Be Careful What You Pray For Read online

  JT smiled. “Thank you for the compliment.”

  “You’re welcome. Now, take off those sexy little briefs I bought you and come to Mommy.”

  JT wasn’t sure why those words always turned him on—“come to Mommy”—but they did. Maybe it was because of how old Diana was and because of how fascinated he was with their age difference. Maybe it was because he’d lost his own mother when he was just a young boy and he liked the way Diana sometimes nurtured him. Diana was his lover, but in a quiet sort of way, she was also his protector. She cared about his success, she was willing to do whatever she could to help him, and JT was grateful for her. Grateful she had no problem giving him the two things he craved most: mind-blowing sex and lots and lots of money.

  He didn’t want to keep sleeping with Diana, not with him just realizing how in love he was with his new wife. But God forgive him, he didn’t want to stop sleeping with her either. Diana was sort of like an addiction, except there were huge benefits involved, and he just didn’t see how he’d ever be able to give her up. Although, once he figured out how to fix this Carmen fiasco, he’d only have to split his time between two women, and that wouldn’t be hard to do at all. He’d see Diana once or twice a week the way she wanted him to, and he’d spend each of his other days with Alicia. He’d keep both of his women happy, and there wouldn’t be a single thing to worry about. If anything, life was only about to get better for him.

  Chapter 14

  It had been a full week since Diana had agreed to give JT six figures, but even now, all sorts of advertising and promotional wheels were still spinning in his head. But more so, he fantasized about the kind of results each of these efforts was going to bring. He could see himself now, heading up a church with ten, twenty, and at some point, maybe even thirty thousand members, and eventually being seen on television by millions of people worldwide. He would first move forward with televising locally and then regionally. But in five years or less he’d go national on TBN, TLN, BET, or TV One, or even better, his sermons would air on every one of those networks on different days of the week. What he wanted was to be bigger and more recognized than any of the leading well-known televangelists out there today.

  JT thought even further into the future and burst out laughing. Not because anything was funny but because he was literally overjoyed about all the wonderful things God was getting ready to do for him. He was thrilled about all the blessings he would soon be receiving, and he was ready to contribute his part to the process. He’d learned a long time ago that God helped those who helped themselves, and it was the reason he’d asked Janet to pull a very important file for him. The administrative staff kept a separate folder for every minister they invited to come speak, but little had JT known this orderly procedure of theirs would now be extremely beneficial to him.

  JT opened his father-in-law’s file and saw Curtis’s lengthy and very impressive bio, a few articles outlining some of his major accomplishments, and then the speaker’s agreement he’d signed and returned to them months before his date of appearance. Next, JT flipped past the first two pages, but when he came to the last of them, he leaned all the way back in his chair and grinned. At first, he’d had second thoughts about doing this, but now that Curtis’s signature was staring him straight in the face, he realized that this was going to be much easier than he’d planned on. He’d wondered if maybe a big-time pastor like Curtis might scribble his signature the same as some physician, but based on what JT saw before him now, this definitely wasn’t the case. His handwriting looked pretty straightforward, and JT couldn’t wait to start practicing it. He would learn every curve of every letter. He would pay close attention to the way Curtis dotted the i in his first name and the way he looped the l in his last. JT would practice multiple times a day until he was able to replicate it perfectly. He would master it so well, not one person would ever consider the idea of forgery. Not Janet and not any of the pastors each letter of recommendation would be going out to.

  On the other hand, however, there was a chance a few of them might call Curtis, not necessarily to confirm the authenticity of the letter, but possibly just to make small talk and to mention that they’d received it. This, of course, did worry JT slightly, but in the end, he was sure the majority of these ministers wouldn’t bother wasting their time. They would either decide to invite him to their churches or not, and that would be the end of it. Still, if word did get back to Curtis and Curtis confronted him about it, he would simply play the role of a very desperate and very apologetic son-in-law, the kind who’d only been trying to create a better life for Alicia—Curtis’s beloved daughter. He would beg Curtis’s forgiveness and promise to never do anything so deceitful again—he would do and say whatever he had to, squashing any thoughts Curtis might have about pressing charges against him. JT would overcome any obstacles Satan placed in front of him. He would rise above any stumbling blocks, the same as always.

  As soon as Alicia looked at the Caller ID screen and saw that her father’s agent was calling, she hurried her mother off the phone and answered the other line.

  “Hello?”

  “Alicia?” she said.

  “Yes, this is she.”

  “How are you? This is Joan Epstein.”

  “I’m great, how are you?”

  “Well, actually, I’m feeling fabulous now that I’ve had a chance to read your novel again. Alicia, it’s absolutely wonderful.”

  “Really? You think so?”

  “Yes. I just love it, and I have no doubt that your future readers are going to feel the same way. As a matter of fact, I haven’t felt this motivated and sure about the future of a brand-new author since quite a few years ago when I first agreed to represent your father.”

  Alicia closed her eyes, wanting to scream with joy, and said, “Oh my God. I can’t believe you’re so happy with it.”

  “I really am, and I think it’s because you’ve incorporated so much honesty and so much feeling into it without being preachy. You’ve written a story that so many young couples will be able to relate to, and you’ve also shown just why so many of their marriages end in divorce.”

  “Well, unfortunately, it’s like I told you during our first conversation: I was basically writing what I know. There are so many plot points that have nothing to do with my own life, but there are plenty of scenes in the book that resemble or, in some cases, are almost identical to what happened between my first husband and me. We went through premarital counseling, but for the most part, I think the only reason we did it was because my father insisted on it. At least that was my reason anyway.”

  “It’s probably why even though many young couples do participate in counseling, they never really get to know each other as well as they should before taking their vows. Most people fall in love with the idea of being in love, and they truly believe this is all they’ll ever need to be okay. Thirty years ago, even I was naïve enough to believe that love was all my first husband and I would ever need. But as your character so clearly states in the book, love just isn’t enough. A successful marriage requires so much more than that, and my hope is that when couples, married or engaged, read When the Honeymoon Is Over, they’ll be encouraged to communicate all of their likes, dislikes, and expectations. There is no doubt that we want your novel to entertain readers, which it certainly will, but if people can relate or learn something in the process, this will be all the better.”

  “So, does this mean you’re taking me on? I mean, I assume you are, but…”

  “Yes, absolutely, and I guess I should have said that as soon as I called, right?”

  They both laughed and Alicia said, “I’m just glad you feel so good about it.”

  “You’ve got a winner here, and I’m going to get started on the submission process right away.”

  “Do you have an editor or two in mind?”

  “More like six.”

  “And you think they’ll all be interested?”

  “I do, and I also think we’ll e
nd up having to do what we did with your dad. I’ll set up meetings with each editor and her publishing group and have you fly in to meet with each house individually.”

  Alicia couldn’t believe this was really happening. She was actually going to be a published writer with a real book in real bookstores being read by real readers. This was so implausibly outrageous.

  “What we want,” Joan continued, “is to connect you with a very talented editor who honestly loves your work and who will be committed to helping you make your novel the best that it can be. What we want is to find someone who will allow you to create your characters and story line completely and then offer editing suggestions based on what a general audience will want to see and will be satisfied with. The goal is less about personal preference on the part of the author or the editor and more about selling as many books as possible to as many people as we can. Meaning, we have to give your readers what they want and what they’ll be able to relate to. We have to give them something that they’ll enjoy so much, they’ll rush to tell all their friends and family members about it.”

  “I agree.”

  “The other thing is that while I’m not sure how you’ll feel about this, I’d really like to include something about your father in my cover letters. I can imagine that you probably want to stand on your own merit and not enter the industry as Reverend Curtis Black’s daughter, but because your father is so successful and is loved by so many millions of people, using his name will definitely make a difference for you.”

  Alicia was disappointed. “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to do that.”

  “I totally understand. However, on the other hand, since you write fiction and your dad writes nonfiction, your work will still sell based on the story line, but if your publisher is allowed to include your father’s name with the initial publicity and promotion, it will almost guarantee you a ton of sales right out of the gate.”

  “My husband was saying the same thing a couple of weeks ago, so if you think this is what we should do, then I’m fine with it. You’ve always done right by my dad, so I trust your judgment.”

  “I’m glad. Also, on a side note, I want you to know how discreet I am and how confidential I keep all of my clients’ information. I represent your father and will now be representing you, but I won’t ever discuss your business with your father unless you authorize me to. I would have even asked your permission first before calling to ask him if I could use his name when I contact potential editors, but as it turns out, he began suggesting I do that before you’d even finished writing your novel. He really loves you, Alicia, and one of the last things he said to me was that his hope is that you’ll sell ten times more books than he has.”

  Tears filled Alicia’s eyes. She’d been so angry with her father for being so hard on JT and for not accepting him, but deep down she knew her father loved her more than anything. She knew he wanted to see her happy and would do anything to help her.

  Finally, she said, “My dad is the best, and I appreciate you sharing that with me.”

  “Well, I’d better let you go, but please look for the author-agent agreement that I’ll be overnighting you this afternoon. My signature will be on both copies, and then all you’ll have to do is sign both of them as well and then return one to me. That way, we’ll both have originals.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Oh, and you may already know this, but I take a fifteen percent commission on anything I sell relating to your books, including foreign rights and film rights.”

  “Yes, my dad showed me his contract last year when I first started researching the industry.”

  “Wonderful. Well, it was great speaking to you, and of course, if you have any questions at all, please call me anytime.”

  “I will, and Joan, thanks so much for everything.”

  “It’s my pleasure. Take care.”

  Alicia hung up the phone and said, “Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you, Lord. And thank you for my dad.”

  Before Joan had called, she’d still been furious with her father and hadn’t intended to say much, if anything at all, to him when she stopped by his house this afternoon. But now she looked forward to seeing him. She would have lunch with Melanie and then head straight over there right afterward. She would apologize to her father for not speaking to him for just over two weeks now, and they would go back to being as close as ever. It would seem as if they’d had no spat or disagreement in years.

  Chapter 15

  Girl, can you believe all of this is happening?” Alicia said, dipping one of five jumbo shrimp into a dish of red sauce the waitress had brought with her appetizer. She and Melanie were having lunch at one of their favorite Mitchell restaurants, The Tuxson, and were sitting at a linen-covered table overlooking the river. They would have much preferred to have sat out on the patio rather than near a window, but even though the weather was sunny and in the low seventies, there was still a slight chill in the air.

  “Yes, I believe it, and you know I always said you would be a published novelist someday. And I’m so, so happy for you.”

  “Thanks. My dad’s agent—”

  “You mean your agent,” Melanie said, interrupting her.

  “Excuse me,” Alicia said, beaming. “My agent still has to find a buyer for it, but it doesn’t sound like she’s worried at all.”

  “She’ll sell your work in no time.”

  “I hope so, but I’m just so happy she liked it as much as she did. She had a lot of good things to say about it and was able to tell me why she thought it would do well once it’s in print.”

  “Well, you know I loved the first draft you ever gave me. It’s a page-turner no different than any of the other novels I read, and you know I read a lot. I read just about everything.”

  “Thank you for reading it so many times for me and for giving me some really great suggestions.”

  “You are quite welcome, and as soon as you write another one, I’ll be ready to read that one, too.”

  “Actually, I’ve already started outlining it but still need to think it through a little more.”

  “Well, whenever you finish, I’ll be looking forward to it.”

  “I called my mom when I was driving here, and she sounded prouder than I’ve ever heard her. And JT was ecstatic.”

  “I can only imagine. And what about your dad? Because I know he’s been wanting this for you for a very long time.”

  “I was going to call him, but I decided I would wait and tell him in person later today.”

  “Gosh. I should go over there with you, just so I can see the look on his face. I’m sure it will be priceless because I don’t think I’ve ever met any man who cherishes his daughter the way Dad Curtis cherishes you.”

  “I know.”

  “Which reminds me,” Melanie said, after eating some of her cream of mushroom soup. “Why were you so upset with him?”

  Alicia sighed and relaxed farther into her chair. She wanted to tell Melanie everything, but she just didn’t think she could do it. She would tell her parts of it, though. “I never told you this, but my dad was never happy about my marrying JT.”

  Melanie looked at her but didn’t seem shocked.

  “What?” Alicia said.

  “Nothing really, but when we were at the rehearsal dinner and at the wedding, it was pretty obvious that your father wasn’t very happy. I mean, he didn’t seem angry or sad, but he also didn’t seem excited or like he approved of JT.”

  “Well, if you picked up on that, I’m sure other people did as well.”

  “Why doesn’t he like him?”

  “I think it’s mainly because he loved Phillip and can’t see having any other man as his son-in-law,” she said, knowing this wasn’t even close to being true.

  “That’s too bad.”

  “It really is. Because I love both my father and my husband. But if my father keeps refusing to accept him, then I won’t be seeing my father very much anymore.”

  “Mayb
e you should talk to him.”

  “I have, but the last time we spoke, all we did was argue.”

  “Maybe all your dad needs is some time. Maybe once he sees how in love you and JT are with each other and how well JT treats you, he’ll eventually be okay with everything.”

  “Maybe.”

  “It’ll be fine. You’ll see.”

  Alicia wished she could be sure of that, but she wasn’t. Not when her father kept insisting that JT was no earthly good and was only going to hurt her in the long run. Not if he ever found out about the supposed murder investigation JT had been involved in regarding the death of his first wife.

  But Alicia wouldn’t breathe a word of that to Melanie. Instead, she would pretend that life with JT couldn’t have been better.

  “Well, regardless of what my father thinks, I really couldn’t have asked for a better husband, Mel. He showers me with gifts, and he never complains about anything I do. And best of all, JT is faithful to me. He loves and honors me, and that’s all I expect.”

  “You’re really blessed to have him.”

  “I know, and I’m very thankful. I mean, I was blessed to have Phillip as well and I loved him, but with JT, I get to love him and live in peace. I never have to yell and scream with him or hear him criticizing my spending habits the way Phillip did.”

  “But do you ever think about him?” Melanie asked right when the waitress walked over to them.

  “Can I take this?” the twentysomething, exceptionally tall young woman asked Alicia.

  “Yes, please.”

  “And yours?” she said to Melanie.

  “Yes.”

  “Is there anything else I can get either of you?”

  “No, I think we’re fine,” Melanie said.

  “Yes, we’re good,” Alicia added.

  “Your entrées should be ready shortly,” the woman said, and strutted away.

  “So, back to my question,” Melanie continued. “Do you?”