Melissa forced a smile. “Yes, I am.” She looked again at Marcus.
Sasha realized Marcus wasn’t planning on introducing them, so she said, “I’m Sasha Peeples.”
“Oh, Sasha. It’s so nice to meet you,” Melissa said.
“You, too. Well, I’m going to get back in here and finish making supper. It’s good to finally put a face with a name,” Sasha said to Melissa. To Marcus, she said, “Supper should be ready in no more than fifteen minutes.” She bowed at her waist slightly, then left.
Melissa tilted her head and mouthed her words to Marcus in case Sasha was still in hearing distance, “What’s that all about?”
Marcus grabbed her by the elbow and led her into the living room out of earshot of Sasha. “I don’t know what’s going on. Out of the blue, she just showed up.”
“So what does she want?”
Marcus knew he needed to come totally clean with Melissa. “She wants us to get back together. She wants to become a family again.”
Melissa laughed. “Well, I suppose that answers my question about what she wants. So what did you say about that?”
“I told her the truth. That I loved someone else,” Marcus said. “That I love you.”
Melissa shook her head. “This is not good. This is not good at all.”
“I know, but I’m taking care of it.”
“So why is she here cooking supper?”
Marcus began rubbing his forehead. “She wants to move in with me. Tonight.”
Melissa took a few steps back. “Oh. Well, now. She must feel pretty sure about you and her then if she just shows up and thinks it’s that easy to get you back. Look, Marcus. I’ve never been one to fight over a man. So if you want to try and make things work with Sasha, you won’t get any drama out of me. My goodness, she’s gorgeous! Absolutely stunning! Why would you want to be with someone like me when you can have a super-model like her?” Melissa started to walk away. She stopped and turned back to him. “I’m going to make this real easy for all of us. I’m going to go get in my car, go home, then go on with my life just the way I was doing before you entered my world.”
Marcus ran and grabbed Melissa and pulled her close to him. “I love you.”
“Yes, I believe that you do. But Marcus, this is no longer a rhetorical question. You have a determined woman in your kitchen cooking as though she lives here. And according to you, she wants to get back with you. The two of you have a wonderful daughter together. You and Sasha have a history. What do you and I have? A great time dancing at a wedding reception and four good months of knowing each other, three good months of actual dating? I can’t compete with what you and Sasha have. I can’t! So I’m going to get out while the getting is good.”
“Melissa, please don’t do this.” Marcus held both her hands.
Sasha walked into the room. “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you had left already,” she said to Melissa. She turned her attention to Marcus. “I was coming to let you know the food is finally ready. Melissa, we have plenty. You’re welcome to stay and eat if you like.”
“That’s quite all right. I was just about to leave,” Melissa said.
Marcus wouldn’t let go of her hands. “No. You’re not leaving.”
Melissa looked up at Marcus. “Yes, I am. So let go of me.” She tried to pull her hands out of his. He held on tight. “Let go,” she said.
“No. You’re not leaving.” Marcus knelt down on one knee as he held her left hand tight. “Melissa Anderson, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I was going to do this tomorrow but—Melissa Anderson, will you marry me?”
Melissa put her right hand over her mouth. “What?”
He grinned. “I love you. I want to spend my life with you. Will you marry me?”
“Are you for real, Marcus? Do you really mean it?”
He stood up. “Stand right here. I’ll show you just how much I mean it.” He hurried out of the room. When he came back, he knelt down on one knee once again and opened a ring box. He took the ring out of the box and slipped the two-carat marquis-cut diamond ring onto her ring finger. “Melissa Anderson, will you be my wife?”
“For real, Marcus? For real?” Melissa said.
Marcus put his glasses on. “Will you marry me now?” he said.
She giggled.
He pulled his glasses off. “How about now? Will you marry me now?”
“Yes!” she said as she pulled at him to stand up. “You’re so silly. Yes, I’ll marry you!” He stood up, leaned down, and kissed her.
The front door closed and made a noise when it did. Both Marcus and Melissa turned toward its direction.
“Sasha,” Melissa said, almost whispering her name. “We forgot all about Sasha.”
Marcus went and looked out the window. Sasha was helping Aaliyah into the backseat of the car. She fastened Aaliyah in her booster seat, closed the door, got in her seat, and quickly backed her car out of the driveway. “She’s gone,” he said as he watched her drive away.
“I’m sorry,” Melissa said. “I’m so sorry.” She wrapped her arm around his.
“Sorry for what?”
“We could have done this a better way. I’m sure Sasha is hurt by this. If I hadn’t acted the way I did, you could have handled things in a different way with her,” Melissa said.
“Melissa, I love you. I want the world to know that I love you. Sasha needed to know. Listen, I don’t intend to allow anything or anyone get in the way of how I intend to treat you as my bride or protect you as my wife. I don’t ever want you to doubt my love for you. I don’t ever want you to wonder where you fit in my life.” He smiled. “So, is your answer still yes to being my wife?”
“Yes,” she said. “Yes, yes, yes!”
Marcus laughed, then picked her up off the floor as he hugged her and began to twirl her beautiful self around. “God is good,” Marcus said.
“All the time,” Melissa said as she gazed into his eyes and smiled. “And all the time…”
“God is good!” Marcus said.
A READING GROUP GUIDE
PRACTICING WHAT YOU PREACH
Vanessa Davis Griggs
The following questions are intended
to enhance your group’s discussion
of this book.
Discussion Questions
Melissa Anderson admitted to having problems saying no. What are your thoughts when it comes to things like that?
Do you believe Nae-nae was a true friend? Why or why not?
What were your views when it came to Marcus Peeples? Did those views change?
Discuss Melissa and Marcus’s first date as well as the Bible study lesson they attended.
What were your thoughts regarding Melissa’s reason for not dating Marcus?
Gayle Cane’s visit with her cousin Angela Gabriel brought with it quite a few revelations of secrets. Talk about those and what happened subsequently.
What were your thoughts about Sasha Peeples?
Discuss Marcus and Sasha’s relationship, both their younger and later years.
What did you think of Marcus’s interaction with his daughter Aaliyah?
What are your views when it comes to the social issues touched upon in this novel?
Discuss Angela’s meeting with Arletha Brown and the things that transpired later.
Do you believe Sasha was right to treat Marcus the way she did? Why or why not?
Discuss the teachings that address divorce. What were your views before? Did your views change? If so, why?
Marcus spoke about the spirit of Jezebel. Discuss your thoughts regarding Jezebel.
Marcus gave money to Sasha to purchase a piano. How did you feel about what happened, and her subsequent actions?
What are your feelings when it comes to child support payments? Do you believe if one doesn’t pay that he or she shouldn’t be able to see their child until that debt is paid?
What were your thoughts when it came to Tiffany and Darius Connors? D
o you believe Melissa overstepped boundaries? Why or why not? What would you have done?
Discuss Arletha and her final revelation.
At the end, do you believe Marcus made the right decision? Why or why not?
DAFINA BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2009 by Vanessa Davis Griggs
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
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ISBN: 0-7582-4423-1
Practicing What You Preach Page 30