Temptation

by Victoria Christopher Murray

  TEMPTATION

  A NOVEL

  by

  VICTORIA CHRISTOPHER MURRAY

  West Bloomfield, Michigan

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  The song “My Help” © 1997 by Jackie Gouche-Farris

  Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.

  Copyright © 2000 by Victoria Christopher Murray

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. For information address Walk Worthy Press, Hachette Book Group, 237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017.

  A hardcover edition of this book was published

  by Warner Books, Inc., with Walk Worthy Press.

  First eBook Edition: September 2000

  The “Warner Books” name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

  ISBN: 978-0-446-93136-6

  Visit our Web site at www.HachetteBookGroup.com.

  Dedicated to:

  My parents, Jacqueline and Edwin Christopher

  . . . and parents are the pride of their children.

  Proverbs 17:6 (NIV)

  Contents

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Chapter Thirty

  * * *

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  First, I give all glory and honor to Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Having Him in my life is the greatest blessing of all. I thank the Lord for the lesson I learned during this process—to trust Him a little more and complain a whole lot less.

  To my parents, Edwin and Jacqueline Christopher, who continue to be shining lights in my life. I have been blessed with the world’s best parents.

  To my sisters, Michelle, Cia, and Cecile. I love having all of you in my life. Thanks for your never-ending support and love. (And, I didn’t forget you, William. It’s great to have another brother-in-law!)

  To my uncles Herbert Blunt and Daniel Cameron who kept me laughing and feeling loved my entire life. I’m told I have a sense of humor—if I do it’s because of you. I love you both.

  To my in-laws: Delores and Jim Minor, Zelda Wilson, Ercelle and Elvis Murray, Ruth and Elvis Murray, Victoria Moten, and my nieces and nephews. Thank you for giving me a wonderful extended family and for being so enthusiastic about my new career.

  There is no one in the world who has been blessed with better friends. Thank you, Veronica and Joseph Austin for your immediate and complete support. (The party was terrific!) You guys are incredible. To Tracy Downs, you have always been in my corner and I love you for it. Thanks for keeping me on track with what God has planned for me. I thank God for bringing a new friend into my life. Lolita Files, I wouldn’t have made it through this year without you. You are my friend, and my sister in my Christ. Thank you for your ears during all of those long phone calls.

  Also, thank you to Lynette and Ulysses Brown (my brother and sister), and my “foot soldiers” who took it upon themselves to personally get the word out to everyone in L.A.

  To a new friend, Dawnn Lewis, my sister in Christ: your enthusiasm and words of encouragement have been inspiring. Thank you for your friendship.

  To the author-friends I met along the way. Your encouragement has been amazing and I thank you all: E. Lynn Harris, Monique Jewel Anderson, Jacquelin Thomas, Eric Jerome Dickey, Kimberla Lawson Roby, LaJoyce Brookshire, Timmothy McCann, Parry Brown, Yolanda Joe, Patrice Gaines, RM Johnson, Anfra, and all the others.

  Book clubs all across the nation supported me. Thank you to all of them, but I have to give a “shout out” to: Tabahani Book Circle and my sorors, Denise Dowdy and Cheryl Henry; Minds In Motion and Dorothy Malone; Pages and Stacey Turnage; Aunt Sister Book Club and Linda Dozier; Ebony Book Club and Pat Houser; A Room Full of Sistahs and Tori Holloway; Sistas Sippin’ Tea in Dallas; Circle of Friends and Shunda Blocker and Lisa Mitchell; Crystalynn Shelton (and her new club); and all the others. Thank you so much.

  To all my online friends who believed from the beginning: Wilma Wilkerson, Angie Moore, Ruth Bridges, Pam Greer, Jeanette Wallington, and many others.

  My thank-yous would never be complete if I didn’t thank my St. John’s buddies. We only get together once a year, and I look forward to every November. Thank you for lining up to buy the book and then flooding the radio station with phone calls. You guys are the greatest. Thank you Theresa, Juanita (and everyone at DWP), Sandra, Rita, Mrs. Woods, Vicki, Dorothy, and Lacy.

  Without the next three people, this project would have never been possible:

  First, to my publisher, Denise Stinson. Wow, I don’t know what to say. You have been an inspiration, my motivation, and the person who believed enough to get this project done! Thank you for your faith, thank you for your friendship, and most important, thank you for listening to God and moving this forward.

  Several years ago I joined Bible Enrichment Fellowship International Church and came under the spiritual guidance of Dr. Beverly “Bam” Crawford. Though I’ve wanted to write my entire life, this gift was not released in me until I was placed under your teaching. Thank you is not enough. I am so blessed to be under your tutelage, and this book is a result of your teachings.

  To my husband, Ray Murray. We finally got this one out, but you never stopped believing and I love you so much for it. Thank you for your never-ending support.

  And to all the readers who took a chance on this “different” kind of book and then told all their friends. This book is for you! Thank you.

  Please forgive me if there is anyone I left out. Believe me, it is only the result of a forty-something woman trying to get this completed in the middle of the night. Thank you all!

  One

  * * *

  “Surprise!” Kyla beamed as her startled husband jumped back. Friends shouted their greetings from the restaurant tables adorned with silver and black “Over-the-Hill” balloons.

  “I don’t believe this!” Jefferson grinned. He grabbed Kyla around her waist and hugged her close.

  Kyla’s skin tingled at his touch. After many years, he still turned her on. “We got you, didn’t we?”

  “That’s for sure. I can’t believe this.”

  “Happy birthday, darling!”

  Cheers echoed through the restaurant again as Jefferson kissed Kyla. They lingered in the embrace and the crowd applauded.

  “Hey, hey Dr. Jefferson!” A voice from the crowd interrupted their moment. “There’s no room for that here, Ky. Dr. Jefferson has to be shared with everyone,” Jasmine, Kyla’s best friend,
scolded playfully.

  Laughter filled the room as Jasmine wiggled and nudged herself between Kyla and Jefferson. Standing on her toes, she said, “Here’s something for your birthday I know you’ll never forget.” She kissed him, full on the lips.

  As friends pushed Jasmine aside to offer their congratulatory wishes, Kyla frowned and remembered her husband’s recent complaints about Jasmine. Now, she wondered if she should have so lightly dismissed his concerns. Taking his hand a bit too firmly, Kyla moved alongside her husband, past a smiling Jasmine as Stevie Wonder blasted birthday wishes from speakers around the elegantly decorated room. After a few body-crushing minutes, Kyla loosened her grip and allowed Jefferson to be pulled further into the crowd. He caught her eye and reluctantly let her fingers slide from his.

  Kyla leaned against the restaurant’s blue-suede wall and her eyes roamed through the crowd of the ninety invited guests, personal friends as well as colleagues, present to celebrate the fortieth birthday of her husband, a well-respected pulmonary specialist.

  Kyla took a glass of sparkling cider from a passing tuxedoed waiter, then moved to a table, away from the swell of guests. Watching her husband over the rim of her fluted glass, she saw him stride confidently through the maze of tables on his mission to greet every guest. She was content to watch it all from the sidelines. “Thank you, Lord,” she whispered as her eyes continued to follow Jefferson. “Thank you for giving me sixteen wonderful years with this man.”

  “Girl, things are heating up in here,” Jasmine said, interrupting Kyla’s prayer as she bounced down into a chair. Kyla’s eyes swept over Jasmine in her red knit, hip-squeezing minidress and, although it was a little too short for her taste, she had to admit that Jasmine did look good.

  Jasmine fanned her face, then took Kyla’s glass and sipped her cider before Kyla could protest. Kyla got another glass from a passing waiter and crinkled her nose as the cider’s bubbles rose and tickled her. She fixed her eyes on the couples on the dance floor, doing her best to ignore Jasmine and the feelings of anger she felt brewing inside.

  Jasmine was tapping her fingers atop the silver tablecloth. “Well, it looks like it’s going to be the party of the century, Ky.” Jasmine’s tone belied her words.

  “At least the party of the week.”

  “Well, I’m not as important as you and Jefferson. I don’t get invited to all those posh affairs. It’s the first time I’ve been to a p-a-r-t-y since my separation.”

  Kyla’s light brown eyes softened. “Are you okay? You know you can talk to me.”

  “Nothing to talk about. I’m fine, look at me.” Jasmine made a sweeping gesture with her hand across her body. “Do I look like I’m suffering?”

  Kyla smiled. “Jas, you look great.”

  “Yeah, The Commodores called it a brick house. And to think in a little while I’ll be forty.”

  Kyla laughed.

  “What’s so funny?” Jasmine smirked. “Remember, two weeks after I hit that big number, you’ll be joining the club.”

  “But, we still look good, girl.”

  They laughed together. “We do, don’t we?” But a second later, Jasmine’s smile slid away. “I just hope someone else will notice.”

  “Don’t force it, sweetie. It might be a little too soon for you to get involved with anyone.”

  “Easy for you to say. You have a man.”

  Kyla reached over and squeezed her friend’s hand. “I’m just trying to pass on some good advice.”

  “How can you give me advice on something you don’t know anything about? All you know is perfection and I don’t feel like being perfect right now.”

  “I’m not perfect, Jas.”

  “Umph. You’re as close as any human being on earth will ever be. Just ask my father, my sister, anyone we know, they’ll tell you!” Her words sounded bitter.

  “How can you say that? You know me better than anyone, except for Jefferson, so you know my laundry stinks just like everybody else’s.”

  Jasmine couldn’t suppress a laugh.

  Kyla half smiled. “I just want you to be okay.”

  “I’m fine.” Jasmine sighed. “I’m not going to sit here and talk all night when all of these fine men are waiting for me.”

  Kyla’s eyes followed Jasmine as she sashayed across the room. She shook her head. But right now, she didn’t have time to worry about Jasmine. Standing, Kyla edged towards the crowd, knowing it was just as important for her to meet and greet the guests as it was for Jefferson. She moved shyly along the perimeter of the room, watching as the waiters bustled around, clicking glasses, making sure none were ever empty and plates were never bare. The guests gathered in clusters and the conversation and laughter mixed with the music to form a melodic hum that floated through the air. Stepping forward, Kyla finally entered the arena and paused to chat warmly with each person, spending a little extra time with the guests she knew might later become benefactors of the Medical Center.

  As she continued her stroll, Kyla was embraced and kissed at every turn as if it were her birthday. She picked hot hors d’oeuvres from the trays and, with a fixed smile, searched for Jefferson, finally spotting him at a table with a few of the other doctors. As if on cue, Jefferson turned and looked directly at her with a twinkle in his eye. Heat rushed to her face and Kyla instantly thanked God their nine-year-old daughter, Nicole, was spending the weekend in San Diego with Jefferson’s mother. She turned away, afraid that others at the party would be able to discern their telepathic messages. Jefferson’s gaze fortified her and she continued her stroll, pausing at the stage that had been set for the DJ.

  “The music is great.” She smiled at the DJ as Marvin Gaye crooned “What’s Goin’ On.” A small circle had formed in the center of the dance floor. Jasmine was in the middle, with her arms high above her head as she cha-cha’ed with Ian Hollis, the accountant for the Medical Center, who was swaying more like an exotic dancer than a numbers cruncher. As the crowd cheered and Marvin continued to ask about picket lines and brutality, Jasmine’s hips swiveled deeply.

  “I had a feeling you’d like the old school theme.” The DJ’s words snapped Kyla back.

  Turning away from the dance floor spectacle, Kyla chuckled. “I can’t imagine music that I love is considered old.”

  He laughed. “I know how you feel!”

  With an audible sigh, she shook her head. It seemed like a short time ago, but almost twenty years had passed since she had met Jefferson at Hampton Institute. Only five minutes after they had met, Jefferson had proposed to her. The memory of that night was still so clear.

  She had wandered out from the Kappa Alpha Psi party, seeking refuge from the suffocating heat inside where the rooms were packed with students celebrating the completion of finals. She was squinting through the dim streetlights when a tall, mocha-skinned brother dressed in red and white fraternity paraphernalia swaggered towards her.

  “Some party, huh?” the man with the huge Afro said, as he sloped against the wall.

  Kyla nodded and smiled. “A little hot though.”

  “I like hot things,” he said with a half-smile.

  Ignoring his innuendo, Kyla walked across the wooden porch and perched against the rail. He followed and leaned on the fence, facing her.

  “My name is Jefferson, by the way.”

  “Nice to meet you.” She extended her hand and waited as he switched the Budweiser can from his right hand to his left.

  “The pleasure is definitely all mine . . .” he answered as he took her hand. When Kyla remained silent, he continued. “So, are you a student here? I haven’t noticed you before.”

  “I haven’t noticed you either.”

  He laughed.

  Kyla ran her hands along her corduroy jeans. The smooth voices of the Ohio Players blasted through the opened windows and Kyla snapped her fingers.

  “Fire! Fire!” Jefferson sang, as his eyes danced with the music. “Fire! The way you walk and talk really sets me off to a full alarm .
. .”

  “It was nice meeting you, Jefferson,” she said and started back towards the house.”

  “Wait, we haven’t finished yet.”

  “Haven’t finished what?”

  “Making all of our plans. You’re gonna be my wife,” he said as he brought the beer can to his lips.

  “You don’t even know my name,” she chuckled.

  “Okay, wife, tell me your name.”

  She stepped closer so that she could see his face clearly through the streetlights and spoke with a smile. “Kyla. Kyla Carrington.”

  “That’s all I need to know. Everything else I’ll learn over the lifetime of our long and happy marriage,” he said as his hand traveled gently down the sleeve of her polyester blouse, until his fingers laced through hers.

  Her eyes blinked with surprise, but she kept her hand in his. “So, Jefferson. If we’re going to be married, don’t you think I should know your last name?”

  “Does that mean you will marry me?”

  They shared their first laugh together in a scene not too different from this one.

  “Hey, girl,” a voice came over her shoulder. “I saw you over there talking to that Jasmine person. I was going to rescue you, but decided it would serve you right to be stuck with her all night.”

  “Now, Alexis. You promised you would behave,” she said hugging her friend.

  “I am behaving.” Alexis raised her thick eyebrows, feigning innocence. She paused, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “If I wasn’t I would tell Jasmine that her dress is so short, you can see what she had for breakfast!”

  “Stop it,” Kyla said trying to hold her laugh.

  “Pastor says, ‘Tell the truth and shame the devil,’” Alexis drawled as she held up one hand as if she was about to shout Hallelujah. “Anyway, sorry I’m late. Things were crazy at work. Was Jefferson surprised?”

  “I think he was stunned.”

  “No problem getting him here?”

  “That was the easy part. You know how much he loves this place.”