Part 5- Together Again, At Last

Letoya, Rochelle, Caprice, Tracie


Caprice noticed Tracie and Letoya first.  They were standing by Letoya's car in a heated discussion.  This wasn’t a surprise.  Tracie and Letoya were cousins but they were like oil and water.  They just didn’t mix.  They were okay together for about five minutes, but one minute longer and they would find something to fight about. 
Tracie noticed Caprice approaching and gave Letoya a quick eye roll before she marched away with a big smile on her face.
"DIVA!!!” she shouted for the whole world to hear.
Caprice couldn’t help but smile.
"Hey Gurl".  They hugged and danced around like they hadn’t seen each other in forever.  Tracie walked slowly over still fuming over her discussion with Letoya.  Caprice slapped her on the arm playfully, "What? I don’t get any love?"  That brought a smile to her best friends face.  It usually didn’t take much to make Tracie mad but Letoya was one of the few people that could push all of her buttons.  As Caprice and Tracie embraced, Tracie used the moment and whispered in her ear, " I cannot stand this trick today Lord forgive me, but she gets on my nerves." 
Caprice laughed it off so Letoya would not get suspicious, but she could tell that whatever it was that they were arguing over this time was not going away any time soon.  When they parted from their embrace Caprice saw the evil looks passed between them again.  She clasped her hands together and said the first thing that came to her mind.
"So, did either of you see that FINE young man that came down to the alter earlier?  I need some info ladies, quickly and I need an introduction before he gets away."  Caprice snapped her fingers to keep them focus.  Letoya shrugged her shoulders and pretended to play in her phone, but Tracie smiled and gasped. 
"A man?  Did you pick up a man in church?"  They both shared a laugh and Tracie locked arms with her and turned away from Letoya.  She whispered quietly, building Caprice's suspense.  Tracie always had the scoop.  "Well, if you’re talking about the same fine young man that sat in your row, that I turned and caught you making googely eyes with then yes I got a little piece of info, but it's going to cost you", she said curling her lips into an evil grin. 
Caprice would have given up her first born for any piece of info about him.  She waited for Tracie to continue, but when she didn't she rolled her eyes and said, "Alright, what do you want?"
"Can I be in your wedding?  No, no on second thought I need to be maid-of-honor, I mean considering the fact that I am the one who is bringing you two together."  They both laughed.
"Okay, fine I will give you whatever you want, JUST TELL ME!"

Caprice and Letoya always joked around.  When they got together it was always a big show. 
"Well..." Letoya started out with excitement.  As much as she pretended to not want to divulge the information Caprice wanted, it was obvious she couldn't wait to give her the scoop.
"I happen to know that Bro. Chris Washington was a visitor of Sister Brown, his aunt, who happens to be in my Sunday school class.  She went on and on about how he would be in service this morning and how he's single, has no kids, owns his own business, has a car and his own house.  You would’ve thought his aunt was trying to fix him up with the way she went on and on.
Caprice stood totally engaged and soaking up all the information Letoya was giving her.  So he was single-check, no kids-check, job-check, his own business-check, his own house-check.  So what was wrong with him, she wondered.  It had to be something.  She scanned the crowd of churchgoers, some, moving quickly to their cars and their Sunday dinners, others, talking with other members.  Her eyes grazed the crowd until she landed on the cutie from her row—Chris.  She couldn’t tell who he was talking to from where she was standing but he looked engrossed in the conversation.  She kept looking hoping he would at least glance her way.  And after several seconds Caprice got her wish, he quickly turned his head and for a brief second their eyes locked.  When Chris noticed that she was looking he turned back and their eyes locked again for a long moment.  His gaze was too much for Caprice to handle.  She smiled and lowered her eyes.  When she looked up he had returned to his conversation.  Caprice decided that she would have to settle for that one encounter for now.  She also decided that she would make sure to formally introduce herself before they both left the church today.  Maybe she would even ask him for his number or offer to meet up with him later this week for coffee or something.  A lot of women would probably call Caprice “fast” or “hot” but she simply knew what she wanted in life and went after without hesitation.  She was like that with everything. 
Caprice was so busy trying to make eye contact that she hadn’t even noticed Letoya snickering at her. She had noticed who she was looking eye with.  When Caprice snapped out of it and looked at Letoya, all she could do was shake her head and smile.
“Ohhhh Caprice”, she teased.  I know that look, gurlll you got it bad!”
“What are you talking about?” Caprice laughed. 
“Uh uh, don’t do that.  You know exactly what I’m talking about.  Poor Chris, he doesn’t stand a chance and he doesn’t even know it.”
Caprice couldn’t help but laugh.  She knew it was true. 
So what’s up with you and Tracie? She quickly changed the subject.  “What are ya‘ll fighting about now?”
Letoya’s care free smile disappeared quickly with the mention of her cousin’s name.  She rolled her eyes and sucked air through her teeth.  Now it was Caprice who shook her head and smiled. 
“Gurl, you know Tracie and her judgmental a**.  Oops, Lord forgives me.”  Letoya quickly apologized for cursing while on church ground.
“But I cannot stand when Tracie tries to be someone’s God. She’s always trying tell me what to do.  I cannot take it anymore and today I made sure she was well aware of the fact that she has NO room to judge me.  What goes on in my life is between me and God!”  Letoya exclaimed. 
For as long as she could remember Letoya and Tracie were always getting into it about something.  They butted heads about everything but what she had just witnessed was a little bit more than just a disagreement.  Caprice could never understand how two people who did not get along spend so much time together.  Letoya and Tracie could argue all day non -stop but if anyone tried to mess with the other one they would be ready to fight and stand up for one another.  Caprice had seen that first hand. 
She usually stayed out of their little squabbles.  If it was a small little fight they would usually work it out between the two of them and then be back talking and gossiping with one another.
“Uh huh.  So what’s going on with you Missy?” Caprice asked.  But before Letoya could answer Tracie and Rochelle walked up all smiles and looking suspicious. 
Caprice quickly forgot that Letoya hadn’t answered the question and she was happy about that.  Letoya wasn’t yet ready to spill her “tea” of the new love/lust in her life.  Tracie had unfortunately found out.  She still didn’t know how.

Letoya could not hide her disgust for Tracie as they walked up.  She sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes.  Tracie grimaced but did not turn her gaze from Letoya.  Caprice shrugged her at Rochelle who walked up looking confused. 
“You know these two, they can’t go a day without an argument”, she said to Rochelle pointing at Letoya and Tracie.  Rochelle nodded in agreement and shook her head with a nonchalant grin. 
“Guess who has a new boo?”  Tracie teased staring at Rochelle.
Caprice and Letoya both looked at Rochelle shocked.
“He is not my new anything, Miss-know-it-all.  Christopher is a nice young man who is new to the ministry and I was trying to lend him a few words of encouragement.  We both have a lot in common being new Christians and all.”
They all gave her hugs and words of encouragement and congratulations for getting saved this morning.  Rochelle noticed a funny look exchanged between Letoya and Caprice.  She also noticed that for the rest of the conversation Caprice was a little bit stand-offish paying more attention to her cell phone than usual but she shrugged it off…for now!
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