Never Again Once More

by Morrison, Mary B.

  “So you mean all this time—” Darius stopped talking. He sat on the love seat next to a little girl who hadn’t been introduced. Then he stood. Sat. Paced. But didn’t say a word.

  “Look, son, I’m sorry,” Darryl said.

  “You’ve got that right,” Wellington responded as he looked over at Darryl.

  “Look, don’t be talkin’ ’bout my daddy,” the girl said. Her head swayed side to side as she stared Wellington down.

  “Why?” Darius whispered. “Mama, why did you do this to me? You can’t begin to imagine how angry I am with you.”

  Praying her confession would alleviate some of his pain, Jada recapped the day she’d told both Wellington and Darryl. Reaching for the Kleenex box on the coffee table for a tissue to soak up her tears, Jada said, “I feel so bad about ruining everyone’s life. I know no apology can give back twenty years, but I am truly sorry.”

  Darius tapped Wellington’s shoulder. “And why aren’t you upset? You knew about this, too?”

  Wellington stood toe to toe with Darius, embraced him, and stepped back. Looking into Darius’s eyes, he said, “No. I didn’t. But let me explain something to you, son. You are my son. A very brave man stepped up to the plate and raised me as his own.” Wellington shared his adoption history with Darius. “I don’t wish this type of devastation on any person. Honestly, I’m disappointed in your mother. But God wants us to learn the importance of forgiveness. You have every right to be mad. Just don’t let your anger destroy you.” Wellington looked at Darryl. “Any man can make a baby, but a real man accepts responsibility. Darius. Look at me, son. I have no regrets. I love you no matter what.”

  Darius turned to Darryl. “And where were you? Why weren’t you there for me? How do I know you’re my father for sure?” He kept pacing.

  “Like Jada said, she called me once, I said the baby wasn’t mine, and since I hadn’t heard from her again, I figured I’d leave well enough alone. I guess the truth was I didn’t want to know. Then one day Terrell called and insisted I needed to see you play. So I showed up at your game. But seeing how bad your attitude is, for what it’s worth, I’d say you’re definitely my son,” Darryl said, looking at Wellington. “I’m ready to get to know you. We hit it off pretty well yesterday and while you were at GT. That is until you started trying to impress the females, and they became more important to you than practice.”

  “Naw. Forget that bullshit.” Darius crisscrossed his hands several times. “And stop looking at Wellington. Look at me. I demand a blood test. And even if it shows you are my father, Wellington is my daddy. I don’t even know you, man!”

  Jada could see Darius was on the verge of crying. “Look, I created this mess, and I accept full responsibility. Be mad at me. Not Darryl. I’m trying to make things right between us.”

  “You can’t take the blame for his ignorance. He treated you like shit! That’s his fault.” Darius pointed at Darryl and said, “You are to blame! It is your fault! I hate you, man!”

  The young girl jumped up in front of Darius and said, “Don’t you point your finger at my daddy.”

  Darius looked down at her. “Who are you? Sit down and be quiet. This doesn’t concern you.”

  “That’s your sister,” Darryl said. “And these are your brothers, Kevin and Darryl. They came to meet you.”

  Neither of the guys said a word.

  “This isn’t something you spring on me all of a sudden and expect me to be happy.” Darius opened the front door. “Mom, since you started this, you can arrange for the paternity test. I’m outta here. Peace. I’ll see y’all in L.A.” Darius slammed the door so hard the walls and floor vibrated throughout the house like a 5.0 earthquake.

  “Darius, wait.” Jada fell to her knees and crawled to the doorknob.

  Wellington firmly said, “Let him go. He needs to be alone right now. A man has to think things through for himself. When he’s ready, he’ll come to you. Forcing him to come back will only make the situation worse.”

  Jada eased her way up from the floor and leaned against the wall.

  “Well, I guess you can call me with the arrangements.” Darryl stood. “If he wants to see me again, he’ll have to come to me.” Looking at each of his kids, he said, “Let’s go.”

  The little girl extended her iridescent-colored nails to shake Jada’s hand. “You’re pretty. Just like my mommy. It was nice seeing you Mrs.—”

  “Tanner,” Jada said as she gently shook her hand.

  “Mrs. Tanner. My name is Diamond.”

  Jada squinted in Darryl’s direction as he hunched. “Nice to have met you, Diamond.”

  “Hi and bye, Mrs. Tanner. I’m Kevin.” Kevin extended a firm handshake.

  “And I’m Darryl.” Darryl hung his head, but gave a firmer shake.

  “Give my brother this.” Kevin handed Jada his business card. “If he ever comes to New York, tell him to give me a holla.”

  Darryl walked out after them. “You have my number. I’ll wait for your call.”

  Wellington stepped in front of Jada, held open the door, and closed it behind Darryl. “That’s the same guy who confronted me the night we met.” Wellington shook his head. “Ba, you should have told me the truth.”

  “Yeah. I know.” Jada plopped down on the sofa.

  “He was pitiful then, and he’s pathetic now. ‘Call me next week if we’re still on for Friday night. Baby.’ ” Wellington laughed.

  “You remember what he said?” Jada laughed a little, too.

  “I remember everything about the night we met, our first date, our first kiss and I don’t mean the hand kiss. The first time we made love. I remember everything about you, woman. Everything.” Wellington paused. “Changing the subject, I hate to admit that Simone and Melanie were right. They both told me Darius wasn’t mine, but I’m guilty, too, because deep inside, I wanted you to have my child. A part of me didn’t want to know the truth. The other part is glad I do. But Simone and Melanie are wrong. Darius is my son, and one day you’ll be my wife.”

  Chapter 25

  Monday morning Darius proceeded with the usually scheduled executive meeting. His life was fucked up. The man he thought all his life to be his father, wasn’t. A basketball legend was his real dad. That just went to prove money didn’t make the man. Darryl could have helped his career into the pros instead of benching him, but his mother never said a word. Why now? Her lies were why she hadn’t come to any of his GT games. Darius balled up his fist. “This doesn’t make any sense.” The pound against the desk left an imprint in the black leather pad.

  Marrying Maxine, all of sudden, was what he needed more than ever. No one had spared his feelings, and if he didn’t straighten up, eventually she’d turn on him, too. His mother would be out of the office for another week. That was enough time for him to annihilate her little conference. Vengeance was his. Darius arrived in the conference room fifteen minutes before his ten o’clock scheduled meeting.

  The burgundy leather high-back chair where his mother usually sat was all his today. He stared at the tapestry on the wall until it became distorted. The colors resembled his past. Patches of blue for how he had suffered yesterday. Red. Anger. That was how he felt right now. Yellow. Sunshine. He’d had the best childhood. Green. Financially, he was set for life. Kudos. Wellington and his mother had done something right.

  Ginger cleared her throat. “Darius, did you hear me? I said good morning.”

  “Oh, yeah. Good morning,” Darius responded. His eyes were glazed and heavy with sadness. His heart was aching, but how could a Scorpio man express any outward signs of weakness. That was against DL. “Excuse me for a moment. I’ll be right back.”

  Inside his restroom, he splashed cold water on his face, placed an Altoid underneath his tongue, and slapped on aftershave. “Aaahhhh. That’s more like it.” The cynical smile in the mirror awakened the personality he knew best. Darius briskly moved down the corridor to the conference room.

  “Good morning, ladies.
We really appreciated your support this past weekend. It meant a lot to the family. Thanks for the cards, flowers, expressions of sympathy, and for coming.”

  “You’re more than welcome,” Ginger replied.

  Everyone’s eyes followed his to Ginger. Then Darius picked up his Mont Blanc pen and jotted down, That bitch will be the first to go! The pressure applied at the exclamation point left a dent. “Ginger, Zen, Miranda, and Heather in that order, you know what to do.”

  “Do we have to go over this again?” Heather protested. “What about the shortage of hotel rooms?”

  “Yeah, and inadequate conference space,” Miranda followed with support.

  “Ginger, I’m waiting.” Darius wrote, Move Heather and Miranda ahead of Ginger. Then he drew the head of a hangman. Naturally, the ones who didn’t have their shit together would be the first to object. By the time each of them gave an update, the hangman was dangling from the post.

  “Zen, I want you to accompany me to New York tomorrow. We’re doing site visits for your locations.” Before Darius could finish, Ginger chimed in.

  “Don’t you think all of us need to go?” Ginger questioned.

  “Ginger, make that your last time interrupting me,” Darius continued.

  “Miranda, you’ll meet me on Wednesday. Heather. Thursday. Ginger. Friday. Bring your project managers with you. Shannon will make your arrangements. Meeting adjourned.” Darius stood and walked out of the room. Again he’d saved the best for last. Ginger could stay the weekend in Manhattan with him if she wanted. He’d dehumanize them one at a time in more ways than one.

  Bouncing back to his office, Darius decided Ginger couldn’t stay. She’d talk marriage the entire time, and he planned on never making a commitment. Not with her anyway. Ashlee could come instead. He needed someone who’d listen to his problems. Soon as he walked into his office, Shannon buzzed.

  “Yes,” Darius answered.

  “Maxine is on the phone,” Shannon replied.

  “Okay.” After Maxine had left the morning after his birthday party, Darius had ignored her calls all weekend because he’d spent his time with Kimberly. Not responding to Maxine’s voicemail messages the following week hadn’t helped, either. Then he’d virtually ignored her at his grandmother’s funeral. “Hi, boo. How are you?”

  “Terrible. I’m worried about our relationship. Darius, we need to talk.”

  She shouldn’t have been surprised; he seldom returned her calls. That was how he’d treated her when they first started dating. Things hadn’t and weren’t going to change. Deal with it or leave. Whenever he required time to think, he didn’t want to listen to some female chattering in his ear. “I have a lot of shit on my mind. That’s all. Let me make it up to my boo next week.”

  “Next week? I have to wait an entire week just to speak with you face-to-face?” Maxine’s annoying whine reminded him why he hadn’t returned any of her calls.

  “Look, you know I have to run the company. I’m leaving for New York tonight. I’ll be back Sunday evening. I’ll take you to dinner. You make the reservations.” Dinner was out of the question. Darius would be too tired, but at least it would minimize their discussion today.

  “Well, in case you were planning a rendezvous, I thought I should let you know.” Maxine began to sob continuously. Suddenly she was gasping for air.

  “Let me know what?” Darius whispered.

  Maxine wasn’t that sensitive. What did he do?

  “I really need to see you, Darius,” Maxine pleaded.

  Good try, but not today. “I’ll call you when I get back. We can talk then.” Darius hung up the phone and keyed his new schedule into his palm pilot.

  Shannon buzzed again. “Ginger would like to see you.”

  “Uuuuhhhh. Send her in.” Darius powered off his palm pilot.

  Ginger’s perfume arrived before she did. Ginger sat. One leg overlapped the other as she swiveled in the chair. Her nails tapped on his desk. “So why separate dates?”

  “You can excuse yourself. Close the door on your way out.” Darius stood and loosely folded his arms as he moved over to her and peered down.

  “Okay. I apologize. Don’t be so touchy. Can I see you tonight?” Now Ginger was close enough for him to feel her breasts touching his wrists as she stood and slowly brushed up against him.

  Damn. His dick said, “Yes.” But the words, “I don’t have time,” came out.

  “So do you have time now?” Ginger’s tongue traced her full lips which were covered with a clear gloss outlined in bronze.

  “New lipstick color. Looks good.” He lowered his left eyebrow. Darius hesitated as Ginger walked over and locked his door. Then she moved over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. As she brushed her face against his white shirt, Darius made a mental note to change it. Like his mother, he faithfully kept a change of clothes in his office.

  The unzipping of his pants made his penis expand. His head stuck out the top of his white silk boxers. Ginger maneuvered to get the goodies. Her pink tongue circled around the tip several times. Then she slipped it into her warm mouth. Darius looked down. He couldn’t believe his eyes because Ginger had never sexed him in the office. Maybe Ginger was trying to secure her position. His cellular phone rang. Ginger didn’t stop. She looked up at him. He hated that. “Don’t watch me watch you,” he wanted to say. Instead, he cupped his hands on Ginger’s head and redirected her focus. It was probably Maxine calling back. The sex felt so good Darius refused to budge.

  “Awk,” Ginger gagged and pointed at her mouth as she headed to his restroom.

  “Sorry,” Darius said, moving out of her way.

  Darius tucked in his Johnson and zipped up his pants. When Ginger stepped out, he walked in. “I’ll be out in a second.” Darius washed his privates and changed his suit. He opened the door, looked around, but Ginger was nowhere in sight. Good.

  Glancing at his palm pilot, he turned it off. But hadn’t he powered it off already? The red message light flashed on his cell phone. Darius hit the message button. Punched in his code.

  “Darius, this is Maxine.”

  “Duh,” Darius said as Maxine’s trembling voice continued.

  “I wanted to tell you face-to-face, but since you don’t have time to see me . . .” Maxine sniffled. “I just received a call from Rodney, and he’s HIV positive. And so am I.”

  Darius stared out of his corner office window. First Darryl. Now this. What was next? He slammed his phone to the floor so hard the battery pack popped out. Darius grabbed his keys.

  “Shannon, I’ll be back in about two hours.”

  “Okay, have a nice lunch,” Shannon said.

  All kinds of thoughts invaded his mind. Darius did ninety-five on the freeway whenever he could. Then he zigzagged between cars. Parking behind Maxine’s PT Cruiser, he got out of his car, hit the lock button on his remote, and walked to the door. He rang the bell.

  “Hi, Mrs. Moore. Is Maxine home?” Darius was too upset to fake a warm hug, so he stood erect.

  “It’s a pleasant surprise seeing you here. Come on in. Maxine is in her room. She’s not feeling well. She won’t tell me what’s bothering her, but I’m sure seeing you will cheer her up.”

  “Thanks.” Darius walked upstairs and knocked on Maxine’s door.

  “Come in.”

  When he walked in, she hurriedly hung up the phone. Darius closed the door. “Who was that? Rodney?”

  “Darius, I didn’t want you to find out that way.” Maxine sat on the padded vanity stool and faced him.

  Pacing back and forth, Darius stopped in front of her and said, “So you’re serious about this HIV?”

  “I wouldn’t lie about something like this.”

  As his backhand descended toward Maxine’s face, Darius halted. What if she was infected? He might contract the disease, too, if her blood mixed with his. “So you fucked Rodney? Is that what you’re telling me!”

  Scurrying to her bedroom door, Maxine opened it. “Yes,
I did. I told you I had.”

  Thinking about the fruit salad and how he’d eaten Maxine inside out after his party, Darius threw up on her Persian rug. “Give me back my ring, and I don’t ever want to see you again.” Was that the same way Darryl had treated his mom?

  “But, Darius,” Maxine pleaded.

  “But Darius nothing! Give me my fucking ring, Maxine!” Darius retrieved his handkerchief and wiped his mouth.

  “Fine!” Maxine removed the ring and hummed it at his head. “I’ll report all of those Jezebels you work with, too, because I know you’re sleeping with all of them! I hate you, Darius Jones!”

  “Hate yourself.” Catching his ring in midair, Darius walked over to the door. “I’m so angry right now, Maxine, I don’t even need a reason to beat your ass or anybody else’s. You’ve already given me two. One, you cheated on me. Two, you fucked a mutherfucker who’s HIV positive. Strike three, Maxine, and I will lay your ass to rest.” Darius rushed past Mrs. Moore on his way downstairs. “And bitches have the audacity to call us dogs.”

  Chapter 26

  “Look, Simone, I’ve heard enough. Get your purse and let’s go.” If Simone didn’t leave soon, Wellington would be late picking up Jada.

  “I told you he wasn’t your son. Just admit that I was right and you were wrong, and I’ll leave.” Simone followed Wellington into his bedroom.

  “I have one better,” Wellington said, putting on a splash of cologne. “Darius is my son. So are you prepared to let Jada meet Junior?”

  “Hell, no! You’d better not bring Junior anywhere near her lying ass. My son is not related to her or Darius.”

  “Don’t sit down on my bed. Let’s go. And what do you mean your son?” Wellington had already decided Jada could meet Junior whenever she wanted because Junior was his son, too.

  “Where’re you going?” Simone sat back on the bed, looked at her watch, and said, “Why are you all dressed up and smelling good and it’s not even eleven o’clock?”

  “That’s why I divorced you, remember? For the last time, Simone, let’s go.” Wellington left her sitting on the bed and went downstairs. The last time she played this game, he’d locked her in his house and gone to Los Angeles for five days. She’d unsuccessfully tried to break his advance security system by calling the police, but they wouldn’t assist her. Instead, they had phoned him and he’d simply advised them Simone could leave whenever she was ready. If Simone hadn’t been so upset the whole time, she actually knew him well enough to have figured out the code was Diamond.