“Yes, definitely.”
“Great. Our members are going to be pleasantly surprised when they learn that Pastor Black’s son-in-law will be delivering the message. They love him here in Dallas the same as everyone else does throughout the country, so your visiting here will be a real treat.”
JT was so ecstatic, he could barely sit still. “I can’t wait. Also, if you don’t mind, can I ask you something?”
“Of course. Go ahead.”
“I can only imagine how busy your schedule is, but at some point maybe this year or next year, do you think you might have time to come speak at my church? I mean, it’s nothing like yours, and we only have about five thousand members, but I know having you here would help our ministry tremendously.”
“I would be happy to. You’re doing me a huge favor, and I’ve always been a big believer in the idea that one good turn really does deserve another.”
“Thank you so much for agreeing. When my father-in-law came to speak, it drew in more people than I’d ever seen here, and I know your presence will do the same.”
“Also, young man, I must say how proud I am of you in terms of all the obstacles you’ve had to overcome. Losing your mother, not knowing your father, being tossed from one foster home to the next. Your letter was both saddening and powerful, and it was very brave of you to share it.”
“Thank you, Pastor,” he said, smiling, and was glad he’d exaggerated just about everything he’d written.
“No. Thank you. Because your story will be a blessing and an inspiration to everyone.”
“I sure hope so.”
“Okay, well, I’d better get going so my wife and I can get some dinner, but I’ll have my executive assistant call yours first thing in the morning. That way, she can find out your airline and hotel preferences and get your reservations made. Oh, and by the way, I guess I forgot to mention your honorarium,” he said, but JT certainly hadn’t.
“Oh, that’s no problem at all.”
“Will twenty-five thousand, first-class airfare for you and your wife, and accommodations at a five-star hotel be sufficient?”
JT wanted to burst out laughing. God was so good. “It’s more than sufficient, and thank you for being so generous.”
“You’re quite welcome.”
“Also, just so you know, my wife has a women’s event here at our church on Saturday evening that she has to attend, so unfortunately, she won’t be able to travel out with me.”
“Oh, I’m really sorry to hear that. But I certainly understand.”
“Well, again, Pastor, thank you so much for everything.”
“Of course, and please call if you have any questions.”
“I will, and you have a good evening.”
“You, too.”
JT wanted to jump for joy, sing a song, and cut a jig. He was actually going to be ministering to the people of Vineyard Christian Center. It was a dream come true, and now he was even happier than he had been about including those recommendation letters from Curtis. They were doing wonders for him, and he was delighted to no end.
He picked up the phone and called Janet into his office.
“So, what’s the deal?” she asked, smiling.
“Pastor Braeden has asked me to come speak this weekend.”
“So soon?”
“Yes, the minister they’d invited has become ill and had to cancel.”
“How wonderful…not that he’s sick, but I mean, how wonderful this is for you.”
“I know. Vineyard is one of the largest churches in the country, so I’m really going to have to be on top of my game. Which is why, instead of flying in on Saturday evening, the way Pastor Braeden suggested, I’d rather go early on Friday morning. That way, I’ll be able to rest up some and then spend all day Saturday writing my sermon and doing a few dry runs with it.”
“I don’t blame you. This is going to be huge for you.”
“No doubt, so I certainly want to make a good impression.”
“So, are they going to contact me about your arrangements?”
“Yes, he said his assistant will call you in the morning. Also, unfortunately, Alicia won’t be able to go with me.”
“Oh no. Why not?”
“She has some sort of family get-together she and her stepmother have been planning for the last couple of months,” he said, telling Janet a different lie than what he’d told Pastor Braeden, since Janet knew the entire church calendar without looking at it, meaning she’d clearly know there was no women’s event taking place on Saturday evening or any other day this month.
“Wow, that’s too bad.”
“I know, but hopefully this won’t be the last time I’ll get to go there.”
“No, I’m sure it won’t be.”
“And hey, I know I say this a lot, Janet, but thanks again for all your hard work.”
“You’re welcome. See you tomorrow.”
JT watched her leave and then thought about the real reason he wanted to arrive on Friday and also why he didn’t want Alicia traveling with him: He’d finally be able to see Veda again. He would fly her out from Minneapolis, and they’d be able to spend most of Friday and all of Saturday holed up in his hotel room. It would be a weekend to remember, and he couldn’t wait to see her again.
Chapter 37
Hey, baby, what’s up?” JT said, sounding the same as always and like the loving, loyal, and faithful husband he’d always pretended to be.
“Hi, honey. Just sitting at my computer. What’s up with you?”
“Well, actually a whole lot. You know Pastor Braeden in Dallas?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I just hung up with him, and he wants me to come speak at his church this Sunday.”
Alicia feigned how elated she was. “Oh my goodness. Really? That’s wonderful.”
“I know. It’s the best news ever, and it’s still very hard for me to believe.”
“What made him call you?”
“Not long ago, I asked Janet to compile a listing of churches and then send out a letter of introduction, along with some other information about my experience. I also included a line saying if they ever needed a speaker, I would love to be considered.”
“What a great idea.”
“I guess it was.”
“So, when do we leave?”
“Well, baby, you see, that’s the thing. I would love, love, love for you to go, but since this is the largest church I’ve ever spoken at outside of the Chicago area, I’m really going to have to do more studying, praying, and writing than ever before. I’m going to have to come up with an unforgettable message and practice my delivery over and over again.”
Alicia shook her head, wondering if he honestly thought she was that stupid. “You’re right. You really do need to spend all day Saturday without any interruption, so you can meditate and concentrate in peace.”
“So, you’re not upset?”
“Of course not. It’s no different than when I’m writing, and I sometimes slip away to one of the university libraries with my netbook. Sometimes you just need that kind of quietness.”
“I’m really glad you understand because I was really worried about that.”
“Please. I grew up with a pastor, remember? So, I know how important it is to have many hours of alone time.”
“What would I do without you?” he said.
“I don’t know, but the good news is that you won’t ever have to find out because we’re always going to be together. You are the love of my life, JT, and I’m so proud of you.”
“I love you, too. And I’m so glad to have you as my wife. Anyway, I really need to get going, but I wanted to call you as soon as possible to tell you about Dallas.”
“Oh, that’s right, you have that publicity meeting you were telling me about this morning.”
“Yep. I’m meeting my rep at his office in about forty-five minutes. But what about you? Are you coming to Bible study?”
“Yeah, I am.”<
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“Okay, well, I guess I’ll just see you later this evening.”
“All right. Talk to you then.”
“Bye, baby.”
Alicia felt like patting herself on the back, what with how talented an actress she’d become. Here it had been a full week since Levi had told her about JT and Carmen, but she’d continued holding her own. She hadn’t acted even the slightest bit upset and had gone out of her way to be the same trusting and caring wife he thought she was. JT didn’t have a clue, and Alicia was planning to keep it that way.
Then there was Carmen, who thought she was as slick as could be, but in reality, she was just as oblivious. She had no idea Alicia was on to her, but it was probably because Alicia called her every single morning to see how she was doing and ask her if she needed anything, and over the last seven days, she’d even gone by to see her on three different occasions. Obviously not when JT was there, but earlier in the day so there was no way she would run into him—because make no mistake about it, Alicia was now fully aware of every time he visited that tramp.
This whole monitoring, acting, and planning thing, though, couldn’t have come at a worse time because just one week ago she’d flown to the Big Apple, her auction had taken place, and all six editors had made very sizable offers. It had been an exciting time, but Alicia hadn’t been nearly as enthused as she would have been, not after having found out about JT and Carmen the day before. But this week, she was feeling a lot better and was very thankful to have chosen an editor who seemed extremely passionate about her work and one who sounded as though she had exceptional character and notable integrity. If that wasn’t enough, when Alicia had met her, the chemistry between them had been immediate and Joan had told Alicia that there were very few editors she knew who were more talented, personable, and completely on top of things. It also hadn’t hurt that Joan was able to negotiate a two-book deal totaling a million dollars, something that was almost unheard of anymore for debut novelists—something Alicia knew probably wouldn’t have happened had it not been for the kind of promotion and publicity interviews they were sure they’d be able to secure for her because of her father. Joan had already talked about this very thing, well before even submitting Alicia’s manuscript to anyone, so it just went to show how right she’d been. It showed how blessed Alicia was to have Joan as well as her newfound editor.
As soon as JT walked inside Carmen’s apartment, she met him at the door, kissed him, and sashayed back into the kitchen. “So, how was your day, baby? Are you ready to eat? I made your favorite. Chicken Parmesan.”
Carmen acted as though the two of them were legally married, like JT had just gotten home from a long day at work and like she was some pampered, well-to-do housewife. This, needless to say, couldn’t have been further from the truth, so JT wished she would cut it out. He wished she would accept reality and realize he didn’t love her and that he was never going to leave his wife for any woman—not even for Veda, the woman he cared about a lot more than he did Carmen.
“I know I haven’t cooked for you in a long time,” she went on to say. “But I promise from now on, things are going to be different. I’m going to treat you better than both your other wives ever did, and you’ll never, ever want to mess around the way you had to on them. I’ve been sitting here thinking all day how if Michelle and Alicia had treated you the way any good man deserves to be treated, you never would have had a reason to sneak and be with me.”
JT had had enough of all this foolishness. “Carmen, we need to talk.”
She walked back out to the living room. “Sure, baby. What about?”
“Come and sit down for a few minutes,” he said, and she sat next to him on the camel-colored love seat.
“You seem upset,” she said, caressing his face. “What’s wrong?”
“Everything. I mean, I know you’re really happy about being pregnant, and that’s why I’ve tried my best to avoid having this discussion, but, Carmen, this isn’t going to work.”
She turned her body more in his direction. “I don’t understand.”
“I know you want this baby, but if you have it, it’ll ruin my position in the ministry for good. I’ll never be able to bounce back from this kind of a scandal, and I’ll lose everything. All of my members at NLCC will leave, and I’ll have no way of taking care of you or the baby.”
“I can’t believe I’m hearing this,” she said, raising her voice.
“I know this doesn’t make you happy, but I’m begging you to at least try and work with me on this.”
“Work with you how?”
“By terminating the pregnancy.”
Carmen got up. “Wait a minute. I know you’re not asking me to kill my baby.”
“No, I’m asking you to have an abortion.”
Carmen laughed out loud in a deranged sort of way. “Like I said, I know you’re not asking me to kill my baby.”
“Sweetheart, look,” he said, standing up. “Please try to understand what I’m saying. This is going to wreck my whole reputation as a minister. And if that happens, I’ll never go national the way you and I talked about. I’ll never make another dime.”
“Of course you will. Ministers have babies all the time, and no one says a word about it.”
“That’s because most ministers have them with their wives and not with their mistresses.”
“But that’s just it; by the time I begin showing, you and I will already be married. I know I’d said I would give you a lot more time to divorce Alicia, but now that I’m carrying your child…well, that changes everything.”
“Carmen, baby, please,” he said, holding her hands. “I’ll do anything you ask, if you’ll just agree to have an abortion.”
Carmen stared at him. “Oh my God. You’re serious, aren’t you? You really want me to kill our baby.”
“Why do you keep saying that?”
“Because you do. You want me to commit cold-blooded murder.”
JT decided to try a different approach. “All I’m saying is that we can’t do this right now and that once we’re married, we can have as many children as you want.”
Carmen jerked away from him. “I’m having my baby, JT. I’m having it no matter what, and you’ll either do right by me, or else.”
“Baby, please, please try to see my side of this.”
“I do see it. I see it very clearly. Years ago, you pimped me to other men, then started sleeping with me yourself, married two other women, got me pregnant, and now you’re trying to dodge your responsibilities. But, JT, I want you to hear me and hear me good. You are going to divorce Alicia, marry me, and be the best father in the world to our son or daughter.”
After seeing the I-will-not-be-moved-on-this look in her eyes, JT knew there was no reasoning with her. At least not tonight anyway, so he was through talking about it. He was done trying to win a losing battle, and for the rest of the evening, he would play the loving husband role just like she wanted him to. He would plaster a phony smile across his face, fabricate words he didn’t mean, and force himself to have sex with her. He would do whatever it took to keep her quiet and somewhat happy—for now. He would continue biding his time until Minister Payne handled his business.
Chapter 38
JT hung up the phone and smiled. He’d just finished talking with Veda for the second time this morning and also for the third time since yesterday, and her airline reservations were finally set. He could tell in her voice how excited she was to be making the trip with him, and he certainly couldn’t wait to see her. At first, he’d thought it might be best if she flew on a separate plane, nonstop between Minneapolis and Dallas, but then once Janet had given him his travel itinerary, he’d decided he wanted to see Veda before then. He wouldn’t sit with her at the gate or next to her on the plane, but now that she was connecting through Chicago, they would at least be able to share the same cabin—courtesy of JT’s offering to reimburse her in cash for the first-class ticket he’d insisted she treat herself with.<
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JT glanced at his watch, saw that it was five minutes before noon, and went online to make sure Diana had made the wire transfer. He was still scheduled to meet Weaver and Barb at three but also needed time to stop at the bank to get a cashier’s check.
He entered his user ID and password information and waited for his account summary to pop up. He scrolled through the page, but he could already see right at the top that the balance was still showing the same one hundred thousand dollars he was planning to use for the media buy. Maybe Diana had thought he didn’t need it right away this morning and was planning to make the transaction this afternoon, so he picked up his phone and called her.
“Hello?” she said after three rings.
“Hey, dear. How are you?”
“I could definitely be better.”
JT had no idea what she meant by that, but right now he didn’t have time to inquire about it. “I only have a few minutes, but I just wanted to check in to see how soon you’ll be able to make the transfer.”
“That’s just it. I won’t be.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re a real piece of work, you know that?”
JT repositioned his phone. “I don’t understand what you mean.”
“Well, then, just let me ask you one question. Did you really think I was that stupid?”
“That stupid about what?!”
“You.”
“Diana, look. If you’ve changed your mind about helping me, then I wish you’d just say it and stop playing all these games.”
“I don’t play games. But you, on the other hand, are a master at it. Or so you thought you were, because, sweetheart, as of today, I’m completely on to you.”
“What are you talking about?” he yelled, forgetting he was at the church and that Janet sat just outside his office.
“I’m talking about the private investigator I hired and the lengthy report he just gave me from the last two weeks. I mean, did you actually think I would give you a hundred and fifty thousand dollars and then not check up on you? And my only regret is that I didn’t do it beforehand.”
Be Careful What You Pray For Page 21