Authors: Rhonda Bowen
Man Enough For Me (37 page)
“I was not miserable!”
“Yeah,” Germaine said, smirking. “I heard about your solo ice cream parties.”
Jules’s mouth fell open in surprise, but in moments she was grinning sheepishly.
“Okay, maybe I was this miserable,” she admitted, holding her thumb and forefinger only millimeters apart.
“I think you were a little more miserable than that,” Germaine said knowingly, tilting his head toward hers.
“Okay, maybe, just a little more,” Jules murmured just before his lips found hers again.
And just like always, it wasn’t long before she forgot what they were arguing about in the first place.
“‘D
early beloved, we are gathered here today, to join in holy matrimony, two souls which the Lord has sought to bring together.’”
As she stood at the front of Scarborough Memorial Church gripping her bouquet of yellow and white tulips, Jules’s eyes began to tear up at the familiar words. There was something about weddings that made her weepy. Today was no different.
Even though she was supposed to be looking at the minister, Jules couldn’t help but steal a glance at Germaine. His eyes met hers, and he gave her a slow smile, and a quick wink from down in the pews. She couldn’t stop the smile that curved her own lips, anymore than she could stop the warm glow that flowed through her insides. She had to make a concerted effort to tear her eyes away.
She glanced over at Maxine, who was sniffling beside her. It seemed like everyone was a bit teary-eyed today—everyone except Tanya that is, who only had eyes for her groom. The both of them, it seemed, were in their own little world that consisted only of each other. In fact, since the moment Tanya had stepped through the rear doors of the church and made her way to the front in her beautiful Dior wedding gown, ‘Dre hadn’t
been able to take his eyes off of her. It was no wonder—she looked absolutely stunning.
The whole wedding had come as a surprise to everyone. It seemed like ‘Dre and Tanya had only been engaged a week before they announced their wedding day to be a month and a half later.
Jules had thought they were crazy to think they could pull off planning a whole wedding in so short a time, but somehow they had managed to do it. It wasn’t as hard as she thought it would be since, both Tanya and ‘Dre had only wanted a small ceremony with a few close friends and family.
So here she was, maid of honor to her best friend, who finally got to marry the love of her life. Jules smiled. She couldn’t think of anyone who deserved it more.
“‘Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up; doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.’”
Endurance.
That was definitely something she had learned a lot about these past couple months. Endurance and patience and trust.
Looking back, she knew now that these were lessons that she had to learn, and learn the hard way. It was what God had let her go through to teach her to depend on Him more, both for the big and the little things. As she thought about her resignation letter, which she had handed to her boss at Toronto Grace just earlier that week, she knew that there was a lot more
depending
to do, and a lot more lessons to be learned. But she was ready for them, whatever they might be. As long as God was there with her, she’d be fine.
“By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Jules cheered with the rest of the bridal party and guests, as ‘Dre pulled Tanya into his arms and kissed her soundly. It was a
good thing Momma Clayton wasn’t there to see her son kiss his bride. She would have probably had a heart attack.
Jules sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. This was a day to remember.
As the crowd spilled out of the church, into the parking lot, Jules stood on the front steps and looked around for Germaine. She stood on her tiptoes and tried to scan above the heads of the guests for that special head of low cropped hair, but it was nowhere to be seen. Just as she was about to get out her cell phone, she heard a voice behind her.
“Looking for someone?”
Jules spun around and found herself face to face with the man who she had been looking for all her life.
“Yeah, I am actually,” she said coyly. “He’s about your height, and complexion, but much cuter,” she teased.
“Is that so,” Germaine said slyly, stepping closer to her.
“Uh-huh,” Jules said, trying to keep a straight face.
“Well, I don’t see him anywhere,” he said, slipping an arm around her waist. “So I guess you’re stuck with me.”
“Yeah, I guess I am,” Jules said in mock disappointment.
Germaine chuckled, as he pulled her closer and kissed her slowly. Jules closed her eyes and relished the feeling of being loved. It was amazing how that never got old.
“Did I mention that you look gorgeous?” Germaine murmured against her ear. “I think I need to send someone a thank you card about that dress.”
Jules laughed, glad that Tanya had made them pick their own dresses instead of forcing them to wear some hideous bridesmaid creations.
“You’re not looking too bad yourself, Mr. Williams,” Jules said, as she reached up to straighten his tie. In his slate gray suit, pink shirt, and matching tie, he was looking ridiculously fine. In fact, as far as Jules was concerned, he was the best looking man in the room—no exceptions.
“I can’t believe you and Tanya pulled off this whole thing in about a month,” Germaine said. “You guys are something else.”
Jules shrugged. “Tanya’s my girl. She would have done the same for me,” she said, straightening his tie.
“I hope you’re right,” Germaine said. “ ‘Cause you might need to collect on that favor soon.”
“Careful,” Jules said, smirking. “You might start putting ideas in my head.”
“That’s the intention.”
Jules’s hands froze, and her eyes snapped up to meet Germaine’s.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m not playing, Jules,” Germaine said, his eyes dancing as they locked with hers. “I already told you I love you, and I want to be with you,” he said, rubbing her arms gently. “This is it for me.”
Jules could barely breathe. All of a sudden, she couldn’t hear the chatter around her, or see the wedding guests moving past them toward the parking lot. Most of the people were heading out to the reception, but Jules couldn’t tell. For, at that moment, there was no one else in the world but her and Germaine.
“Are you asking me to …?”
“No, not yet,” Germaine said, smiling. “But that’s where we’re going with this. I just wanted to make sure you knew.”
He watched her carefully, as she took a deep breath and tried to calm the butterflies that were doing the tango in her stomach.
“Okay,” she said simply after a long moment.
“Okay?”
“Okay.”
“That’s it? You’re not gonna hit me with a flood of questions? Ask me when, where, and how?” Germaine asked, with one eyebrow raised suspiciously.
Jules laughed and locked her arms around his neck. “No, baby. I’m just gonna wait, and trust you to keep that promise,” she said, smiling.
Germaine kissed her forehead and hugged her tightly.
“Hey, lovebirds, think you can tear yourselves apart for the people who actually got married today?”
Germaine and Jules laughed, and walked hand in hand over to the limo where Tanya, ‘Dre, Truuth, and Maxine were waiting for them.
Most of the guests had already made their way to the reception, and only the six of them were left standing in front of the church.
“So I think this calls for a toast,” Truuth said, pulling a bottle of cider out of nowhere.
As soon as he did, ‘Dre ducked into the back of the limo and emerged with six wine glasses. Jules laughed.
“I see you guys were well prepared.”
“Always,” ‘Dre said, winking.
“Okay, so what are we toasting to?” Tanya asked, taking a glass from ‘Dre and tossing her headpiece into the back of the limo.
“To you guys, of course,” Jules said.
“All right then,” said Truuth, raising his glass. “To the Claytons, may they have a marriage as happy as heaven, and a honeymoon as hot as hell!”
They all laughed.
“To the Claytons,” they all echoed as they clinked glasses.
Jules smiled as she watched her closest friends joke and laugh with each other. She couldn’t help the feeling of love that swelled her heart as she thought of how much they meant to her.
Nonetheless, she couldn’t help but notice how Truuth and Maxine casually managed to keep the rest of the group between them.
Just then, she felt Germaine slip his arms around her from behind and rest his lips against her ear.
“They’ll be okay,” he whispered. “God will work it out.”
Jules began to relax. He was right. Maxine, Truuth, and Apryll would be all right as long as they put themselves in God’s hands. Hadn’t she seen that for herself? Hadn’t she learned
that by now? All she had to do was trust Him, and He would take care of the rest.
She leaned back, into Germaine’s strong frame, and felt his arms tighten around her in response. She smiled. Yes, trusting was good.
Trusting was definitely good.
A READING GROUP GUIDE
MAN ENOUGH FOR ME
Rhonda Bowen
About This Guide
The suggested questions that follow are included to enhance your group’s reading of this book.
At the start of the novel Jules complains about the men who approach her at the bar. Later in the novel we hear her complain about the men she has dated in the past. Do you think Jules is overly critical when it comes to the opposite sex? Do you think most young Christian women set unrealistic standards that keep them from finding satisfying relationships?
What do you think about the stunt Germaine pulls to get Jules’s attention? Would you have been impressed or annoyed?
Do you think Jules should have confronted Penny more about her laissez-faire approach to work? Was she justified in not doing so?
When Jules is talking with Tanya and Maxine about her suspicions around Germaine, they tell her she is being too critical. Jules says, “Oh no. I’m becoming my mother.” Does every woman turn into her mother? Is it inevitable?
When they go to dinner with her mother, Jules tells Germaine not to tell her mother that he works at a club. Do you think the issue of a lounge or a club is problematic for most Christians?
Jules is shocked when she discovers that Germaine is involved with drug dealers. Do you think that she was too trusting of him in the beginning? Should she have been more suspicious about the things he wouldn’t tell her?
Do you think Jules was justified in pulling the event from the Sound Lounge? Do you think Germaine was being irresponsible for booking it there in the first place?
When Jules proposes moving the launch, there is an argument among the Triad team about bringing personal relationships into the business. Do you think there were too many relationships between staff and clients at Triad? Do you think this could affect the business negatively?
Were you surprised to find out that Germaine was working with the police? Do you think he should have told Jules?
Maxine gets chastised at church for having loose morals because she becomes pregnant outside of wedlock. Do you think young women who have unplanned pregnancies are still treated this way in churches? Do you think this treatment is sometimes justified? How can we reach out to people who have made mistakes without endorsing the mistake?
‘Dre’s mother, though a Christian, does not want her son to date a white woman. Do you think racism exists within the church? Do you think some Christians do not see this type of discrimination as a sin? What kind of prejudice do you have in your heart that you may need God’s help with?
‘Dre is afraid to date Tanya because of what his mother thinks about her. Do you think this was a justifiable reason for not dating her? Would it have been fair for him to get into a relationship with Tanya, knowing that his mother would not accept her?
Maxine and Truuth’s relationship begins to deteriorate when she gets pregnant. Do you think this is typical in situations like theirs?
Do you think Jules should have been the one to make up with Germaine at the end, or should he have taken the initiative to reconcile with her?
At the end of the novel, Germaine tells Jules not to worry about Maxine, Apryll, and Truuth, that God will work things out for them. Do you think Jules has learned to let go and trust God yet? Does worrying about a situation mean that you are not trusting God to take care of it?