out.” He turned his attention back to Rachel. “I’ll be here late tonight because we have a finance meeting. Do you want me to pick the kids up from your dad’s?”
Rachel debated continuing the argument, but she was tired herself and right about now she couldn’t stand the sight of her husband. “Naw, they’re spending the night.”
“Well, do you want to go catch a late movie or something? I’ll be out of here around nine.” He looked like he desperately wanted to let their argument slide.
“You know what, don’t worry about it. I’m sure Nikki will need some more counseling or help with her Sunday school lesson or something. I know how important that is to you, so you just stay here and do that. Don’t bother rushing home because I’m going out.” Rachel grabbed her purse and headed for the door. These people at Zion Hill better realize that she was not about to be pushed around, not even by her husband.
Chapter 10
T wyla Huff stood with her mouth open. The music thumped throughout the dark building, the bass sounds reverberating across the room. Sweaty bodies were grinding against one another on the crowded dance floor.
Rachel turned to her friend. “What?”
“I’m just trying to figure out what you’re doing,” Twyla yelled so Rachel could hear her over the music.
Rachel ignored her and turned back to the bar. “I’m having a good time. What does it look like I’m doing?” She bobbed her head up and down to the sounds of music she didn’t even recognize, let alone understand.
Luckily, the deejay switched to a slow song so they didn’t have to shout to hear one another anymore. “Number one, you are not having a good time. Number two, you haven’t been to a club in over a year,” Twyla said as she tried to reason with Rachel.
Rachel eased her glass up to her mouth as she took a seat at the bar. Surprisingly, she hadn’t really had a desire to go out in the last year because she’d been so busy at church, but Lester had really pissed her off tonight. “I would say that just means I’m overdue,” she said as she sipped her drink.
“And you’re drinking at that!” Twyla shook her head in disbelief.
“So? There’s wine in the Bible and there is nothing wrong with a little glass of white Zinfandel.”
“Well, I know I don’t know much about the Word, but I don’t think anybody in the Bible had their wine while they were up in Visions listening to Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz.”
“Twyla, I asked you to come along so we could just hang out and have a good time, just like we used to do back in the day,” Rachel said.
“That’s just it—that was back in the day.” Twyla scrunched up her face as the music got louder and some rapper started spouting more words no one could understand. “We are older and I like to think wiser. I’m a freaking schoolteacher. I might see some of my students in here. And let’s not even mention what the deacon board would say about you being here.”
Rachel spun around on her bar stool and pointed a finger at Twyla. “See, that’s what you don’t get. I don’t care what the deacon board, Reverend Adams, Reverend Jackson, or any of them other hypocrites at that church say about what I do.” Rachel was fed up. Since she’d become first lady, she had tried to change, tried to become who they all wanted her to be. And she still couldn’t get any respect. “Screw them. I’m gon’ be me and see how they all like that.”
Twyla was about to say something but stopped when a man with gold across his whole top row of teeth stepped up to them at the bar. He was wearing a shiny purple suit with matching purple gators.
“Ummmph, ummphh, umphh. Dang girl, you look like Natalie Cole,” he said as he stepped toward Twyla.
Twyla looked confused. “Natalie Cole?”
“Yeah, girl. Unforgettable,” he said with a wide grin, displaying his teeth.
Rachel giggled. Twyla looked like she wanted to throw up. She took a deep breath.
Rachel debated continuing the argument, but she was tired herself and right about now she couldn’t stand the sight of her husband. “Naw, they’re spending the night.”
“Well, do you want to go catch a late movie or something? I’ll be out of here around nine.” He looked like he desperately wanted to let their argument slide.
“You know what, don’t worry about it. I’m sure Nikki will need some more counseling or help with her Sunday school lesson or something. I know how important that is to you, so you just stay here and do that. Don’t bother rushing home because I’m going out.” Rachel grabbed her purse and headed for the door. These people at Zion Hill better realize that she was not about to be pushed around, not even by her husband.
Chapter 10
T wyla Huff stood with her mouth open. The music thumped throughout the dark building, the bass sounds reverberating across the room. Sweaty bodies were grinding against one another on the crowded dance floor.
Rachel turned to her friend. “What?”
“I’m just trying to figure out what you’re doing,” Twyla yelled so Rachel could hear her over the music.
Rachel ignored her and turned back to the bar. “I’m having a good time. What does it look like I’m doing?” She bobbed her head up and down to the sounds of music she didn’t even recognize, let alone understand.
Luckily, the deejay switched to a slow song so they didn’t have to shout to hear one another anymore. “Number one, you are not having a good time. Number two, you haven’t been to a club in over a year,” Twyla said as she tried to reason with Rachel.
Rachel eased her glass up to her mouth as she took a seat at the bar. Surprisingly, she hadn’t really had a desire to go out in the last year because she’d been so busy at church, but Lester had really pissed her off tonight. “I would say that just means I’m overdue,” she said as she sipped her drink.
“And you’re drinking at that!” Twyla shook her head in disbelief.
“So? There’s wine in the Bible and there is nothing wrong with a little glass of white Zinfandel.”
“Well, I know I don’t know much about the Word, but I don’t think anybody in the Bible had their wine while they were up in Visions listening to Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz.”
“Twyla, I asked you to come along so we could just hang out and have a good time, just like we used to do back in the day,” Rachel said.
“That’s just it—that was back in the day.” Twyla scrunched up her face as the music got louder and some rapper started spouting more words no one could understand. “We are older and I like to think wiser. I’m a freaking schoolteacher. I might see some of my students in here. And let’s not even mention what the deacon board would say about you being here.”
Rachel spun around on her bar stool and pointed a finger at Twyla. “See, that’s what you don’t get. I don’t care what the deacon board, Reverend Adams, Reverend Jackson, or any of them other hypocrites at that church say about what I do.” Rachel was fed up. Since she’d become first lady, she had tried to change, tried to become who they all wanted her to be. And she still couldn’t get any respect. “Screw them. I’m gon’ be me and see how they all like that.”
Twyla was about to say something but stopped when a man with gold across his whole top row of teeth stepped up to them at the bar. He was wearing a shiny purple suit with matching purple gators.
“Ummmph, ummphh, umphh. Dang girl, you look like Natalie Cole,” he said as he stepped toward Twyla.
Twyla looked confused. “Natalie Cole?”
“Yeah, girl. Unforgettable,” he said with a wide grin, displaying his teeth.
Rachel giggled. Twyla looked like she wanted to throw up. She took a deep breath.
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