Excerpt
Chapter
ONE
God has a great sense of humor.
Rachel Jackson Adams could remember her motherâÈçs words as if sheâÈçd just uttered them yesterday. When Rachel was growing up, it was one of the sayings Loretta Jackson loved most.
Well, God must be some kind of comedian because this had to be the biggest joke of all.
âÈêWhy are you sitting there with your mouth wide open?âÈë
Rachel jumped at the sound of LesterâÈçs voice. SheâÈçd been so engrossed in the email sheâÈçd just read, she hadnâÈçt even heard her husband come in the house.
Rachel didnâÈçt bother to speak as she shook her head in disbelief. âÈêThis is unbelievable,âÈë she muttered, more to herself than to him as she leaned back in the leather office chair.
Lester set down his briefcase, walked over, and kissed his wife on the head. âÈêWhatâÈçs unbelievable? MacyâÈçs is having a going-out-of-business sale? DillardâÈçs is closing early?âÈë he joked.
The evil eye she flashed at him wiped the smile right off his face. After nine years of marriage, Lester knew when his wife was about to lose it and she was definitely on the verge right now.
âÈêOkay, babe, whatâÈçs going on? You look like youâÈçre about to explode,âÈë Lester asked, all traces of laughter gone.
âÈêI am,âÈë Rachel snapped. She spun her laptop around to face him. âÈêLook at this mess.âÈë
Lester peered at the screen. âÈêOkay, itâÈçs an email.âÈë
âÈêNo kidding.âÈë She jabbed a manicured nail at the screen. âÈêItâÈçs an email from Yvette.âÈë
âÈêWho is Yvette?âÈë
She huffed and rolled her eyes. âÈêGood grief, Lester, the publicist for the American Baptist Coalition. You know, the woman we hired.âÈë
âÈêOkay, calm down,âÈë Lester said as he continued reading. âÈêI just didnâÈçt immediately realize who you were talking about.âÈë When he got to the end of the email, a huge grin spread across LesterâÈçs face. âÈêThat is phenomenal.âÈë
Rachel popped her husband upside the back of his head.
âÈêWow, what did you do that for?âÈë
âÈêWhat do you mean, itâÈçs phenomenal?âÈë
He looked at her, confused. âÈêOprah isnâÈçt phenomenal?âÈë She didnâÈçt answer, just kept glaring at him like heâÈçd done something wrong. âÈêSweetheart, I donâÈçt understand,âÈë he continued. âÈêThe American Baptist Coalition is about to be represented on Oprah and youâÈçre upset about that?âÈë
âÈêYou doggone right, IâÈçm upset,âÈë Rachel said, slamming the laptop shut. âÈêWhy in the world is she going on Oprah?âÈë
âÈêLady Jasmine?âÈë he asked, still bewildered.
âÈêHer name ainâÈçt no damn Lady Jasmine!âÈë Rachel yelled. âÈêI told you to stop calling her that. Call her Shady Jasmine, Jas, Jazzy, shoot, call her Pepper Pulaski after the name she used to use when she was a stripper for all I care, but stop calling her that like sheâÈçs some type of royalty!âÈë
Lester took a deep breath, trying to stay calm in order to keep her calm. âÈêOkay, letâÈçs back up because I really donâÈçt understand your anger.âÈë
Her husband really and truly could work her nerves sometimes. He could be so naÃāve. Granted, over the years heâÈçd gotten a little backbone and since heâÈçd become a popular preacher, his confidence had soared. It had gone to even new heights when heâÈçd won the election for the presidency of the American Baptist Coalition six months ago. That had been a brutal fightâÈ'not between Lester and the man he was running against, Pastor Hosea Bush, but between Rachel and Pastor BushâÈçs wife, Jasmine. Things had gotten downright ugly between the two of them, but at the end of the day, Rachel had emerged victorious. Just like she knew she would.
And for the first four months, Rachel had been the shining star of the ABC. SheâÈçd increased their visibility, convinced them to hire the publicist, streamlined some of their programs, introduced a few others, and had worked around the clock to make the ABC even more powerful than it already was.
So why in the world was Jasmine the one going on Oprah?
âÈêIâÈçm the first lady of the American Baptist Coalition,âÈë Rachel slowly said. âÈêIf O is gonna be talking to anybody, she needs to be talking to me.âÈë
Lester pointed at the email. âÈêBut Yvette said Jasmine will be talking about the new community center sheâÈçs starting, JacquelineâÈçs Hope.âÈë
âÈêI donâÈçt care what sheâÈçs talking about. ItâÈçs. Oprah. The only person that should be talking to Oprah on behalf of the ABC is me! IâÈçm in the driverâÈçs seat. Jasmine is back in the bed of the pickup truck. So why is it that every time I turn around, Jasmine donâÈçt-nobody-wanna-say-all-them-dang-last-names is getting all the attention?âÈë
That brought a small smile to LesterâÈçs face. âÈêBush. Her name is Jasmine Bush.âÈë He chuckled. âÈêAs if you didnâÈçt know.âÈë
Rachel waved him off. âÈêSheâÈçs been married thirty times so I canâÈçt keep up. Why are you taking up for her, anyway?âÈë The disdain Rachel held for Jasmine was no secret. The bourgie, over-the-top troll had caused her enough headaches to last a lifetime.
âÈêRachel, you get your fair share of press, too,âÈë he said, soothingly. âÈêYou just did a TV appearance last week.âÈë
âÈêYeah, on Fox 26 News. ThatâÈçs local. IâÈçm a global type of woman and IâÈçm resigned to local press? ThatâÈçs unacceptable.âÈë
âÈêOh, youâÈçre global now.âÈë He laughed.
Rachel stood, her hands plastered on her hips. Sure, this type of thing didnâÈçt used to be her forte, particularly since she had been a reluctant first lady. But after some rough patches, sheâÈçd come to like the power that came along with being an esteemed first lady. âÈêLester Eugene Adams, I donâÈçt see anything funny.âÈë
He immediately wiped the smile off his face. âÈêSweetheart,âÈë he said gently, âÈêthis really is good news.âÈë
Rachel relaxed a bit, even though her anger didnâÈçt subside. âÈêWhy is she always trying to steal my thunder? We won this election fair and square, yet she has been the bane of my existence for the past few months. She thinks because she has MosesâÈç mama on her side, she can just take over.âÈë
Lester sighed. âÈêYou promised to stop talking about Mae Frances like that.âÈë
Rachel didnâÈçt even want to get into a debate with Lester about that crazy old woman who walked around in a matted full-length mink coat that she probably got at an estate sale in 1967. The Bushes claimed that Mae Frances was just a family friend, but something about that old woman turned RachelâÈçs stomach.
âÈêLester, I donâÈçt care about that old hagâÈ'or Mae Frances,âÈë Rachel quipped.
âÈêI thought you and Jasmine were getting along,âÈë Lester replied.
âÈêNo, Jasmine recognized that she lost the election fair and square. And I thought not hearing from her for four months meant that she was gracious in defeat. But she was just plotting to see how she could steal my shine.âÈë
After the election, Jasmine had all but disappearedâÈ'thankfully. SheâÈçd hadnâÈçt even bothered to reply to the email Rachel sent asking if Jasmine wanted to be her assistant. Then last month, out of the blue, sheâÈçd sent the board a press release talking about the center she was opening in honor of her little girl whoâÈçd been kidnapped. As a mother, Rachel could sympathize with not knowing where your child was. But theyâÈçd found the little girl, and still Jasmine milked sympathy every chance she could.
Rachel felt disrespected because Jasmine hadnâÈçt even bothered to talk to her about the center. Then, sheâÈçd gone over RachelâÈçs head and contacted the ABC ladiesâÈç auxiliary about hosting a fund-raiser. Now, she thought she was about to give the ultimate disrespect and go on Oprah? By herself? Oh, hell no. Not if Rachel had anything to say about it!
âÈêYou do realize this is not the first time theyâÈçve done something like this,âÈë Rachel replied. âÈêDo I need to remind you of the article about Hosea on Essence.com last week?âÈë
âÈêThat was about his TV show getting syndicated.âÈë
âÈêAnd did they or did they not mention his role in the ABC? Yet, they didnâÈçt bother to mention your name, Mr. President, at all.âÈë
âÈêHoney, this isnâÈçt about me. Or you. This is about the ABC. One of the things we promised to do was bring more positive coverage. I think itâÈçs wonderful that Jasmine is helping us do that.âÈë
He stepped toward her and tried to take her hand. Rachel snatched it away. Sometimes she wished she could jump into her husbandâÈçs body and take it over. He could be so doggone passive-aggressive. But that was okay, she thought to herself. ThatâÈçs why he had her. Because she was anything but passive.
âÈêFine, Lester. IâÈçm going to start dinner. My dad will be back with the kids any minute now.âÈë
Lester grabbed her hand and stopped her. âÈêAre you good?âÈë
âÈêIâÈçm great,âÈë she said, feigning a smile. Rachel left the room and instead of going right into their oversized kitchen, she went left, up the spiral staircase and into her bedroom. She grabbed her purse, pulled her credit card out of her wallet, and snatched her cell phone off the nightstand. She punched in the number she knew by heart.
âÈêUnited Airlines, may I help you?âÈë the voice said.
âÈêYes . . . I need a ticket to Chicago . . .âÈë Rachel smiled as she leaned back against her headboard. She thought Jasmine had learned that she wasnâÈçt the one to be played with, but it looked like olâÈç Jazzy needed to be reminded of that. So, let the games begin!
