Chapter 46

"‏So since I'm not playing you, how about I play with you tonight‭?" The preacher asked.

"‏Frankly preacher, I don't know how I feel about getting involved with you. I mean God is already pissed at me, I'm sure.‭" I was smiling when I said it, but I was damn serious.

"‏Maybe if you play nice, I'll put in a good word for you.‭"

"I'm not convinced that you are the one I want interceding for me." I stopped smiling when I said that,

"‏Why is that‭?" he asked.

"‏I'm still not convinced that you have God's ear.‭"

"Oh, is that because you don't believe in God, or you don't believe in me‭?" he asked.

"‏Could be a little of each, ‭" I admitted.

"‏Well, while I try to convince you, why don't you come to my house‭? I promise you that you can leave anytime.‭"

"In that case you need to take me back to my van, so I will be able to leave.‭"

"Will you follow me home?" he asked.

"‏I will decide that, when I'm in my van.‭"

The Reverend laughed out loud.‭ "‬You are worse than any politician I ever heard speak. You talk but give no real answers.‭"

"That's probably because we have no answers," I admitted.

"‏So if you decide to follow me home, let me assure you that you can leave at any time.‭"

"Actually, I was more concerned with could I leave, than I was with you holding me against my will.‭"

"Well I'm not going to tell you that I'm a great lover, I'm just going to say that I really would love to know you better, ‭"

"Okay, I accept that because that is guy-speak for I want to take your clothes off.‭"

He laughed again.‭ "‬Okay you know men, I will give you that. Mostly I want to take your clothes off because you will be a great lover, and you won't be a problem later. You and I already have a history, and you never tried to use it against me. You are one of the few women that I feel I can trust.‭"

"Ah, but are you one of the few men that I can trust‭?"

"I certainly hope so, but you will only know that if you give me the chance to prove myself.‭"

"That's a fair point. You really do need me to answer before I get out of this car, don't you‭?"

"Yes, I suppose I do.‭"

"You do know that it is three in the afternoon?" I asked.

"‏Of course, don't tell me it's like drinking, you won't do it till the sun is over the yardarm.‭"

"Nothing like that, but I have a question for you. How did a boy from the hood, who spent a decade in prison, get so well spoken‭?"

"College courses in the joint baby," he said with a smile.‭ "‬You know the state tries to rehabilitate its wayward children. I am part of the half a percent on which it worked.‭"

"Ah too bad I didn't do time then. I could use the education.‭"

"Oh I think you do just fine. You have something that I am struggling to learn.‭"

"What is it?" I asked curious as to what he really thought of me.

"‏The ability to understand, and then manipulate people.‭"

"Oh Preacher, you do just fine, ‭" I said smiling.

I made a call to the office from my van, before I started it. The preacher's caddy sat in the parking lot waiting to see what my intentions were.

"‏Luke, ‭" I said when he answered the phone. How did the pickups go‭?" I didn't want Luke to make the deliveries alone. However picking up the papers, so that we would be ready to go Monday morning, was our usual Friday chore,

"‏I have six for delivery Monday morning.‭" he said proudly.

"‏Okay, then go home and give Mopsy a big sloppy kiss for me.‭" I laughed as I said it. I knew that he had heard the talk about me from the cops he knew. Most of them thought I was pure lesbian. Luke knew better, but he also knew or suspected that I wasn't totally opposed to spending the night with a woman either.

"‏Sure Boss, ‭" he said.

"‏Tell Ed, I said goodnight.‭"

"Ed, Maxine said good night, ‭" I heard that over the phone.‭ "‬I'll see you Monday Boss.‭"

What I didn't say was that I was pretty sure that he planned to see me before then. At least see the live feed from his handiwork.

After Lucas hung up the phone, I started the van. I guess the Preacher saw the tailpipe smoking, because he pulled out of the parking lot slowly. I'm sure he was looking in the rear view mirror to see if I was following.

I followed his Caddy to a nice clean middle class neighborhood. He weaved his way through the streets, then pulled into a small townhouse building's parking lot. I quickly counted twelve units, He parked in front of the one with the number 6 painted on the curb.

The brick townhouse didn't look all that large or especially new. It looked as though it might be twenty years old. It might possibly have been from that era when all the small apartment complexes were renovated and sold as townhouses. Just from the outside of the units I would have guessed two bedrooms and two baths, but I couldn't be sure. Some of those townhouses had very elaborate basements.

I parked my van in an unnumbered spot beside his Caddy. He waited on the sidewalk in front of my van, while I carefully locked it up. After I was finished he led the way to his front door. I stood on the concrete pad, while he worked the lock. It wasn't a porch by any means, but it would serve to keep mud out of the unit.

"‏So are you a homeowner‭?" I asked.

"‏Well, as they say, I own a little and the bank owns the rest.‭"

The simplicity of the outside was deceiving. When he opened the door, the first things I noticed were the marble tiles in the foyer. It set the tone for the apartment. The carpet in the large living room dining room combo was very expensive, sculptured, and stone grey in color. Of course I had no idea the price, but it looked like top of the line to me. The walls were a neutral color but it was no simple contractor one coat spray job. Probably‭ '‬His Laboring Few‭' did the paint job. I would bet money that his was the only dining room in the building with tray panels used for wainscot material.

The furniture was tasteful and the room showed coordination that a man would never manage.‭ "‬Decorator‭?" I asked,

"‏Rooms to go, ‭" he replied.

"‏It's a nice job, ‭" I replied. He simply nodded.

The kitchen style had to be pure expensive functionality. Everything had a purpose, but it was also all top of the line. From the cabinets, to the counter tops, right up to the appliances, the room screamed wealth.