When Perfection Fails (3 page)

Serena Manchester sat back in her desk chair and pushed her new pageboy cut bangs out of her eyes. She'd decided to go without a weave for a while and see what the hairstylist could do with her hair. What she really wanted to do was cut her hair down into one of those cute pixie haircuts, but viewers had seen her with long hair for so many years, she decided shoulder length would be enough of a change. She already had more e-mail and social media conversations that she could keep up with each week.

The bangs were definitely not working for her though. She couldn't wait until her hair grew in more and she could easily brush it to the side.

It had been a long day, and despite it being Friday, Serena was looking forward to spending time at home. As she closed her eyes, she blocked out the noise of the newsroom around her. She almost laughed out loud.
Me alone on a Friday night?
This job had become her man. Maybe it was a good thing since she always chose losers or went after the good men that were already taken.

Serena opened her eyes to see Wes Cade heading to his desk. She couldn't help but grin. Wes and his bow ties were just too cute. She sighed. Too bad Wes would be officially off the market when he married his girlfriend, Angel Roberts. He was too young for her anyway, but Serena did admire his ambition. She moved from behind her desk and walked toward Wes's office.

“What's up, kiddo? What you got on your plate tonight?”

Wes jumped at her voice. “Hello, Serena.”

Serena sat on his desk. Wes rolled his chair back and looked at her. His discomfort amused her. “What are you working on?” She frowned. “Weren't you at your church most of the day yesterday for the funeral?”

Wes rubbed his head. “Yes, Victory Gospel Church. Pastor Jeremiah Freeman was laid to rest yesterday. Unfortunately, the family got hit with some heavy news last night.”

Serena asked, “Really? What happened?” Serena typically stayed away from stories with any type of religious slant on it. She rarely attended church.

Wes grabbed his phone out of his pocket. “The Freemans' oldest son, Keith, and his girlfriend, Rachel, were in a serious car accident last night.”

“That was them. I saw the vehicle on the morning report. Did they survive?”

Wes nodded. “Yes, they are both pretty banged up, but they are alive. God's grace was definitely on them. It's just really sad to see things like this happen to really good people.”

“You sound like you know them very well.”

“Well, yeah, I have talked to Pastor Freeman and First Lady a few times. They are just like this perfect couple.”

Serena wrinkled her nose. “The perfect couple? There is no such thing.”

Wes shook his head, “Okay, not perfect, but—”

Serena interrupted, “I mean, I know you are getting married, but life changes after the honeymoon.”

“I know—”

Serena slid off Wes's desk and stood. “I mean, believe me, I should know. I've been married twice. Been there done that! Did I tell you twice?”

“Yeah!” Wes held up his arms. “You know it's been great talking to you, Serena, but I have to get this story ready for tonight. A lot of folks want an update on the accident last night.”

Serena felt warmth gravitate across her embarrassed face. “Sure, kiddo. I need to wrap up what I'm working on too. Tell Angel I said hello.” She turned and walked away.

Wes must really have thought her to be a basket case now.

Not that she cared. Okay, well . . . that wasn't exactly true. She cared about what Wes thought and considered him more than just a coworker, but a friend. She really liked his fiancée, Angel, and thought they were a great couple.

Serena sat back at her desk.
But
there really was no such thing as perfect couples. She knew Wes and Angel were both Christians, but they would have problems too. Serena spoke under her breath. “Just you wait and see, kiddo.”

She clicked her keyboard to wake up her monitor screen. Then she pulled up the Victory Gospel Church Web site. She'd seen the Freemans before. Serena clicked to the About page. Just as she thought, the typical photo of a handsome pastor and his regal, beautiful first lady beaming at the camera.

No one had the perfect life even if they went to church. Serena's mamma dragged her to church when she was younger. All that shouting sure didn't stop what happened to Serena. Seemed like her life had become one big heartache after another. She concentrated on what she was good at—getting the story.

“The truth shall set you free.” Serena spoke as she closed out the church Web site. “Serena will certainly bring you the truth, honey.”

An e-mail notification popped up in the right-hand corner of Serena's computer. She glanced at the notification as it faded away. A name caught her attention. She clicked over to see her full mailbox and opened the e-mail. The From line was from somebody named Lance Ryan.

“Two first names? Really?” Serena sat up straight in her chair. “Let's see what Lance Ryan has to say.”

Thank you later. The boldness of this man with his two first names.

Serena smiled and hit Reply. She typed, “Mr. Lance Ryan, I look forward to meeting you. Name the time and the place.”

She hit Send. Who knows? Lance Ryan might be the man she was looking for in her life. With that, she laughed and grabbed her bag.
Desperation does not suit you, girl
.

Lenora wiped her eyes as she looked at her son. She didn't want Keith to see her so upset, but she was beyond grateful to see him alive.

“Mom, I'm okay. I will be out of here soon.” Keith Freeman had caramel skin like his father that was now a blend of blue and purple from the left temple down to his cheek.

She squeezed his hand. “I'm just grateful. It could have been worse.” With no clear reports from the authorities, Lenora had prayed feverishly during the ride over to the hospital. She folded her arms as she questioned Keith. “You still can't remember what happened?”

Jonathan spoke up from the other side of Keith's bed. “Lenora, let's give the boy time to rest. The police will get down to the bottom of who ran into his car last night. Like the police officers said, the other vehicle had considerable damages too.”

Keith shook his head. “Yeah, I can't believe they just took off. It all happened so fast. Rachel and I . . .” Keith's eyes grew wide, and he sat up in the hospital bed. He grimaced in pain. “Where is Rachel? Is she all right?”

Jonathan rose from his seat and touched Keith's shoulder. “Son, Rachel is fine. Both of you were under God's favor last night.”

Keith tried to move against his father's strong arms. “Dad, I have to see her.”

Lenora stood. “Your father is right. Keith, you need to rest your body with those broken ribs. I will go check on Rachel and come back with a report for you, okay?”

Her son lay back down on the bed. Lenora's heart dropped to see the tears brimming in her man-child's eyes. She knew Keith really loved his girlfriend and was even more grateful that the young couple escaped last night's crash with their lives.

Lenora walked down the hospital hallway and turned to the right. She knocked on the closed door. On the other side of the door, a female voice said, “Come in.” Lenora opened the door and poked her head in to see Candace and Rachel holding hands.

“Lenora.” Candace walked over to embrace her. She stepped back so Lenora could see Rachel. Rachel's right arm was in a sling. Similar to Keith, the young woman had bruising around her face. Lenora moved toward the bed. “How are you, Rachel? Keith was asking about you.”

Rachel nodded. “I'm okay. Just have to deal with this broken arm, but I'm glad we walked away. It was pretty scary. How is Keith?”

“He is going to be out of commission for a while too. He has broken ribs.”

Rachel winced. “Ouch! I guess basketball season is officially over.”

“You both will be as good as new.” Lenora addressed Candace, “You mind if I talk to you outside?”

Candace nodded her head. “Sure. Rachel, I will be right outside.”

Both women walked out of the room. Lenora grabbed Candace's hand. “I'm so sorry about all this.”

Candace shook her head. “Lenora, you can't do anything about a crazy person causing an accident and leaving the scene.”

Lenora opened her mouth, but then stopped as the words wouldn't come. What could she say to Candace? That some crazy person sent her a threatening text yesterday? Suppose it was just some prank. Lenora never believed in coincidences.

Candace took a tissue out of her pocket and wiped her eyes. Her voice trembled as she spoke. “I don't know what I would have done if I lost her.”

Lenora wrapped her arms around Candace. “I know. I'm so sorry.”

Candace asked, “Does Keith know what happened?”

Lenora clasped her hands together. “He said it happened so fast. They were talking, and the music was going. He never saw the car, just felt something ram into the back of the car.”

Candace held her hand to heart. “You know God was watching over our babies. Did you see Keith's Jeep?”

Lenora nodded. She leaned against the wall. She wished the media hadn't showed the wreck on television. With Victory Gospel Church as their extended family, she understood that many would have been interested in an update on the young people involved.

She prayed they would find whoever did this soon. Lenora had taken great precaution with her boys when they were younger, and as a parent, she knew she couldn't protect them from everything. At this moment, her mother radar was in full alert that danger lurked nearby. She just didn't know why.

Lenora couldn't help but smile and admire the bridesmaid dresses that had arrived for Candace's wedding party. The final selection came after hours of each bridesmaid trying on several designers. Candace was so determined that everyone feel good about the selected dress.

Sarah Hines walked in with the remaining dresses. Lenora was five foot nine and with heels on, which she wore most of the time, she easily stood six feet. She towered over her petite consultant, who wore a pale pink coatdress today. The light brown-skinned woman always wore her hair short. Today, she wore pearl stud earrings and a very minimum amount of makeup.

Ever since the young woman walked into Lenora's Bridal Boutique three years ago to interview for the consultant job, she had impressed Lenora. It made Lenora feel a sense of confidence knowing she had a capable woman to help her with the brides. She had since hired two more women, but no one kept a tight ship like Sarah.

She commented to Sarah, “Candace did a great job picking out these dresses.”

“Yes, she did. Do you think everyone will be able to make it in for the final fitting? We are cutting it close on this one. Usually we would have had this fitting months ago.”

Lenora grabbed one of the dresses to help Sarah hang them. “Yes, I know. I called Candace and confirmed Thursday instead of Monday as the appointed day for the wedding party final fittings. We both agreed it was best to stay close to our injured children during this first week after the accident.”

Sarah shut the wardrobe and spun around. “Oh my! I'm so sorry about the accident. It's good that your children were able to walk away.”

“Yes, it's a blessing.” Lenora was grateful to be back in her boutique on a Saturday, if only for a few hours. Keith was doing better and could come home. Candace had let her know that Rachel was a bit depressed about her arm, but in pretty good spirits about being home. Maybe Lenora could finally shake the dark cloud that seemed to be hanging over her.

“Hey, Lenora. Did the dresses arrive yet?”

Lenora whipped around to see Angel Roberts walk into the back of the boutique. She grinned at the young woman. “Yes, ma'am, but you will have to wait until everyone else comes for the fitting on Thursday. Sarah, we'll be up front. Thanks for getting the dresses unpacked for me.”

Sarah smiled. “Not a problem. Hey, Angel, I love your hair.”

Lenora took a closer look at Angel as they walked up toward the front. “Look at you, Ms. Thang. I am loving your hair too.”

Angel's usual mass of curls had been flat-ironed into a silky mane. She twirled and flipped her hair over her shoulders. “I think Wes is going to like it too.”

Lenora laughed. “Girl, you are going to set that man back. You two need to get hitched fast. When are you going to set the wedding date? You've been engaged for almost a year.”

Angel let out a deep sigh. “We are getting close to setting a date. Grams is walking around with her walker really good and you know she wants to be at her best for the wedding.”

“I know she does.” Lenora observed the way Angel held her head down, choosing not to look directly at her. “I do have to ask, are you really waiting for your grandmother to fully recover from the stroke, or is this another excuse not to set a date?”

Angel opened her mouth to protest, and then turned away. “I'm not making excuses. I do want to marry Wes. I just want the timing to be right.”

Lenora touched her shoulders. “No pressure! I want you two to have a long, happy marriage. I'm just glad to see you bounce back after last year. Follow me.” Lenora walked into the bridal dress showroom with Angel behind her.

Angel folded her arms and leaned against the wall. “You know last year after finding out about the way my mother died and all she went through, it tore me up more inside than I thought. But now I feel like I'm a stronger woman for knowing the truth.”

“I can tell. You have come a long way in your confidence.”

Angel stepped away from the wall and walked over to the rack. She pulled out a dress and held the midlength taffeta dress in front of her. Then she twirled with the dress a few times, and stopped to wink at Lenora. “I might even try on a wedding dress soon. Grams would love me to do that. She keeps asking, ‘When are we going to Lenora's Bridal Boutique to find a dress?'”

“Well, I agree with your grandmother. It's time for you to start planning your day, and you know I can help you find the perfect dress. Speaking of dresses, Candace did tell you to be here on Thursday for the final bridesmaid fitting, right?”

Angel rubbed her hands together. “Yes, I can't wait. I've never been a bridesmaid either. It's going to be so exciting to see her and Darnell finally get married.”

Lenora responded, “I believe a lot of people have been waiting for those two to walk down the aisle. I hate that Rachel is going to have to wear her arm in a sling when she walks down the aisle though.”

Angel yelped. “Oh no! That's right. You know, I stopped by here to check on you and ask you about Keith. How's he doing?”

“Thank you, Angel. Keith is doing well. I think both Keith and Rachel are thankful basketball season was over. Neither one of them could've tolerated being on the bench.”

Angel asked, “Do they have any clues about the accident?”

“They have some pieces from the car. They know for sure it's an American model truck. Girl, how they know all that I don't know. My youngest son is absolutely fascinated by it all.”

“Well, they can do some amazing things with forensics. Being a reporter, Wes always has some great stories to share.”

“I bet.” Lenora put her arm around Angel. “You do know I was joking before about setting a wedding date. You need to do this when your heart says it's the right time.”

Angel nodded. “I know. You care about us, and I appreciate you. Believe me, I also know Wes and I haven't set a date because of me, but I'm going to be ready soon.”

“I know you will. In the meantime, you are going to knock Wes out when he sees you in that bridesmaid dress.”

Angel laughed as they both walked toward the boutique entrance. “You are too much. I can't wait to get back here on Thursday. It's going to be so much fun.”

Before opening the door, Angel turned. “Lenora, if you need anything, please let me know. I know this has been a rough few days for you and your family.”

“Just keep us in your prayers, honey. Prayers are always appreciated.”

The two women hugged, and Lenora watched as Angel walked out to her car. She locked the door. Usually she would have taken appointments on a Saturday, but decided to take it easy today despite the approaching wedding season. She wouldn't be any good to her brides in the frazzled state she'd been in ever since Pastor Jeremiah's funeral and her son's accident on Thursday.

Lenora walked to her office in the back. Her desk was neat with all her files in stacks. She sat down in the chair. Really, she had accomplished what she wanted to do today. Spend some time in her boutique preparing for the week and finding some normalcy, if at all possible.

A chirp from her cell phone startled her. She had purposely left the phone in her office as she worked out on the boutique floor. She picked up the phone and focused on the text message.

The calmness that she had been enjoying instantly left her body as she stared at her phone. “Who is doing this?” Lenora said out loud. “This has to stop.”

She scrolled to see the phone number associated with the text. Lenora didn't recognize the number or even the area code. She hit the Call button and lifted the phone to her ear. The office seemed even quieter than usual. The only sound was the steady hum of the computer under her desk.

Lenora gripped the edge of her desk as she listened to the phone ring.

Finally, she heard a click and waited for a person's voice.

Lenora frowned and pulled her phone from her ear. It was no longer ringing. No dial tone. She held the phone back to her ear and said, “Hello.”

A cackle ripped through the phone, and then a male's voice asked, “How's Keith doing?”

Lenora jumped up from her chair, dropping the phone on her desk. She didn't recognize the man's voice, but he seemed to know her and her family. Her hands shook as she grabbed the phone and yelled, “Who are you?”

Her ears were met with a dial tone.

The feeling of dread returned. She had to get to the hospital now.