Read Online The Perfect Christian by E. N. Joy - Free Book Online

blood raced through her body as she watched Willie’s hands start at the nape of the woman’s neck, and then take an evening stroll down her back and land on the park bench—aka the woman’s butt. He cupped her behind as if he were testing melons in the market.
    Next, Doreen watched Willie whisper something in the woman’s ear that made the redbone’s skin flush with red. When he immediately whispered something in her other ear, whatever it was caused her to playfully slap him. But at the same time, it must have turned the woman on because she cupped Willie’s bottom just the same as he was cupping hers and the two began crooning and rocking together. They were nose to nose. It looked as if Willie wanted to take his lips and lay one on her. He probably would have if he hadn’t all of a sudden been hit with a Word from God.
    Literally, Doreen had crept over to Willie and his dance partner, taken her Bible out of her purse, and whacked Willie a good one upside the head.
    â€œWoman! What the he . . .” Willie couldn’t even get his curse word completely out he was so stunned. Now his hands no longer rested on the woman’s bottom, but massaged his throbbing head instead. “Doreen, what did you do that for?”
    â€œDo you really have to ask?” Doreen stood there tapping an angry, agitated foot on the ground.
    â€œHeck, son,” Willie’s father walked over and said, resting his hand on his son’s shoulder, “why, your wife here was just trying to knock some sense into you is all.” Willie’s father couldn’t help but start laughing. A few others standing around did the same as the house band ceased playing music since they were no longer the center of attention.
    â€œMaybe if you had taught him how to treat a woman when he was coming up, I wouldn’t have had to knock sense into him. It would have already been instilled.” Beads of sweat formed on Doreen’s forehead within seconds of her making that comment. She’d never been that bold in her life. Always the peacemaker, she was the one who tried to avoid tension and smooth out any that existed. But had she just said what she had to her father-in-law? By the look on his face—yes, she had.
    â€œExcuse me?” Mr. Tucker said to his daughter-in-law. “What did you just say to me, little girl?”
    Doreen swallowed hard, but didn’t respond. Her own common sense, and to avoid even more tension, told her to take it back, but she couldn’t. She meant it; every word of it. The way her Willie was treating her was the exact same way he’d seen his father treat his own mother all these years. Doreen’s mother had told her so. She’d warned her it was all her husband knew, and therefore, that’s the way he’d treat her unless the good Lord Himself broke the curse.
    Obviously, after thirty years of marriage, Mr. Tucker’s behavior hadn’t done any harm to Willie’s parents’ marriage. They were still together and appeared to be happy after all these years. Maybe her mother-in-law was cut out for that type of husband-and-wife relationship, but Doreen wasn’t.
    When it came to her own parents, over the years, Doreen had never seen her father treat her mother with anything but respect; and vice versa. So she didn’t know how to deal with this type of behavior from her husband. And boy, oh boy, did she wish she had asked somebody before she’d gone and gotten on her father-in-law’s bad side.
    Doreen didn’t know what kind of reaction she was going to get from Mr. Tucker as she stood there with sweaty palms . . . and a sweaty forehead.
    â€œSon,” Mr. Tucker said to Willie while he glared Doreen down, “I reckon you better get the wifey here in check.” And that’s all he said as he popped a cigar in his mouth and walked away while nodding to the band to continue playing. “Drinks on the