HER Dress

by Pat Simmons

  Interesting. Pepper had soft spots. It was the spring now, but Drake couldn’t wait for the summer. He planned to be around. He grinned. “Okay. That’s a summer passion, what about now?”

  Pepper dabbed her mouth with her napkin, then pushed away her plate with the remaining chicken sliders untouched. She patted her stomach. “I window-shop, sometimes I sew, as you already know, I tutor students in math, but my main focus year round is to stay involved in church functions.”

  “Do you have room in your life for one more hobby or should I say passion?” Drake was bent on creating an opening in her social life.

  She smirked as their server returned.

  “How’s everything going? Do either of you have any room left for that cheesecake?”

  “Absolutely.” Pepper perked up.

  “Give the lady what she wants,” Drake told the server, allowing her to collect their dishes. Drake leaned back in the booth.

  “What?”

  “Clearly you’re stuffed. Are you going to share with me?”

  “Cheesecake?” She lifted a brow, accenting her slanted eyes. “You know I don’t share.” A smile teased her lips.

  “Please,” he lowered his voice to a baritone.

  They exchanged stares before Pepper relented. “Sure. You can have the whipped cream.”

  He laughed as a slice of white chocolate macadamia nut cheesecake was placed before Pepper minutes later. She eyed her dessert, then him before mischief danced in her eyes. “Come on. Let’s do this.”

  And with her permission, they tackled the dessert. Pepper scooped up small bites, and it seemed as if it took longer for her to devour it than for him to eat his steak, but he enjoyed every minute with her. Glancing around he noticed the crowd waiting had grown, so Drake asked for their check to make room for others as soon as they finished. Once the bill had been settled, Drake guided her out into the Galleria Mall instead of the exit leading to the parking lot. “You like window-shopping, huh?”

  Pepper squinted. “What are you doing?” “Let’s walk off some of those fourteen hundred calories.”

  “And I enjoyed every delicious bite.”

  They laughed as Drake reached for her hand and Pepper accepted it. Leaning closer, Drake whispered, “Just so you know, I’m on duty. I’ll be guarding your every move, listening to your every word, and trying to read every expression that crosses your pretty face. You are an African-American China doll. You’re blushing, so that’s a good sign.” He paused. “I do have a personal question.”

  Her body stiffened and she didn’t take another step. “What?” she asked hesitantly.

  “Are you happy? At this very moment with me, are you happy?”

  Pepper’s eyes twinkled as she exhaled. “Yes, I am.”

  “Good.”

  For the next hour, their stroll was lazy. Drake made note of what seemed to grab her attention, especially when Pepper lingered at the Coach store’s window.

  “Do you want to take a look inside?”

  Shaking her head, Pepper didn’t budge. “Nope. When I don’t want to buy anything, I don’t go inside any store to be enticed. I’d rather admire the newest collections from afar.”

  Drake released Pepper’s hand and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Hmmm. You know, friends buy friends gifts. This store won’t break me.”

  “Like the thousand something dollars you put down to be at my table when only one ticket was necessary?” She lifted a brow, then folded her arms.

  Drake shrugged. “Hey, courting can be costly. Although I had already purchased a ticket to sit with my family, I didn’t think twice about buying another one so we could sit together. The others bailing out at the last minute was strictly coincidental. A thousand and fifty dollars was not only to ensure we could get to know each other without any interruptions, but it was also a tax write-off.”

  Pepper nudged him on and changed the subject. “You pray so sincerely. Tell me about your church, pastor, and your spiritual conviction.”

  “I pray regularly, I rarely read my Bible, and I attend church when I’m invited. I guess you might consider me out of practice.”

  “Honesty.” Her footsteps slowed, but she kept walking.

  “Are you going to hold that against me?”

  “I am concerned, but if God doesn’t hold it against you, then neither can I.”

  “Whew.” Drake wiped imaginary sweat off his brow. When he was about to grin, he frowned instead at a few men eying Pepper in passing. “What about an even exchange. I guess we’ll build our friendship as I strengthen my spiritual commitment.”

  “Now, that’s something we should pray on.”

  “I’m all for it.” Drake squeezed her hand as they continue their stroll.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  For the next several weeks, a day didn’t go by without Drake talking, texting, or sharing a meal with Pepper during their getting-to-know-you blitz. They had become almost inseparable. While Drake genuinely focused on his spiritual journey, he accompanied Pepper to her church and it wasn’t for show.

  Gradually, she was letting her guard down. Gaining her trust was paramount to Drake because she was addictive. Sooner than later her feelings would catch up with his. He chuckled because he had a head start.

  Then things began to interfere with the newness of their relationship. More than once Drake got sidetracked with job-related projects, until attending weekly Wednesday night Bible class became less of a priority. Pepper never commented, but the look of disappointment in her eyes tugged at his heart.

  One Monday evening, Drake stopped by his brother’s house since Pepper had blocked off time to tutor some of her students for mid-terms.

  “Hey, man, are you with me?” Stephan nudged Drake as they reclined on the sofa while Paige prepared a salad and warmed up leftover spaghetti. “You look like a lost puppy.”

  “Lost?” Drake chuckled. “I miss Pepper when we’re not together, but lost…Nah. I know exactly what direction I’m going with her. I’m trying not to go too fast, but I believe she’s the one.”

  “Ah, bro,” Stephan said, “you’re a little too late for that. The moment you called out her name in front of hundreds of people at the soiree, you were driving past the speed limit.”

  “I think it was romantic,” Paige stated, eavesdropping from her stool at the counter. “And just think, if it weren’t for me wearing that same dress, you may have never met her.” Paige stopped what she was doing and dried her hands. Walking into the living room, she wrapped her arms around the back of Stephan’s neck.

  Drake cleared his throat when he sensed they had forgotten about him. “Since you two don’t appear to be hungry for food, I’m going to fix my plate.” Stephan and Paige didn’t follow right away, but once they came to the kitchen table, Drake’s preferred topic of conversation was Pepper until Paige suggested they should double date that weekend.

  “I’ll think about it. I may not want to share my baby yet. The weekend only has two days,” Drake said. “This is still new for us.”

  “Yeah, but what difference does it make? You two are practically together the rest of the week anyway,” Paige joked. “Plus, we want to get to know the woman who has Drake Logan wrapped around her finger.”

  “Except lately,” Drake complained, and it had nothing to do with Pepper’s schedule, but his.

  At home later that night, Drake had barely shut his front door when his cell phone played Vivian Green’s “Beautiful,” alerting him that it was Pepper. “Hey, pretty lady. I was about to call you.”

  “I just got in and I’m heading to bed. I have a pounding headache,” she said, sounding tired.

  “Do you need anything?” Drake was poised to grab his keys and leave his place in West County to go to her house in University City, a twenty-minute-or-less drive. Drake could make it in thirteen minutes tops, if needed.

  “Sleep. Instead of tutoring two students, I had three because another volunteer was sick. My brain bounced from algebr
a to American history to health. I’ll be glad when the weekend gets here.”

  “Poor baby. You sure you don’t need me to come and take care of you?”

  Pepper laughed. “I’m tired, Drake, not sick.” She yawned.

  Drake headed to the bedroom to undress and lounge before bed. He pouted as if Pepper could see him and could have pity. “Too bad. My services come with a serenade.”

  “I still haven’t decided if I’ll forgive you for that stunt. I’d have enjoyed your serenade if we hadn’t been in a room full of people, or if we had already been in a serious relationship.”

  Smiling, Drake lowered his voice. It wasn’t a Barry White quality, but it was as low as his baritone could go. “But something special is going on between us now. Agree?”

  “Yes.” She giggled.

  “I like it when a woman agrees with me, especially if it’s you. Paige wants us to double with them this weekend. She’s been nagging me. We can go out to dinner and then hit the casinos for fun.”

  “I don’t visit casinos.”

  Drake bit his tongue to keep from cursing. “I’m sorry, baby. I…” he stuttered, hearing the disappointment in her voice. “I didn’t know. I mean, it’s just for fun.”

  Pepper didn’t respond right away, which made Drake wonder if and how badly he had offended her.

  “I know you didn’t. There’s so much about each other we don’t know. One person’s fun could be another person’s downfall with God. I don’t take my water and Holy Ghost baptism lightly. As a committed, practicing Christian, church isn’t just a one-day event for me…”

  Besides her beauty, Drake enjoyed her passion about life, the students she tutored and her hobbies. It was her passion about Christ that he respected and appreciated.

  “Sermons are preached to congregations. Bible studies teach saints how to live holy and follow the convictions God sets in each person’s heart. Casinos aren’t part of my lifestyle.”

  Drake silently cursed then apologized to God for it. He took a deep breath. “Baby, I’m sorry.”

  The line was quiet. “Tell me what’s going on in that beautiful head of yours. What are you holding back?” He glanced at the clock. It was getting late and he really should let Pepper get some sleep, but then he would be wide awake, wondering if his careless words caused any damage in their budding relationship.

  “You’re everything a woman could want—”

  “Pepper, I’m not concerned with what other women want. What do you want?” He got up and headed to the kitchen to make a cup of instant coffee. This might be an all-nighter.

  “You are everything I could want, but my heart cracked tonight because you hurt me without knowing it, and that’s what I should expect if our relationship isn’t on the same page spiritually.”

  “I see. Is there room in your heart for your man to make mistakes?”

  “Always.”

  He could hear in her voice that her spirit had lifted and imagined her bright smile, then envisioned her weary look. He needed to let her get some rest. “Good.” Drake released a heavy sigh. “I’ll make it up to you this weekend. We can go out to dinner with Paige and Stephan, and then go to a PG-13 movie. How’s that?”

  “Drake, let’s put the double-date plans on hold for right now. We need to work on us. This is really important to me.” She paused. “But I’m really tired.”

  “Do I get a goodnight kiss?”

  “Yes.” Pepper delivered a loud smack in his ear, then disconnected.

  The microwave beeped at the same time he laid his cell phone down. His large cup of coffee was ready and now he didn’t need it. Pouring it down the sink, he rinsed the cup out and turned off the kitchen lights.

  He understood now why people steered clear from talking about religion and politics. Pepper had proven to be so different from the other women he dated that said they belonged to somebody’s church. There were no restrictions on what they did, said, drank or their whereabouts. His lady was striving to live what she professed. “God, how was I supposed to know she was opposed to gambling casinos? I need a handbook or something with her.”

  You have my Word. It comes with complete instructions, God spoke.

  Drake froze in his tracks. Did God just answer him? But it was a hypothetical question. His heart pounded as he walked back to his bedroom. Maybe he should read his Bible more when he wasn’t at church. “God, since You’re listening, I really feel Pepper is the one, but I don’t want to lose her because of my careless slip ups. Can you help a brother out?”

  God didn’t say another word.

  CHAPTER tWELVE

  “Do you have any big plans this weekend with Drake?” Monica asked as they were huddled in Pepper’s cubicle on Friday, eating lunch.

  Pepper shook her head. She and Drake hadn’t been dating that long and despite trying to keep him at arm’s length; she was falling in love with him, which wasn’t good. “No,” her voice cracked. She wouldn’t look up at her friend as she picked apart her salad.

  If she overlooked his lack of Christian commitment, Drake would be the perfect man to take home to meet her father, but she had been his distraction. Pepper knew Monica wouldn’t understand because she and others didn’t take where they would spend eternity seriously.

  Monica wiped her mouth. “What’s wrong? Did you and Drake have an argument?”

  Pepper chuckled at the ridiculous assumption. “Are you kidding? He’s a sweetheart.” She frowned, thinking about the attention he doted on her.

  “What happened?” A concerned expression was etched across Monica’s face.

  “He mentioned double dating with his brother and sister-in-law,” Pepper said.

  “Okay.” Monica nodded. “I still don’t see a problem with that unless you don’t like Paige and Stephan. Paige seemed pretty friendly to me the night of the soiree.”

  “Drake wanted to go to a casino after dinner—”

  “Uh-huh. You don’t go to casinos.”

  “Bingo.” Pepper grunted. “Right. I know it was a harmless suggestion, but it was a reminder of how different our mindsets are.”

  “I’m going to play the devil’s advocate here. You have a choice—”

  “Which I’ve already made.” Pepper caught herself before she snapped.

  “Maybe you’ve been in church all your life and you’re as faithful as you know how to be, but the church brothers have had their chances and failed miserably. I know because I’ve been keeping score. Then Drake walks into your life. He lavishes you with the attention you deserve and you have a big problem with a small area of his life. Do you know how many women would break every rule to have Drake?”

  “Monica, while some women want flowers and candy and a good time, and others want the hunks, the education, and a job, I want Jesus tattooed on his heart. Everything else is superficial. That’s why I’m a little bummed out. Maybe I’m distracting him from focusing on building a relationship with God by occupying so much of his time.” Pepper released a defeated sigh as she crossed her arms over her chest and stared at nothing.

  “No, baby, you are my inspiration.” Drake’s rich voice suddenly cocooned her.

  Pepper held her breath while her heart did somersaults. She had been ducking him for days. Now hearing his voice, she missed him.

  Monica grinned as she slowly got up and vacated the seat. “He texted me earlier and told me he wanted to surprise you, so… surprise. I’ve already signed him in, so he’s a guest. Be nice.” Picking up the rest of her lunch, Monica strolled out of Pepper’s cubicle and disappeared.

  Drake hadn’t said another word and neither had Pepper bothered to turn around. How could she face him, knowing her mind was made up to break it off between them?

  You’re willing to give up this for a silly little conviction, the devil taunted her.

  I have to, her heart answered back. Slowly, she twirled her chair around and blinked to clear her blurred vision, but the tears fell as Drake knelt in front of her.

&nbs
p; Reaching up, he brushed away the moisture. “Can we start over?”

  Her heart was saying yes, but her spirit continued to say watch and pray. The only thing she wanted to do was hug him tight and never let him go—ever. She struggled to talk. Her mind was too jumbled. “We have different priorities, Drake.”

  His finger stilled her lips. “Spiritually, I’ve just registered for kindergarten. You’ve already graduated from grad school. Remember when I said I can wait for your feelings to catch up with mine? I can’t stop my feelings for you and won’t try. I’m serious about us. Now, I really need you to hang in there with me until I can graduate.” Drake smiled. “I read my Bible about God’s grace. I think I’m considered a lost sheep, but the Shepherd is coming for me. I can feel it. Do you know God actually spoke to me the other night? It kinda shook me up.”

  Pepper smirked. God had so much to say to Drake if he was willing to listen. “Yeah, I know, but I feel like I’m in the way of your progress with God. Be honest with me, Drake, please. If you have no desire to grow in Christ, tell me now. You started to come to church with me, but since then, you’ve slowed down.”

  “Without you, I wouldn’t know that kind of passion existed for the Lord, so you keep doing what you’re doing until I graduate. Work-related projects are the only things interfering with my church schedule. A man’s got to make a living.”

  Shaking her head, Pepper sniffed. “How do you always say the right things?”

  “If I say the right things, then it’s coming from my heart.” He glanced at the time on his cell phone. “Listen, babe, I’ve got to get back to the office, but I had to make a special delivery.”

  “You?” Pepper reached out and massaged his jaw.

  “I like the way your mind thinks, but I have something else.” He pulled out an envelope from inside his jacket and placed it in her lap. After he brushed the softest kiss on her cheek, Drake stood and swaggered out her office door, then stopped and glanced over his shoulder. “I expect your presence. Until then I’ll spend some one-on-one time with Jesus, but know that you will never be far from my thoughts.”