Chapter 52
“Would you like some peach cobbler?”
Sadie saw a two-door 1952 two-toned Mercury Monterey coupe pull into Johnnie’s driveway and park next to Marguerite’s Oldsmobile. She came out of the house with some peach cobbler to meet her new friend’s family. Sadie found Benny exceptionally attractive. His bone-colored pullover shirt fit him like a glove, showing off his boxer muscles. He had a well-muscled chest, powerful looking arms, and a thick, muscular back. She wanted him. Then she saw his wife getting out of the car, carrying a baby swaddled in a blanket. She heard a faint cry from the infant.
Brenda said, “Johnnie, he needs changing.”
“Hi, Johnnie!” Sadie said, a little excited.
“Hi, Sadie,” Johnnie said with equal enthusiasm. “I want you to meet my big brother, Benny and his wife, Brenda.”
Brenda turned around just in time to see the lustful looks Sadie was giving her husband. She looked at Benny to see how he was responding to the wanton looks. As she suspected, he was already thinking of a way to leave her and baby Jericho so he could slip his rod into Sadie. While she hated the idea of Benny sleeping with other women, Brenda put up with it because she loved him. She prayed every night that God would deliver him from the spirit of lust, but so far, she hadn’t seen any results from her nightly supplications. Brenda spoke cordially to Sadie and even forced a smile, but inwardly, the heart that was broken by the man she loved ached a little.
“Can you show me where the bathroom is, Johnnie?” Brenda asked.
“Yeah, come on in, y’all,” Johnnie said, pretending not to notice what had just happened between Benny, Brenda, and Sadie. “You too, Sadie.”
As they walked in the house, Benny said, looking Sadie’s sensuous body over, “Yeah . . . that peach cobbler sho’ do look good to me. I bet it’s sweet too.”
“It’s very good,” Sadie said, acknowledging his not so subtle flirtation.
Benny and Brenda were far more impressed with Johnnie’s house than they anticipated. While they were both proud of how well she’d done for herself, they were also angry that a sixteen-year-old girl had been bought and sold like chattel.
“Let me show you where the bathroom is, Brenda,” Johnnie said.
“Where’s the kitchen?” Benny asked. “I wanna get me a piece of that good-lookin’ cobbler.”
“Sadie, you mind showing Benny the kitchen while I show Brenda where the bathroom is?” Johnnie said.
Sadie went over to the stained glass cabinet and took out a small plate decorated with an assortment of colored roses, and placed it on the table. Benny watched her every move. He especially liked the way Sadie’s hips swayed from side to side. The shorts she was wearing were tight, showing off her shapely butt. Benny shook his head and bit down on his bottom lip, thinking it would be nice to bed her.
Whispering, Benny said, “Sadie, what you gon’ be doin’ later tonight?”
“Whatever you want me to do for as long as you want me to do it,” Sadie replied, looking into his brown eyes. She went over to the counter, picked up one of Johnnie’s pens, wrote her telephone number on a piece of paper and handed it to Benny. “Put this someplace where you won’t lose it. I’m looking forward to tonight.”
On their way to the kitchen, Brenda purposefully talked to Johnnie loudly enough for Benny and Sadie to know they were on their way to the kitchen. That way she could at least have the pretense of ignorant bliss.
“So, your sister tells me you’re a professional boxer,” Sadie said, attempting to give the appearance of innocent conversation as Brenda and Johnnie entered the kitchen. “Would you like some peach cobbler, Brenda?”