“Aha, so James is a momma’s boy, huh?”
“To say the least. Her bedroom at her house is decorated in pink and yellow. So, James decided he wanted to change one of our guest bedrooms to suit her taste. He redid the entire bedroom in pink and yellow. The neutral color carpet has been pulled up. He wanted her to walk on pink carpet. The bedroom you used when you were here is now fit for a queen.”
If Michelle was upset, she didn’t sound like it.
“Doesn’t that bother you, Michelle?”
“Does what bother me?”
“All the trouble James is going through for his mother. I mean, I don’t think I would tolerate my husband remodeling my house just to pacify his mother.”
“Amaryllis, James is a good husband and a good son. Mother Bradley has no idea what James is doing for her. No, it doesn’t bother me at all that he appreciates his mother and does all he can to make her comfortable in his home.”
“Wait a minute, Michelle. That was your home first.”
“But when James moved in, it became his home too. He’s the head of this household. The name on the mailbox has been changed from Price to Bradley. I no longer have to pay folks to mow my lawn because that’s my husband’s job. Both of our names are on the title to this house, but his name is first.”
Amaryllis couldn’t understand Michelle. “Why did you add his name to your mortgage?”
Michelle let out a loud sigh. “Do I gotta go to church on you again?”
“Yeah, because I wanna know what you’re gonna do if James decides he wants out and half of your house.”
“First of all, James’s name was added to the mortgage because it’s his responsibility to pay it, not mine. I gave that up when I said ‘I do.’ We didn’t go into this marriage thinking that in eight or ten years, we might be divorced so we better not get joint bank accounts, or we better not add his name to the mortgage, or we better sign prenuptials.”
Amaryllis almost dropped the telephone. “Hold up, Michelle. Let’s stop this conversation and rewind it for a minute. Did I hear you right? You didn’t make James sign a prenup?”
“Why do you think that I should have?”
Amaryllis pressed her ear tighter against the telephone. “You own a law firm, Michelle. Hello?”
“Yeah, and…?”
“You’re worth millions.”
Michelle didn’t understand what Amaryllis was getting at. “How do you know, and what’s your point?”
“I use to do the books there, sweetie. I replaced your secretary, Chantal, when she went on maternity leave, remember? I know what you’re banking. My point is, if James decides to walk, he can easily take half of what you’ve built. Why give a man that much power over you?”
“Amaryllis, the only one that has power over me is God. Let me explain something to you. I didn’t go looking for James; God sent him to me. The man courted me right, and he loves me right. I believe with my whole heart that God has joined us together. Therefore, what’s mine is his, and what’s his is mine. In other words, we share everything, and everything we have is ours—except my chocolate. James knows that’s the one thing he can’t touch.
“God and I have an understanding. When He brought James to me for the very first time, I knew I had to have him. James is righteous, he’s holy, and he worships the husk on my feet, as my friend, Jodie, would say. What more can a girl ask for? I told God that if He allowed me to have James, I would do everything that was within me to make him happy.
“And trust me, honey, my husband grins twenty-four seven. Even in his sleep he’s smiling. His love for me is overwhelming. Everything I ask him for, he gives. I have more diamonds than I know what to do with.”
“That’s because he’s buying them with your money,” Amaryllis commented.
“It’s our money, Amaryllis. And as long as I get the gold, I couldn’t care less where the money came from. And James is not hurting; he’s a homicide detective.”
“That can’t compare with owning a law firm, Michelle.”
“Amaryllis, James is my angel. He’s my soul mate. He comforts me, he covers me, he appreciates me, he adores me, and he loves me. We’ve been married for nine months, and he still carries me over the threshold whenever we walk in the front door. I haven’t put gas in my car or truck, nor have I had to wash them since I met James. I don’t have to worry about mortgage or car payments. I haven’t seen a light, telephone or gas bill in nine months. And whenever I shop, James sits and reads a magazine. But when I get to the cash register, he steps right up and asks for the total. He writes the check, not me. My welfare is his business. He’s my pastor’s armor bearer, and mine too.”
“That might be all good, Michelle. Like I said, if there was ever a near perfect man, you got him. What I don’t understand is why James feels the need to remodel your home to suit his mother,” Amaryllis stated.
“Because she’ll be here for a month, Amaryllis. He wants to make her comfortable, as he should. She’s his mother, and I encourage him to do whatever he wants for her. James is just being James. The way a man treats his mother is the way he’ll treat his woman. A man’s mother will always be the queen in his life. And his woman can’t do anything about that. If a woman tries to come between a man and his mother, she’ll be the one getting left in the cold, not Momma.
“When Mother Bradley gets here, she’ll be the queen of this house. I don’t have a problem with respect. I give it where it’s due.”
“You only met her a few times, Michelle. It’s not like y’all are buddy, buddy.”
“Mother Bradley and I are very close. We talk on the telephone every week.
Amaryllis, don’t you know that if you get a man’s mother to fall in love with you, you’ll have no worries about getting the man or keeping him because she’ll have your back? Mother Bradley raised James to be the man he is today. Now that I think about it, she raised him for me. So, when James gives me my nightly foot massage, I’ll make sure that Mother Bradley has a Chunky in her hand and her feet on James’s lap too.”
“Oh, ain’t that about nothing. You’ll have three cows, two elephants, and a hippo if anyone touches your chocolate, yet you’ll share it with a woman who’s getting ready to take over your house.”
“Listen, honey, the woman who gave birth to my destiny can have my chocolate and anything else she wants.”
Just as Michelle was speaking to Amaryllis, James appeared in her office doorway with a dozen roses in one hand and a small white paper bag in the other. Michelle smiled at her husband. “Speaking of the angel, my armor bearer is here with chocolate and roses.”
“Okay, I guess that’s my cue. I’ll talk to you later. Tell James I said hey.”
“I will, sweetie. Look for something in the mail real soon.”
“Like what? Some money?” Amaryllis was hopeful.
“No. Something else.”
“Okay.”
Michelle became concerned. “Hey, sis?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you need any money?”
“I always need money, Michelle.”
“Which Western Union do you want me to send it to?”
After confirming with Amaryllis where to send money, Michelle placed the telephone on its receiver and looked at her husband. “Hello, gorgeous.”
James presented his prize-winning smile that always melted Michelle. “I’m not the gorgeous one, Mickey, you are.” Mickey was the nickname James had given her shortly after they had started dating.
“Not me, you are.”
“No. You are, Mickey.”
James came into her office, shut the door softly behind him, then locked it. He placed the roses and candy on a table by the door. He then walked to Michelle, picked her up from her chair, and sat her on top of the desk. He reached behind her and pressed the intercom button to speak with Michelle’s secretary. “Chantal?”
“Yes, James?”
“Hold all of Michelle’s calls, please.”
; Chantal chuckled. “Ten-four, Detective.”
Chapter 9
At lunchtime, Bridgette stood next to Amaryllis at the counter in Western Union and watched as Amaryllis counted $2,000 in one hundred-dollar bills. “Dang, Amaryllis, how can a sister be down wit somma dat?”
Amaryllis kept counting as she answered Bridgette. “She can’t.”
“Come on, Amaryllis. I gotta get my manicure and pedicure. They are a week overdue.”
Amaryllis stopped counting her cash and looked at her friend. “Bridge, I ain’t your pimp. You better call Deacon Brown and tell him to get your nails done.”
Bridgette’s stomach turned, and her hand flew over her mouth. “Girl, you’re gonna make me throw up.”
Amaryllis looked down at Bridgette’s high-heeled sandals. She saw the polish on her toes chipping and promptly gave her $100. “Here, I can’t have you going anywhere with me looking like you got liquid paper on your toes. And why would you wear sandals if your toes ain’t looking right?”
“Because these sandals match my outfit. You know I gotta be cute.” Bridgette ran her hands down her sides and traced her silhouette.
“Bridge, ain’t nothing cute about an outfit and matching sandals with jacked-up toes. You could have easily worn slip-on mules or pumps. Now, that would’ve been cute. But your toes cheapen the look of your sandals. I know how much you paid for them because I was with you when you bought them. If you’re gonna wear expensive shoes, wear them right. And you have on Capri pants today. Why didn’t you wear your silver anklet for daintiness?”
“I didn’t think about it.”
Amaryllis looked up toward the ceiling. “Lord Jesus, help your saint.”
“What about you, Amaryllis? You’re always in my Kool-Aid, even though you do know the flavor, but what about you?”
Amaryllis stepped away from the counter and spread her arms wide and looked at Bridgette. “What’s up? What about me?”
Amaryllis was sporting a lavender silk pantsuit. The blouse was long sleeved and it wrapped around to tie on the left side. A silver rhinestone choker circled her neck and matching rhinestone studs decorated her ears. The lavender silk pants hugged her hips perfectly and draped to her ankles. On her feet she wore lavender patent leather, three-inch sandals that were crisscrossed on the top. Her second toe on her left foot sparkled with a rhinestone ring. And, of course, Amaryllis’s toenails were freshly done.
She raised her right pant leg up a few inches to display a rhinestone anklet. Bridgette couldn’t say anything. From head to toe, Amaryllis always had her stuff together.
“Yeah, okay, Amaryllis. I’ll give you your props today,” Bridgette complimented.
“Today? Is there ever any day I step out of our front door and I’m not flawless?”
Bridgette thought hard.
Amaryllis gave her ten seconds. “Don’t work your brain, Bridge. You can’t think of a time.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I forgot to whom I was talking. You put on eyeliner and lipstick just to take the garbage down to the dumpster or get the mail from the mailbox in the lobby.”
Amaryllis placed her purse on her shoulder and headed for the door. “Because that’s what true divas do. Graduate.”
Amaryllis went back to the office while Bridgette opted to pay a visit to Kwong Dhan’s Nail Salon two blocks away from the law firm. Forty-five minutes later, Bridgette walked to Amaryllis’s desk and lifted her left sandal up to the brief Amaryllis was typing from to show off her newly painted toes. “Check ’em out.”
Amaryllis was impressed. “Very nice. Who hooked you up, Don Chyung?”
“Nah, he wasn’t in the shop today. Sue Hang did my toes today.”
Amaryllis took her anklet from her ankle and wrapped it around Bridgette’s ankle.
“Now, you look cute.”
“Thanks, girlfriend. I look and feel so good now nothing can upset me.” Bridgette sashayed across the office to her desk and sat down. Two seconds later everyone heard, “Who put these darn sunflower seed shells over here by my chair?”
On Friday morning, Amaryllis was greeted with two red roses, two yellow roses, and two orange roses on her desk. They were in a glass vase filled with water. Baby’s Breath surrounded each rose. Next to the vase was a pink envelope. She sat down, turned on her computer, then opened the envelope and read the card inside.
An orange rose represents friendship
A yellow rose represents prosperity
A red rose represents love
I’m thinking of you, Charles
Yeah, right. No sooner had Amaryllis placed the card back into the envelope, her extension rang.
“Good morning. Parker & Parker Law Offices, Amaryllis speaking.”
“Good morning, beautiful.”
At the sound of his voice, Amaryllis rolled her eyes and exhaled loudly. “Whatever, Charles. What’s up with these dry flowers and this bogus card you sent me?”
“Why you gotta be like that, Amaryllis?”
“Charles, I’m looking at these imitation roses. All six of them are dry and crusty around the edges. And this card is bogus, because we ain’t friends, nothing between us is gonna prosper, and I sure as heck don’t love you.”
“Dang, Amaryllis. Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something?”
“These flowers don’t impress me, Charles. Because I know for a fact this is another one of your playa-playa moves to try and get some booty.”
“Nah, baby, you got it wrong. This ain’t about that. I’m really diggin’ you, girl.”
Amaryllis didn’t believe Charles. It was always the same conversation with him.
He’d ask her for sex, and she’d turn him down. A few weeks would pass, and then he’d call again, always for the same thing.
“Whatever, Charles. Let me ask you a question. Why didn’t you bring these flowers to my job yourself?”
“Because I knew you’d throw them in my face.”
“True that. I gotta go. It’s Friday, and Fridays are always hectic days.”
“Can I take you to dinner tonight?”
“Nope. I’m going to the movies with Bridgette.”
“Well, how about I take you to breakfast in the morning?”
“No can do, Charles. I got beauty duty in the morning.”
“Beauty duty? How can you top perfection? There’s absolutely nothing more that you can do to yourself that’ll make you more beautiful than you already are.”
She was not impressed with his words. “Whatever, Charles.”
“Amaryllis, please. Give a brotha a second chance. I know I messed up the first time around, but you’re all I think about. Can I at least buy you dinner tomorrow? I know you like to dress. I’ll even take you shopping after dinner.”
“Charles, you can’t afford me. I’m high maintenance, honey.”
“Try me, Amaryllis. Tomorrow night is on me. Whatever you wanna eat and wherever you wanna shop. The sky’s your limit. And I promise you that I’m not trying to get in your panties. I just wanna spend some time and get to know the new you.”
“Unadulterated time?”
“Absolutely.”
Amaryllis paused, and Charles thought she’d hung up on him. “Hello?”
“I’m thinking, Charles. Do you remember the conversation we had at my house after the last time we went out?”
“Yeah.”
“What did you get out of it?”
“I understood that under no circumstances were you having sex. I know and respect the fact that you are saved now. I remember you saying that you’ve changed and you’re trying to live right.”
“So, you feel me on the sex issue?”
“Yeah, I feel you.”
Amaryllis wasn’t sure if allowing Charles back in her life was a good move. He was sounding good, but she needed to know if he knew God. “Are you in church, Charles?”
“Believe it or not, Amaryllis, I went to church with my mother last Sunday, and I promised her
that I’d go with her again this Sunday. I’m trying to turn my life around.”
Amaryllis had a hard time digesting Charles’s last sentence. But who was she of all people to judge? If God could give her a clean heart, maybe He could work with Charles too. Besides, Amaryllis knew all too well what it felt like to be constantly written off because of things done in the past.
“Okay, Charles. We can do this tomorrow night.”
Charles was excited. “You plan the evening. Whatever you wanna do, I’ll flow with it.”
Amaryllis disconnected the call with Charles. Could this be another setup for her to fail? The two of them had great chemistry. Was it possible that they could actually spend time together and not end up in bed? It had never been done before. Amaryllis knew she was weak. Charles made her weak. But he said that he was attending church.
She sat at her desk and silently prayed. “Father, please help me. Keep me strong. Father, please don’t let this be a setup. I don’t want to have sex again until I’m married. Keep me, Jesus. Please keep me.”
Chapter 10
On Saturday evening, Bridgette sat in the middle of Amaryllis’s bed and watched her try on and model at least thirty to forty different outfits. “It really doesn’t matter what you choose to wear, Amaryllis. Charles’s mouth is gonna drop open because you’re naturally beautiful.”
She and Bridgette put together a look that would definitely knock Charles off of his feet. Amaryllis modeled tight-fitting Apple Bottom black denim jeans with black three-inch stilettos. A sheer blouse over a black bustier surrounded her torso, and it pushed her double Ds up and out. With every move she made, her cleavage gave Jell-O gelatin a run for its money. She decorated her neck and ears with a silver rhinestone choker and studs.
Being a babe in Christ, Amaryllis lacked in areas of her life where certain things should be changed. Though she had plenty of suits and dresses for church, and office attire for work, her wardrobe for the weekends had yet to receive a major overhaul. She had a killer body, and she knew it. Before she gave her life to Christ, Amaryllis used her seductive wardrobe to attract men to her. She didn’t understand that even though her life had changed, her wardrobe needed to be changed as well.
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