His First Lady (37 page)

“Hold up!” Candy yelled standing up.

“No, you hold up!” Daniela yelled back at Candy pointing her finger at her.

“Everybody calm down!” Rob held his hands up. Everyone settled down as if suddenly coming to their senses.

Candy looked at Daniela. “Dani, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Am I lying, Candy?” Daniela asked glaring at Candy.

Candy grimaced. “Sweetie, if you think it’s true in your mind then you won’t believe me if I did say that you were lying.”

Daniela sat open mouthed at Candy’s comment. “Are you serious? You slammed your Range Rover into Ariel and she died Friday night. They found her body in a landfill.”

Candy took a deep breath and began rubbing Will’s arm. “What! Are you insane?” Candy laughed. “Maybe you dreamt this.”

“It wasn’t a dream and you know it.” Daniela frowned.

Candy threw her hands up. “I think we’ve entertained this long enough. My husband is tired and I don’t appreciate you coming into our home with these awful accusations that sound like something from the Twilight zone. This is crazy!”

Rob began to grow angrier. “This is getting us nowhere.” He turned to Daniela. “Tell the Bishop what happened Friday night.”

Daniela did just that. As she recalled the night’s occurrences Candy maintained her smile looking at Daniela as if she were delusional. A shocked Will looked at Candy.

“What are they talking about?” Will turned to Candy and asked in amazement.

“Baby, this is crazy. None of that happened,” she answered looking over at Will. She then turned to Daniela.

“Daniela, I love you. You are my sister in Christ. I myself have been so tired from being a First lady, my kids, Will, and work that I was delusional so I understand. Maybe you should take a few days off because you do look tired dear.”

Daniela stared at Candy. “I can’t believe I trusted you.”

Candy shrugged her shoulders. “And I’m sorry that you think that this actually happened.”

Rob grew angrier. He looked at Will. “Bishop, a young woman is dead. I don’t know this young woman but I trust my wife. She’s devastated over this. We’re trying to do the right thing and we thought that coming to you before going to the police was the right thing.”

“I don’t mean to act apathetic Pastor Rob; it’s just that I don’t know who this young woman is that you’re referring to. I haven’t heard anything about this.”

“Turn on your television or pull out your phone for the local news report. My wife has no reason to lie.”

“Go get my I- pad,” Will instructed Candy.

“Are you serious?” Candy asked him.

“I am baby,” Will answered.

Candy rolled her eyes before walking out of the living room to get the I-pad.

“My wife doesn’t lie,” Will said looking at Rob.

“And mine does?” Rob asked Will.

The two men glared at each other before Candy walked in with the I- pad.

Candy began scanning the screen on the I- Pad with her finger before handing it to Will. “I see that they did find this ladies body in a landfill but what does that have to do with us? This is absurd!” Candy yelled.

Daniela put her head down in frustration. She couldn’t believe that Candy was doing this. This wasn’t the friend she knew and trusted. “You hit her with your Range Rover. Let’s go look in your garage if it’s not true.”

Candy laughed uncomfortably sitting back down next to Will. “It’s not true and my Rover is at the dealership for a maintenance appointment that was scheduled a week ago,” Candy said calmly.

Will looked up at Candy peculiarly but said nothing. He looked back at the I-pad then sat it down on the coffee table in front of him.

“Pastor Rob and First lady, I’m really sorry that you came all this way over here for nothing. I think that there is probably a big misunderstanding but we don’t know anything about this young lady.”

“Candy, how can you do this?” Daniela asked.

Bishop Will stood up. “I’m sorry. Today is our family day and I want to get some rest and spend time with my family,” He said.

Rob and Daniela looked at each other. Rob stood up. “Thank you Bishop,” Rob said holding out his hand to shake Will’s.

Will extended his hand and shook Rob’s.

Rob turned to Daniela. “Baby, let’s go.” He looked over at Will and Candy. “We’re sorry for any inconvenience.”

Daniela looked up at Rob amazed. “Rob, she’s not telling the truth.”

“Baby, let’s go,” Rob said taking Daniela’s hand helping her up from the sofa. “Bishop, I apologize and I hope that you have a great rest of the day with your family.” Rob held Daniela’s hand and led her to the front door.

Will escorted them to the door. “Thank you Pastor and I hope that this is resolved quickly as it is obviously a tragedy,” Will said.

Rob nodded at Will as he and Daniela walked back outside. Daniela began crying as they approached their car.

Evan and Mimi held onto each other tightly as tears streamed down their faces. Evan hadn’t spoken to her best friend in a while and now seeing her after so much tragedy was very emotional.

“I’ve missed you so much,” Evan said.

“Me too,” Mimi said. “I’ve tried calling you, asked Leon about you and even drove by your house. I almost reported you missing especially after Ariel’s death. Where have you been?”

Evan picked up her luggage and walked further into Mimi’s apartment. She sighed. “I had to get away from Leon for a while.”

“Me too?” Mimi asked crossing her arms waiting on an answer from Evan.

Evan smiled. “No, not you.”

Mimi smiled. “You know that you never have to explain to me.” Mimi shut the door behind Evan. “Do you want to go out for dinner?”

Evan shook her head. She was tired and she just wanted a shower.

“No, the last thing I want is for someone from church to see their First lady out in a restaurant when I haven’t returned anyone’s calls.”

“Yeah, I think they’d have some choice church words for you.” Mimi laughed.

“Can we just order something and have a pajama party like we used to do?”

“I’m in,” Mimi answered ecstatically. “You know which room is yours and I’ll order our food. Chinese?” Mimi asked walking over to the kitchen drawer where she kept takeout menus.

“Of course,” Evan answered as she carried her bags down the hall to the guest room. Mimi had asked no questions when Evan called and said she needed somewhere to stay for a few days maybe weeks. As always, she could count on Mimi.

Evan walked into the bedroom which resembled Mimi to the tee with white décor and the smell of vanilla. Evan placed her bags on the corner chair and sat on the bed and prayed for strength. She had come back not just for a funeral but to finally stand up for herself. If God could get her through this, he could get her through anything.

After showering, Evan curled up on Mimi’s sofa in cozy pink pajamas and a cup of homemade cocoa. They ate like they were back in college with Chinese takeout containers and fortune cookie packets strewn across the table.

The two ladies had talked about so much, cried and laughed, remembering Sam and Ariel. Evan had only shared that she and Leon were having some problems and that was the reason she needed a break; nothing about Sundi, the journal or Greg. It would all come out in time. The two had talked so much that they hadn’t realized that it was close to one o’clock in the morning.

“On a lighter note, how are you and Aaron?” Evan asked.

Mimi sipped her cocoa. “Um well, weird,” Mimi answered causing Evan to raise an eyebrow.

“Why?” Evan said.

“He’s MIA and our last date was just….strange,” Mimi said. “He said some off the wall stuff and there was no explanation for any of it.” Mimi shrugged. “And he asked me about leaving the church and working for someone else. It was all out of nowhere.”

“Have you talked to him since?”

“No, and it’s really upsetting me but I refuse to call him. I really care about him and I don’t understand what brought it all on,” Mimi said tapping on her mug. “I haven’t even seen him at church. You think he’s over me that quick?”

“I certainly can’t give you any relationship advice. But I really thought he cared a lot for you.”

“Things have been weird lately.” Mimi looked off as if in deep thought. “He was in such a hurry that last time I saw him. I’m thinking that maybe he’s seeing someone else.”

“I doubt that. He seems like he couldn’t see anyone but you.” Evan smiled.

Mimi grinned and hit Evan’s leg playfully. “Anyway, now that you’re back, what are your plans?”

Evan threw her head back thinking about everything that she had to do. “I want to go see Deacon Rick and the kids before Ariel’s funeral. I have a meeting with a divorce attorney and I want to go see a few of the First ladies that I met.”

“Wait, a divorce attorney?” Mimi asked shocked at Evan’s thrown in statement.

Evan sighed. “Yes, I can’t talk about everything right now but in time, I’ll tell you about it.”

“Wow,” Mimi said. “You’re serious huh?”

Evan nodded. “I am.” She had rushed into the marriage and now she was rushing into her healing and she was going to apologize to no one.

“You can count on me,” Mimi said. “I guess some of the women in the church will be excited to know that Leon’s going to be single. Some of them have been waiting for years.”

Evan winced. “I feel so very sorry for them.”

Mimi sighed. “You know I never had a good feeling about the way he treated you.”

Evan looked down at her cup. “It was my obligation to try. I thought I owed our church family at least that.”

Mimi sipped her now cold cocoa. “I wonder what will happen when this all comes out in the church.”

Evan knew that Mimi had no idea what was really going to come out to the church once everything finally came out, maybe she’d be shocked also. She just didn’t know. “That’s up to God.”

Mimi smiled. “What is it going to be like not being First lady? It seems like you were born to be a First lady.”

“Mimi, I don’t know but God defines me and not my title. I’ve kept so many secrets because I was afraid of what people would think about their First lady that I almost lost my life because of it. I refuse to do that anymore.”

Mimi placed her free hand on top of Evan’s supportively. “I’m so happy that you’ve found peace.”

“God had it for me; I just had to take it.”

Evan yawned and covered her mouth with her hand. Mimi followed with a yawn and the two friends laughed.

“And with that I cosign with you that it’s time to go to bed.” Mimi stood up from the couch and stretched. “Aren’t you turning in?”

“No, I want to read my bible first in front of the fire place.”

“Okay, I’ll see you in the morning,” Mimi said turning to walk out of the living room.

“Mimi,” Evan called out. “How’s Greg doing?”

Mimi turned around and leaned on the wall with a slight smile. “I don’t know what’s going on between him and Leon. There’s been talk around the church that he and Leon had a falling out and that’s why he stopped preaching. Maybe he just wants to keep busy and focus on the buildings for Sam.”

Evan stared off and nodded.

“Good night,” Mimi said.

Evan smiled. “Good night.”

Leon sat in his chair staring out of his office window in complete silence. He had gotten up early, gone to the gym and worked out in preparation to preach Ariel’s funeral service. She was gone and self-pity was not an option. He still had a church that was being built larger and stronger than ever and a campaign that he couldn’t afford to take a day off from.

But he missed Ariel. He couldn’t believe that she was gone. He couldn’t believe that life could be so cruel. He just wanted to get over it but it wasn’t that easy. It all seemed to hit home when he prepared for her funeral after he canceled her credit cards and had her apartment cleared out.

He looked at his watch. It was almost time for the funeral service to begin and Aaron was supposed to have met him in his office ten minutes ago. Frowning, Leon stood and walked over to his closet for his suit jacket when there was a knock on the door. He opened it and walked off toward his desk as Aaron walked in. Leon glanced at him figuring that he must have used the advance to go shopping because the suit he wore was crisp new and obviously tailored.

“Your watch must be broke,” Leon said frowning as he unlocked his bottom drawer on his desk and reached for a large envelope.

“While I was headed over here, I got stopped in the hallway.”

Leon looked at him to let him know that he was uninterested in whatever problem he had. “Is the job completed?”

“Yes.”

“How do I know that?” Leon asked glaring at him.

Aaron reached inside his suit pocket and tossed a driver’s license and a yellow hair bow onto the desk. Leon picked up the driver’s license and saw Katie’s smiling face. Leon looked up at Aaron then handed him the envelope.

“What is this?” Leon held up the yellow hair bow.

“It’s the girl’s hair bow,” Aaron answered.