His First Lady (30 page)

Candy and Daniela gave each other a quick look as Ariel walked around the house admiring it. Daniela leaned close to Candy as she gave Candy her jacket and purse then whispered, “Be on your best behavior.”

“Always, darling.” Candy winked at Daniela.

Ariel removed her thin shawl and handed it and her purse to Candy; holding onto her cellphone.

“No cellphones on ladies night.” Daniela said.

“Oh no; you can have the bag and the shawl but not my phone.” Ariel laughed. Dressed in a short signature red dress, dazzling diamond teardrop earrings and silver stilettos, Ariel looked around before sitting down on Candy’s large white leather sofa. “This feels wonderful, but how do you keep it looking this perfect with children?” She asked feeling the soft leather.

“They’re not allowed in here…ever.” Candy laughed.

Daniela listened to the exchange between Ariel and Candy wondering if she was at the wrong girl’s night function. After finding out about Ariel’s text to Daniela, Candy suggested that she invite Ariel over for a carefree casual evening where they would have a chance to discuss her involvement with Evan’s husband but now it seemed more like Daniela was trapped in a sorority sister’s twilight zone.

“Speaking of the little ones, where are they tonight?” Daniela asked.

“I’m on my own tonight. The kids are spending the night with grandma and Will is out of town,” Candy answered.

“Lucky you,” Ariel said. “And girl thank you for inviting me; it is such a small world,” Ariel said making herself comfortable on Candy’s large white leather sectional. “I can’t believe that you two know each other. When I texted Daniela to see if she wanted to do dinner and she said that you invited her to dinner, I was like, “are you kidding, that’s my soror.”

“All day long, sis,” Candy said leaning over and high fiving Ariel.

Daniela cleared her throat. “That was a crazy coincidence but I’m glad that you could make it,” Daniela said to Ariel.

Candy sat across from the two on a matching white leather chair and crossed her legs. “It’s crazy,” Candy said moving a strand of her sweeping bang out of her eye, “that we’re seeing each other again so soon after we hadn’t seen each other in years. How bizarre is that?”

“I know,” Ariel said.

“Is JMC your church?” Candy asked with a puzzled look.

Ariel nodded. “Sure is, my husband’s a deacon there,” Ariel answered.

Daniela looked at Candy. It was too soon for her to go there so quickly. “Um, Candy. I’m thirsty.”

Candy gave Daniela a sharp look. Daniela could feel the fury from it.

“Dinner is almost ready; can you wait?

Daniela coughed. “My throat is really dry.”

Candy stood up. “Sure, I can get you something to drink if you like,” Candy said staring at Daniela coldly, clearly not appreciating the interruption.

“Please?” Daniela responded.

Candy maintained a smile as she walked out of the living area but Daniela could tell that she would hear about this later.

“Candy, do you mind if I look around?” Ariel yelled out getting up from the sofa.

“Make yourself at home,” Candy yelled back.

Ariel began walking around Candy’s large home, walking first to the large marble fireplace eyeing Candy’s family pictures on top. Daniela stood up and walked toward the kitchen meeting Candy in the hallway on the way back with a tray and three glasses on top.

“Do you need some help?” Daniela asked reaching out for the tray.

Candy stopped and looked around the corner to see if Ariel was standing there. “Why did you interrupt?” She asked in a low tone of rebuke.

“Shush,” Daniela used her hand to tell Candy to lower her voice. “You were starting the conversation too quickly. When you talk to her about Pastor Leon then you need to tread lightly. I want it to be kind not mean spirited.”

“Let me do this,” Candy snapped back in a low whisper.

Daniela looked at the wine glasses on the tray. “Is that alcohol? She can’t drink that.”

“I’m aware of that.” Candy rolled her eyes and bumped Daniela slightly on the shoulder as she walked past her into the living room. Daniela rolled her eyes following behind Candy back into the living area.

“Candy, you have a beautiful family and if your girls don’t look like you? Wow, I love it,” Ariel said still admiring Candy’s home and the large black and white framed photos on the walls.

“Thank you,” Candy said sitting the tray down on the table.

Candy handed Ariel a glass. “You have children, don’t you?”

“I do,” Ariel answered taking the glass from Candy. “Three boys.”

“I’m sure they’re handsome fellas,” Candy said.

Ariel smiled holding the glass while looking at the rest of Candy’s decor. “You know they are.”

Daniela sat back down and took a sip. “Wine?” She looked over at Ariel for her reaction.

“Oh no,” Ariel winced. “Is this alcohol?” She smelled her drink.

Candy smiled. “Just a little wine; not much alcohol. More water than anything.”

“Do you have water?” Ariel asked. “Or juice?”

Candy gave a look of surprise. “Oh sure. I thought I remembered that you loved a good glass of chardonnay. I guess that was so long ago.”

“Not these days,” Ariel said.

Candy smiled. “Oh, okay.” Candy glanced over at Daniela in satisfaction as she walked to the kitchen.

“Daniela, how long have you known Candy?” Ariel asked while still walking and gazing the large living area.

“A few years,” Daniela replied.

“How?”

“Both of our husbands are pastors.”
There, she had said it
.

Ariel quickly looked up at Daniela. She smiled. “You never mentioned that your husband was a pastor.”

Daniela took a sip of her drink. “No, I guess I didn’t.”

Ariel glared at Daniela a moment then back at a bronze eagle statue on a glass stand. “I guess we talked about our children but never what our husband’s did.”

Candy walked in with a glass of ice water and handed it to Ariel.

“I hope you ladies don’t mind Mexican,” Candy said.

“I love Mexican but I can’t imagine you taking the chance for cheese to mess up that gorgeous dress of yours,” Daniela said.

Candy cut her eyes over at Daniela. “I wasn’t talking to you Dani; I know you eat whatever’s offered to you.”

“I love Mexican,” Ariel said sitting back down on the sofa. “Candy, your husband must be preaching up something good to be living like this,” Ariel said looking around the room with a light smirk on her face.

Candy smiled. “He does pretty well.”

“What about your husband Daniela? Are you living like this?” Ariel asked looking over at Daniela.

“Um, we have a bit of a smaller ministry.”

“I guess that means that you have a smaller house,” Ariel said putting her glass of water up to her mouth.

Candy stood up from the chair. “Let’s move to the dining room, shall we?”

The ladies talked and laughed sitting at Candy’s formal dining room table that was adorned with white dinner plates, lit votive candles, and a huge centerpiece of mixed fresh cut flowers that protruded a sweet scent throughout the room.

Candy had disappeared for a moment then returned with a small keepsake box containing old sorority photos that she removed the lid from and placed on the table. “I’m waiting on the enchiladas but look what I found.”

Daniela reached in looking at a few before handing some to Ariel. Within minutes, the ladies were chuckling at old outfits and big haired photos.

“You ladies were a piece of work,” Daniela said.

“You have no idea,” Candy said.

Ariel held up one. “Remember this?” She asked Candy.

Candy grinned looking closer at the picture that Ariel had in her hand. “Yes! We were cleaning up highway 5 and you and Michelle got into a fist fight right there at the Blue star sign.”

Candy and Ariel laughed.

Daniela chuckled in curiosity with them. “What happened?”

Ariel shrugged as she continued looking through the photos. “Michelle was one of our sisters who was just jealous that her boyfriend seemed to pay more attention to me than he did to her. We had words, she slapped me and I slapped her harder.”

“That was a mess,” Candy said. “It took a long time for you two to get over that one.”

“Did you two ever make up?” Daniela asked.

Ariel laughed. “I told her bye when she moved out of the sorority house, if that counts.”

Candy got up from the table. “Girl, you were something else. Let me check on the enchiladas.”

When Candy walked out, Ariel leaned over to Daniela. “Does she know that I’m pregnant?”

“Did you tell her?” Daniela asked not wanting to lie.

“No, not yet.”

Candy walked back into the dining room. “Everything’s ready if you ladies are hungry.”

Daniela raised her hand. “I’m over ready. I’m starved.”

Candy brought out the enchiladas, chicken tacos, and nachos with cheese. Daniela loved when Candy cooked because she did it so well. And she was pleased that the night wasn’t going anything like she’d expected. She had been nervous for no reason because Candy was on her best behavior.

Candy handed Ariel the serving spatula. Ariel stood up and wasted no time placing an enchilada on her plate from the serving dish. “Candy, do you have a little Mexican lady hiding in your kitchen because this looks quite authentic?”

Candy seemed to force a smile. “Nope, it’s all me.”

Ariel placed a forkful of a cheesy enchilada in her mouth and closed her eyes in delight. “Girl, this is delicious. You know you can’t feed a pregnant girl food like this?”

Candy sat down and gave Ariel a manipulative look of surprise. “Pregnant?”

The room got quiet. “That’s how I met Daniela,” Ariel looked over and smiled at Daniela.

“Congratulations!” Candy said cheerfully placing a taco on her plate then glaring over at Ariel. “Your husband must be really excited. Maybe you’ll finally get that girl.”

Ariel shook her head. “Oh no, I’m not interested in raising any more children. I’m actually giving this baby to his father. I want no part of this. I’ve never been the maternal type anyway. I’ll tell anybody that I had my boys for Rick just because he couldn’t.”

“Okay,” Candy said, “I’m completely confused.”

Ariel put her finger up telling Candy to wait until she chewed up her food. Ariel wiped her mouth with one of the peach cloth napkins while both Candy and Daniela’s eyes were fixed on her.

Ariel laughed. “Keep up…I’m pregnant by my married childless boyfriend whose wife thinks they’re adopting a stranger’s baby. There I said it.” She threw her arms up.

Candy shook her head. “Oh, that’s some crazy Maury mess,” Candy said with a snicker.

Daniela looked quickly over at Candy who seemed overjoyed that the subject had finally been raised providing her an open door. Daniela knew this was what Candy had been waiting for and now the delicious looking Mexican meal was going to be a waste.

Candy stopped in the middle of preparing her plate and eyed Ariel. “Let me get this straight. You’re married with 3 boys and now you’re pregnant by your boyfriend whose wife doesn’t know about you.”

Ariel nodded with a grin.

“Does your husband know?” Candy asked.

“No way, he got clipped after our twins.” Ariel bit off of a nacho chip.

There was brief silence before Candy let out a hearty laugh and did so until she had tears in her eyes. “Ariel, this is so you. How did you manage to get caught up in this? And what are you going to do after the baby is born?”

Ariel looked over at Daniela then at Candy. “I’m not caught up. It’s actually works out well. Both of my men are great and I’m very happy.”

Daniela looked at Candy and didn’t like the look she saw emerging on her face. Daniela picked up a couple of nachos and dipped them in the melted cheese remaining outside of the conversation.

“Oh,” Candy chuckled, “so his wife is actually adopting her husband’s illegitimate child?”

Ariel leaned her head slightly to the side eyeing Candy sarcastically. “Yeah, I guess.” Ariel laughed.

Candy wrinkled her forehead “Who is this guy?”

Ariel paused, “He’s well known, I will say that. And he takes pretty good care of me.” Ariel placed a well-manicured finger to her ear and playfully flipped her diamond earring to show off.

Candy admired the sparkler and winked. “He has good taste.” Candy brought the chicken taco up to her mouth. “How well known?”

Ariel laughed. “You’re so nosey.”

“You’re telling so I’m asking,” Candy said bluntly.

Ariel took a second as if to wonder whether she should provide any more information. “I don’t know if I should say it because I don’t know how you two will take it.”

“We’re not here to judge you,” Daniela said.

Candy grinned. “As long as it’s not my husband.”

Ariel laughed and looked around Candy’s home. “You have nothing to worry about because if you get this just for popping out babies then that man is kept.”

Candy laughed then leaned toward Ariel. “Then who is he?”

Ariel pushed her playfully and laughed. “Get back over there.”

Candy seemed restless. “At least tell us what he does for a living to give you such nice gifts.”

“Um,” Ariel looked down at her plate. “He’s a pastor,” Ariel said.

“Hmm,” Candy said as if shocked. “You are a brave girl.”

Ariel leaned on her arm with her hand to her face on the table. “Why?”

“If it were me, I’d think that God was going to strike me dead,” Candy said, “any minute.”

Daniela interrupted, feeling courageous to ask what she had wanted to know. “Do you feel bad about it?”

“I don’t think about it. The pastor gets his needs met and so do I, so it works out for everybody.”

The room became silent. Ariel resumed eating as if what she had said meant nothing.

“It couldn’t be my husband’s church,” Candy said dipping nachos.

“It could be anybody’s church,” Ariel said wiping her mouth with her napkin. Ariel’s cellphone vibrated. She grabbed it from the table and looked at the text. “Ladies, I’ll be right back; I need to make a call,” Ariel said standing up and walking back into the living room.