The Believer Read online

  “I am.”

  “Well, we aren’t,” Rick retorted.

  Greg looked over at him and shook his head. “I appreciate you, gentlemen,” he said, standing.

  Deacon Howard laughed at Greg and Rick’s antics as he headed toward the office door. “I’ll see you later Pastor,” Deacon Howard hugged Greg.

  Minister Byron opened the office door and turned to shake Greg’s hand. “Okay, I’ll see you fellas later,” the heavyset man called, walking out with his belly preceding him.

  Greg turned around and looked at Rick who was still sitting in his chair. “And to answer your question, I’m not interested in a bigger office. This suits me just fine.”

  Rick groaned. “Relax.”

  Greg sat back in his chair. “How are you and the boys doing?” It was evident from the look on Rick’s face that the question had taken Rick to another place. Rick looked over at Greg. “You know, we’re doing better. The boys are finally laughing again, playing, doing well in school, having fun but I make sure to talk about their mom every day so they never forget her.”

  Greg nodded. Although it had been a few years since Ariel’s death, it was obvious that Rick still felt it. From the firsthand experience of having lost Cara, Greg knew that with time the pain would lessen until it didn’t quite hurt so much. He was blessed to have Evan and no matter how much he fought her matchmaking, he did agree that Rick deserved to be happy.

  “How about having dinner with Evan and me? She keeps hounding me to ask you over.”

  Rick smiled. “I’d like that. The boys will like that.”

  “Um,” Greg hesitated, “this one is for the adults, if you can find a sitter.”

  Rick’s brows lifted. “Find a sitter? Who else is invited?”

  “I mean,” Greg paused, “you know how Evan is; she’s also inviting Mimi over.”

  Rick’s eyes widened then he shook his head. “What? Oh no.”

  Greg sighed. “Come on, man.”

  Rick sat up straight in the chair. “You must be kidding. That woman is crazy; if you’re trying to set me up with her then no thanks.”

  “It’s dinner, not a date,” Greg protested.

  “Look Greg, don’t get me wrong, she’s a beautiful girl but she’s rigid and bossy and I don’t like the way she talks to my boys.”

  Greg smiled. “She loves your boys.”

  “She’s constantly targeting my boys, telling them not to run in the church and all that,” Rick shook his head. “Naw, no thanks.”

  Greg grinned. “I’ve told your boys not to run in the church because they’re always running in the church.”

  “That’s different. Besides, I’m not trying to date right now.”

  “I understand but I wasn’t trying to ask you to date her. Don’t forget I know how you feel but it’s okay to be happy again. God wants you to be. If nothing more, it’s a free dinner and don’t forget I know how you like free.”

  Rick laughed. “Sounds tempting but I’m hungry right now; want to grab a bite?”

  “I can’t. I’ve got an appointment shortly,” Greg said. “But think about what I said.”

  Rick stood up and walked to the door. “I just did and the answer is still no.”

  “Get outta here,” Greg said with a smile.

  Mimi held up a black cocktail dress. “Isn’t this gorgeous?”

  Shifting Gracie in her arms, Evan turned away from the cream blouse she was admiring and looked in Mimi’s direction. A smile swept over Evan’s face at seeing the little black dress Mimi held up. She strapped Gracie inside her stroller before walking over to Mimi who had placed the dress against her body and twirled.

  “So gorgeous,” Evan answered.

  Mimi took a deep breath. “I love it. I think I’ll treat myself. I haven’t actually done that in a while.”

  “You should, it’ll look great on you. Maybe you can wear it on your next date. When was the last time you went out anyway?”

  “A couple of weeks ago,” Mimi rolled her eyes, “and it was awful. That guy Steven from the singles ministry; we had one date and I stopped taking his calls. I actually thought about changing my phone number.”

  Evan recalled the conversation between the two women after that date. “Yes, he was a little strange.”

  “Strange? I kept looking for his horns to pop out. It was awful,” Mimi said still looking at the dress.

  The women laughed loudly, causing unappreciative shoppers to stare.

  “Greg and I were talking and we’d like to invite you to have dinner with us.”

  Mimi started to look excited then her expression fell flat. She stopped, stared at Evan, and crossed her arms. “Who else are you inviting?”

  “Rick,” Evan replied unassumingly looking at clothes on the rack and avoiding Mimi’s eyes.

  “Rick?” Mimi asked with her already large doe shaped eyes stretched wide. “Are you just inviting the two of us?”

  “Is that a problem?” Evan asked.

  Mimi laughed. “Yes! Whatever campaign you’ve waged to try and set us up can be called off right now. He’s definitely not my type at all,” Mimi said adamantly.

  Evan lifted her palms, attempting to calm Mimi. “He’s a nice guy.”

  Mimi sighed. “Ariel created a monster and left him to fend for himself. I just can’t deal with that.”

  “Mimi, really?” Evan tilted her head in disappointment. “Don’t say things like that. Besides you’re both single Christians, so what’s the harm?”

  Mimi stared, mouth agape. “Do I look that desperate? Men actually do ask me out and think I’m attractive.”

  “Of course, I know how beautiful you are and I know that men are always asking you out but it couldn’t hurt you to have dinner with him. He’s actually a good guy.”

  “His kids are awful. They’re so disrespectful. I caught one of them taking ice out of the ice bin in the church kitchen and throwing it at some kid in the hall. Rick’s seen them do things and he doesn’t say a word and the thought that he was once married to Ariel just makes me want to vomit.”

  Evan gave Mimi a side eye. “You told me that you were praying for God to give you patience. Kids take patience.”

  “I don’t think God would throw me into that pack of hyenas to teach me patience. And I’m not speaking ill of the dead but I remember Rick and Ariel together and it was kind of pathetic.”

  “It’s dinner. I’m not asking you to marry him.”

  “Absolutely not; no thank you,” Mimi said, picking up another dress and looking it over. “You’re just going to have to find another desperate old maid to set him up with.”

  Chapter 14

  Mimi yawned as she took off the Nike cross trainers that she wore all day and collapsed on her sofa. It had been a long day at the center. She loved being there although it certainly wasn’t paying her what she had been making at the church. Still, helping out part time at JMC helped make up some of the difference. She wasn’t there for the money; it was the joy of helping the women and children and seeing her best friend make her dream come true. She felt like it was where God had led her to be.

  Mimi closed her eyes as she rested her head on the sofa cushion. She thought about starting the kettle for tea but the thought of moving seemed too daunting a task. It wasn’t tea that she really wanted; she wanted a chilled glass of Pink Merlot. She would take a long hot shower, pull the blinds and walk around her condo completely nude with her wine and with Kenny G playing his saxophone in the background. It all sounded so good if she weren’t so tired.

  Her doorbell ringing causing her eyes to pop open. She groaned loudly. She didn’t want to move and she didn’t want to see anybody. She was tired. It rung again. Whoever is there is relentless and brutal, she thought.

  “Okay, I’m coming.” She slowly forced her body up off from the sofa and walk to the door. She snatched open the door not bothering to look out the peephole because with the way she was feeling, if the Lord said it was time to go home, t
hen she was tired enough not to fight Him today.

  “Hello, Ms. Ernestine,” Mimi forced a weak smile.

  Ernestine had a worried look on her face. “Oh my dear, are you sick? You look just awful. I apologize for bothering you.”

  Ms. Ernestine, who was well into her seventies, was brilliantly honest and Mimi couldn’t even be upset at her. “No, ma’am. I just got home. I’m just very tired.”

  The heavily made-up rich widow looked concerned. “Mimi, I have something that will help you feel better if you don’t mind; thirty-year-old rum. Please give me an excuse to open it.” The harshly tanned Jewish woman flipped her platinum white hair away from her eyes.

  Mimi smiled. “No thank you, Ernestine.”

  “My husband would kill me if he knew I was planning to open it. I bet he hates that he died before me.”

  Mimi chuckled just a little; she certainly was a crass seventy-plus. “He probably does hate that, Ms. Ernestine.” Mimi then took a deep breath, wondering if Ernestine needed something, not wanting to be rude and ask.

  Ernestine held out an envelope. “I meant to bring you this letter. It got mixed up in my mail a couple of weeks back and I’ve been meaning to get it to you.”

  Mimi took it from Ernestine’s hand and noticed that the letter addressed to her was ripped open. Mimi looked up at her for an explanation.

  “I opened it by mistake, dear. It’s long and he rambled but…what can I say?” She held her hands up as if expecting Mimi to take her explanation as it was. “I apologize for that too.”

  Mimi looked down at the opened envelope and back at Ernestine, “Its fine, Ms. Ernestine. Thank you.”

  “I’ll be seeing you Mimi, get some rest.”

  Mimi waved at Ernestine before closing the door. She looked at the envelope to see if she recognized the return address but because Ernestine had ripped the envelope open that she thought was hers, Mimi couldn’t read it. Mimi shook her head, sat cross-legged on the sofa and pulled the letter out.

  Dear Mimi,

  I didn’t know if I should write you. I never know if I should but I am. I think about you day and night. I think of what I should have done, how I should have talked to you, how I should have done things differently. But I want you to know how much I love you and I know you deserve better than me but I pray to God that you can forgive me…..

  A tear ran down Mimi’s cheek as she finished reading Aaron’s three page letter. It was what she had needed years ago when he left her devastated and heartbroken. She wiped her face and stared at the letter for a moment. She closed her eyes as more tears fell. Why did he still have this effect on her after all of these years and after so much tragedy that he was responsible for? The last sentence requested that she write back. She didn’t know if she could. Then again, she had waited years for him to know exactly what she was feeling.

  Chapter 15

  Greg had told Evan how beautiful she was before she left home. The Nordstrom Clinique counter perfected her face with a natural makeup on her mocha skin, darkened the eyelashes surrounding her large brown eyes and left her with lightly glistening blushed lips. After pinning her stretched curls in a perfect messy bun, Evan had been hopeful, even confident, leaving home. Now, standing in Nina’s driveway wearing a fitted sleeveless black jumpsuit, she fingered the single strand of pearls around her neck nervously.

  Feeling guilty that she wasn’t filled with the exhilaration that she’d hoped, Evan stared at Nina’s two-story brick home that she always thought looked like a builder’s model house. She wondered what the First Ladies would say upon seeing her since she’d ignored their efforts to contact her in recent years. With her life having been newsworthy for three years straight during Leon’s arrest and trial, she had seen them only briefly except for the incidence of Candy's funeral She had avoided holding any real conversations with them even then.

  Evan took a deep breath and put one foot in front of the other. The walk from the driveway to Nina’s front door was far enough that it gave her plenty of time to straighten out her wobbly knees before ringing the doorbell. From what she knew of the First Ladies she wasn’t expecting judgment but that didn’t diminish the internal embarrassment brought on by the public humiliation of her ugly ordeal being broadcast on the 6 o’clock news.

  Please give me strength, Father God. Evan held her chin up and began walking up the long driveway, passing cars that she recognized as belonging to some of the First Ladies. With a planted smile on her face, it was sink or swim and she had come too far to drown.

  The hostess opened the front door wearing a carefree breezy tan lounge suit and with a sweet smile on her face as if having waited a long time for Evan’s arrival. “I’m so glad to see you, ” Evan said. Her heels clinking against the stone tiled floors, Evan could hear the ladies voices in another room as she stepped into the house and Nina closed the door.

  Nina gave Evan a huge hug before the other ladies walked into the foyer to greet her. With the ladies quickly approaching, Nina leaned in close to Evan’s ear, “Relax, the ladies know that there will be no deep conversations tonight; just a good fellowship,” she whispered. Evan smiled.

  “Oh my!” A loud shriek from across the room caused Evan to look behind Nina at Kristy who was running up to her.

  Nina stepped aside as Kristy, eight months pregnant, pulled Evan as close to her as she could with her protruding belly. “Hello sister.”

  “It’s so good to see you,” Evan said hugging her, “all of you.”

  Kristy stepped back. “I know you didn’t have a baby nine months ago. You look absolutely amazing,” she said, looking Evan over like a proud mother.

  Evan smiled. Kristy, whose face was still makeup free, looked funny with the big basketball belly on her stick thin body. “Wow, congratulations...again.”

  “Thank you, our fourth,” Kristy responded rubbing her belly. “Only 13 months apart. Lord help us.”

  “I know, and little Krissy is beautiful, I saw the pics that you posted online,” Evan said.

  Seducca walked up beside Kristy and reached out for Evan’s arm, pulling her away with the slightest roll of her eyes. “Hey girl.” Seducca wrapped her arms around Evan. “How are you?” Evan looked in Nina's direction to find her smiling proudly at her before walking off toward the kitchen. “I am…” Evan started, adjusting to the ladies eyes on her, “wonderful by the grace of God.”

  “Oh girl, I already knew that,” Seducca said. “That snake couldn’t take you out. I knew you would come out stronger and better than ever.”

  Evan smiled. Sed definitely hadn’t changed; she still said what was on her mind. Evan looked at the woman who was still beautiful in her dark jeans, heels and a gray blouse. What was more, her hair was as enviable as ever and her jewelry still blinged louder than any other in the room.

  Daniela walked up beside the ladies, grabbing Evan’s hands. “How are you sweetie?” Daniela asked. “I’m so glad to see you. I hope you brought plenty of pictures of Gracie.”

  Evan held up her clutch where the pictures were stashed. “Of course,” Evan said squeezing Daniela’s hands. The pretty Latina was still as mild mannered as she always was.

  Seducca cleared her throat loudly. “Let’s all move into the living room and out of the walkway, shall we?” she said as she shooed them out of the foyer.

  Daniela looked at Evan and winked as she took her by the hand and ushered her into the living room. It had been so long since Evan visited Nina’s home that it seemed almost as foreign as it had the very first time. Some things had changed, like new furnishings and drapery, but some things remained the same like the mass museum look and feel.

  Kree was sitting on Nina’s large brown leather sofa when Evan walked into the massive living space. Seeing Evan walk in, she immediately stood up with her signature bright smile. “Hey you!” she walked up to Evan. “It’s been a long time,” she said. She gave Evan an air kiss.

  “Kree, how are you?” Evan asked returning the same madden
ing air kiss.

  Sophisticated as always in an above the knee blue chiffon dress, Kree had traded her previously big bleached blonde look for a more natural auburn shoulder length cut. The heavy makeup and jewelry were still evident and perhaps even heavier now.

  “Look at you,” Kree said looking in Evan’s eyes. “We’re so proud and happy for you with everything.”

  “That means so much to me, Kree,” Evan said, meaning every word but feeling like a recorder and glad that the awkward rejoining of the group was out of the way.

  Kree rubbed her palms together. “Now, let’s see that baby girl.”

  Walking out of her kitchen, Nina clapped her hands to get their attention. “Ladies, Linda and Taylor are ten minutes away so would anybody like anything to drink while we wait? Tea?”

  Seducca raised her hand, “Prophetess Taylor is on the way? Oh, I need some alcohol please.”

  Nina looked at Seducca and shook her head. Evan smiled. Not much has changed.

  Chapter 16

  Not accepting any of the ladies assistance with the meal, Nina looked quite satisfied as they fawned over the gorgeous décor of the dining room and the captivating aromas exuding from the kitchen. Evan walked around the long shiny mahogany dining table looking for her name card that was beautifully written in black calligraphy. She found her seat beside Nina at the head of the table and out of the direct range of fire. Thank you again, Lord.

  Evan watched the ladies pass pictures of Gracie around with their oohs and ahhs. She was back and it felt good to be with the First Ladies again. The doorbell rang and Nina, who was wiping her hand on a cloth after placing a covered dish on the table, immediately walked out of the dining room to get the door.

  Evan heard the same high energy greetings, recognizing the voices as that of Linda and assuming the other was Taylor as the other ladies kept passing around pictures of Gracie. Nina, Linda and Taylor walked into the dining area.