Page 79 of Offensive Plays

“Ok, Jesus of Nazareth. Thank you for the sermon.”

He laughs and takes another sip of his drink.

“Mom, didn’t always have it easy. She was forced into life as a pastor’s wife at a very young age. It wasn’t what she signed up for. Dad didn’t become a pastor until after they were married. She fought it a lot, from what my dad’s told me. But she eventually accepted that if my dad was going to run a church then she’d need to step into the role. We all did.”

I nod. “I remember. I used to watch you and Jonah jumping into your dad’s gold jalopy in your little suits every Sunday. You wouldn’t be home until late.”

“We had bible study on Tuesdays. Youth group on Wednesdays. Worship services on Fridays and two services on Sunday,” he lists off.

“I used to hate Sundays,” I admit. “It always felt like we had to get our playtime in on Saturdays because I wouldn’t see you the rest of the week.”

“The life of a church family,” he says with a smile.

“Why do you seem so unaffected by it?”

“I mean, just because I don’t attend anymore doesn’t mean I’m not grateful for what I learned.”

“And what did you learn?” I ask. “Blind trust in an old book written by old men?”

He looks at me with softness in his eyes, “I learned to question everything.”

That’s not what I would’ve gathered.

“People can try to interpret things the best they can. They can try to teach you all the wisdom of the ages. But as a man, I’d need to decide for myself what I would choose to believe.”

The alcohol must be doing its part because I’m finally feeling relaxed. I lean on the bar right next to him. We both look out into the growing crowd.

“And what is it that you believe, Michael?”

He looks to his side and watches me. “I believe there’s always something new to learn. Things aren’t always as they seem.”

I know that’s right. The man standing next to me has surprised me the most. He’s a man of faith. And a man of dominance. Two things I would’ve thought were contradicting. But there he is, in the flesh.

I finish off my second cosmo just as his mother walks in through the double doors followed in by Lillian and another girl I’ve never seen.

“Oh god, there she is. You need to go,” I whisper to him.

He grins. “Fine, but I’ll see you later.”

He winks before he strolls back to his assigned table with his family.

Chris slides me another cosmo and I give him a nod of appreciation.

Chapter 23

Michael

“Hi, Ma,” I say as I approach the elegantly dressed woman.

She turns to me and beams. “Oh, Michael. You won’t believe who was able to join us tonight.”

She steps aside and standing behind her is the woman whose DMs I’ve been actively avoiding.

“Oh, hi,” I say, reaching a hand toward Cassidy Jones.

“Hi,” she whispers with a smile.

We shake hands awkwardly. And when she takes the seat next to my sister in law and turn to my mother and give her a blank stare.