Love, Honor, and Betray Read online

  As they stepped closer, Charlotte knew this was going to make for an awkward situation because while she did love her husband and would have loved nothing more than to make up with him, she wasn’t about to sit with him and his daughter. If she could have had things her way, she would speak and pass on by them. But so much for that.

  “Hey, baby, I didn’t know you were coming here for lunch,” Curtis said, smiling. “So, why don’t you join us?”

  “Mommy!” Curtina sang with excitement. “Yeaaahhhh, Mommy.”

  Charlotte wanted to vanish. Literally.

  “Is that what you’d like to do, ma’am?” the maître d’ asked. “Would you like to sit here with your husband and beautiful little daughter?”

  “Of course she does,” Curtis said.

  “That’ll be fine,” the man said, patting Curtina on the head and then pulling the chair out for Charlotte.

  Charlotte gave the man a half smile. “Thank you.”

  “No problem, and enjoy.”

  “Baby, I’m really sorry about the argument we had this morning, and I’m really glad to see you.”

  Charlotte didn’t know what to say or how she should have felt, but there was one thing she did know. No matter how hard Curtina kept trying to get her attention, which was what she was trying her best to do at this very moment, Charlotte refused to make eye contact with her.

  Curtis picked up his menu. “I was just about to order, but I’ll wait until you decide what you want, too.”

  “I’m really not that hungry anymore.”

  Curtis slightly frowned, confused. “Then why did you come?”

  “Because I wanted to spend some time with just myself.”

  Curtis didn’t comment, but she could tell his feelings were hurt. His eyes conveyed much disappointment.

  So they sat in silence until the waitress came to take their orders.

  “What can I get for you, ma’am?”

  “Actually, my water is fine for now. I may order something later, though,” Charlotte said, but she knew she wouldn’t.

  “For you, sir?”

  “I’ll have the Chilean sea bass,” he said, then looked at Curtina. “And what about you, my beautiful little princess?”

  Everything was so hunky-dory with the two of them, and Charlotte was irritated.

  “I’ll tell you what. She’ll have the gourmet cheese pizza.”

  “She’ll love that,” the waitress added. “All the kids do.”

  “Wonderful.”

  The waitress turned to Charlotte again. “Are you sure I can’t get you anything? Maybe an appetizer or a salad?”

  “No, I’m good. Really.”

  As soon as she left the table, Curtis leaned back in his chair. “So, what do you have planned for the rest of the afternoon?”

  “I haven’t really decided on anything specific.”

  “Do you wanna go with Curtina and me to the movies? There’s some kiddie movie playing, so I figured I would take her.”

  Charlotte shook her head no, becoming more and more uncomfortable by the minute.

  “Mommy, look,” Curtina said, but Charlotte looked away from the table. “Mommy, look,” she repeated.

  Charlotte still ignored her, but she could see Curtis through her peripheral vision, eyeing her and waiting to see if she was planning to say anything. When she didn’t, he spoke up.

  “Yes, sweetheart, Daddy sees it. You did an amazing job, and Daddy is very proud of you.”

  “No, want Mommy.”

  Curtis looked at Charlotte. “Baby, do you hear her talking to you?”

  Charlotte finally looked at Curtina, but only quick enough to see the sheet of paper she was holding up, the one she’d been coloring on.

  “That’s nice, Curtina,” she forced herself to say. Thankfully, that seemed to satisfy Curtina, and she went back to drawing. When Charlotte had first sat down, she hadn’t even noticed any crayons or a coloring sheet, but it was probably because she’d made it a point not to look in Curtina’s direction.

  Charlotte drank more of her water and set the glass back down. There was more awkward silence, but Curtis tried to make conversation with her again.

  “So you are planning to be at the business meeting tomorrow night, aren’t you?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t know. I guess it depends on how I feel.”

  Curtis didn’t say anything else, and before long, the waitress brought out his and Curtina’s food. Charlotte looked on as they began eating, for all of thirty seconds, and then said, “I just remembered. I have some errands to run, so I’ll see you when you get home.”

  “Baby, please don’t do this,” Curtis said.

  But she stood up anyway, told him she was sorry, and then made her way to the entrance. She left the building and decided to do something she hadn’t done in years—drive over to one of her favorite jazz clubs in Chicago to have a few drinks.

  Chapter 7

  Interestingly enough, Jazzy’s, a quaint little establishment out in Covington Park, one of the South suburbs, still looked exactly the same, and Charlotte was excited. So much so, she couldn’t wait to go inside and enjoy herself, and she was glad she’d gone home to change into a very tight-fitting, above-the-knee, sleeveless dress. It was barely above twenty degrees, but since she had on one of the five full-length furs she owned, she didn’t feel a thing.

  When she turned off the new silver Mercedes Curtis had purchased for her birthday last year, she was sort of hesitant about getting out and going in because she knew Curtis wouldn’t approve of her being at a place like this. But then she quickly thought, Why should I care how Curtis feels when he’s made it perfectly clear that my feelings don’t mean anything?

  Charlotte locked her doors, headed toward the building, and entered it. She scanned the seating area, spotted a vacant booth, and then removed her coat and took a seat. She was starting to relax already.

  “Welcome to Jazzy’s,” the fifty-something woman said. “What can I get for you?”

  “Well, since I’m practically starving, I think I’ll have your specialty. The Jazzy Burger, medium, and the homemade fries. But before that, I’ll have a glass of Zinfandel.”

  “Coming right up.”

  The Jazzy Burger was by far the juiciest burger Charlotte had ever tasted, and to this day she’d never eaten an order of fries that could compare to those they made here. Actually, ever since she’d married Curtis and had begun frequenting mainly upscale restaurants for dinner, she never really got a chance to eat like this very often. She never had much opportunity to eat badly, but tonight was going to be different. Tonight was her night to do whatever she wanted, and she felt relieved.

  The jazz band played magnificently, and Charlotte leaned forward onto her elbows and exhaled. It just didn’t get much better than this, and until now she’d had no idea how much she missed going out from time to time. She missed having the kind of fun she’d once had pretty regularly before agreeing to marry Curtis.

  When her dinner arrived, Charlotte ate and watched all the people who were still coming in, as well as those who were already dancing, eating, and having a great time. She was truly enjoying herself, and this wouldn’t be the last time she came here.

  The waitress stopped at her table again. “So how was it?”

  “Excellent. The best burger ever.”

  “That it is. Can I get you anything else?”

  “Yes. Another glass of wine, please.”

  Charlotte swayed to the music but looked up when a man at least in his seventies stopped in front of her.

  “Good God Almighty. Girl, you look good enough to eat, and back in my prime I woulda showed you somethin’.”

  Charlotte couldn’t help laughing.

  “You think it’s funny, but shoot. Back in the day, a woman who looked as good as you coulda had all my money and anything else she wanted. Even now, I feel like gettin’ down on the ground and barkin’ l
ike a dog. Especially if I thought I had a chance with your fine self.”

  “I’m very flattered, and thank you for the compliment. But as you can see,” she said, flashing her wedding ring, “I’m married.”

  “I can respect that, and your husband’s a lucky man. I’m still disappointed, though.”

  “Sorry,” Charlotte said, smiling.

  The man looked her up and down. “Mm, mm, mm. Girl, girl, girl,” he said and then walked out of the club.

  Charlotte laughed again because it was this kind of thing that made her feel right at home. Years ago, older men had always tried to come at her. She loved older men, which was the reason she’d always been so attract­ed to Curtis, but not graveyard old. Ten to fifteen years was enough for her.

  She drank her second glass of wine, but it wasn’t long before another man stopped at her table. This one, though, was maybe in his late forties and looked good.

  “So, how are you this evening?” he said.

  “I’m well. And you?”

  “I’m good. And if you don’t mind my saying so, you’re absolutely beautiful.”

  “Why thank you. You’re very kind.”

  “I’ve been watching you from afar all night, so I figured I’d come see if you wanted to dance.”

  Charlotte knew she shouldn’t, but then she replayed that whole restaurant scene with Curtis and Curtina and then pictured Curtis in bed with Tabitha, and she said yes before she realized it.

  The man led her out to the dance floor. However, it wasn’t until he took her into his arms that she noticed what kind of song the band was playing. It was a slow one, the kind she should dance to only with her husband. It was too late, though, to do anything about it now, so she followed his steps and relaxed.

  That is, until the man whispered in her ear. “You know, I have to say I’m a little shocked to see such a well-known pastor’s wife hanging out in a place like this.”

  Charlotte’s stomach churned fiercely. She was stunned.

  “I mean, you’re bold, and I really like that.”

  Charlotte was speechless and the most she could do was swallow the huge lump in her throat.

  The man pulled slightly back and looked at her. “Oh, come on now. Don’t tell me you thought no one would recognize you.”

  “As a matter of fact, I didn’t. I grew up not far from here, but I haven’t lived in this area since I was twenty years old and was out on my own.”

  “Well, I can guarantee you that I’m not the only one who spotted you because I heard two women over at the bar saying they were pretty sure you were Curtis Black’s wife.”

  Charlotte fell silent again.

  “But don’t feel bad,” the man said. “Because as far as I’m concerned, you should be able to go anywhere you please.”

  “It’s not that simple when you’re talking about the church. If this gets back to our congregation, they’ll have a field day with it.”

  The man laughed. “Well, if you want, we could get out of here and go somewhere private.”

  “No, I don’t think so,” she said, but what scared her was the idea that she had to think for a few seconds before finally turning him down. Maybe, though, it was the alcohol she’d been drinking.

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m positive.”

  The song ended, and the man walked her back to her booth. “Thanks for the dance.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Charlotte leaned her head back, wondered if she’d made a mistake in coming here, and then beckoned for her waitress.

  “Having a good time?”

  “I really am. And I’ll have another glass of wine, too.”

  “Coming right up.”

  Charlotte couldn’t remember the last time she’d ordered three glasses of anything in one evening, but it felt good. So good that when she remembered what a shambles her life was in and how miserable it had been making her, she took her drinking choice to another level. Zinfandel was nice but soon she ordered a glass of Long Island iced tea and felt like she was on top of the world. She felt a little dizzy, but right now she wouldn’t trade this euphoric feeling for anything. She loved it and didn’t want it to end.

  Another hour passed, and Charlotte decided it was time to head home. She still felt a little light-headed, but not so much that she couldn’t drive back to Mitchell. After all, it was only ninety miles, and at this time of night there wouldn’t be any traffic to complain about. On the other hand, since she’d been drinking a lot more than normal, maybe it was best to just crash at her parents’ house, as they lived maybe ten minutes away. She didn’t want them seeing her in an intoxicated state, but she also didn’t want to be caught driving under the influence, nor did she want to hurt anyone.

  So, yes, spending the night with her parents was a much better idea. Curtis wouldn’t be happy about her absence, especially since he had no idea where she was anyway, but he would just have to deal with it. If he couldn’t, well, then it was just too bad.

  Chapter 8

  Curtis was completely beside himself. Last night, when it had gotten to be pretty close to midnight, he’d become worried and had begun calling Charlotte’s cell phone. He’d called several times. She’d never answered, though, so he’d then called Janine, and Charlotte’s aunt Emma. They hadn’t heard from her either, so finally, he’d called her parents around three a.m. Her mother, Noreen, had summoned her to the phone, and after the first few words she’d spoken he’d known for sure that she’d been drinking. Not once had he imagined that this issue with Curtina would cause Charlotte to resort to doing such a thing, but now he knew this matter was serious and that she wasn’t planning to get over it. Worse, while very short, their conversation hadn’t gone very well and Charlotte had hung up without even saying good-bye.

  Now, as he sat in his office at the church, he decided to try her again.

  “Hello,” Noreen answered.

  “Hey, how are you? Is Charlotte still there?”

  “She is. Let me get her for you.”

  Curtis waited maybe a minute before Charlotte picked up on another extension.

  “Hello?”

  “Where were you last night?”

  Charlotte sighed loudly, already irritated with him. “I was out.”

  “Out where?”

  “Just out.”

  “Out drinking?”

  “Curtis, please. I’m really not in the mood for all these questions, so if you don’t mind, I’m going back to bed.”

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “Doing what?”

  “Hanging out and getting drunk?”

  “You know what? If I were you, I wouldn’t worry about it. What I would do is continue focusing solely on your precious little Curtina the same as you’ve been doing for weeks now.”

  “I just don’t understand you. I don’t get your attitude at all.”

  “And I don’t get yours either.”

  “Well, let me tell you this,” he said. “I’m not about to be okay with you staying out to the wee hours of the morning whenever you feel like it. I won’t stand for it, Charlotte, so I suggest you make last night your final night hanging out like some street person.”

  “Excuse me? Because I just know you’re not trying to play daddy to me. You can play daddy to that little heifer you call your daughter, but sweetheart, I’m a grown woman. A full-grown woman who will do whatever she pleases whenever she gets ready to.”

  “‘Heifer’?”

  “Well, it’s not like I whispered it, so I know you heard me.”

  “The only heifer I can think of right now is your little ignorant drunk behind.”

  “Ignorant?”

  “Like you just said, it’s not like I whispered it, so I know you heard me.”

  “Jackass,” Charlotte said and slammed the phone down.

  Curtis pressed the Off button on his phone, leaned back in his leather chair, and rubbed both his hands from the top of his head to his neck. He was so l
ivid with Charlotte, but he was also devastated because reality had finally set in. He wasn’t sure how they’d ever be able to work out their differences, especially since there was no way he could ever stop being a father to his daughter and wasn’t planning to. He even hated having to leave Curtina this morning when he’d had to come to the church, and he would always be indebted to Aunt Emma for agreeing to keep her. He’d finally explained to Aunt Emma how bad things were between him and Charlotte, and Aunt Emma had told him she would keep Curtina whenever he needed her to. She’d retired a couple of years back and said she was glad to have the company.

  Curtis heard a knock at his door and looked up. “Come in.”

  “Hey, Pastor,” Lana, his longtime executive assistant, said. She was also the woman Curtis looked to for motherly advice, as she treated him more like a son than her boss. “Here are the revisions to the agenda that Elder Jamison wanted me to give you. We had one of the other girls make the changes and print all-new copies, so we should be all set for this evening.”

  “Good. And Lana, if you don’t mind, can you shut the door and have a seat for a few minutes?”

  “Sure, Pastor.” Lana did as he’d asked and then sat in front of Curtis’s desk.

  “I really need to talk to you about Charlotte.”

  Lana nodded. “Okay.”

  “Long story short, she hates Curtina and is demanding that I send her to live somewhere else.”

  “Well, as much as I hate to say it, I’m not surprised.”

  “Really? Why?”

  “Because whenever I see Charlotte and Curtina in the same room, I can always tell Charlotte isn’t very happy. Oh, she always does a very good job of pretending, but I’ve always seen right through it. Although, I’m not sure I thought she hated her. Just disliked her and didn’t want her around.”

  “Well, she does hate her, and she now treats Curtina pretty badly. Even in front of Matthew and me.”