by Pat Simmons
Feed my sheep, he heard God whisper as he patted his face dry in the bathroom.
Removing the towel, he stared at his reflection until he blinked. “Lord, haven’t I been doing that all this time?” For years he had been the go-to man or minister for witnessing, praying, and settling disputes.
As he combed through the fine hairs on his chin, Rossi silently pleaded with God to open Jet’s eyes to see the attraction and love he had for her. “Not only as Your servant, but a man who desires her.”
Feed my sheep, Jesus repeated, dropping Habakkuk 2:3 in his heart: For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come.
He fought against frustration until he finally submitted, “Yes, Lord.” God’s work had to take precedent in his life, and Rossi had best remember that. Therefore, he shifted his thoughts to meetings he had to attend the upcoming week at church and what was on his agenda at work. At the right time, God would stir Jet’s heart and lead her to him.
His phone rang as he was about to leave for the office. Recognizing the number, he smirked. While he was trying to keep his mind off Jet, evidently he was on her mind. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself. Have you had your morning java?” She sounded happy and carefree.
“Nah. I’ll grab a cup at work.” He swiped his keys off the nightstand, grabbed his briefcase, and headed for the door.
“Well, since we’re neighbors, I thought I’d make you a cup.”
“Really?” Yes, God’s timing was perfect and fast. “Well, although I would love to take you up on your offer, I don’t visit women in hotel rooms, not even my Jesetta.”
She laughed. “I’m at Starbucks around the corner. I made you an espresso.”
He chuckled too. Now that God had cleansed Jet from her sins, her heart was pure. She didn’t have an ulterior motive like some other women he had met. “You mean you had the barista make it,” he corrected. After locking the door, he strolled to the end of the hall. He pushed the elevator button to take him to the building garage.
“Almost the same thing,” she countered, and he imagined her lifting her chin at him in defiance.
“Woman, I’m so glad you’re back home, you know that?”
“I’m glad too. So are you taking me up on my offer? If not, you owe me five bucks.”
“Five bucks? Is that what they cost?” He slid behind the wheel of his SUV, laughing, then started the engine.
“Including tip.”
“Well, I can’t have the lady wasting her money. I’m on my way.” When they ended the call, he whispered, “Thank you, Lord.”
He double-checked his appearance in the rearview mirror. His recent barber visit was still noticeable, his cologne was subtle, and his mouthwash boasted freshness up to four hours. He grinned and showcased his killer dimples. While some men attracted women with their light-colored eyes, his dimples drew women in whether he tried or not. Jet was no exception. She might not give him compliments freely, but her brown eyes seemed to dance when he smiled at her.
He spied the knot in his tie. Jet was a perfectionist when it came to clothes. She was a fashionable dresser whether she wore a T-shirt and jeans or an evening gown. She was one pretty woman. “Ready or not, here I come, Miss Hutchens.”
Exiting the parking garage, he turned right on Washington Avenue and drove the three short blocks to Eighth Street near the convention center. After parking, he strolled to the entrance. Glancing through the large windows, he saw Jet. Instead of watching for him, she was reading her tablet. Her hair was swept back up into a ball and hooped earrings adorned her earlobes. He opened the door and walked quietly to her table, then slid into the chair.
Looking up, she greeted him softly, then slid a coffee cup in front of him. “Good morning.”
He whispered his grace and took a sip. “Umm. This is good.”
As she beamed, he studied her face as he took another sip, although he had memorized her every soft feature the first day they were introduced. He just didn’t react to the seduction of her pouty lips. She tilted her head to the side and lifted an eyebrow.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Whether she had on makeup or not, she was naturally beautiful. “I’m glad Jesus saved you.”
Her eyes widened in excitement, and that seemed to open the door before she exploded with giddiness. “Me too! Last night, I prayed until I spoke in tongues again, and I could feel God’s presence. I’ve never prayed so long. An hour had passed without me thinking about it,” she rambled on, and Rossi breathed in her hunger for God.
“I was so keyed up, I couldn’t sleep, so I went online and signed up for Joyce Meyer’s daily devotional.” She leaned across the table as if she was about to share a secret. “Monday’s devotion is Hebrews 12:14: Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” She paused, frowning. “I think I can do that. I mean what’s the point in God saving us and not living right until I see Him?”
“I love how you think.” He wanted to flirt with a wink, but he was the wiser saint who had to be on guard to tame any carnal gestures around her.
“But I don’t know how I can be peaceful around the Tollivers. Levi alone stirs up too much tension. I’ll endure as much as I can for the sake of my late sister and Dori, but God may need to put a muzzle on my mouth to keep me from saying the wrong thing.”
She reached across the table and rested her soft hand atop his. He sucked in his breath, but she didn’t seem to be affected from the contact. Rossi knew something was wrong when Jet’s shoulders slumped at the same time she lowered her lashes. Headstrong and confident, she believed in fighting until the end if she believed in a cause. Her tenacity put her at odds with Levi, because she questioned Karyn’s mental ability around Dori. Jet had every right to be concerned, but she went about it the wrong way. She glanced up, and her eyes were misty.
He panicked. By nature Jet wasn’t a crier, but on the flip side, she had her moments after Diane’s death. Jet would bawl in a minute if something reminded her of her late sister. “Talk to me.” He placed his hand over hers.
“I really need you to pray for me on this. I don’t want to lose what I have with God.”
The sincerity in her eyes tugged at his heartstrings.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see Me. God whispered Matthew 5:8.
“You know I will pray and…” He wanted to choose his words carefully as he planted seeds of his attraction without planting carnal thoughts. This was going to be a balancing act for sure. “And I’m more committed than ever to be there for you—in every way.”
He squeezed her soft hand and released his deadly weapon. He smiled until his dimples had her attention.
She blushed, then bounced back with a smile that had a pin-size dimple of her own above her lip.
“By the way, you look nice, Jesetta.” Her white shirt was free from wrinkles and her jeans were pressed. Despite her five-ten height, she was never without heels. Once she thanked him, he asked, “Where are you off to today?”
“House or condo hunting. This time I’m going to stay on the Missouri side. I only followed Levi to Illinois because of Dori. I think it would be fun to have her help me choose.”
Whatever Rossi had to do at the office, he could put on hold. If something came up, Levi could handle it. As a matter of fact, his cousin had stood him up for an important meeting with a client the day he met Diane. Why not return the favor? “Want some company? I do know a thing or two about structures. That is what I do for a living.”
She gave him a cute scrunch with her nose, then rolled her eyes. “How could I forget? You micromanaged the builders on my home construction in Fairview Heights, remember? You had them crossing T’s that weren’t there.”
“I wasn’t that bad.” He bowed his head, knowing that when it came to business, he was the master of it.
“So go to work and be the boss.” She
lifted an eyebrow and scanned his attire as if it was the first time she was noticing him. “Nice suit, by the way.”
“Thanks.” He glanced around and checked the time. Being the co-boss did have its benefits, even though he liked being punctual. If he started to act out of routine, someone would probably call the presiding bishop of their religious organization to come and lay hands on him. “I guess I do have to make an appearance.” After draining the rest of his coffee, Rossi got to his feet, then gathered his trash. Jet also stood while tucking her tablet back in her oversized purse.
“If you’re ready, I’ll give you a lift back to your hotel.”
She shrugged. “I can walk.”
“And I can drive you.” He reached for her hand, and she took it without hesitation. One day soon, he planned to put a ring on it.
***
Why wasn’t Rossi married? Jet asked herself as she cleared the hotel’s revolving doors minutes later. Besides being a nice guy, he was handsome, built, and sincere with the Lord Jesus. It wasn’t the first time she’d asked the question over the years. She would marry a man like him in a minute.
She was glad for his one-on-one attention as she attempted to navigate through the scriptures. She’d better get all the spiritual instruction while she could because when the next woman captured Rossi’s attention, Jet would have to take a backseat or be put out of the car.
Once she was in her suite, she said a quick prayer before calling the Tollivers’ home. She was relieved when Dori answered. “Hi, Auntie.”
“Hi, Sweetie, would you like to go house shopping with me?”
Give honor where honor is due. God immediately chastened her for sidestepping Karyn’s position in Dori’s life.
“Yeah!”
But didn’t she still have rights? Sorry, Lord, I’m not going to fight You, she conceded as she corrected her bad manners. “Let me speak with Karyn, please.” Baby steps. She couldn’t bring herself to say “your mommy.”
Karyn came on the line, and Jet explained her request.
“We’re on our way out the door to Crowning Glory, if you don’t mind picking her up from there. Dori likes spending her summer vacations at the shop.”
She did mind because the woman’s salon was another battlefield. Levi had given his wife a prime business location in a re-developed area in Tolliver Town.
Local politicians, community leaders, and sponsors who thought it was a good idea to give ex-felons meaningful employment were behind the business.
On paper, it sounded honorable, but criminals had gunned down sixteen people, including her sister, so Jet wasn’t sold on the idea and had denied the application for funding when she received Karyn’s loan request at the banking institution where she happened to work.
Her protest fell on deaf ears, even when she showed up on grand opening day with protesters warning against felons near neighborhoods. In the end, Crowning Glory opened, businesses flourished, and everyone seemed to have a happy ending but her. “Ah, I thought I wasn’t allowed on the premises.” She might as well be upfront.
“That was before God saved you. Mom Tolliver gave us your salvation report. Congratulations on your new life in Christ.” Karyn paused. “Now that we are one body in Christ, I hope we can learn to be friends.”
Friends? Out of nowhere, something rose up inside of Jet, and before she could trap it, the words spilled out. “You’re pushing it.”
“I know,” Karyn said softly, “but fair warning, the devil is going down.”
What does she mean by that? Jet wondered as they said their goodbyes. Was Karyn calling her a devil?
If it be possible, as much as lies in you, live peaceably with all men, God whispered, Read Romans 12:1.
Refusing to leave without reading it, she tapped her Bible app on her tablet, then searched for it. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” There was that word holy again. In no rush to get Dori, she continued reading until she found verse eighteen God quoted, but she didn’t stop there, and read the entire chapter, which ended with, Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Okay. She took a deep breath. She was armed now with scriptures. Jet refused to let anyone cause her to lose her holiness. After a silent prayer, she pulled up a few home listings she and Dori could check out before leaving.
During the short drive across the Poplar Street Bridge over the Mississippi River to East St. Louis, Illinois, she thought about Rossi. At times, she wished they were more than friends, but then he didn’t have a good track record when it came to dating. Even Karyn’s sister, Nalani, didn’t make the cut, so Jet would keep her girl crush to herself.
In no time, she exited at the first Illinois exit and wormed her way through the streets that bore no street names and empty lots. Literally, a couple blocks ahead, she could see the handiwork of the Tollivers. Newly constructed buildings were intertwined with the historic ones to create the picture-perfect Tolliver Town made up of commercial and residential occupants.
She smiled, proud of Rossi and Levi. They were the brightest Black men she knew. She parked in the lot behind the restored Majestic Theatre in a historic area in downtown East St. Louis, where Crowning Glory had a grand entrance. The Tollivers had spared no expense on the pillars and the outside cafe for pedicures. Interesting concept, she thought. Jet never imagined a day when she would actually walk through these doors without venom boiling in her veins. She was barely redeemed twenty-four hours, so she knew she had better guard her words carefully.
She stepped out of her car and activated her alarm. The area seemed safe enough, but it was still East St. Louis where poverty was a haven for criminal activity that didn’t draw lines between rich and poor.
Taking long struts, she cleared the door and was in awe of the sleekness of the beauty salon and barbershop combo. The individual stations appeared to be chic and decorated with warm colors.
Dori raced to her with her arms open and a giddy grin. The warmth from her hug did nothing to ward off the chill from the staff—some were former convicts. She prayed none of them were sex offenders around her niece. She would do an online search herself to be sure. Lord, please protect her from demons.
The groomers and stylists stared at her without saying as much as hello or welcome. Jet shivered from their cold reception, but gave them her own stare down. She made a judgment call. She didn’t like them.
How can you say you love Me, and hate your brother? God scolded. You lie if you can’t love the brother you see and haven’t seen Me. Read 1 John 4:20.
Jet lowered her lashes, conceding the staff as the winners of the stare down contest. She had failed the Lord Jesus already. She took a deep breath to repent and recover. After kissing Dori on the head, she grinned at her niece. “Ready to go, sweetie?”
“Can I paint your nails first?” Dori jumped up and down. “Please, please, please.”
Her mouth was so ready to say no, but her heart couldn’t deny her. “Okay, but then we have to hurry because you’re supposed to help me find a house, remember?”
“Umm-hmm.” Dori nodded and latched onto her hand, then dragged Jet into an area separated from the other stylists by a glass wall. Dori had a miniature salon with two pink vanity stands and accessories. So cute. However, the manicurist table looked real with a tower of nail polish. “Wow.”
She and Diane would have had a play day with this stuff when they were younger. “Auntie, have a seat at my station,” Dori said in a tone that mimicked a licensed nail technician.
The innocence of pretending was precious, so Jet ignored her audience and did as she was instructed. She was adjusting the chair when Karyn appeared with Little Levi propped on her hip.
“Hey. You made it. Welcome to my salon.” She waved her free hand in the air, twirling her son from side to side. That’s when Jet heard the gospel music playing from the overhead speakers.
> Chastened earlier, Jet was determined to be cordial. “This is nice.”
“Dori,” Karyn frowned and eyed the little girl, “I thought you were going with your aunt?”
“I am,” she answered without making eye contact as she busied herself setting up her lotion, dish, and polish. “I’m giving her a free medicure before we go.” That’s when she looked at Karyn. “It’s okay if I give Auntie a free service, isn’t it, Mommy?” She looked worried.
Hearing Dori call Karyn mommy messed with Jet’s mind. It was heartbreaking that her sister never heard those words from her daughter’s mouth. She blinked to keep her eyes from watering.
After correcting Dori to say manicure, Karyn smoothed back the loose strands from Dori’s ponytail. “Of course, sweetie. Your auntie gets free service any time she comes in.”
That earned Karyn the biggest smile Jet had ever seen on her niece’s face.
“Be neat, okay?”
“Okay, Mommy. Aunt Buttercup showed me how to do it,” Dori reassured her.
Aunt? Where was the reverence in using those titles? Dori was born with one mother and one aunt, yet she used the endearment too freely for Jet’s taste. But she guessed with a new mom came new “aunties.” The sadness began to drape her. It seemed as if she didn’t have anything she could call her own anymore.
Karyn walked away and whispered something to the staff who immediately returned to their duties, except Buttercup who was anything but a sweet little buttercup. The ex-felon was an Amazon-plus–size woman, at least six feet tall, with long multicolored hair that seemed to be styled in half locks and half braids. Judging from the size of her station compared to the others, Miss Buttercup had to be the head stylist—and a trendsetter in fusing crazy with strange.
A couple of times in the past, Jet and Buttercup had faced off when it came to Karyn. It was no secret they didn’t like each other. Correction: Jet would have to pray hard and dig deep in her heart in order to love this woman, so she could see Jesus.