“I can do that.”
“You have enough men?”
D.C. grinned. “More than enough. In my line of work, you have to have folks watchin’ out twenty-four-seven. Plus, my uncle manages a security company, so I can ask him to handle this situation, too.”
“Will he keep all of this confidential?”
“Definitely.”
“What about the men who’ll be assigned to my family?”
“We’ll just tell them you finally decided it was time you had full-time protection. No one will be shocked to hear that because of who you are. I’m surprised you don’t have a couple of full-time bodyguards, anyway, since you’re so well known.”
“I just don’t wanna live that way. Every now and then, we hire heavy security for certain events, and I have two other men I hire on an as-needed basis, but that’s it.”
“I can understand that. But gettin’ back to this Sharon chick, you sure you don’t want me to have someone pay her a visit? Or at least let a couple of my associates have a conversation with her?”
“No.”
“Okay, but if she keeps trippin’, then I won’t have a choice but to take this to the next level.”
Curtis didn’t like the sound of that and said, “But you’ll let me know what you’re planning beforehand, right?”
“Well, actually, my associates don’t usually roll like that. Normally they handle what needs to be handled and that’s the end of it.”
“I hear that, but even though this woman is causing serious problems for me, I still don’t want any crimes committed. I don’t want any violence taking place.”
“Trust me, they’ll start at the bare minimum of things and then work their way up. But I will tell you this—they don’t believe in spendin’ a lot of time babyin’ troublemakers, so if she knows what’s good for her, she’ll leave you alone and go on about her business.”
“Hopefully she will.”
“Let’s just see how things go, but just in case, I’d better get her address.”
Curtis recited the information, and D.C. wrote it down.
“Where does she work?”
“From home. She’s self-employed.”
“So she’s there most of the day?”
“As far as I know.”
“Is she a member of the church?”
“Yeah, I forgot to mention that. She is, and last night she got up asking multiple questions during Bible study. She did all she could, trying to ridicule me.”
“She’s gotta be stopped, Pastor.”
“I know. I really wish I could call the police, but it’s like I told my wife—we can’t take our children through another scandal. So I’d really like to handle this privately if I can.”
“I don’t blame you, but don’t worry, we’ll get this taken care of. Believe that.”
“Again, I appreciate this, and let me know what I owe you.”
“Are you kiddin’?”
“No, I wanna pay you for your services.”
“You can pay the bill I’ll be gettin’ from the security company, but my part in this is pro bono. Not to mention, my associates owe me a few favors, anyway. Also, to tell you the truth, just hearin’ about some skank tryin’ to punk you like this pisses me off. And all because you want nothin’ to do with her. So just let me do this for you because I want to.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
Curtis and D.C. shook on their agreement, and Curtis hoped things wouldn’t escalate. In a perfect world, Sharon would pack up her bags and move to another state, and D.C. wouldn’t have to do anything. But somehow, he knew Sharon wasn’t going anywhere without being forced.
Chapter 39
Curtis sat at the busy intersection and thought, What a day. It had been one thing for Sharon to show up at Bible study last night, but now she was stalking Charlotte at her hair salon. She was taking things a lot further than Curtis had expected, and while he hadn’t wanted to disclose what was happening to anyone at the church, he realized it was time to at least alert his two right-hand men, Elder Jamison and Elder Dixon, just in case Sharon involved the church in some way. They were meeting him for an impromptu meeting in about a half hour, and he knew they weren’t going to be happy. They would support him, he was sure, but they wouldn’t be thrilled about the possibility of more negative publicity.
When the light changed, Curtis turned the corner and dialed Charlotte.
“Hey,” she said. “So what happened with D.C.?”
“Our meeting went well, and I’ve asked him to get a few bodyguards in place. A couple to monitor our house and also someone who can follow you and Matt whenever you’re out and about.”
“This is crazy.”
“I’m sorry, but we really need to do this.”
“I know. I just hate having to watch my back all the time and live in fear.”
“I’m praying this will all be over soon, but in the meantime, I think this is best. I don’t think we should worry Matt with this, though.”
“I agree, because if he finds out someone is following him, he’ll be worried to death. But what about Agnes?”
“Yes, definitely. Especially since she picks up Curtina from time to time. We can tell her tomorrow morning when the children leave for school.”
“Actually, since I wanted to work out a few details for the marriage seminar, I asked Agnes if she could pick up Curtina for me, so she’ll still be at the house when we get home.”
“We’ll tell her then. Are you almost finished?”
“Pretty much. I just wanted to get a seminar update over to one of Lana’s assistants because they’ll be printing Sunday’s programs tomorrow.”
“I’ll be home in about an hour. I’ve decided to tell Elder Jamison and Elder Dixon what’s going on, and they should be at the church shortly.”
“I know you’re not looking forward to that.”
“No, but I don’t want them to be caught off guard either.”
“You’re doing the right thing.”
“And, baby,” he said, sighing, “I’m very sorry about all of this. I’m sorry for causing so much trouble for us.”
“We’ve both made a lot of bad decisions, but we’ll get through this.”
Curtis braked at the next red light. “I hope so.”
“We will. It won’t be easy, but we’ll be fine.”
“Okay, well, if you leave the church before I get there, I’ll see you at home.”
“Love you.”
Curtis waited for the light to change, but frowned when he looked over at his ringing phone. It was Sharon, of course, and while he debated answering, he didn’t think it was a good idea to ignore her or infuriate her—not when she seemed capable of almost anything.
“Hello?”
“I’m sure you already know, but I saw your little wifey today.”
If Curtis had been a cursing man, there was no telling what he might’ve yelled at her, but then he realized maybe it was best to remain calm and cordial. It was probably a good idea to go along with whatever she said.
“Look, baby,” she went on. “I just want to say how sorry I am about Saturday. I’ve had a lot of time to think about it, and I truly regret showing up at your hotel the way I did.”
Curtis wondered if maybe God had answered his prayers, and Sharon had come to her senses, but then she said, “I should have let you end things with your wife in your own way. I should have been more patient, because just a few minutes ago, I saw a minister on TBN discussing 1 Corinthians 13:4… You know the scripture that says love is patient and kind? It also talks about how love doesn’t envy or boast and how it isn’t proud or arrogant, so, sweetheart, I was wrong. I should have let you be the strong man you are, and I should have waited. Can you forgive me?”
Curtis knew that scripture like the back of his hand, but not once had he heard someone relate it to breaking up another person’s marriage. He listened and heard everything Sharon had said, but he was f
labbergasted and unable to speak. There were no words to say to a person who believed this kind of philosophy and who used scripture to suit their own evil desires.
“Baby, why aren’t you saying anything? Please talk to me. Please don’t shut me out, because I really am sorry for the way I’ve been acting.”
“It’s fine,” he forced himself to say. “We all make mistakes, and what’s done is done.”
“So you forgive me?”
“Yes.”
“Oh God… I’m so glad and so relieved,” she said, sniffling. “I was so worried that I’d ruined everything. I was afraid I’d lost you for good and that you didn’t love me anymore.”
Curtis opened his mouth by reflex, preparing to tell her that he could never love her, but he didn’t want to agitate her and send her into a tailspin. “I think what we have to do now is move forward.”
“I agree, so now what?”
“What do you mean?”
“When can I see you again, and when is Charlotte moving out?”
Curtis went along with the show. “We have to let things die down for a while, and wait for my son to leave for college.”
“In August?”
“Yes.”
“That’s over two months from now!”
“I know, but—”
“But nothing, Curtis! I’m not waiting that long, and how dare you try to patronize me. I’m not stupid.”
She’d turned on him again, and from the sound of her heated voice, the whole premise of 1 Corinthians 13:4 had vanished. It was as if she hadn’t even heard the minister on television or brought this up to him.
“I know you’re not stupid,” he tried saying, “but—”
She cut him off again. “Look, I’m getting tired of this whole situation, and I’m almost at my wits end, John.”
“Who’s John?” Curtis wanted to know.
“What are you talking about?”
“You called me John.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you—”
“Like I said,” she interrupted him again. “I’m tired, and I wanna see you.”
“I can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Can’t.”
“You just wanna run home to that little wifey of yours, but that’s okay. When it’s all said and done, I’ll be the last one laughing.”
“Why do you keep threatening me?”
“Because you deserve it,” she said, and hung up.
Unbelievable, Curtis thought, arriving at the church, stepping out of his SUV, and heading toward the building. Sharon was a piece of work, but now there was something new he couldn’t stop wondering about, too. Who the heck was John?
Chapter 40
Charlotte stuck her head inside Curtis’s office, spoke to the two elders, and then said, “Okay, I’m outta here. See you at home.”
“I’ll be there soon.”
When she shut the door, Elder Dixon said, “This must be extremely important ’cause it’s been years since you called sayin’ you need to see us as soon as possible.”
“It is, and I’m sad to say it isn’t good news.”
Elder Jamison leaned forward in his chair. “How do you mean?”
“For a good while now, I’ve been communicating with a woman who’s a member of the church, and now things are turning ugly.”
Elder Dixon shook his head. “Lord have mercy, boy. When are you ever gonna learn to be more careful with your personal business? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t always in my late sixties. Once upon a time, I was a young man, too, but you just can’t mess with all these different women. Some of ’em are just plain crazy.”
Curtis felt horrible and couldn’t respond. He felt like a child who should have known better, and he couldn’t blame Elder Dixon for chastising him.
“So what is she threatening to do?” Elder Jamison asked.
“Nothing specifically, but she showed up at my hotel in Detroit unannounced and then at the place Charlotte gets her hair done today.”
Now Elder Dixon leaned forward. “So let me get this thing straight. She’s havin’ an affair with you, but now she’s harassin’ your wife?”
“I never slept with her, but yes, she’s harassing Charlotte.”
“She’s doing all this, and you never even touched her?” Elder Jamison asked.
“Yes. I know it doesn’t make sense, but she’s lost it, and she doesn’t wanna hear anything I have to say when it comes to ending our friendship.”
“Why you even start seein’ her?” Elder Dixon asked.
“I hadn’t told you and Elder Jamison, but I’d been planning for a while now to divorce Charlotte. Still, though, I only saw this woman twice. I see her on Sundays here at church and I spoke with her on the phone, but I promise you, I only went to her house two times over the last year.”
Elder Dixon laughed. “This is sad, son. Not good at all.”
“No, it’s not, and that’s why I wanted to inform the two of you.”
Elder Jamison leaned back in his chair. “So why were you going to divorce your wife? I don’t mean to pry, but I had no idea.”
“We’ve had a very rough time lately, and there were some things that happened that I didn’t think I could live with. The last thing I wanted was to break up my family, but I just couldn’t see us staying together.”
“And now?”
“We’re working things out, and we’re not separating.”
“Well, I’m at least glad to hear that,” Elder Dixon said.
Elder Jamison nodded. “Me, too. I am a little concerned, though, because if this woman spins further out of control, the ministry will definitely be affected.”
“I’m praying that doesn’t happen, and I couldn’t be more sorry about placing the church in such a vulnerable position.”
“When did you try to end things with her?” Elder Dixon asked.
“About a week and a half ago, but she’s still calling me and saying she wants to see me. She’s still under the impression that I’m gonna leave Charlotte.”
“Maybe she’ll finally get the message,” Elder Jamison said.
Elder Dixon wasn’t so sure. “Hmm, let’s hope that happens, but when these women don’t get what they want, they never walk away like ladies. They always have to act a complete fool.”
“Gosh,” Elder Jamison said. “You know I’m behind you no matter what, Pastor, but I can’t even imagine the kind of damage control we’ll have to do if this woman goes public. You remember what it was like when we had to deal with that last scandal a few years ago. Some folks weren’t very happy. They slowly but surely started coming back to service, but now we have a lot more members and the entire community behind us, and it would be a shame to ruin that.”
“I think the police should be called,” Elder Dixon said.
“I thought about that, but if we do, the media will be on us like vultures.”
Elder Jamison agreed. “They’ll definitely start calling for comments. They’ll want to know why you need an order of protection or why some member of the church is harassing you. Then, next thing you know, they’ll be contacting her… By the way, what’s her name?”
“Sharon Green.”
“I don’t think I’ve met her.”
“She pretty much stays to herself.”
“She should,” Elder Dixon said matter-of-factly.
“You’ve both seen her, though. She was the woman who asked all the questions at Bible study last night. Her hair was about the same length as Charlotte’s and the same color.”
“Her?” Elder Jamison said.
Elder Dixon shook his head again. “So now she’s tryin’ to look like your wife, too? Tryin’ to take her husband isn’t enough?”
“I never thought she was like this,” Curtis confessed. “Never saw this side of her until now, and I’m baffled over it.”
Elder Dixon didn’t seem shocked. “Sometimes crazy don’t show up until there’s a rea
son. Although, I bet if you think back, you’d recall a few interestin’ signs.”
Curtis had thought back. He’d remembered a lot of things about Sharon and his relationship with her, and there was no doubt that her packing up and moving to a brand-new town just for him wasn’t normal. She’d told him this right from the start, but he hadn’t paid much attention to it. He guessed it hadn’t actually mattered, because when it came to the women who’d come after him throughout the years, he’d heard and seen much worse. “I just wish this would go away.”
“We all do,” Elder Jamison said, “but you definitely did the right thing by telling us.”
“Son, we’re here for you, but I hope you learned somethin’ from this.”
“Trust me, I have.”
Curtis’s cell rang, and he hoped it wasn’t Sharon again. He relaxed when he saw it was Charlotte.
“Hey, baby, what is it?”
“Oh my God, Curtis, this woman is trailing me bumper to bumper!”
“Who?”
“Sharon! She’s practically chasing behind me.”
Curtis grabbed his keys and got up. “Where are you?”
“Almost home. Maybe three blocks away.”
“Just keep driving and try to stay calm. We’re on our way.”
Elder Jamison stood up, too. “Pastor what’s wrong?”
“It’s Charlotte. Sharon is following her.”
Now Elder Dixon got up. “Lord have mercy.”
Curtis headed out of his office and the elders followed him. “Is she still behind you?” he asked Charlotte.
“Yes.”
“She’s not trying to run you off the road or anything, is she?”
“No, but if I stopped, she would literally slam right into me.”
“Just keep focusing on the road.”
“I’m trying, I’m trying!”
“I’ll drive,” Elder Jamison said when they walked outside, and Curtis went around to the passenger side of Elder Jamison’s car. Elder Dixon slid into the backseat, and Elder Jamison drove out of the parking lot as fast as he could.
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