Never Again Once More

by Morrison, Mary B.

  Darius returned to his restroom. He had just enough time to freshen up and inspect before Zen arrived.

  Just as he was entering his lavatory, his intercom buzzed.

  He raced back and answered.

  “Mr. Jones, Zen is here,” Shannon politely said.

  Why wasn’t he surprised Zen was fifteen minutes early. “Send her in.”

  High heels and a short silk printed skirt made her appear taller and slimmer. Zen sat in front of Darius’s desk and crossed her legs.

  “So how was your weekend?” Darius asked.

  “It could have been better.” Zen focused on Maxine’s photo.

  “Yeah, I suppose mine, too. So how are your sponsorships coming along?”

  “Three million and counting.” Zen responded with confidence. She was definitely his competitor. If he weren’t his mother’s child, Zen would undoubtedly be sitting in his chair, and they both knew it. Unfortunately for Zen, legacy ruled.

  Zen walked behind his chair and massaged his shoulders. Darius moved his neck from side to side. “Ah, that feels great. I’m so stressed.” Zen eased her hand down his chest. Stopping her at his nipples, Darius said, “Not today.” He gestured toward her seat. “Please. Sit.”

  Zen sat, then crossed and uncrossed her legs.

  Resisting indulgence, Darius said, “After I return from my grandmother’s funeral in Oakland, I’d like to take you on a trip. That is if you’re interested.”

  “You’re not embarrassed to be seen with a fifty-year-old woman?”

  “Maybe. But not one that looks younger than me.” Darius knew how to get next to Zen. “And one more thing. I need to take two of your clients and handle them personally.”

  Zen sprang from her seat. “I won’t give them to you. But why are you asking?”

  “Don’t question authority. I’ll give you the details later.” It was time for Darius to shift the power where it belonged. His mother’s company was overdue for male dominance. Women hated to admit it, but they loved to see men running things, including them.

  “Authority my ass. Just wait until Jada returns.” Zen paced in front of his desk.

  Mixing business with pleasure had started to rear its ugly head. Attitude. Language. Things were definitely going to improve. “Don’t bother to sit. Meeting adjourned. And choose your words carefully if you want to remain my employee.”

  “I did!” Zen shouted as she slammed the door behind her.

  Darius took a deep breath, then grabbed his jacket and walked out. “Shannon, I’m going to lunch. I’ll be back at one.”

  “Enjoy.” Shannon smiled.

  When Darius returned from lunch, Heather was waiting in his office. “You’re early. Wait outside for a moment. I’ll be ready for you in a minute.”

  “Wait outside?” Heather frowned.

  Darius returned a look that required no further comment. Women. You definitely couldn’t give them an inch. They would certainly take it all. He didn’t need Heather to step out. It was the principle. Heather was smart, but also underhanded. He thought about Ginger for a minute. She was an absolute sweetheart. If Darius weren’t engaged to Maxine, he might have considered Ginger. He was man enough to handle the fifteen-year age difference.

  Darius picked up his phone and buzzed Shannon. “Please send in Heather.”

  “Certainly, Mr. Jones.”

  “Shannon,” Darius said.

  “Yes, Mr. Jones.”

  “Don’t ever let anyone in my office without my permission.” One more policy change in effect. Eventually, he’d have all of them trained.

  “I asked her to wait in the receptionist area, but she insisted,” Shannon explained.

  “Shannon, you handle your responsibilities so I won’t have to. If I do, then one of us isn’t needed.” Darius hung up the phone and motioned for Heather to take a seat.

  “How was lunch? Did you save room for dessert?” Heather asked as she sat in the chair.

  She’d messed up already. She should have asked, “How are you doing?” Darius knew Heather was trying to gain control, so he baited his response. “Always.” Heather did give the best head. It didn’t matter that she didn’t have rhythm like Ginger. Maybe the offbeat was a plus. Or perhaps it was the chocolate she craved. At any rate, she ranked at the top of his list in oral copulation. Why couldn’t Maxine’s pussy feel like Miranda’s? Her hands, stroke like Zen’s? Give head like Heather? And have a butt that tasted like gingerbread? Darius had loved gingerbread since he was a kid.

  Heather attempted to dive right in, but Darius stopped her. Fidelity was beginning to make him feel like a junkie going through detoxification. Since this was his first attempt to abstain outside of his relationship, Darius realized he was a sex addict.

  “Please. Not now. We have to discuss business. Sponsors. How many do you have?” Darius questioned.

  Heather sat and stared. “Enough. But I’m still working hard. I have a few leads.”

  “I say how many is enough. I want specifics.” Darius impatiently waited for her answer.

  “Two. But they’re both contributing a half a million each.”

  “Two! You don’t even need to be in my office. Get out and don’t come back until you have your two point five million dollars in sponsorships.”

  “Screw you, Darius. Your positions went to the wrong head.” Heather exited, but surprisingly didn’t slam his door.

  He chilled until it was time for Ginger. Ginger was happy hour. Bright. Bubbly. Beautiful. She was his greatest challenge because she demanded royal treatment. Even for a nooner he had to take her to a five star hotel. Now that she knew he had a fiancée, Ginger would start pressuring him to call off his engagement and marry her like he’d promised. Thanks to his mother, Ginger had earned her Ph.D. from Harvard while working part-time from home. That was years ago. The one thing Ginger wore well was confidence. No matter how gorgeous a woman was, without self-assurance her attractiveness diminished significantly.

  Shannon’s buzz interrupted his thoughts. “Mr. Jones, Ginger is here.”

  Rubbing his palms together and bracing the phone between his ear and shoulder, Darius said, “Send her in.”

  Ginger was five feet, two inches and barley one hundred pounds; the oldest and shortest of her three sisters. Ginger always wore three-inch heels and had a commanding presence whenever she entered any room.

  “Good afternoon, boss. How are you doing? Nice tie,” Ginger said as she sat on the couch.

  Darius loved the way Ginger always complimented him. Slowly Darius stepped from behind his desk and sat next to Ginger. The fragrance she wore smelled as rich as she looked.

  He sniffed her nape. “Thanks. Nice dress.”

  “Darius, why didn’t you tell me you had a fiancée? Why did I have to find out at your party?” Ginger walked over to Maxine’s photo and picked it up.

  “Ginger. It’s not serious. It just looks good in my position.” Darius knew sistahs weren’t rational when it came to matters of the heart. If he didn’t get Maxine’s photo away from Ginger, there was no telling what she’d do.

  “Well, how about this position?” Ginger dropped Maxine’s picture in the trash and brushed her hands together. Then she resumed her seat next to him.

  “Let’s discuss your sponsors. How many and how much?” Darius walked over and retrieved Maxine’s photo. Thankfully, the frame wasn’t broken. He wiped it off with his handkerchief and returned it to its place.

  “Ten and two,” Ginger replied.

  “Not bad. You only need another half million.” Darius nodded. “You know I’ve had a lot of pressure on me since my grandmother’s death. I promise when the time is right, I’ll break off my engagement to Maxine. But until then, I have to play the roll, and we have to keep our relationship private. My mother would never approve of me marrying someone who works for our company, and you know that. So you’ll have to quit this job eventually and find another one.”

  “Whatever, Darius Jones,” Ginger s
aid.

  Darius smiled. “How about dinner tonight after work?”

  “Only if you pick me up and spend the night.” Ginger straightened his collar.

  “I’ll see you at seven.” Darius escorted Ginger to the door. He knew he wasn’t spending the night. He’d have just enough time to hit it and leave.

  Chapter 21

  Jada walked into the bedroom with Lawrence trailing behind. “Lawrence, I don’t have to explain my actions.”

  “But, honey, do you have to find solace in Wellington?”

  Jada sat on the edge of their king-size bed and untied her jogging shoes. Sweat was still streaming from her forehead from her early morning jog. “You know you’ve been at the office. And that’s okay. I’m not complaining. But I don’t need any added pressure. Darius is doing a great job at my company. So Wellington is just helping me out. That’s all.” The white jogging tennis shoes with blue and yellow stripes around the base dropped by the foot of the bed one at a time.

  Lawrence stood in the middle of the floor and said, “The Madison trial should be over by Friday. I can take off next week.”

  Time with Lawrence wasn’t what Jada wanted or needed. No one understood how she felt. Not even Wellington. At least he had Jazzmyne for a sister. Jada had no one. No aunts. Uncles. Generations of only children were destined for extinction. The heaviness inside her chest weighed like cement. “I don’t know how much longer I can hold on. I’m losing my grip. I’m trying to stay strong while falling apart. It’s driving me insane.” Jada stared at Lawrence. Why was he so damn reasonable about everything? “We leave for Oakland in the morning. I’ll see you when you get there.” If her husband would give her some space, she could think clearer.

  Lawrence sat on the bed beside Jada and held her hand. Hugging her, he said, “I’ll be on the first plane as soon as we wrap up the details. Honey, I wish I could bear all of your pain and hurt.”

  No, he didn’t. Those were only words that supposedly made her feel better. Jada stood and removed her T-shirt. Sports bra. Jogging tights. Underwear. They all lay alongside her tennis shoes. “You can come with Darius. I’m leaving with Jazzmyne and Wellington.”

  “Maybe I should wait here until you return. I don’t want to make you upset. But I cannot stand by and watch another man confiscate my wife. I’m probably not explaining myself clearly but—” Lawrence hesitated. “Baby, it just doesn’t seem like I’m needed. The night your mother died, you turned to him right in front of my face like I wasn’t there.”

  “Morning. My mother died Saturday morning. Lawrence, don’t be ridiculous. Of course I need you.” Jada walked over to Lawrence and wrapped her arms around him. “I love you.” Why was she baby-sitting a grown man?

  “I’m sorry for acting so immature. Where are you staying?”

  “At my mother’s, of course. Jazzmyne and Candice may stay with me. After the funeral, I’ll be at my mother’s house until I feel like coming home, and I’ve decided not to sell the house. I can’t.” Jada walked toward the bathroom. “I’m going to take a shower and lie down for a while.”

  “I’ll be in my study if you need me.” Lawrence turned and walked away. Jada felt even worse. How could something so wrong feel so right, and how could something so right—like her marriage—be so right, but yet feel the opposite.

  Lawrence had done nothing wrong. The only mistake he’d made was falling in love with a woman who was undeniably in love with someone else. She’d played it safe for the past ten very good years. Fifteen years if she counted from the day they met. Jada decided it was time for her to begin living her life on her terms. She’d lied to Darius. She’d lied to Wellington. He wasn’t the father, and she’d known from the day Darius was born. Jada even lied to herself. She wanted Wellington in the worst way. Her heart said yes, but her head protested defiantly.

  Jada turned the hot water up as much as she could stand the heat. Tears streamed from her eyes uncontrollably. She couldn’t run far enough to forget her mother was really gone. She couldn’t cry hard enough to eliminate the pain. She’d hoped her mother would live forever, but her mother had to die. And one day she would, too. There went her head trying to rationalize life and death. The water had started to turn warm. Her fingers had begun to wrinkle. How many more years for her? She certainly didn’t want the grim reaper coming for her. If the Lord didn’t hear her prayer twenty years ago, surely her next plea for forgiveness would fall upon deaf ears if she didn’t do her part.

  Wellington had stood by her side through the toughest times. Would telling the truth destroy their friendship? What friendship was based on lies anyway? How did she get to this point in her life? Miss Perfect was a pretender. Fake. Phony. Imposter. And no one knew. Why rock the boat now? God might forgive her. But would anyone else?

  Jada reflected on the day when Darius was born. Wellington spent every night in her hospital room at Alta Bates. He took them home. Waited on them hand and foot. At first she couldn’t trust him; now she was the one in question. Jada had decided that after the funeral, she would tell Darius, Wellington, and Darryl the truth. Jada hadn’t seen Darryl since Darius’s AAU game, but she knew exactly how to get in touch with him, through Terrell.

  Cold water now flowed from the showerhead. Jada turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. She wrapped the oversized burgundy towel around her body, then picked up the strawberry-scented shea butter. Jada slumped at the edge of the bed.

  “Oh, shit! You scared the hell out of me!” Jada hadn’t noticed Lawrence was under the covers. “What time is it? How long was I in the shower?”

  “Let’s just say you won’t have to shower in the morning.” Lawrence removed the shea butter from Jada’s hands. “Lie down.” He massaged her feet, legs, and back. “Honey, why am I getting bad vibes?”

  “Like what?” She couldn’t believe she’d been in the shower for over an hour. Numbness overwhelmed her wrinkled flesh. Her torso became heavy as Lawrence’s fingers traveled up her spine repeatedly. As Jada dozed off, she mumbled, “I’m so sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to lie.”

  Chapter 22

  Darius shut his office door and called Ashlee. “Hey, girl.

  What’s up?”

  “What’s up with you? Still getting your bread buttered on both sides in the same place?” Ashlee remarked.

  “Look, I’m about to shake things up big time,” Darius bragged. “I’m going to make Zen, Miranda, Heather, and Ginger reapply for their jobs. Then I’m going to fire two of them right after the conference.”

  “Darius! Jada worked too damn hard to build her company. What the hell are you doing?”

  “They’ve gotten too comfortable. They’re lazy. They’re not hungry for new acquisitions.” Darius curled his fingers tight. “It’s eleven weeks before the conference, and we haven’t even met our goal. We should have exceeded it by now.”

  “You know why your mother’s been successful all these years?”

  “What’s your take?” Darius turned his nameplate around and smiled.

  “Because she’s not greedy. Nor is she a control freak. Darius, she’s entrusted a lot of power in you. Don’t abuse it.”

  “You see, that’s just it. I’m not. I’m using it to make our company better. We need to set the pace for this millennium. I’ve got a meeting in five minutes. I’ll update you after the funeral. Later.” Darius hung up the phone. Ashlee would share his vision once he gave her all the details.

  The problem with women was they couldn’t separate business from pleasure. Each one of his directors had come on to him first. He was pretty damn irresistible, so he couldn’t blame them. Smooth just like his old man. The time had arrived for young, good-looking brothers to launch Black Diamonds into the future.

  Picking up the phone, Darius answered, “Yes, Shannon.”

  “Mr. Jones, Maxine is on the phone.”

  “Tell her I’ll call her back after my meeting.”

  “She—”

  The phone banged ag
ainst the receiver. He walked out of his office and entered the boardroom, where all of his honeys were looking fine. Darius pranced around the table, looking over their shoulders as he passed.

  “Okay. Since each of you already know the budget is short, we’ll start with accommodations. The Asian community has requested more visibility. Special street banners with the dates and times of their events, so I want everyone else to follow suit. The Latino partners requested an outdoor salsa dance contest with four guest speakers. Their speakers will educate the attendees on national programs during the competition. So, Miranda, you need to contact your project manager and make that happen.”

  “When is Jada returning?” Ginger inquired.

  “Let’s not worry about that. My mother is still recuperating. Just know that I’ll be back on Monday morning, but I want e-mails Thursday and Friday from everyone.”

  “I’m not sending a report until after I’ve spoken with Jada,” Heather commented.

  “That brings us to the next agenda item.” Scanning their faces, he knew two of them had to go. Which two was the question? “Black Diamonds is hiring two new executive directors.”

  “It’s about time,” Ginger commented. Her brown pantsuit matched her lipstick.

  Leaning in his direction, Zen asked, “So what are the new division titles?”

  “Oh, there are no new division titles.” Darius smiled.

  “Then, what are you saying?” Miranda asked, moving in closer.

  “We’ll discuss the details after the festival. I suggest you ladies do your best. Meeting is adjourned.” Darius stood. Although he didn’t have his mother’s approval on this move, Darius proceeded anyway. Why be in charge if he couldn’t make decisions?

  “We need to discuss this now,” Heather emphatically stated.

  Annoyed with Heather, Darius responded, “Right after I suggested you do your best, I said, ‘Meeting is adjourned.’ ” Imitating Ann on the game show The Weakest Link, Darius placed his hands behind his back and said, “Goodbye.”

  Ginger didn’t look so happy, but he had them right where he wanted. She’d showed him a great time the other night. Hopefully, she wasn’t having regrets. She could save that until after the conference. Surely, they would all be at his mercy.