She nodded. “Yeah, and I have to tell you I’m so glad. I’m tired.”
“It’s too bad you’re tired. I was thinking about seeing a movie. I thought maybe you could join me?”
Pearl broke into a grin. “Sure. I’m in the mood for a movie.”
“Great. Do you want to leave your car here and ride with me?”
“I’ll just freshen up here and meet you at the movieplex.”
“I’ll wait here and you can follow me over.”
She nodded. “I’ll only be a minute. I keep some clothes in my locker.”
In minutes Pearl met Wade by the front door. She’d exchanged her white shirt for a jade-green sweater.
“Ready?”
He gave a slight nod. “Let’s go.”
Wade escorted Pearl to her car, then went to his. She followed him a couple of blocks to the movie theater.
What am I doing? Wade wondered to himself the entire drive over, and now as he stood in the lobby with Pearl.
“You’re awfully quiet,” she said, breaking into his thoughts.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude.”
Pearl surprised him by laughing. “You know, we’re acting like a couple of nervous kids.”
Wade chuckled. “You’re right.”
“We’re just two people here to watch a movie,” Pearl stated. “We won’t be talking so there’s minimal risk of arguing or debating. Surely, we can handle that.”
“I know I can. But can you?”
She glanced up at him. “Yeah. I can do this.”
Wade laughed, the tension leaving his body. Pearl loved life and he admired her zest. He settled back in his seat to enjoy the movie.
Two and a half hours later, they emerged from the theater.
Wade gestured toward the ice-cream parlor in the next block. “Interested?”
“Sure,” Pearl answered.
A few minutes later, they sat in one of the booths eating ice cream.
“I’m going to have to do another mile on the treadmill,” announced Pearl. “I don’t mind though. I haven’t had an ice-cream sundae this good in a while.”
“Do you work out on a regular basis?”
“I try to exercise every day but sometimes I can’t. What about you? What do you do to keep yourself looking good?”
“I work out at least three days a week. I have some equipment at home so I’m on it whenever I have a moment.”
Pearl checked her watch. “Can you believe it? We haven’t disagreed once.”
“We’ve had other moments like this. We didn’t argue at the wedding reception.”
“That’s right. Or after the basketball game. We’re starting a trend.”
He laughed. “I like you, Pearl Lockhart.”
“I like you, too, Wade. You’re an okay guy. You just need to lighten up some. Not be so stuffy.”
“I’ll take your suggestion under advisement.”
Paige and Pearl left the apartment early to get to the nail salon.
“You got in late last night,” Paige said as they waited for their turn. “I thought you were getting off early.”
“Wade came to the restaurant for dinner. He and I went to see a movie afterward.”
“Oh, really?”
“Don’t even go there,” Pearl warned. “It wasn’t a date.”
“You don’t have to keep secrets from me.”
“I’m not keeping any secrets, Paige. Wade and I…we’re getting to know one another. That’s it. If anything, we’ll become friends.”
After the manicure and pedicure, Pearl and her cousin parted ways. She had to work the lunch shift.
The restaurant was already crowded by the time she arrived. Pearl didn’t waste any time. She clocked in and headed off to her station, humming to the music filtering through the sound system overhead.
A couple of her friends showed up and were seated in her station, but it was Ruby who surprised her.
“I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I was downtown for a meeting, so I thought I’d have lunch here.” Ruby studied the menu, then laid it down. “So what’s going on with you?”
“Not a thing,” Pearl responded with a chuckle. “Still waiting to get the recording contract. I haven’t gotten any rejections yet, so I’m still hopeful.”
Ruby nodded. She studied Pearl’s face. “You look really happy. Happier than usual. Any reason?”
“No,” Pearl said, shaking her head. “Today is just a good day.”
She was so busy that four o’clock rolled around before Pearl even realized. She was thrilled to be clocking out, and was looking forward to enjoying the rest of her day just doing something she liked instead of working.
Just as she was leaving, she ran into Wade.
“Can’t get enough of this place?” Pearl inquired.
“I’m picking up a take-out order. It’s your fault, you know. You got me started on the salmon.”
She broke into a grin. “I’ve created a monster, I see.”
“Are you leaving?”
Nodding, she replied, “I’m off work.”
“Have you eaten anything?”
“Not since breakfast. I was busy from the minute I walked into this place.”
“Why don’t you join me?” he asked, surprising Pearl. “I was planning on take-out but I can eat here.”
She jumped at the opportunity to spend more time with Wade. “Just let me change my shirt. Go on and have Myra seat you. I’ll meet you at the table.”
Pearl wasn’t gone long.
When she returned, Pearl said, “I think you know a whole lot more about me than I know about you. If you were listening at the reunion, you know most of my family’s history. Wade, tell me about yourself. I’d like to get to know the real you.”
He shrugged. “Not much to tell.”
“What did you do as a child? Did you play any sports?”
“I played basketball for a while. I stopped when my dad died.”
“Why?”
“I had to look after my younger brother while my mom worked.”
“You became the man of the house, I guess.”
He took a sip of his water, then said, “I did what I thought was best at the time.”
“Do you have any other brothers or sisters?”
“No. There was just the two of us.” Wade took a long drink of water.
“So where does your brother live? Is he still in Gary?”
“My family remained in Chicago. I left when I was eighteen. Right after my brother died.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Wade abruptly changed the subject. “It was a pretty nice day today. Did you get to enjoy any of it?”
“Actually, I did,” Pearl answered. “Paige and I spent the morning getting manicures and pedicures.” Grinning, she added, “We ladies have to pamper ourselves every now and then.”
“I suppose we men have to do the same.”
“So what do you do to pamper yourself, Wade?” Pearl asked after the waitress took their orders.
“I sit around and do nothing.”
Leaning forward, Pearl asked, “Are you serious?”
“Yeah. I’m always on the go, so when I have time to just sit down and relax, that’s a luxury.”
“Next time I go for a massage I need to take you with me. You need one.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I’m not so sure you really know how to relax. Doing nothing is okay, but are you really in a relaxed state? Or is your mind still running a mile a minute?”
“I guess you have a point. I do think a lot.”
“Wade, you need to free your mind. Sometimes I meditate. I lock myself in my room, put on some soft jazz and just imagine myself off on a beach somewhere. Paradise.”
“That sounds nice.”
“You’re welcome to share my beach with me. It’s so beautiful and peaceful.”
“Tell me more about it.”
Leaning back
in her chair, Pearl closed her eyes. “The ocean water is a clear, crystal blue. The sun is shining and the weather is perfect. Not too hot and not too cool. The sand…Wade, the sand is white and the trees are so green and beautiful. It’s so serene.”
“What does the air smell like?” he asked, images forming in his mind.
“Like jasmine.”
“Jasmine?”
“I love jasmine. The island also has scores of exotic plants and flowers in every vibrant color imaginable.”
“Your island does sound beautiful, Pearl.”
“It relaxes me to imagine myself on the beach with no worries. I can exist there with no past or present.”
“I like that,” Wade said almost to himself. “No past or present.”
She eyed him. “You’re thinking about your brother and your father, aren’t you? I know I miss my parents every day.”
“Time is supposed to ease the pain, but it doesn’t really.” Wade shook his head sadly. “There’s so much I would’ve done differently.”
“Like what? What would you have changed?”
“Let’s talk about something a little less sobering.”
“Okay, what should we talk about? I know. You can tell me what you thought about James Patterson’s latest novel. I remember you telling me you were reading it. Did you like it?”
He nodded. “You like thrillers?”
“Love them is a more accurate description. James Patterson is my favorite author. That’s why I asked. I haven’t had a chance to read it yet.”
“In my opinion, this one is his best work,” Wade stated.
“It’s hard to believe that as different as we are we have so much in common. Who would’ve thunk it?” Pearl asked playfully, glancing at him. “Did you ever think we’d become friends?” She wrenched herself away from her ridiculous preoccupation with his handsome face.
“Are we becoming friends?”
Wade’s voice was so low that she had to strain to hear his question.
Pearl met his gaze, suddenly dark and smoldering. “I guess we’ll just have to see where this road takes us.”
Chapter 8
Wade hated for the evening to end because that meant he and Pearl would go their separate ways.
Pearl had such a warm, loving spirit and she was always smiling. He loved her sense of humor and the sense of freedom she seemed to have in her life. Not only was she beautiful but she was intelligent, as well. The more he got to know her, the more he wanted to know about her.
An undeniable magnetism was building between them, forcing him to acknowledge the truth. I’m beginning to have real feelings for her.
The silent declaration surprised him, but Wade didn’t bother to deny the truth. There was not much point.
But as strong as his attraction was to Pearl, he would never act on those feelings. While they’d found some common ground, they still had very different views of what they wanted for the future.
A relationship between them could never work. She wanted to sing professionally while Wade was content leading the congregation of Lakeview Baptist. But still, their different goals didn’t diminish his attraction.
Their time together drew to an end when the staff started cleaning up. Wade walked Pearl to her car and watched her drive off, silently wanting to call her back.
He pulled up the collar of his jacket and walked briskly to his car, driving home.
He tried watching television and reading, but he couldn’t focus on either. Pearl was still at the forefront of his mind.
He was grateful when an hour later Harold called.
“Uncle Harold, how are you?”
“Doing fine. Just fine. Ivy and I just got back from Gary not too long ago. We went back for a birthday party.” He lapsed into a recap of his visit.
“Cassie and her husband are coming to the house tomorrow to have dinner with us,” Harold announced. “Why don’t you join us if you’re free?”
“I don’t have any plans,” Wade responded. “But I’ll call you tomorrow after church to confirm.”
Wade ended the call a few seconds later.
He went through his nightly ritual of reading his Bible and saying his prayers before settling down in bed.
His last thoughts before falling asleep were of Pearl and how much he’d relished the time he spent with her. His feelings for her were beginning to deepen.
Was he falling in love with her?
When service ended on Sunday, Pearl came over to say hello. “I really enjoyed your sermon this morning.”
Wade smiled. “Thank you.” He couldn’t resist adding, “This means a lot coming from you.”
Pearl laughed. She stole a peek over her shoulder before saying, “I know this is really last minute, but would you be interested in seeing the Chargers take on the Chicago Hawks? The game starts at six. Opal can’t make it and we have an extra ticket.” Pearl quickly added, “It’s not a date or anything.”
“Thanks for clearing that up,” he teased.
“I didn’t mean it like that. I just don’t want to place you in an uncomfortable position.”
“Pearl, I would love to go. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Your ticket will be at Will Call. See you tonight.”
Pearl gave him a tiny smile then walked away. He watched her until she disappeared through the exit doors.
“Good afternoon, Pastor,” a woman’s voice greeted from behind him.
Wade turned around. “Sister Marnie. It’s a blessing you could join us this Sunday.”
“I’m working this evening, but I wanted to make sure I came this morning. I didn’t want to miss you preaching. Pastor, I truly enjoyed the sermon. It spoke volumes to me.”
He smiled politely.
“I’m planning on cooking a great big Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. I’d love for you to join us. Unless you have other plans with some lucky lady.”
Wade searched for the right words.
Marnie lowered her voice. “Pastor, I’m not very good at playing coy. I’m a straight shooter so I’m going to lay my cards on the table. Auntie’s told me quite a bit about you and I really like what I’ve heard. You’re the type of man that I’d be interested in getting to know better.” She paused for a heartbeat before adding, “However, I don’t like to waste my time. If you’re not feeling me, just let me know. I’m a big girl. I can take it.”
Wade chose his words carefully. “Sister Marnie, I’m flattered. You’re a nice person and I think that you’ll make some man very happy one day.”
“But that man is not you,” she interjected with a frown. “Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”
“I’m afraid so. I hope I haven’t offended you.”
Shrugging, Marnie stated, “No, you haven’t. It’s your loss, Pastor. I know I’m a good catch and any man in his right mind would want to be with me. Someone else must have caught your eye. Perhaps the woman you were just talking to—Pearl Lockhart.”
When he didn’t respond, she murmured, “I wonder if she has any idea just what a lucky woman she is.” Switching her purse from one shoulder to the other, Marnie gave a soft sigh of resignation. “Have a blessed week, Pastor. Happy Thanksgiving.”
“Thank you, Sister Marnie. Same to you.”
“One final word of advice, Pastor. If you want Miss Lockhart, you’d better move quick. She’s a very beautiful woman and she doesn’t strike me as the type who’s just going to wait around for a man.”
He smiled. “Thanks for the advice.”
Watching Marnie walk away, Wade considered her words.
All three of her sisters and Paige were waiting for her by the Explorer when she walked out of the church. Pearl took her time walking across the parking lot.
“So, is Pastor going to the game with us?” Amber asked.
“No. He’s going by himself,” Pearl stated. “I told him that the ticket will be left at Will Call.”
Ruby shook her head sadly.
“I ne
ver said I was going to ask the man on a date. Besides, the way I see it, you should have been the one to ask him,” she said to Opal. “It was your ticket.”
“He’s going to be sitting with us, Pearl. You could’ve made him feel just a little more welcome.”
“Opal, if the man wants to go on a date, he should ask me on one. This isn’t a big deal. Really. It was your idea to give him the ticket. I did that.” Pearl unlocked her SUV, saying, “I’ll see you later. I need to take care of some stuff before the game tonight.”
She felt guilty for being so snippy with her sisters. She knew she was overly sensitive when it came to Wade.
Am I that transparent when it comes to him? she wondered silently.
She stole a peek in her rearview mirror.
Her sisters were still huddled together. Probably talking about her and Wade. Paige had walked over to her car and looked like she was getting ready to leave. Pearl shook her head. She loved her sisters dearly but they were so nosy.
When Pearl arrived home a couple of hours later, Paige was in her bedroom talking to Lyman on the telephone.
Pearl went to her own room. She had gone to the mall after leaving the church and purchased a pair of jeans and a sweater with the Charger team colors. She usually wore her team jersey, but with Wade joining them, she wanted to look her best.
As if he’s going to care what I look like.
Pearl laid out her clothing, then went into the bathroom to style her hair. She tried several different looks before deciding on pulling her sandy brown mane back into a curly afro puff.
“You’re working pretty hard for your nondate,” Paige stated. “New outfit, new hairstyle.”
“This has nothing to do with Wade. I’m doing all this for me.”
“Liar.”
Pearl turned around. “I wore the jersey to the last game. Okay.”
“It’s not like you haven’t washed it. What’s the big deal?”
“I want to wear something new, Paige. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“There’s nothing wrong with trying to look cute for Pastor, either.”
Pearl broke into laughter. “Give it up.”
She decided to ride over with Paige to The Palace of Auburn Hills. Pearl spotted Wade minutes after entering the Captain’s Quarters restaurant that was located inside the facility.
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