My Steps Are Ordered (24 page)

Gina was so ready for her “happily ever after” ending, but for the moment, God had other plans.

“You are a conniving, sadistic liar!” Michael screamed. He doubted he had ever been so furious in his life. “How dare you spin such a wicked, spiteful lie! Especially after what we just shared.” He'd made her body sing a mere hour ago and had come into his study to work.

Wide-eyed, Lauren backed away from him in stunned disbelief. Her heels knocked against the leg of the table. She reached to grip the back of a chair to keep from falling. But Michael didn't care if she was hurt.

He was not having it. She was not getting away from him that easily. Not after she uttered words that twisted and turned his heart, bringing all his pain and shortcomings back to the surface. Grabbing her arm, not caring that she would have telltale red welts, Michael struggled to bring his temper under control. His chest heaved with effort as he tried not to entertain the overwhelming impulse that was urging him to wring Lauren's neck.

Tears flowed from her eyes. “I . . . am . . . not . . . lying... ” Lauren repeated with a calm voice. However, her eyes showed she was terrified and Michael knew she was trying to present a brave front. “I thought you would be happy.” Spotting the condom on the heel of her shoe, Lauren reached down to grab it, a rosy hue filling her cheeks. Michael watched her search for a trashcan but he had her cornered, so she tucked it into her pants.

Michael reached up and twisted her ear. “Are you listening to me, woman? Do you think I don't know that you are feeding me garbage so rancid, I can smell it up to here?” He shoved his fist in her face. “And how do I even know that it's mine?”

Lauren's body contorted with pain. “I won't dignify that with an answer. I'm not taking this abuse from you or any man.” She sank her nails into his arm. She held on like a leech until he shrieked and let her ear go.

Michael turned his back and stomped back over to his desk. He saw when she smiled with satisfaction, knowing that she had drawn blood. The evidence was seeping through his otherwise immaculate white shirt. Emboldened after her stunt, she walked over to his liquor shelf to get an ice cube for her ear, which was splotchy red.

Michael plopped into the chair behind his desk and hunched over, with his head in his hands, and calmed himself.
What was he becoming?
he said to himself. He eyed his bloody shirt and acknowledged that he deserved that. Lauren was like a tigress when riled. In spite of himself, Michael smiled at her spunk.

She sensed the worst was over and stomped over to sit across from him. She was now simmering with righteous indignation at his mauling. With an upturned nose, she growled, “Don't you ever put your hands on me again, or you'll live to regret it. I promise you that.”

“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have manhandled you,” Michael responded, contrite. His anger evaporated. He had a good idea why Lauren had resorted to pulling such a low stunt. “Lauren, I know you don't think I should, but I'm still going through with my plans. Nothing that you say or do is going to change my mind. Not even your current wild, harebrained scheme, which is an ill attempt to get me to deviate from my decided course of action.”

Lauren blinked. It was obvious that she was at a loss for words, which was rare. She continued to eye him for several minutes before she declared, “I can't imagine you'd believe I would lie to you about something like this, Michael, after all that we have been through. I put my career on the line for you.”

Michael should have listened to her tone, but he refused to listen. “Yes, but you reaped the benefits. There was something in it for you. So tell me. What's in it for you this time? You think I would buy this stunt? What are you looking for? Another TV interview?”

“Michael, I know this thing between us is an arrangement for you, but my heart is involved,” Lauren admitted. Michael cringed at her confession. “Yes, Michael, I broke our unspoken arrangement. I fell in love. If you cannot accept that, and this gift, then you are not the man I thought still existed underneath all that bitterness.”

Lauren jumped to her feet and retreated to the doorway. She turned and said with disgust, “I'm going to give you one more chance to come to your senses and take what I'm offering you. I'll give you a second chance, even after your awful behavior toward me.”

Michael's heart hardened. He would not budge on this. With a determined gaze, he told her, “Lauren, it's done. Gina and Keith already received the papers.” To further prove his point, Michael opened his drawer and retrieved his copy of the documents.

“Michael, I'm asking you, for my sake, let this go. No, I am begging you not to do this. Think about the children.”

“I am.”

“No, you are thinking of yourself.” Lauren's voice broke. “This is a reality check. I can't believe I fancied myself falling in love with such an uncaring, selfish man. I can't believe you would disrupt the children's lives again, after all you've put them through already. Children whom you say you love. It's cruel and beneath you.”

“I do love them,” Michael stated. “That's why I am doing this.”

“I see there is nothing I can do to change your mind.” Her shoulders sagged. In a defeated tone, she said, “It's like you're on this road to destruction and you don't care who you hurt along the way.”

Michael basked in his own cleverness. “Admit that you lied earlier.”

Lauren opened her mouth and said, “I can't utter the words. From today onward I'm done with you. If you think I'm lying, then I am.”

“Spoken like a true reporter,” Michael replied. His arrogance had surfaced. He was more than ready to call her bluff.

“I was never a reporter with you, Michael,” Lauren informed him. “I was always a woman. A woman whom you rejected, I might add. For your sake, I hope your revenge merits all that you're losing.”

With that Lauren strode out of his life. Michael had already dismissed her and her drama, too caught up in his malicious scheme to give her a second thought.

Alone in the master bedroom she now shared with Keith, Gina was inconsolable. Keith had been able to rent the same house in Atlanta as before. She'd been tossing and turning the past two weeks, feeling the torture of Michael's latest ploy. Keith was locked in his study with Nigel Lattimore, a top attorney at his old law firm, Bohlander & Associates.

When Keith had called him, Nigel had agreed to oversee the case himself, flying to Atlanta from New York. He was a slender man, a little taller than Keith, and looked like he should be on the basketball court instead of in the courtroom. He had boyish good looks and a charm that Gina would have found appealing had she not been so worried about losing her children.

Keith had crooked his arm about her shoulders when he made the introductions. He was possessive and was staking his claim. Gina resisted rolling her eyes. He needed not have worried. She had eyes only for him. It was because of her inability to stay away from him that they were now in the hot seat.

Since then, Keith had been working nonstop. It was now past midnight, and the two were still pouring over legal statutes and cases, preparing a defense for a case for which Gina would never, ever be prepared.

“Michael doesn't really have rights, does he?” she asked Keith the other day. “I mean, he went on national television and acknowledged that Trey and Epiphany were yours.”

Keith touched her cheek. “The law doesn't see it that way, Gina. His name is on their birth papers, so he's their legal father, and he has rights.”

Gina had been too distraught for words. How did she prepare for the possibility of losing her own flesh and blood?

Her children were her life. They were her heartbeats. She couldn't lose them.

“Gina, no judge in their right mind would take children from their mother. You've got to believe me. Michael is wasting everybody's time with this nonsense. I don't even know how he got a judge to entertain this case,” Keith had assured her.

Though she heard Keith's words, Gina hadn't been mollified.

Giving up on sleep and tossing the covers back, she tiptoed out of the room to stand outside Keith's locked study door. Gina pressed her ear against the doorjamb, hoping to hear something that would ease her mind.

She'd been involved in the process, but her lack of sleep and nutrition had taken a toll after a week and a half of nonstop research. Seeing her lackluster, tired expression, Keith had banned her from his study and ordered her to bed.

Feeling useless, Gina moved her ear from the door. She heard nothing. It had been a pointless attempt, anyway, since the room was soundproof. Next, she went to look in on Trey and Epiphany, who were sound asleep.

Heading to the refrigerator, Gina snatched the pint of pistachio ice cream from the freezer compartment. She'd given up ice cream for the past three months, but now Gina refused to resist the temptation. She moseyed over to the large living room and plunked herself down on the soft red leather couch. It contorted to fit her curves. To kill time, she turned the television on and ate ice cream while she channel surfed.

Gina intended to waylay Keith and Nigel when they came out of the study. She wanted answers They were not getting rid of her so easily.

 

 

Keith found Gina asleep on the couch after Nigel had left for his hotel. Keith looked at the cable box and was surprised to see that it was almost one thirty in the morning. He even looked at his watch for confirmation.

Michael's case was reminiscent of those days when he used to burn the midnight oil. He felt confident with what he and Nigel had prepared, but it was Gina, their star witness, who would take the most prepping. Gina had never been in court before, so of course, she would be nervous. Keith's heart twisted, because he knew that Michael's defense attorney was going to paint Gina in the worst possible light.

Putting one hand on his head, Keith took the remote control, which Gina still clutched in her hand, and turned the television off. He picked up his wife, who did not stir. That spoke volumes about how tired she was. He carried her into their bedroom.

As he positioned her on their king-size bed, Keith laughed to himself. He had not yet made love to her since she officially became his wife. He undressed and settled in to cuddle with Gina spoon-style.

Looking up at the ceiling, Keith closed his eyes and whispered a quick prayer to God. Closing his eyes, Keith pictured Gina as she had looked on their wedding day, until Michael had ruined it with his special “surprise.”

Gina had been radiant and glowing, as any bride in love should be. When Keith saw her coming down the aisle, he had done all he could to keep from running and grabbing hold of her. She was absolutely breathtaking. Keith remembered how he grabbed her hand as soon as she was close enough. He had wanted—no, had needed—to touch her. Terence had held his arm, or he would have planted a solid kiss on those lips before the right time for that.

The rest of the ceremony had flown by, and Terence had to tap him to end the searing kiss. Keith had almost lost his composure then. He groaned with horror, as he had seen that kiss repeated on screen so many times that he had count. Their lip locking had made the devastating news even more sensational.

Keith and Gina had decided to have the reception at the same venue, because they intended to make a speedy retreat afterward to start their honeymoon. But in the middle of the celebration, a flashily dressed messenger arrived. He was a young man in his early twenties. His getup and mannerisms screamed that theatrics were afoot. The young man got everyone's attention and told them to gather round. Then he presented Keith and Gina with an embroidered envelope. Of course, caught up in the festivities, the crowd and the camera crew had eaten it all up.

Enthralled, everyone watched as Gina opened the envelope to read the contents of the enclosed letter. In a matter of seconds her face had frozen with shock. This must have been his cue, because the young man then executed a theatrical bow and proclaimed at the top of his lungs, “Congratulations, Keith and Gina! You've been served! Michael is suing you for full custody of his children!”

The loud gasp from the crowd was quiet in comparison to Gina's reaction. She let out a bloodcurdling scream and pounced on the messenger, who had been making his way down the driveway toward a waiting car with rapid speed. Keith let the young man go, because he knew that the messenger was just another pawn in Michael's plot for revenge.

To their chagrin, Keith and Gina's humiliation was now a YouTube sensation. Even Keith's broadcast station had replayed the day's events with alarming speed over and over again. Once again his life had become more outrageous than a soap opera.

From that moment onward, Keith had been hitting the law books. Nigel was the crème de la crème at the law firm, and Keith trusted his judgment. Terence and Colleen had also come to his support. They had been praying and fasting with him in earnest two days a week. In fact, he needed to turn his brain off, because they would be at his door at 8:00 a.m. The only one missing from the group was Gina. Keith excused her, however, knowing how distraught she was.

But another part of him felt a small niggling doubt. Keith pondered Gina's spiritual beliefs. He knew it was a little too late to wonder now, but Keith had never questioned Gina's convictions before. He had been too in love to let her go. However, he acknowledged that he wanted and needed a firm woman of faith.

Keith knew Gina was not an atheist. She believed in God. She accepted God. But he realized that Gina had not yet discovered her own personal relationship with God. She did not know how much she needed Him.

Caught up in his thoughts, Keith played with Gina's hair. She looked so tiny in her sleep, but that was deceiving. Gina was a powerhouse, a force to be reckoned with, and he would not have her any other way.

Lord, thank you for giving me the woman of my heart. I will wait for you to complete the work.