“Darius, I’ve got enough to worry about with Wellington, Candice, and Darryl, I don’t need to get caught up in your drama. For once, can you just be a man and handle your business?”
“Be a man about it,” Darius repeated. “Drama?” He became silent. Parking in front of her office building, he said, “I’ll be up in a minute.”
Jada quietly closed the passenger door. None of what Caroline had told her made sense, but she’d learned a long time ago that a lot of things in life that were true didn’t make sense.
“Good morning, Ms. Tanner,” Jada’s secretary said, hurrying from behind the desk to give her hug.
“Good morning. And thanks for working the long hours.”
“Don’t mention it. Jazzmyne takes excellent care of everyone. She brings or orders breakfast, lunch, and she even orders dinner when we work late. She’s so nice.”
Jada nodded and smiled. Jazzmyne was the kind of employee, woman, and friend who didn’t ask what needed to be done, she’d just do it.
Entering her office, she saw that everything looked the same except the dozen fresh red roses with one yellow one in a vase by the window.
“Here’s a cup of coffee, Ms. Tanner,” her secretary said setting the cup on her desk and turning on her computer. “The flowers were delivered this morning from your husband.”
“Thanks,” Jada said. “Close my door behind you.”
As she sat at her desk admiring the roses, tears splattered into her coffee cup. The screen saver on her computer vanished, turning black.
Somberly shifting her eyes back to her cup, Jada sipped, then inhaled the fresh-roasted coffee. No one was inside her office. No one was listening to her but God. Today, other than trying to center her spirit, get in touch with her inner peace, and trying not to cross that fine line from sanity into insanity, nothing else mattered.
Jada was more than a businesswoman. In addition to owning and operating her company, she was a mother, a wife, and a best friend to Candice and Jazzmyne. But none of those people could help heal Jada’s heart.
Jada couldn’t force Darius to get married, but she knew Fancy was the only woman her son ever loved, and if Darius let Fancy get away, like his father, he’d add himself to a long list of men who regretfully married the wrong woman, someone other than their soul mate.
“Huuuhhh, I can’t leave Wellington in his time of need. I just can’t do it. I know he’d stay with me if I were the one diagnosed with cancer. I did marry him for better or worse. Damn it! Why am I having doubts now?” Jada screamed, plunking the silver spoon into the china cup. Pushing away from her desk, she grabbed her head, pressing her palms into her temples. Pacing from one end of her office to the other, Jada suddenly dropped to her knees and cried aloud, “God, why me! Haven’t I suffered enough? Haven’t I given enough? My father! My mother! Dead! My selfish son! Is this Your way of testing me? Why me, Lord!”
A faint tap on her door was followed by the whispering voice of her secretary. “Ms. Tanner. Are you okay?”
Oh my gosh! How much did she hear?
Crawling into her swivel chair, Jada propped her elbow on the desk, pressed her forehead into her palm, and then closed her watery eyes. Okay, focus on your breathing. “Calm down,” Jada whispered. Refusing to suppress her emotions, she yelled, “No, go away!”
Ring, ring.
Jada retrieved her cell phone from her purse. Looking at the caller ID, she sniffled, then half smiled, answering, “Hello,” trying to disguise the sadness in her voice.
“Hey, you. I know you’re not over there moping over what to do about your husband,” Darryl said.
“You know me too well, and I’ve told you too much and allowed you to get too close.”
“Actually, you haven’t told me enough. I didn’t want to say this last night, but I know you’re not happy in your marriage. You’re stuck between doing what’s best for him and doing what’s right for you. And you have such a big heart, you’d never leave anyone while they were down.”
“You know, you’re right. I thought no one understood. But the bottom line is, like it or not, I am a married woman.”
“And you know I’ve been in your life since we were kids. I am the father of our son. And I know you better than you know yourself. Right now you need to stop pacing around your office and you need someone to listen to all that stuff going on in your head instead of talking to yourself.”
“Maybe it’s just karma. I haven’t exactly been a saint myself, you know.”
“And neither have I. Who has? But that doesn’t mean you should…Look, just let me go to the hospital with you. Bye.”
Dropping her cell phone into her purse, Jada entered her private restroom, washed her face, and reapplied her makeup. “Thank God I look better than I feel.”
When she walked into the lobby, Darius and Darryl were waiting.
“Hey, you,” Darryl said, smiling as he embraced Jada.
“Hi. Thanks,” Jada replied, allowing Darryl to hold her in his arms. His grip was affectionate. Her sexual desires intensified. Why should she feel guilty? Wellington had fucked Melanie on several occasions. Jada’s pussy quivered as she eased out of Darryl’s arms.
Sarcastically, Darius said, “Mom, not in the office in front of your selfish son. You’re embarrassing me.”
Jada looked at them and said, “You’re so vain, you’re right. For the first time, my life isn’t about you. Let’s go and get Candice. Then we’ll go to the hospital to see Wellington.”
“Mmmmm, yeessss,” Darius mimicked. “I take after you.”
CHAPTER 23
Fancy
Fancy lounged at her quaint three-bedroom home along Malibu Beach. Easing out of bed, she entered her office, locked the door, then sat at her desk with pen and paper. Every single word was personal, intentional, and purposeful. Typing a letter wouldn’t have sent him the same message.
Dear Darius,
First, I’ve enclosed all of your keys: homes and cars. I don’t understand why you pretended you were excited about us having a baby, then you give me abortion pills and kill our daughter. For that, I will never forgive you. A part of me hates you and wishes I’d never met you, while the other part still loves the Darius I used to know. Your lies and deceit are more than I care to deal with. I thought about pressing charges to teach you a lesson, but I can’t. Even though you’ve wronged me. I can’t find it in my heart to hurt you. So I’m letting go. Darius, you were never there for me when I needed you. I take that back, yes, you were. You saved my life, then took life away from me. Darius, you’ve changed, and as a result, you’ve changed me. My heart can never love or trust you the same. This is no way to start a marriage, so to finalize everything, I’m mending my broken heart and I’m giving you back your ring.
Love,
Ladycat
Sliding the five-carat platinum solitaire off her finger, Fancy placed the princess cut in a small white box. Her heart was heavy, her spirit lighter. Her heart ached but there were no tears. Why should she be sad or depressed over a man who couldn’t love her back? That was his loss. Maybe he’d learn how to love the next woman. Fancy would remember the good times, and unlike Ashlee, she’d move on.
Fancy bundled the letter, keys, and ring into a large envelope, walked into the kitchen, and said, “Good morning, Mama.”
“Hey, baby. How you feelin’?”
“I’m good.” Handing her mother the envelope, Fancy continued, “I need for you to drop this off at Darius’s house for me today.”
Caroline shook the contents. “What’s in it?”
“His ring and things.”
Intensely shaking her head, Caroline gasped “Baby, you never give back the ring. You earned that gorgeous rock. It’s yours.”
“Some things aren’t worth holding on to. Mama, you keep the ring when you want to keep the man; otherwise, the ring is meaningless.”
“Chile, you know I disagree, but if you insist, I’ll drop off the package after breakfast.
”
“Mama, I’m trying to love Darius with my head. And I’m sorry I missed your graduation.”
Caroline smiled, then hugged Fancy. “You’re a fast learner. But, sweetheart, you didn’t miss a thang at the ceremony. Those folk were all half my age.”
“Then I missed a lot. I love you too, Ma.” Fancy kissed her mother on the cheek and returned to her bedroom. Opening the patio doors, she joined Desmond and SaVoy on the white wooden deck.
“Good morning,” Fancy said, occupying the surprisingly empty seat between them.
“How you feel?” Desmond asked.
“Fine, physically.” Looking at SaVoy, Fancy continued. “Emotionally, don’t ask.”
Desmond held Fancy’s hand. “When SaVoy called me, I got on the first plane headin’ out of Atlanta.”
Fancy said, “And I appreciate you two so much.”
Desmond probably changed his reservation to depart a few days early. Fancy couldn’t express how loved she felt seeing them at the hospital.
“Where’s your mom?” Desmond asked. “She said she was going to join us out here.” He inhaled, stretched his arms wide, and said, “I could do this every day. This is living. On the beach!”
Maybe he could, at a different house. After that brief stay with Darius, unless Fancy was married first, she wasn’t cohabiting at his place or hers.
Fancy answered, “In the kitchen cooking breakfast. She’ll bring breakfast to us.”
SaVoy said, “You know your mom changed her mind about you raising her baby. She doesn’t want to tell you because she doesn’t want to upset you.”
Exhaling, trying not to become annoyed, Fancy calmly replied, “That’s cool either way. I promised my mom so she can change her mind again.”
“After all you’ve been through, I thought you’d be relieved. That’s very Christian-like. God challenges us when we don’t praise Him. Give your life to God, girlfriend. He is blessing you to bless others. Don’t be bitter toward men. Keep your heart open,” SaVoy said with a smile.
There went SaVoy throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Obviously she’d wanted to approach this topic before she returned to Oakland. What was her point?
Fancy eyed her girlfriend, then said, “SaVoy, everyone does not praise God the way you do. I’m not the type of person who’s going to go to church every Sunday morning, then become hyporcritical like some of you so-called Christians talking bad about your church members and friends on Sunday evening. I know you talk about me behind my back, SaVoy, because you’re always judging me to my face. I’m not going to sit around listening to some preacher who makes me feel guilty about everything I do. I relate to God in my own special way and I honestly try my best to help people and treat them right. If I’m going to hell for living by the Golden Rule, then so be it. But you are not my Savior. As far as my mother is concerned, my mom and I finally have a mother-daughter relationship. You don’t have to feel like it’s your duty to report back to me what my mother confides in you. She’ll talk to me when she’s ready.”
Desmond interrupted. “We’re all just glad that you’re okay. Especially me.”
Since SaVoy didn’t counter her comment about talking behind her back, her silence confirmed Fancy’s beliefs. Fancy asked SaVoy, “How long are you here?”
“My flight leaves tomorrow. Gotta finish planning for the wedding.”
“I’m still your maid of honor. And I will be there.”
Desmond followed with, “We’ll be there.”
Fancy looked at her two best friends and said, “I hate to admit it but I was jealous watching how you looked at SaVoy when she walked into my hospital room.”
“Fancy, you never have to be jealous of any woman when it comes to me. I was just happy to see SaVoy. And I was messing with Tyronne because he’s so paranoid and doesn’t want any man, including me, close to SaVoy. Now, I can admit that at one time I was interested in SaVoy. When she first started dating my boy.”
SaVoy’s head snapped in Desmond’s direction. “What? I never knew that.”
“Honestly, what I was attracted to wasn’t you, SaVoy, but what you represent. You’re every man’s dream for an ideal wife and mother. Good-looking. Mixed features, more white than black. Nice. Educated. Independent.”
“And still a virgin,” SaVoy added.
“I was getting to that. That too. But the truth is I’m in love with Fancy. She’s sexy. Smart. And if I can say, sexually experienced. Definitely more black than white. Fancy is a challenge. But a good challenge. Good girls become boring after a while. It’s like once you know them, you know them. There’s nothing new or exciting about them. Whereas womanly women always keep a man on his toes because he never knows what the, excuse my expression, fuck she’s going to do next.”
Fancy didn’t respond. She drifted with the waves washing the sand onto, then away from, the beach, wondering how Darius felt about not being with her. Was he lonely? Did he miss her? Did he care?
“Well, Tyronne will never grow tired of me. We’re saved. I’m going to see if your mom needs help,” SaVoy said. She kissed Desmond on the cheek, then patted Fancy on the head. “When love calls, you better choose right this time, girlfriend.”
Fancy replied, “I chose right with Darius Williams. Darius wasn’t a mistake. God doesn’t make any mistakes. And I don’t have any regrets. Everything happens for a reason.”
SaVoy said, “You know what, you’re right,” then disappeared through the patio doors into Fancy’s bedroom, mumbling, “Lord, help her, for she knows not what she says.”
SaVoy had better not get too comfortable with Tyronne. Fancy didn’t care how saved Tyronne was, he was from the streets of Oakland and chasing women was in his blood. Game recognized game, was the reason Fancy clashed with Tyronne. Street sense came with benefits, like next week Tyronne would have full access to SaVoy’s father’s commercial property to start his business. SaVoy couldn’t see it but she was Tyronne’s hopefully one-way ticket out of the ghetto. If marrying SaVoy and worshiping her God was all he had to do, “Let the church say, amen.”
Fancy waited until SaVoy was out of sight. “Dez, thanks for coming. I mean that,” she said, gripping his hand.
Kneeling on one knee, never letting go of Fancy’s hand, Desmond removed a small black box from his pocket.
Fancy cried. Shaking her head, she covered her mouth. “Dez, no. Please, don’t. This isn’t right.”
Flashing back, Fancy recalled the first time Desmond proposed.
Cupping her hand over her mouth, Fancy had choked. That little-bitty-ass stone could hardly be considered a diamond. Some jeweler must have discovered a way to fuse two granules of sugar together and make them sparkle. Then that loser must have used the world’s smallest tweezers to set it in sterling silver. Fancy had turned away, shaking her head in disbelief.
Would she coldheartedly reject Desmond a second time? The answer partially remained unrevealed inside the white box.
“Fancy, yes. I have to ask one last time. I need to know that you love me the way that I love you. Fancy Taylor, will you marry me?”
Fancy swallowed hard. She was happy that the doctor reported her HIV test was nonreactive. What about Darius? Had her heart dissolved their relationship? Soon as she got away from Desmond, Fancy was calling Mandy to beg for an appointment and she wasn’t accepting no for an answer.
Fancy lovingly gazed into Desmond’s eyes, thinking about what her mother had told her, and replied, “My head says yes. My heart says…”
CHAPTER 24
Darius
Darius watched as his mom narrowed her eyes at him. Her lips crunched into an O. Darius grabbed his keys quietly, waiting for his mom to leave her office. Avoiding an unwanted confrontation, he felt it was best not to say anything. Following his parents out of Black Diamonds, he’d heard them making love on several occasions. What he actually heard was his mother moaning, which let him know, like father, like son, his old man had his woman screaming so loud her
echoes of ecstasy traveled across three rooms into Darius’s bedroom.
Darius drove to the hospital staring straight ahead, avoiding eye contact with his mom, who was shifting restlessly in her seat. Guess his dad also saw his mom was upset, ’cause he hadn’t said a word.
The car was silent until his mother spoke. “Darius, you should say hello to Wellington when we get to the hospital. After all, he did raise you.”
“Sure, Mom. Anything for you,” Darius replied, looking in his rearview mirror at his dad, who was reclining across the backseat.
“I don’t know how I’m going to work all of this out. I need to pick up Candice too. Darius, honey, could you—”
“No, Mom. Don’t ask.”
“Son, that’s not the way to talk to your mother.”
“Sorry, Ma. If you seriously want me to go and get her out, I will.” When? was the question his mother should ask.
Darryl commented, “Out from where?”
“I didn’t tell you. Candice is locked up because of Darius.”
“Because of me? She’s the one snooping in our houses. Ma, I have X-rated videos of you and my dad that Candice recorded.”
“Stop your damn lies, Darius!” his mother screamed, slapping his arm. “You don’t have to make up stories. If you don’t want to get her out, just say so.”
“Wait a minute,” Darryl said, grabbing Jada’s shoulder. “Darius needs to go to Atlanta to take his physical. I tell you what, I’ll bail Candice out. Baby, you go see Wellington and I’ll meet you at the hospital later. Son, you go home and get ready for your trip.”
Why did she have to lay hands on him? All he did was tell the truth. Women. Staring ahead, Darius said, “Fine by me.” After his mother’s episode, he would never have gotten Candice out.
Darius imagined what his mother would say after Candice told the truth. “Oh, I’m sorry, sweetie, it’s just that you lie so much, I didn’t believe you.” And he was the one who didn’t accept responsibility for his actions. Yeah, right.
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