“I do. I mean it with all my heart.”
“I love you, JT. And it’s like I just told you, I would do anything for you.”
“I’m glad, baby,” he said, sounding as sincere as he could. “Because the feeling is definitely mutual.”
Chapter 19
The banquet facility for the tenth annual Pastors’ and Wives’ Luncheon was as elegant as Alicia had expected. She and JT had arrived at the hotel about twenty minutes ago, had valet-parked, and had then taken the escalator straight up to the third floor. There must have been at least fifty linen-covered round tables situated throughout the room, all adorned with exquisitely arranged white lily floral pieces at the center and each surrounded by ten plush chairs. Alicia loved this kind of setting, and while she’d really wanted to attend Matthew’s track meet, she was also glad to be in the midst of five hundred people.
“Here’s our table right here,” JT said, pointing his finger at the tall, skinny metal stand that held a place card displaying the number thirteen.
“Pastor Valentine?” an older, distinguished-looking gentleman said, and Alicia and JT smiled.
“Oh my goodness,” he said. “Pastor Jacobs, it’s really wonderful to see you. It’s been a very long time, hasn’t it?”
“A very long time indeed. So, how have you been, my boy? From the looks of this beautiful young lady you have with you, it seems you’re doing just fine.”
The two men chuckled and JT said, “Well, I guess you got me there, and you’re right. Pastor Jacobs, this is my wife, Alicia. Alicia, this is Pastor Jacobs, one of the best men I know and the person who gave me a lot of great advice when I first founded NLCC.”
“It’s very nice to meet you,” she said, smiling and reaching out her hand to him.
“The pleasure is all mine, and I’m sorry we weren’t able to make the wedding. We’d already scheduled and paid for our annual vacation to Hawaii, and it would have been a bit on the expensive side to change our plans.”
“We completely understand.”
“You did receive the gift, though, right?”
Alicia looked at JT because she honestly had no idea. As a matter of fact, they’d invited so many guests to witness their nuptials and had received so many gifts by mail, there was no way for her to remember the names Pastor and Mrs. Jacobs, let alone what they’d sent them. But JT said, “Yes, and it was very, very generous of you.”
“We really appreciate your kindness,” Alicia said, so she wouldn’t sound so clueless. “And you should have received a thank-you card right after we returned from our honeymoon.”
“Oh, I’m sure we did,” he said. “But you know how we men are. We don’t really pay much attention to all that women-related stuff.”
They all chuckled and then Pastor Jacobs said, “Alicia, if you don’t mind, I’d like to steal your husband away for a few minutes so I can introduce him to a couple of the newer pastors in the city.”
“Oh, of course. Please go ahead.”
“Are you sure, baby?” JT asked.
“Yes. Absolutely.”
JT kissed her on the cheek. “Okay, then, I’ll be back in a while.”
Alicia walked back closer to their assigned table and saw three women sitting in place, two side by side and one straight across from them. They all looked to be in their late thirties or early forties and were each dressed very stylishly. They looked as though they were married to successful men, the same as she was, and she was looking forward to meeting them.
“How are you ladies this afternoon?” she said, speaking against all the chatter in the background and sitting down next to the woman who was alone.
The two women sitting together acted as though they didn’t want to be bothered and barely uttered the word “Fine.” Alicia wasn’t sure why they were being so rude, but she wasn’t going to get herself all worked up over it.
“I’m doing well,” the woman next to her said, “and it’s very nice to meet you. I’m Tamara Jackson, first lady of Lakeview Christian Center.”
“It’s very nice to meet you as well. I’m Alicia Black Valentine and my husband, JT, is the pastor of New Life Christian Center.”
“Yes, I figured as much when I saw him kissing you,” she said jokingly.
“Oh, so you know him?” Alicia asked, placing her dainty, off-white satin, rhinestone-trimmed shoulder purse across the back of her chair. She’d purchased it specially to go with the off-white Armani suit she was wearing.
“Yes. My husband and I have visited New Life a few times over the years, and for the most part, most of the pastors with churches on the South Side of Chicago tend to all know one another.”
“Oh, okay,” she said, and then looked over at the other women, who seemed as if they could take her or leave her. Still, she smiled and tried making small talk with them. “So, which churches are you the first ladies of?”
The women looked at each other, slightly laughed, and shook their heads. Alicia wasn’t sure why they didn’t like her because it wasn’t like she’d ever done anything to them. It wasn’t like she even knew them.
Tamara sipped some water from her glass and set it back down on the table, and Alicia could tell this whole scene was just as awkward for her. “So,” Tamara said, “how are you settling in as a new first lady?”
“Very well. Everyone at NLCC is wonderful. They’re all very kind, and they’re constantly making me feel welcome. I’m really very blessed to have found someone like JT and also to be a part of such an awesome ministry.”
“Ha!” one of the other women said, obviously the most aggressive of the two. “You know, ever since you sat down, I’ve tried my best not to say anything, but the more you sit here acting all blissful and like you’re on top of the world, I can’t help but feel sorry for you.”
Alicia leaned farther back in her chair. She didn’t like the indignant look the woman was wearing but said, “Oh, really? And why is that?”
Alicia waited for a response, but the woman just gawked at her.
Tamara repositioned her body in her seat and attempted changing the subject. “It’s always great when the congregation loves you and they go out of their way to make you feel at home.”
“It really is.”
“They can love her all they want,” the rude woman mumbled to her friend. “But that still won’t stop JT from whoring around the same as always.”
Alicia stared at the woman in silence, trying to hold her tongue, but enough was enough. “What in the world is your problem?”
“You wanna know? Well, I’ll tell you. My problem is that even though JT runs around here acting all holy, he messes around with every tramp he can get his hands on. Then, to think he might have had something to do with his first wife’s death, well, that makes me even sicker. So, sweetheart, make no mistake about it, JT is as pathetic as they come, and if you married him, you must be just as lame as he is.”
Alicia swallowed hard and wondered why yet another person was accusing JT of murder and cheating. It just didn’t make any sense, but Alicia would never let on that the woman’s words were unnerving her. “You know what?” she said angrily but not loudly. “You need to mind your own business. What you need to do is spend less time worrying about my husband and more time worrying about your own.”
The woman frowned. “Honey, you don’t even know my husband. But on the other hand, I know plenty about JT. I know more than I care to know about that rotten creep. But if you want to be naïve enough to believe he’s such a saint,” she said, standing up, “then by all means, you go right ahead and do it. Although, it would seem to me that since your father slept around on all three of his wives, you would know better. I would think you’d know a true whoremonger from the moment you first saw one. But I guess not.” The woman eyed Alicia in disgust, and then her sidekick stood up, too. Seconds later, they both strutted away.