Free Let the Church Say Amen by Reshonda Tate Billingsley Page B

enough did. Twyla said something about him and his girlfriend having a fight, things getting out of hand, and him shooting himself. Although she’d never wish anyone dead, she really didn’t care that much. Eric never liked her, so she definitely wasn’t sad about his death, but she needed a conversation piece with Bobby. “How are you holding up?”
    “I’m okay. Thanks for asking. Now what do you really want?”
    “I was just checking on you, that’s all.”
    “Yeah, right.”
    “I was. Anyway, don’t you want to know how your son is doing? You haven’t even called to check on him.”
    “Rachel, I can’t deal with you today.”
    Rachel leaned against the phone booth and started twirling the metal phone cord. “Jordan asked about you.”
    Bobby let out an exasperated sigh. “How is he?”
    “He misses his daddy,” Rachel purred.
    “I miss him, too.”
    Rachel could tell she was getting to him. If Bobby had a soft spot for anyone, it was for his son.
    “He asked me would you come see him.”
    Bobby hesitated again. “Can you drop him off at my mother’s?”
    Rachel bit down on her lip. She had to keep her cool. “I can’t. My car broke down,” she said, lying. “I can’t make it over there. You can come over to my place, though.”
    “I don’t know.”
    “Bobby, you can come see your son. I promise I won’t bite you.”
    “Rachel, I don’t want no drama.”
    “You won’t have any. I promise,” Rachel said in the most sincere voice she could muster.
    “All right. I’ll see you in about thirty minutes. Bye.”
    Rachel said good-bye and placed the phone back on the hook. She was smiling uncontrollably. She glanced at her watch and figured out how long it would take her to change and get cute. Luckily, she had just left the beauty shop, so her hair was looking good. She just needed to change into something sexy. She was determined to seduce Bobby and get him back into her life.
    Rachel raced home. The kids were still asleep. David was asleep on the sofa as well. He’d been there since yesterday, when his girlfriend kicked him out of the apartment. Rachel almost didn’t let him stay with her, but the bottom line was he was still her brother.
    Rachel hated leaving her children with David, but she thought it would be okay since she was just running to use the phone. Now, however, with Bobby coming over, David had to go.
    “Hey!” Rachel shook her brother trying to wake him up. “David! Wake up. You gots to go.”
    “Huh? Wha … what’s going on?” David wiped his face trying to wake up.
    Rachel turned her nose up at her brother’s putrid smell. His white Nike T-shirt was now a dingy yellow and splattered with food stains. It looked like he hadn’t changed clothes in a week. His hair was in desperate need of cutting. No wonder Tawny put him out. But then, judging from the one time Rachel had met her, she didn’t look much better.
    Rachel didn’t feel like fighting her brother either way, so she thought quickly. “Uh, I just talked with your girlfriend’s cousin. She told me Tawny has already moved somebody else in y’alls’ apartment.”
    “What?” David jumped up. “You lying!”
    “For real. You better get over there and handle your business.”
    “That’s why she put me out.” David muttered. “She claimed it was because I was broke and she was tired of buying all the um …” David caught himself and looked at Rachel, “… of buying everything,” he continued. “And all this time it was just so she could move somebody else in!”
    “You better go check it out,” Rachel said as she started straightening up the sofa. David lived on the other side of town, so he’d be gone awhile. If she got lucky with Bobby, she just wouldn’t answer the door when he got back.
    David jumped up and slipped on his gym shoes. He grabbed the keys to his rickety old truck and raced out of the apartment without saying good-bye.
    Rachel closed and locked the door, looked in on the kids