Authors: Shana Burton
Catt Chasing (24 page)
Chapter 38
“You know they're talking about giving you a raise,” touted Jamal the second Catt stepped off the elevator and into the laboratory. It was refreshing to see him standing there. “The shot-callers are so impressed with the work we did on the road, they want to give us more money.”
Catt smiled modestly. “Hey, if they want to give me more money, who am I to stop them?”
“Oni says they're even talking about sending us to our markets on the West Coast. Would you be willing to go back out on another adventure with me?”
She frowned. “I'd have to do some serious thinking and praying about that one. You know what happened the last time we traveled together.”
“The last time, we got to know each other as individuals. This time, we can get to know each other as a couple.”
“That's not going to happen, Jamal.” She noticed he was tinkering with some of the test tubes. “You working on the next masterpiece over there?”
He poured liquid into a test tube. “I'm trying to. Here, smell.”
She took a whiff. “That's nice. It's sexy.”
“It's called Chase. All the ladies want to be chased, right?”
“Some do. Others like to be caught.”
“Which one are you?”
Catt eased into her lab coat. “The data is inconclusive.”
Jamal abruptly grabbed her and pulled Catt to him. “If I apologized to you a thousand times for being an idiot for choosing Yvette over you, would there be a chance for us?”
“Jamal, why are you doing this?”
“Because I need to know. My whole future is at stake here.”
“Then the answer is no.”
“So, you're not willing to give us a try?”
“Jamal, I can't, not with everything that's going on right now.”
“Catt, what if we're throwing away our last chance at real love? We have to at least try.”
“I believe that if things are meant to be, they'll be. If it's meant for us to be together, we'll find our way back to each other. And it'll be realânot because I'm confused or on the rebound or because you're trying to run away from your problems.”
“You said that you loved me.”
“I do, but can you promise me that if Yvette or some other emaciated model walked through this door right now and begged you to take her home you wouldn't do it? I don't think you can, and I deserve better than that.”
“You do deserve better, and I can honestly say that I'm willing to do whatever it takes to prove to you that I can be the kind of man you deserve. I want to be the kind of man God wants me to be for you. And I feel in my gut if we don't give ourselves another chance, we'll regret it for the rest of our lives.”
She squeezed his hand. “I hear what you're saying, Jamal, and it means the world to me that you'd put your heart and pride on the line this way, but right now, I've got to do what's best for me. You understand that, don't you?”
She turned away and walked into her office, vindicated. Yes, Jamal was finally saying all the things that she'd longed to hear, but her heart wasn't ready to go there with him. For all she knew, he was just caught up in his emotions for the moment and would change his mind again before she could blink twice. Perhaps he felt guilty for leading her on or felt the need to protect her from the likes of men like Eldon. Didn't he know she was fully capable of taking care of herself, and even if she wasn't, God was?
Then again, for all she knew, he just might have meant it when he said he loved her, and it had nothing to do with feeling obligated or guilty or the need to protect her. And for all she knew, Jamal Ford just might be the one. Even if he wasn't, it was worth a shot, right?
Catt peeked out of her office at Jamal tending to the beakers. He
was
fine, and there were definitely worse ways to spend her summer than traveling with the man she adored.
was
fine, and there were definitely worse ways to spend her summer than traveling with the man she adored.
A minute later, Catt joined Jamal in the lab with a smile on her face. “So . . . when do we leave for Cali?”
Reader Discussion Questions
1.
Do you think that Catt being overweight is significant to the story, or would the book have had the same impact regardless of her size? Explain.
Do you think that Catt being overweight is significant to the story, or would the book have had the same impact regardless of her size? Explain.
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2.
Is Catt genuinely a spiritual person, or does she use religion as an excuse to isolate herself and to avoid dealing with her problems?
Is Catt genuinely a spiritual person, or does she use religion as an excuse to isolate herself and to avoid dealing with her problems?
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3.
Do you think Eldon was sincere about his feelings for Catt, or was she just a pawn in his pursuit of becoming the pastor of Faith Temple?
Do you think Eldon was sincere about his feelings for Catt, or was she just a pawn in his pursuit of becoming the pastor of Faith Temple?
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4.
Should Jeremiah have accepted some of the blame for Catt's near-rape by Eldon? Why or why not?
Should Jeremiah have accepted some of the blame for Catt's near-rape by Eldon? Why or why not?
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5.
Do you think Jamal's spiritual transformation is real, or was he just caught up in the moment or succumbing to pressure from Catt?
Do you think Jamal's spiritual transformation is real, or was he just caught up in the moment or succumbing to pressure from Catt?
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6.
Is Jeremiah controlling, or does he simply want what's best for his daughter? Does he seem spiritually grounded enough to pastor a church?
Is Jeremiah controlling, or does he simply want what's best for his daughter? Does he seem spiritually grounded enough to pastor a church?
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7.
If you were in Catt's position at the time, would you have aborted your child? Why or why not?
If you were in Catt's position at the time, would you have aborted your child? Why or why not?
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8.
Should Catt have taken Jamal back after he rejected her because of her weight? Why or why?
Should Catt have taken Jamal back after he rejected her because of her weight? Why or why?
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9.
Which character do you think evolved the most by the end of the story? How so?
Which character do you think evolved the most by the end of the story? How so?
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10.
Do you consider Catt and Jamal to be “equally yoked” to each other? Why or why not?
Do you consider Catt and Jamal to be “equally yoked” to each other? Why or why not?
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UC His Glory Book Club
is another way to introduce
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and its authors. We are an online book club supporting Urban Christian authors by purchasing, reading, and providing written reviews of the authors' books.
UC His Glory Book Club
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is the brainchild of Joylynn Jossel, author and Executive Editor of Urban Christian and Kendra Norman-Bellamy, author and copy editor for Urban Christian. The book club will provide support, positive feedback, encouragement, and a forum whereby members can openly discuss and review the literary works of Urban Christian authors. In the future, we anticipate broadening our spectrum of services to include online author chats, author spotlights, interviews with your favorite Urban Christian author(s), special online groups for
UC His Glory Book Club
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amazon.com
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UC His Glory
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we do expect our members to be active, committed, and to follow the guidelines of the book club.
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Catt Chasin' Copyright © 2011 Shana Burton
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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
ISBN: 978-1-5998-3199-2
ISBN 10: 1-60162-791-2
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This is a work of fiction. Any references or similarities to actual events, real people, living, or dead, or to real locales are intended to give the novel a sense of reality. Any similarity in other names, characters, places, and incidents is entirely coincidental.
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