Love Like Hallelujah (24 page)

“We are very, very proud of our young ladies,” Millicent said, as the young ladies stood in front of the audience, radiant in white. “These Divine Daughters have taken a stand for God.”

The audience cheered, parents beaming. After months of planning and preparation, the day had been a rousing success. She could hardly believe how fast the time had flown. Last December saw her at her mother’s home, sad and disheartened, the holidays subdued. This year, she was happy, an emotion she had often wondered if she would ever feel again. And it was all because of the Divine Daughters Celebration, Open Arms, and Jack.

Millicent and Jack had been seeing each other, quietly and covertly. She refused to call it dating. She told him emphatically that all they’d ever be was platonic friends. Jack had been disappointed, but had agreed. This understanding allowed Millicent to feel comfortable with him, to loosen up. They hadn’t gotten together often—coffee after a workout, the occasional lunch, but never dinner. That would feel like a date. Mostly, they talked on the phone and exchanged e-mails, sometimes funny, sometimes steamy, but always respectful. Once or twice, she’d almost shared everything about her past. Jack was a good talker, but an even better listener. She’d even considered cancelling her trip to Mexico and joining him in the Caribbean. But in the end, she did neither.

But no doubt, Jack had added to her happiness, and being in her element, planning and organizing elegant events, made her heart sing. She was so thankful, so aware of how miraculous it was to be standing in this beautiful hotel, with a warm, loving church family, and a handsome, caring friend and pastor cheering her on. Millicent’s smile widened.

“Now it’s time for the commitment ceremony. This is a very special time. Each young lady has written her own promise, or commitment, to the Lord, a commitment to sanctity, to purity, to treating her mind and body as the vessel for the Spirit of God that it is. These ladies do not enter this moment lightly. The past two Friday evenings and in this afternoon’s seminar, we’ve discussed what this vow to God means, and why they should make it. We asked them to consider it carefully, as a commitment to God should not be made lightly. Each of these ladies approaches this moment with sincerity, and has written, in her own words, what she will declare tonight, to us and to God. And now, I present to you, the Divine Daughters, beautiful brides, dancing for their bridegroom.”

As the audience clapped, the lights dimmed and a spotlight shone on a single microphone in the front of the room. Offstage, a violin began to play, joined by a flute, then a harp, then a keyboard. Eleven of the ladies began to dance slowly, gracefully, swaying as they moved seamlessly, forming a circle and then opening wide, revealing Jack’s daughter, seventeen-year-old Sarah, at the microphone. From memory, she recited her vow to God:

Tears formed in Jack’s eyes as he watched his daughter, looking so much like her mother, stand and proudly declare to remain chaste until marriage. He was so proud of her, and so wished Susan could share this moment.

He looked over at Millicent and smiled. How he wished he could openly profess his love for her. How he wished he could show how deeply he cared. Soon, he hoped.

As each young lady approached the microphone and declared her personalized vow, the other ladies danced, unobtrusively, in the background. Some of the young ladies cried as they promised God with all their hearts, joined by parents and other adults, who knew how hard it could be to keep such a vow. But something could be said for what they desired, the power of their intention. That alone would help them remain virgins far longer than their peers.

Leah squeezed Millicent’s hand. “This is so beautiful, Millicent,” she said, her eyes shining as she watched her daughter, Jazz, recite her commitment vow. “It’s even more beautiful than I’d imagined.” As the last girl spoke, and the music swelled, she continued, “I actually feel it might work. That we might save some of these girls from the heartache we’ve experienced.”

“I hope you’re right,” Millicent answered. If just one girl could avoid the kind of pain she’d endured in the past twelve months, all the work put into the day would have been worth it.

And what a day it had been: breakfast, the spa, manicures and pedicures, an afternoon tea, and now this. The final girl recited her vows, and the crowd applauded their agreement as the girls took their seats.

As the applause died down, Jack and Millicent walked to the podium. Pastor Jack picked up a commitment ring from the velvet box and motioned the first girl forward. Millicent opened her Bible and began to read from the book of Isaiah. As she did, the girls approached one by one for Pastor Jack to place a ring on her finger. The celestial sound of the harp accompanied Millicent’s words: “Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God…for as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee….”

Derrick, Vivian, King, and Tai sat expressing their gratitude. God had seen them through another year. And what a year it had been, with the reappearances of Robin and Janeé, and the surprise appearance of an addition to the Montgomery clan, Kelvin. Through all the turmoil and changes, which also included Tai getting a breast augmentation, and Derrick’s weathering Cy’s near resignation, both marriages remained strong. Mount Zion Progressive and Kingdom Citizens Christian Center were growing steadily. Everyone was healthy, children were fine. The Montgomerys and Brooks were mutually thankful for their blessings.

“See how God works?” Vivian asked, as she reached for another roll. “He broke Evan and Princess up just in time, so you didn’t have to worry about them on this, your second honeymoon.”

“I am relieved they’re not together, but I hate to see my baby with her heart broken. That boy always seemed too slick for me, and I tried to tell her, but you know kids don’t listen. And his sleeping with her former best friend, Gayla—that didn’t surprise me either. Life’s lessons, huh?”

“Yes, live and learn.”

“So, she told me she’s sworn off boys until she’s twenty-one. But she doesn’t know that I know she’s already talking to Rafael, another one of our Kingdom Kickboxers. I feel better about him, though. He comes from a good home, close-knit family. They’ve been members for years. King baptized him.”

“Hard to believe you have a daughter that’s dating age,” Derrick said.

“And a son in college; don’t forget about Timothy and his throng of admirers,” Tai interjected.

“Man, I’m still not ready. I don’t think as a father you ever are,” King said.

“I know I’m not,” Derrick agreed. “If I could send Elisia to a convent until she was, oh, about thirty-five, I’d sign her up.”

Vivian laughed because she knew her husband was serious. “Seems like just yesterday they were crawling, and today they’re courting. It’s crazy how time flies.”

“Tell me about it. The twins are next. Tabitha is still a bit of a bookworm, but Timothy has his eyes on one of the girls at school. Again, he doesn’t know I know. Kids always think their parents were born yesterday.”

Everyone nodded, thinking of how fast time passed.

“Doesn’t it seem like just a few months ago we were vacationing in the Caribbean?” Tai asked.

“And now you two are on your way to Fiji.”

“Yes,” Tai crooned. “For our second honeymoon.”

Derrick raised his glass. “Well, I’d say it’s long overdue. So here’s a toast, for you two to have a fabulous time in the South Pacific.”

“I’m glad you guys stopped in Cali first,” Vivian said. “And remember, you’re welcome to lay over on your way back, too.”

“I thought you guys would be gone by then,” King said.

Derrick looked at Vivian and winked. “No, we’ve pushed our leaving back to Valentine’s week in February.”

“Ooh,” Tai teased. “Sounds like somebody else is planning a second honeymoon.”

“Just a little getaway. We’ve been talking about going skiing for about ten years and finally decided to do it this year. We’re going to Aspen.”

Tai rolled her eyes. “See, you gotta live in California before you’ll fly to some snow. As for me, give me seventy-five, eighty degree weather every day of the week.”

“From what we hear, it’s not so bad,” Vivian responded. “Plus, they’ve got that delicious hot chocolate and those roaring fireplaces to keep us warm.”

“Hmm,” Derrick said, reaching over to hug Vivian. “I’m all the chocolate and fire you need, baby.”

Vivian kissed his cheek. “Touché.”

The couple took a moment to enjoy their dishes: buttery lobster, jumbo, deep-fried shrimp, king crab legs, and prime rib filets. The wind off the ocean swirled around the couple, keeping them comfortably cool.

King sat back, having demolished a lobster tail. “Say, Derrick, did y’all ever hear from that crazy woman again, what was her name, Wanda?”

“Crazy woman?” Derrick asked.

“Robin,” Vivian answered for him. “Thankfully no, and I hope it stays that way.”

Tai turned to Vivian. “Have you heard much from Janeé?”

“We’ve talked a couple times. Didn’t I tell you we received a Christmas card from her?”

“I think you did tell me that.”

“Yes, she wrote that she and Hans were coming back to California around the time of Kelvin’s spring break, and that maybe we can all meet then.”

King looked at Derrick. He and his friend had talked little about Kelvin. Such irony—if anyone had a child with Janeé, one would have thought it’d be King. But Derrick had faced it stoically, just another challenge along life’s road. “How do you feel about that?” King asked him.

“I’m okay with it, especially since Vivian and I have had a chance to digest this whole thing. It worked out best that he wasn’t ready to meet me right away, because I wasn’t ready to meet him either. Now though, I don’t have any qualms about it. I don’t have any expectations either. What will be, will be. Vivian and I have decided to deal with it when the time comes, and not before.”

“Good, good,” King said. “That’s the right attitude.”

“Well, Vivian,” Tai said, “you’re a better sistah than me, the way you’ve handled this. I don’t know if I could have been so strong.”

“Sure you could have,” Vivian responded, thinking of all the battles Tai had fought and won. “But it helped that I don’t have the same history with her as you do. Helps me to not resent Kelvin, because he had no choice in the matter.”

“I never thought I’d forgive her but”—Tai looked at King—“I’ve felt better ever since. It’s strange, something can be affecting you subconsciously, and you have no idea. Then, when it surfaces and you deal with it? You realize how much it affected you by how different you feel afterward. Y’all know what I mean?”

They did.

“I’d held hatred, animosity, all this negative energy in my soul against her. And now, it’s not there anymore. I know God gets all the glory for that, because Lord knows it would have been a cold day in hell for me to do that on my own.”

“We’ve all come a long way,” King concluded. “And it’s a blessing that the four of us have been able to travel down life’s road together.”

“May our journey together continue,” Vivian said.

“Here, here,” they said, and raised their glasses again.

Robin peeked out from the menu she’d used to hide her face. She’d been following Derrick and Vivian whenever she could, trying to learn their schedules, their habits, their friends. She’d gotten a job in a hot, noisy, toy manufacturing plant in downtown Los Angeles, and was renting an equally hot, shabby motel room for $125 a week. But she was determined to not leave the city of angels until she got what she wanted—revenge.

Yeah, y’all think you can treat folk any kind of way. Well, I got news for you muthafuckas…. Details at eleven….

Millicent shifted nervously in her seat, eyeing the beautiful Mexican waters below. During the plane ride, she’d repeatedly asked herself what the heck she was doing. And why she was doing it. She didn’t know; it was almost like someone else was doing it and Millicent was just along for the ride.
I might not even see them
, she thought to herself. This thought made her feel better. While the resort was small, it was exclusive. Each couple’s suite afforded total privacy. For the first time since the ridiculous idea entered Millicent’s mind, she actually thought it might be better
not
to see Hope and Cy. Too bad she hadn’t thought of this stateside.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are making our final descent into Cancún, Mexico. Please move your seats forward and make sure your tray tables are up and in their locked position. Please stay seated for the remainder of the flight. We’ll be on the ground shortly.”

Millicent’s nerves returned. Her thoughts raced a mile a minute. If she’d made different choices, she could have been in the Caribbean with Jack right now.
What was I thinking? What am I doing?!

A private helicopter took Millicent from Cancún to her final destination, Riviera Maya, Mexico, and the Rosewood Mayakobá Resort. Nestled amid a tropical jungle and surrounded by translucent blue waters and white sand beaches, the resort offered an unspoiled view of both the ocean and the second largest coral reef in the world.
This is beautiful
, Millicent thought. That she was here alone, however, was not so attractive.

Millicent checked in quickly and was escorted to a beautiful suite. The bellboy smiled, tipping his hat as he pocketed her gratuity. “
Muchos gracias, señorita
,” he said with a wink.

“De nada,”
Millicent said absently. “This really is nothing,” Millicent said to herself once the man had gone. “Just a time to relax, a simple vacation.”

But she knew there was nothing relaxing, or simple, about it.

Hope moaned softly as Cy made delicious love to her. What they’d done since arriving was only eat, sleep, and make love. How had she been chosen to be blessed like this?

Cy kissed his way up from his personal paradise to Hope’s mouth. They shared a passionate kiss, exploring each other with their fingers, drinking in the joy of true love.

“I love you,” Cy said, between kisses.

“I know,” Hope replied. “I love you, too.”

Cy spent the next hour showering Hope with his love, making love slowly, tenderly, with unabashed sexuality. He had prayed that God would send him a woman who was uninhibited, and God had more than answered his prayers. Cy felt he would never grow tired of Hope, never get enough of her. His rhythm increased as he thought of her, his priceless treasure.
This is my pussy,
he thought, pumping faster.
Mine!
His orgasm was loud and sustained, spilling his seed deep into Hope’s waiting womb.

It took them several minutes to catch their breath and float back down to earth. They stayed locked in each other’s arms, hearing each other’s heartbeats.

Separately, they were thinking the same thoughts—how happy they were, how blessed. Just as Cy perched up on his elbow to look into Hope’s eyes, both their stomachs growled; their lovemaking had worked up ferocious appetites. They’d ordered room service for three days straight. Maybe it was time to eat out, for a change.

Cy smiled as he kissed Hope’s nose. “Hungry?”

“Yes,” Hope answered, as she rolled out of bed and headed for the shower. “Starved.”

Millicent sat at the bar, slowly sipping a perfectly minty Mohito. She rarely drank, but had decided to try the drink when she saw the bartender make it for the man next to her. She had to admit, it was much tastier than the regular iced tea she’d been drinking.

Millicent felt relaxed, refreshed. This vacation, especially from Jack and Open Arms, had given her time to think. She’d been able to rethink as well, rethink her position about Jack being just a friend. She finally could admit to herself that she was attracted to him physically, attracted to him beyond friendship. Maybe she would relax her rule, make an exception. He’d been trying so hard to please her, to assure her that his intentions were honorable. He’d been patient and kind, sensitive, loving—just the kind of man she had always wanted.

The day after arriving at the resort, Millicent had also made the firm decision to not see Cy, and had made every attempt to not run into the Taylors. Within a span of a few days, having decided to come here at all looked totally ludicrous.
What was I thinking?
Truth was, she hadn’t been thinking, but somehow she’d gained clarity. Maybe it was God. Maybe God had stepped in, stopped her from doing something that, once again, she’d regret.

It hadn’t been hard to dodge the Taylors. From her discreet inquiries to the well-tipped bellman, she learned that Cy and Hope rarely left their room. Neither had she; for the most part she’d been content to enjoy late night walks along the beach and soak up the sun from her balcony. But tonight was her last night; she wanted to soak up a bit of the resort’s nightlife. After the drink, she thought to venture into the resort’s club. She’d heard a live band’s music emanating from there the other night.
Maybe it’s time for me to let loose on the dance floor
. Millicent smiled at the thought. She hadn’t been to a club in years.

The more Millicent thought about it, the more she was in the mood for fun. She slid off the barstool feeling tipsy; the rum, hidden behind mint, lemon/lime, and Angostura bitters, packed a punch. She giggled to herself as she headed to the ladies room. “Time to freshen up, before I bust a move,” she said aloud, to no one in particular. She wasn’t aware that someone had heard her, and his eyes followed her every step as she headed toward the door.

Hope and Cy enjoyed a companionable silence as they shared a decadent slice of triple-chocolate layer cake. The dessert was a perfect ending to his lobster, her traditional Mexican fare of spicy tamales, beans, and rice, and their afternoon of lovemaking. Hope was glad they’d decided to leave the room. As usual, in public Cy commanded attention, and she had to admit she was proud to be on his arm, an arm that often stayed draped around her possessively. She was aware of the eyes that kept straying in his direction, and of a couple
mamacitas
wearing low-cut blouses and thigh-high skirts, who’d blatantly sashayed by the table.

Cy seemed to have eyes for only her. He’d seen the women checking him out, but he’d seen the men checking out Hope’s assets as well, displayed fabulously in a form-fitting halter dress that hugged her booty as if she’d been born into it. Her four-inch-heeled, strapped sandals showed off her curvy calves to perfection, and her smile lit up the room. The scent she unconsciously gave off was more than the ylang ylang and vanilla in Clive Christian No. 1. It was the fragrance of someone who had been thoroughly sexed, and who’d enjoyed every minute of it.

“Hey, baby,” Hope said as she put down her spoon. “Let’s go dancing.”

Cy’s eyes lit up. It had been a while since he’d hit the dance floor, although in college he had definitely been “the man” to watch. “That sounds great, baby,” he answered. “I could use the movement to work off all this food I just ate. I’m stuffed.”

“Me, too,” Hope agreed. “But it was good, though. Let me use the restroom, and then I’ll be ready to go.”

“I have to go, too,” Cy said, standing up alongside Hope. “Let’s both go and then meet in the front.”

When they got near the front, Hope turned toward the left and went inside the women’s lounge. Cy headed to the men’s lounge, on the other side. As he walked toward the door, he looked out the restaurant’s window and saw a tall, attractive woman standing near the entrance of La Caliente.
That looks like…No, that’s impossible….
Cy shook off the absurd feeling and went inside the bathroom.

Millicent was having the time of her life, receiving more attention than she could handle from a variety of Spanish cuties. Millicent had often dated other cultures, but never a Hispanic. She thought now might be the time to try something new. She’d started off on the dance floor alone, but quickly had her pick of partners. Free drinks lined the bar near her seat; sweat ran down the valley between her breasts as well as down her legs. She gathered her long, loose hair to the top of her head as her hips gyrated in time to the music. The action caused her breasts to lift, her cleavage to deepen. Several pairs of eyes went to the spot, and lips were licked in appreciation. Millicent looked beautiful in her abandon, the sheen of perspiration causing an ethereal glow, her sexy moves raising libidos around the room. She’d been followed from the restaurant, but was oblivious to the fact that she was being stalked.

The sound of Latin hip-hop was pulsating through the room, lights blinking on and off in time with the beat. The dance floor was packed. Cy and Hope moved against each other, in time to the music. She turned around and ground her booty against Cy’s manhood. He grabbed her hips and pretended to ride.

Millicent’s body turned and churned, a group of dance partners around her. She danced with one, and then another, totally absorbed in the music, dancing freely around the room. It seemed her joy was contagious; everyone was letting loose. Millicent left her circle and continued to dance, free and fanciful, laughing and loving life. She got to one particularly crowded part of the room and stopped, closed her eyes, and simply bobbed to the rhythm. She blindly reached out, touching women and men alike, innocent movements, a chest here, an arm there. Millicent was having a blast.

Now it was Cy’s turn to get the booty treatment. Eyes closed, he turned his butt toward Hope. She came up behind him, her arms around his waist. Cy raised his hands in the air and bobbed his head, keeping perfect time to the music and Hope’s hip-shaking moves.

Suddenly, Cy felt a pair of hands on his chest. They felt good, massaging his pecs; and one lightly tweaked his nipple.
Hope, you are insatiable
. He took his hands and placed them over the ones on his chest, encouraging this dance floor seduction. It took him a while to realize that Hope’s hands were still around his waist.
Wait, what’s going on?
Cy and Hope had shared a bottle of wine with dinner; his head was deliciously foggy. The hands on his chest started to massage it. This wasn’t his imagination, and this wasn’t Hope. Cy’s eyes flew open. He couldn’t believe who it was…Millicent.

Cy froze for a split second before he reached up and took Millicent’s hands from his chest. The rough move brought Millicent out of her dance daze and she opened her eyes.
No, it can’t be
, her mind screamed. But all she could do was stand there, mouth open, eyes wide. They both stood motionless for a moment, staring at each other. Soon, Hope noticed Cy was no longer dancing, felt the rigidity of his back. She moved around to see what had caused him to stop.

“Millicent?” she said incredulously, coming from behind Cy in disbelief. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Millicent was speechless. She could look in both their eyes and tell what they were thinking. That she’d followed them, that she was after Cy. True, she had followed them. But it had taken this trip to finally convince her that while Cy may have been the man she wanted, Jack was the one she needed.

“I—I—” Millicent stammered. As intelligent as she was, at the moment she was incapable of putting a coherent sentence together.

Hope looked at Cy, confused. They hadn’t talked about Millicent in months, had almost forgotten about her. Almost, but not quite. The scene from that fateful Sunday began playing in her mind’s eye.

It was playing in Cy’s as well, causing his heart’s pace to quicken. He didn’t want to think Millicent had planned this, but what were the chances that she’d “just happened” to pick the same vacation spot as he and Hope, and at the same time. He hadn’t seen or spoken to Millicent since that Sunday. But obviously, it was time he made some things very clear.

Cy took Millicent’s arm, gently but firmly, pulling her off the dance floor. Millicent didn’t object. Hope followed.

As soon as they reached the outside air, Cy turned to Millicent. “We asked you a question, Millicent. What are you doing here?”

Still, Millicent didn’t have an answer. She stood, rubbing her arm, vacillating between truth and fiction. She cleared her throat, ready to come clean.

“She’s with me,” Jack said, walking up next to Millicent and putting his arm around her. “And who are you?”

Three pairs of brown eyes looked at Jack, tall and handsome, blue eyes blazing.

“Jack!” Millicent said, shocked, yet never so happy to see anyone in her entire life. She realized how surprised she sounded, and added, “Here you are! Uh, I’ve been looking for you.”

Jack looked into Millicent’s eyes with unadorned desire. “And I’ve been looking for you, beautiful.” He looked pointedly at Cy, then asked Millicent, “Is everything all right?”

The sight of Jack cleared Millicent’s cloudy mind. Finally, she was coherent. “Jack, this is Cy and Hope, his wife.” That Millicent had not choked on
wife
was a welcome surprise. “We belonged to the same church in Los Angeles.”

Jack knew there was way more to this story, but decided to act civil. “Jack Kirtz,” he said easily, his hand outstretched.

“Uh, yeah, nice to meet you,” a somewhat befuddled Cy said, shaking Jack’s hand.

“Let’s go, honey,” Jack said to Millicent. He could sense more than see that she was upset. With his arm protectively around her, they turned toward the path that led to the resort. Two pairs of eyes stared after them silently. Jack and Millicent didn’t know it. They never looked back.

Jack took Millicent to his suite. Once there, Millicent collapsed on the couch, visibly shaken but silent.

“Wanna tell me what happened back there?” he asked, after he’d brought Millicent a glass of sparkling water and ordered a pot of coffee from room service.