“Hey, mama. I’m calling to see if you want me to pick you up for Bible Study.”
It had been two days since she’d witnessed Sharita in the parking lot with Calvin and Diana hadn’t said anything to her daughter about it as of yet. She’d been praying on the situation and asking God how to best handle it.
As for Lamesha, she’d hadn’t told anybody about her little run-in with Calvin, either. In fact, she’d all but pushed it out of her mind — the man was no longer relevant to her. Yes, she’d been happy that he’d apparently found Christ and was getting himself together, but that was just about it.
“You sure you can pick me up, Mesha? You and Donovan not going there together?”
Lamesha shook her head. “Nope. Donovan's having a long day at his dental practice. He won't be getting off until super late. So I'm going to Bible study by myself this evening."
"In that case then, sure, Mesha. Swing on by here and pick me up, baby."
An hour later, Diana settled herself into the passenger side seat of her daughter’s car and they took off. They’d only made it down the road a mile or so when Lamesha turned to her mama and said, "Is there something wrong, mama? It looks like something’s bothering you."
Diana still hadn't gotten any type of confirmation in her spirit on whether not she should say anything to her daughter about what she'd seen Sharita doing in that parking lot — more specifically who she'd seen her doing it with. So she was keeping her lips zipped. I don’t plan on saying anything unless the Lord tells me to.
Diana gave Lamesha a tiny smile. “I’m okay, baby. Just thinking about some things...that’s all.”
“It don’t have anything to do with Sharita does it?”
Diana frowned. "I'm really concerned about her, baby. I ain't even gonna try to front about that. But I've been talking to the Lord about everything, and I’ve put the situation in his hand. I have faith that he's gonna handle it."
Lamesha didn't want to talk on the ‘Sharita’ subject. She respected her mother for caring about her like she did, but she wasn't feeling the negative way her mom was starting to view a person who had been nothing but decent to her. Sharita's always been down for me. Back in the day, she jumped right in when them southside girls were trying to give my butt a beat down over Calvin. Sharita's been my ride and die. She’s always had my back.
Lamesha nodded her head. “Well, thank you for caring, mama.” She reached across the console and gave her mother’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Everybody hasn’t been blessed to have a loving, praying mama like the one I’ve got.”
<<<<<>>>>>
Twenty Minutes Later:
Everything was going just beautifully at Bible study for Lamesha. That is until Calvin walked into the church and claimed the empty seat right to the left of hers.
What? Why is here? She asked herself.
Calvin opened his Bible and smiled. Then he leaned close to Lamesha’s ear and whispered, “I ran into Deacon Waters and he invited me over. I don’t really have a church home right now — but I’ve been looking. The spirit of the Lord told me I should accept Deacon Waters invitation and come check God’s House of Deliverance out.”
Diana couldn’t hide the furious scowl that came on her face from seeing Calvin sitting there whispering to her baby. Oh ‘h - to - the - naw’, she thought to herself. I think I’m gonna have to talk to Mesha about this smiling snake in the grass. It’s on now.
When Calvin had first come and sat down beside her in the sanctuary, Lamesha had been pissed off. But as the Bible study session progressed, she began enjoying the lively contribution he was making to their discussion of the evening. He really has changed. Lord bless his little heart...he wasn’t playing. He really is a new creature in Christ.
When Pastor Washington finally began saying the prayer to close out the Bible study, Diana had to suppress her frown. Ain’t no way that boy is saved and sanctified, she was thinking to herself. His wicked butt is up in this church house and he up to no good. And I suspect he’s trying to pull my baby into whatever Satan’s got him cooking up.
As soon as the pastor had said amen, Calvin grinned at Lamesha. "I didn't know this was your church, shawty. I hope you not offended by me rolling up in here."
Lamesha gave Calvin a tiny smile. "Naw, I'm not offended. This is God's house and according to Pastor Washington, all are welcome."
Still grinning Calvin nodded his head. "God is good, ain’t he? Who woulda ever thought that a thugged out hood cat like myself would find Jesus?”
“I just call it amazing grace, Calvin. Just like the song goes: Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretched like me. I once was lost but now I’m found. Was blind but now I see.”
Calvin nodded his head again. “That’s real talk right there, Mesha.”
At that point, Diana wrapped her hand around Lamesha’s arm. “I have to get home, Mesha. I go in real early to work tomorrow. Let’s go.”
When Diana spoke up, Calvin smiled and said, “Ms. Diana. It’s good to see you.” Then he tried to give her a hug.
Diana put her hand out in front of herself with her palm facing forward, blocking Calvin’s attempt to hug her. “The God I serve is powerful. He has amazing grace, but he’s also a punisher of the wicked. It’d do you good to remember that, Calvin.”
Calvin almost dropped the smile that had been on his face. He nodded his head at what his ex-girl’s mama had just told him. “Yeah...I’ll remember that, Ms. Diana.”
“Yeah. You do that.” Then she turned to Lamesha. “Come on, Mesha. Let’s go.”
Five minutes later, Lamesha looked across the car at her mother and frowned. “What did you just say, mama?”
"You heard me, Mesha. That boy don't mean you no good. I saw him at the mall with Sharita, day before yesterday. Sharita had gotten into his car with him...in the back seat. She had her hands and her lips all over that boy. Then, with my own two eyes, I seen her drop her head into his lap. I'm sure you can imagine what she was doing to him...what that was all about.”
Lamesha didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t imagine that Sharita would actually be sneaking around with Calvin...especially not after the way he’d treated her. “Are you sure that you saw Sharita with Calvin and not somebody else? Some other guy who maybe looks similar to him?”
“I know what I saw, Mesha. And I know who I saw. Seeing how things were between you and and me a few years back, I didn’t want to say anything to you about what I’d seen. But now that that boy done showed up at our church, I figure I need to be saying something. Him and Sharita up to something foul, Mesha. You need to be watchin’ yo’ back.”
My mama done got so caught up in that so-called vision of hers that she’s losing her mind. Lord help her. My girl Sharita ain’t perfect, but I know she’s not with Calvin.
Right then and there, Mesha made a mental note to ask Sharita about it. But she was pretty much sure her girl was gonna laugh in her face and point out just how ridiculous what she was asking her about sounded. As for her mama, Mesha decided to not rock the boat.
She gave her mother a tiny smile. “Alright, mama. I’m watching my back. Okay?”
“Alright, Mesha. You make sure you do that.”
<<<<<>>>>>
The Next Day At Lamesha’s Job:
Just like she’d expected, Sharita almost fell out of her chair laughing at what Lamesha had just told her. “Girl, your mama said all that?”
Lamesha smiled. “Yeah. I wanted to tell her just how crazy everything she was saying was sounding, but she is my mama...know what I mean? I had to put some respect on that.”
“Yeah. But she saying she saw me and Calvin?” Sharita shook her head. “I think either you need to take her to go get her eyes checked or to a shrink.”
Lamesha smiled. “You know how I roll. I’m just gonna pray for her, girl.”
“Yeah. You do that, Mesha. Now on to Calvin...you say he came to your church?”
Lamesha nodded her head. “Yeah. He did. Boo, he ain’t even the same person. He’s dedicated his life to Christ and he’s trying to live right.”
With her eyes focused on the computer screen in front of her Sharita said, “You had some kind of look in your eye when you said that just now. You are over Calvin aren’t you? He was your first love and women never forget their first. You don’t have lingering feelings for him, do you?”
Mesha was quick with her response. “Of course not. I’m just happy to see the miracle God’s allowed to happen in his life. It’s always a thrill to me when I see or hear about somebody who’s decided to walk with Christ.”
“Oh, okay, Meesha. I was just thinking about how good the two of you used to be together. I hate admitting to this, but I was a little jealous of the love that the two of you had. I wanted something like that for myself.”
At that, Meesha shook her head. “Girl, what Calvin and I had was mostly lust.”
“So you didn’t love him?”
“Yeah, I did. But I’m over him now.” An image of her fiancee’s smiling face came into her mind’s eye. Then she held her hand out and flashed her engagement ring. “Donovan’s my everything. We have a love that’s deeper than the regular ol’ surface-type of love. It’s kinda hard to explain it, but I love Donovan on a spiritual level. He’s my soulmate.” She shook her head. “I never felt that with Calvin.”
“Oh, okay.”
Sharita had agreed with Lamesha out loud, but in her head she was thinking: I’m gonna have to get that fool, Calvin, to up his game. I’m never gonna break up Donovan and Lamesha if Calvin keeps half-stepping.
“Have you told Donovan about you running into Calvin, Mesha?”
Mesha shook her head. “No. I haven’t mentioned it. It never really came up in the conversation and I’m seriously not feeling Calvin like that.”
“Oh, alright.” Then Sharita stood up. “Well, Mesha...it’s almost one and you know I have a dentist appointment with your fiancee at one-thirty. Thanks for hooking me up on the emergency tip. Like I told you this morning, my tooth started giving me a problem last night. I called my regular dentist off of Peachtree, but they said they couldn’t fit me in for at least a week. So I’m gonna owe both you and Donovan one.”
Lamesha smiled. “Anything for a friend, boo.”
<<<<<>>>>>
Ten minutes later, Sharita was in the bathroom on the bottom floor of the building that she and Lamesha worked in. She locked the door behind herself and pulled off her plain, boring work shirt. She replaced it with a slinky, sexy, almost see-through number that dipped real low on her chest and showed off her ample cleavage. Then she wiped the boring brown lipstick from her lips and replaced it with a fire-engine red colorstay version. She smacked her lips as she pulled out a pair of false eyelashes. “I love this long-wearing lipstick stuff. Can’t have my color coming off while Donovan has his fingers all up in my mouth now can I?” Then she giggled to herself.
As she walked out of the bathroom she had one thought on her mind. I’m ‘bout to show Donovan what a real woman is like. He ‘bout to see what I’m working with.
A half hour later, Donovan smiled at the girl that his fiancée considered to be one of her best friends. "Come on in, Sharita and have a seat. Let me get a look at you."
Sharita sashayed into the examination room, putting a little extra sway to her hips as she walked. I'm gonna let him get a look at me all right.
She settled herself into the leather examination chair and allowed her skin-tight miniskirt to inch up on her thighs. Then she swiped her tongue sexily across her lips. "You ready for me to open my mouth now?"
He smiled and nodded his head. "Sure. I'm ready for you."
After Donovan had gotten close to her, Sharita reached out her will manicured hand and gave his thigh a hefty little squeeze. "Wow, Donovan. You must work out."
"Yeah. I workout at least three or four times per week. I generally put in long hours here at the job, so sometimes it's a challenge getting to the gym. But I like staying fit, so I make the sacrifice."
She repositioned herself in the chair so that her shirt opened up a little bit more. The shirt’s v-neck was almost low enough to reveal her nipples, seeing that she also had on a low-cut barely there demi-bra.
It only took Donovan about twenty minutes to get Sharita's mouth x-rayed and to examine her. Alone with her in the examination room, he smiled and said, "I don't see any immediate problems with your teeth, Sharita. It’s probably just a touch of sensitivity that you've developed. They sell toothpaste for sensitive teeth over-the-counter. You're probably gonna want to pick up some of that."
“Oh, I’ll get some before I go to church this evening for choir practice. I’m not in the choir right now, but I’m thinking about joining. I was going to go check it out.”
Donovan nodded his head and Sharita continued on talking.
“Speaking about church, I just shook my head when I heard about Lamesha’s ex — you know her first love — coming up in there and sitting with her last night. She met him at the mall day before yesterday, too — they had drinks together. He’s supposed to be saved now you know.” Sharita sighed. “Lamesha was tore up when Calvin dumped her. I don’t think she ever really recovered from losing him. I think she’s always gonna be holding a torch for that boy.” She looked Donovan in the eye at that point. “Y’all set a date to get married yet?”
Donovan shook his head. “No. We haven’t.”
“Yeah...I figured not. I bet she told you that she wanted to wait awhile ‘cause she wanted to take her time planning a wedding. But she tried to get Calvin to run off and elope with her. That’s how much in love with him she was.”
His voice was emotionless when he said, “I think I’m done with you now, Sharita. Pick up some of that toothpaste for sensitive teeth and you’ll be all good.”
She stood up at that point. She remembered how Donovan had made a house call when Lamesha had gotten him to do her root canal. She looked him dead in the eye and smiled. “Can I call you later on this evening if I’m having any problems with my mouth?”
He nodded his head. “Sure, Sharita.”
“Kinda hard to call if I don’t have your personal cell phone number.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. “Here you go.”
Sharita tucked it underneath her cleavage. She looked him in the eye again and then in a sultry voice said, “Thanks...with your fine self.” Then she laughed. “Lamesha better treat you right. There’s plenty of women out here who will if she doesn’t want to or if she doesn’t know how to. See you around, Donovan.”
Donovan frowned as Sharita sashayed out of the examination room. He’d only been in there alone for five seconds when his assistant and cousin, Mya, stuck her head around the door. “I try not to be judgmental about folks, but that girl just rubs me all the wrong ways. Is she really Lamesha’s bestie?”
He wasn’t slow or stupid, so he could tell that Sharita had been flirting with him on the downlow tip. “Lamesha says that she’s one of her best friends.” But now I have to wonder about that.
Mya made a humph sound. “If you were my man, Sharita Carter couldn’t be my bestie. You see how she came all up in here in your face with her titties hanging out? I could even see homegirl cameltoe. No homo...I wasn’t looking for it...it was just so obvious.” Mya’s eyes met Donovan’s. “You’re not stupid enough to go try to hit that are you, cuz?”
“I’m an engaged man, Mya. You know how I roll.”
“Yeah. I know how you roll, John John. But sometimes temptation ends up being too much for a brotha. I seen too many good men taken out by sniffing up on hot pieces of tail that they didn’t have no business bothering with.”
He had to smile at his cousin when she’d said that. “Okay, Mya. I’ll keep what you said in mind.”
“You do that, Donovan.”
<<<<<>>>>>
Later on that Evening:
As soon as Donovan stepped inside of her house and closed the door behind himself, Lamesha threaded her arms around his thickly corded neck. "Hey, sweetheart. You didn't tell me you were coming over this evening. You're a sight for sore eyes."
Donovan thought that she was a sight for sore eyes, too. But he had everything that Sharita had told him earlier in the day about Lamesha hooking up with her ex, Calvin, on his mind.
Noticing the troubled look on her fiancée's face Lamesha said, "What's wrong, babe?"
Donovan took her by the hand and started walking towards her sofa. "I was just thinking about some things, that's all. Let's sit down and talk."
Lamesha sat down in Donovan's lap, like she often did. She placed one arm around his neck and he placed one arm around her waist. His eyes met hers. "We've talked about a lot of things, Lamesha. But we haven't talked a lot about our ex relationships. You said that you had had only one serious relationship before me. Do you have any type of feelings for that old flame of yours? Do you ever see him around town?"
Lamesha frowned. "Um, Calvin was my first love. I used to see him around the city a lot after we first broke up. But now I hardly ever see him at all.” Then she smiled. “You have no need to worry. I love you and only you, Donovan. That's why I'm marrying your sexy, fine behind."
"So you haven't seen him recently? This Calvin dude?"
Lamesha didn't know where all the questions were coming from, but she didn't intend on hiding anything from her man. "I actually saw Calvin yesterday. He showed up at Bible study at God’s House of Salvation last night. And I also ran into him at the mall. He bought me a coffee and he apologized for treating me bad back when we were together." Then she gave Donovan a tiny smile. "What's up with the thousand and one questions?"
Donovan was happy that his woman had been upfront and honest with him about everything. He smiled and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Oh, I was just making sure that you were certain that you wanted to marry me. That you weren't harboring feelings for anyone else."
Lamesha shook her head. "How could I be harboring feelings for anyone else, babe? You're the total package and I love you."
Donovan smiled. “I love you, too, sweetheart.”