by Janice Sims
Expecting a return call from her boss with an answer to an important question, Valerie had answered the phone, not thinking that the caller could be Norman. There was no way that she could wiggle out of talking to him, now. “There’s really nothing to talk about. Say whatever you have to while you have me on the line,” she said with a coldness she didn’t really feel.
He spoke firmly. “Have dinner with me tomorrow night—and I won’t take no for an answer. By the way, the attire is after five.”
Norman told her what time he’d pick her up and ended the call—not wanting to say anything that would cause her to change her mind. If he had his way, tomorrow’s dinner date would change both of their lives.
Valerie was clueless about where Norman was taking her when they got to Macon and boarded the pontoon to cross the Ocmulgee River. A short while later, they walked into Armando’s, the swankest supper club in that city. She gasped in stunned silence as she scanned the large room. Candlelight was reflected in the beveled mirrors and in the sparkling crystal. Candles flickered in several solid gold wall sconces around the room. The tables were elegantly dressed with crisp damask tablecloths—maroon on the bottom, deep maize on the top—accentuated by matching napkins. Her feet sank into the plush carpet. Taking in the small but functional stage at the front of the establishment, she noticed that the dance floor was made of perfectly polished parquet. “Norman, this place is breathtaking,” she purred.
“Not as breathtaking as you, Valerie.” His eyes were dark and smoldering, and he couldn’t help but smile roguishly at how stunning she looked in her black sequined cocktail dress with the plunging neckline. Their evening would cost him a paycheck and a half, but it would be worth it—if he pulled his plan off.
Over a dinner of grilled Canadian salmon, sautéed sea scallops, risotto with slivers of almonds, and creamed spinach, they made small talk about the weather, sports, current events, and the restaurant—everything except what was going on between them. Norman was biding his time, trying to earn her trust and friendship once again—confident that the rest would play out naturally.
By this time, Frankie Sutton, a well-known local singer, was being introduced as the evening’s entertainment. She began her set with “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” to thunderous applause.
“I love this song, Norman!” Valerie exclaimed, as if running on all eight cylinders.
Seizing the opportunity, Norman asked her to dance. The touch of his hand on hers sent a warming shiver through her. Stepping forward, he clasped her body tightly to his, her soft curves meshing with the contours of his firm form. Norman wrapped his arms around her midriff, and Valerie fastened her arms around his neck. Moving ever so slowly as one body to the sensuous melody of the ballad, Valerie’s defenses began to subside. She buried her face against the corded muscles of his chest, drinking in the smell of the Quorum cologne on his charcoal gray suit jacket. She locked herself in his embrace, peering deeply into Norman’s eyes and exchanging scorching glances with him.
With a pulse-pounding certainty, she couldn’t deny that she was in love with him—and there was no turning back! She had been miserable without him, heartsick and heartbroken. The past few weeks had shown her that she was very much in love and that she shouldn’t judge Norman for Lucas’s wrongdoings. Very much a realist, Valerie knew in her soul that the only way she’d be truly happy was being with Norman—whatever that meant. She wanted him and was ready to give in to what her heart felt.
As the singer crooned “Teach Me, Tonight,” Valerie sank into Norman’s protective embrace and thought about certain lessons she was fully ready to teach him. Their dance was more than two people moving to the music; it became a private declaration of their feelings, expressing things only they understood. Their hearts, minds, bodies, and souls were in perfect harmony, and in that moment, Norman felt so full, so in love.
Knowing it was time to move on to the next part of his plan, Norman walked Valerie back to the table and signaled the waiter to bring the bill. After his credit card was returned, they walked downstairs and found that a shiny white and gold hansom carriage with two white horses awaited them on the other side of the river. Warm air blew through the trees, making the air fragrant with the scent of the pink cherry blossoms, camellias, azaleas, and Golden Lady Banksia roses. Clouds scudded playfully across the face of the moon. It was a perfect spring night.
In the carriage, Norman drew Valerie close to him, draping his arm around her shoulder as they rode around Macon, taking in fresh air and the sights and sounds along the way. She steeled herself against the immense pleasure that threatened to carry her away; her body conscious of his nearness, his touch, his lips.
Norman’s mouth captured Valerie’s, partaking of everything she had. His kiss was urgent, passionate, devouring every drop of her sweet nectar. It was a kiss for her needy soul to melt into, and was every bit as hot as the smoldering heat that joins metals. When he took her mouth with an intensity like none other, Valerie was shocked at her wanton response as she kissed him back with every ounce of love she felt for him. The fire within consumed Valerie, making her response instant, shameless, and total. She longed for Norman to love her like a real woman.
Divine ecstasy overtook Norman, and his breathing became harsh and uneven. As he stirred her passion, his grew stronger, and he didn’t know if it was the scent of the cherry blossoms or the love he felt for Valerie that drove him so wild. “I love you, Valerie Freeman. I want to protect you and take away all your hurts. No other woman has made me feel the way you do. Will you marry me?” he proposed, pulling a two-carat marquise-cut diamond ring out of a blue velvet box.
Valerie drew in a deep breath and forced herself not to cry. Finally letting go of her hesitation and reservations, she gave him an answer. “Yes, Norman, I’ll marry you!” She was dizzy with glee and she felt whole. The thought of being jilted at the altar, or Lucas running out on her, never crossed her mind. Her eyes danced, knowing she had all the man she’d ever need.
Norman slipped the ring on her finger, reassuring her that he’d never hurt her and would love her unconditionally for the rest of their days. He told her that she was a mighty special woman to take away his fear of commitment and make him want to settle down.
Through tears of joy, Valerie, too, confessed her undying love for Norman.
“Congratulations,” the driver said, tipping his top hat to them, taking great pride in the fact that many couples had become engaged in his Hansom cab.
Their final stop was the St. Regis Hotel, the finest of its kind in Macon. Located just past the downtown area, Norman chose it to ensure that they didn’t run into anyone from Red Oaks Christian Fellowship. Feverish with desire and downright horny, he swept Valerie in his arms and carried her to the room—which he’d reserved for them earlier that day.
Kissing her with an abandon that belied his outward calm, Norman felt her breasts thrust toward him: firm, round, and full. His tongue demanded her full surrender and she molded herself against Norman, wanting more. His hands roamed over her body, burning a path down her chest and stomach, discovering and unleashing the passionate woman within.
“Norman, baby, that feels so good,” she whispered. Gentle moans of passion escaped her lips as he suckled on first one ripened bud, then the other.
In a matter of a few seconds, he stripped off her clothes with master speed and precision, laying her on the bed. He drank in every inch of her body with his eyes, marveling at her beauty. “You’re so hot, honey, so beautiful. I’m going to love you right and give you as much of me as you can stand,” he promised, knowing he’d soon extinguish the powerful ache pulsating in his loins.
Valerie’s stomach twisted with the hard knot of need, and she gave herself freely to Norman, enjoying the warmth of his fingertips against her tingling skin. No longer could she stand the torture he was inflicting upon her, so she undressed him, flinging his clothes every which way.
They feathered their fingers over each other
’s bodies, teasing, probing, and exploring everything.
Feeling his throbbing hardness, she caressed it first with her hands, then with her mouth, setting fire to Norman’s already burning flame.
“I love you, Valerie…don’t stop,” he begged.
She continued her path to ecstasy, lapping, laving, and loving him with her warm, wet tongue.
Norman reciprocated and seared his own path of ecstasy from her neck to her feet, stopping only long enough to find and taste the throbbing, engorged bud between her thighs. Sampling her love juices, he tested her readiness with three fleshy fingers, determining that she was ripe for what he had for her. Retrieving a foil packet from the nightstand next to the bed, he opened it and sheathed himself.
Valerie gasped as Norman eased himself into her boiling depths, and she welcomed him into her body. Understanding his rhythm, she caressed his enormous manhood with her pelvic muscles, engaging in the instinctive movements of a woman who longed to please her man.
“Ooh, yes, baby, work it. You’re so good,” Norman groaned, increasing his movements to a hungry, furious intensity.
With each deepening thrust, Valerie trembled. “Yes, Norman, give it to me. Please don’t stop.”
And he didn’t. He mated her with piston-driving strength, his body possessing hers. Valerie locked her legs around his neck, rewarding herself with every inch he had to give until warm streamers of light enveloped her from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Suddenly, her world exploded in a dazzling kaleidoscope of colors. Surrendering in a starburst of ecstasy, Valerie orgasmed as she never had before, screaming out Norman’s name.
Involuntary tremors of arousal shook Norman’s body, and his love for Valerie flowed out of him like warm honey. At long last, their bodies were in exquisite harmony with one another’s—the hunger they had for each other finally satisfied.
“I love you, now, and for always, Valerie,” Norman cried out, their lovemaking the only reality in his world.
Filled with a sense of completeness, she joined Norman in that place of rapture, totally fulfilled.
Afterward, they cuddled in silence, their bodies still wet from their lovemaking. Boring into each other’s eyes, no words were said; none were necessary. What they felt in their hearts said it all. Soon, they fell into the sated sleep of lovers. Awaking revitalized, they made love again and again and again until dawn.
Nine
There was a buzz around Red Oaks Christian Fellowship that following Sunday after Valerie sang two solos. Her soprano voice, although velvet-edged and strong as always, seemed to possess a certain sweetness it didn’t have before. Her voice brimmed with joy. Every member who paid attention to her body language and the words she sang felt the sunny feeling that came deep from her soul. Notes were passed from member to member, up and down the pews, gossiping about how Valerie and Norman kept beaming at each other with open fondness—and it didn’t have anything to do with her watching him for musical cues.
Sister Brown saw them winking at each other, and Sister Terrell whispered to Sister Jackson that every time Valerie looked at Norman, she’d blush, and he’d smile like the proverbial Cheshire cat. None of the members were stuck on stupid or parked on crazy; they knew something was up, but they didn’t know what.
Right after the choir sang, Mother Maybelle sashayed down the long aisle to the pulpit, moving with feline grace and charm. No one else had that kind of carte blanche to interrupt the morning worship service, so when she did, everyone braced themselves because they knew whatever she had to say would be good.
Adjusting the mike at the podium to her height, she ran her hand along her periwinkle silk dress studded with tiny pearls. “Pardon the interruption, church, but I couldn’t hold this in a minute longer,” she began. “Y’all know I’m like an old refrigerator: I can’t keep nothing.”
The congregation laughed, because if they didn’t know much else, they knew that was certainly true.
“First, giving honor to God who is the head of my life, and my pastor, Reverend Terrance Avery, I’d like to say that I am glad to be in the house of the Lord one mo’ time ’cause He brought me from a mighty long way.” She waited for the chorus of amens and hallelujahs to wane, then she continued. “My dear son, Norman, and our soloist, Valerie, were engaged on Friday night. I know y’all probably noticed that something was different about her today. Well, she’s a woman in love who’s promised to one of the last good men left in Red Oaks. I want them to stand up, and y’all show them some love.”
The congregation stood and applauded, except for a few jealous young women who’d failed to land Norman; they sucked their teeth in disgust. The organist broke out with a few bars of the “Wedding March.”
When Norman and Valerie told Mother Maybelle about the engagement and swore her to secrecy, they hoped she wouldn’t say anything. They wanted to be the first to reveal their happy news. Despite the fact that she was a busybody, they loved her dearly, so all Valerie and Norman could do was smile openly. They weren’t at all surprised that Mother Maybelle had outed them and put their business on Front Street.
“The wedding date hasn’t been set, but y’all can bet that they’re going to have the best wedding that Red Oaks has ever seen!” she bragged like any proud parent of the bride or groom. “I’ll have the details printed in the bulletin as soon as everything is set, because I know they’ll want the whole church to share in their joy. Ain’t that right?” She looked over at the happy couple, who shook their heads in agreement, knowing that they were obligated to invite their church family since Mother Maybelle put them on the spot.
Grinning, she said, “Please be sure to check out that rock Valerie’s wearing after the service. Like our young folks love to say, ‘it’s the bomb!’”
The next few months were an endless round of parties, dress fittings, and pre-nuptial social events. First, there was their engagement party; then the bridesmaids’ luncheon, two bridal showers, the rehearsal dinner, as well as the various trips to Jordan Marsh and other stores to shop for Valerie’s trousseau, china, silver, and crystal settings. Between those appointments and activities, Valerie also had to attend mandatory pre-marital counseling with Reverend Avery at the church.
Valerie wanted to marry Norman more than anything in the world, but she never dreamed that there would be so much planning before the wedding. She was so tired her nerves throbbed. She felt drained, achy, and exhausted. The night before her wedding, Valerie slept for twelve hours, waking up feeling fresh and exhilarated, and knowing that she would’ve been a basket case without her parents and Mother Maybelle’s coordination of her big day. She drew in a sigh and prepared to marry the man she loved.
The sun shone warm over the colorful array of country flowers and shrubs surrounding Red Oaks Christian Fellowship. The fragrance of tea, roses, daphne, pine trees, and, morning glories hung in the air. The cloudless sky reached out and over into the land. The August day couldn’t have been more perfect for a wedding. The only thing to match its beauty was that of the bride and the wedding party.
The sanctuary was nearly full with friends and family of the bride and groom, church members, and local press. The sound of several carefully selected inspirational love songs filled the air. The guests couldn’t stop talking about how pretty the church looked, decorated with white lilies and calla lily arrangements, pew corsages, and white taper candles burning by the altar. White tulle and satin ribbons adorned all of the doors and entryways.
The female audience members’ hearts skipped a beat as Norman and his best man took their places at the altar. Each of them was resplendent in his black tuxedo and tails—especially Norman, who was about to jump the broom in a matter of minutes.
The wait was finally over when the organist played “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” as Valerie’s sister and two cousins marched down the aisle. Accompanied by Norman’s brothers and a cousin, the women were lovely in their midi-length pastel pink bustier dresses. Everyone stood on the f
irst bar of Wagner’s “Wedding March,” and their jaws dropped when they saw Valerie. Blushing with a glow that only a bride truly in love could have, she was graceful and opulent in her ivory Oleg Cassini gown with a cathedral train.
At the sight of his gorgeous bride, Norman looked at her with reverence. His pupils dilated. He shot a flitting glance up and down her body, drinking in every inch of her, basking in the knowledge that Valerie would soon be his wife.
Witness sang a musical tribute to Valerie and Norman, and a touching praise dance was performed in their honor. Reverend Danforth prayed for the couple, wished them well, then turned the wedding over to Reverend Avery.
“Marriage is not an easy thing; it’s a life-long commitment between two people who vow to become one heart, one soul, one flesh,” he said. “The best foundation from which to start a marriage is friendship. If you work on maintaining the friendship, the marriage will fall into place.”
Valerie stared adoringly at Norman as Reverend Avery spoke to them. She heard nothing he said, as she was too busy thinking about what she wanted to do to Norman on their honeymoon. Hot waves swept her belly at the fact that she was marrying the most wonderful man she’d ever known, and it wasn’t a dream. She loved Norman with everything inside of her, and Valerie knew that there wasn’t a better man anywhere. She was grateful that she’d decided to give in to love and not let Norman get away.
Reverend Avery cleared his throat, and Valerie focused on the ceremony. She gave Norman a knowing wink. Then, they both nodded in agreement with Reverend Avery’s charge and sage advice. After, they said their vows, exchanged rings, took Holy Communion, sealing their vows, and lit the unity candle, marking their two souls becoming one.
“By the power vested in me by the state of Georgia, I now pronounce Norman and Valerie, man and wife,” Reverend Avery concluded, smiling with pride. “Norman, you may now salute your bride.”