Chapter 51

JENNIFER

I recognized the ten year old black Cadillac parked outside the China Palace. It had been in my office parking lot earlier in the day. That meant that it had to be Reverend Archer's car. It really didn't stand out in the China Palace's parking lot, but my shiny BMW would. I could only hope that my paint was still the same, when I finished my meal. I thought, one never knows these days,.

The China Palace was a minor restaurant as those things go. It would seat about fifty people, if they filled the tables completely, which no restaurant ever does. Usually a restaurant gets about half of each table full, even when every table is occupied. One couple would sit at a table for four and not think twice about it. Only on very busy nights were the tables for two ever used by more than one person. I know this because I have clients in the restaurant business. They complain about customers leaving because there are no empty tables, while the restaurant is actually only at 60% capacity

That early in the evening, the China Palace still had empty tables. I found the reverend seated at a table for four. I had no problem at all with that, even though some of my clients would have been incensed.

"Hello Reverend Archer, would you mind if I join you?" I asked in what I hoped was a playful voice. Some people said I tended to be too serious and didn't have a lighter side. I had been working on that recently.

"Not at all, I was hoping that you wouldn't stand me up," he said.

"Oh, I would never stand up a preacher. It might not sit well with the man upstairs."

"Trust me. God has better things to do than to worry about my social life." Archer said with a smile.

Thankfully the waiter showed up before I had to respond. I took the tea cup he offered then explained exactly what I wanted on my plate. I made it very clear what I did not want to see.

"My, you are opinionated," Archer said.

"Yes, I suppose I am. I do hope you can handle a strong willed woman," I replied.

"Oh I think I can hold my own. So are you a vegetarian? " he asked.

"Not at all, I have just never developed a taste for mystery meat."

"You don't believe all those cat and dog stories do you?"

"I believe that I have never seen a stray cat or dog near this restaurant," I replied smiling.

Reverend Archer laughed. Then said, "Neither have I, but I haven't seen one near the barn steak house either."

"Good point, but I think I will stay with the fried rice and wok stir fried veggies."

"Well you should at least have shrimp with the wok fry. You can tell they are real shrimp, they are fried whole."

"Thank you for the advice, but I like what I like," I said.

"Good for you, I like a woman with opinions."

"I certainly hope that I'm not the woman to change your mind about that." I said with what I hoped was that playful smile again. I had been practicing it in front of a mirror, since I believe in self improvement.

During our dinner it was decided that I would return to his office and take a quick look at the grant application forms. I did hope that it wasn't all that I would be looking at.

Half way through the meal I had a good indication that there was more to be seen at the Reverend's office than his application. He leaned over and whispered to me. "Go to the bathroom, take off your panties and bring them to me. When you get back here, slip them into my hand without anyone noticing." He was right about no one noticing. We both had a lot to lose, if I were to drop them on the floor of the restaurant.

I shook my head no. "I can't." I said.

"Yes you can. It's why you came here. You came to see what life on the other side is like."

"But you are a preacher," I said.

"Now you know, that I am not just a preacher, I am a man as well. Do as you are told."

I'm still not sure why I did it. I recognized it as sexual intimidation, but I decided to go along. Did my heart rate go up as I followed his order? Yes it did. When I returned to the table, I had my panties wadded up in my hand. Fortunately I wore skimpy ones. I could get them almost totally concealed in my hand. They were completely lost in the Reverend's much larger hand.

"Doesn't that feel better? " he asked.

"It feels strange," I said while toying with my stir fry.

"But better strange? " he asked again.

"Yes," I replied.

"Then say it," he demanded.

"It feels strange but exciting. So yes, that is better than before," I replied.

"Good," he said with a peaceful expression, one that hadn't changed at all. He looked as if he were totally in control. I suppose that he thought he was. It was like Max always said, the only real control they have is what we choose to give them. So who is really in control? I had to admit that it was exciting to give up control. I didn't know to what extent I was willing to surrender control to Archer, but I was absolutely sure that I would find out very soon.

After dinner I followed him to his office. I knew that his ministry operated a consignment store. I had purchased Max's going home outfit from them. I knew he had the ministry building in West End; everyone in town knew that. Max told me about the Bike Shop and the Laboring Few tentacles of his operation. I thought, I will have a tale I could tell her about, after tonight.

I watched as Reverend Archer's Cadillac pulled into the parking lot of a small convenience store. I doubted that many people noticed that the building was twice as large as the convenience store. At the rear of the building was a second entrance hardly noticeable. It obviously was not meant to be seen, for that reason the parking was random along the side of the drive, which circled the building.

"Well, you are really tucked away back here," I suggested when I met him at the entrance.

"Yes it's a little more James Bond like than I would prefer, but it was here when we took over the store up front. The Laboring Few converted most of the storeroom into an office for me.

The inside of the office was a real surprise. The outside of the building was pretty run down. All the trim needed paint and the bricks needed to at least be washed. Inside the Reverend's office it was bright, clean, and filled with better finishes than my office. The paneling was not cheap plywood, it was real wood planks, even I could tell that. The carpet on the floor was thick and very plush. It for sure wasn't ten or even twenty dollars a yard carpeting.