“Dad, this is crazy, and all this drama is affecting my study time. I have a huge biology test tomorrow.”
“Try not to worry. I know that’s easier said than done, but eventually this will pass. I’ll call your mom as soon as we hang up. Hopefully, I’ll be able to reason with her.”
“I really need to withdraw and just start back up in the fall.”
“No, son. I know you’re upset, but don’t do it.”
“It’ll only be for the rest of this semester.”
“Yeah, but one semester can turn into two.”
“I just feel like I need to be there for Racquel and MJ…to protect them from my own mother.”
“I understand, but son, you have to hang in there. You need your education, especially if you want to take care of a family.”
Matthew paused, sniffling. “I know you’re right, Dad…but this is so hard. I’m miles and miles away from Racquel and MJ, and now Mom keeps acting like something’s wrong with her.”
Matthew’s tears broke Curtis’s heart, and it was all he could do not to weep himself.
“I mean, why does Mom do this kind of stuff? Last year, she started drinking out of control; the year before that, she messed around with two different men; and the year before that, she walked around for months hating Curtina. Why is Mom so cruel to people?”
“I don’t know. Your mom gets caught up in her own feelings, and she doesn’t think. It doesn’t dawn on her that her actions will hurt other people.”
“Well, I wish she would stop. I wish she would just be a normal, kind, respectable mother. That’s all I want.”
“I’m gonna call her now, but you get back to your studies, okay?”
“I’ll try to—and Dad?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks, and I’m sorry about all the crying.”
“Don’t you ever apologize for that. Letting things out is the best thing you can do.”
“I love you, Dad.”
“You take care, son. Love you, too.”
Curtis never set his phone down and dialed Charlotte immediately. Her phone rang and rang until her voice mail answered. She’d told him that she and Janine were going to the spa and that they were then going to have lunch right after, so maybe they’d gone to the mall or something. He wasn’t sure why she would, though, since the two of them had already exchanged Valentine’s Day gifts this morning. But knowing Charlotte, she’d found a reason to do more shopping.
He thought about trying her again, but his phone rang. He figured it was her until he saw Private on his screen. “Not again,” he said. This time he refused to answer it.
He reviewed his upcoming speaking engagement schedule for the summer, but it wasn’t long before his phone rang again. It was the anonymous caller. He didn’t want to answer it, but he also didn’t want his phone to keep ringing or to have to place it on Silent.
“Hello?”
“Hello yourself,” the computerized voice said.
Curtis creased the middle of his forehead. “Who is this?”
“That’s really not important. What you should be worried about, though, is that letter I sent you.”
“I’m not sure why you’re playing these games, but I wish you’d stop harassing me. And how did you get this number?”
The voice was technologically disguised, so Curtis couldn’t tell whether the caller was a man or a woman. Whomever it was, though, seemed tickled out of this world. The sound was strange, but the person was definitely laughing at him.
“What is it you want from me?” he asked.
“Nothing. You’ve already dished out enough to last a lifetime, but the buck stops here. You’re finally going to get what’s coming to you.”
“I’m not listening to this, and please don’t call my number anymore.”
“Don’t worry. This is my last call…I promise.”
Curtis’s heart rate sped up a few notches as the caller hung up. He didn’t like what this person had just said, because it sounded like the next time he’d hear from them was when they exposed his secret. Dear God, I’m begging you. Please make this person go away. I know I did a terrible thing, but I was a different man back then. I saw no limits when it came to getting what I wanted, and I’m sorry. Lord, please forgive me.
Curtis wasn’t sure why he kept asking God to forgive him, because deep down he knew God already had. It was this mystery person who still had it in for him. And it was driving him insane. He’d tried his best to forget about that letter and the annoying phone calls, but lately he’d been burdened with sleepless nights, guilt, and regret. What was Charlotte going to say once she found out? What about his children and his congregation? What would they think and how would they react to the news? And what about everyone else who’d come to know, love, and trust the good man he was today?
If he had one chance to change anything, it would certainly be that particular time in his life, but the past couldn’t be corrected. That was always the problem when it came to making the wrong choices; once the deed had been done, there was no taking it back. A person could move on from the sins they’d committed, but they could never erase them. And apparently the person who was calling couldn’t forget or forgive and had decided to do something about it.
Curtis’s office phone rang, and it startled him.
“This is Curtis.”
“Pastor, Dillon and Melissa are here to see you,” Lana said.
“Please send them in.”
He looked at his watch and saw that they were a little early, but he was ready for them. When they entered, he shook their hands, and they each took a seat.
Curtis leaned forward and rested his hands on his desk. “So, how are things going?”
“Not too well,” Dillon said.
Melissa crossed her legs. “Not well at all, is more like it.”
“Did you read the scriptures I gave you, and have you been praying?”
“Sort of.”
Curtis chuckled. “Well, either you have or you haven’t.”
“I did at first,” he said, “but it wasn’t working.”
“Did you attend any meetings?”
“One.”
“Why didn’t you go to more?”
“I don’t know. I guess because the more I read scripture and prayed, the more I wanted to watch porn. So to me it was pointless to go back to those meetings.”
“You do know that when we try to do the right thing, the enemy doesn’t like it, and he works even harder to bring you down. The devil is a powerful individual, but you have to stay strong. You have to keep your faith strong.”
“Why don’t you tell him what else you did?” Melissa said. She seemed a lot less supportive of Dillon than before and very irritated.
Dillon looked at her and then toward the other side of the room.
“Tell him,” she said.
“What is it, Dillon?” Curtis asked.
“I went to a strip club.”
Melissa crossed her arms. “And not just once, either. He’s been going every single night.”
“Have you ever gone before?” Curtis asked.
“Not really. I mean, I went back when I was in college but not since then.”
“Well, what made you start now?”
“I don’t know. I had the urge to go, so I went.”
“And you told Melissa about it?”
“No, he never told me anything,” she interrupted. “But two weeks ago, it seemed like he was hurrying me off the phone. So, I waited until about midnight and called his house number, but he never answered. Then, when I asked him about it the next day, he said he must have been asleep.”
“I only said that because I knew you would go ballistic if I told you the truth.”
“Well, after calling you three nights in row, I’d had enough,” she said, then looked at Curtis. “And that’s when I rented a car, waited outside, and followed him.”
“I’m sorry this has happened,” Curtis said.
�
��I’m sorry, too,” Dillon added. “I know I have a problem, but I can’t help what I’m doing. I like sex, and since I’m not getting any of my own, porn and strip clubs satisfy me.”
Melissa jerked her head toward him. “So what are you saying? That until we’re able to have sex, you’re not gonna stop this madness?”
“I’m not saying anything. I’m just telling you and Pastor Black how I feel. And at least I’m not going out sleeping with other women.”
“And that makes it okay?” she said loudly.
Dillon looked at her. “Baby, I’m not saying that, either.”
Melissa uncrossed and recrossed her legs. “Well, I don’t think this is going to work.”
“So you’re just gonna give up on me?”
Melissa didn’t respond.
Dillon looked at Curtis. “Pastor, I really do want to stop this, so can I schedule some time with you on my own?”
“Why would you need to do that?” Melissa asked.
“There’s nothing wrong with that at all,” Curtis said. “Sometimes talking man to man is a good thing. There are times when a man can’t say certain things in front of a woman because of pride.”
“I don’t get any of this,” she said.
“Dillon, why don’t we schedule an appointment for just the two of us for tomorrow or Thursday. Will either of those days work for you?”
“Yeah, sounds good.”
“Lana will take a look at my calendar, and you can confirm the time on your way out.”
“I really appreciate this, Pastor,” he said.
Melissa still wouldn’t say anything, so Curtis finally said, “At least he’s trying. He’s willing to work on this problem he has, and he loves you.”
“l love him, too, but this porn-strip-club thing has got to stop.”
“And it will, baby,” Dillon said. “I promise.”
Curtis looked at both of them and hoped Dillon could in fact stop what he was doing, because he could tell Melissa wasn’t having it. She wasn’t the kind of woman who would put up with this kind of thing, and it was only a matter of time before she called off the wedding. It wouldn’t be long before she dropped him completely.
Chapter 20
It was just before five. Curtis was on his way home but still hadn’t heard back from Charlotte. He’d called her again about five minutes ago, his fourth time since talking to Matthew, but she hadn’t answered. Two years ago, when she hadn’t answered her phone, she’d been out drinking and sleeping with another man. Then, last year, she’d taken to the bottle again and had ignored a good number of his phone calls, too. But outside of those sort of isolated incidents, this kind of thing was totally unlike her, and he was starting to worry; especially since she knew they had dinner reservations for six. It was the reason he’d showered and changed in his private bathroom and dressing area at the church, so they could leave as soon as he got home.
Curtis headed down the street and dialed their home number. Maybe Charlotte’s cell wasn’t working.
“Hi, Mr. Curtis,” Agnes said.
“Hey, is Charlotte around?”
“No. I picked up Curtina a couple of hours ago, but I haven’t seen Miss Charlotte since this morning. She met Miss Janine.”
“Yeah, she told me, but I’ve been calling her all afternoon.”
“That’s strange,” she said.
“I thought so, too. I think I’ll call Janine to see if they’re still together.”
“Oh, and right after Miss Charlotte left, Racquel called. I was at the grocery store, but I saw her number on the caller ID when I got back. So, if you talk to her, please tell her.”
“I will.”
Curtis ended the call and searched for Janine’s number in his contact list. She answered right away.
“Hey, Curtis.”
“How’s it going?”
“Fine. Happy Valentine’s Day.”
“Same to you. But hey, do you know where Charlotte is?”
“No. We left the Tuxson around three, and we were only there for an hour and a half because of a little run-in she had with Vanessa.”
“Matthew told me, and that’s why I was trying to call her.”
“It was very sad, Curtis. Then after Vanessa took the baby back to her table, we ate our lunch, and Charlotte said she was ready to go. Said she couldn’t sit there any longer watching her grandson lying in the arms of that ‘witch.’”
“I just wish she would stop this.”
“I do, too. I tried to tell her that seeing the baby a couple of times a week is a lot, but she wouldn’t hear it. Anyway, when we left the restaurant, we got in our cars, and I haven’t heard from her.”
“Okay, well, I’m sorry to bother you with this.”
“No problem. Let me know if she doesn’t turn up soon.”
“I will. Say hello to Carl, and take care.”
Curtis pressed the End button. Where in the world was she? There was always something going on with Charlotte. She was never satisfied for more than a few months, and though he was trying his best to be understanding, his patience was wearing thin. It had only been eight months since they’d reconciled and gotten their marriage back on track, yet now a whole other problem was brewing because of little MJ. Of course, Curtis didn’t even want to think about his own mess that might soon be discovered because he wasn’t sure his marriage, ministry, or anything else could survive it. This thing he’d done was just that bad, and he needed to prepare for the worst.
Curtis turned down the street leading to their home, and his phone rang. Finally.
“Baby, where have you been?” he asked.
“Driving around.”
“Where?”
“I had a bad day, and I needed to think.”
“What about our dinner reservation?”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I can’t go to dinner. I have a lot on my mind, and I need to be alone. I need to clear my head.”
“Why? Because of what happened at the restaurant?”
“That’s exactly why. I’m tired of Vanessa and her daughter and these games they keep playing. I’m sick of it.”
“Well, Matt’s sick of it, too. He called me earlier all upset. He was so worked up, he talked about withdrawing from school.”
“I’ll talk to him,” she said.
“He has an important test tomorrow, so I really wish you wouldn’t.”
“I don’t want him quitting school, Curtis. Especially for that tramp.”
“Why are you calling her that? What has that girl ever done to you?”
“She’s keeping my grandson from me. At first I blamed Vanessa, but today I realized the two of them are in this together. Neither of them want me to see MJ.”
“That’s ridiculous. And even if they do ignore your phone calls or act like they don’t want to have anything to do with you, it’s because of the way you treated them from the start. I told you that a few weeks ago.”
“And I’m telling you that I’m not backing down when it comes to my own son.”
“You mean ‘grandson,’ don’t you?”
“That’s what I said.”
“No, you said, ‘son.’”
“You know what I meant, Curtis.”
He pulled into the beginning of their driveway, opened his window, pressed the button to the iron gate, and waited for it to open. “Look, when are you coming home?”
“I told you I need to be alone.”
“So I guess it doesn’t matter to you that it’s Valentine’s Day?”
“It does, but I can’t help how I feel. I can’t help the way Racquel and Vanessa are treating me.”
“You never cease to amaze me,” he said, driving up the long winding path. He parked in the circle between the sprawling brick mansion and the fountain.
“I’ll be home tomorrow,” she said.
“Tomorrow?”
“I’m sorry, but I need this time aw
ay, Curtis. I know you don’t understand, but I promise things will be different when I get home. I’ll have a whole new attitude.”
Curtis got out of the SUV. Her spending the night somewhere else was killing him, but he would never let her know how hurt he was. “I know one thing. If I find out you’re having another affair, you might as well start packing.”
“I would never do that.”
“You have before.”
“But I won’t again. I just need some time to think and relax my mind. That’s all.”
“Good-bye, Charlotte,” he said, and went into the house.
Chapter 21
She’d already made up her mind, but after speaking to Curtis, Charlotte knew there was no other way except to follow through on her decision. Because of rush-hour traffic, her drive from Mitchell to downtown Chicago had taken her nearly two hours, so she’d had a lot of time to think. She’d debated her options back and forth, but then she’d finally come up with the perfect plan, the perfect solution—and the only logical thing that had to be done if she were to ever have a true relationship with her grandson.
Still, it hadn’t been until she’d heard the disgust in Curtis’s voice a few minutes ago that she’d known he would never side with her, and that he would never fully understand her position. Even as she’d checked into this fabulous hotel, she’d been hoping her husband would wake up. She’d prayed for him to see what she saw. They were losing their one and only grandchild, but unfortunately, Curtis was clueless.
Charlotte sat in the armchair across from the king-size bed, with her legs resting on the ottoman, and eyed the minibar. Ever since checking into her suite, she’d been trying not to take another drink the way she had at the Tuxson, but she needed something to relax her nerves, something to prepare her for the days ahead. To a certain extent, she was also a little depressed, but mostly she felt abandoned. Over the last two weeks, she’d thought maybe Racquel would warm up to her and would bring MJ over more often, but after seeing him only twice last week and twice the week before, it had been clear that this was the best it was ever going to be.
Charlotte just wished everyone understood where she was coming from. Even Curtis had gone as far as saying she was obsessed and overbearing, and her own son believed she was self-centered and controlling. He’d actually told her that while they were speaking on the phone, and she hadn’t forgotten it. Then, there was that witch, Vanessa, and her gold-digging daughter who thought Charlotte was Satan’s sister, and even Janine had acted as though she disagreed with Charlotte’s desire to see her grandson as much as possible. Charlotte didn’t know what kind of best friend that was. The only reason she wouldn’t hold it against Janine, though, was because she knew she and Carl were having problems. Nonetheless, Charlotte felt forsaken and blackballed by everyone, all except her mother, and that saddened her.
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