Mercy, Mercy Me

by Ronn Elmore

“What a surprise,” came Sean’s sarcastic response. “Anyway, you look great. Nice suit.”

  Dwayne stepped back and looked at his friend. His eyes shined brightly behind his glasses. To him, Sean looked healthy, except for the few pounds he seemed to have dropped.

  “Looks like your vacation did you good. You lost some weight?”

  “Maybe a little.” Sean paused and then looked up. “How was New York?”

  “Great.”

  “I saw pictures of you and Beverlyn together,” Sean said, eyeing Dwayne over the top of his glasses.

  “I’m going to get a drink. Do you want anything?” Dwayne changed the subject, hurrying from the living room to the kitchen.

  “Hello, son.” Bernice gave Dwayne a hearty hug. “Where’s Beverlyn?”

  “She’s out there,” he said, waving his hand. “I came to get something to drink.”

  “Don’t hide in here. The action’s out front,” Monique said as she brushed past him heading toward the living room.

  Dwayne took a sip of his Coke and offered to help Robbie, who was fussing about Lafayette, who was now outside throwing a football with the boys. He watched as his mother and sister-in-law worked in unison, like a well-oiled machine, preparing another traditional Sunday dinner: baked chicken, stuffing, yams, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, monkey bread, and today it smelled like his mom’s famed sweet potato pie and sock-it-to-me cake. He planted himself against the refrigerator, deciding that the heat of the kitchen was much more inviting than the deep freeze building between Beverlyn and Nina.

  Beverlyn stepped to the edge of the room and looked around. She smiled when she saw Sean, then noticed Nina standing alone, scanning family photos perched on the fireplace mantel.

  “So, Nina, I’m so sorry Dwayne had to quit the program.”

  “It’s just fine.” Nina swung around, chuckling a bit to herself. Surely, she thought, Beverlyn couldn’t be taking her on. Hardly fragile, Nina was a street-smart survivor; having been hardened by her life’s experiences, she was not easily hurt.

  “I’m sure you miss Dwayne.”

  Nina twirled the glass in her hand for a moment, wondering what would be the Christian way to respond. Oh, to hell with it, she thought.

  “Not actually, Beverlyn. Dwayne is good about making himself available to me. Then, too, he’s still on the board and you know how he feels about the program. So it’s really great. If we need him, he’s just a phone call away.”

  Without another word, Beverlyn walked away, almost bumping into Monique when she turned.

  Nina couldn’t hide her grin as Monique and she shared a little laugh.

  “Girl,” said Monique, “I couldn’t have said that any better myself.”

  “If I could have just been a fly on the wall,” Sean joked as he approached Nina, setting his drink on the mantel. Monique rushed outside when they heard a child crying.

  “Can’t say that was one of my proudest moments,” Nina said.

  “Oh, don’t be so hard on yourself. She can be a little hard to take. She acts that way because she’s had a tough time. Down deep, she’s a good person… just has her ways.”

  “Well, I’ll tell you. My opinion of Ms. Beverlyn has changed since I’ve gotten to know her up close and personal.” She paused for a moment. “I hate to say it. It’s so cliché, but you expect that kind of behavior in the secular world, and it kind of catches you off guard when it comes from someone like her.”

  “Remember, we’re all just human. But more importantly, have you considered that she’s obviously threatened by you?”

  Nina was silent. Sean’s words had come as a revelation to her.

  “Why?” she asked innocently.

  “Oh, don’t play dumb with me,” Sean teased.

  “I’ve been told to summon you,” Lafayette announced. “Dinner is served.”

  Sean offered Nina his arm. “May I, Ms. Jordan?” They both laughed and joined arms together to walk into the dining room.

  “I want to thank everyone for joining us this afternoon.” Lafayette stood at the head of the table with ten settings. Along the wall, two card tables had been set for the children. Dwayne could not suppress a smile when Beverlyn entwined her fingers through his, and Lafayette began to say grace. This was the first time Dwayne had been with another woman around his family. What he had imagined as awkwardness had only been pleasant, except, that is, for the incident with Nina. He prayed that would change. After New York, he knew Beverlyn was going to be part of his life and he wanted everyone he loved to love her.

  Dwayne lifted his head when Lafayette closed the prayer, and saw Nina smiling directly at him. He cleared his throat and turned to Beverlyn, who was complimenting Robbie on the food. Throughout the meal, Dwayne frequently found himself drifting from his conversation with Beverlyn, distracted by Nina. He turned his head whenever he heard her laugh with Sean, or he wondered what she was talking about when her head was bowed close to Deacon Miller’s and Monique’s. (He would talk to Monique tomorrow.) By the time Lafayette suggested that they go into the living room after dessert, Dwayne was eager to rise. As they followed the others, Dwayne said to Beverlyn, “Ready to go?”

  Beverlyn frowned slightly. “Oh, honey, I’m having such a good time.”

  “I just thought we’d spend some time together.”

  She squeezed his hand. “I should have thought of that.” Then Beverlyn stepped forward. “I’m sorry, everyone,” she announced. “We have to leave.”

  Dwayne stood back, letting Beverlyn have the floor. He didn’t understand why she was making such a production. As Robbie and Bernice protested and Beverlyn continued to make excuses for the both of them, Dwayne set off to find Nina, but came up empty.

  Finally, Dwayne helped Beverlyn find her purse and moved her toward the door, just as Nina came out of the bathroom.

  “Nina, I’m glad we got a chance to say good-bye.” Beverlyn hooked her arm through Dwayne’s. “We need some time together,” she said, lowering her voice.

  “Well, it was good to see you.” Nina smiled and then turned to Dwayne. “Give me a call tomorrow,” she said, running her fingertips along the sleeve of his jacket. Then she walked away.

  Beverlyn scowled, opened the door, and stomped outside.

  Dwayne followed. He could never have said the words that were in his mind. “You deserved that, Beverlyn.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  As Monique closed the office door, Dwayne stood and walked over to his window. Though it was August, it seemed more like June. For days, a cloud cover had taken up residence over the city, making for gray skies and cool temperatures. With Beverlyn out of town, the show on hiatus, and sans Man-to-Man, Dwayne found himself a bit down—lost without his workaholic schedule.

  Maybe Monique had been right when she suggested a Palm Springs getaway. But Palm Springs… No, he wanted to do something different, something wild, and something that would make Beverlyn proud. Suddenly, it came to him. Paradise Island.

  Within an hour, Monique had booked him on a late-afternoon flight to Miami, where he would make the connection to Paradise Island; and he had reserved one of the most expensive suites at the posh Atlantis resort.

  “This is going to cost a fortune,” Monique had repeated to him, confirming and then reaffirming the extravagant arrangements as she half rolled her eyes. He knew what she was thinking. That he was somehow changing—beginning to feel quite at home in the lifestyle he once detested. But strangely enough to Dwayne, it had felt exhilarating to be spontaneous. He left a message at Beverlyn’s hotel in D.C. inviting her to join him—separate rooms, of course. He knew there could be no way she could up and leave on such short notice, but he got a huge kick out of playing the bad boy daring her to leave her labors and join him at play.

  Twenty-four hours later, Dwayne found himself sitting on the fringe of the white sands bordering the turquoise sea. The breeze blew softly as he sipped his orange juice and took the last bite of his French to
ast. Pushing the plate aside, he stared out at the beach, refreshed. He’d slept until noon.

  It surprised him that the beach wasn’t packed with sunbathers. Instead, it seemed that most hotel occupants opted for the cool of one of the fourteen Atlantis pools scattered throughout the resort. But he wasn’t going to get this close and not savor the soft-blue water of the tropical sea. He’d even considered heading to Cabbage Beach, where snorkelers the world over reveled in the forty acres of coral and sea fern just one mile offshore.

  He looked at his watch. There were still many hours of daylight. He would take it easy—a stroll on the beach. Or he could hire a driver for a tour of the island. Tomorrow he would play golf. From his back pocket, he pulled the tourist brochures he’d taken from his room and spread them across the table.

  “Sir, do you need anything else?”

  His eyes were still on the pamphlets and he waved his hand in dismissal.

  “Are you sure?” the persistent voice behind him asked.

  “No thank you,” he said, irritated at the intrusion.

  “I think you still need something else.”

  “I said no.” He turned abruptly toward the voice.

  “Surprise.” Beverlyn dropped her bag and extended her arms. She was dressed for the tropics in a multicolored cotton pantsuit.

  “What are you doing here?” He stood, embracing her, and then pulled out the chair next to him.

  “I was able to sneak away for a few hours.” She sat down beside him. “I missed you.”

  “How much time do you have?”

  She looked at her watch. “Ten hours. I have to be at the airport at midnight. I hired a private jet to take me back in time to get a few hours’ sleep before I speak in the morning.”

  He shook his head. Her trip was crazier than his.

  “Well, what do you want to do? I was just going to hire a driver to take me around the island.”

  “Why don’t we rent a couple of mopeds? Then we can go where we want and take our time. I just have to change my clothes.”

  He took her bag, leading the way back to his suite. “I can’t imagine you on a moped,” he teased as they stepped inside the tower lobby.

  “There are lots of things about me you can’t imagine. If you give me a chance …”

  Dwayne laughed at her words as they walked into the Great Hall of Waters Lobby with aquatic sculptured pillars and a ceiling dome of golden shells that soared seventy feet above.

  She kissed him passionately while he fumbled for the key in his pocket, finally locating it, unlocking the door and then holding it open for her.

  “This is fabulous,” she said, breaking away from him as she took in the massive two-floor penthouse suite, with a breathtaking view of the beach below, high ceilings, and a white bow-backed sofa covered in chenille.

  “I’m following your advice and learning to live well.”

  “I’ll be ready in just a minute.” She ascended the spiral staircase that led to a huge open bedroom master suite.

  An hour later, dressed in shorts and tank tops, with mopeds, helmets, and an island map, they set out to explore the beautiful beaches the Bahamas were known for—from the unspoiled champagne-pink sands of North Shore Beach on Cat Island to the Grand Bahama Island’s Gold Rock Beach.

  They giggled as they struggled to stay on the left side of the road. They had little problem making it to their first stop—the harbor—within twenty minutes. There they ordered conch fritters from a street-side stand and shared a strawberry soda. Next they ventured downtown. Their first stop was Main Street Square. Boys of the island danced to Junkanoo music. Many in the crowd joined in, and after some prodding, Dwayne and Beverlyn were dancing too, making up steps as they went.

  Their bodies ached when they returned to the hotel after traveling a radius of over thirty miles on the mopeds and shopping in the duty-free boutiques.

  “I don’t know if I can walk,” Beverlyn whined as she flopped onto the sofa.

  “Except you have to go back in five hours.” Dwayne rested her feet on his lap. “Do you want to order room service?”

  She opened her eyes and peeked at him. “No, I think being alone in here with you for a romantic dinner would be more temptation than I could bear.”

  Dwayne picked up the phone. “I’d like to make reservations at Windmills.” He leaned over and kissed her. “Get up, Ms. Boudreaux. I’m going to treat you to a fabulous dinner before you jet away, leaving me here all alone.”

  “I hate leaving you here.”

  “I’m kidding, Beverlyn.”

  He watched as she stumbled up to the bedroom to freshen up and change her clothes. He still couldn’t believe that she had come so far to spend a few hours with him, and after a moment’s reflection he dashed up to the bedroom after her, reaching and pulling her into an intimate embrace. Without hesitation, Beverlyn returned the embrace, and passions were stirred, their hands leading the way to yet another level of discovery. It seemed like an eternity passed before they almost simultaneously drew back, as if considering the implications of their unfolding physical desires.

  They lay back on the bed as Dwayne took her hand. “What’s wrong?” he asked softly.

  When she looked up, he thought there were tears in her eyes.

  “I feel really special with you, Dwayne.” Her voice was low.

  “You are special. We’re good for each other, Beverlyn.” He took her hand in his.

  “I pray you’re right.” She squeezed his hand as they lay almost motionless in each other’s arms, not wanting to spoil the moment, no longer hungry.

  By the time they looked at the clock, they had just one hour to get to the airport. In the back of the limousine, they held hands, but remained silent, each lost in thought, wondering how their short hours together had changed their relationship, knowing it had changed for sure. When they arrived at the airstrip, they kissed passionately, neither wanting to let go of the moment.

  “I will miss you,” she said.

  “Hurry home,” he said.

  Dwayne had the driver wait until the airplane that carried Beverlyn was just a small dot in the black sky. When he returned to the car, he reveled in the realization that his relationship with Beverlyn Boudreaux was finding its own higher ground.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Nina had walked away from the fast-track lifestyle of chauffeur-driven limousines and dining at only the most expensive, swanky restaurants ten years ago, but as she found herself leaning back into the leather seat while Teddy drove her and Dwayne to dinner at Crustacean, a Beverly Hills hot spot, those old memories came flooding back. She glanced at Dwayne from the corner of her eye. He looked the same, but what she saw in his face was far from the whole story. Over the last several months, Dwayne Grandison had gone from being a simple, humble man to one who was being seduced and won over by the trappings of success.

  They hadn’t seen each other in a month. Observing Dwayne now, Nina realized dinner was the last thing on her mind. Closing her eyes, she said a silent prayer as the limousine wound its way up Rodeo Drive. Dwayne was much older than she had been when she fell into the trap. But she feared age was not a deterrent. Success was more intoxicating and addictive than any substance she’d taken.

  They made small talk as the limo pulled up to the chic restaurant, whose list of patrons included Bruce Willis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett, Shaquille O’Neal, John Travolta, Eddie Murphy, and Sean, who’d always raved about their much-celebrated garlic crab, which was prepared in the eatery’s equally famed “secret kitchen.” Both Dwayne and Nina had already decided on the ride over that they would try it tonight.

  The glass floor beneath them revealed an underlying aquarium, setting the tone for the restaurant’s exotic decor. The maître d’ led them past tables where chatter filled the noisy open room, and held the chair as Nina sat. They were barely seated before a waiter introduced himself and pulled their napkins from wineglasses.

  Nina res
ted her arms on the table. ”So it’s been a while. How are you?”

  “Great. Gearing up for fall shows, but I’ve been able to get away for a couple of days here and there.”

  “Yeah, your mother told me you’d been in the Bahamas and then Maui.”

  “I played golf for three days straight. It was wonderful.”

  “I’m sure Beverlyn enjoyed it as well …”

  “Well, I went to Maui solo. Beverlyn was able to make it down to the Bahamas for a day, but for the most part, she’s been working. August is a big month for the gospel industry as well as church conferences. There seems to be a convention every other day and she has to make all of them, especially with the release of her newest CD.”

  Though hardly insecure, Nina couldn’t help but feel a bit relieved that he and Beverlyn hadn’t spent too much time alone together.

  “She should be back the day after tomorrow,” Dwayne continued. “Our first production meeting is tomorrow and I know Beverlyn will want to jump right back into the mix of things.”

  “Then I’m glad you called tonight.”

  “So am I. What’s going on with you?”

  She thought about all that had happened in a month. How she’d returned to the doctor and had him retest her, finding the results the same. “I’m fine. It’s the ministry I wanted to talk to you about,” she said, directing his attention away from her.

  “So how’s it going?”

  “Good. The initial excitement died down, but I expected that. The surprise is the number of calls we’re getting from people interested in our doing another combined women and men’s fellowship conference.”

  As Nina continued to outline another strategy, he thought back to the passionate kiss they’d shared and wondered why, even now, he was still drawn to her. Even though he liked what was happening between him and Beverlyn, he cherished his friendship with Nina.

  Scanning the pages of the proposal, he said, “Sounds like a good idea, but you and Lafayette must realize how difficult it is to get funding for a project like this.”