Sister Betty Says I Do by Pat G'Orge-Walker Read Free Book Online

long legs, before bending from the waist, showing her flexibility. “Leotis and I were just finishing.”
    Ima didn’t respond directly to Sharvon. Joining in the stretching exhibition, she looked at Leotis, who’d not said a word. She could tell he wasn’t disappointed she’d joined them, because he’d not taken his eyes off her. Once she let him have, in her opinion, all his eyes and flesh could handle, with her back still to Sharvon, she purred, “Too bad.” As she raised one arm, then grabbed the elbow of the other, stretching from side to side, she added, “I’m just getting started.”
    Leotis spoke, finally kicking aside the cat that had gotten his tongue. “Ima, it’s a pleasure to see you again. I can tell you love to take care of your temple, like I do. I’ve got to take Sharvon home, but I’m certain we’ll run into each other on the track again.” He’d said it as though it was a duty to take Sharvon home, and if he didn’t have to, he’d stay right there with Ima.
    â€œI’m sure we will,” Ima replied. “I was hoping it’d be sometime this week at the Health Nutt.” Ima stopped speaking for a moment, using the short pause to bend over, with her backside toward Sharvon, and pretend to tie her sneaker. Knowing Sharvon was still listening, Ima added, “I haven’t had an opportunity to tell you just how much I enjoyed our lunch there the other day. It was my first time going there since they opened in Pelzer. You really showed me a good time, Reverend.”
    The heat from Sharvon’s eyes penetrated the side of Leotis’s head. She was hot and wanted to singe his brain for what she thought was the dumbest move he could’ve made with Ima. She couldn’t put the words together at that moment and didn’t need to, since he’d already turned his head and looked away, but not before she’d seen his guilty look.
    And just as quickly as Ima had appeared, instigating and insinuating, separating them as they sped around the race track, she strutted away, leaving her incendiary words to separate Leotis and Sharvon as they rode back to their houses.
    As Leotis drove toward his home, with Sharvon still not speaking to him, the old saying “Quieter than cats jumping on cotton” came to mind. She sat in the backseat and slammed her backpack onto the floor and against the car door. He didn’t have to look in his rearview mirror to tell her anger hadn’t subsided one bit. He fumbled around with the radio dial, but somehow his satellite radio couldn’t find a signal. As they neared their houses, he decided he’d not let the Devil win the day.
    â€œSharvon,” he began quickly, glancing in the rearview mirror to see if she even bothered to look his way without smirking. “I’m cutting to the chase. I don’t want you to put more into what Ima said than need be.”
    Sharvon glared at him but said nothing.
    â€œYou know the Health Nutt is one of my favorite places to grab a bite. It just happened that Ima had discovered it, too, and we sat down at the same table. Good food and random conversation were all we shared.”
    Sharvon crossed her legs and her arms and continued glaring.
    â€œI guess I probably should’ve shut down her insinuations as soon as she began revising the situation,” he said as he turned into his driveway and parked. “But I didn’t think it’d bother you this much.”
    Without saying good-bye, Sharvon snatched her backpack and flung it across her shoulder, then hopped out of Leotis’s car and speed walked down his driveway, toward Sister Betty’s house.
    Leotis sat in his car and watched Sharvon storm through Sister Betty’s side door. If she’d been surprised at the obvious flirtation coming from Ima, he was just as surprised at his reaction to her anger. He hadn’t meant to hurt Sharvon,