Love Like Hallelujah by Lutishia Lovely Page A

introduce her to the world; he wanted to give her the world. Cy wasn’t caught off guard often, but he’d had no idea he could be this happy.
    “Well, why don’t you take some time and think about it,” Derrick responded to Cy’s pondering a resignation. “You’re all discombobulated right now, just months into marriage, not thinking straight.”
    “I can’t disagree with you, man,” Cy said with a laugh. “I still feel like I’m on my honeymoon.”
    “If things go well,” Derrick said, leaning back in his leather swivel chair, “you’ll still feel like that in fifteen, twenty years. It’s not easy, but it’s possible.”
    “I’ll definitely work toward that,” Cy answered. “The best thing about me and Hope is how well we communicate. I feel like I’ve known her all my life, can’t remember life before she was in it.”
    “Man, you are gone!” Derrick said, laughing and shaking his head. “You are whipped, brothah, nose wide open!”
    “No, no, no…”
    “Don’t even try to deny it. I’ve seen that look. I’ve worn that look. And I know what it’s about! God sure is good, isn’t He?” Derrick reached for the intercom button. “Yes?”
    “Excuse me, Pastor, but it’s Mrs. Reynolds again,” Derrick’s secretary, Angela, announced.
    “Find out who she is and what she wants,” Derrick countered.
    “I asked,” Angela responded. “She keeps saying hers is a personal matter.”
    “Take a message, Angela. Better yet, transfer her to Tamika.” Tamika was Vivian’s assistant. “Tell her that all personal matters from female congregants are discussed with my wife.” Derrick stroked his mustache, a slight frown on his face.
    “Problems?” Cy asked.
    “Same old, same old,” Derrick sighed. “You’ll see. Don’t think the fact that you’ve got a ring on your finger is gonna stop the women from coming at you. You might even see an increase.”
    “Unfortunately, I know you’re right. It’s already happened. And telling ’em you’re married don’t mean a thing.”
    “They make it hard for a brothah sometimes,” Derrick continued. “The things some of the women have done in this church…man…”
    “Vivian’s a strong woman to be able to handle all that, year in and year out.”
    “Oh, she’s strong, fearless; none of them want to go up against my wife.”
    Derrick and Cy’s conversation drifted from their wives to the ministry to investments. Finally, Derrick turned to the Kingdom Citizens’ Shopping Center and Business Complex—the shops, business offices, bookstore, and restaurant development in which Cy was his liaison. The entire project would take a good two years to complete. It was a lot to handle, made easier with Cy by his side. Derrick wouldn’t try and talk him out of it if Cy was adamant, but he sure didn’t want to see a brother resign.
    “How’s King doing?” Cy asked, gathering his things and preparing to leave. “Did you tell him I was sorry for not getting to hang out with him when he was here last?”
    “He understood. You know you’ve got a standing invitation to go back and speak at his church. I think he wants to put together some type of economics seminar for his members. He’s trying to change their mind-set about money, get them to start saving and investing. You know that seventy percent of Americans are two paychecks away from homelessness? It might be even higher in the Black community.”
    “Well, I’ll be glad to help him. I’ll give him a call a little later on.”
    “And we want you on the committee for the Brothers’ Brigade Conference he and I are planning, along with some other ministers from Total Truth.”
    “Oh, yeah? When is that scheduled to happen?”
    “We’re planning it to run alongside Vivian’s national S.O.S. conference, about eighteen months from now.”
    “I’ll do all I can. Just let me know.”
    “Excellent. Thanks for all the good work, my man.”
    “Anytime,” Cy said. He waved good-bye and