by Pat Simmons
She nodded, believing every word he said in a low voice as if it was just them in the pool instead of four others.
“Whatever your struggles are from here on out, trust God to help you, no matter what.”
“I will.” Jet nodded as her heart pounded with a mixture of excitement and fear of the unknown as Rossi gripped the back of the white garment she was wearing.
Lifting his arm, he said in a loud voice, “My dear sister, upon the confession of your faith and the confidence we have in the blessed Word of God, we now indeed baptize you in the name that is above every name by which we must be saved and that is the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins. Acts two tells us you shall receive the Holy Ghost.”
Closing her eyes, Jet trembled as Rossi pulled her back, submerging her under water. She became lightheaded. As soon as it seemed like she was drowning, Rossi guided her to the surface with measured strength. Whatever heaviness she took into the water seemed released. Either the angels were singing or she could hear Kierra Sheard’s “Free” in her ear.
Opening her eyes, she heard Rossi shouting, “Hallelujah,” but she was too mesmerized by the vision of a ball of fire coming at her.
As she opened her mouth to scream, it slammed into her, and the next thing she knew, she heard a different language coming out of her mouth.
Her body felt slack as arms began to wade in the water. She couldn’t control her movements or her tongue, yet she knew Rossi had not let go of her.
The roar of excitement in the auditorium sounded like a stampede of thousands of horses running endlessly.
“Today, you’re sealed as a bride,” Rossi said.
In a daze, she glanced at him. His eyes sparkled, his smile gleamed, and the expression on his face was pure relief. “Welcome to the Body of Christ, Sister Jesetta Hutchens.”
She grinned widely, but she wasn’t in control of her tongue, so she lifted her arms in praise. In her mind she screamed, “God, tell Diane I got it.”
Chapter 7
Whew. Rossi had baptized hundreds during his ministry and never before had God shown him a vision and spoke so fast that it caused him to wonder if he’d heard right.
I present your bride. He repeated what God had said at the same time he blinked and saw Jet no longer in her white baptismal gown, but a wedding dress that would rival royalty.
He exhaled again as he quickly dried off to redress and get out to the sanctuary and Jet. “Let the wooing begin,” he said with a grin as he buttoned his shirt.
Had God whispered something in her ear? He hoped so. He was tired of the on-and-off casual dating scene. He wanted a wife and children.
While on his knees, God gave him the morning sermon. Rossi had been speechless that it was the same text he had given Jet the day before. That wasn’t a coincidence. As the youth minister at Living for Jesus Church, this had only been the second time Rossi had been asked to speak during morning worship. That wasn’t by chance either. “Thank You, Lord, for bringing her home.”
When he entered the sanctuary, he spotted his family huddling around Jet. As Rossi approached, his path was intercepted several times with hugs from the mothers in church.
“You preached well, young man. All you need is a wife,” one said.
“I couldn’t agree more.” He beamed while keeping his eyes on the subject of his affections.
The men gave him hearty handshakes and pats on the back, then there was the flow of single sisters.
“Minister Tolliver, you were magnificent.” Sandi Coffman smiled. The sister was pretty enough and sweetly saved, but there was no attraction on his part. Plus, Rossi tried to steer clear of the dating pool from his church. If things turned sour, he would have to deal with rebellious spirits every time he came to God’s house.
He thanked her, nodded to other happy faces, and gently pushed aside family members to get to Jet. “Excuse me. Excuse me, family.”
Spinning around, Jet greeted him with a glow on her face and tears in her eyes, and the curve of her lips signaled pure joy.
“I got it, Rossi. Jesus gave me His gift.” She looked as if she was about to burst with excitement.
He chuckled, stuffing his hands in his pockets when he really wanted to gather her in his arms and bury his nose into her hair. His senses heightened when she walked in with his mother. Her blue dress captured his attention. It definitely was her color, and her hair, which was originally trapped into a ball hours earlier was now spread across her shoulders.
She flew into his arms and hugged his chest, thanking him. In response, he trapped her again, forgoing the proper church protocol on singles interaction. The Lord did say she would be his wife, so he shared her hug. Finally, he stepped back. “Let’s celebrate.” His eyes sparkled at the idea of them finally together for him to spill his heart.
“That sounds like an excellent idea,” his mother stated. “We can throw an impromptu get-together—”
Shaking his head, he stopped Laura before she got carried away. “I’m thinking simple, Mom—dinner.”
“Oh.” She frowned, looking from him to Jet. “Well, okay, but you know salvation is the reason to celebrate.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Tolliver. Maybe another time.” Jet’s face continued to glow. Her expressive eyes were wide with wonder.
Not pressuring her, his family members accepted her answer, and one by one, gave her hugs and congratulations.
Once they were alone, Rossi casually asked,
“So do you have plans for dinner?”
After picking up her purse and Bible, she seemed to float toward the exit. “Not really. I’ll grab room service at my hotel.”
“Not even a small celebration, Jesetta?” He used his thumb and finger as a demonstration. “Don’t you know the angels are rejoicing over one soul that repents?”
“Wow.” Jet’s eyes sparkled. “Over me,” she said breathless, then squinted. “Where is that in the Bible?”
Her eagerness was not only endearing, but sexy. Rossi winked. “Luke 15:7–10.” Her eyes closed as if she was making a mental note. “So where are you staying anyway?”
“Magnolia.” She kept strutting to her car.
He reached out and touched her wrist. She spun around. “You mean the Magnolia that is within walking distance from my loft?”
“That’s the one. Four stars.”
“There are unoccupied lofts in my building. I can put you in one of those free of rent,” he fussed. Four stars came with a luxury price tag.
Her lips curved into a smile. “Thank you, but I didn’t come back to be a burden on the Tollivers. I plan to—”
“You can tell me all about your plans over dinner—my treat. Soul food or classy?” He wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
“Surprise me.” She shivered, and Rossi was about to give her his suit coat, even though it was a perfect June afternoon with a slight breeze. “I can’t believe it. I saw something while I was in the pool I’ll never forget.”
Yep, they were finally on the same page. Hallelujah. Rossi smirked. “Me either.”
***
Jet was giddy with excitement. She never thought she could have so much peace, but she did. It was as if nothing mattered. Nothing—food, clothing, nothing. All she wanted to do was see Jesus and talk to Him again.
She couldn’t wait to grow stronger in the Lord. She smiled as she spied Rossi trailing her to the hotel to drop off her car. She lifted her hand in the air, and he waved back. She giggled. She was actually praising God.
More than anything, she wished Diane was alive. She was having one of those moments where only a sister would understand. But she had Layla. Unfortunately, her friend was probably still at church. She sighed, and she could feel a rumbling coming up from her stomach. She blinked, and her mouth moved as the Holy Ghost began to speak through her tongue. She loved this experience.
Not only was God in control of her tongue, but the wheel. She had no problem exiting off the highway to Washington Ave
nue.
“I love you, Lord!” she screamed when she stopped at a red light. Luckily, no one was next to her to give her strange looks.
After driving to the hotel entrance, a valet opened her door. Rossi parked behind her, stepped out, and tipped the valet in advance.
“Give me a minute to change.”
He shook his head. “There’s no need. You’ll still be beautiful.”
She had actually blushed at his compliment as he reached for her hand and guided her to the passenger side of his SUV. Once she was strapped into her seatbelt, Jet closed her eyes. When she opened them, he was staring at her with an expression of awe.
“Is this what Diane experienced?” She didn’t care about the answer, but he whispered, yes. Why did she fight God’s blessing so hard and for so long? Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes again to relive those moments with God. “You know I want to go to that cemetery and tell Diane all about it. Silly, huh?”
Rossi touched her hand. “There is nothing silly about what you’re feeling. I’m here. I used to be your confidant. You can tell me anything, Jesetta. That will never change.”
Bowing her head, Jet couldn’t lie if she wanted to. “I didn’t want to come between you and Nalani.”
“I respect that then, but this is now, and there is no Nalani and me.” She nodded. “Now, if you’re in the mood for French or Italian cuisine, I would love to take you to The Crossing in Clayton.”
Her eyes popped opened. She worked in Clayton for years before moving to the Metro East and then Nashville. Nothing in Clayton was cheap. She turned to him. “Isn’t that kind of pricey? The Crossing is the place to impress your date.”
Rossi’s husky laugh made her smile. “Says the woman who is staying at a four-star luxury hotel.”
She shrugged. “Layla negotiated a deal.” He intertwined his fingers through hers and squeezed. She shivered at his touch and stared into his eyes. He was so handsome.
“Back to The Crossing, I am trying to impress you. This day is cause for a celebration.”
“Oh, okay, but if you don’t have enough money, I have my debit card,” she teased.
“You got jokes, huh?” He winked, and she blushed. Jet could count on one hand since she’d known him how often he’d winked at her. That was twice within the span of an hour. “I have you covered, Miss Hutchens.”
She didn’t have a doubt. As CFO of his own real estate and construction company, Rossi and Levi, the CEO, were doing very well. They’d developed an area of East St. Louis with shops, eateries, and residential spaces and named it Tolliver Town.
She had avoided the place after she rounded up some friends to protest the grand opening of Crowning Glory, the salon Karyn owned with two other ex-felons, which catered to ex-felons to help them get back into the work force.
Closing her eyes, Jet prayed. Lord, forgive me for being mean-spirited.
Forgiven. His whisper tickled her ear until she bit her lip, smiling.
Once they parked on Forsyth, Rossi helped her out of the car, then took her hand. He squeezed it as they entered the restaurant.
“I guess you’re really excited I surrendered to God,” she said once the hostess had seated them.
“Ecstatic.” He smiled, and this time, his twin dimples winked at her.
Her heart fluttered at the sight. She reached across the table and took his hands. “Thank you so much for always being my friend and big brother.”
After giving her an odd expression, he became quiet. At the same time, their server introduced herself.
“You know what I like, so order for me.”
He nodded and plucked at the hairs on his goatee as he scanned the menu. “Let’s start off with the mixed greens salad, and we’ll take the day’s special.”
Once the pretty server disappeared, Jet shook her head. “I still can’t believe what I experienced.”
Rossi leaned back and anchored his chin in the curve of his fingers and watched her. He wore an amused smirk as he listened to her.
“I know we’ve had an undefined relationship over the years, but I need you to be something different,” she said.
He perked up and sat straight. “Yes, name it.”
“Since you’re a minister, can you counsel me? I don’t want to be like Cain ever again.”
He was slow in answering. Maybe she had asked for too much. “You mentioned seeing some type of vision. What was it?”
“Like a ball of fire,” she rambled on. “I can’t believe you didn’t see it.”
He shook his head. “Evidently, Jesus had me programmed to a different channel.”
“Rossi,” she pressed, “am I asking too much for you give me one-on-one attention?”
He leaned across the table and met her halfway. “You can never ask too much of me. I’m invested in your spiritual growth too. Trust me.”
Their server returned with their drinks, and someone else behind her brought their salads. After thanking them, Jet closed her eyes and bowed her head. When Rossi didn’t say anything, she looked up. “What are you waiting on? Come on. I’m hungry.”
He grunted then curled his lips. “You are so cute, church girl.”
She stuck out her tongue as his large hands engulfed hers.
“Lord, this is a day You have made, and we rejoice in it. Thank You for Jesetta’s salvation and the salvation of the others today. Please sanctify our meal by removing all impurities, and help us to help those who are hungry. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
She didn’t open her eyes right away and allowed the prayer to echo in her head.
“Hey, are you okay?” He squeezed her hand.
Fluttering her lids, she looked at him and nodded. “For the first time in my life I feel like someone loves me. Strange, huh?”
“It’s not. God’s love is unmatched, and love from a godly man is irreplaceable.”
When their meals arrived, they continued to chat between bites, but mainly Rossi listened as she tried to find words to describe her baptismal experience and answered her Bible questions. Soon, she paused when she noticed his stare and empty plate. “Your eyes are laughing at me,” she accused him.
“Nope. My eyes are appreciating God’s beauty made whole.”
She smiled. If this salvation thing made her this attractive, then maybe the man who was to be her husband would come calling soon.
When he yawned, Jet checked her watch. They had been there for two hours. “Come on. I guess I’d better let you get home and get ready for work.”
He didn’t argue as he stood, then helped her out of her chair. When he pulled in front of the Magnolia Hotel, she turned to him. “Thank you for counseling me. I plan to be the best Christian ever.”
“Amen.” He parked the car and walked around to assist her. Before going inside, she hugged him. “Good night.”
Once she was in her hotel room, she kicked off her shoes and began to undress. Next, she tapped Layla’s number and put the phone on speaker.
“Hello?”
“I got the Holy Ghost,” Jet screamed and danced in place.
“The what?”
“I’m finally drama free. I repented, and Rossi baptized me today.” She told Layla about the ball of fire, then added, “And before I came out of that pool, I was speaking in a language I’ve never heard spoken.”
“What did you say?” Layla asked.
Jet shrugged and thought about it for a moment. “Honestly, I don’t know, but it was a high that I didn’t have to pay for. When Rossi took me to dinner—”
“Hold up. Rossi happened to baptize you, then he happened to take you to dinner? What else did Minister Rossi do today?”
“Preached. He agreed to counsel me, so I asked him about the evidence of the Holy Ghost—the speaking in tongues.”
“And?”
“Evidently, the Bible talks about unknown tongues, which are heavenly. The other tongues could be any of the sixty-five hundred languages spoken in the world today. That’s what Rossi s
aid.”
“Girl, I do good to speak proper English and a little Spanish.”
They chuckled. “He gave me scriptures to read that explain the differences.” Jet found her notes and told her friend where to find the passages. “Acts 2:4-7: And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, and devout men out of every nation under heaven. Now when this sound was heard, a crowd formed and were confounded, because every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans?” She paused. There is also another scripture, First Corinthians 14—”
“That’s okay. I went to church today and heard plenty of scriptures.”
“Wait, it’s only one verse. Number four says, ‘He that speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself; but he that prophecies edifies the church.’”
“Hmm, that’s interesting that God would have a personal message.”
“It is, and Rossi says—”
“Rossi again,” Layla teased. “Are you sure you don’t like him a little?”
Jet frowned. “Girl, I was over that girl crush stage not long after he began to annoy me with his big-brother routine.”
“Umm-hmm. Maybe the tables have turned, and it’s him who has the man crush on you,” she continued to rib her.
“I doubt it. And before you ask, no he’s not gay. Although, throughout the years I have wondered what’s kept him from tying the knot.”
“Maybe it’s been a ‘who.’ So will this change things between you and Karyn?”
“God is truly going to have to help me on that,” she added, “big time.”
Chapter 8
The next morning, the only counseling Rossi planned to give Jet was marital. He had waited so long for a wife…for Jet. With her salvation complete, he was ready to move forward to be equally yoked.