Fortune & Fame: A Novel

by Murray, Victoria Christopher

  Twenty minutes later, Mary was sitting in silence next to her husband as they rode to the church. Nathan was acting like nothing was wrong. In fact, he was actually humming along with the gospel song “I Am Worthy.” At the stop light, he even closed his eyes and raised his hand to the roof as he gave God praise.

  The whole scene was sickening, but Mary bit her tongue and remained quiet. She was all too happy when they finally pulled up in front of the restaurant where they were meeting for brunch.

  She saw the attitude form on his face when he noticed they were already filming. “And we’re late, because my wife thought it was okay to dress like she’s on the pole,” he snapped.

  The pole? The dress had come to her knees. How was he now making it into a stripper’s outfit? Mary remained quiet as he eased the car up front to the valet.

  “Come on,” he said, throwing the car into park. “You see the cameras. Pull yourself together. Plaster on a smile.”

  Mary couldn’t move. After what had just happened, she was now supposed to go in here and shin and grin like everything was okay?

  Nathan glanced over at her and must’ve decided to take another approach. He took her hand. “Babe, I’m sorry, about earlier, okay? It’s just that I’m fighting so hard for our future and you’re fighting me every step of the way. We are a team, and I think sometimes you forget that.” He smiled at her. “So, we’re good?”

  She nodded but didn’t reply.

  “There, that’s better.” He looked at the valet, who was standing there waiting to open his door. “Come on, babe.”

  “Hey, Mary,” Sonny called out as they climbed out the car. “Just pretend we’re not here and get on out and walk in. The others are already inside.”

  Nathan struggled to hide his irritation, but he plastered on a smile and gave a bunch of “hello”s and “bless you”s to random people as they made their way inside.

  They had barely made it into the foyer area when Lester came around the corner and bumped right into Nathan.

  Nathan grinned widely as he stepped in front of Mary. She couldn’t help it, she lowered her head and tried to remain inconspicuous. She just wasn’t ready to face Lester. She hadn’t seen him since that day in court when she’d begged Rachel to take her daughter before they hauled her off to jail.

  “Well, if it isn’t the great Lester Adams,” Nathan said. “I’ve heard several things about you.”

  Lester seemed confused. “I hope it’s all good.” He chuckled.

  “Some of it.” Nathan heartily shook Lester’s hand.

  “And you are?”

  “Nathan Frazier.” He stepped to the side and pushed Mary forward. “This is my wife, Mary. I think you know her.”

  Lester’s smile faded and it looked like all the color drained from his face.

  Mary wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

  “Hi, Lester,” she said, barely looking him into the eye.

  “Um, hi, Mary.”

  Nathan put his arm around her as the cameraman panned back and forth among the three of them. “I know the last you heard, she was locked up. But I’m happy to say that my darling has paid her debt to society.” Nathan was really playing it up for the camera.

  Just then, Rachel came stomping toward them like a radar had gone off warning her that Mary was within five feet of her husband.

  “Good morning, Lady Rachel,” Nathan said as she approached.

  “Lester, I need to speak with you,” Rachel said, ignoring Nathan.

  “Can’t we all get along?” Nathan laughed as they walked off. “Nice to finally meet you in person, Rev. Adams,” Nathan called out after him. “I look forward to great things.”

  “Okay, that’s good,” Sonny said. “Now, if you two can get on in, that would be great.”

  Mary could see that Rachel was not happy and she knew that Nathan was going to milk that for all it was worth to get more camera time.

  Nathan happily took Mary’s hand and led them to the table. There were four cameras shooting the long table from various angles.

  “Okay, guys,” Sonny said, “now that everyone is here, we need you to just talk casually. Make introductions like you’re getting to know each other.”

  “That won’t be too hard.” Nathan laughed. “Some of us know the others all too well. Ain’t that right, babe?”

  Mary couldn’t believe Nathan was showing out like this. Rachel obviously didn’t appreciate the humor either. She just rolled her eyes.

  “All right, and action,” Sonny said.

  No one at the table moved or said a word.

  “Cut,” Sonny said, approaching the table. “Umm, yeah, when I say action, we’d kind of like some action.”

  Still no one moved.

  “Look, Natasia will be here shortly and this scene needs to be done.” Sonny ran his hands through his hair like he was frustrated. “Can we try this again? And action.”

  He stepped back and Nathan took the lead. “So, Rev. Adams, I’ve been following your career. The things you and Lady Rachel are doing with the ABC are phenomenal.”

  “Thank you,” Lester curtly replied. Rachel didn’t bother, so Nathan turned to Jasmine.

  “And where is the esteemed Rev. Bush?” Nathan asked.

  Jasmine looked over at Rachel, then back at Nathan, then over at Sonny. “What’s the purpose of this scene again?”

  “Ugh,” Sonny yelled. “Look, take five. I’m going to talk to Natasia because I can’t work like this.” Sonny turned around and stormed off.

  “I thought this was supposed to be a First Ladies show, anyway,” Jasmine quipped. “Not First Ladies and husbands.” She smiled at Lester. “No offense, Lester.”

  Lester finally smiled. “None taken. The only reason I’m here is because Rachel said Hosea would be, too.” He eyed Rachel.

  “Oh, Hosea won’t . . . Ow!” Jasmine said when Rachel kicked her under the table. Jasmine looked like she wanted to reach across the table and slap Rachel but the pleading look in Rachel’s eyes must’ve stopped her.

  Mary couldn’t help it, the corners of her lips turned up in a slow smile. Nathan wanted to be important so badly and they wouldn’t give him the time of day.

  He caught her smiling and cut his eyes at her. She immediately lost her smile and began toying with the salad the waiter had set down in front of her.

  Mary paused when she noticed the expression on Rachel’s face. Rachel was watching their exchange, almost as if she was studying them and Mary didn’t know why, but she felt compelled to scoot closer to her husband and pretend that she was much happier than she actually was. Unfortunately, that was getting harder and harder to do.

  Chapter

  NINETEEN

  Jasmine

  Okay, that’s a wrap,” Sonny shouted and the smiles on all of their faces faded as fast as the bright lights from the cameras.

  Nathan stood first, and Mary quickly did the same, looking like a trained puppy taught to follow her master.

  Rachel and Lester remained seated, still chatting, and Jasmine scooted her chair back and scurried to the other side of the table before Rachel could get away.

  Just as Rachel stood, Jasmine said, “Rachel, can I speak to you for a moment?”

  Rachel paused for just a second, then looked over her shoulder before she turned back to Jasmine. “You talking to me?”

  Oh, God, Jasmine thought. She didn’t feel like having to deal with Rachel’s middle-school attitude today. “You’re the only Rachel in here.”

  “You don’t have to get smart about it. First of all, you approached me. And secondly, I asked because you haven’t said two funky words to me since we started this show.”

  Jasmine frowned. “What are you talking about? We speak to each other in every scene.”

  “Yeah, just for the cameras. And just so you can embarrass me. But now you want to get all friendly with me?” Rachel sucked her teeth. “Please! I need to go home with my husband.”

  Jasmine sighed. “Ple
ase, Rachel.” She lowered her voice. “I really need to speak with you in private.”

  It must’ve been the word private that made Rachel face Jasmine once again.

  With her voice still lowered, Jasmine added, “I need to speak with you away from the cameras.”

  If Jasmine wanted to speak to Rachel in private, there had to be something juicy going on and Jasmine knew Rachel would never resist juicy—Rachel was just that nosey.

  “Okay,” Rachel began in a tone that sounded like she was the one in charge of this conversation. “Let’s talk in the bathroom. The cameras won’t come in there.”

  As Jasmine followed Rachel, she replayed in her mind the words she wanted to say. She had to get Rachel to join Team Jasmine.

  Inside the bathroom, Jasmine stopped in front of the counter, but Rachel kept moving. She frowned as Rachel first peeked under each stall, and then pushed each door open. The bathroom was huge for a restaurant restroom, and Rachel did that for each of the fifteen stalls.

  “What are you doing?” Jasmine asked.

  “Just checking to make sure we’re alone.” Smirking, she added, “You ain’t street smart at all. Don’t you know that before you have any kind of private conversation in a bathroom, you should always check?”

  “Okay,” Jasmine said, trying hard not to roll her eyes. Who had private conversations in public bathrooms? “I’ll try and remember that.”

  Rachel folded her arms and began tapping her foot. “So, what’s up?”

  Jasmine took a deep breath. These first words that she’d rehearsed were the hardest to say. “First, I wanted to apologize.”

  Rachel raised one eyebrow.

  Jasmine continued, “You and I were in such a good space after all that stuff that went down in Chicago and the Virgin Islands last year. I actually thought of you as a friend after that.” She paused. “But it doesn’t feel like we’re friends now.”

  “That’s not my fault,” Rachel said. “You’re the one who’s acting like you’re the star of this show and I’m getting in your way.”

  “I haven’t been acting that way by myself. I heard what you call me and Mary—your backups.”

  The corner of Rachel’s mouth twitched as she fought to hold back a smile.

  “And it really started before the show began. Before you even knew I was on the show, when you sent me that little funky email with that fake picture of you standing in front of Harpo Studios.”

  Rachel couldn’t hold back her smile this time. “I was just trying to keep you informed since we’re girls. And anyway, it didn’t matter because you found a way to step in and steal my shine.”

  “Just like you stole mine when I was supposed to be on Oprah’s show, alone.”

  “You know what?” Rachel began to move toward the door. “I don’t need this. You always bringing up stuff from the past.”

  “Wait!” She paused until Rachel turned around. “Just listen to what I’m saying. This show has brought out the worst in us and I don’t want that to ruin our friendship. Think about where we’ve come from. I got you out of that murder charge and—”

  Rachel raised her hand, stopping her. “Now, you wait. So that we’re both perfectly clear, I never murdered anyone, I would never murder anyone, and there wasn’t anyone even murdered.”

  “I know all that, but I’m just sayin’, you were in a lot of trouble and I was there to help you. I put everything I had on hold; I could’ve gone back to New York to be with my husband and children, but I didn’t. I stayed with you. I could’ve let you sit in jail when you were arrested, but I didn’t. I made sure that Mae Frances got you out and got you an attorney.”

  Once again, Rachel folded her arms, and now she peered at Jasmine, trying to figure out where all of this was leading.

  Jasmine kept on, “I just want us to get back to that place where we were before.”

  Rachel waited a couple of seconds before she said, “Okay.”

  “Okay!” Jasmine grinned, thinking how easy that was.

  Rachel said, “So, what do you want from me?”

  “What do you mean?” Her tone was filled with innocence.

  “There is only one reason why you would come to me with all of this. You must need something.”

  Jasmine shook her head. She really needed to reevaluate her opinion of Rachel. She always underestimated this girl, thinking she was just young and dumb. Well, for the most part, that’s all she was. But there were times when Rachel surprised her.

  “Well, now that you mention it . . .”

  Rachel laughed, but then all the cheer left her face. “What do you want?”

  “You’re right, I do need something. I need your help.” She paused, waiting for Rachel to say something. Then, “You were right about what you said earlier. Natasia Redding is the Natasia from Hosea’s past.”

  Rachel busted out laughing. “I knew it! This is priceless. Hosea’s woman is all up in this place.”

  “Yeah, just like Lester’s woman is.”

  Rachel’s laughter stopped and the way her face scrunched up, Jasmine was sure Rachel was going to start howling at the moon. Rachel said, “You know what?” Again, she turned toward the door. Again, Jasmine stopped her.

  “Okay, I’m sorry I said that. It’s just that both of us are dealing with these other women and we can’t do anything about Mary. But I need your help to get rid of Natasia. I need her off the show, out of Atlanta, and out of the country, if possible.”

  Rachel tilted her head. “Why all of that? You think Hosea’s gonna step out on you with her again?”

  “There is no again, Rachel,” Jasmine said, trying hard not to snap. “My husband never cheated on me!”

  Rachel paused, trying to figure out if Jasmine had taken another dig at her. But then she just asked, “So, what am I supposed to do?”

  “Help me, like I helped you. We didn’t exactly have a plan when I saved you in Chicago—”

  “You didn’t save me.”

  “But we got it done anyway,” Jasmine continued, ignoring Rachel’s comment.

  Rachel pressed her lips together. “So, if I help you, what’s in it for me?”

  “Can’t you do it because we’re friends?”

  Rachel laughed. “Yeah, right.”

  “I’m serious, Rachel. Just like what happened out there,” Jasmine said, motioning with her thumb toward the door. “When I was getting ready to talk about Hosea not wanting to be here, and you kicked me under the table. I had your back.”

  “No, what you have is a big mouth!”

  Now Jasmine wanted to be the one to turn around and walk out that door. But she needed this blockhead. So she just smiled and kept her growl inside. “Well, I stopped talking about Hosea, didn’t I? I helped you out, and now I need you to help me.”

  Rachel paused, pursed her lips, stared Jasmine up and down. She did all of that, and said, “I’ll think about it.”

  Jasmine wanted to scream. What did she have to think about? And didn’t you need a brain to think?

  But before she could go off and say all that, the bathroom door swung open and they both turned.

  Mary stepped inside, but then stopped. She looked at Jasmine and then her eyes settled on Rachel. “Am I interrupting something?”

  Rachel growled and Jasmine stepped back. Over the past few weeks, there were many times when Rachel and Mary went at it. But it was always controlled and in front of the cameras. Without the cameras, Jasmine had a feeling that Rachel was going to go off. And she wanted to see it. Something might happen that she could use.

  When neither Jasmine nor Rachel spoke, Mary moved past them, but before she could go into a stall, Rachel grabbed her arm and swung her back around.

  “You better get your hands off me,” Mary said in a sister-girl tone that made Jasmine back up a little. This white girl sounded like she had some black in her.

  “Oh, yeah,” Rachel said, not backing down. “And if I don’t, what you gonna do?”

  Mary stared R
achel down, but then sighed and stepped back. “I’m not trying to go there with you. I told you, I’ve changed.”

  “So, is that why you were all up in Lester’s face?”

  Jasmine was mesmerized, but then, from the corner of her eye, she saw movement. She turned her head. Chauncey was tiptoeing in with the camera. Quickly, she turned back to the drama in front of her. Both Mary and Rachel were turned so that they couldn’t see Chauncey right away, especially since he didn’t have any lights on—none were needed in the bathroom. Though even with lights, Rachel and Mary probably wouldn’t have noticed Chauncey; they were that caught up.

  When they didn’t notice, Jasmine turned back to Chauncey and nodded her head just a bit, letting him know that she wasn’t going to say a word. This was exactly the scene she needed, the scene that would show these two for the hoodlums they were. The scene that would show how far above both of them she was.

  When Mary asked, “What are you talking about, Rachel?” Jasmine whipped her head around, getting back to the drama.

  “I’m talking about you being the conniving snake in the grass that you’ve always been,” Rachel snarled. “I’m talking about you always trying to seduce a man who doesn’t belong to you so that you can get what you want.”

  “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m married, Rachel. I have a husband and I don’t do that anymore.”

  “You can try to sell that lie to someone who doesn’t know you, but I know you haven’t changed. And that bootleg preacher that you’re married to—”

  “He’s not bootleg,” Mary said. Her voice rose with anger. “Pleasant City is a growing church. You’ll be hearing about us.”

  Rachel chuckled. “I’m sure I will. Hearing about how you stole money from the church, or how you slept with every man in there.” She paused. “And now that you’ve been in prison, you’re probably sleeping with the women, too!”

  Mary looked like she wanted to punch Rachel in her throat so that not another word would ever rise up out of her again. But all she said was, “I know you don’t like me,” as calmly as if she was speaking to a child.

  “What was your first clue?”