“Well, unfortunately, I need more. Unfortunately, I need another fifty thousand, and I need it by the end of this week.”
“You must be crazy. And it’s not like I have that kind of money, anyway.”
“Then I’m really sorry to hear that, because if you can’t meet my demands, I’ll have no choice but to go public with some of your past transgressions. And that’s putting it nicely. I’ll have to tell everything I know and, sadly, that would mean you’d be finished as a pastor. You’ll lose everything you’ve worked so hard for, and what a shame that would be.”
A thousand thoughts flashed through JT’s mind, and he couldn’t believe this was happening, not after all this time. He was also stunned by the way she’d run into Alicia and had given her a phony name. He was even thrown by the description Alicia had given him because the woman he remembered had very short hair, but maybe she’d had on a wig or weave that day Alicia had seen her. There was just no telling when it came to Barbara—or Barb, as she preferred to be called—but it really didn’t matter either way because the bottom line was that she was trying to blackmail him all over again. He’d paid her off per their agreement; however, now she was back and was demanding another stack of money, and he wasn’t sure how he should go about handling her.
Barb continued. “So, when can I expect my money? Tomorrow, Thursday, or Friday?”
JT frowned. “Didn’t I just tell you I don’t have it?”
“Well, you’d better find it, or else. You’d better find it, or I’ll be telling your wife a lot more than what I already have. When I’m finished, the police will be reopening that investigation relating to your first wife’s accident.”
“But you know I never had anything to do with Michelle’s death, and the police already confirmed that.”
“Hmmph. It’s amazing, though, what they’ll believe if they’re given the right kind of evidence and are told the right kind of information.”
“Maybe, but I’m not worried about that. I’m not worried about anything, and if that’s all you have, I’m hanging up now.”
“You know, actually, you should be very worried. But even if you’re not, I wonder what your congregation will think once they find out about those two little businesses you had going on the side—those businesses you ran for the first three full years after you founded New Life Christian Center. I also wonder what they’ll think when they learn about the baby you conceived with another woman barely a year after you and Michelle were married.”
JT cringed. “Barb, why are you doing this?”
“Because men like you make me sick. Men like you who chase innocent women, fool them into bed, and then simply toss them aside when you’re finished with them.”
“Look, as much as I’d like to help you, there’s no way I can get my hands on such a large sum of money in just a few short days.”
Barb chuckled but then turned serious. “You can and you will. I want my money by Friday, and I’ll call you back on Thursday to set up a time and place for us to meet.”
JT shook his head. “Look, I’m going to need at least—” he said, but Barb hung up before he could finish his sentence.
This was totally and completely insane, and JT hated that he’d placed himself in a position where he could be blackmailed by two different women. First Carmen had made her threats and now Barb was making hers, and he couldn’t deny that Barb could do a lot more damage than Carmen because she knew the kinds of secrets he would never want anyone, not another living soul, to find out about. Which was why he had to pay her what she was asking and hope she would go away for good this time. He hoped she would go about her business and pretend she’d never even known him.
As soon as JT strolled into Diana’s condo, he sat down on the mauve leather sofa and started lying. “I really hate having to ask you, but just before I left the church, I received a tentative budget amount from the ad agency, and it looks as though the campaign is going to cost quite a bit more than what I’d been counting on. So, instead of the original hundred thousand dollars we talked about, I’m now going to need a hundred and fifty.”
“Whoa,” she said, sitting next to him. “So, is this because radio and TV rates have gone up, or is it because you want to do more stations and for a longer period of time?”
“I do want to do a few more spots, but, yes, this is mostly because the rates are much more expensive than I had imagined.”
“Well, advertising is never cheap.”
“So, you don’t have a problem with it?”
“Not with the money, but before I commit to increasing the amount, I need to talk to you.”
“Okay. What about?”
“Us. Because even though you told me earlier that you’re going to spend a lot more time with me from now on, I sort of feel as though you’ve been purposely avoiding me. I’ve also been wondering if maybe it’s because you have another mistress who’s keeping you occupied.”
JT wasn’t sure where this was coming from but knew he’d better say whatever necessary to reassure her. “Another mistress? Are you kidding me? Because why would I need anyone else when I’m completely satisfied with you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, I do know. And the only reason I haven’t been able to see you as often is because of all the responsibilities I have at the church. I’m being pulled in every direction, and there are some days when I’m completely wiped out. Plus, while I would love nothing more than to be with you every day if I could, I can’t ignore the fact that I have a wife at home.”
“I understand that, but as of late your time with me has been a lot less, and if I’m going to continue supporting you in such a major financial way, I have to know for sure that you’re going to be a lot more committed to our relationship.”
“I am committed, and you’re going to see a huge difference from this point on. Once I have this whole marketing blitz in place, I’ll be able to see you at least twice every single week the way you want.”
“I’m going to hold you to that, and I hope you don’t disappoint me, because my feelings for you have become a lot stronger than I’d planned on. So much so that I look forward to our time together more than I do anything else.”
She moved closer to him, loosened his tie, and kissed him up and down his neck, but he didn’t like how serious she was sounding. Diana was a wonderfully nice woman; JT enjoyed her company and loved sleeping with her, and interestingly enough, this was all he’d thought she’d wanted out of the deal as well. Still, though, he needed that hundred and fifty thousand dollars she was giving him, so he would do and say whatever that hundred and fifty thousand dollars required.
“I feel the exact same way,” he said as she kissed the other side of his neck. “I think about you practically every hour of the day, and I always hate leaving you when I have to go home.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” she said between kisses, and then stood up, grabbed his hand, and led him toward the bedroom.
JT went along willingly and could tell she was content with all that he’d just confessed to her. It was clear that the only thing she was expecting from him now was hot, passionate love. And needless to say, hot, passionate love was exactly what he was going to give her.
Chapter 26
JT had left Diana’s about an hour ago and was heading back to the church, but when Alicia had called to say she’d come home from the hospital to shower and change, he’d stopped by to see her for a few minutes.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said, hugging and kissing his wife and then leaning against the armoire, watching her finish getting dressed. “It’s a shame when a person can look as good as you do even in jogging pants and a T-shirt.”
“Why, thank you, sir,” she said, smiling. “Actually, it’s a little too warm outside to be wearing this, but it won’t be once I get back to the hospital because they have it freezing in there. It’s the reason I’m taking my jacket with me, too.”
“Yeah, they do keep it pretty cold. They
do it because of all the germs sick people tend to have.”
“Yeah, that’s for sure.”
“So, there’s still no change in Rita’s condition?”
“No. None at all.”
“I’m really sorry to hear that.”
“So am I, and I really feel bad for Carmen. Which is why I was thinking that if her mom doesn’t get better very soon, I would really like to invite her to come stay with us for a while.”
JT swallowed the massive lump lodged in his throat and tried keeping his composure. “I don’t think that’s a very good idea.”
Alicia squinted her eyes, clearly upset about his response. “And why is that?”
“Because, baby, we’re still newlyweds, and I don’t think we should be sharing our household with any outsiders. I mean, I know Carmen is a childhood friend of yours, but it’s not like you’ve been around her on a regular basis for years.”
“But she doesn’t have anyone else. She’s an only child and the few relatives she has all live out of town. And I just don’t think it’s good for her to be alone.”
“I’m sorry, baby, but moving her in here won’t work for me. I just can’t agree to something like that.”
Alicia walked over to him and locked her hands inside of his. “Honey, I realize you don’t really know Carmen, but she’s a good person and she really needs me right now. So, can you at least just think about it?”
“We can discuss this later, but I may as well tell you now that there’s no chance of me changing my mind.”
Alicia sighed. “Baby, why are you being so selfish? Especially at a time like this?”
“I’m not. But I’ve also never been in the habit of opening up my home to just anyone.”
“Carmen isn’t just anyone, and I thought this was my home, too.”
“Of course it is, but I’m not going to allow someone to stay here when I don’t even know if they can be trusted.”
Alicia released his hands and walked away from him.
“Baby, come on. Please don’t be upset with me about this.”
“You’re wrong,” she said, sitting down on the side of the bed, slipping into her gym shoes, and tying them up. “I mean, where’s your compassion?”
“My decision has nothing to do with that. I empathize with both Carmen and her mother, but letting Carmen move in here like she’s some loyal family member, well, that’s just not something I can do.”
Alicia didn’t say another word, so JT followed her downstairs. When she walked out to the garage, he set the alarm system and closed the door behind him.
“So, I guess you’re not speaking to me, huh?” he asked, realizing this was officially their first major disagreement. They’d had a few discussions that weren’t the most cordial, specifically the day she’d wanted to know about those accusations Barb had made, even though she thought Barb was someone named Donna, and also last Saturday when he’d lied and told her he had to go see a sick church member—that day when he’d actually spent the entire evening with Veda, but this argument was much more severe.
She opened her car door. “There’s not a lot else for me to say.”
“Can we talk about this some more when we get home tonight?”
“If you want,” she said, putting on her sunglasses.
“I do. And I love you.”
Alicia got in her vehicle, started the ignition, backed out of the garage, and drove off. JT did the same, but as he left their subdivision, he knew it was time to get rid of Carmen. It was time to cut her off and also find a way to end her relationship with his wife.
When JT steered his car into the church parking lot, closed the convertible top, and stepped out onto the asphalt, he saw Minister Payne and Minister Weaver heading inside. He had asked both of them to come in for a short meeting so he could update them on the marketing agenda, and he was glad they were right on schedule.
“Have a seat,” JT said when the three of them walked into his office, and JT went around and sat behind his desk. “This won’t take very long but since I’ve decided to go a slightly different route with the marketing plan in comparison to what we discussed three weeks ago, I wanted to fill you in. That way you can share it with the other ministers and officers when you have your weekly meeting with them this evening. Actually, I may stop in for a few minutes just in case they have questions.”
“Sounds good,” Minister Payne said.
However, Minister Weaver was a lot more forthcoming. “So, what’s the change?”
“Well, for one thing, I’ve hired a firm to coordinate and schedule a full broadcasting blitz. We’ll have spots promoting the church and myself, as well as what we can offer the overall community.”
“That sounds like a great idea,” Minister Payne said. “Are we doing both radio and TV?”
“Yes, we’re doing both, although I’ve asked the ad rep to gear more of the money toward radio, specifically during the morning and evening drive times.”
“Good.”
“How long will these ads run for?” Minister Weaver asked.
“For at least a month.”
“On how many stations?”
“All the top stations in Chicago. Gospel, R&B, pop, and talk radio.”
Minister Weaver raised his eyebrows. “That sounds awfully costly, so how are we going to pay for all of this?”
“Well, that’s the good news,” JT said, smiling. “I’ve located several private donors who really believe in what we do here.”
“Who?” Minister Weaver asked. He was starting to annoy JT.
“I wish I could say, but these contributors have asked that I keep their identities confidential. Every one of them has made it clear that, while they are very happy to help get out God’s Word, they don’t feel the need to make their names known.”
Minister Weaver glared at JT, his eyes practically screaming the word “liar,” but JT ignored him.
“So, are both of you okay with this?”
“I’m more than fine with it,” Minister Payne said. “We need some daily publicity, and I think it’s a blessing that you’ve found a few good people who are happy to pay for it.”
“So, what about the committee we talked about creating?” Minister Weaver asked.
“We’re going to do that, too. Just not right away. Maybe in about a month or so. When this media blitz has completed, we’ll focus a lot more on the other things we discussed.”
Minister Weaver seemed skeptical, but this wasn’t the first time he had silently disagreed with something JT had come up with. In the end, though, Minister Weaver would basically back down because one fact always remained: JT was the founder of NLCC, and he really didn’t owe anyone any explanations about anything. Keeping the two of them, along with the others, abreast of any new business was mainly just a courtesy, but it definitely wasn’t something JT was required to do.
They reviewed the rest of this week’s schedule as well as this coming Sunday’s, and then JT said, “Well, unless you have something else, Glenn, Steve needs to speak with me on a private matter.”
“Of course,” Minister Weaver said, and stood up. “Also, have you had time to take a look at the information we spoke about at our last meeting?”
JT knew he was referring to his and the other ministers’ possible salary increase but said, “No, not yet. And with everything I have going on, I probably won’t get to that for a long while.”
“If I recall,” he stated matter-of-factly, “you said you would review it by the end of the month, and today is already the twenty-sixth.”
“Well, unfortunately, this isn’t a good time,” JT replied, his voice curt.
Minister Weaver made no attempt toward hiding the disgruntled look on his face and soon turned and left the office.
JT pursed his lips tightly. “Sometimes that man really gets under my skin.”
Minister Payne cracked up. “He’s a trip all right. And what is he worried about now?”
“Money. He wants more of it,
and he wants me to take a look at all of your salaries. He says you’re not getting paid nearly what you deserve.”
“I disagree. We get paid fine.”
“Well, clearly Weaver begs to differ. But on the other hand, I think you actually do deserve a bonus, and especially if you agree to do a small favor for me.”
“Sure. Whatever you need.”
“Well, I’ve sort of gotten myself into a jam, and you’re the only person I can trust to help me out of it.”
Minister Payne sat up straighter in his chair. “Go ahead. I’m listening.”
“It’s really bad, Steve. To be honest, it’s the worst.”
“This sounds serious.”
“It is, and there’s no sense beating around the bush. I’ve been sleeping with this woman named Carmen for the last four years, and now she’s saying that if I don’t leave Alicia and marry her, she’s going to go public about the affair we’ve been having. She’s threatening me more and more, and she has to be stopped. This woman is crazy, and I have to get her out of my life.”
“Man, Pastor, that’s pretty deep.”
“I know. And if I could do things over, I definitely would, but it’s too late for that.”
“I guess you’re right. So, what do you want me to do?”
JT gave him more details, mainly about how she’d slithered her way back into Alicia’s life and how she’d never bothered telling him that she and Alicia were childhood friends. Then he said, “I’ve thought about this long and hard and since I can’t kill her, although it would be nice”—he chuckled—“the only way I can see getting rid of her is by sending her to prison. So, what I was thinking was that maybe you could contact one of your boys from your old neighborhood, purchase a batch of weed, cocaine, and crack, and then plant it inside her apartment. That is, if you’re willing.”
Minister Payne nodded in agreement. “Of course I am. Whatever it takes.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” JT said, happy he’d chosen to mentor and groom such a loyal and dedicated subject.
“All I need is about five grand, an address, and a key if you can get me one.”
Be Careful What You Pray For Page 15