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  On several occasions, after realizing the familial relationship between Maleeka and Tammy, he would even approach Tammy about the best way to get Maleeka to go out with him. Tammy, however, would always respect Maleeka’s engagement as best she could and simply respond to Gerald by telling him it was not her place to get involved. But now, more than ever, Tammy wanted to tell Gerald about the stupid decision Maleeka was making by asking Darrin to move in with her; however, she smoldered her anger and put aside her concern for her cousin and agreed with what Maleeka said to Gerald.

  “Gerald, this is just a disagreement between female cousins. You know how we women can get. As Maleeka said, we will work it out.” To Maleeka she said sarcastically, “I hope to hear from you later today.” She then left Gerald and Maleeka standing together as she exited the sanctuary.

  “Are you sure there is nothing I can do to erase the scowl from your beautiful face? It would be my pleasure to kiss said face until all the pain went away,” Gerald stated with mild mirth in his eyes.

  “Thank you for the very forward and inappropriate offer, Gerald, but as I said, Tammy and I will be just fine. I’m going to leave now and join my fiancé so that we may go home. You have a nice week.” Maleeka shook her head slightly as she walked away from Gerald.

  Maleeka had become pretty accustomed to Gerald’s bold flirting. She too began to find it somewhat humorous. She even found herself wishing Darrin would be as attentive and flattering as Gerald. As she walked to the car, she also found herself wishing and hoping that her proposal about the two of them moving in together would motivate him to do a lot more than flatter her more often.

  Darrin sat in the car waiting for Maleeka, becoming annoyed that it was taking her so long to say good-bye to her cousin. When he saw Tammy come out of the sanctuary and get in her car a moment ago, he became a little angry. What on earth was taking her so long?

  Darrin’s nerves were already on edge as he waited to find out what Maleeka wanted to talk to him about. Sure, she said it was not about finally setting a date for the wedding, but what if she just said that to get him to have the conversation with her? He then tossed that thought aside. Maleeka had never before been manipulative. As far as he knew she was always honest with him. That thought, however, did little to assuage his curiosity. Having to sit and wait for her to come out of the church only added to his irritation and disconcertment. When he finally saw her approaching the car, his exasperation was turned way up on high. As soon as Maleeka sat in the passenger’s seat, Darrin unleashed his annoyance.

  “What took you so long? How long does it actually take to tell your cousin I am taking you home?” Darrin’s voice was raised and filled with the frustration of all his thoughts.

  Maleeka stopped midway through putting her seat belt in place and stared at Darrin for several seconds. So much for expecting more flattery and positive attention from him, she thought silently. Rather than respond to his verbal tirade right away, Maleeka took a moment to finish the task of putting on her seat belt. Her silence only served to further upset Darrin.

  “Oh! So you don’t hear me talking to you? Are you just going to ignore the fact that I asked you a question?”

  “Well, the truth of the matter is, Darrin, you asked me two questions. You asked what took me so long, and then you asked how long it takes me to tell my cousin you were taking me home.” Maleeka’s response was calm but filled with irksome sarcasm.

  “Don’t get smart with me, Maleeka,” Darrin replied venomously.

  “And don’t you dare scold me as if I am your child, Darrin. How dare you speak to me so rudely and expect me to respond to you in any other way?”

  “You know what? Now I’m wishing you had just ridden home with your cousin,” Darrin yelled.

  “So do I,” Maleeka yelled in return.

  Up until that moment, neither of them noticed they were yelling loudly enough for the people in the parking lot to hear their argument. Gerald’s knock on the passenger’s side window clued them both in to the fact that their argument had been witnessed by others.

  “Maleeka, are you okay?” she heard Gerald ask through the raised window.

  Maleeka stared at him for several seconds before responding. She was so embarrassed that she was tempted to tell Darrin to just pull off to avoid having to face her handsome admirer. She instead lowered the window and answered him.

  “I’m fine, Gerald. My fiancé and I were just having an unpleasant moment.”

  “Are you sure? If you need a ride home, I’d be happy to take you,” Gerald replied as if Darrin were not sitting in the driver’s seat.

  Maleeka remembered Darrin’s comment about wishing she had ridden with Tammy. She seriously considered leaving Darrin’s car and taking Gerald up on his offer. It would serve him right for being so rude to her.

  “Excuse me, partner, but my fiancée has already told you once that it’s all good. She does not need you to take her anywhere. But, uh, thank you anyway.” Darrin’s words dripped with spite and mockery.

  Maleeka did not know Gerald Miller very well, so she was unsure how far he would take things with Darrin; however, she knew Darrin well enough to know he would not back down unless Gerald did. She figured it was up to her to stop this little ruckus before it turned into a heated verbal battle, or something worse, between the two men. Darrin, Maleeka believed, was unaware of Gerald’s flirtatious banter with her, so up until now, the two men had not been adversaries.

  “Gerald, really, I’m fine. I don’t need a ride. Everything is under control.”

  Maleeka rolled up the window without another word, hoping Gerald would take the hint and just leave. She silently thanked God when he began walking in the direction of his car.

  “What’s up with dude? Why is he trying to be your knight in shining armor? Is he trying to get with you or something?”

  “What? Darrin, no. Let’s just leave. Please take me home.” Maleeka was so aggravated she had to fight with herself to keep herself under control and not begin yelling again. She was embarrassed enough. She just wanted to get away from the church as quickly as possible. She was relieved when Darrin put the car into gear and began backing out of his parking spot.

  The first few moments of the drive to Maleeka’s house were done in complete silence. No voices; no music. The couple could barely be heard breathing. The both of them simmered in quiet anger, each for their own personal reasons.

  Darrin was still unnerved by the angst he felt over Maleeka’s pending unknown topic of conversation. If he were completely honest, at least with himself, he would realize that was the reason behind the whole argument he and Maleeka just had. The time he waited in the car for Maleeka to say good-bye to Tammy was actually only a few minutes. It was the tension of not knowing what Maleeka wanted to discuss with him and not wanting to discuss setting a wedding date that had him in a tizzy. Old boy showing up to the car acting like he needed to come to Maleeka’s rescue just added fuel to a smoldering fire.

  Maleeka, of course, was angry because of the tone Darrin took with her the moment she got in the car. She had not seen him all week, and he barely had time to even converse with her on the phone. She knew her and Tammy’s little tiff had come while he sat waiting for her, but she knew he had not waited long enough to warrant his reaction.

  After the unpleasant exchange between the couple, Maleeka was unsure if she still wanted to have the all-important conversation with Darrin. In truth, she was unsure if she even still wanted to marry Darrin at this point. Of course, she let that thought leave her mind as quickly as it entered. She had felt this way several times before during their engagement, but her heart always, always led her back to wanting, almost needing to be Mrs. Darrin Osborne.

  “What is it you wanted to talk about today, Maleeka?” Darrin’s voice caught Maleeka off guard. The level of it had lowered, but his tone continued to spew irritation. Maleeka fought down the urge to respond in kind.

  “I know you have been having some issues
with taking that final step toward marrying me. I don’t necessarily understand why. I don’t understand why you even asked me to marry you if you were not completely ready—”

  “Maleeka . . .” Darrin attempted to interrupt, but Maleeka continued while she still had the nerve to do so.

  “Darrin, let me finish. I don’t even want to hear your excuses or reasons right now. The bottom line is I still want to be your wife, so I will continue to wait a little while longer for you to pull yourself together. In the meantime, however, I have a proposition.” Maleeka’s tone was smooth and even, not too emotional and not harsh. She paused for a moment to purposely gather herself and make sure she kept on an even keel.

  Darrin began to shift in his seat at the word “proposition.” While he was not sure if he was ready to walk down the aisle, he knew he loved Maleeka. He did not want to lose her again. The last time she gave him a proposition, it was to see other people. He then began quickly wondering about that guy, Gerald. With the way he came running to his car today, trying to be Maleeka’s hero, Darrin was certain he would love to have an opportunity to date his beautiful fiancée.

  Instead of voicing his opinion, Darrin decided to let Maleeka finish what she was saying. He would decide what to do once he heard all she had to say.

  “Darrin, I think that we should move into together. I believe once you see how well we get along living under the same roof, it will lessen whatever anxiety you have about us being married. Now, there has to be a time limit on our co-habitation. The lease on my apartment has six months left on it. I figured we could try living together for that amount of time, sharing in living expenses of course, and see how it fits for us. If it works out, which I’m sure it will, we can look for a new spot that we both choose together as husband and wife.”

  Wow! That was the only word that exploded into Darrin’s brain at the conclusion of Maleeka’s spiel. He truly was at a loss for any other words. He hoped that Maleeka was not waiting on an immediate response, because his brain was stuck on straight stupid at the moment.

  Maleeka knew her proposition to Darrin would throw him for a loop, so she sat in silence as he processed all she had said to him. They actually rode the rest of the distance to her apartment in complete silence. She was prepared for his reaction. She had known her man for six years, during which she was studying him, his ways and his thought processes. At that moment she was reminded of the old Betty Wright song, “No Pain, No Gain.” Betty sang, “I was earning my man while I was learning my man; something you young girls might not understand.” Maleeka chuckled to herself as she reminisced about the old classic.

  She had to admit, though, she was unsure what his answer would be. She just knew it would not be one made in haste.

  When the couple arrived at Maleeka’s apartment, Darrin was unsure whether he wanted to go in or just go straight home. Maleeka saw the confusion in his eyes as he sat behind the wheel, not making a move to get out of the car.

  “Aren’t you going to come in, Darrin?”

  “I think I need to go home, sweetie. I’ve got a lot to think about, and I think it’s best if I do it alone. I am really surprised by your request. I mean, it sounds logical and all; I just need a little time to really go over it all in my head. I also need to speak with David. If I do decide to take you up on your offer, I need to know if he will be able to swing the rent on our place by himself. Or he may have to find another roommate. I mean, there are a few variables that have to be taken into consideration. I just need time to think them all through.”

  Darrin got out of the car and came to open the door for Maleeka. He then walked her to her apartment. At the door he gave her a chaste kiss.

  “Like I said, Mal, I’m going to go on home, think about what you said, and discuss options with David. I will call you tomorrow, I promise.” Darrin then turned to leave without another word.

  Maleeka entered her apartment still unsure of how Darrin would respond to her proposition, but the fact that he was going to discuss it with David gave her hope. She was sure he could afford the rent alone. David had a great job. Heck, according to her friend Katrina, everything about David Mathis was great.

  David jogged to catch up to Katrina just before she left the sanctuary. “Katrina, can I talk to you for a moment?”

  Katrina turned to find the man of her dreams, literally, standing before her a little out of breath. “Sure, David. What’s up?”

  The other day David was certain he would ask Katrina out today. He had rid himself of the guilty feelings he was having about his relationship with Toriyana and convinced himself there was no harm in asking this lovely lady out to dinner since he was not married. Standing before her right now, however, his conscience was singing an entirely different tune. His stomach became filled with butterflies and his mouth felt as if it were stuffed with cotton. He stood before Katrina unable to utter another syllable.

  Katrina was confused by David’s silence. He was the one who stopped her, after all, so why was he standing there looking as if he did not understand why they were in the same space?

  “David, did you want something?”

  “Huh? Ah, yeah. Yes, Katrina. I was wondering—” David stopped and cleared his throat, still fighting the nervous guilt that suddenly attacked him. “I wanted to know if you were going to be busy this afternoon,” David finally choked out.

  Though she had never seen David this jumpy before, Katrina was sure she heard David correctly. She did not want to jump to any conclusions on why he would ask her such a thing, though. She figured she would just ride the conversation out and find out where he was headed.

  “I don’t have any immediate plans. I was just going to call Maleeka to see if she wanted to catch a movie or something. Why?”

  David took a deep, concentrating breath then said, “I was hoping you would consider having dinner with me this afternoon. If you’d like we can catch a movie as well, since that’s what you wanted to do with Maleeka.” He allowed the words to come out as he exhaled.

  Where she was sure she previously heard him correctly, she now stood in awe, wondering if her ears were actually playing tricks on her. Before she made a fool of herself and leaped into his arms with a resounding yes, she needed to know for certain she was standing in the church listening to David and not lying in bed dreaming this scene.

  “I’m sorry, David, but did you just ask me to go to dinner and a movie with you? Today?”

  “Yes, I did. Considering the time, I guess it would be more like a late lunch and a movie. Or if you prefer and our timing is correct, we could do the movie first then grab a bite to eat. That way it will be closer to dinner time.” David rambled because he was nervous.

  Katrina stood frozen in her spot. She saw David’s lips moving. In a distant fog, like the vapor that appears around people when they are simply illusions, she believed she could see the words he spoke that confirmed what she heard the first time. Somehow, though, she still could not believe this all was actually happening. Perhaps if she just said yes things would take their natural course into the next step. She would either wake up from her dream, or she would actually be preparing to go on a date with the beautiful man and singer, David Mathis.

  “Yes,” Katrina uttered breathlessly.

  “Cool,” David said with a relieved smile. “So do you want to eat first or go to the movies first?”

  Finally realizing David and his invitation to take her out were real, Katrina began trying to focus real hard on what he was saying. Reality brought on a full course of nerves. “Um . . . I . . . think I would prefer the movies first. That way we can discuss it over dinner. I hope that’s okay with you.”

  “No, that’s fine. Why don’t we check the computer in the ministry office to see what’s playing and when and we can decide from there.”

  Chapter Six

  The text message alert went off on William’s phone about a block before he and his family arrived home from church. Since he was so close, he figured he would
just check it once they arrived.

  William pulled the car into the garage and unfastened his son from his car seat while Aujanae headed into the house to start dinner. William took Billy, Jr. to the great room and placed the wide-awake child in his playpen. He then remembered he had a text message he needed to check, so he sat on the sofa to do so.

  As soon as William saw the name Adam appear on his phone, he became a little alarmed. Adam was the pseudonym William created in his phone for April just in case Aujanae ever decided to go snooping. It was Sunday, for goodness’ sake. Sunday, they both agreed at the beginning of their time together, was a day reserved strictly for his family. William realized he had not spent time with April in over a week, but surely she could not have forgotten the rules that quickly. Why now was she being so obstinate and insubordinate? This was the first time in their fourteen-month history that she had broken that rule.

  William took that into consideration and decided he would not jump to conclusions or make assumptions about her reasons until he actually read the text message:

  Have you missed me? Of course you have. Or at least that’s the impression the tone of your voice mail messages give. I need to see you. TODAY!

  So much for him trying to give April the benefit of the doubt.

  Aujanae stood in the kitchen pulling together ingredients for this evening’s dinner, seemingly not paying any attention at all to William or his phone. Yet, he felt as anxious as if his wife were sitting only inches away from him, able to read every word of April’s text and all that they implied.

  William toyed with the idea of simply ignoring the text message and sticking to the rules of the game as they had been initially set; however, April seemed to have ramped up the game when she ignored all of his texts and calls last week. She mentioned William’s tone in the voice mail messages he left. Admittedly, he remembered he probably sounded a little desperate.