Full Figured 11

by Treasure Hernandez

  “Well, you need to tell her to leave me alone! I may have been saved, but God ain’t finished with me yet, and I damn sure ain’t finished with her!” Janiyah shouted back.

  Gun brought his hand to the bridge of his nose. Janiyah thought about saying something slick but decided to let Gun have his peace. She didn’t want to fight Gun; she wanted to fight the person who had the gall to broadcast their intimate moments in the school.

  Janiyah got up and retreated to her bedroom. There, she stepped out of her blouse and skirt and put on some pajamas. She looked around her room and saw her large, cream-colored teddy bear. She had had the bear since she was eight, and she always grabbed it and held it tight when she was in a crisis.

  As she sat on the bed, she thought of her and Gun’s lovemaking session and wondered: if the still pictures existed, what was the possibility that there was a video? What else did their nemesis have on them, and when would they release it?

  “The room is yours, honey.” Janiyah thought back on the last words Brianna had said to her. “Please leave my purse on the counter and don’t touch nothing!”

  Brianna had always been rude to her: bumping her here and there, stepping on her toes, throwing her personal items in the trash. That was the reason why Janiyah always demanded that she not only have her own dressing room, but that her door had a lock. If she couldn’t get a locked door, she at least wanted security on the premises.

  “She probably rushed past me because she planned on sabotaging me some kind of way,” Janiyah told her teddy bear. “Probably had the whole thing planned all along.”

  Janiyah wished that her teddy bear was a sister-friend she could talk to. It had been a long minute since she’d hung around women on a social level. Seemed like ever since she married Gun, either every woman wanted him, or they couldn’t stand her because of what she had with and without him. There were only two women she really considered friends, and neither one of them lived anywhere near her. Oz was locked up, and Grelle had moved to New York. There was no way she was about to board a plane to New York and leave Gun in this mess alone, and she wasn’t scheduled for a visitation with Oz for another month.

  “Only problem with this was that she had no idea that Gun and I were going to take it there,” Janiyah admitted to herself. “She just took advantage of a situation.”

  Her reasoning seemed right to her. If she weren’t saved, she’d set Brianna up in a compromising position and make sure to destroy her career in the process. She’d make sure Brianna would never work in the business again. A few pictures to the right people and violà, her Brianna problem would disappear.

  Years ago, she and another model caught Brianna and one of the extras on a movie set pretending they were married in the ladies’ restroom. The other model, who was waiting on the restroom, was ten seconds from reporting Brianna as she and her lover were leaving the bathroom. The other model had a problem with Brianna too, but it was Janiyah who quietly argued with the woman about letting it go. Janiyah was the one who said that they needed to be the bigger women and not seek revenge just because the opportunity existed. Janiyah was regretting that decision now. She wished she could go back in time and do it over again, this time making sure everyone on set knew what she was doing in the bathroom.

  But she had vowed to be an example of God’s love and mercy. She remembered being proud of resisting her own temptation. In the end, Janiyah decided she couldn’t do to Brianna what she wouldn’t want anyone to do to herself.

  But had she made the wrong decision?

  Chapter Twelve

  “We are going to get through this,” Gun promised.

  Janiyah was facing him, making a Windsor knot for his black-and-green fatigue tie. She pulled the tie tight, stepped back, and looked at Gun. He was looking sharp in a dark green suit with matching vest, green button-up, and shoes. Her matching army-green suit gave them the appearance that they were dressing up for an ROTC drill. It may not be war they were about to attend, but it was definitely going to be a fight. The church board had called an emergency meeting where their very existence as church leaders was at stake.

  “Yeah, we are.” Janiyah gave a limp smile.

  For the most part, Gun and Janiyah had received an outpouring of support. Some of the teachers understood that there was never an intention to publicly display their affection. A few felt they were liberated, and that Gun and Janiyah had encouraged them to spice things up in their own lives. As news and other media sources picked up on their story, members of their church came out in support, saying they were doing what married couples were supposed to do—have sex and have it abundantly.

  Still, there were others who called for their resignation from their ministry positions. A few of the elders thought that sex at the work place was highly inappropriate. Some questioned the motive for their escapade being filmed. They argued that Gun and Janiyah had intentionally shown the pictures to sensationalize and bring unwanted publicity to the church. There were a few who thought they had leaked the photos because they were exhibitionists who got off on people watching them have sex.

  Then there was the outside interest. Three adult entertainment companies had offered close to a million dollars each to sign off on the distribution of the film. A few of the companies offered extra money for the negatives. One company even offered a ludicrous sum of money if they’d do another session inside the church sanctuary.

  Those who weren’t trying to defile their marriage bed made every intention known that they, especially Janiyah, should have resisted the urge. Talk show hosts criticized the two for being irresponsible and accused them of not having respect for themselves or other people’s property. Two of Janiyah’s endorsement deals were in jeopardy, and one company had already pulled their planned ads featuring her image.

  Janiyah and Gun pulled up to the church and walked through the sanctuary doors. Their future with the church was hanging by a thread. They both decided to let go and let God. Whatever happened was all a part of His plan.

  “It is well.” A response came from an older lady.

  “Mother Shirley.” Gun smiled and gave her a hug. Janiyah did the same.

  “Yes, my children.” Mother Shirley wiped tears from her eyes as she carried her Bible in one hand and her purse in the other. She was almost six feet herself, yet she maintained a slightly slender frame. She towered over Janiyah and was closer in height to Gun. Janiyah could imagine the fear she instilled in people back in the day when she was dealing in the streets. From the first day she met her, she immediately understood why they used to call her Big Shirley back in the day. Now in her later years, mother Shirley was a peaceful soul. Her smooth, chocolate-colored skin seemed to radiate from the love she’d given.

  “You need help with those?” Janiyah offered.

  “That’s all right, darling.” Mother Shirley adjusted herself. Her purple hat was tilted slightly to the right and was home to several faux violets and orchids. The hat complemented the blouse and skirt she wore. “The two of you need all the strength and prayers you can get. Satan is in the building, and we are getting ready to do battle.”

  Mother Shirley was right. This ordeal with the pictures had brought out some ugliness within the church.

  Janiyah and Gun followed Mother Shirley into the auditorium. They were surprised to see many teachers in attendance. The meeting was important to them. Whatever happened to Gun would set a precedent for them, and they wanted to make sure that everything was being handled fairly.

  Now that the meeting was a reality, Janiyah could feel her body tense up.

  “Take your place at the front of the church.” Mr. Ross, one of the assistant principals of the school, escorted the two of them as they continued to receive a standing ovation from a large group in the crowd.

  Janiyah fought back tears as she internalized the words of encouragement many of the women were giving to her. Of course, she heard a few of the detractors too. She stayed strong and tried to deflect the negativity. S
he was ready to face the crowd.

  As she and Gun took their seats, she spotted Brianna and her assistant, Danyelle, as they flashed their fake smiles and applause.

  Lord, please don’t let the two of them start any mess, Janiyah prayed as she took her eyes off them and scanned the crowd. Janiyah wasn’t naïve, and she knew that some of the people had come to see a circus. Her job was to make sure she didn’t give them one.

  As Gun and Janiyah took their seats, the principal of the school, Paul Kenyatta, took the podium. He looked sharp in his black suit. His bald fade was recently done, and his sideburns and goatee were sharp. His looks betrayed the fact that the man was almost fifty.

  “We’re here to talk about what happened and how we can prevent mishaps and personal matters from happening again.” Principal Kenyatta addressed the crowd. “Normally, and what may still happen, is that any time a teacher, counselor, pastor, or administrator is caught in a compromising position, even if that is not their intent, they are removed from their position. In some cases, their licenses are suspended. While it was obvious that the pictures were not taken on school property, we can’t ignore that a few hundred students were exposed to Mr. and Mrs. Wade’s private and intimate moment.”

  Mother Shirley stood up for Gun and Janiyah. “I say they should be allowed to apologize, and of course, Mr. Wade be allowed to be reassigned, or at least be given the opportunity to resign.”

  Others appeared to agree. Some of the teachers were curious if any effort would be made to find the person who had perpetrated the crime on school grounds in the first place. A few teachers mentioned encouraging Gun to find work in another church without prejudice. A few were concerned about the news and media publicity coming from this situation.

  Janiyah felt helpless. All she could do was sit in front of the crowd and hear their words, even the negative ones. As well as their joint troubles—they were both in danger of losing their positions as church leaders—each had their own personal burdens to worry about. Gun had to manage and deal with the school front, and she had to face the sponsors and advertisers she dealt with. Most of them had stuck by her, but that didn’t mean that they would stand with her if they were petitioned or threatened with boycotts. They remained with her after she went to jail, but now with a second scandal, they might have a change of heart. Would a sex scandal be too much for them? Janiyah had no way of knowing.

  Chapter Thirteen

  After dinner a few nights later, Janiyah decided she needed to step out. Specifically, she needed to catch up with Brianna.

  With the help of a few well-placed phone calls and a bribe or two, Janiyah tracked Brianna to a local art studio off Battleground Road, near the Friendly Avenue intersection. The late hours didn’t bother her, as plenty of people walked the sidewalks visiting bars, walking their dogs, or attending art openings at the small, local art galleries. Janiyah had almost forgotten how lively Battleground Road could be, and the smell of fruity-flavored hookahs and synthetic cannabis gave the air a distinct smell.

  Janiyah waited patiently at the crosswalk for all the pedestrians to finish navigating the streets and holding conversations that brought traffic to a halt. She was surprised that the traffic and the hustle and bustle of West Greensboro calmed her.

  The building she had sought was an older brick building painted white that had a mural of a young black girl blowing dandelion seeds in the air while holding the hand of a young, blonde-haired girl. Janiyah pulled up behind the building and was glad she did not have to fight for parking. She parked in one of the spaces behind the building then entered through a back door and walked up the stairs.

  The stairs moaned as she ascended, announcing her arrival. Janiyah needed to gather her composure. She wasn’t nervous, but she definitely felt in her spirit that she needed to be cautious with her words. The last thing she wanted was another physical confrontation. Janiyah and Gun were still waiting to find out their future with the church, and she didn’t want to give the board any reason to press for their removal.

  The studio was open, and Brianna was posing against a green screen. Judging by the bathing suit that Brianna had on, Janiyah concluded that Brianna was doing some sort of summer catalog for a plus-size clothing store or label.

  I wonder if this is the Catherine’s ad we were both going out for, Janiyah asked herself as she stepped into the studio. A part of her didn’t think this would be the spread for a major chain, but with the way graphic designers could manipulate backgrounds with Photoshop, she wouldn’t rule it out.

  “You came to see me, Janiyah?” Brianna was loud as she reached for a towel that one of the production assistants handed her to wrap around her body.

  “Something like that.” Janiyah chose to keep her tact. She didn’t want to cause any drama with Brianna, but she did need to level with the woman and find out what was going on.

  “Well, come have a seat,” Brianna offered. She moved her purse and overnight bag off the extra chair. Brianna put her belongings in one of the rooms that was being used as a dressing room and re-entered the studio. “I wish Danyelle was here. I’d have her do all this random stuff for me.”

  Janiyah had to give Brianna her due; very few plus-sized models had assistants, and Brianna did enough business to pay Danyelle good money to keep her around. Janiyah missed the days of having an assistant. She could have really used one now to help with the church endeavors and for her modeling, too. Janiyah was sure that the iPhone in her pocket was tired of doing the work of three or four people, but that was why she paid good money for it.

  In the background, the horns and haunting keys from “Drip Drop” began to infiltrate her ears. Janiyah recognized the track from one of her guilty pleasures, and current favorite television show, Empire. Remembering the task at hand, she resisted the temptation to nod her head.

  “I’ll get to the point,” Janiyah started as she and Brianna worked their way inside their chairs. “Why did you come and vote at our church meeting? And how did you know about it?”

  Brianna sighed. “Listen, listen, listen. I came out of support. Regardless of how I feel about you, I wouldn’t want Gun to lose his day job.”

  Janiyah sucked her teeth. She didn’t want to give Brianna any fuel to light her fire. “You and Danyelle voted for me, but you know your votes don’t count. You have to be members of—”

  “Town Mountain Baptist Church. I know.” Brianna waved her hand as if to dismiss Janiyah’s thoughts. “Danyelle and I have been members of the church for over a year now. We usually attend Bedside Baptist or order the recording of the sermon so that we listen to the Word while we’re on the road, but when we’re in town, we usually go to Town Mountain or this smaller non-denominational church Danyelle found in Arden.”

  She’s a member of our church? Janiyah wanted to explore the idea further but chose not to. How come I didn’t know about it? Should I overlook the fact that she seemed to have joined around the same time Gun began attending there?

  Suddenly, the fact that she didn’t know made her feel a twinge of guilt. Who else was at the church that she wasn’t aware of? As she saw how quickly the production assistants and the photographer were moving things around, Janiyah knew she’d have to get to the point of this visit fast.

  “Well, I’m glad to know that you and Danyelle are an active part of our church family,” Janiyah responded in her attempt not to come off as rude.

  Then she got serious.

  “I did want to find out if you had anything to do with the pictures that were leaked at the school this past Sunday.”

  Brianna dramatically leaned back and put her hand up to her chest, as if to clutch her pearls. Then she shook her head and pointed her finger at Janiyah. “I knew you were going to ask that.”

  “So did you or not?” Janiyah got to point.

  “No.” The pitch in Brianna’s voice had changed. She sounded as if Janiyah had insulted her. “We may have our differences, but sabotage has never been my way to get things don
e.”

  That’s a lie. Janiyah thought back to when she and Gun were first dating and how Brianna did everything but throw herself naked on the kitchen table to get him. Brianna was waiting naked for him on their sofa a few weeks after they got married.

  “I only ask because you were one of the few people who knew that my husband and I stepped into the dressing room, and while things didn’t turn out as planned . . .” Janiyah stopped when she noticed the production assistant motioning for Brianna to return to the shoot.

  “I know,” Brianna told her. “I’d help you get revenge against Cable because between me and you, that overweight lard gives me the creeps. You know he tried to touch my butt the other day. Talking about, ‘it was an accident.’” Brianna stood up, looked in the mirror, and moved some of the loose strands of her shoulder-length hair back in place. Then she reached down and grabbed a piece of her behind. “I wouldn’t call grabbing my butt like this no accident, if you get what I’m saying.”

  Janiyah nodded her head as she watched Brianna walk back to her spot in front of the green screen. A part of her wanted to believe that Brianna and Danyelle had nothing to do with the pictures being exposed, but a part of her felt like the only reason she brought Cable’s name up was to take the shade off of her. Sure, Cable was a likely candidate because he had possession of the camera. The pictures broadcast at the church were high quality pictures that couldn’t have been taken with a cell phone camera or a disposable. Some of the shots felt like the photographer was in the room with them. Even though Gun had locked the door before their festivities began, Cable did have a key to the room. Janiyah did find it odd that she and Gun were able to spend more than five minutes in the room uninterrupted.

  Janiyah decided right then that while Brianna and Danyelle were not off the hook, it was a possibility that Cable could’ve done the deed. Yet, as she pondered that thought, Janiyah hadn’t the slightest idea what she could’ve done to make him come after her. Even though she thought him weird, Janiyah was still nice to him.