She was not getting away. I got out of my car, blasted off like I was doing a suicide run. In seconds I passed the officers, was closing in on her ass. She looked over her shoulder, saw me.
“Damn.” Just when I reached out to grab her, she tripped and fell into a baby stroller.
The baby’s mother pushed Bambi to the ground and started beating Bambi’s ass. I was cheering on the baby’s mother. I’d never seen four guns in a chick’s face but if one of the officers would accidentally shoot Bambi, I didn’t see a thing.
CHAPTER 75
Bambi
I fucking hate kids.
I stood in a fucking lineup at the precinct like those bitches on the other side didn’t know who the fuck I was. I knew Darius was on the opposite side of that window with all the rest of those bitches.
“Talk to me face to face. Stop being bitches,” I yelled. Got me over here turning side to side like I was a criminal. Crimes of passion didn’t count. Darius made me fall in love with him. And that two-headed bitch pulled a three-card molly on my ass. I was never going to win Darius’s heart and she knew it.
An officer pulled me out of the lineup. “Your accusers demand to see you face to face,” he said. “They’re glad you asked.”
He escorted me into a large cold room with no windows. I hated the orange jumpsuit. This fruity color orange never was my color. My ankles were chained. I had to take small steps. My wrists were handcuffed behind my back. I knew what they didn’t. I had the best attorneys on my team.
I sat at the rectangular table, in the only chair in the room. Darius, Fancy, Jada, Honey, Grant, Rita, Sapphire, and Ashlee stood against the wall as though they had traded places with me. They were my lineup. If I had my automatic, I’d eliminate all of them execution style.
“When I get out of this bitch, I’m coming after every last one of y’all including those twins. I’ll be out by morning. And I’m pregnant with your baby.” I watched Darius’s and Grant’s faces. “That’s right, yours. You heard me.”
Darius shook his head. “Not mine.”
Grant remained silent.
Honey stared at Grant. The she walked up to the table. Slap!
Get that bitch’s hands from around my neck. Arrest her! Arrest her!
None of those bastards stopped her. She let go. Slap! The bitch hit me again.
I had something for her ass. “Go on, Grant. Tell Honey how you gave me those babies. How you set this whole thing up for me to take the twins so you could win her back and be her hero. Tell her how you called Rita and asked her to help me out.”
Rita’s country ass said, “You keep Rita’s name out yo’ mouth.”
“Or what? You gon’ slam your truck into the back of Fancy’s car again?” I said. I had something on all their asses. “Y’all making Grant’s baby inside my stomach kick.”
Calmly Ashlee said, “Stop lying, Bambi.”
“I’m not lying. I am pregnant with Grant’s baby.”
“No, you’re not,” Ashlee said. “You’re not pregnant at all. I can see straight through you. You’ve been following Darius since we were kids. You come to all of his games. You were the one who tried to kill Fancy. You stole Honey and Grant’s babies, now you’re trying to save your ass from prison. You’re not the only one with evidence. If you don’t leave Darius alone, I will personally bury you alive in a coffin.”
CHAPTER 76
Darius
I was glad to have the madness behind me.
Thought the season would never end. I was back on track with my game. Fadeaways. Three-pointers. Jumpers. Steals. Blocks. Dunks. My team made it to the championship. I was determined to win MVP. But even if I didn’t, I was still the man.
I had to give Ashlee credit for having my back but she made me nervous when she’d told Bambi in front of everybody, “If you don’t leave Darius alone, I will personally bury you alive.” As long as I had Ladycat on my team, Ashlee didn’t stand a chance of bringing me down again.
My wife and son were seated courtside. DJ sat on Fancy’s lap cheering for me the entire game. My mom was next to them. The three most important people in my life were back in my life. Lawrence was seated next to my mom. Funny she ended up with another Lawrence. Lori was seated with them too. Couldn’t thank her enough for giving me that book.
With twenty seconds left in the game, the ball was in my hands. We were down by one. I told myself, “I got this.”
The other team was going to either foul me or give up a W. By any means necessary, my team was winning this game. I drove to the basket. Three seconds remained. That was plenty of time to get off the final shot. I was in the air, headed toward the hoop, then I heard the referee’s whistle. My opponent flopped to the floor like a fish. Ref better not make the wrong call. Do not say this was a charge.
His hands hit his hips. “Block! Two shots. Atlanta.”
They said it comes in threes. My wife had already given me a shot. Now I had to make two more. I stood at the free throw line. Bounced the ball three times. Bent my knees, raised my hands, flexed my wrists, then released the ball.
The crowd cheered as I tied the score. Hit it once, I could hit it again.
I bounced the ball three times. Bent my knees, raised my hands, flexed my wrists, then heard a voice whisper in my ear, “I hope you miss.”
Aw, fuck. I released the ball. That shit wasn’t anywhere near the rim. The crowd chanted, “Air ball. Air ball. Air ball.”
Bambi’s lawyers were good but they weren’t good enough to get her out. Were they? Of course not. DJ might have grandkids before Bambi could be considered for parole for good behavior. But I’d seen that chick in action. She could be in the arena. I looked over my shoulder, DJ nodded upward. Although I’d missed the game-winning shot, DJ still cheered for his dad.
I mouthed, “My man,” then heard my wife say, “Darius, wake up. Wake up. Today’s our wedding.”
I opened my eyes. Ladycat was there. Wasn’t it bad luck to see the bride on her wedding day? I guess that didn’t apply to renewing our vows.
“Yeah, Daddy. I’m the ring bearer, remember? Get up,” DJ said, tugging the covers away from body.
I hugged my wife, kissed my son, went downstairs. Moms was cooking all of us breakfast. “I love you, Ma.” She’d started my nonprofit. I made sure Lori was on the board. I’d learned from the book I had to surround myself with good people.
Today I was remarrying not just my wife, but my family. I stood in my living room, looked at my MVP trophy on the mantel, smiled.
“Who says you can’t have it all?”
THE END
FOR REAL?
Discussion Questions
Do you believe Darius truly loved Fancy? Do you believe people can have sex outside their marriage and still be committed to their spouse?
At what point in a man’s life is he ready to love and be loved? Have you been “in love” with a person that wasn’t “in love” with you? If so, how did you handle the situation?
If a person’s skeletons are revealed later in a relationship, why should it matter? How well do you know your family, friends, and lover(s)? What are things you must know about a potential mate?
What were Jada’s top three mistakes in her relationship with Grant? Are these common mistakes you feel women make in relationships? If you were in Jada’s position, what would you have done differently?
Should a married person who’s not committed to the marriage wear a wedding ring? If you were Fancy, would you have worn your rings after the accident?
The two-headed lady is waiting to cast your spell. Would you meet her at the cemetery at midnight? Do you believe in telepathy? Who would you like to cast a spell upon? What would the spell be?
Should Rita have gone to jail for causing the car accident? Should she serve time for not reporting that Bambi had
kidnapped the twins? Would you stay in a house that had two coffins in one of the bedrooms? If Rita were your mother, would you trust her with your babies?
Did Honey do everything possible to find her boys? What are the major things people should do the moment they realize their child is missing?
What character is crazier, Ashlee or Bambi? Do you believe they have mental disorders? Or do you think they are in control of their behavior? Do antidepressants hinder or help people who are battling depression or a bipolar disorder?
Where do you believe Valentino will end up? Should he try to reunite with his family? What type of relationship would Valentino and Honey have had if they’d married?
Were Darius’s apologies sincere? What impact, if any, did his apologies have on the outcome of his streak of bad luck?
If you apologized to one person today, who would it be and what would you say?
Poetry Corner
True Love
True love is amazing
Love is priceless
Love smiles inside your heart
Love shines through your eyes
Love trusts
Love weathers the storm
Love hurts when you hear the truth
Love heals when you’re hurting
Love celebrates your accomplishments
Love feels likes your spirit is floating
Love sees no shape, size, or color
Love accepts you for who you are
Love has no guarantees
Love does not judge
Love smells like the freshness you inhale after the rain
Love tastes like tears of joy
Love washes away your troubles
Love is vulnerable
Love is You.
Love starts with You.
Love is forever inside of You.
Love is the Creator’s divine gift to You
God gave You Love to share with others
No One
No one should treat me better
No one will treat me worse
The way that others treat me
Is a reflection of my self-worth
If I don’t know that I’m Worthy
If I don’t believe in me
I can’t expect others
To see what I don’t see
I have to find my inner strength
I have to lead my way
I have to denounce the people
That come to me to prey
It’s up to me to tell them
Please go away
I don’t want you in my life
Not for another
Second, minute or day
I lift my head to the sky
I open my heart to receive love
I know that I am Worthy
I know there is a God
No one will treat me better
No one will treat me worse
The way that others treat me
Is a reflection of my self-worth
Thinking of a Master Plan
Ladies, always know what you want from a man.
Because he certainly knows what he wants from you.
Thinking of a Master Plan
Sitting on the couch with his dick in my hand
I’ve got to figure out
What I want from this man
Do I want
A husband
A lover
A friend
I wanna get paid
He wants to laid
We on the same page?
Should I kiss it
Lick it
Tease him
Please him
I’ve got to get paid
Before he gets laid
Should I suck it
Fuck it
Stroke it
Or choke it
Thinking of a master plan
Sitting in his lap with his dick in my hand
I’m not searching for a 9 to 5
Cuz the one thing that I despise
Is a man who wants to bust a nut
Inside of me
For free?
Dude
I need a pair of shoes
A dress that’s new
A bill paid
Maybe two
I need some dead presidents
Jefferson, Grant and
Some C-notes
Boo
To keep on my cell phone
and my lights
to turn you on
All through the night
Thinking of a master plan
Sitting on the bed with his dick in my hand
I kiss it
Lick it
Suck it
Rub it
He grabs the back of my head
I go down down down
Swirling my tongue
Round and round
Pussy might be his favorite dish
But until I get paid
It’s still his wish
I tightened my lips
To his dick
I go deeper and deeper
Touch the spot
That his girl can’t hit
Just when he’s ready to cum
I’m done
Thinking of my master plan
I say boo
What I need from you
Is ten grand
Get money
His eyes get wide
His chin drops low
I know what he’s thinking
Fuck this ho
But he’s got a big ego
And a hard dick
So I lick it
Kiss it
Suck it
I go deeper and deeper
Touch that spot
That his girl can’t hit
Make him shiver
Before he screams
Aw shit!
I’m paid in full
Take the Bambi Challenge
I enjoyed the research I’ve done for Darius Jones. I think we can agree that Bambi is crazier than Ashlee. We’ll know for sure provided Jay Crawford ever gets his day in court.
Just for fun, I want your book club members to do a makeover contest. If you’re not in a book club, you can independently do this makeover. From head to toe, each member will change her hair, body shape and size, glam up or tone it down. The person who makes the most dramatic change wins your contest.