Desperate Pastors' Wives

CHAPTER 1 Lulu's Cafe Tuesday, May 2 12:07 p.m. "Sorry I'm late," Lisa said breathlessly as she rushed to the three women seated in a cozy booth toward the back of Lulu's Cafe. Lulu's was a small dive in Cheeksville, a quaint four-red-light town in the rolling hills of southwestern Ohio, forty miles from Red River. She slid in next to Felicia, dressed as usual in a business suit, and across from Jennifer and Mimi. "Hey, Lisa, we were wondering if you got to praising the Lord and lost track of time," Jennifer said with a laugh. Lisa grinned. Her husband was pastor of the Red River Assembly of God, known for its drum-thumping, guitar-playing, hand-waving worship services. She plopped her purse under the table, pushing the strap onto her knee. "Well, I'll tell ya, we did go more than two hours Sunday." Felicia raised her eyebrows. Her dark eyes shone with intensity. "I can't imagine what would happen at our church if Dave wasn't giving the altar call by 11:45. Every Sunday I see people checking their watches when someone goes forward, as if the roasts in their ovens are more important than that person's salvation." "That's why I use the timer on my oven," Mimi chimed in, tucking her blond, bobbed hair behind one ear. "I set it to turn off at noon, so even if we get held up doing the pastor-and-wife thing after church, I don't have to worry too much." Lisa noticed Mimi furrow her brows at the wordworry. "That reminds me," Mimi said. "I need to call the oven dealer for service. Our oven's been running hot. I discovered it when the Taylors, a family from the church, were over for dinner three nights ago. The turkey Tetrazzini was crusty. I was so embarrassed." "Don't worry about it." Jennifer laughed. "I've served more than my share of crusty creations." Lisa attempted to smile and act chipper, in spite of the morning she'd had. She hoped her hazel eyes didn't reveal that she'd been crying. Then she caught Jennifer's gaze. Jennifer nonchalantly dabbed under her eyes, then looked again at her. Lisa got the hint. Evidently the strain of the morning was showing on her face.Thought I caught everything in the rearview mirror.She began, nonchalantly she hoped, to wipe under her eyes. Mimi reached across the table to pat Lisa's arm. "Everything okay?" "Hmm?" Mimi mimicked Lisa's under-eye action. "Oh," Lisa said, trying to act casual. "Allergies." Out of the corner of her eye, Lisa caught the suspicious glances that shot between Jennifer and Felicia. "MJ suffers from allergies," Mimi said, evidently missing the exchanged looks. "We can't give him anything for it, though, or he acts like a zombie. I think it affects his inner ears or something. Can you take an antihistamine?" Felicia rolled her eyes just as Gracie, their waitress, walked to the table and nearly collided with Megan, who was running to the booth from across the room. "Whoa, there, little one!" Gracie patted Megan on the head and turned her toward Mimi. "Mom!" Megan whined as she held out two pieces of an orange crayon. "My crayon broke." Mimi took the pieces and reached into her purse for the plastic sandwich bag filled with crayons, colored pencils, and watercolor markers. "That's okay, sweetheart. Mommy has another one for you." She handed Megan another orange crayon. Megan skipped back to her table, where her coloring books and crayons were scattered. Lisa glanced questioningly at Mimi. "Gladys has kidney stones," Mimi explained with a sigh about her usual babysitter. "And her husband said she didn't look so good. So I had to bring Megan or I couldn't come." Although the four PWs had made a pact a year ago that no children would be allowed on their lunches at Lulu's, they had mentioned that exceptions -- and only rare ones -- woKolbaba, Ginger is the author of 'Desperate Pastors' Wives ', published 2007 under ISBN 9781582296326 and ISBN 1582296324.