have a heart attack. Where is all this coming from?”
“It’s true. I’m quitting.”
“But why?”
“Because you’ve been asking me to and because I know now that you’re really going to need me at the church full-time. Especially once you start traveling to more and more speaking engagements.”
“True. But actually, that’s what I was talking to Aaron about the other night when he came over. I told him that I’ll need him to play a much larger role at the church than he has been. I wanted to discuss it with you first, but within the next few months, I’d really like to offer him a full-time position, so that he can leave his current job for good. He’s not that happy with it anyway, and not only does Aaron care about the church, but he cares about you and me. And that’s the type of person we need to run things.”
Charlotte was stunned and felt somewhat disoriented. Curtis had always been such a great judge of character when it came to men, but he didn’t have a clue about that maniac he called his best friend. He had no idea how much Aaron despised him and how he envied everything about Curtis. She knew she had to tell him the truth before the night was over.
“But Deliverance is our church, Curtis,” she said. “And I don’t think it’s a good idea to give anyone other than you and me that kind of control. So, as much as I hate to disagree with you, I don’t think hiring Aaron full-time is the right thing to do. And even though I know you trust him, you really can’t trust anyone when it comes to money.”
“I guess I don’t know what to say. I mean, I hear you, but I was so sure you would be even more happy than me about this, especially since hiring Aaron would mean I could stop harassing you. It took me a while, but I finally realized that you deserve the opportunity to work wherever you want to.”
“And I appreciate knowing that, but my mind is made up. I’m giving my notice and taking over whatever you want me to at the church.”
“Wow. Well, if you’re sure. Because you know I’ve wanted that all along, but you were so against it.”
“I was just being rebellious is all. But those days are over.”
The waitress set down their drinks and took their prime rib orders. Shortly after, she brought out their appetizers. They took turns, sampling each.
Curtis scanned the restaurant and then smiled at Charlotte.
“This was such a great idea,” he said. “You know Antonio’s is my favorite. No matter how many times I come in here, I’m still fascinated by the waterfall in the lobby and that marble flooring.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it. Because, baby, from now on, things are only going to get better. Life is much too short, and we need to start living it to the fullest.”
“I agree.”
“The thing is, I love you with everything in me,” she said, holding his hand. “I haven’t always been the best wife, but you’ve always treated me like a queen. And most women will never know how that feels. You made such major changes in your life, and I know they were all because of Matthew and me.”
“But I’m glad I did. I’m glad that I finally learned how to love one woman and stay faithful to her. I was so terrible to Tanya and Mariah, and even now, I still regret it. They deserved so much better than that.”
“But at least you learned from your mistakes. Some people never do.”
“I even did wrong by you before we were married, and I’m just glad you forgave me.”
“We all deserve to be forgiven,” she said, hoping he felt the same way. “And you said yourself we all deserve a second chance when we mess up.”
“Actually, I’ve been given a third, so I’m even more thankful than most people.”
“I’m just glad we were able to reconnect after five whole years.”
“I am, too. It was the best thing that could have happened, because you slowed me down, girl. Wayyyy down.”
They both laughed.
“Yeah, you were pretty wild,” she said.
“But everything happens for a reason, and our marriage is no different.”
Charlotte squeezed his hand tightly. She knew she had a tough night ahead of her, but she felt confident that Curtis would be there for her in the end. He would be hurt at first and then angry, but everything would work itself out in no time. She had to believe exactly that because there wasn’t any other way.