Paris laughed.
William smacked his lips a few times. “Fine. I’ll get you both credit cards.”
“Now we’re talking.” Darius sat back against his chair as he smirked. “And while we’re asking, what are the chances of maybe getting a company car. I mean, I don’t want to put all those miles and wear and tear on my vehicle. If my vehicle breaks down, I’m the one having to take it to Big Red to get it fixed. Big Red is reasonable, but he still charges for his work.”
“You’re really pushing it,” William said, staring hard at Darius.
“Well, you know what the Bible says. ‘You have not because you ask not.’ And don’t you dare ask me where that is in the Bible because I am no Bible scholar.”
“I’ll check on these items. Then I’ll show you two the office you’ll be working out of,” William said. “And before either of you ask: No, you will not be getting separate offices. Period. End of discussion.”
“I’m good,” Darius said. “The way it sounds, we’re not going to be in the office that much anyway.” Darius rubbed his hands together and readjusted his body.
William left.
Paris laughed. “You are crazy!”
“Well, get ready. Because you and I, Paris, are going to have a great time.” Darius stood up and stretched. “Let me ask you something? Are they actually paying you the same as me?”
Paris cocked her head to the side and twisted her mouth.
“Girl, I’m just playing with you.” He laughed. “But for real, are they? I mean, I checked MALE on my form. They must not have gotten the memo. Women are supposed to make seventy-seven. . . seventy-eight cents of every dollar a man makes. We have families to provide for.”
“It’s 2010. President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter something or other act. All I know is it’s supposed to put employers in check: equal pay for equal work. Y’all better recognize.” Paris primped her mouth and wiggled her neck as she snapped her fingers twice.
“Look at you . . . trying to be all southern and hip. ‘Y’all better recognize.’” Darius mocked Paris, who he knew was mostly messing with him. “Girl, I’m going to enjoy working with you. I can see that already. Yes, yes. And they gonna pay me handsomely for doing this? Oh, yes! There is a God in Heaven.”
Chapter 16
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
—1 John 2:16
“Okay, so what are we going to do first?” Darius asked Paris as they stepped in a small office that at least had a door to close to keep unwanted folks out.
“Well, let’s see,” Darius said, looking around the office as Paris went and sat in a black leather chair at one of the two desks. “We have our own desks. We each have a computer. There’s a printer in here.”
“Yeah, I like that. I hate sharing.” Paris swiveled the chair a few times, adjusting it upward to fit her height better. “I hope you know what you’re doing, because I’m going to be honest: Except for my people skills, I don’t have any idea how we’re going to do this.”
“Sure you do. Let’s look at it like an elaborate party you want to put on.” Darius sat in the chair on the other side of Paris’s desk and leaned forward. “What would we be doing if this was a party we wanted to be successful?”
Paris leaned back in her chair and looked toward the ceiling. “We need to make a list of everybody we’d like to invite to attend. Then figure out ways to get the word out.”
“There you go. See, we’re already on our way. You need to get a pen and paper and write all of this stuff down.” Darius took his hand and shooed it at her as to tell her to get going.
Paris sat up straight, then leaned in toward him, her body now resting on the desk on her folded arms. “You write it down. What do I look like . . . your secretary?”
“I tell you what: Turn on the computer and we can put our plans there.”
Paris sat back straight, her arms still folded. “How about you go over to your little desk, you turn on your computer, I’ll come over there, and you can put our plans there?”
“You do know we’re not going to get anything done if we don’t figure out how to work together. You do know that, don’t you? And if we don’t get anything done, then we’re going to get fired. Do you know what fired means?”
“My daddy’s not going to fire me.”
“You keep sitting there and thinking that if you want to.”
Paris stood up and cupped her hands around her neck. “You do know the only reason either of us got this job is to keep us busy and out of the way.”
Darius stood. “First off, you’re going to have to stop wearing stuff that makes you look so doggone good. It’s hard enough working with you and trying to concentrate while keeping from falling for all that beauty and charm you exude.”
“Okay, you’re trying to be funny now.”
Darius shook his head. “Nope. I’m just a good Christian man who’s trying to keep focused on the job at hand. And I’m telling you that you can help me out tremendously if you’d maybe tone down the beauty and the charming way you talk, and dress down a bit. You’re all gussied up. Have men lusting all after you.”
“Well, you know what the Bible says about that, don’t you?”
“Oh, so you’re breaking out the Bible on me now, huh?” Darius puckered his lips. “All right, hit me, Paris. What does the Bible say about having men lusting after you and what we should do about it?”
“It says if your right eye offends you to pluck it out.” Paris moved her hand in a plucking manner. “Blip. Just like that!”
“Oooh, girl. Before I do something like that, I’ll just turn and look away.”
Paris sat back down and turned on her computer. “Same difference; it works for me. Because I will be dressing up and I will be both looking and smelling good. So you’d best learn to deal with it. Or else this is going to be a long six months.”
Darius held his hands up in surrender and went and sat down at his own desk. He turned on his computer.
Paris opened her purse and pulled out her cell phone. She pressed a number, then swiveled her chair slightly away from Darius. “Hi, honey. I’m calling you from my new job. I told you I was going to do it.” Paris listened, occasionally turning as if to see whether or not Darius was trying to actively listen in.
Darius had become quite artful at pretending that he wasn’t paying attention when he was. He began typing on the computer, frowning and such to give the air that he was in deep thought. He could hear that things weren’t going well with Paris and her husband, just as she’d said. She was telling Andrew that she wasn’t going to back down from her idea of getting Jasmine, she didn’t care what he said. Her husband must have said something about her and her pride, because Paris started giving him the rundown about pride.
“While you’re criticizing me, do you want to know what your downfall is going to end up being? Well, I’m going to tell you anyway. You’re going to realize what you had and see that it was your stubbornness to stick to your stupid principles, regardless of how it affected me, is what is going to be the cause of you losing the best thing that you ever had.” Paris was quiet for a minute. She suddenly made a growling sound. “Argh! Okay, Andrew. All right. Okay. Good-bye!” She clicked off her phone and almost tossed it onto her desk.
Not a true typist, but one who had learned to master the index finger on both of his hands, Darius was pecking away on the computer. He refused to acknowledge Paris’s outburst, pretending he neither saw nor heard a thing.
Yes. He was going to enjoy this job immensely!
Chapter 17
The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth.
—2 John 1:1
It was ten days after Gabrielle told Jasmine she’d originally been adopted. Zachary and Gabrielle sat at the kitchen table. Jasmine was with Tiff
any Connors and her nine-year-old daughter, Jade. Tiffany had called to ask if it would be okay for Jasmine to come over. Jasmine was so excited about that prospect, especially since she and Jade had become acquainted at church and were developing quite a little friendship. In fact, the timing of Tiffany’s call was interestingly suspect, as though the nine-year-olds had plotted the whole thing themselves.
Other than school, Gabrielle hadn’t allowed Jasmine to go too many places without her. She wanted to be certain that wherever Jasmine was, she’d be in good hands. Tiffany assured Gabrielle she would be all right with her (after all, she did have three children of her own and they appeared so far to have survived just fine). And it would be good for Jasmine to get out and be with other children her own age outside of school and church.
“We need to talk,” Zachary said to Gabrielle as they sat there. “I know these past days have been hard on both you and Jasmine.”
Gabrielle merely nodded as she stared out onto the back deck.
“Gabrielle? Talk to me.” Zachary began to look where Gabrielle’s eyes seemed fixed.
Gabrielle smiled. “Do you see that bird?”
Zachary moved around, trying to see what bird she was talking about.
Gabrielle stood and walked over to the door. “Come here and look. The red one. See? She’s right there.” Gabrielle pointed toward the top banister of her deck.
Zachary came and stood next to her. “Yes, I see her now.”
“I like birds. I especially like redbirds. I think they’re supposed to have a special meaning. When you see one, I mean. I can’t remember what it means, but I think it’s supposed to mean something special.”
Zachary stepped behind Gabrielle and placed his hands on the sides of her arms, rubbing them up and down as though he was warming her. “Oh, Gabrielle. It’s going to be all right.”
She nodded. “I know it is. I just don’t know if I’m handling things the right way.” She broke from his slight embrace and went and sat back down.
Zachary followed her, taking her hand after he sat down. “You’re doing fine. So what time is Jasmine coming back home?”
“Tiffany said she’d call right before they were leaving. Jasmine didn’t have any homework today. You know how it is when it’s close to the time for school to let out for the summer.”
“Yes, I know. Gabrielle, please talk to me.”
“I am talking.” Gabrielle looked at him and forced a gentle smile.
“No, you’re avoiding. You’re trivializing. You want to talk about redbirds and whether or not what you’re doing is the right thing. Tell me what’s going through your mind right now. Tell me what’s bothering you . . . tell me what you’re really thinking.”
Gabrielle began twisting her three-carat, princess-cut, diamond engagement ring around her finger. “Why didn’t I tell her all of it? That night, when I was telling Jasmine that she was adopted. Why didn’t I just go on and tell her who I am to her? I should have just laid it all out on the table. That’s what Jessica wanted to do: She wanted to tell her everything at one time.”
Zachary grabbed her hand and gently squeezed it. “Because you didn’t feel it was the right time. You’ll have plenty of time to tell her.”
Gabrielle frowned. “When? Exactly when is the right time? How do I bring it up now? I should have told her while we were already on the subject.”
Zachary stood, pulling Gabrielle up with him as he arose. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You and Jasmine have a bond. You’ll know the right time to tell her. And when that time comes, you will.”
Gabrielle shrugged her shoulders. “I’m a coward. That’s what I am: a coward. I didn’t tell her because I didn’t want her to hate me.”
Zachary moved Gabrielle back a little so he could better look into her eyes. “No . . . you’re not a coward. You’re a mother who loves her child dearly. You didn’t want to overwhelm her with too much information to have to process all at once. You said she was okay the following morning when she woke up, right?”
“Yeah. It was almost like we never had a conversation about her being adopted. Do you think she’s in shock or something? Maybe I should have spoken with someone about how to properly do this instead of just telling her the way that I did.”
“She’s okay, Gabrielle. She knows she’s loved.”
“Would you like something to eat?” Gabrielle broke away from him and walked over to the cabinet. “I cooked a really nice dinner. If you’d like to eat now, I can fix you a plate. Or you can fix it. Whichever . . .”
“I’m fine.” He walked over and hugged her again. “But you know what I’d really like?”
Gabrielle sheepishly looked up at him. “What?”
“I’d like to do what Jasmine said and talk about our wedding. Let’s pick a date. Come on.”
Gabrielle quickly pulled away again, opening the cabinet and taking down a white plate. “There’s too much going on.” She set the plate on the counter. “I have Paris to deal with . . . Jasmine learning all these things that she never even had a clue about. There’s this long drawn-out process I’m being forced to go through to officially adopt Jasmine. We can talk about a wedding after everything is settled.”
“And when do you think that might be?”
Gabrielle went and sat back down in the chair at the table. She covered her face with both hands, rubbed her face, then took her hands down. “I don’t know.”
“Well, have you heard any more from Paris and her lawyer or the court?”
Gabrielle shook her head. “Not in the last few weeks. But that doesn’t mean anything.”
“So what’s your lawyer saying?”
“I’m still using the lawyer Jessica had . . . Robert Shaw. For now, he believes things will progress as they should, barring any more interferences from Paris and her lawyer.” Gabrielle leaned her head back and looked up at the ceiling. “Why won’t she just go away and leave us alone? This has nothing to do with her.” Gabrielle straightened her head and looked at Zachary as though he was the enemy. “Nothing.”
“Didn’t you tell me the last time you talked to her father he said he would handle his daughter?”
“Yes.”
“Then maybe he was successful. Face it: He has just as much, if not more, to lose as you if this comes out. He’s the one up for reelection,” Zachary said.
“Maybe. I pray he succeeded in convincing Paris to drop this silliness.”
Zachary took Gabrielle’s hand again and began stroking each finger individually with his other hand. He touched her engagement ring and lingered there. “Well, I don’t want to predicate our wedding or our happiness on what other people are doing or not doing. I want to marry you, Gabrielle Mercedes. Plain and simple. And honestly, I really don’t want to wait too long.”
“If we plan a date, then that’s merely another battle for us to have to fight,” Gabrielle said. “Your mother is not going to be happy about us getting married and you know that. I know she’s your mother, but I just feel like she’s not going to let us ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after if she has anything to say about it. She’s already fired the first shot over the bough.”
“My mother knows we’re engaged.”
“And she knows that engaged doesn’t mean married yet and that there’s time for her to talk you out of it.”
“It’s not going to happen,” Zachary said. “She can talk until she’s blue in the face; it’s not going to change how I feel about you. But my mother really does like you.”
“No, she doesn’t.”
“Yes, she does. She’s just being an overprotective mother who thinks she knows what’s best for me. My daddy is crazy about you. And my aunt Esther acts like you’re the child she never had. In fact, I’ll let you in on a secret.” He leaned in close. “Aunt Esther is the one pushing so hard on us setting a date. She keeps saying she doesn’t know how much longer she has left on this earth. And she doesn’t want us to wait too long and she ends up missing t
he wedding because she never knows when she’ll be called to glory. She says she doesn’t want to have to watch our wedding from Heaven—”
Gabrielle laughed. “She isn’t saying all that. You’re just making this up.”
“I promise you that’s what she said. Call her up and ask her. I told her that I would marry you today if you’d do it, but that you’re the one dragging your feet. I’m trying to protect you from the wrath of Aunt Esther. She keeps threatening to come down here and straighten you out.”
Gabrielle grabbed Zachary by his forearm. “Oh, Zachary, I would love that! I would love for Miss Crowe to come and visit.”
Zachary shook his head. “I think you’re missing the point here. She wants to come to a wedding. Jasmine wants us to get married. I want us to get married. People at church want us to get married. Even my sister Queen is asking when, so she and the baby can come. She even thinks her husband will come with her according to when the wedding is, as long as he can get off work.”
“I want to see little Warren. Pictures don’t do him justice with his little cute self. I know he’s just as cute as he wants to be. He looks so much like his mother, it’s amazing.”
“Okay, then let’s plan our wedding.” Zachary pulled out his cell phone and went to the calendar. “Saturday, May twenty-ninth would be perfect! We can do like Fatima and Trent just did and marry within a day of your birthday on May thirtieth.”
“Wasn’t their ceremony beautiful!” Gabrielle released a satisfied sigh as she looked dreamy-eyed while talking about Fatima and Trent’s Saturday nuptials.
The Other Side of Dare Page 10