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VICTOR DIDN'T GET BACK to the station until the end of his shift. There'd been a break-in at the local high school, and the security guard managed to catch one of the students responsible for it. Unfortunately, in the scuffle, there were minor injuries, and tempers flared when he and a few other officers arrived on the scene with parents. By eleven o'clock, he was weary of people and their unchecked emotions, and ready to call it a night.
He folded his long legs into the driver's seat of his Camry, a vehicle he was incessantly teased about because of its "married-with-children" status. All he cared about was its "excellent-gas-mileage" and "never-breaks-down-ever" status.
Pulling out of the station parking lot, he let his mind drift back over the evening. Actually, it raced through the evening, straight to Juliette's front door, and stayed there. He smiled at the memory of her clenching her fists and stamping her foot, then poking fun at her own behavior later. His thoughts sobered as he heard the resignation in her voice when she told him about her sisters' plans to get her married off. He shook his head—he could relate to scheming sisters.
And her laugh when she realized he'd thought of her in the worst way possible....
When she laughed at him, however, it didn't feel like when Darlene and Sasha laughed at him. In fact, rather than frustrating him or angering him, which was exactly what his sisters intended, Juliette's teasing made him want to join in, to come up with reasons to keep her laughing. Her eyes sparkled, her nose scrunched up, and she showed all her teeth, something his mother declared to be crass, vulgar.
Victor liked it. He thought it was charming.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized it wasn't just her laughter that charmed him. Juliette came across as an odd combination of vulnerable and brave, of naive and brash, of ridiculous and serious at the same time. He couldn't pin her down, but for some reason, he didn't feel like he had to. In fact, he was beginning to enjoy the surprises that came wrapped up in the package of Juliette Gustafson.
His relief over her explanation of the call-girl accusations was remarkable, considering he already knew in his heart they couldn't be true, and he owed Trevor a real apology. It was Monday night. Even if he had a performance tonight, the musician would surely be done by now.
As he pulled into his driveway, he glanced over at the front door, and saw Juliette standing there in her pink, fuzzy bathrobe. He blinked hard, and she disappeared. He shook his head and scrubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. Wow. He was really tired.
But the image kept returning, and the more he thought about it, the more he wanted it to be real. Wouldn't it be nice to come home to her standing on his doorstep? Waiting for him with her eyes all lit up in welcome?
"Oh, man. Get it together. She's too unpredictable, remember? And she's got crazy sisters." But his thoughts defied his words, and his heart kept whispering her name. He parked in the garage and went inside, heading straight for the shower. He'd call his friend as soon as he was out.
Trevor answered on the second ring. "Vic! How goes it?"
"Just home from work. And you?"
"Had a great show tonight. Just winding down. What's up?"
"I owe you an apology. My accusation about you and Juliette Gustafson was way off, and I'm sorry. I spoke to her tonight, but I wanted to follow up with you, too."
It's cool, Vic," Trevor replied after a moment of silence. "I'm not sure I understand the whole situation, and I don't really need to. But what about the Big Man? Did you take it to Him, too? You accused one of His girls of some pretty vile stuff."
Victor cringed. No, he hadn't even considered apologizing to God. But when Trevor put it that way, he felt conviction all the way to his toes. "I'll do it as soon as I'm off the phone."
"Nah, let's go together now. Jesus, You're awesome and overflowing with mercy. Please receive my brother's heart."
Victor picked up after a leading silence. "Forgive me for believing the worst of Juliette and Trevor, both. Help me to see people through Your eyes and not my own. Thanks for giving me a friend who will stand beside me even when I'm a fool."
Trevor echoed, "Thank you, thank you, Jesus."
Being friends with Trevor was often a challenge, not because Victor didn't know what to expect from him, but because Trevor's consistency never ceased to surprise Victor. There was no guile in the man. He wore his heart on his sleeve, connected everything back to God, and did so shamelessly. He included prayer in everyday conversation as though Jesus actually stood in their midst.
Victor was much more reserved in all his relationships, particularly with God, but a part of him longed for the authenticity Trevor had. "Thanks. I didn't realize how much I needed that."
"Absolutely." There was a moment of silence, then, "Hey, I know I said I didn't need to understand it all, but this question won't go away. Why were you so willing to believe the worst about little Miss Juliette? It's not like you to pass snap judgments."
The question barreled through him like a freight train, and he resisted the impulse to deny it. He thought for a few more moments before answering. "I'm not really sure, to be honest."
"Okay. Well, what makes you so certain she's telling the truth now that you've talked?" He wasn't going to let this go.
"I don't know. I suppose because I want to believe her."
"So you changed your mind about her because you want to? Just like that?"
Victor let Trevor's words sink in. His friend didn't say things just to be cruel, but he did feel like he was being goaded. "Sounds pretty bad, huh?"
"You still sound like a blind fool to me."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Look, Vic. Juliette's a good woman. She's desperate for the Lord and has finally let Him in. Maybe she's got you all stirred up because God's using her to do something in you. Don't you think it's odd how often you're being sent to her side? I don't believe in coincidence, my friend. But divine appointments, absolutely. And the fact that she's got you acting like a fool, tells me there may be more to it than just a little life lesson to be learned. I sure didn't turn into a raging idiot when I was around her."
"Hey. I just went from blind fool to raging idiot. And who says I'm all stirred up?"
"And back to blind fool again," Trevor chuckled. "Dude. I've known you for more than ten years, and I've never seen you stirred up like you are now over any woman. Not even Amanda."
"So cut to the chase," Victor grouched, not wanting to discuss his ex-girlfriend. His pride was still recovering from her rejection. "What are you saying?"
"Go back to the King, Vic. Find out what He wants from you. Seems to me He's hooking the two of you up. Maybe you should consider it."
"Are you playing matchmaker?"
"Call it what you like. This may be a home-run for you, dude. You might want to pick up the bat and jump in the game before God sends someone else along to take your place."
"What on earth does all that mean?" Victor's impatience was quickly turning to frustration. "I hate analogies."
"Fine." Trevor yawned over the phone. Victor tried not to be offended any more than he already was. "You want my advice? Ask her out."
"What?" Victor's voice actually cracked on the word, and he heard Trevor chuckle.
"Pray about it first. Then ask her out. Divine appointment."
~ ~ ~
IT WAS LIKE DISCOVERING a long lost treasure in the book she held in her hands. Juliette poured over the Bible in every spare moment, more and more able to understand what she was reading. The New Testament was full of letters to the early churches teaching them how to love God and live as Christ-followers, and she was amazed at how timeless the advice was, applicable to this modern day, to her own life.
She read about Jesus, as told by His followers, and wondered what it must have been like to witness the radical Christ in person. Would she have believed back then, or would she have thought He was a rabble-rouser and an upstart, too?
She tried to decipher the stories of warfare and plunder, of kings and queens, and the adventures and misadventures of the people of Israel in the Old Testament, but it was often overwhelming.
"It'll happen, Juju. The Bible isn't going anywhere anytime soon." Sharon assured her that God understood, and was making things clear to her a little at a time.
Juliette went to church on Sundays with Sharon and Chris, hanging on the words taught from the pulpit. Sometimes she even went on Saturday night, even though she knew the same message would be preached the next morning. She always got something new out of it. It had only been a month, and she couldn't get enough.
It was Saturday, and her plans to go to church that evening gave her the courage to make the overdue phone call to Mike. Although she felt it necessary to follow through with it, she'd put it off yet again. She didn't want to think about him at all.
In fact, the only man she wanted to think about was Officer Jarrett. She could close her eyes and see him standing on her front step, thumbs in his pockets, grinning down at her, making her feel like they were the only two people in the whole world. And the memory of his deep voice saying, 'Goodnight, Juliette,' still sent shivers down her spine.
Just a few weeks ago, she'd practically hated the man. Now she was mooning over him like a sick puppy because he'd smiled at her, and said her name. More than once, she'd even contemplated what kind of petty crime she might commit so she could call the cops on herself. Without risking going to jail, of course.
"You really are pathetic, Jules," she muttered. But call Mike, she must, and that meant thinking about him, instead of the man in the dark blue uniform.
Her hands were shaking, but she was curiously relieved when Mike answered. He seemed eager to have dinner with her until she explained the circumstances under which they would be meeting. He accused her of trying to manipulate him, and she tried to explain her motives.
"I don't want us to have this ugliness between us. We don't have to be friends, Mike, but I don't want to leave things unresolved. We spent too many years together to walk away angry."
"Then don't walk away at all. I don't want to have dinner with your friends; I want to have dinner with you." His voice became softer, cajoling, the way it used to when he wanted something from her. "Come on, Julie. Let's start fresh, okay? You're right. We need to talk, but just you and me."
"Mike, I'm not coming back. That's not why I called you."
"You're being selfish now. I know what makes you happy, and I already love you like no one else can," he declared, as if mere words could change her mind.
"Don't do this. Please." The conversation was moving in a direction she wasn't prepared to go without some support. When he said things like that, she could feel the ground give a little beneath her feet. "I know you'll find your way, and that you'll make a terrific dentist. I'm sure whatever job you get will be just exactly what you deserve. You've worked so hard, and I'm proud of you for all you've accomplished." As she said the words, she realized a huge part of her actually believed what she was saying. She was proud of him and his determination and his zeal.
There was a much smaller part of her that was curled up in a miserable little ball of regret over the way things were between them, over what would never be. "I also believe that the right woman is out there, waiting for you to be the right man for her. But it's not me." Her voice caught a little on the words. "Things have really changed for me, and we're going in very different directions now." She took a steadying breath. "What we had isn't enough for me anymore."
"Not enough for you? What do you mean? I have a great career and can offer you a lifestyle far beyond your wildest dreams. A home, closets full of clothes and shoes, vacations, even kids, if you really want them. Anything you want, Julie. How can it be not enough?"
As Mike listed all the things he had to offer, her stomach began to churn. He sounded like he was trying to bribe her into coming back to him. "Do you believe in Jesus?" she whispered when he'd finished.
There was silence on the other end of the line, but she didn't try to fill the empty air space. Finally, he spoke, his venomous voice searing the newly exposed places in her heart. "Jesus, huh? You couldn't find a real man to replace me with, so you opted for an imaginary one?"
Juliette pulled the phone away from her ear for a moment; his blasphemous words repulsing her spirit. "Wow, Mike. I'm not even going to be offended by that, because I don't think you understand what you're saying."
He grunted derisively but didn't speak.
"I...wish this had gone differently. I was hoping...well, I have to go now."
He laughed cruelly. "Do you have a date? Are you going out with Jesus?"
"Actually," she smiled at his question, an inner joy she couldn't explain deflecting his verbal attack. "I am. I'm going to church tonight."
The silence at the other end of the line was different, empty, and she knew before she looked at her screen, that he'd already hung up.
Well, she'd kept her cool and hadn't attacked him, even when he tried to goad her into a fight. "Thank you, Jesus," she murmured. She thought of something Trevor had said. "I hope I made You proud."
