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  April was obviously smarter than he. She cleverly sent him a text which gave no indication whatsoever to her own tone. For all William knew, April was asking that he come by to end things with him. Maybe she had become tired of being the other woman. William knew she had fallen in love with him. Perhaps their illicit affair had become too much for her to handle and she wanted out of it. Well, there was only way to find out for sure. Instead of returning April’s text message, he decided to call her so he could get a feel for her vibe.

  “I’m going into the bedroom to change, baby. Keep an eye on B.J.”

  “Sure, but hurry up, honey. I want to change also before I actually start cooking.”

  “All right. I’ll make it quick.” William rushed to the other side of their spacious home and into their bedroom. The moment he crossed the threshold, he dialed April’s number.

  “Hello, William,” she answered.

  “April, what is with this text? You know we agreed that we would never hook up on Sunday. Why are you saying you want to see me today?” William’s current tone was just barely below hostile.

  “Apparently you didn’t read it very carefully. What I said was I needed to see you today,” April replied coolly.

  “Whatever, April. What is this about?”

  “Aren’t you at home with wifey now? Are you sure you’re in a position to have this conversation over the phone?”

  William realized April was right. He did not want to stay on the phone with her too long. Aujanae had asked him to hurry so he could watch B.J. while she too came in to change clothes.

  “William, things between us are at a very odd place. I need to see you to see if there is any possibility we can sort them out. Besides, it has been over a week. While we have never broken our no-Sunday rule, we have also never gone that long without spending time together. I miss you.” April almost purred the second half of her statement.

  William’s near hostility quickly turned into concern with the first part of April’s account. He suddenly became very aware that he did not want to end things with her. Primal lust was the emotion that dictated his emotions in conjunction with April’s last two sentences.

  “April, I will be at your place in about an hour or so, but we will talk about you breaking the rules when I see you. This cannot happen again, no matter what the circumstances,” William said quickly in an effort to end the conversation; or at least that is what he tried to make himself believe.

  “Okay. I will see you when you get here.” April disconnected the call without another word.

  William tried to come up with a story to tell Aujanae about having to leave while he hurriedly changed his clothes. He usually used work as an excuse to spend time with April. He knew that would not fly on a Sunday. Just as he hung up his tie, he came up with the perfect lie to get him out of the house.

  “Aujanae,” William called as he went back to the great room after completely changing his attire. “I checked my text message while I was in the bedroom. David texted me while we were in the car on our way home, asking me to give him a call. I just spoke with him, and he really needs to talk to me. He didn’t give any real indication what he wanted to talk about, but I think he is really bummed about the strain the distance is causing on his and Tori’s relationship.” David had spoken to William earlier in the week about Toriyana not visiting as they had previously planned. He did seem pretty depressed about it at the time.

  “Billy, it is Sunday. Sunday is family day, remember. You are the one who came up with that rule just after B.J. was born. On Sundays it is supposed to always just be the three of us unless there was a special occasion involving our friends or family.”

  “I know, baby, but you didn’t hear David at work the other day. And he sounded even worse on the phone just now. I know it’s not really a special occasion, but I think it qualifies as special circumstances. I mean, I kind of feel responsible. I’m the one who convinced him to move here to Phoenix in the first place.” William surprised even himself with how easily the lies were rolling off his tongue.

  “I have an idea,” Aujanae said. “Why don’t you invite him here for dinner tonight? That way he might not feel so alone.”

  “Sweetie, I think seeing us here together in our home may just rub salt in his wounds. Remember, he’s depressed because he is not with his woman. How would that look for me to ask him to come spend time with me and my wife?”

  Aujanae responded with only a quiet thoughtfulness.

  “Look. I’ll go over there, talk with him for a little bit, maybe take him out to get a beer or something. I promise I won’t be gone for more than a couple hours, three tops.” William knew Aujanae was acquiescing, but he did not want to make a move until she said she was cool with him leaving.

  “Okay. I won’t be selfish. You can go and have some male-bonding time with David. But let’s not make this a habit, Billy. You work so much; I look forward to our Sundays.”

  “I won’t, baby.” William kissed his wife, kissed his son, who was still playing quietly in his playpen, and grabbed his car keys to leave.

  “Wait just one minute, Billy.”

  William froze, knowing his wife had quickly come up with some great reason for him to stay home, but he tried to remain calm as he asked, “What’s up, baby?”

  “Why are you in such a rush? Remember I told you I wanted to change clothes? I need you to keep an eye on B.J. David can wait a few extra minutes, can’t he?”

  William exhaled the breath he did not even realize he was holding before he responded as he sat on the sofa to wait for Aujanae to change. “Oh yeah. I forgot that quickly. Go ahead. Take your time, baby.”

  Aujanae walked back to the bedroom feeling very uncomfortable with William and his story about going to see David. She remembered hearing his text indicator going off while they were in the car. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up at the sound. She immediately began to think that perhaps it was his possible lover trying to contact him. Her nerves had on been edge since she saw him staring at the pretty woman at church.

  She really wanted to believe William, and the story about David did make sense, so she tried to put the negative thoughts out of her mind and not assume or accuse him of anything.

  April began preparing her apartment for William’s arrival as soon as they hung up the phone, starting, of course, in the bedroom. She lit scented candles, powdered the fresh sheets, and pulled together everything they would need and put it on the tub for a nice relaxing bubble bath later. She then went to the kitchen to slice strawberries and mangos for a sexy snack while the homemade lasagna she prepared yesterday and the garlic rolls warmed in the oven. The tossed salad and the perfect bottle of wine chilled in the refrigerator.

  April began plotting her efforts to become the next and forever Mrs. William Rucker, Sr. on Friday, after hearing William’s last voice mail message. The seductive scene she was putting together today was nothing out of the ordinary. This was usually how the two of them spent their time together. It would be the conversation today that would be quite different. Today April wanted to hear William tell her how he really felt about her. Oh, she had hinted about it in very obscure terms while they played tiddlywinks, and he was always just as obscure with his answers and reactions. Today, though, April wanted to hear more definitively about William’s feelings for her. She would be direct but not too blunt. She knew she was not yet in a position to give him an ultimatum, but she needed to be more assured that it was more than just an assumption on her part that he cared for her deeply.

  The doorbell chimed just as April was slicing the last piece of mango. She removed her apron and tossed it on the granite island. She was dressed to kill in a sexy blood-red dress that hit every inch of her hour-glass figure in just the right spot and landed just above her knees. The V-neckline showed just enough cleavage to make it alluring but not overtly sleazy. When she saw this Calvin Klein number in the store at Dillard’s two months ago, she knew it would be something William wou
ld enjoy seeing her wear. Today gave her the perfect opportunity to test her theory.

  When she opened the door, William stared at her for several moments before he even attempted to step into the apartment. Apparently she had been absolutely correct.

  “Are you going to come in and kiss me, or are you going to stand out there and gawk at me?” April asked seductively.

  William responded by walking into the living room, grabbing her in a greedy embrace, and planting an even greedier wet kiss on her opened mouth.

  “I gather from your reaction that I was missed,” April teased as they ended the ninety-second kiss.

  William answered by kissing her again for another ten seconds. When their lips parted this time, he said, “Yes! You were missed, April Colston.”

  Oh yes, April thought. I am finding out things this evening and I haven’t even asked a serious question yet.

  “I assume you’re hungry, William. I’m guessing you didn’t have time to eat dinner with your family because of the timing of your call. I have a very special meal prepared for you.”

  April’s statement reminded William that he had left his family on a Sunday to come to her, and he became slightly agitated. Only slightly, though. How could he be truly mad at her when she went out of her way to look this good for him?

  “April, what is up with you beckoning me to come over here on a Sunday? We talked about this from the very beginning. In order for me to be okay with this thing between us, I had to establish some rules and boundaries and you were cool with it. So why now are you demanding that I come see you on a Sunday?” Where William was only mildly aggravated, April instantly became strongly irritated at William’s comments and question.

  “Are you serious, William? Boundaries and rules?” April began pacing the living room floor with her hands on her hips. “Are there really any such margins for a man who is cheating on his wife? Are you really going to stand there and try to infuse some integrity into our relationship? I can’t believe you have the nerve to stand here and utter those words to me as if they truly make some kind of sense.” April finally stopped walking and stared at William through eyes that had sharpened into mere small slits.

  William, who remained standing in the same spot he had been in since entering the apartment, was taken aback by April’s reaction to his inquiry. Like he said, initially April had no issues with what he required of her in this relationship. There were actually only two rules, one spoken and one implied. Rule number one: Sundays were off limits. It was the day reserved for God and his family. Rule number two, which they never verbalized, but seemed to have an understanding about, was that they never discussed Aujanae. Things were changing in this thing he and April shared. William was not sure if he liked the direction they were going.

  He then took a moment to examine April fully, even in the angered state she was in right now. He looked at her, and in her beauty he could see all that made her that way: her outer appearance, her intellect, her strong will, her pride in her education, and her work ethic on her job. He combined all that with her desire to make him happy and the sheer pleasure she derived from doing it. He stared at April and realized in that moment that he was not prepared to allow her to leave his life, even though she had changed the game.

  William took a couple of steps toward April and reached for her. She initially bristled at his attempted touch. She was still angry with him.

  “Come here, April,” William demanded softly as he gently pulled her to him despite her protest. The two stood in the middle of the floor embracing while William spoke.

  “I’m sorry if what I said hurt you. This past week without you has been rough on me. I’ll admit that. That is the real reason I have stepped outside of our normal box and come here today. Yes, I was not happy with you asking me to do that, but I would have been more unhappy about going another day without seeing you.”

  April relaxed in William’s arms as he soothed her with his words. She nuzzled her nose into his broad chest and allowed herself to fall deeper in love with him. Before she even realized what happened, she said, “I love you, William.”

  Though this was not the first time she had told him that, she was still not supposed to say it to him tonight. Tonight was supposed to be about finding out how he truly felt about her. But it was out there now. She looked up into his eyes to see if they revealed a reaction. What she saw was confusion compiled with many emotions. She saw compassion and uncertainty. She saw trepidation and excitement. She saw respect and dilemma. She saw lust and passion. She then heard his response.

  “Oh April,” he said as he held her closer, tightly, and without restriction or even regret. It was not exactly what she wanted to hear, but she would take it for now.

  The pair stayed like that for what seemed like the longest time to them both. April was the first to break the passionate silence that was pregnant with so many emotions.

  “William, look. This evening has already taken us in so many different directions and you haven’t even been here ten minutes. How about we let go of the heaviness? We can start by eating this fabulous meal I’ve prepared and just enjoy the rest of our time together. What do you say?”

  “I say I agree with you wholeheartedly. I am starving in more ways than one, if you know what I mean,” William said suggestively and honestly.

  “Oh, I know exactly what you mean and how you feel. I feel the same way. After dinner, I have a beautiful bubble bath planned where we can sit, relax, and let nature take its course from there.”

  April and William started their evening together in the kitchen with their meal and ended it waking up from a sound nap more than six hours later. It would be 10:45 P.M. before he arrived home, more than three hours later than the three hours he promised his wife he would be gone.

  Chapter Seven

  David returned to the rented house he shared with his friend Darrin after his early morning jog and quiet time in nature with God. He was about to hit the shower and get ready for work when Darrin appeared in the kitchen to grab a bite to eat as he too prepared for work.

  The two gentlemen had moved in to the house together when they were offered a great deal by one of the members of their congregation at King David’s Christian Tabernacle. David was staying at his Cousin William’s house with William’s wife and son when he first moved from Detroit to Phoenix, until he found an affordable, suitable place to live. Darrin’s lease had expired one month prior, and he was paying an enormous month-to-month rent increase because he had decided not to renew his lease, but still had yet to find another apartment that he liked.

  Darrin and David were in the midst of a conversation at the end of a Men’s Ministry meeting at the church when William approached David to let him know one of the congregants told him he had a house he wanted to rent on the west side of the valley. The church member had just purchased a new house but wanted to hold on to his old house that he had purchased at such a great deal when the housing market crashed. The current mortgage on the house was $529, and the congregant was willing to rent it for only $100 above the mortgage payment. Though William was speaking to David, Darrin thought it could be a great opportunity for him as well. Not wanting to fight over the place, they decided to become roommates and take even greater advantage of the phenomenal blessing presented to them by God.

  That was about eight months ago. In the interim, the two men had become really good friends. They had lots of common interests, such as sports, with both holding a special fondness for basketball. They enjoyed the same types of movies and only slightly different types of music. Darrin’s favorite genre was hip-hop and David’s was rhythm and blues. But they mutually had their favorite artists in each genre. They were both in committed relationships with what they would describe as pretty special women, and they were Christians. Darrin was slightly older than David. Darrin was thirty-three. David was thirty.

  “Morning, David. Can I have a word with you for a quick second?”

  “Sure, man. What’s u
p?” David grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator then sat at the table to listen to Darrin.

  Darrin leaned on the kitchen counter, waiting for his frozen waffles to pop up from the toaster. “I was wondering how you would feel about me moving out. I mean, would you be able and willing to handle the rent and responsibilities on this place without me?”

  “What, man! You’re thinking about moving out? Is it something I’ve done?” David asked apologetically.

  “No, no, man. It’s nothing like that. We are cool. We will be cool even if I do move out of here.”

  “Oh. Okay. Then what’s really going on? Why are you thinking about moving and where are you thinking about moving to?”

  Darrin was a little hesitant to tell David about Maleeka’s offer. He did not want David, or anyone else for that matter, to criticize him about shacking up with his fiancée before they were actually married. And while he was pretty sure David would not openly judge him, he still did not want to deal with the lecture he was sure he would receive.

  David was a man truly after God’s own heart, just as King David in the Bible. As a matter of fact, Darrin considered earth David to be even godlier than King David. King David’s mistakes and mess-ups had been well known and chronicled for the entire world to see. Earth David seemingly led a life dedicated to living by God’s Word. David was always praying. He loved singing in praise to God. He openly loved being a Christian. Darrin, of course, knew he was not perfect, but David took his faith very seriously.

  Darrin, on the other hand, was a very carnal Christian. He did believe in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, but he was a participating Christian more out of obligation and tradition than a heartfelt desire to be like Jesus. Darrin’s parents were church deacons, and he grew up knowing and learning about God his entire life. His parents were also very serious about their faith, but Darrin just was not feeling it like that. He led a decent life—no drugs, no criminal activity, no addictive habits. He just did not look to live his life according to every word quoted from the Bible. His church attendance on Sunday was his reasonable service to God. His minimal participation in the Men’s Ministry gave him an outlet and an opportunity to be involved with the church and not have his parents harping on him every five minutes about showing no outward service to God. Therefore, his uneasiness about sharing his thoughts with David about moving in with Maleeka were more from his own sense of inferiority than his view of David’s superiority.