#SampleSunday #3 from Breathe Again

Here's the third and final excerpt I'll be sharing from Breathe Again. Enjoy, and get ready for the release on 6.20.17!!!

The church erupted in applause as I reclaimed my seat, and a brother I hadn’t noticed rose from the center of the church and approached the podium. A tall, muscular, chocolate brother wearing a tailored charcoal gray suit, white shirt, and black tie. Neat beard, thick hair cropped close to his head, bright smile. My insides churned. I should’ve looked this man up on the Internet so I would’ve been better prepared, because as it was, all I could do was sit there and stare at him open-mouthed. The man was fine, super fine, super-duper fine. Real, real, real fine. And it wasn’t like I’d never seen a fine man before, but this man was downright... sexy.

I fiddled with the hem of my dress as he said something I was too frazzled to make out. The congregation laughed. So did I, though I didn’t know why.

I heard him say, “I’d like to thank the beautiful young lady for the overly-flattering introduction,” and I nearly melted. He’d called me beautiful. I pinched my thigh through the fabric of my dress. Told myself to come back to the world. He was saying that because it was a nice thing to say. Not that I was refuting the beautiful part. I knew I looked nice. I always tried to look my best for church. But this man was tall, handsome, and famous. He looked to be the type who’d prefer a more petite type of woman—a trophy wife. I certainly wasn’t that. Not that I was humongous or anything, but I was definitely on the thicker side. But God and all of His heavenly hosts knew he was my type—fine!

He continued to speak, but I didn’t hear a word of it. My mouth was dry and my face was flushed and I needed a fan, because I was sure my armpits were growing moist. His voice was deep and smooth and hypnotic. Everything about him absolutely appealed to me. And that disturbed me. I couldn’t remember the last time a man affected me like that. When was the last time just seeing a man and hearing him talk made me feel so... well, so much like a woman?

A burst of applause pulled me from my semi-conscious state, and I watched him walk back to his seat with a swagger akin to that of President Obama's. He graciously shook hands with the people seated close to him. Then he looked in my direction and nodded with that beautiful smile still on his face. I dropped my eyes, felt my heart knock against my rib cage, and wrung my hands in my lap. I would be so glad when service was over. I felt like a wiggly, wobbly mound of Jell-O sitting there all sweaty and weak.