Page 62 of João
The tension that existed before had been intoxicating but unsustainable. Now ease reigned and giddy anticipation surrounded us. The sexual tension of the unknown had turned into the knowledge that it would always be mind-blowing between us, and the certainty of our feelings were the rock holding it all together.
“I need more than ejaculation as a declaration.”
“I agree. My declaration is not over…that was just the beginning.”Lord, when I prayed to You for clarity, I did not expect You to work so decisively, but thank You.
“Good. Now that that’s settled, the next gesture I’m teaching you today is your strikes, in case you forget who’s in charge in public. Strike one.” He touched his ear with one finger, then showed me strike two and three.
“I don’t think you’ll need that gesture, Master.” I grinned as he caressed his chin.
“We’ll see.”
Now we stood in front of our destination, surrounded by people of all walks of life, all greeting each other as they entered the building. The vibe was one of joy and fellowship.
The doors swung open to a vestibule with soft seating and a table with coffee, muffins, and fruit. Two large double doors sat on both sides of us, giving me the feel of a church.
Before I could ask, Sir Spiritual aka Moses approached us with a welcoming smile.
“João and the beautiful Gisele, welcome to The Grace Collective. This is a place of fellowship and worship for everyone. We’re non-denominational and non-hierarchical. We get together here on Sundays and evenings during the week to fellowship in community, and our mission is to take care of our neighborhood and our siblings in faith.”
“Oh, this is…” I turned in awe to João, who stood stoically next to me, his eyes trained on my every expression.
“You need a church, and I once upon a time enjoyed going to church with my family. I don’t want us to only embrace the things that make me who I am. You…you bravely left your Church because you no longer felt like that was a place you could fellowship in peace and safety. Moses…the man has been trying to get me to join him some Sundays and I’ve always said no. ButI’ve always known this was a safe space. I guess I just needed you by my side to realize it…”
The gift of his vulnerability warmed me from inside, light beaming through my pores as I received his token of love. Church for him brought difficult memories of his mother, of a different time. But he was willing to try something new with me. Something new for both of us.
“I’ll give you a second. On the right, we have our Reading and Contemplation room. Each Sunday we have five to six readers who bring their text to share with us, then we open the floor for discussion of what we learned. The readings can be religious or philosophical, rooted in faith or in understanding of our communities and ways to be better human beings. The second room is the Quiet Reflection room. We have a choir that opens the floor, then quiet time begins, and we end the session with singing.”
“This is so lovely. I’ve been looking for a church home and this…this is what I need right now.” João squeezed my hands and my eyes flooded with unshed tears. Emotion threatened to overwhelm me and with João by my side, it was safe for them to flow. Hand in hand, we went into the Reading and Contemplation room, to be in fellowship together.
The man knew how to declare his love.
JOÃO
My declaration was not done at Grace Collective. After a napbookended by me tasting Gisele’s pussy until she screamed my name before God’s, I picked a summer dress for her and asked her to join me downstairs when her legs had stopped shaking.
“Where are we going?” she asked, perplexed when I guided her out of my house.
“To Jardel’s for Sunday BBQ.”
Her joy vibrated out of her skin as Jardel opened the door and Solange enveloped her in a hug.
Jardel stared at me from the side and nodded, apparently satisfied with whatever he’d seen in my face. This nigga really thought he knew me.
Maybe he really did.
“It is so nice to finally meet you! I have been asking João when we would all get together, but you know him. ‘Solange, don’t bother me, I’ll let you know when I’m ready,’” Solange said with a passable baritone.
“He sounds just like that!” Gisele said, winking at me, and I touched my finger to my ear, my lower body stirring when her tinkling laughter drifted to the backyard where the rest of our family waited.
“Oh, shit…she’s the one.” Jardel nodded at the departing women as they joined Sal, Devon, Joaquim, Nevaeh, and Jonathon.
“Yeah, she is,” I answered, no longer able to contain the ethereal happiness that filled me today.
“Damn, it’s good to see you smiling, irmão.” Jardel gathered me in an embrace, and for a second, I leaned on him.
“It feels good too.” I pounded his back as Joaquim approached us.
“Why am I the only one on the grill? Then if I burn this picanha, y’all won’t let me live it down.”
