by Dee Dawning
"Of course. And who might this be?"
Missy blushed slightly. "I'm sorry. This is my fiancé and love of my life, Jamie Lee Vincent. Jamie Lee this is Molly Madden, Loving Rest's administrator."
Still standing, they shook hands. "Pleased to meet you."
"Likewise, I'm sure."
Molly glanced back to Missy. "So the rumors are true?"
Missy smiled coyly. "Yes, for once. Well, we better get going. I'll visit with you more next time I'm here."
Missy took his hand and as they turned to leave Molly said, "It was nice to meet you."
Jamie Lee flashed Molly his charm smile. "It was my pleasure."
Missy seemed to know exactly where to go. They backtracked to the lobby and ascended the ornate staircase to the second floor. They walked past several numbered rooms to a nurse's station in what appeared to be a gutted out room. She walked up to the counter and addressed the nurse as she looked up. "Hi, I'm Missy Riverton."
The nurse answered, "Yes, Ms. Madden just called and said to expect you. You know where they are?"
"I do. Thank you. We won't be a bother."
From that point, Missy led him further down the hall, into room 214. A slightly built blonde woman, perhaps in her early fifties looked up. "Are you from the…of course not, you're much too young."
Missy let go of Jamie Lee's hand and stepped up to the woman. She grabbed a chair and sat next to her. "It's Missy, Mom. Don't you recognize me?"
The woman looked at her with renewed interest. "Missy? Oh, my. You've gotten so big. And lovely. It seems like only yesterday, you were a pretty little girl in pig tails." She gaped at Jamie Lee, her brows dipped. "Who's this? He's not one of them, is he?"
"No, Mom." Missy waved for him to come over.
When he stood beside them, she continued, "This is Jamie Lee, the man I'm going to marry." She glanced at him. "This is Bernice Riverton—my mother."
They visited Bernice, who regularly slipped in and out of cognition for another twenty minutes. When they left Jamie Lee asked, "What's wrong with her?"
"I'll tell you all about it, but we have one more to visit. I'm cold. Could you put your arm around me?"
As they walked back to room 205, he wrapped an arm around her. Indeed, her petite body shook. The person they saw next shocked Jamie Lee. It was Missy's brother, Michael, whom he hadn't seen since that first revival in Tyler, but in all the excitement since their engagement, he hadn't even missed. The minute she saw him tears formed in her eyes. Though he appeared to be sleeping, she rushed to him. Holding his hand, she kissed him again and again.
Michael was a shadow of the vibrant man he'd seen in Tyler. He was gaunt and sallow. There were sores on his arms and face. He was hooked up to an IV and an electronic monitoring device. They didn't stay long. Missy began weeping—a little at first, then uncontrollably. She was in agony so Jamie Lee helped her up. With an arm around her, he led her out, down the stairs and back to the car.
Jamie Lee took the car keys from her purse and drove home. He had question after question he wanted to ask, but she was in no condition to answer them. By the time he noticed her sniffling had ceased, she'd fallen asleep.
She was still sleeping when they got home. He pulled in the garage, carried her into the house and to their bedroom. After setting her on the bed and removing most of her clothes, she woke. She glanced around and realizing where they were, wrapped her arms tightly around him. "Please, Jamie Lee. I need you to make the ache go away. Please make love to me."
That night she lived up to his nympho comment when they made love until one a.m.—for four hours—and wanted more. Even though he said, "Tomorrow," as he rolled over, she wrapped an arm around him and spooned in behind him, before falling asleep.
Chapter Ten – Skeletons
My message is a message of hope that God is a good God, and that no matter what we've done, where we've been, God has a great plan for our lives. Rev. Joel Osteen
Jamie Lee woke before Missy. He got up, showered, shaved, slipped into a pair of warm-up pants, and went into the fancy kitchen. They'd missed dinner last night, so he was hungry. Not being much of a cook, he looked in the refrigerator for something he could put together with little effort. He settled on toast and jelly. As he took his first bite, the doorbell rang. He went to the front door, peeked through the peephole, and saw a young woman. Missy had mentioned a cleaning lady would come every week, so this had to be her.
He opened the door and looked her over. She was a pretty girl, maybe in her early twenties. "Maria?"
She looked him up and down, smiled and nodded. "Si,"
As she stepped through the door, he asked, "Do you speak English?"
"Si."
"Good. Miss Riverton is still asleep."
"No, I'm not." Missy walked into the kitchen in shorts, a scrimmage shirt and running shoes. "Hi Maria. This is my fiancé, Jamie Lee."
She turned to him and said in broken English, "Nice to meet you."
He smiled. "Same here, Maria."
Missy eased up to him and pecked him on the lips.
He wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her back lightly on the lips. "I've been waiting for you to wake up. I have a lot of questions."
"I'll be in the work-out room. When you finish your toast, come in and I'll answer what I can."
Jamie Lee gobbled his toast down as he watched Missy's hot little ass shift back and forth as she sashayed into the family room. "Wait up, I'll be right with you," he exclaimed with his mouth still half full."
She partially turned and paused until he caught up, leaving Maria to do her thing while they headed to the exercise room.
Jamie Lee leaned against a wall as Missy mounted a stationary bicycle. "I want you to know I'm sorry I fell apart on you yesterday. It really upsets me to see Michael like that."
"It's all right. I understand." His lips curled into a naughty smile. "Plus it led to some of the best sex I've ever had."
She laughed. "I'm glad you enjoyed it, I probably would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't been so blue. What did you want to know?"
"Well for starters, I want to know what's wrong with him."
Missy bit her lip. "Michael has AIDS. Daddy has spared no effort trying to get him better and we thought we turned the corner and then this."
Jamie Lee felt sick. He didn't know much about the disease, but he knew that most everyone who got it seemed to die a miserable death. "How? He seemed so healthy in Tyler. What happened?"
Missy wiped a tear away. "He was in remission, but his partner was sick and dy—"
"Partner!" Jamie Lee screeched, "Michael is gay?"
She nodded. "I'm afraid so, and if there's one thing you don't want to be in a fundamentalist evangelical church it's gay. Especially, if you're son of the minister. Unfortunately, his partner died shortly after I saved you, and Michael fell apart. When we headed to Shreveport, he went to Dallas. Shortly, after he attended Ron's funeral he got sick again and in a week, he was back in Loving Rest Home. He's been there a little over two weeks now."
Jamie Lee was surprised. He actually felt a pang of sorrow for Michael and Missy. Usually, he only felt emotional about things that affected him. "That's shitty, really shitty."
Sniffling, Missy agreed, "It is." Then she broke down. Both hands wiped the flood of tears from her eyes as she stopped pedaling. When Jamie Lee sidled up to her, placing a reassuring hand on her waist, she flung her arms and most of her weight around him and wept on his shoulder. With one hand encircling her waist, he snaked his other hand under her thighs and lifted her off the bike. He surveyed the large well-equipped room, and noticed the champagne colored, Naugahyde couch adjacent to the ballet bar and mirrored wall.
He set her there and tried to sit up, but her arms held him in place while her mouth sought his lips. When he returned her kiss, her hands roamed his back, working their way down to his taut buns. In return, his hands glided up her bare ribs, under the hem of her scrimmage shirt and kneaded her breast. Cresting h
er back, she pushed her breasts into his hands. Untying the drawstring of his athletic pants, she pushed them down, until his rigid maleness popped out like a jack-in-the-box.
He pulled away from their amorous kiss as she stroked him and gasped from the pleasure that coursed through him. Then with his eyes closed, he groaned as Elysian warmth and wetness encircled his erection.
When they'd finished on the couch, they went into the shower and made love again. Afterwards while they toweled off, Missy reminded him, "I have to hurry. I have to be at our church by eleven."
"What about me?"
"You can come, but not with me. Not until we're officially engaged in eight weeks."
"I wish we could go there like a couple, now."
A sympathetic expression formed on Missy's pretty face. She ran her knuckles lightly across his cheek. "I know sweetheart, but don't fret, time will go fast. Oh, I forgot to tell you. Daddy wants to see you in his office tomorrow."
"What time?"
He didn't say."
* * * *
"Cheryl." Tommy yelled.
"What?"
"Come here, you hafta see this. That cute blonde girl just introduced Jamie Lee on the Soldiers of the Lord show."
Cheryl came in and sat next to Tommy on the used couch they bought. "I'll be. It is him. I'll bet he'll be good at this too. It's right up his alley."
Tommy laid a hand across her bare thigh. "Quiet babe, I wanna hear."
They sat in silence for roughly five minutes, and then Tommy exclaimed, "Hot damn, he was really good, wasn't he?"
"Unfortunately, yes. It doesn't surprise me, but he's still a bastard."
"Baby, what you got against Jamie Lee anyway?"
She wrapped an arm around him and snuggled her head into the crook of his neck. "Tommy, you're a sweet man and that's why I love you, but you have to see Jamie Lee for what he is."
Tommy rose and twisted around to her. "What are you talking about?"
"Face it sweetheart, Jamie Lee is out for Jamie Lee and no one else."
"Oh, yeah I'll bet if he was in charge I could go to him and get a job as a cameraman."
"Well, he's not in charge, so we'll never know, will we?"
* * * *
Monday morning, Jamie Lee headed to the nearest Seven Eleven and picked up copies of The Dallas Morning News and The Fort Worth Star Telegraph. He wanted to see if either newspaper had written anything about his debut on 'Soldiers of the Lord.'
When he got home, Missy waited for him. "Daddy called. He wants to see you in his office before noon today."
He nodded. "I'll go right after I read these papers. I want to see if they say anything about yesterday's show."
"All right, I'll tell him you'll be there. Just make sure you make it before noon. He has a meeting to go to afterward."
It turned out both papers had front-page stories in the religious sections. The Dallas Moring News article made him smile. Under the headline 'A Star is Born,' followed a stellar three-hundred-word article praising him as a 'new prophet of God.'
Unfortunately, what the Dallas Morning News gaveth, The Fort Worth Star Telegram tooketh away. Above the byline of Danielle White, the headline glared, ''Soldiers' Recruit Bastard Preacher.' The following article slammed the nascent televangelist, starting with, 'Soldiers of the Lord,' unveiled a new cast member Sunday—self-proclaimed bastard, Jamie Lee Vincent. Terms like arrogant, pompous, and preening, made Jamie Lee's blood boil, even though the article finished on a positive note. 'Although his brief sermon bored this writer, Jamie Lee displayed flashes of charisma, even brilliance. That is why I'm reserving final judgment until he matures as a preacher and a person.'
Hmmm, Danielle White. I'll remember that name.
* * * *
"You wanted to see me boss?"
Sonny looked up and smiled. "Well, if it isn't the new star in the heavens, Jamie Lee Vincent. Have a seat. Can I get you anything?"
"I'll take a Coke if you have it."
"You got it." He picked up the phone and punched in Gwen's number. "Bring Jamie Lee a Coke, will you?"
"No, I'm fine, thank you. I have to leave for my meeting in a few minutes."
The reverend hung up, and leaned forward and set both elbows on the desk. "I have a last-second meeting to attend, so I have to leave in five minutes, but I just wanted to tell you a couple things in person. Even though we still had two taped shows ready to go ahead of the one we taped Friday, we ran it yesterday."
Jamie Lee was pleasantly surprised. "I know, I read the reviews this morning."
"The studio audience loved you and the reviews weren't bad, but I wanted to know what viewers thought, so I hired a marketing company to poll the viewers."'
"You did? How did I do?"
Sonny rose and his endearing smile grew wider—absolutely gleeful. Just as Gwen walked in with Jamie Lee's Coke, he stuck his hand out and exclaimed, "You knocked their socks off, son." He paused while Jamie Lee shook his hand and took the Coke from Gwen, then continued as she left. "You did even better than I'd hoped. Eighty-six percent loved you, twelve percent were undecided and only two percent didn't care for you."
Jamie Lee felt a pang of anger at the two percent who didn't like him, but was pleased overall. "That's fantastic."
"It is. You know what that means, don't you?"
"We need more shows?"
The reverend smiled and pointed at him. "Right you are; so starting Friday afternoon, we're going to tape six new shows. On the seventh show, we'll announce your engagement to Missy so we'll tape it seven weeks from this Friday. Now, I don't suppose you can afford an engagement ring worthy of my baby. Can you?"
"Probably not."
"Well you need to get her a nice ring. SOL has an account at Renaissance Jewelers. He handed Jamie Lee a business card. Go by there and pick something nice for her—say around twenty-five grand and tell them I said to give you the wholesale price plus ten. Any questions?"
"No, that about covers it."
"Good, Missy tells me she took you to see Michael and Bernice on Saturday?
Jamie Lee nodded. "Tragic, sir. My heart and prayers go out to you."
The reverend stood and came around the desk. Jamie Lee stood too and the reverend patted him on the shoulder. "Thank you. I have to leave shortly. I want to assign Michael's office to you, temporarily. I pray to God, I get to take it back from you and have to build you an office of your own, but for now it's going to be yours. I was going to show it to you, however since I have to leave, Gwen can show you and give you the keys."
"Thank you, sir. Sir?
"Yes?"
"Missy told me about Michael, but she never told me about Bernice."
He rubbed his chin. "Hmmm. All you need to know for now is she had a nervous breakdown. I have to go." Touching him lightly in the back, he urged Jamie Lee toward the door.
"Gwen, I'm running late would you show Mr. Vincent his new office. Answer any questions he may have and make sure he has all the keys."
"Yes, Reverend Riverton."
When he left, Gwen reached for a set of keys and grabbed Jamie Lee's hand and led him toward Michael's former office. "Are you ready to see your new office and our sleeping quarters?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You'll see."
When they entered the office, the drapes had been closed, so it was dark and musky. Jamie Lee walked behind the desk and pulled the drapes open. The room lit up and instantly and he smiled. "Love that view."
"Hold out your hand, palm up." Gwen dropped a key in it. "That's the key to the office." Then she dropped a second key in it. "That's the key to your desk and personal file cabinet." She held a third key up. "This key is for the liquor cabinet."
"I want to show you something." She grasped his hand again and led him to a door on the wall that abutted the reverend's office, or at least that's what he thought.
"We're going into reverend's office?"
She smiled knowingly at him and shook
her pretty head. She opened the door and with a wave of her hand invited him in. Jamie Lee stepped into a small, but lavishly appointed bedroom. "What is this?"
"I told you. Our sleeping quarters." Her gait had a spring as she stepped over to the bed. She knelt with one knee upon it, suggestively sticking her ass in the air. He stood directly behind her admiring the form of her buttocks. She tilted her head to the left and looked behind her, directly at Jamie Lee. Now that you're my boss, too, is there anything, anything at all you'd like me to do."
"I can think of a few things, but tell me, other than the obvious reason for this room, what is the stated reason?"
She rolled over and sat upon the bed, bouncing up and down a couple times. As she started to unbutton her teal and vermillion print blouse, she said, "There are two rooms. Reverend Riverton has an identical room and that's where I lost my 'Soldiers of the Lord' virginity." She slipped the top of her blouse over her shoulders and wriggled it until gravity took it to the bed.
Next, she undid the snap in the back of her lacy red bra. "The popular explanation for these fuck rooms is they are a place to take a nap should you get tired. Or, God forbid, should you work late and not feel up to driving home, you could spend the night."
With the bra hanging loosely in front of her breasts, she lifted one and displayed it to Jamie Lee. "That's right. You haven't seen these yet. Reverend Riverton says they're the absolute best he's ever seen."
Her breasts mesmerized Jamie Lee. They were perfect, with their light areolas and perky nipples." She slipped her arms through the straps of bra and let it fall into her lap. Displaying it with one hand, she flung it over her shoulder as she leaned forward and slipped a four inch, red, spiked heels off with the other.
Jamie Lee was tantalized when she leaned forward, and her beautiful breasts swung away from her chest, swaying to the motion of her hand removing her heels. "Jamie Lee, you have no idea how wet I am. I've been thinking about having your big dick in me—spreading me, stretching me and soothing the walls of my pussy, since Reverend Riverton asked me to show you the office." She reclined onto her back and lifted a single well-turned leg straight into the air. "That's another thing Sonny likes, my legs. What do you think?" She raised the other leg and moved them alternately forward and backward.