Rehobeth

I really don't like being seen in a bar...I am after all..a Pastor of a very large congregation. That probably half of my congregation patronizes Josie's is of no consequence to me. To remain ingognito..I wore a big floppy hat and some aviator shades...

It was no good...I sat down and Chris Thompson and his buddy Chess walked by me...

"Afternoon Pastor" said Chess.

"Afternoon Pastor Struthers" said Chris.

Sister Mabel Jenkins walked past me also....

"Evenin Pastor, what are you doin in here?" she asked.

''Evenin Sistah Jenkins....I'm here to see Gus about a matter." I said.

Just then, Gus, the bartender and the proprieter of Josie's walked down to my end of the bar, took one look at me , frowned and then busted out laughing...

"John, why you got on that ridiculous get up?" he said.

"Never mind..Never mind...you know I can't be seen in a place like this...No offense, but I am a reverend." I said.

"Your Deacons don't feel that way , nor do some of your congregation." he laughed.

"Okay...Okay...whatever Gus...Uh, you know why I'm here...did your guy take care of uh that little ,uh thing?" I asked.

"John...you sound like Fathead discussing a big deal with another gangster or something....If you mean Bert the florist, yeah..he delivered the babe a bouquet of different colored roses every day last week at her house...He said she was blushing like a cheshire cat with every delivery." said Gus.

I smiled...Rita Gordon, school teacher and I had met recently at the execution of one of her former students at the prison in Stanga...Not the most romantic place to meet a woman...but she had really had an effect on me...unlike any woman in a long time...I felt like a schoolboy... Sending her flowers everyday....

She had left me a letter saying to look her up when I got back to Philly....I had sent the flowers , but hadn't heard a word from her since I had been back...Nearly a month now...

"Uhhh Pastor Struthers...Did you uh bring that little thing called m-o-n-e-y, to pay for our services?" said Gus.

"Uh-oh...er...yeah...." I said and produced an envelope filled with money.

"Break that in half Gus...Half is for you and the other half is Bert the florist's end." I said.

Gus counted the crisp bills and smiled...

"Pleasure doing business with you Pastor." he laughed as I got up and made my way out of Josies. As I was leaving, Reed Nelson, the trumpet player and "88" ,his keyboardist, who also doubled as the church organist were entering Josie's...

"Hey Pastor " they said in unison.... This get up didn't fool a soul, I might as well

have come in there in my regular clothes.

As I walked up the stairs to my house...One of my neighbors, Jim Thompson called out to me..

"Hey Rev..Some Woman was here lookin for ya while you was out."

"A woman? What did she look like?" I heard myself saying...That didn't particularly sound right, I know.

"Whooooo weeee....I don't know what you doin up at that church, but I need to get me a collar and a bible...She had hips on huh...Lawd today....and a nice rack too...Though she could have lost the grandma glasses and took her hair out of the bun, but she was sayin a taste...I said to myself-Go head Rev-" he rambled.

"Uh okay Jim..I get the message...Thank you." I said as I went into my house. I saw that Rita had slipped an envelope under my door....

It smelled like her perfume and it read:

"Hi John, sorry I didn't call you last week...The flowers were beautiful...you made me blush like a schoolgirl....Here is my phone number...Call me... ." - Rita.

I raced to the phone and called her....She was generally happy to see me..She said that she hadn't expected to ever hear from me after our "night" together in Stanga..I told her that I didn't know why she felt that way...We made plans to meet this coming Saturday. I was overjoyed.

We met early in the morning...We drove to Rehobeth Beach in Deleware.. We had a blanket and a bucket filled with ice. We had Cokes and Sprites in the bucket. She had Fried up some Chicken and had cooked some shrimps up and seasoned them just the way I liked them...I had brought a bottle of vintage wine

with me for a topper.

We ate and talked and drank and had a grand time...I didn't get in the water, but nearly lost my mind, when she took off her skirt, revealing a very well developed body in a two peice bathing suit that could swim like a fish...

By the time we got back to Philly from Rehobeth Beach..it was well after 2:00 in the morning...I walked her to her door.

"Wow John....first the roses, then a day at the beach....I haven't felt this good in a long time." she said.

"Me neither" I said.

Then there was that moment that seemed like eternity when two people are just standing there looking at each other....I wanted to at least kiss those luscious lips again...but I didn't know if I should...

"You wanna come in John?" She asked.

"Uh..er." I mumbled.

"For coffee?" she asked.

"Well ah, okay...for coffee." I said with a smile.

But once inside in the dark....I stood with her in her living room.....

"Rita....I don't really want any coffee.." I said.

"I didn't think you did...I don't feel like making it." she said.

We began kissing each other as if kissing had gone out of style...I was devouring those full, sweet juicy lips of hers and she was devouring mine too!

I followed her upstairs to her room and we sat on the bed....I unbuttoned her blouse and gently fondled each of her beautiful breasts..She moaned silently and we began to kiss more passionately than we had downstairs...

I was licking and kissing her breasts softly and she was moaning silently....

"Nobody ever made me feel this good just working my breasts." she cooed...

Before long , the two of us were in bed, thrashing away...Moaning, screaming ,yelling and rocking from side to side ....

'Ohhhhhhhhhh, johnnnnnnnnnnn..." she yelled....

"Ritttaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh..." I moaned....

The next morning , I woke up....Rita was lying next to me this time...Already awake and smiling...

"I like to watch you sleep John...." she smiled.

"I like to know that you're watching me sleep." I said with a smile.

"Oh yeah?" she laughed.

"How bout we make this a permanent thing?" I said.

"Won't your other women get kind of salty?" she asked.

"Oh...I guess you've heard about me, huh?" I said holding my head down.

"Your reputation precedes you ." she said with a smile.

"Well, right now...there is no other women...hasn't been for awhile." I said.

"I know...Even that Asian Chick is gone now." she said.

"Wow, you have good sources." I said.

"So you want me to be your girlfriend huh John?" she asked.

"No.....How bout bein the first lady of the church...the only lady of the church?"

I asked.

"You don't even know me...why don't we slow it to a crawl John...and just be a couple first?" she said.

"If that's what you want....but I aint NEVER felt this way about no one person before...and this soon." I said.

"Really John?" she laughed and began blushing...

"Really" I said.

"You want to get married?" she asked.

"Yeah." I found myself saying...

"Well ,I'm not going to rule it out....Let's be friends awhile and see where it leads..then if you feel the same way..We'll get married. I think you're just in lust right now." she said.

"Spoken like a woman who has been married before and is being cautious." I laughed.

"Exactly." She said.

I leaned over and kissed her good and long and she returned my passion...This felt like the start of something good.