The Other Side of Divine (12 page)

—Psalm 59:14

 

 

 

“H
oney, I'm home,” Darius said as he stepped into the house and made his way upstairs to the bedroom two steps at a time. “Divine . . . are you up here?”

She held up a finger to silence Darius. “Yes, dearest, I understand,” Divine said to the person on the phone.

“Sorry,” he whispered as he walked over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

Divine moved the phone to the side where he'd just kissed. “I'm working on it. Yes, yes, I'm looking to hire a few more people to handle that. It shouldn't be too difficult in this economy. Yes, dearest, I'll get back with you soon. I promise. Okay. Bye now.” Divine clicked her cell phone off and looked at it before setting it down on the coffee table in the bedroom.

“You have
got
to be the hardest-working woman in the state of Alabama,” Darius said. He began to massage her shoulders.

“Oh, that feels
so
good,” she said, slowly lowering her body down to sit on the sofa in the bedroom as she kicked off her leopard heels.

Darius sat down on the floor and, picking up her feet, placed them in his lap. He began massaging one and then the other.

Divine slouched down and laid her head against the back of the sofa.

“You like this?” Darius asked as he smiled.

“Oh, yes. But I can't play for long. I have some pressing business vying for my attention.”

“Yeah, I heard you saying you needed to hire some more people,” Darius said.

“Yes. We lost a couple of folks in that little mishap the other day,” Divine said. “And wouldn't you know, we have an order to fill with a huge payoff.”

“So what qualifications are you guys looking for?”

Divine sat up and began sliding her feet back into her heels. Darius helped slip them on. “If one can cook and follow instructions, they pretty much have what we're looking for. Why? Do you have someone in mind?” She stood up.

“I could possibly help if you're in a real jam.” Darius stood to his feet.

“Nope. I don't want to take any chances when it comes to you. Some parts of this business can be pretty dangerous, as you've now heard. I won't
ever
be putting you in that position.”

He grabbed her around the waist and drew her close to him. “Would you like me to see if I can round up a few folks in need of a little extra change?”

“If you could, it would certainly help me out. But you know how careful we have to be when it comes to recruiting folks. Our operation is being tracked pretty closely lately, too close for comfort.”

“Well, I know how to be discreet
and
do a good job at the same time.”

“I don't doubt your abilities. You've caught on to the business better than I would have ever imagined. I confess: I didn't bring you home with me that day thinking I'd let you in on this part of my world,” Divine said with a flirt and a smirk.

“Is that right? Then why
did
you bring me home with you that day?”

She flicked her hair to the back. “I guess you can say I felt sorry for you. It was obvious you were sleeping in your car. You were all scraggly looking. And that pillow in the backseat with the blanket . . . a dead giveaway.”

Darius rocked her sideways as he wrapped her tightly and securely in his arms. “Is that right, Sherlock?”

She looked up at him with a sheepish grin. “Yes, Watson, that's right.” She smiled for a few seconds more, then turned and faced him. “So, what all did
you
do today?”

“Oh, you know: the normal stuff—me and the gang of six hitting up drug stores for the behind-the-counter golden meds containing our favorite ingredient.”

“Did you go across the state line this run?”

“Yeah. That's where we're getting the best bang for our bucks. We can buy it without having to show IDs. Although I hear there's talk about more states enacting stricter laws to curb the problem. If too many more neighboring states keep this up, our time may require some overnight stays since I'll likely have to go farther away.”

“We certainly wouldn't want that, now would we?”

Darius kissed her. “No . . . we wouldn't, especially not me. I'd miss you too much.”

“So is that all you did today? Went and got a stockpile of Sudafed?”

“I did drop by and see my wife,” Darius said. “Or as I informed her, my soon-to-be-ex-wife.”

Divine broke from his embrace. “You're planning on divorcing your wife?”

Darius grabbed Divine back and locked her in his arms, pulling her closer to him. “Yes.”

“I don't know about that,” Divine said. “Divorce. That's a really big step.”

“I know. But I feel I'm ready to make it. It's time.”

Divine placed her hand on his chest. “Listen, Darius. I don't want you divorcing your wife because of me. You know I'm not one looking to settle down or anything. You have a family. I believe you need to think about this a little more.”

“I
have
thought about it. I've thought about it since you and I had breakfast together that first morning that changed everything for me.”

Divine shook her head slowly. “We don't know each other all that well. It's only been two months.”

“Two glorious months,” he said. “Two months of you and me opening up about everything. Two months of me finding out what it's like to be with a woman who is
all
woman and not all the time having to be hassled about every single little thing.”

“So you're saying you're a man who likes to be taken care of and not have any responsibilities?” Divine pressed her lips tightly together.

“No,” Darius said with a puckered smile. “I'm merely saying that I really enjoy my time with you. And as you can see, I'm not at all allergic to hard work if it's required. I would get out there and dig ditches . . . for you.”

Divine tilted her head to the side. “Is
that
right now? Ditches?”

“Oh, Miss Divine, that
is
right. Don't believe me? I'll walk away right now, go out and find me something to do, and return and take care of you.”

Divine broke out of his embrace. “I don't think you can find a regular job that can take care of me in the way I've grown accustomed. As you've noticed, I have quite expensive taste. I love the finer things of life, and I'm a subscriber of the good. I love good food, good wine, and good company. The company part, you can handle with no problem. Providing me with all the other stuff, including the mortgage on this house”—she looked around her large black-and-white-color-schemed bedroom—“well, let's not pretend. You and I both know that's not something you can handle.”

“So what are you saying? You don't want me around?”

“I just told you I love good company. And you, my dearest Darius, have succeeded when it comes to fitting that bill beyond my wildest dreams.”

“So if I can come up with a way to provide for you in the way you've grown accustomed, you'd consider spending the rest of your life with me?” Darius asked.

Divine smiled, then winked. “Fortunately for both of us, I'm not looking for anything beyond the here and now. And for now, Darius Connors, you're perfect for what I need.”

He grabbed her by the hand and entwined his fingers with hers. “So tomorrow, should someone better come along, what would that mean for me?”

Divine glanced down at his hand locked with hers, then back up to his eyes. She rose up on the tips of her toes and gave him a peck on his lips. “Tomorrow will take care of tomorrow. Today . . . we enjoy today.” She gave him a long, passionate kiss. “And right now, I'm starving! What say we go to my favorite restaurant and get something fabulous to demolish?”

Darius grinned. “I'm going to win you over completely, do you hear me? I refuse to allow what we have to come to an end. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. And I have no intention of losing you. Ever. So whatever it takes to keep you—”

“Change into your dark lavender shirt and those black pants I bought you the other day. I love seeing you in that shirt,” Divine said, before turning and strolling away.

Darius watched her walk away with a full grin on his face. “Ruff, ruff!” he said, barking like a dog. “Ruff!”

She turned around and smiled. “Meow. Bow-wow,” she said.

—Proverbs 15:21

 

 

 

T
he most popular restaurant in town these days was packed. Andrew had called ahead and made a reservation because he knew how long he and Paris would have to wait otherwise. She was too close to her due date that he definitely didn't want to put her through any more stress than necessary. And after his mother left the house, he could see Paris was really down. He was just thankful Paris hadn't heard any of the things his mother had said prior to her entering the house earlier that day.

He couldn't believe how much his mother didn't trust Paris. The idea that the baby she was carrying might not be his was absurd. They'd been trying to have a baby for over two years now. Of course, Paris wanted to get pregnant. Sure, she'd been really busy during the time she'd finally conceived. But everything had worked out. She'd found out she was pregnant and lost her job at the same time. Andrew couldn't have been happier. Now he was determined to show Paris how much he loved her. And he was not going to allow his mother to ruin things. He was not going to let the negative thoughts she was attempting to plant take root in his head.

Fifteen minutes after arriving, the head hostess showed them to their table.

“Thank you
so
much for bringing me here,” Paris said. “I absolutely love this place! I'm just glad we didn't have to wait as long as some of those other folks are having to.”

Andrew touched Paris's hand. “You know I'm going to take care of you and our baby. I know how hard it is for you if you have to stand or sit for too long.”

“I really do appreciate it. You've been absolutely perfect ever since you learned I was pregnant.”

Andrew chuckled. “Perfect, huh? Well, I don't know about all that. I did sort of pick you up and swing you around when I first found out the news until it hit me that doing something like that might not be the best thing for a developing baby.”

“I'm pretty certain the baby enjoyed it. I can already see you swinging him or her around when he or she gets big enough to beg you to,” Paris said.

The waitress came to take their order. As she was writing, someone bumped into her, almost knocking her flat onto the table.

“Oh, I'm sorry,” the man said, helping to upright the waitress. “Forgive me.”

Paris and the man's eyes connected immediately. “Paris?” he said.

“Darius?” Paris said.

Andrew looked from Paris up at the man. “This is Darius?”

“Hey, man. Darius Connors.” Darius held out his hand to shake Andrew's. Andrew stood up. “It's good to finally meet you in person.”

“Yes, it's nice to meet you.” Andrew shook his hand. “I know we said we would do this sometime last year, but it never happened. Now, here we are.”

“Yes . . . here we are,” Darius said, looking at Paris. “Finally meeting.”

Andrew looked at the woman standing beside Darius. “Hey, if you two would like to sit with us, Paris and I wouldn't mind. It's just the two of us. I'm sure the establishment would appreciate it since they're so crowded. It would free up an extra table and give us an opportunity to do what we planned to do last year.”

Paris plastered a smile on her face like a plastic doll. “Honey, I'm sure the two of them don't want to—”

“Sure,” said the woman standing next to Darius. “We'd love to.”

Darius looked at the woman, then pulled out her chair. They both sat down.

“So you're Tiffany, right?” Andrew said, extending his hand to the woman.

“Oh, no,” Darius said. “This is not Tiffany. This is Delilah . . . Delilah Vine.”

“But everybody calls me Divine,” Divine said, shaking Andrew's extended hand, after which she reached over to present her hand to Paris.

“Divine, huh?” Paris said, giving her the ends of her fingers to shake. “Is that like how the regular divine is spelled?” Paris's nose turned up slightly. Andrew could now see that Paris wasn't happy about any of this. He regretted asking them to join them. But how was he to know that woman wasn't Darius's wife?

“Actually, I go by Dee as in D-e-e. My last name really is Vine. But it's just easier to go by Divine, D-i-v-i-n-e so I just go by Divine.”

Darius chuckled. “Cute, huh?”

Paris grunted, then picked up her glass of water, tilted it, and took a few swallows.

“So, in asking you to join us, I didn't interrupt a business meeting or anything did I?” Andrew asked Darius.

“Oh, no. Our visit here is totally personal,” Divine said.

“So, Darius,” Paris said. “Are you and your wife, Tiffany, divorced?”

“No. But if you must know, we're headed in that direction,” Darius said. He then turned to Divine. “Paris and I worked together last year for a few months. Her father is . . . oh, I'm sorry . . .
was
an Alabama congressman. You may have heard of him: Lawrence Simmons?”

“Oh, yes. In fact, he was my congressman,” Divine said. “I'm sorry to hear he had to drop out of the race so abruptly. Although I admit, I wasn't planning on voting for him anyway. I don't care for a man who switches parties or partners in the middle of a game. I can't feel that you'll be loyal to me when you do something like that. It's like you have no real core or true value. I prefer to be who I am and if you don't care for me, then your loss. You understand where I'm coming from?” Divine said, addressing Paris.

Paris leaned in as much as her protruding belly would allow between her seat and the table. “Oh, absolutely.” She smiled.

“I see that you're pregnant,” Divine said. “Congratulations. Babies aren't really my thing. But I'm always happy for those who want them.”

“Thanks,” Paris said, then just as quickly turned a hard gaze at Darius.

“Darius, if I remember correctly
you
have three children,” Andrew said.

Darius looked behind him for the waitress. He beckoned for her to come over before turning back to Andrew. “Yes, I do—two girls and a boy.”

The waitress came over. Darius and Divine gave her their order.

“Will this be on a separate ticket?” the waitress asked no one in particular.

“You can add it to mine,” Andrew said, then looked at Darius. “I planned to invite you to dinner last year. So let me do this now since we're all here.”

“Oh, I'm sure Darius would rather take care of his own dinner since he's on a date,” Paris said. “Wouldn't you, Darius? That's the kind of man Darius is . . . one who's not afraid to show how much of a real man he is.”

Darius stared hard at Paris. “She's right.” He then chuckled. “Real men don't have a problem with showing who they are.” He turned back to the waitress. “Why don't you put their order on my ticket?” He then turned to Andrew. “My treat.”

Divine touched Darius's arm. “Sweetheart, why don't we just pay for our food and let them pay for theirs? I mean—”

“No. I have money,” Darius said. “This is nothing.” He looked up at a now confused waitress. “Put it all on mine, please.” He turned to Andrew. “I'll let you pick it up the next time.”

Paris placed her thumb under her chin, her index finger on her lips as though she were telling someone to be quiet. As much as Andrew was trying to do something good, it was obvious to him that he'd messed up royally and Paris was clearly agitated.

Paris took her hand down. “So, Darius, it appears you've managed to land squarely on your feet since last we spoke. You must have a terrific-paying job.”

“Oh, it's been rough now,” Darius said. “I'm not going to sit here and front. After your father let me go, my wife became so despondent that we began having major problems, which led to me leaving my home for the sake of peace and the sake of our children. Not having a job caused me to have to live off the generosity of others. Yep. It's been rough for sure. But God . . .” Darius shook his head as though thinking about the goodness of God was causing him to become emotional.

“Yeah, Darius. I'm sure it's been
real
hard,” Paris said, rolling her eyes with a sprinkle of sarcasm. “I'm sure your wife was all that you say she was during your
difficult
time. But just look at you now. You seem to have moved right along with your life . . . doing rather well, too: designer clothes, a charming woman on your arm, a job that apparently pays mega bucks.”

“I don't know about mega bucks,” Darius said, chuckling. “But I'm finally getting my footing on solid ground. I still have goals to reach, but I'm on my way.” He leaned in. “So, when is your baby due?” he asked Andrew.

Andrew couldn't help but smile. “April twenty-eighth. In another two weeks if the baby comes early. Four weeks if the baby is on time like its father—”

“And six weeks if the baby turns out to be like its mother, arriving two weeks
after
the due date,” Darius said with a contrived chuckle. He sat back against his chair shaking his head. “Come on, Paris. You know I'm right. You know I
know
you. We worked together. There were plenty of times you were late. Andrew, you remember.”

Paris picked up her glass of water. “Well, you know what they say: better late than
never
.” She tilted her glass his way almost like a toast.

The waitress brought their food and drinks.

“I'm sorry,” Paris said, grabbing hold of Andrew's arm. “But all of a sudden, I don't feel so well. Can we get this to go? I'm sorry, dear. I was so looking forward to this night out.”

Andrew looked at Paris. She did look a bit flushed. He turned to the waitress. “Would you please take my and my wife's plates back and make them to go?”

After their meals were ready, Andrew and Paris said their good-byes to Darius and Divine. . . . Well,
Andrew
said good-bye as they left.

But not before Darius said, as they were walking away, “Take good care of that baby now. You hear?”