Chapter 12
In the sanctuary after church, Cookie hugged Michelle. “It's almost that time. How much longer until the big day?”
Michelle squealed in delight. “A little over a month. We've been planning this wedding for months and now I'm getting nervous.”
“It's natural to be a little nervous.”
Michelle's expression became serious. “Can I ask you a personal question, First Lady?”
“Of course, sweetie.”
Michelle looked around to make sure they were out of everyone's hearing range and whispered, “Were you a virgin on your wedding night?”
Cookie chuckled. “I knew that was the question.”
“The reason I asked is because James will be my first and I'm freaking out. My nervousness isn't about the wedding. I'm nervous about that night. I don't know how to talk to him or how to touch him. I don't know if I should wear a long sheer nightgown or something short, made of leather that comes with a whip and handcuffs. Do I initiate the lovemaking or let James take control?”
As Michelle was speaking, Cookie could see her hands shaking. She grabbed Michelle's hands and guided her to the first pew and sat down. “I understand how you feel. I won't say that you won't be nervous because every bride is;
especially
a virgin. And yes, I was a virgin on my wedding night and my husband knew it. Does James know that you're pure?”
“Yes.”
“James is like a son to me and I happen to know that he's a very loving and caring man. My advice to you is let him be king. In other words, relax, follow his lead and go with the flow. Allow him to explore your body and mark every area with his scent. I have no clue if James is a virgin or not, but if he is, he will be just as nervous as you.”
“He's not a virgin, Cookie.”
“And how do you feel about that?”
Michelle shrugged her shoulders. “To be honest with you, Cookie, I don't feel one way or another. Truth be told, I was shocked when James revealed his sexual past to me, but I have no control over what he did before he and I met. I'm just thankful that he hasn't pressured me for sex. He's been very patient.
“Well, if that's the case, then he's gonna want to make up for what he hasn't been getting in a long time.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you can leave the whip and leather in the store. But if you come out of the bathroom and see James lying on the bed wearing a Lone Ranger mask and a red silk thong, then you've got yourself an undercover freak.”
Michelle hollered out loud then covered her mouth when she attracted attention. “What do you know about being a freak, First Lady?”
“You're looking at one,” Cookie answered with no shame.
Michelle hollered out again. “Oh, no. I don't believe it.”
“Believe it, honey. I may be a pastor's wife, but I'm a woman first. And every move my husband throws my way, I can match it or master it. Why do you think we were late for church this morning?”
Michelle's dark cheeks turned crimson red and she lowered her voice. “On a Sunday, Cookie?”
“Girl, yeah. On a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and twice on Saturdays if I make him pancakes.”
Michelle laughed so loud that she caught James' attention.
He walked over to them. “What in the world has got you waking up the dead?” he asked his fiancé.
Cookie looked at him. “What's your favorite breakfast food, James?”
“I'm coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs.”
They laughed at him as Cookie looked at Michelle. “Girl, if I were you, I'd buy stock in Cocoa Puffs.”
The women were hysterical. James stood looking foolish because he knew that he was the center of a private joke between his First Lady and future wife. “Uh, Mickey, I'll wait for you in the car,” James said as he turned to leave. When James walked away, he heard laughter and turned around and saw them looking at him.
Cookie grabbed Michelle's hands and held them inside her own. “With all kidding aside, Michelle, I want you to know that lovemaking with your husband will be wonderful. I'm sure on the first night James will take control, because he knows you're delicate. But there are gonna be times when he'll want you to initiate intimacy and that's fine. During this time with him, you're allowed to let your guard down and be open and carefree. Hold nothing back from James. His body is yours and your body is his. The marriage bed is undefiled. In other words, what goes on in your bedroom is between you and your husband, and as long as you're not hurting one another physically, enjoy that private time. Your main goal, as James' wife, is to keep him happy, satisfied and
at home.
“Never, ever; I'll say it four times, âNever, ever, ever, ever' make the mistake of denying James access to what's his. If you have a headache, take two aspirin, cast the pain out in the name of Jesus, then pleasure your husband and ... wear ... him . . . out. I want you to really understand what I'm saying to you, Michelle. You know what you got in James. He is a good man and there are plenty of women who would love to have your blessing.
“And trust me on this, sweet baby, whatever you do on your wedding night that pleases James, is what you gotta keep doing throughout your marriage to
keep
James. One more thing, if it turns out that James
is
a freak, then you've got to become a freak too because it takes one to keep one. Don't you dare become so holy that you limit yourself between the sheets with your husband, because what you won't do, another woman most certainly will. So, get on top of your game and let James turn you every which way but loose. I guess what I'm really trying to say is ... drop it like it's hot.”
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On the following Wednesday evening, Michelle held a fourth envelope in her hands addressed to her in gold lettering. The puzzle piece showed the left shoulder of the woman with blond hair.
Virgins are sheltered, And they never
get none. But as you can see in this pic-
ture, Blondes do have more fun.
Upstairs in her bedroom, Michelle added the piece to the puzzle and thought to herself.
So, Jodie is wearing a wig. I always knew she was a freak.
As Michelle was going downstairs, Amaryllis was coming upstairs. She saw a blue box from Blessed Events Consulting in Michelle's hand and asked, “Where are you going?”
“Over to James' to address these invitations. I gotta mail them in the morning. You wanna come with me?”
“No, there's an eight o'clock movie coming on that I wanna see.”
“Okay, I may be late getting in, so don't wait up.”
Late? What does that mean?
“You're not spending the night with him, are you?” Amaryllis asked Michelle the question like she was scolding a ten year old.
“Excuse me?”
“How late are you going to be?”
Michelle was stunned at her sister's tone of voice. “I don't know, and why is that your business?”
Amaryllis knew she had to back off of Michelle. She didn't want Michelle to know that her going to James' house infuriated her. “Girl, I'm just trippin'. Don't pay me any attention.”
Amaryllis went upstairs to her bedroom and slammed the door. Michelle wanted to go up and talk to her, but decided to let it go. She remembered what Jodie said about people not being happy for her and James. Amaryllis was too old to be behaving that way and Michelle was too old to be worried about it.
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In her bedroom, Amaryllis placed a stamp on another letter addressed to Michelle and put it in her purse. She'd mail it in the morning.
James greeted Michelle with a hug and kiss when she arrived at his place. “Hi, gorgeous.”
“You're the gorgeous one,” Michelle insisted.
“Not me, you are.”
“No, you are.”
Michelle sat down on the sofa. She leaned back and something dawned on her. She looked at the gray leather sofa and recalled seeing it somewhere other than in James' living room.
The puzzle,
she thought to herself.
Chapter 13
The following Friday evening, James, with his best man, Alexander, his groomsman, Michael, and his future father in-law, Nicholas, all looked like royalty as they modeled their white tuxedos and white patent leather shoes at Just The Right Tux. James spotted a white top hat and a cane on a nearby rack. He put the hat on his head and then leaned on the cane, crossing his right ankle over his left. “Well, gentlemen, how do I look?”
Michael couldn't help himself. “All you need is a pair of bifocals and you could pass for a black Mr. Peanut.”
The men laughed, then Alexander stepped to him and took the hat from his head. “Don't get carried away.”
“Jealousy doesn't look good on you guys. Don't be bitter just because I'm about to marry the most beautiful woman God has created,” James boasted.
Michael looked at him. “That's impossible, James, because I married that woman four years ago.”
“Michael, you're crazy. Jodie ain't even in Mickey's league,” James argued.
“What? My wife will give Michelle a run for her money and leave her bankrupt.”
From his wallet, James withdrew a picture of Michelle. “Look at how long, silky and shiny my baby's hair is. Look at how pretty her eyes are.”
Michael showed a picture of Jodie. “So what? Who cares about hair? Look at how beautiful Jodie's nose and lips are.”
“So what? Mickey's color can put Hershey's out of business,” James said proudly.
Alexander stepped in. “That's because she eats chocolate so much that it sank down into her pores, with her stingy self.”
“And Jodie's hips are the reason hip huggers are back in style,” Michael said.
“So what? Mickey's got double D's.”
That shut Michael up, and he placed Jodie's picture back in his wallet. “I can't touch that one.”
Alexander said, “I would love to take both Michelle and Jodie off your hands, but since they're already spoken for, I'll have to settle for Amaryllis. Now she's finer than fine. How about it, Nick, may I have your daughter's hand in marriage?”
“Alex, I'll pay you to marry her and move to Alaska,” Nicholas responded.
“Why Alaska?” Alexander asked.
“Because it's ice cold there and so is Amaryllis' attitude. She'll fit right in.”
Alexander chuckled. “I could live with that. We'll settle down and get a penguin for a pet.”
James spoke. “Don't be surprised if you come home from work and find that penguin on top of the stove boiling in a pot of water.”
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That evening, Michelle opened another letter. This puzzle piece showed the right side of the woman's back and butt. Michelle could also see her holding the man's hands as they cupped her breasts.
When I was a girl I played with
dolls, But that was then. Now that I'm a
woman I like to play with men.
Michelle connected the piece to the rest of the puzzle. It was clear from what she received so far that Jodie and Michael were having a good time disguising themselves. But the sofa they were on wasn't the sofa that was currently in their living room. Maybe it was an old picture, because in the two years she'd known Jodie and Michael, they'd had a white sofa. Michelle was certain that the sofa in the picture matched James'. Michael and James were friends. Was it possible that he and Jodie were at James' apartment? Michelle quickly dismissed this thought because James would never permit this type of behavior on his sofa.
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On Sunday afternoon, after church, Nicholas, Michelle and James were enjoying grilled halibut, scalloped potatoes, buttered string beans, a garden salad and dinner rolls. Amaryllis was invited to church that morning by Michelle but she refused to get out of bed. She told Michelle she had major cramps.
They were at the Marquis Banquet Hall, sampling the reception dinner Michelle and James had chosen for their guests.
“Baby girl, where's Veronica's daughter?” Nicholas asked Michelle.
She looked at her father in shame. “What did I tell you about that, Daddy? Amaryllis is
your
daughter too.”
“That's what Veronica told me, but I don't have proof of that.”
“The proof is in Amaryllis' face. She looks just like you.”
“No,
you
look just like me,” Nicholas insisted.
“Well, Amaryllis and I can pass for twins. So, if I look like you and she looks like me, then she looks like you.”
Nicholas didn't understand that tongue twister. “What?”
“Never mind, Daddy. I invited Amaryllis to church with us and to get a free meal afterward, but she said she had the cramps from hell.”
James thought to himself,
Good for her. She raises hell, she deserves cramps from hell.
“How did your tuxedo fit?” Michelle asked Nicholas.
“The sleeves were too long, but overall, it fit pretty well.”
She turned her attention to James. “And yours, honey?”
James had just put a fork full of food in his mouth and had to wait until he swallowed to speak. “Mine fit perfectly. I wanted to sport a top hat and cane, but Alex and Michael wouldn't let me.”
“Remind me to thank them later,” Michelle said.
Nicholas looked at Michelle. “Baby Girl, have you been showing James your breasts?” He wore no emotion on his face. It was as though he'd asked Michelle what time of day it was.
James was drinking iced tea and spit it out across the table. Michelle was swallowing string beans and almost choked. She looked at Nicholas in shock. “What?”
“Has James seen your breasts?”
James would have rather been anywhere else other than where he was right then. Michelle looked at him and saw a blank expression on his face. He wouldn't look at her.
“Why would you ask something like that, Daddy?”
“I'm just curious.”
“But why?”
“Because I am.”
Michelle looked at James as she answered her father's question. “No, James has never seen my breasts.”
Just then the host came to the table and spoke to all of them. “Can I get anyone anything else?”
Nicholas looked at James and Michelle. “Is the food okay with you two?”
Michelle had an attitude and didn't speak. James knew she was angry and spoke for the both of them. “Everything was fine. I think we've just confirmed our menu.”
Insisting on paying for the reception, Nicholas excused himself and went to the manager's office to take care of the bill.
As soon as her father was out of sight, Michelle threw her napkin onto her plate, leaned back in her chair, looked at James and waited for him to speak. He looked at her and the only thing he could say was, “I'm sorry, Mickey.”
“Sorry about what?” she asked sternly.
“For opening my big mouth.”
“You told my father that you've seen my breasts?”
“Not exactly.”
“What do you mean
not exactly
?”
“See, what had happened wasâ”
“I don't wanna hear a lie, James. Start over.”
James took a deep breath. “Okay, Mickey, we were trying on our tuxes and somehow, Michael and I started comparing you and Jodie. He was saying how good Jodie's hips look, and before I knew it, I commented on the size of your breasts.”
Michelle couldn't believe she was hearing this. “What was the comment?”
James knew that if he told her, she'd be furious. “Sweetie, please don't make me repeat it.”
She tightened her lips. “What was the comment?”
James paused and took another deep breath. “I told them your breasts' size.”
Michelle's eyes grew wide. “You what?”
“Baby, I'm so sorry. It was a stupid thing to do, and I should've known better.”
“I can't believe you did this in front of my father.”
“Mickey, I'm so sorry.”
“Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?”
“Because I didn't think Nick would ask you about it. It was just us men talking.”
“Well, thanks a lot for putting me in such an awkward position in front of my father. I appreciate it, James.”
“Mickey, sugar baby bubble gum, what can I do to make this up to you?”
“I don't know,
you
tell
me
.”
He grabbed her hand. “I'll do anything.”
“This is gonna cost you chocolate covered raisins, chocolate kisses and a whole bunch of Chunkys. But you can start by realizing that you are a grown man and what we have is a personal relationship. My body and what we do is not to be discussed with anyone, ever.”
James kissed the back of Michelle's hand. “It will never happen again.”
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At 4:00
P.M
. Friday, the telephone rang and Amaryllis answered it. “Price & Associates, Amaryllis speaking.”
“Hey, it's me, Jodie. What time are you leaving?”
Amaryllis lowered her voice as to not allow Michelle to hear her conversation with Jodie. They were trying to pull off a surprise bachelorette party. “I'll try and get out of here in the next ten minutes.”
“Can you stop and pick up the cake for me? I thought I'd have time to get it myself, but I had to get back here and relieve Michael so he can be on time for James' bachelor party tonight.”
This was news to Amaryllis. “The boys are giving James a bachelor party tonight?”
“Uh-huh. It's gonna be at Alexander's house.”
Thanks for the 411.
“Sure, I'll pick up the cake on my way to your house.”
“Thanks, Amaryllis. I appreciate it.”
No, thank you.
She hung up from Jodie and walked into Michelle's office. “I have a headache.”
Michelle looked at her. “Amaryllis, you have more headaches than anyone I know. You should see a doctor about that. You want me to kiss it and make it better?”
“No, I'm leaving. I'll see you at home.”
“Okay, I won't be too much longer.”
For the next two hours, Michelle worked on a case that would have her in court for three days next week. She thought about Amaryllis and was on her way home to see about her until her cellular phone rang. She recognized Jodie's home number. “Hi, Jodie. What's up?”
Jodie was on the other end sounding hysterical. “Michelle, where are you?”
“I'm at the firm, what's wrong?”
She was crying and Michelle was getting nervous. “Jodie, what's wrong?”
“I need you to come to my house.”
“What happened?” Michelle asked while grabbing her purse and keys and heading for the door. Jodie disconnected the call without a reply.
Michelle arrived at Jodie's house in less than ten minutes. She rang the doorbell twice, but didn't get an answer. She knocked on the door and it opened a bit. Michelle stepped into the foyer. “Jodie?” The house seemed empty as she walked into the living room. “Jodie?” she called out again.
At once, the lights came on and Michelle heard, “Surprise!”
Before her, stood all the women from her firm, Nicholas' friend, Margaret, three of Michelle's neighbors, a few ladies from the church, her secretary, Chantal, Cookie and Amaryllis. Someone pulled a string and balloons fell from the ceiling. Michelle stood in the middle of the living room with tears in her eyes. “Thank you all so much, but I said that I didn't want a bachelorette party.”
Jodie came from behind the crowd and hugged her. “That's why I didn't tell you about it. And thanks for coming to my rescue.”
“Girl, you had me driving like a fool trying to get here. I thought something had happened to Michael or Mya. My heart was racing the entire time I was driving.”
“I got something that'll calm your nerves. Come on and have a seat.” Jodie sat Michelle in a chair in the middle of the living room. The music started and a man built like his name should be Dexter, descended down the stairs wearing a construction worker's uniform.
Michelle saw him and screamed. She covered her eyes with her hands. “No, no, no, Jodie. This can't happen.”