Reverend Feelgood (17 page)

Mark and Simone Simmons made a striking pair as they entered Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse in Baton Rouge’s upscale Towne Center. That’s what Reverend Ed Smith thought as he watched them walk toward him.
What I wouldn’t do to get a taste of that sugar dumpling.
He rose from his chair abruptly to stop the flow of his sinful thoughts.

“Mark, Simone, good to see you!”

“And you, Reverend Smith. Thanks for inviting us.” Mark stepped forward and shook his hand, followed by Simone.

“Jackie will be joining us shortly. She had a conference call that ran late.” Jackie Connors was a political heavyweight in the state of Louisiana. Her father had been a congressman for many years, and their family had been a part of the political landscape for generations.

“How do you like First Baptist so far?” Ed asked, once the waiter had taken their drink orders.

“There are many things that impress me,” Simone answered truthfully. “Your community outreach programs are innovative and effective, and what the church is doing regarding the city’s youth is to be applauded. They need direction, and First Baptist is providing that.”

“We base our ministry on the word of God, not money, like that pimping preacher where you came from.”

That Simone disagreed with Ed Smith’s view on megachurches, prosperity preaching, or abundance in the lives of saints would be a gross understatement. But arguing that point would be counterproductive to the reason she and Mark were here. “Well, I’m here now,” she said, while blessing the minister with an engaging smile. “And grateful for the support you and this ministry are giving to my husband.”

“Mark’s a fine man,” Ed said. “Just goes to show you that blood isn’t always thicker than water and that sometimes apples do fall far from the tree! He and that scoundrel Nate Thicke are as different as night and day. It’s a wonder that false prophet don’t choke on his lying tongue. Why I—”

“Jackie!” Mark interrupted Ed and stood as he saw Jackie Connors hurrying toward their table. “Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to join us.”

“You’re more than welcome,” Jackie said. “Sorry I’m late.”

The foursome exchanged small talk while the waiter took their orders and refreshed their drinks.

“You know I’m one to cut to the chase,” Jackie said, after the waiter left their table. “So if you don’t mind, Ed, I’m just going to ask the question straight out.” She turned to Mark. “Have you made a decision? Have you decided to run for mayor of Baton Rouge?”

Mark looked at Simone, who placed an encouraging hand on his arm. “Jackie, I’ve decided not to run for mayor.”

“Oh no!” Jackie’s disappointment was starkly evident.

“Now, son, you might want to reconsider,” Ed said. “You’re a born leader with a gift for speaking to the hearts of people. Our city needs you.”

“Well, I thank you for that,” Mark says. “I believe that I could be of some benefit to the people of Baton Rouge. But Simone and I have been discussing it, and she believes I could be an even bigger asset to the people of Louisiana.”

Jackie and Ed looked at each other, and then at Mark.

“Jackie, Ed, I would like your help in running for governor, governor of the state of Louisiana.”

Later that evening, Simone lay nestled in Mark’s arms, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking. “I’m so proud of you,” she said softly.

“You should be proud of yourself. I would have never considered running for governor if you hadn’t encouraged me, and made me believe I could win.”

“I believe you can win because you’re the best man for the job,” Simone countered.

“It’s funny, but before I met you, I’d taken some ministerial courses online and had toyed with the idea of going into ministry.”

“Christians can minister in different ways, Mark. Some of the most effective ministries take place outside the pulpit. You’re a man with godly principles, worldly intelligence, an excellent education: that’s a powerful combination. It’s funny that you mention the ministry though,” Simone continued after a pause. “Because for a long time, I thought I’d eventually be a first lady.” That she could say this, knowing that they both would think of Nate, proved just how far their marriage had come, how much they’d grown as a couple.

“Like you just told me, ministry comes in different ways. If I win—”

“
When
you win…”

“When I win, you’ll be the first lady of this state. And win or lose,” Mark said, pulling Simone closer, “you’ll always be my first lady.”

Not everyone was thrilled with Mark’s decision to run for governor—or at least with his timing. Katherine sat at her dining room table, steaming just like the bowl of soup sitting in front of her. She was totally unaware of the the Texas wildflowers that had bloomed with only God’s help in the lot across the street—morning glories and black-eyed Susans visible from her plate-glass window.

“What do you mean you can’t come?” Katherine asked Simone.

“Just that, Mother. I can’t come to Nate’s anniversary this year. There’s too much going on right now. We’re in the middle of planning a massive campaign.”

“But haven’t you heard anything I’ve said? Destiny and Nate will be announcing their engagement. It’s unconscionable that you would think of not showing your support.”

“I don’t have to be there to support them,” Simone said wearily.

“I wonder…how much of this has to do with Mark’s campaign, and how much of it has to do with Nate marrying Destiny instead of you.”

“A year ago, it would have had everything to do with it,” was Simone’s honest answer. “Mother, you might find this hard to believe because you’re still in love with him, but I’ve moved on from Nate. Yes, I will always love him. I’m getting ready to be his mother-in-law, for goodness sake. Ha!” Simone couldn’t help but laugh at the irony of life.

“I don’t find anything funny,” Katherine said dryly.

“No, I guess you wouldn’t. The truth is, something happened to me when I married Mark. Yes, I did it for Nate, and I did it for Destiny. I thought we would be together a few years, get through any scandals that Benjamin’s presence might cause, and then I’d come back to Palestine, and Nate, and take a number for a chance to sleep with him whenever he called. But that’s not my life anymore, Mother. I’ll still do whatever I can to help them, especially to help Destiny. But my life is no longer in Palestine, with Nate and Gospel Truth. My life is here, in Baton Rouge, with Mark.”

“You still have time to change your mind,” Katherine said. “They’ll be making the announcement at the three o’clock service.”

Katherine replaced the receiver and sat quietly. Her uneaten soup grew cold. She gazed out the window and finally took in the beautiful June day, and the flowers. Recent rains had turned everything green, a stark contrast to the brilliant blue of a cloudless sky. Katherine watched her neighbor’s granddaughter ride her bike down the street. She was about twelve years old, Katherine imagined, the age when Katherine had been introduced to the Noble-Thicke tradition. She stood, walked to the window, and continued watching the girl on the bike. Her braids flew behind her, and the child laughed as a dog came to run alongside her. Katherine thought of her mother, Naomi, and Naomi’s mother, Sadie, and the whole story she had yet to fully hear about what happened between Sadie and Nate’s great-grandfather, Elijah, which had started it all.

Katherine wondered what would happen with Simone’s break from tradition. Would the Lord strike her down for not serving the man of God? Could Destiny’s marriage to Nate somehow stay God’s wrath, if He determined Simone was being disobedient? And then there was the matter of Katherine’s feelings, of being unsure she could handle standing in the church, alone and smiling, as the man she loved openly declared his love for another. It was a lot to bear. But for the love of her family and all things Thicke, Katherine would bear it, nobly, and not count the cost.

The crowd for Nate’s seventh anniversary had almost doubled from the previous year, and once again, the service had to be moved to a bigger building to accommodate the masses. Workers had toiled into the night to transform the auditorium into a place of worship, re-creating the backdrop that hung in their sanctuary, a Bible with a sword cutting through it, angel’s wings above it, and these words emblazoned underneath:
SPREADING THE GOSPEL TRUTH TO ALL NATIONS
. Flowers decorated the altar area directly in front of the pulpit, and a temporary choir stand had been erected to the left of where the pastors and dignitaries would sit. Ushers were busy placing offering envelopes on each of the five thousand chairs on the floor and balcony. Assistants scurried to carry out the wishes of their superiors: from making sure there was water and glasses in the pulpit to carrying platters of cookies to the area designated for children’s church. It was an organized chaos, overseen by Kirk and the associate ministers, and a horde of deacons taking their instruction from James Robinson.

Behind the scenes, in the room that was serving as Nate’s office, all was calm. The door was locked, and he sat with Destiny perched on his knee. He repositioned her for a kiss.

“Nate, you’ll wrinkle my suit!”

“It doesn’t matter. You’ll still be the most gorgeous woman in the room.” Destiny gave in and allowed him to kiss her. “Nervous?” he asked after he finished.

Destiny nodded. “A little.”

A lot,
would have been a more accurate statement.
Beyond belief,
an even better description. If what she’d seen this morning was any indication, when she accompanied her grandmother to regular morning service, God only knew how the news of Nate’s engagement would be received.

From the moment she’d stepped her foot out of her grandmother’s brand new, lavender-colored Cadillac, all eyes had been on Destiny. Some women viewed her covertly, others flat-out stared. She’d prayed that she would run into some of her old schoolmates, someone familiar with whom to interact, but the few she’d seen had turned their faces, acting as if they hadn’t seen her. This didn’t surprise her really; she was tolerated at best by those her age during her time at Gospel Truth. Most of her friends had been women like Nettie, and others on the mother board. After visiting briefly with Nate in his office, she and her grandmother had been ushered down to the front row of the church. At first, you could have heard a pin drop. And then little by little the murmur, which had started at the back of the room with their entrance into the sanctuary, became an all-out cacophony. Some members didn’t even try to keep their voices down.

“That’s Simone’s daughter, Destiny.”

“Wonder what she’s doing here.”

“Hmph. I’ll give you three guesses and the first two don’t count.”

Katherine had stood then, tall and regal, put her hand on her hip and looked around the room, staring into the faces of the naysayers and player-haters who dared meet her eye. Slowly the chatter quieted, and shortly after that, the organist began playing a lively rendition of “This Is the Day,” an ironic selection since few were rejoicing and even fewer seemed glad.

Destiny could not have told anyone what the sermon was about. She’d been too busy trying to look as if everything was fine, as if she couldn’t feel the eyes on her, sense the hostility aimed in her direction. A tall dark woman with a beautiful voice—Anne, Katherine later told her—had eyed her in a way that if looks could kill, she would have been dead and gone. Another short, light-skinned woman kept looking at her and laughing, then covering her mouth and talking to the woman beside her. The visiting minister had barely finished the benediction before Jennifer Stevens made a beeline for the front of the church where Destiny stood. She didn’t make it though. She was stopped by security, detained until Destiny had been whisked through a side door and taken to Nate. All of this, and the announcement hadn’t even been made yet!

There was a knock on the door. “Reverend Thicke?”

Destiny got up so Nate could unlock the door. “Yes, Kirk.”

“The VIP room is filling up, sir. Pastors Montgomery and Brook want to see you. They’re being entertained by your grandfather right now. But there’s also a bunch of celebrities and reporters, all asking for you.”

“Thanks, Kirk. I guess it’s that time.” He turned to Destiny. “Ready for your debut, Mrs. Thicke?”

“I’m not Missus yet,” Destiny said, even as her smile showed that his comment pleased her.

Nate offered his arm. Destiny took it, and the two followed Kirk and a member of the security team down the hall to the VIP room. All heads turned as soon as Nate and Destiny entered. They were a dazzling duo: Nate, six feet three inches of dark chocolate, his newly trimmed hair and clean-shaven face effectively showing off his sharp features, wearing a tailored suit that fit as if he’d been born in it. And Destiny, just slightly shorter than him in her three-inch heels, wore an ice blue Jason Wu suit that was tailored to perfection and showed off an enviable hourglass figure and graceful calves. She wore her long black hair straight and away from a face that needed no makeup, yet had been even further enhanced by the professional artist who’d highlighted her vivid green eyes and bee-stung lips. In short, Destiny looked like a fairy princess, and Nate, the prince ready to ascend the throne.

After the pregnant pause where everyone drank in the vision this couple created, Derrick and Vivian walked up to greet them and conversation in the room resumed.

“Reverend Thicke!” Derrick exclaimed as he embraced his brother in Christ. “And you must be Destiny,” he continued, offering his hand. “What a pleasure it is to meet you. This man has been singing your praises.”

“And it’s all true,” Destiny said playfully. “Destiny Noble,” she said to Vivian, who enveloped her in a hug.

“You are even more beautiful than Nate described,” Vivian responded. “Being a first lady isn’t always easy, but I have a feeling you are up to the task.”

For the next thirty minutes, Nate and Destiny took a turn around the room, meeting and greeting, before one of the associate ministers let everyone know it was time for the service to begin. Nate and Destiny returned to his office, along with some of the visiting pastors. The others followed ushers to the special seating for distinguished guests. Patricia, who’d been a hostess, went to the bathroom to throw up. Seeing Nate all goo-goo eyed over a woman who looked like she stepped off a runway had literally made her sick to her stomach.

Destiny took a deep breath and braced herself for the entrance into the arena. Nate went with the other ministers to take his place on the elevated podium while she, along with Katherine, Nettie, Mama Max, and the ladies-in-waiting assigned to them walked to their reserved seats in the front row. The talk may have been no less active, but for Destiny it was easier this time. Perhaps because of the size of the auditorium, she wasn’t as aware of eyes on her as she’d been in the smaller space. Then again, maybe it was because almost every time she looked up, Nate’s eyes were on her, his smile reassuring, his wink comforting. What she’d prayed for was coming true, and everybody was getting ready to know it.

After the singing, praying, and acknowledging of Nate’s accomplishments and service to God; after the offering had been lifted and the sermon had been preached; after the doors to the church had been opened and closed, visitors acknowledged and dignitaries announced…finally…it was time. After much discussion, it had been decided that Nate’s grandfather, Thomas Thicke, would do the honors.

He slowly walked to the podium and began speaking at once. “It gives me great pleasure to stand before you and make a special announcement.” The buzzing of voices began. “To testify to the wisdom, the constancy, and the faithfulness of God.” The murmuring dimmed, as people second-guessed what they thought they knew was about to happen. “The word of God says that it is not good for a man to be alone, and that he who finds a wife finds a good thing.” The buzzing began again, louder this time. “And I am happy that God has allowed me to live to see the day that my grandson, a true man of God working for the kingdom, found his good thing.”

Thomas turned to Nate. “Come here, son.” He then turned to Destiny. “Come here, daughter.”

Destiny hesitated only briefly, and then stood, taller and more regal than her grandmother had that morning, and walked up to where Thomas and Nate stood.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to formally announce the engagement of Nathaniel Eli Thicke to Destiny Nicole Noble. May God bless and keep this couple, as they walk toward marriage and a lifetime together.”

Loud applause broke out from the two-thirds of attendees who were from other churches or out of town. They rose to their feet, giving the beaming couple a standing ovation. The musicians broke into an impromptu jazz version of Brian McKnight’s song “Back at One.” Shouts of “praise the Lord” and “thank you, Jesus” were heard from the section where the older women sat—the mothers of the church. One by one the pastors came forth to shake Nate’s hand and lightly hug Destiny.

But not everyone clapped or considered the announcement good news. Scores of women’s hearts broke as their improbable fantasy was dashed. True, most of them had never even met Nate Thicke in person, but as long as he was single, they could dream. As long as there was no one physically by his side, they could put themselves there. But today, that spot had been officially taken.

And then there were the Gospel Truth faithful, women who had allowed themselves to believe that being intimate with Nate would grant them special favor. They hadn’t cared that Nate didn’t marry them, as long as he didn’t marry anybody else. Verniece gasped when she heard the news, and then burst out crying. She could only hope those watching believed hers were tears of joy for her pastor. Patricia, whose stomach had quieted during the service, felt the roiling again, and left the sanctuary. Anne sat stunned, trying to look normal, a smile pasted to her face that was as fake as snow in Miami. Katherine stood with both sad and happy tears streaming down her face.

These women sat in different areas but shared a common thought:
Will Nate still cover me?

For one woman, the stakes were higher than a romp in the sack. When Jennifer Stevens had been tossed out of Nate’s office and out of his bed as well, she’d surprised everyone by not leaving the church. She believed that staying would prove to Nate that being at Gospel Truth was about more than her being his manager, being in the limelight. She wanted him to see that she could take her just punishment, and wait—as long as it took—for Nate to forgive her. She’d remained faithful, and was at the church every time the doors opened. She’d doubled her offering and given liberally to the building fund, doing her part to advance Nate’s dream. But now, as she sat in the back of the auditorium, she saw her own dream slipping farther and farther away. How far she had fallen, from last year when she was a VIP of the VIPs, to this year when she’d barely gotten a seat. Amid the accolades and well wishes, and through the benediction, Jennifer sat there and remembered: when she first arrived at Gospel Truth, Nate’s elation when she booked Carla for the luncheon, their exciting times in California, Chicago, and New York. The way she felt when she was in Nate’s arms.

“No!” she said out loud as she finally stood on her feet to leave the half-empty area.
I’m not going to give up on Nate, or on us. There must be something I can do to prove I belong in his life.
As Jennifer exited the building and walked to her car, an idea began to form in her mind, a way that Nate would know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jennifer’s love was genuine, that nobody could have his back the way she did. She didn’t even go home to change clothes. Instead she filled up her gas tank, ordered a fish sandwich from a drive-thru, and hit the highway. It was time for another visit to Louisiana.