Free His First Lady by Kym Davis Boyles Page B

invitation; she wasn’t sure until now. She suddenly felt like she was a pawn that everybody got a chance to play with.
    “Why did he hit you?”
    “He didn’t.” Evan was determined not to be intimidated or pressured. She was going to remain in control.
    “Oh,” Nina responded. “How did your eye hit his fist?”
    Nina’s words stung and Evan tried to maintain her composure. She looked at Nina and the space around her. How could anyone live like this and not have the perfect life? Of course she would pass judgment on Evan’s.
    “Your house is beautiful.”
    Nina smiled. “Thank you.” Nina looked around. “Kind of like a shiny copper penny, you know?”
    Evan knew the expression but couldn’t imagine why Nina would speak of the house that way. “It’s extravagant.” Evan smiled nervously.
    “The pastor seems to think that it’s his due reward for his long suffering,” Nina said sarcastically. She crossed her arms.
    Evan looked at Nina and spoke before she had even realized it. “He came home late one night and I asked him about it.”
    Nina nodded noticing Evan stare at the family picture. “Yeah, that’s usually how it is. Is he sleeping with someone in the church?”
    Evan shook her head. “No, no. It’s nothing like that. He’s not having an affair.”
    “I didn’t imply that he was having an affair. I asked you if he was sleeping with someone in the church.”
    “No, he’s not like that.”
    “He’s a man isn’t he?” Nina smiled.
    Evan took a deep breath unable to ever imagine her mother speaking like Nina was.
    “Are you two having sex?”
    That was it. Evan grabbed her purse and motioned to stand. It was all she could take.
    Nina held her hand up in front of Evan. “Evan,” Nina said. “I’ve been a pastor’s wife for eighteen years. You wouldn’t be the 1 st First lady that had a black eye or who wasn’t having sex with her husband.”
    “I don’t talk about my marriage much,” Evan said.
    Nina nodded. “I understand; but in the First lady life, you need someone you can trust.”
    “Our marriage is fine.” Evan’s shot back defensively.
    “I’m forward because you don’t have to pretend with me. First ladies are always pretending and I hate it. It makes living this life as a First lady so difficult,” Nina said as if not hearing her. “Evan, I meet with a group of First ladies for lunch at least once a month. We do it because we need each other. We let our hair down and we talk. I’d love for you to join us.”
    “Maybe.”
    “I wish you would. One thing about this group of First ladies is that we have each other’s back at all times no matter what. True, we bicker amongst ourselves but you won’t find a tighter group of women.”
    Evan had seen how her mother didn’t have many confidantes as a First lady and maybe that was why Evan didn’t either. Her mother always appeared so strong and now Evan wore the same facade. Aside from Mimi, she really had no one and Mimi couldn’t relate not being a First lady.
    “Leon and I are pretty reserved when it comes to our marriage.”
    “You should be but you should also be able to talk to someone you trust.”
    Evan thought about it a second but thought that she really had nothing to lose at this point. “Leon and I aren’t as intimate with each other as when we were first married,” Evan cleared her throat. “Not the same at all.”
    “Remember that if he isn’t having sex with you then he’s having sex with someone else.”
    Evan shook her head. “No, not Leon,” Evan responded angrily, “he’s not like that. He respects his church and position too much.”
    Nina smiled and nodded. “Pastor’s aren’t excluded from temptation.”
    Evan felt like a child with Nina and it was embarrassing. “There are women who may have their crushes but Leon is about God and God’s work.”
    Nina laughed. “There’s not a more dangerous power in the church than the one you think doesn’t exist. It’s the one