A Preacher's Passion Read Online Free PDF Page A

she answered, staring at both of them in the mirror. There was no doubt in her mind; Kelvin was her man. They looked perfect together: he a tall, cocoa specimen of perfection, she a caramel cutie with curves in all the right places. Princess had liked Kelvin from the moment they met, at her aunt Vivian’s house just before they began their freshman year at UCLA. She and her parents had joined the Montgomerys for a casual pool party and while Princess had acted unimpressed, spending most of her time on the phone with her friends back home, Kelvin had invited a female friend from high school, the one the Montgomerys still thought was his girlfriend. Princess’s mom thought she was in love with Rafael, a boy she’d dated during her senior year of high school, and of whom her parents approved. Rafael’s parents had been members of her dad’s church for years. The assumption on the part of both the Montgomerys and the Brooks worked to Princess’s favor.
    “Why you frowning?” she asked Kelvin, who’d plopped back on the futon.
    “The Rev,” he said sarcastically, referring to his dad. “Man keeps sweating me ’bout going to church. I told him that religious stuff was for sissies.”
    “What’d he say?” Princess asked, knowing she’d never dare say that to her minister father.
    “Well, I didn’t say it quite like that,” Kelvin admitted. “But I told him me and God was cool and all and I didn’t have to go to church to talk to Him. He didn’t want to hear that, just kept jaw-jackin’ ’bout everybody in his house serving God.” Kelvin jumped off the futon and began flexing his rapidly developing muscles in front of the mirror. “Don’t nobody tell me what to do.”
    “Me either,” Princess echoed defiantly while watching her man preen.
    Princess’s cell phone rang. Kelvin grabbed it, looked at the number. “Oh, it’s Moms. Let me say hello.” He got ready to open her flip phone.
    “Boy, give it here!” Princess frantically tried to grab the phone, which Kelvin easily kept out of reach.
    The phone stopped ringing. Laughing, Kelvin handed her the phone. “Thought nobody told you what to do? Don’t know why I’m such a big secret anyways, since I’m ‘your man’ and all.”
    Princess hadn’t told Kelvin about his indirect connection to her father. She knew he needed to know, but the time had to be right. Now, everything was still too new, uncertain. “I told you, my parents don’t want me to date,” she said as an explanation. “They want me to focus on school.”
    Kelvin grabbed his crotch. “Yeah, well you’re learning something all right.”
    Princess blushed as she hit redial. “Whatever.” She put her finger to her lips when Tai answered.
    “Hi, Mama.”
    “Hey, Princess. I just called you.”
    “I know. I was in the bathroom.” Princess swatted at Kelvin’s hand as he tweaked her nipple.
    “Oh, okay. Quick question: have you talked to your aunt Viv the past couple days?”
    “Uh-uh.”
    Tai paused. “What about you? Is everything all right?”
    “I’m fine.”
    Kelvin nodded his head, making a silly face in the process. Princess laughed.
    “What’s funny?” Tai asked.
    “Nothing, just this silly movie on TV.”
    “Just don’t let that box interfere with the books, Princess.”
    “It’s Saturday, Mama. Most of my homework is already done.”
    Tai and Princess talked a bit more, about school, Princess finding a part-time job, and her attending Kingdom Citizens’ Christian Center. Claiming a heavy school load, Princess had gotten away with attending only a couple services so far. Truth was, she was enjoying the freedom of actually being able to sleep in on Sunday mornings, and not attending church at all.
    Princess changed the subject. “You want me to try and reach Aunt Viv?”
    “No,” Tai said quickly. “I’ll try her again later.”
    The conversation ended shortly after that. Princess and Kelvin left to hook up with friends and attend a party. Tai sat at