The Other Side of Dare Read online

  “So you thought of me?” Darius said, walking over to the nightstand. “Well, I’m honored to know I’m on your shortlist.”

  Paris started walking toward the door while holding Ambrosia. “I owe you one.”

  “You don’t owe me. I told you if you ever needed me that all you had to do was call.”

  “You did. I just didn’t expect I’d ever have a reason to take you up on it. I thank you, and Ambrosia certainly thanks you.”

  “Tell you what: Let me have this Snickers bar and we’ll call it even,” he said pointing at the candy bar on the nightstand.

  “Absolutely. Take it. Andrew bought it for me, but I prefer Milky Way bars.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. Please . . . take it.”

  He picked it up, dropped it in his shirt pocket, and followed her down the stairs.

  “Thanks again,” Paris said as she opened the door for him to leave.

  Darius stepped outside the door. “Anytime,” he said with a bow of his head and a quirk of a smile. “Anytime.”

  Chapter 7

  Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.

  —Isaiah 43:8

  Darius came into the bedroom. Tiffany was propped up by two pillows reading the Bible. She looked his way. Darius smiled. “I got you something.” He handed her a small brown paper bag.

  Tiffany set the Bible down and, taking the bag, peeked inside. “A Snickers bar!” she said, hurriedly taking the candy out. “I love Snickers. Darius, you’re so wrong for this. You know I’m trying to cut back on sweets. I want to lose some of this weight.”

  “I know. But I don’t want to deny you something that you love. I keep telling you that you look fine. And I do mean . . . fine. I don’t want a bone. I like a little meat on my bones.”

  “And I love Snickers bars.” She tore open the top part of the wrapper and took a bite, savoring it before taking another one. “It’s not good when you eat late, I hope you know that. I’m going to pay for this, I just know I am. But this is so good.” She looked over at Darius. After she swallowed, she gave him a peck on the lips. He could taste the candy. “Thank you, baby. So you left to go get me this candy bar?”

  He tilted his head to the right, then to the left. “Well, not exactly. You know that my phone rang right before I left.”

  “Yeah. So who was it?”

  Darius hesitated for a second. “Nobody you know.”

  “If it was nobody that I know, then who was it?” Tiffany asked again; her head tilted to one side as she waited.

  “Okay. I’m going to be honest with you. I’m going to tell you the truth. Don’t get mad now, but it was this beautiful woman with a brand-new Maltese puppy that just happened to have gotten stuck underneath a huge entertainment center in her bedroom. She—the woman, not the puppy—needed someone big and strong with a brain, of course, to help her cute little baby get out of the hole she’d gotten herself into.” Darius smiled, then twisted his mouth a few times as he waited for the fallout.

  Tiffany stared at him, then took another bite of her candy bar. After a minute of chewing, she smacked her mouth. “Okay, Darius. If you don’t want to tell me, then fine. Keep it to yourself, then.”

  “But I’m telling you the truth.”

  “It was Big Red, wasn’t it?”

  “No. I told you who it was. It was a woman with a puppy, a puppy with a cute little purple bow in the top of her head.”

  Tiffany nodded short, quick nods. “Yep. It was your buddy Big Red. And you went over to his house. Has his wife come back home yet? I know you told me that his wife had left him.”

  “Nope. She’s still at her mother’s waiting on Big Red to get himself together.”

  “What she is waiting on is for him to stop chasing women and to get himself a real job that has benefits. I don’t know why you still fool with him.”

  “Because he’s my friend; he needs me. And Big Red loves what he does. He loves to work on cars. He likes working for himself. He can’t help it if health insurance is so high he can’t afford it. But I’m telling you that I didn’t go over to Big Red’s tonight.”

  “Okay, then. What’s the puppy’s name?”

  Darius frowned. “Excuse me?”

  “You say you went and rescued a puppy. What’s the puppy’s name?”

  Darius grinned as he rubbed his goatee. “Ambrosia.”

  “Yep. You went over to Big Red’s. And Big Red probably had some ambrosia, most likely from his mama. You made up that cockamamie story about a woman and a puppy so I wouldn’t know what you were really up to tonight.” Tiffany held out the remaining candy bar to him. “Want a bite?”

  Darius laughed and took a bite even though there wasn’t much left. “I love you.”

  “And I love you.” She bit a piece of the candy bar again. “And I love Snickers bars! Mmmm-mmmm.”

  Chapter 8

  Behold, the Lord thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.

  —Deuteronomy 1:21

  Darius couldn’t wait to get home to tell Tiffany the good news. It had finally happened: He’d gotten another job, starting immediately. Things were looking up. He pulled into his driveway and noted a familiar white car parked behind Tiffany’s garage door. Tiffany had company. He smiled, parked his car outside of his garage door, quietly went in through the front door, and stood at the bottom of the staircase a few feet away from the den.

  He listened in. Just as he thought: Gabrielle Mercedes was there. He heard her and Tiffany talking. They were definitely in what sounded like a deep conversation. He was proud of his wife. She was actually asking Gabrielle questions about what was going on with her. He couldn’t hear everything as clearly as he would have liked, but he would get the full 411 when he stealthily grilled Tiffany later. That’s what he loved about their marriage: As a couple, they didn’t keep things from each other. Well, at least Tiffany didn’t keep things from him. He would be the first to acknowledge that God was still working on him and God wasn’t through with him yet.

  He then heard Tiffany let out a scream. “Oh my goodness! Congratulations, Gabrielle! Oh, my goodness! That’s wonderful!” The two women both let out a girlish giggly scream together.

  “Daddy,” Jade said as she stood at the top of the stairs. “What are you doing?”

  Darius looked around for something to use as a cover for his eavesdropping. He looked up at her. “Well, hello there, number one,” he said, calling her by the name he sometimes called her, indicating her birth order, while trying not to talk too loudly. “Come and give your daddy a hug.”

  Jade smiled and trotted down the stairs, hugging her father. He reached inside of his front pants’ pocket, pulled out a crumbled-up one dollar bill he’d hurriedly stuffed there, pressed it straight, and handed it to her.

  “What’s this?” Jade, who had turned nine on April eighth, asked as she held the money in the air.

  “It’s a dollar.”

  “I know it’s a dollar. But what’s it for?”

  He smiled, then quietly whispered, “Don’t say anything or make a loud sound, but Daddy got a job today so I’m spreading a little wealth around.”

  Jade’s face lit up and she whispered back, “You did? You got a job?”

  He whispered back. “Yes. But it’s a surprise for Mommy.” He pretended to lock his lips. Jade pretended to lock hers as well.

  Jade giggled, hugged her father again, then tiptoed back up the stairs. Darius went back over toward the den’s opening. He wasn’t sure how much he’d missed with the distraction, but they were now talking about things he was sure he didn’t care to stand there and listen in on.

  “Hello, hello!” he said stepping into the den with a full grin.

  Gabrielle had been laughing and her expression dropped completely when she saw him.

  “Hi, honey,” Tiffany said, standing and greeting
him with a quick peck on the lips. “I didn’t hear the garage door let up.”

  “Oh, that’s because I didn’t use it.”

  “Is something wrong with your car? Did you break down or something?” Tiffany asked, worry clearly etched all over her face now.

  “Oh, no. Everything is fine. I just parked outside. I needed to run in and get something real quick, and I have to leave and run right back out,” he lied. “I decided it didn’t make sense to raise the garage door, then turn right back around and raise it in a few minutes later when I leave.”

  “Oh, okay,” Tiffany said with relief.

  Gabrielle stood up. “Well, I’m going to get on home.”

  “Oh, please don’t go on my account,” Darius said. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I saw your car outside. I heard voices in here and merely wanted to come in and speak.”

  Gabrielle smiled. “No, I really need to be getting home. Zachary is watching Jasmine for me while I handle a few errands. I don’t want to leave them alone for too long.”

  “I heard you and Tiffany in here all giggly about something. It sounded like some good news,” Darius said, trying to be careful that he didn’t accidentally say something that was told to him by his wife in confidence.

  Tiffany looked at Gabrielle. Darius couldn’t believe it, but his wife was actually waiting on Gabrielle to give her permission to tell him anything.

  “Forgive me. I wasn’t trying to pry,” Darius said. “It’s just a good thing when we get some good news around this place. It’s like the devil has been messing with so many folks we personally know lately. Anybody who has something to be blessing the Lord for, I want to be a part of it. I know how to get my Holy Ghost shout on.” He did a little jig step.

  Gabrielle smiled. “I was just telling Tiffany some of my good news. You’re right about the devil being busy. But you know our mantra at Followers of Jesus Faith Worship Center.”

  “The devil may be busy but God is busier!” Tiffany and Gabrielle said in unison. They laughed as they hugged, then high-fived each other.

  “True that,” Darius said. “So if you share your good news, I’ll share mine.”

  Tiffany widened her eyes at Darius. “Honey, you have some good news?”

  He primped his mouth a few times, then broke into a full-on grin. “Yes. I got a job!”

  Tiffany rushed over to him and hugged him as she jumped up and down. “Oh, baby! That’s great. Oh, my goodness! Oh, my goodness! God is so awesome! You got a job? You got a job! Is it the one you’ve been working so hard to get? Don’t keep me in suspense. Tell me everything!”

  Darius nodded. “Yes, that’s the one. It looks like all of my hard work and networking paid off. God has finally smiled on us. We’re about to get up out of this pit we were thrown in and move to a little higher ground.”

  “Oh, wow! Oh, wow!” Tiffany said. “You got a job and Gabrielle is engaged—” Tiffany quickly clamped her hand over her mouth. She took her hand down slowly. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” She rush over and touched Gabrielle’s hand. “I didn’t mean to just blurt that out. It’s just . . . God is so good!”

  “It’s okay,” Gabrielle said. “My engagement is not really a secret or anything. It’s just with so much going on in my life, I’ve not been broadcasting it to everybody. But you are so right. God is so good.”

  “Well, I hope you don’t consider me everybody,” Darius said, glancing down at the rock on her ring finger. “We’re all family here. At least I consider us family. Congratulations, Gabrielle. God truly is . . . good. And His goodness and mercy is blessing us right now.”

  Gabrielle nodded in a matter of fact way. “God is. And congratulations to you on your new job.”

  “Thank you, thank you. It’s good pay with good benefits. Lord knows, we needed this. And He came through and not a minute too soon. Who said serving the Lord will pay off after a while? Serving the Lord pays off right now, down here on this earth. Because I know it wasn’t nobody but God who made this way for me and my family.” Darius shook his head, then pinched his nose as though he was trying to keep tears from flowing.

  “It’s okay, baby,” Tiffany said, rubbing his back. “I know. I know. You know that I know.”

  Darius held his head up, placing his hand over his lips before shaking himself hard and taking his hand down. “So, Gabrielle. How’s the adoption coming along?”

  Gabrielle hesitated a few seconds before responding. “Things are moving along.” She turned from Darius to Tiffany. “I’m going to get on out of your hair so the two of you can celebrate your good news. But I so enjoyed my visit with you, Tiffany. We’ll talk again soon, I promise. And if I don’t see you before then, I’ll see you at Fatima’s wedding next Saturday.”

  “We’ll be there with bells on,” Darius said.

  Gabrielle looked at Darius with a slight smirk. “You’re coming?”

  “This even I’ll have to see,” Tiffany said with a chuckle.

  “Listen, Gabrielle,” Darius said. “My wife has grown so much in every area of her life, it seems, since she became part of the dance ministry. The dance ministry is like family around our house. We’re going to support Fatima as well as you because you two have been a blessing to every one of us in more ways than you’ll ever know. I’m going to be there with my wife. And if you need us—me or Tiffany—we’ll be there for you as well.”

  Gabrielle gave a quick smile as though she wasn’t buying any of what Darius was trying to sell. “Thanks, Darius. I appreciate that.”

  Tiffany eyes were filled with tears. She nodded. “He’s right. Darius is right. You and Fatima are like family as are so many at Followers of Jesus Faith Worship Center. You just don’t know, you just don’t know.”

  Gabrielle turned to Tiffany. “I know what you mean. Being a part of this ministry feels like home. I had no idea on that January day when I walked up to the front of the church and gave my hand to the pastor and my heart to the Lord, just how much my entire life would change. And to think: It’s only been a little over a year. Sure, there are things that have come along in my life, especially lately, that can be dispiriting, disheartening, and discouraging. But I hear God telling me to fear not, neither be discouraged. God has set the Promised Land before each of us. We just have to go up and possess it. God has already given it to us, but we have to go and possess it ourselves.”

  “You’re right, Gabrielle. When we give our lives to the Lord it doesn’t mean things will always be easy,” Tiffany said. “Far from it. But God places people in our lives who remind us that He’s still on the throne. He’ll show up on our behalf when we may least expect it, when we’ve given up all hope.”

  “Yeah,” Gabrielle said. “And God keeps reminding me through my trials and tribulations that greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. No matter what problems come, the peace of God keeps whispering to my spirit, ‘I got this.’”

  Tiffany did a quick little happy-feet dance. “Girl, don’t get me started. I’m about to get my praise on up in here, up in here!”

  Darius laughed. “You two are something else. I see you don’t have to be in church to praise God.”

  “That’s because we are the church,” Gabrielle said.

  “And wherever we are, the church is,” Tiffany said, high-fiving Gabrielle again after she said it.

  “Pastor Landris teaches us that,” Gabrielle said. “So, no matter where we go, the doors of the church are open.”

  “Well, I’m going to get on out of here before you two get a Holy Ghost party started.” Darius smiled, then leaned down and gave Tiffany a quick peck on her lips. “I’ll be back shortly and tell you all about my new job.”

  Darius walked out of the room just as Tiffany and Gabrielle started singing, “Ain’t no party like a Holy Ghost party, ’cause a Holy Ghost party don’t . . . stop.”

  He went outside, got in his car, backed out of the driveway, and drove off, singing to himself, “Ain’t no party like a Holy Ghost party,
’cause a Holy Ghost party don’t stop.”

  Chapter 9

  Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a footbreadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.

  —Deuteronomy 2:5

  Darius sat outside of her driveway, trying to decide whether or not he should go to the door and ring the doorbell. He was thinking that he should have called and asked if it was okay to come over. But when Gabrielle and Tiffany went into all that talk about God, church, and started praising, he just had to get out of there. So he’d made up an excuse about not being able to stay, gotten in his car, and driven away with no clear destination in mind.

  He’d thought about going over to Big Red’s place. Especially since Tiffany had brought his name up four days earlier. He still couldn’t believe the one time he’d actually told Tiffany the truth about him going to see another woman, she didn’t even believe him. He laughed at the strangeness of it all.

  He got out of the car, went up to the door, took a deep breath, exhaled, and rang the doorbell. After a few minutes with no answer, he rang the doorbell again. A few seconds later, the door swung open hard and fast.

  “What do you want?”

  Darius smiled. “Well, hello to you, too. Are you going to invite me in?”

  “Darius, I thought I made it clear on Sunday that I’m not interested in anything with you other than ‘hi’ and ‘bye.’ And even that might be stretching things a bit.”

  “So much hostility. I’m going to have to pray for you.” Darius brushed past her and stepped inside. He looked around. It had been five years now since he’d been inside of her home. She’d gotten all new furniture for the living room. It was apparent that Fatima was still doing well financially.