CHARLOTTE GLANCED AT HER WATCH AND SAW THAT IT WAS ALMOST ten o’clock. She was sitting in her office, meeting with a client who had hired her firm to handle all of her estate matters. The woman was seventy-two, recently widowed, and filthy rich. Meredith Connolly Christiansen was undeniably the classiest woman Charlotte had ever met. Over the last forty years, her husband had founded two manufacturing companies, purchased two hotels, and opened a very ritzy restaurant. But now everything had fallen to Meredith, and since she had never been too fond of her husband’s longtime legal team, she’d contacted Schaefer, Williamson, and Goldberg to take over. Charlotte’s bosses couldn’t have been happier, and Charlotte was thrilled to be handling some of the smaller aspects of what Meredith had hired them to do. Right now, Charlotte was waiting for her to finish signing a couple of documents pertaining to her health-care power of attorney. She’d decided to name her oldest daughter as the person responsible for making these particular decisions.
“Well, I think that should do it,” Meredith said, smiling.
“I think so, and we’ll get copies made of everything and delivered over to you sometime next week.”
“You know, it’s been six months now since Harry passed away, and still, I have to remind myself that he’s really gone.”
“Mrs. Christiansen, I can only imagine.”
Meredith gave Charlotte a stern, yet playful look.
“I mean, Meredith.”
“Now, that’s better. The one policy my husband enforced at all five of his businesses was that he wanted everyone on a first-name basis. Said it just wasn’t necessary to make anyone feel as though they were beneath him or any other executive. And personally, I always loved that policy, because it makes people feel a lot more comfortable when they are trying to communicate with you.”
“I agree. But sometimes I forget, because my parents taught me to use Mr. and Mrs. at a very young age. They always felt that a younger person should, as they put it, ‘add some gravy’ to someone’s last name out of respect. Specifically, when speaking to elders.”
“And there’s nothing wrong with that. But with me, you don’t have to add anything. I prefer everything to be straight, no chaser.”
They both laughed and Charlotte thought about how spunky Meredith was. She’d lost her husband, yet she was so vibrant and full of conversation. Not to mention, she looked better than most women in their sixties. She’d definitely taken care of herself, and if Curtis would find the ambition he once had, there would be more than enough money for Charlotte to do the same. She’d be able to get weekly facials, body massages, body wraps, and anything else she needed. She’d be able to pay for anything she wanted—even cosmetic surgery when it became necessary.
“So enough about me,” Meredith said. “Let’s talk about you. When are you going to stop doing this paralegal thing and go back to school to get your law degree?”
“To be honest, I’ve never considered doing that.”
“And why not? Because after meeting with you on three separate occasions, I can see that you are definitely capable. You’d make a fine attorney. There’s no doubt about it.”
“I don’t know. My husband and I have a son to raise, and we have a church to run.”
“I remember you mentioning that the last time I was here, but my question to you is, what do you want?”
“The truth?”
“I wouldn’t want to hear anything else.”
“I’d love to be like you.”
“And how’s that?”
“I’d love nothing more than to be married to a man like Mr. Christiansen.”
“Really? You’re sure about that?”
“Yes. Because what I want is not to want for anything. I know it sounds selfish, but that’s what I truly want in life. I want the best for my son and myself for the rest of our lives.”
Meredith laughed. “Then, young lady, you have a lot to learn.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because being rich and having the best of everything doesn’t mean that you’re going to be happy. As a matter of fact, if Harry hadn’t been so ambitious, as you put it, he might have been in the country when our first daughter was born, and he might have spent more time trying to help our youngest daughter stop using drugs. I did the best I could as a mother and sent her to the best treatment facilities in this country, but it was her father’s attention that she wanted. She begged him to spend more time with her, but his work was always more important. The man actually thought that giving an eighteen-year-old a brand-new Mercedes and a credit card with no limit was going to make everything better. Can you believe he thought everything would be fine after that? That he actually thought he could fix our daughter’s problems with money?”
Charlotte was speechless. She was shocked at what she was hearing about Mr. Christiansen and even more shocked that Meredith was telling her about any of this.
“But when it was all said and done, Harry finally fixed things all right. He fixed things real good, because shortly after Bethany got that car, she committed suicide.”
“I’m so sorry,” Charlotte said, covering her mouth.
“So, you see, ambition isn’t always a good thing. It needs to be taken in moderation just like anything else. And don’t get me started on all the women Harry slept with over the years. Secretaries, colleagues, you name it. But through it all, I pretended to be happy, and I told myself that I should just be thankful for all the things he’d given me. I told myself that at the end of the day, I was Mrs. Harry Christiansen, the richest wife in Mitchell.”
Charlotte heard what Meredith was saying, but while she would never admit it, she wanted the whole package. She wanted Curtis to sleep with only her and make a ton of money. She wanted him to be the husband he’d said he was going to be before they’d left Chicago. Maybe it wasn’t logical thinking, but that’s what she wanted. She deserved to have all of that and then some, because Curtis had promised her the world right after he was shot. He’d promised her everything in exchange for her standing by him no matter what. Even after he’d been ousted from two different churches. Even when he’d said he wanted to move to a small town like this one. But if she couldn’t have everything and had to choose between a happy marriage and a lot of money, the money was her choice by far.
“I had no idea,” Charlotte said.
“Most people see what they want to see. Don’t you think?”
“To a certain extent, but usually when you speak of your husband, you talk about how much you miss him.”
“Because I do. I miss him more than you could possibly ever know. Harry and I had fifty years of history together. And regardless of how many unhappy times there were, we did have many that were enjoyable. But what I regret is that I didn’t do something I wanted to do career-wise. I regret that I didn’t focus on something that was just about me for at least a few hours of every day. Because after all these years, all I can say is that I was Harry Christiansen’s wife, I sat on a few boards, I ran a few charities, and I went to the country club on a regular basis. So, you tell me, how great was all of that?”
“Maybe you didn’t get to have your own career, but I still think you’ve had a wonderful life.”
“Then, it’s like I said, you’ve got a lot more to learn and a lot more to experience. As time goes on, you’ll begin to see what’s really important and what doesn’t matter at all.”
“Well, I do agree with you about one thing.”
“Which is?”
“That I should have something that I do just for me, and that’s why I won’t quit working here at the firm the way my husband wants me to. He keeps asking me to come work at the church full-time, and it’s his belief that I would be able to spend more time with him and our son if I did.”
“It seems that nowadays, there are many pastors’ wives that play a major role in their church’s leadership, but, and this is just my opinion, I think it can only work if the wife truly wants to do that. It should not be a forced situation. But I will say this, if your job is taking you away from your son and your husband more than you know it should be, you shouldn’t overlook that either. I’m not saying you should stop working altogether, but maybe you need to reevaluate your workload. Okay?”
“I will.”
“I’m not trying to tell you what to do, but spending or not spending enough time with your family can make it or break it. And please don’t ever forget that.”
“I won’t.”
“Well, I guess I should get off my soapbox and let you get back to work.” Meredith stood up and smoothed her hands across the tan-colored tailored suit she was wearing. Charlotte would give anything to dress like her.
“Thanks for coming in, Meredith, and as always it’s been a pleasure chatting with you.”
“I like you a lot, Charlotte, and if you ever need anything, anything at all, you have my number.”
“You’re too kind, and I really appreciate hearing that.” Charlotte shook Meredith’s hand and escorted her toward the door.
“And when school is out next month, maybe you can bring your son out to see the horses. I’m sure he’d love that.”
“I’m sure he would.”
“You take care.”
“You, too,” Charlotte said and closed her door.
Women like Meredith didn’t come along every day. Wealthy, yet noticeably down-to-earth. And Charlotte admired her. She was sorry that Meredith’s marriage hadn’t been as wonderful as she’d wanted, but from where Charlotte was sitting, life had still been exceptional for her. As a matter of fact, Charlotte was starting to believe that the word happiness could only be defined on a case-by-case basis. It basically depended on the wants and desires of any given individual.
As Charlotte gathered the signed documents and placed them in a folder, the phone rang.
“This is Charlotte speaking.”
“Hey, beautiful,” Curtis said.
“How are you?”
“Not so good.”
“And why is that?”
“Because things aren’t right between us.”
“I know. And I’m sorry that we had that disagreement last night.”
“I’m sorry, too. Yes, I wanted to make love to you, but it was wrong of me to get upset just because you said you were tired. I know it’s not easy leaving a full-time job and then going to meetings at the church.”
Charlotte didn’t say anything. Mainly because of all the guilt she was feeling.
“But this is a new day, it’s the end of the workweek, and I’ve got plans for you and me.”
“Really?”
“Yep. I’ve already asked your aunt Emma to keep Matthew overnight, so that I can take you out to dinner this evening. I started thinking this morning how it’s been a very long time since you and I spent any quality time together.”
“Sounds good to me,” she said but wondered what she was going to tell Aaron. He’d phoned her first thing this morning, right after she’d arrived at her office, and they’d made plans to meet this evening. But with the way things were going between her and Curtis, she knew she couldn’t say no to her husband. She would just have to make Aaron understand her situation.
“What time do you think you’ll be home?” Curtis asked.
“I’m leaving here a little early today, so probably no later than five.”
“Then I’ll make the reservations for seven-thirty, if that’s okay.”
“Works for me.”
“I’ll pick up Matthew from school and take him over to your aunt’s before then.”
“Good.”
“Okay, baby, well, I’m gonna let you go, but I’ll see you later.”
“See ya.”
“And, baby?”
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too, Curtis.”
“I hope so.”
“I do.”
“Talk to ya.”
Charlotte hung up the phone and sighed. It was at times like this that she felt even worse about what she was doing to Curtis, but she couldn’t help herself. She paused for a few minutes longer, deep in thought, and then dialed Aaron’s phone number. She told him they’d have to meet for lunch instead of dinner.
“Girl, you make me crazy,” Aaron said, lying on his back, panting.
“That’s what I’m supposed to do,” Charlotte teased him, caressing his chest and stomach. They were relaxing at the country home of one of Aaron’s childhood friends.
Aaron took more deep breaths. “Maybe, but I don’t know how long I can keep hearing about you and Curtis spending all this special time together. First, you call me saying that we can’t meet tonight because Curtis wants to take you to dinner, and then he calls me and mentions that he’s got plans to take you to some hotel after you finish eating.”
“Well, he never said anything to me about going to a hotel.”
“I know he didn’t, because he said he wanted to surprise you. And I won’t even go into how excited he was about it. He was sounding like some little kid at Christmas.”
“I know you don’t like hearing about Curtis and me being intimate, but what am I supposed to do?”
Aaron looked over at her. “Leave his ass. That’s what.”
Charlotte didn’t respond, because Aaron seemed more angry than usual.
He sat up on the side of the bed. “Pack your things and come live with me. It’s as simple as that.”
“Baby, how many times do we have to go through this? Because you know I can’t do that.”
Charlotte slid across the bed and sat next to him.
“Well, regardless of what you feel you can and cannot do, I’m tired of playing second to the Reverend Curtis Black. When we first started seeing each other, your relationship with Curtis didn’t bother me, but now I can’t stand it. Just the thought of him kissing you and making love to you makes me cringe. And the bottom line is that I’m tired of sharing you with him. So you need to make a choice.”
Only a few days ago, Aaron had said he would never give her up under any circumstances, but now he was trying to give her an ultimatum? It sounded as though he’d changed his mind about their arrangement and was now making it clear that she could be with him or Curtis, but not both. This turn of events wasn’t working for her. Not at all.
“Aaron, baby, look. You knew from the very beginning that I was married and what my situation was, so why are you doing this?”
“Because I’m in love with you. I wasn’t counting on falling in love with you, but now that it’s happened, there’s nothing I can do about it. Curtis doesn’t deserve you anyway, not with his long history of women and the way he treated them. That Negro is nothing but a big joke, and you know it.”
“What? Well, Aaron, I guess I’m a little shocked at what you’re saying because I always assumed that you felt just as guilty about betraying Curtis as I did. Especially since he considers you to be one of his best friends. Actually, you’re the closest friend he has in this city.”
“Well, I can’t help that. And now that we’re on the subject, I also agree with everything Bailey said about him at that meeting. As a matter of fact, I’m the one who convinced Bailey to stand up to Curtis. Because the truth is, no pastor should be earning a flat percentage of what is collected, and as far as I’m concerned, Curtis is no different than any of those money-hoarding ministers on television.”
“I don’t get this.”
“You don’t get what? The fact that I sometimes despise Curtis? The fact that I hate the way people treat him like he’s some god but pretty much ignore men like me? Men like me who earn a decent living but don’t have any real power or money to throw around. And sometimes I get just as pissed off at you because you’re always talking about the amount of money Curtis could be earning just because he’s a well-known minister. That’s all you seem to care about, and I’m sick of hearing about it.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way.”
“And I’m sorry you feel compelled to stay with him. But let me say this, I won’t wait around on you forever, Charlotte. I won’t.”
Charlotte watched him leave the room and walk into the bathroom. Shortly after, she heard the shower running. She was so baffled by all of this and wondered why Aaron was acting so strangely. He’d asked her to leave Curtis a number of times before, but now he was acting as though his life depended on it. He was acting as though he hated everything about Curtis. Maybe he was merely having a bad day and would feel differently the next time she spoke to him. Maybe all they needed was some time apart, so that Aaron could rethink their relationship.
She hoped things between them would return to normal very soon, because she didn’t want to lose him. She didn’t want to lose the good thing they had going with each other. She didn’t want to lose the pleasure he gave so naturally.