me, Raquel.” He quickly started gathering up his things. “Ladies, I don’t mean to rush you, but I’ve got to get these papers ready for my meeting.”
Eva sighed. “Fine. We’ll finish this discussion Sunday over dinner.”
Right about now, Terrance had no desire to come over for dinner. But he knew the sooner he agreed, the sooner they’d leave. “Fine, see you Sunday.”
Terrance met Raquel in the hall. “Have I told you you’re the greatest?” he leaned in and whispered.
“Not today you haven’t.” She smiled. “I hate lying to your aunts, but I knew you wanted to get out of there. I could see it all over your face.”
“You know me so well.” He chuckled. “It’s been such a long day and I just want to go home and rest. All this woman talk is driving me crazy.”
“Well, the sooner you find you one, the sooner they’ll leave you alone.”
“Don’t you start, too,” he groaned.
“You know I’m just messing with you. They’re trying to use this Christmas celebration as a reason to get you a woman. You don’t do anything until you’re ready,” Raquel warned.
“I’m glad you see things my way.”
“Of course.” She leaned in and adjusted his tie. “Now, you go on home, get you some rest, and—”
“Awwwwww, so is this why you kept blowing me off!”
Both Terrance and Raquel turned toward the loud screaming coming down the hallway. Terrance looked on in shock as the bellowing woman came at him like a raging bull.
She stopped right in front of him, a look across her face like she wanted to claw his eyes out. “You know I thought we connected, but you just like all the rest of them trifling, no-good men I’ve dealt with.” She spun on Raquel, who stood with a look of horror on her face. “And who is this trick?”
Terrance tried to shake off his shock. “Excuse me, Debra, but I’m going to have to ask you to lower your voice.”
“I ain’t lowerin’ jack. You think you can just play with people’s emotions. Lead me on, then just not call me and try to blow me off.”
Terrance stared at her. She had to truly be insane. “Debra, I’m sorry if you got the wrong impression.”
“Excuse me,” Raquel interrupted. “Maybe I’d better leave you two alone.”
Debra snarled at Raquel, “Maybe you’d better.”
“No, Raquel, you don’t have to go anywhere. Miss Wright here was just leaving.”
Debra folded her arms across her chest and wiggled her neck. “I ain’t leaving nowhere.” It’s like she was a different person from the woman he’d initially met.
“Maybe you should take this out of the hallway,” Raquel said, looking nervously around.
“Nah, we can do this right here,” Debra announced, her voice getting louder. “Because everybody needs to know their pastor is a d, o, double g !”
“What in God’s name is going on out here?” Eva asked as she made her way into the hall.
“Debra?” Dorothy Mae said, peering at her friend’s daughter.
“Hey, Mrs. Dorothy Mae,” Debra said, her voice still laced with attitude. “I’m here to give your jackleg nephew a piece of my mind, let him know he’s not gon’ play with my emotions and just toss me aside.” She raised her voice at a still-stunned Terrance.
“You got me messed up,” Debra continued, wiggling her neck. “I don’t care what kind of big shot you are around here, that doesn’t give you the right to play with people’s feelings.”
Eva gasped. “Good Lord.”
“Debra,” Terrance said, seeming to finally come out of his shock, “I don’t know what you think I did to lead you on. We had a cup of coffee and a few conversations. That’s it. Nothing more.”
“That’s it?” she barked. “We bonded. We talked on the phone about stuff I’ve never talked to another man about. You prayed for me and everything, and you talking about that’s it?”
“I pray for everybody,” Terrance calmly responded.
“You told me you were ready to settle down as soon as you
Eva sighed. “Fine. We’ll finish this discussion Sunday over dinner.”
Right about now, Terrance had no desire to come over for dinner. But he knew the sooner he agreed, the sooner they’d leave. “Fine, see you Sunday.”
Terrance met Raquel in the hall. “Have I told you you’re the greatest?” he leaned in and whispered.
“Not today you haven’t.” She smiled. “I hate lying to your aunts, but I knew you wanted to get out of there. I could see it all over your face.”
“You know me so well.” He chuckled. “It’s been such a long day and I just want to go home and rest. All this woman talk is driving me crazy.”
“Well, the sooner you find you one, the sooner they’ll leave you alone.”
“Don’t you start, too,” he groaned.
“You know I’m just messing with you. They’re trying to use this Christmas celebration as a reason to get you a woman. You don’t do anything until you’re ready,” Raquel warned.
“I’m glad you see things my way.”
“Of course.” She leaned in and adjusted his tie. “Now, you go on home, get you some rest, and—”
“Awwwwww, so is this why you kept blowing me off!”
Both Terrance and Raquel turned toward the loud screaming coming down the hallway. Terrance looked on in shock as the bellowing woman came at him like a raging bull.
She stopped right in front of him, a look across her face like she wanted to claw his eyes out. “You know I thought we connected, but you just like all the rest of them trifling, no-good men I’ve dealt with.” She spun on Raquel, who stood with a look of horror on her face. “And who is this trick?”
Terrance tried to shake off his shock. “Excuse me, Debra, but I’m going to have to ask you to lower your voice.”
“I ain’t lowerin’ jack. You think you can just play with people’s emotions. Lead me on, then just not call me and try to blow me off.”
Terrance stared at her. She had to truly be insane. “Debra, I’m sorry if you got the wrong impression.”
“Excuse me,” Raquel interrupted. “Maybe I’d better leave you two alone.”
Debra snarled at Raquel, “Maybe you’d better.”
“No, Raquel, you don’t have to go anywhere. Miss Wright here was just leaving.”
Debra folded her arms across her chest and wiggled her neck. “I ain’t leaving nowhere.” It’s like she was a different person from the woman he’d initially met.
“Maybe you should take this out of the hallway,” Raquel said, looking nervously around.
“Nah, we can do this right here,” Debra announced, her voice getting louder. “Because everybody needs to know their pastor is a d, o, double g !”
“What in God’s name is going on out here?” Eva asked as she made her way into the hall.
“Debra?” Dorothy Mae said, peering at her friend’s daughter.
“Hey, Mrs. Dorothy Mae,” Debra said, her voice still laced with attitude. “I’m here to give your jackleg nephew a piece of my mind, let him know he’s not gon’ play with my emotions and just toss me aside.” She raised her voice at a still-stunned Terrance.
“You got me messed up,” Debra continued, wiggling her neck. “I don’t care what kind of big shot you are around here, that doesn’t give you the right to play with people’s feelings.”
Eva gasped. “Good Lord.”
“Debra,” Terrance said, seeming to finally come out of his shock, “I don’t know what you think I did to lead you on. We had a cup of coffee and a few conversations. That’s it. Nothing more.”
“That’s it?” she barked. “We bonded. We talked on the phone about stuff I’ve never talked to another man about. You prayed for me and everything, and you talking about that’s it?”
“I pray for everybody,” Terrance calmly responded.
“You told me you were ready to settle down as soon as you
Similar Books
