Chapter Nine
Angel hummed and then sang the chorus of one of her favorite songs. “I need more, more, more, Jesus more of you. I need so much more, Jesus more, more, more.” She didn't dare sing in front of others, but in the car she felt free to sing and worship.
After leaving the Cades' home yesterday, she had stopped to visit with Grams. The entire time she had wanted to lean across Grams's shoulder, like she did when she was a little girl, but she couldn't. Even after losing her granddad, Angel wasn't prepared to see Grams struggling. She'd gone home feeling the weight of change.
Then there was Wes Cade. She would have never made that connection. He was kind to her in spite of her awkward interruption of his family's Sunday afternoon. She could relate to the tension on his face as he observed his grandfather's confusion. Angel wasn't so sure she wanted Wes's offer to help, though. She had decided she wanted to continue to find out what she could about her mother, but without telling her family. This was something she needed to do, even if it meant she had to face the man who could have been responsible.
Angel put on her turn signal as she approached her exit. It was Monday, and bills still needed to be paid. When she first joined the Bible study, Candace taught about the importance of keeping on your garment of praise. Angel felt the heaviness lift as she continued to sing along with JoAnn Rosario. “Fill me like an empty cup, and when it seems I have had enough, I still need more, more, more.”
By the time she arrived in the parking lot of Lenora's Bridal Boutique, her anxiety had lost the battle and she felt energized despite her lack of sleep. She parked her car and headed toward the boutique's door. Lenora had recently changed the window to display formal wear.
It's that time of the year again.
Just as she anticipated, when Angel walked through the entrance, several young women were waiting for a consultation with a member of Lenora Freeman's staff. Some were there to be fitted for a wedding gown, but the high-pitched chatter indicated that most were looking for a prom gown.
Angel squeezed her way through the teenagers to find the queen of the shop. Lenora Freeman was well known as the first lady of Victory Gospel Church, but she was also a popular wedding planner and bridal shop owner. Lenora needed a videographer on her staff. Thanks to Candace's swift introduction, Angel no longer worried about her next video production. This time of year, wedding season was in full swing.
Angel walked toward the dressing area in the back and found Lenora talking to a teary-eyed young woman. Angel was surprised at how down to earth Lenora could be, despite the fact that she was the most elegant woman she had ever met. Always dressed in an impeccable skirt suit or pantsuit, her makeup flawless, the woman handled her business, her brides, and her role as a first lady with perfection.
Lenora rubbed the shoulders of the young woman, who was now visibly crying. “Honey, you want this to be your day. Make sure this is the dress for you, and not what your family wants you to wear. Now, do you think you found the dress you wanted today?”
The young woman nodded. “Yes, I really liked the first one.”
“Then that's your dress, honey. Let me talk to your mother.”
Angel smiled at the sternness of Lenora's words but the soft passion in her eyes. She knew Lenora was for the bride, and she would make sure her bride felt secure about
her
day.
Lenora looked over and spotted her. “Oh, Angel. I'm glad you were able to come. Florence, take care of my little bride here. Make sure she gets the dress
she
wants. If the mother has questions, she can see me. Angel, let's go to my office.”
Angel took long strides to keep up with Lenora, who, with the stilettos she was wearing, had to be nearly six feet in height. All business, Lenora closed the door and reached out her arms. “How are you doing?”
Angel accepted the hug. “I'm doing okay. Thank you for asking.”
“Bless your heart. You know, I would have understood if you couldn't make it. How's your grandmother doing? Pastor and I are both praying for her.”
“She's stable. I appreciate the prayers, Mrs. Freemanâ”
“Uh-uh.” The woman cut Angel off with her finger. “When are you going to learn? Call me Lenora.”
Angel grinned. “Lenora. My grandmother has some rehabilitation to go through. The stroke has affected her right side a bit, and she is understandably frustrated.”
“I can imagine. Ms. Fredricka is a ball of fire, even at her age. We are praying for a full recovery. Your grandmother has been such a blessing to so many people.” Lenora walked over behind her desk. “Look, I don't want to hold you. I know you need to get back to the hospital. I just want to go over the wedding details for this weekend.”
Angel took the seat across from Lenora's desk, which was filled with neatly stacked and organized catalogs. Lenora quickly flipped through her appointment book, which occupied the middle of the desk. From where she sat, Angel could see the perfect handwriting. Angel wished she could say her desk looked like this, but instead it was full of sticky notes, scribbled-in notebooks, and DVD cases.
“Now, I have scheduled a couple more weddings for the summer, and they all indicated they would love a videographer. I will check with you about those before you leave.”
Angel responded, “Sounds good. So the couple this week is Tommy and Sharise?”
“Yes, they both like the package where you interview them individually before and after the wedding. If you can arrive a bit early, they also want you to interview some of the guests as they arrive and then again at the reception. By the way, Brad took some great shots. Aren't they a beautiful couple?” Lenora passed an envelope to her.
Angel took the envelope and slid out a few photos. Tom, the groom, was slender, tall, and reminded her of the actor Morris Chestnut. The bride was simply stunning. Sharise was equally as tall and had long, flowing hair. “These are beautiful. You indicated last week that they want to do some footage in another location.”
“Yes. They are college sweethearts, so they are interested in doing a shoot at UNC Charlotte. They want footage of the places where they first met. Will you be okay with meeting them on the campus Thursday?”
“Yes, that's fine.” It would be a busy week, but Angel looked forward to filming the couple. Her mind whirled like a movie projector as she began thinking of how the final production would come together. It felt good to focus on work.
“Okay, now, here are the names of weddings I have coming up. Let me know if you are able to add these to your calendar. They all loved your portfolio.”
Angel reached over and took the list from Lenora. There were about five couples listed, but one couple leapt off the page.
“Angel, is something wrong?”
She had sucked in a breath sharply, but she didn't realize how her reaction appeared to Lenora. “I'm fine.”
“Are you sure?” Lenora eyed her. A knock on the door saved Angel from having to explain. Not that she even knew what to say. She folded the list and stuffed the paper into the side pocket of her bag.
A woman burst into the office. “Mrs. Freeman, I need to have a word with you.”
Lenora lifted a well-groomed arched eyebrow at the woman. “Excuse me. I have someone in my office right now. Can you please wait outside? I will be with you shortly.”
“Yes, butâ” The woman stopped and stared at Angel. She was petite, probably just a few inches shorter than Angel. Her blond hair was pulled back, showing off intense blue eyes. The woman stepped back and placed her hand on her chest. “Oh, I'm sorry.”
Angel stood from her chair. “It's okay. Lenora, I will meet with Tommy and Sharise on Thursday and will see you on Saturday, before the ceremony begins.”
Lenora had a smile on her face, but her eyes displayed displeasure as she focused first on the woman who had burst in and then on Angel. “Okay. Thank you for stopping by, and tell your grandmother we are praying for her.”
Angel turned to walk out of the office, but the woman remained standing at the door, still staring at her.
This woman clearly has some issues.
“Excuse me. I need to get by.”
“Yes, of course.” The strange woman stepped to the side.
Angel slid by her and out the door. As she turned the corner, she looked back to find that the woman continued to stare at her. Angel felt sorry that Lenora had to deal with the creepy woman. Angel couldn't leave fast enough. All she wanted was to breathe fresh air.
Chapter Ten
Angel closed the front door behind her a bit hard, rattling the picture frames in the hallway.
Really?
All the wedding planners in Charlotte, and
they
had to pick Lenora? Okay, okay, granted, Lenora was the best. If Angel ever had the opportunity to walk down the aisle, she would choose Lenora to plan the wedding. The woman was good at what she did. Angel enjoyed having the opportunity to work with her, but she was not going to be working with Denise and Kenneth.
She threw her bag on the couch and sat down in a huff. Angel wanted to kick herself for not speaking up during her meeting with Lenora. She wanted to make the money, but Angel knew she couldn't seriously document the marriage of two people who had betrayed her trust. What really upset Angel was the fact that Denise and Kenneth knew she did the video productions. Lenora had Angel's bio with a link to Angel Media on the bridal Web site. Maybe she should just get over it. This happened four years ago.
Life goes on, right?
“Angel, what are you doing home?”
Angel jumped at her uncle's voice. “I think I should get to ask the questions. Where have you been? Why are you so hard to find?”
This morning she had tried to catch up with her uncle Jacob, but it was almost like he was avoiding her on purpose. Even though she didn't hear his arrival last night or his departure this morning, the guest bedroom was occupied with his suitcases and the bed was unmade.
She got up from the couch and peeked out the window. “I didn't see your car out there. Why aren't you with Grams?”
“I don't need the twenty questions. I came to get a shower. She's in rehab now, anyway. Shouldn't you be working?”
Angel stared at her uncle like he had grown horns. “I
am
working. I just came back from consulting with one of my biggest clients.” Why did they go through this every time? For some reason, her uncle couldn't get it in his head that she ran a business. He should be proud of what she'd accomplished at a young age.
As a media arts major, Angel had been determined to be a film producer. She was a big movie fan, and her most treasured gift was the Sony video camera her granddad had given her at the age of thirteen. Grams didn't get the reason for such an expensive gift, but during family reunions, birthdays, and parties, Angel loved capturing people in action. Movie production was a big dream, but she still loved producing videos and was getting paid to do it.
“I just want to be sure you can carry your own weight,” Jacob said and smirked. “My mother doesn't need to be carrying you. You're an adult now.”
Angel rolled her eyes and grabbed her bag off the couch. “I know that! I work just like anybody else and pay my own bills. By the way, I'm here taking care of things for Grams. I did the same with Granddaddy. Why do you insist on insulting me?” By this time Angel was yelling. She knew she needed to calm down, but Angel hated when he treated her like a child. Of course, she had clearly lost it.
Jacob continued without even looking at her. “My parents spoiled you, just like they spoiled your mother. I need to make sure you are doing the right thing.”
Angel's mouth dropped open. “Why are you so mean? Why would you throw something like that in my face?”
Jacob looked at her. “I'm not throwing anything in your face. I just want you to . . . Never mind.” He walked out of the room, leaving the smell of his cologne in the air.
She shouted at his back as he went out the front door. “No wonder Liz asked you to leave.” She didn't know if Jacob heard what she said. All she heard was the door close.
What was wrong with her? That was a low blow, even if Jacob deserved it. A swift cloud of shame fell over Angel. She had entered the house feeling rattled about seeing Kenneth's and Denise's names. Jacob had just added to the mix. She dragged her feet to her room and sat on the edge of her bed.
When did life become so complicated? If she was over Kenneth and Denise, why was the pain of the betrayal just as fierce today as it was four years ago? When did Jacob stop being a fun uncle and begin treating her like she was her mother all over again? Was her mother that bad?
She took a deep breath and prayed.
Lord, please help me. I thought I was over being angry at Denise and Kenneth. I'm not. I think I just shoved down my emotions and tried to put it behind me. But I haven't.
Then Angel thought of herself. Jacob wasn't the only one who had uptight issues. Why was she so angry?
Last week I blew up at Grams, before she had the stroke. Was that caused by me? I need you, God, to help me stop being so angry. What's really eating me? I thought when I accepted you, I would be different. Help me. I don't want to feel and act like this. In Jesus's name, amen.
Angel climbed back on the bed and reached for her Bible and notebook on her nightstand. They were starting a new topic of study this week, forgiveness. She turned to the verse for this week in the book of Philippians.
Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus
(Philippians 3:13â14 New International Version)
.
Angel broke out in a laugh mixed with tears. That was all she could do, move forward. Tomorrow would be a better day.
Angel went over to her computer and decided to e-mail Lenora. She carefully worded her e-mail. Lenora didn't need to know the whole story, and there would be plenty of other weddings this summer. Denise and Kenneth could find another videographer. Before Angel hit SEND, she read the e-mail again. And again. Instead of sending the e-mail, she saved it as a draft. She wasn't sure why, but sitting on it another day wouldn't hurt.
Angel clicked over to Facebook so she could read and respond to any new messages. When she logged in, she had a few new friend requests. To her surprise, one of her friend requests was from Wes Cade. He was actually serious about wanting to help. She tapped her fingers on the desk.
Wes might be her only avenue to getting some of the information she needed. Hopefully, this wouldn't be a decision she would regret. She confirmed his friend request and then surfed to his profile page. He looked really handsome in his profile photo. She noticed on his wall that most of the messages were from women and that he personally responded to everyone.
Not that she cared.
She clicked on the message button and typed. Hello, Wes. You mentioned on Sunday about staying in touch. Can we meet to talk? Without a bit of hesitancy, she sent the message. It occurred to her as she logged off the computer that she had delayed sending a message to get out of a potentially painful situation. Instead, she had chosen to contact a man who could lead her to some truths that would bring more pain.
Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.