Church Boyz 1 (Rod of the Wicked)

8:11 a.m.

  “Where’s Reverend Paxton?”

  The voice sounded so ominous that Brenda almost pitched out of her Canadian skin. Raising her head slightly from the computer, she tipped her bifocals down to get a glimpse of the intruder.

  “Oh, it’s you,” she said.

  “What do you mean, ‘oh, it’s you’? Where are your manners? Have you forgotten who I am?” Shaniece demanded.

  “How could I?” Brenda mumbled. “You never let anyone forget…”

  “Keep talking to me like that and I will kick your behind out of here so fast; you’ll spin on your grey head like a top. I’m not moved by your seniority.”

  Brenda kept her eyes glued on Shaniece, who wore a smile that would irritate the heck out of Mother Theresa. Every organ in Brenda’s body blazed with resentment. She had not known that she had the capacity to hate a person so much. This was one sin that she knew would stop her at the pearly gates. But acting like the professional that Leroy had hired her to be, she calmed herself and cracked the best smile she could muster – which had given her self-esteem lot of insult.

  “Let me apologize for my rude behavior,” Brenda said, clasping hands together that were faintly covered with age-spots. “Reverend Paxton has not yet arrived this morning. I would be happy to alert you as soon as he comes in. Would you like a cup of coffee while you wait in your office?”

  Shaniece peeled her lips back and showed her straight, white teeth, but she wasn’t laughing at all. It was a grimace, laced with absolute disgust. “Brenda, are you still trying to be sarcastic? I don’t think you really know who you’re messing with. You haven’t any idea how firm I can be. Open Leroy’s office. I’ll sit and wait for him in there.”

  Brenda froze, shocked by Shaniece’s bold request.

  “What’s the matter with you? You stuck on stupid? Open the office door!” Shaniece ordered.

  “I will do no such thing,” Brenda said quietly, maintaining her godly composure. “You might be the assistant overseer of this church, but you have no right to make such impertinent demands. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

  Shaniece took each sentence in stride, pinning each one with a mental rebuke. She leaned her 36 D’s in Brenda’s face. “Let’s see how long you last around here. I think it’s time you take a permanent vacation. How old are you? Sixty-five? Sixty-six?”

  Shaniece stepped back and straightened her black skirt, which rose several centimeters above her knees. Her stilettos vehemently clacked against the tiles as she disappeared down the hall to her office.

  Shaken, Brenda snatched up the phone and called Michelle. The facade she'd been holding onto in front of Shaniece suddenly erupted into shrieks of panic.

  “She said she's gonna get rid of me,” Brenda cried. “She says I'm old and stupid and says she's gonna retire me, but I don't want to retire. I love my job. I take pleasure in serving you and your husband…”

  “Brenda! Take a breath,” Michelle said, hugging the phone against her ear. “What are you talking about?”

  “I pray I'm forgiven for saying this, but she's an evil person, and I don't like her one bit…”

  “Brenda, you're rambling. Who upset you?”

  “Shaniece! She's been causing trouble for us ever since she got here. Lady Paxton, I can't begin to feel your pain, but I've reached my boiling point.”

  Michelle had suspected Shaniece would take her anger out on someone. The lunch yesterday didn't go the way that she'd expected.

  “Calm down, Brenda,” Michelle told her. “You can take comfort in this, that as long as my husband remains in charge, your position will never be relinquished. That is, until you decide it's time to move on…”

  “I knew from the start she would be no good for the church,” Brenda continued. “Everything’s changed. You need to resume your duties in the office–”

  “Brenda, did you hear what I said? We’ll handle it.”

  “Oh, you don’t know how relieved I am to hear you say that, because I’m terribly disturbed about this.”