Darius Jones (25 page)

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?

1. Do you believe Darius truly loved Fancy? Do you believe people can have sex outside their marriage and still be committed to their spouse?
   
2. 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?
   
3. 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?
   
4. 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?
   
5. Do you believe Bambi is pregnant with Grant's child? What makes people engage in casual sex? Why do married people have sex outside their relationship?
   
6. 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?
   
7. 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?
   
8. 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?
   
9. 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?
   
10. 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?
    
11. 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?
    
12. Were Darius's apologies sincere? What impact, if any, did his apologies have on the outcome of his streak of bad luck?
    
13. If you apologized to one person today, who would it be and what would you say?
    

True Love

No One

Thinking of a Master Plan

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.

Send your Bambi Challenge “before” and “after” group and individual pictures to me at
[email protected]
. We might surprise your book club with something super special.

See if you can outdo Bambi. Create your alter ego. Incorporate some of these spy gadgets and become a detective, diva, dominatrix, or stalker. I'll share the web sites I used but see if you can find and create something jaw-dropping.

Another challenge is to see if you'll readily recognize me as I undergo extreme makeovers for each of my book signings and events.

I used the following web sites for research and fun. And I visited as many of these places as I could:

• Dream Girls | http://www.dghair.com
  
• Zarawigs | http://www.zarawigs.com
  
• Takeouts | http://www.herlook.com/ takeouts-better-boobjob.html? gclid=CLSLmP- Tm50CFSn6agodpTQX_Q
  
• Bubbles Bodywear | http://www.lovemybubbles.com
  
• Silicone Body | http://www.siliconebody.com/
  
• Dominatrix Lingerie | http://www.dominatrixlingerie.com/ index.php?cPath=53
  
• SM Boots | http://www.smboots.com/
  
• Loud ‘N Clear | https://www.tryloudandclear.com/ 17/index.asp?refcode=1002
  
• The Spy Corner | http://www.thespycorner.com/ index.php?l=product_ list&c=1&gclid =CMmU2LHh2Z8CFQwpawodoFwTHw
  
• DynaSpy, Inc. | http://www.dynaspy.com/ spy-cameras-c-66.html?osCsid= h6jd55aas2q0t98nueeoj4vnh3
  
• Spy Gadgets | http://www.spygadgets.com/ undercover-cameras/ sunglasses-camera.html
  
• Self Defense Weapons | http://www.stungunsandtasers.com/
  
• Love Spells | http://www.everythingunderthemoon.net/ love-spells.htm
  
• The Universe and Multiple Reality | http://www.manyuniverses.com/ indexS.htm
  
• The Playhouse | http://playhousehollywood.com/
  
• My House | http://www.myhousehollywood.com/
  
• BOA Steakhouse | http://www.boasteak.com/ balboa/index.htm
  
• CUT Beverly Hills | http://www.fourseasons.com/ beverlywilshire/dining.html
  
• Roscoe's House of Chicken 'n Waffles | http://www.roscoeschickenandwaffles.com