“What?”
“What are you doing?” Lester looked like he was pleading with his eyes for her to calm down.
Rachel’s nostrils flared. “I’m informing Sister Rollins that she’s flirting with the wrong woman’s husband.” Back in the day, Rachel wouldn’t have hesitated to throw down, but she was older now. And a first lady. And trying to do better in her walk with God. But at the same time, she had to let these women know she wasn’t her mama. Loretta Jackson used to turn the other cheek to these floozies and just trust that “God will keep my husband faithful,” as she always used to say. Well, Rachel was gonna give God a little help. Plus, she simply could not allow herself to be disrespected the same way those women had disrespected her mother.
Lester was frazzled. He turned toward Nikki. “Sister Rollins, please excuse us. I need a word with my wife.”
Nikki scurried out of the room. She had barely closed the door when Lester took a deep breath and motioned to the chair in front of his desk. “Sit down.”
Rachel stood with her arms crossed, a defiant look on her face.
Lester sighed. “Sit down. Please.”
Rachel kept her lips poked out as she sat down.
“Rachel, I have asked you time and time again to please refrain from going off on the women of the church,” Lester said as he sat down behind his desk.
“And I have asked you time and time again to keep these tramps up out of your face.” Rachel crossed her legs as she glared at her husband.
“Rachel, you’re being unreasonable. Part of my job as minister is to counsel and advise members of the congregation, and that includes female members.”
Rachel stared at her husband. He was making her sick. He was like her father, too blind to see that these women were after one thing and one thing only—to take her spot as first lady. “Lester, Nikki was all over you.” She tried to speak calmly. “For a minute I thought she was trying to breastfeed you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Don’t be naive.”
“Rachel, I’m tired of having this conversation with you over and over. Last month, you went off on Veronica Melborne because you said she was staring at my behind.”
“Well, she was,” Rachel said, cutting him off.
Lester held up his hand. “Let me finish. The month before that, you got upset at the women on the auxiliary board because you said they were talking about you and how I could do so much better.”
“Well, they were. And you can’t.”
“This is crazy,” Lester huffed. “You know I love you and only you. This insane, petty jealousy has got to stop. When are you going to grow up?”
Rachel stared at him like he had lost his mind. “Grow up? Grow up? Oh, so now I’m immature?” That was a slap in the face, considering how hard she had been working at being a “mature and responsible” first lady.
“Rachel, you’re putting words in my mouth,” he sighed.
“Words in your mouth? Your exact words were ‘when are you going to grow up.’ ”
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Just how did you mean it, then, Reverend Adams?”
“I meant to say…oh, forget it.” He shook his head.
Rachel uncrossed her legs and scooted to the edge of the chair. “No, let’s not forget it.”
“Rachel, I have a sermon to prepare for. I’m not going to go through this with you.” He flicked his hand, turned his back, and began typing on his computer.
“Did you just dismiss me?” Rachel stared at him in disbelief. Lester buried his face in his hands. Rachel reached out and knocked all of the papers off his desk. “You are crazy if you think you can just dismiss me!”
Someone knocked at the door. Lester seemed relieved by the interruption as he turned around in his seat. “Yes, come in.”
Deacon Bishop Long stuck his head in the door. “Pastor, the people are here to install the new organ. They need you to tell them where you want it.”
Lester immediately jumped up. “Tell them I’ll be right
“What are you doing?” Lester looked like he was pleading with his eyes for her to calm down.
Rachel’s nostrils flared. “I’m informing Sister Rollins that she’s flirting with the wrong woman’s husband.” Back in the day, Rachel wouldn’t have hesitated to throw down, but she was older now. And a first lady. And trying to do better in her walk with God. But at the same time, she had to let these women know she wasn’t her mama. Loretta Jackson used to turn the other cheek to these floozies and just trust that “God will keep my husband faithful,” as she always used to say. Well, Rachel was gonna give God a little help. Plus, she simply could not allow herself to be disrespected the same way those women had disrespected her mother.
Lester was frazzled. He turned toward Nikki. “Sister Rollins, please excuse us. I need a word with my wife.”
Nikki scurried out of the room. She had barely closed the door when Lester took a deep breath and motioned to the chair in front of his desk. “Sit down.”
Rachel stood with her arms crossed, a defiant look on her face.
Lester sighed. “Sit down. Please.”
Rachel kept her lips poked out as she sat down.
“Rachel, I have asked you time and time again to please refrain from going off on the women of the church,” Lester said as he sat down behind his desk.
“And I have asked you time and time again to keep these tramps up out of your face.” Rachel crossed her legs as she glared at her husband.
“Rachel, you’re being unreasonable. Part of my job as minister is to counsel and advise members of the congregation, and that includes female members.”
Rachel stared at her husband. He was making her sick. He was like her father, too blind to see that these women were after one thing and one thing only—to take her spot as first lady. “Lester, Nikki was all over you.” She tried to speak calmly. “For a minute I thought she was trying to breastfeed you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Don’t be naive.”
“Rachel, I’m tired of having this conversation with you over and over. Last month, you went off on Veronica Melborne because you said she was staring at my behind.”
“Well, she was,” Rachel said, cutting him off.
Lester held up his hand. “Let me finish. The month before that, you got upset at the women on the auxiliary board because you said they were talking about you and how I could do so much better.”
“Well, they were. And you can’t.”
“This is crazy,” Lester huffed. “You know I love you and only you. This insane, petty jealousy has got to stop. When are you going to grow up?”
Rachel stared at him like he had lost his mind. “Grow up? Grow up? Oh, so now I’m immature?” That was a slap in the face, considering how hard she had been working at being a “mature and responsible” first lady.
“Rachel, you’re putting words in my mouth,” he sighed.
“Words in your mouth? Your exact words were ‘when are you going to grow up.’ ”
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Just how did you mean it, then, Reverend Adams?”
“I meant to say…oh, forget it.” He shook his head.
Rachel uncrossed her legs and scooted to the edge of the chair. “No, let’s not forget it.”
“Rachel, I have a sermon to prepare for. I’m not going to go through this with you.” He flicked his hand, turned his back, and began typing on his computer.
“Did you just dismiss me?” Rachel stared at him in disbelief. Lester buried his face in his hands. Rachel reached out and knocked all of the papers off his desk. “You are crazy if you think you can just dismiss me!”
Someone knocked at the door. Lester seemed relieved by the interruption as he turned around in his seat. “Yes, come in.”
Deacon Bishop Long stuck his head in the door. “Pastor, the people are here to install the new organ. They need you to tell them where you want it.”
Lester immediately jumped up. “Tell them I’ll be right
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