Chapter 42
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink.
—Proverbs 25:21
Lawrence pressed his back hard against his seat as soon as he saw him approaching his table. Lawrence had arrived earlier than the five P.M. requested time because he preferred being on the passing end, rather than the receiving, specifically for this particular meeting.
Darius sat down in the booth seat across from Lawrence without being asked or a proper greeting on his part. “Thank you for agreeing to see me on such short notice.” He leaned in as though he thought he was really someone important.
“Well, you did say that it was in my best interest that I meet with you today. So let’s hear it,” Lawrence said.
Darius smiled and sat back against his seat. “I see you don’t waste any time.”
“You’ve heard the old saying: Time is money. So let’s hear what you have.” Lawrence held a rigidness to his face that conveyed he wasn’t one to be played with.
“What say we order something to eat before we get started?”
Lawrence tilted his head. “Suit yourself.”
Darius looked around the area where they sat. The waiter must have seen him and came over immediately. “What we got on the special today?” Darius asked him.
The waiter rattled off the special for the day and his recommendations when Darius asked what he thought was good. Darius ordered, then turned to Lawrence.
Lawrence shook his head and waved the waiter away.
“So, you’re not going to eat anything?” Darius asked.
“I don’t intend to be here that long.” Lawrence picked up his glass of water and tipped the glass toward Darius.
“That’s fine,” Darius said. “As long as you still pick up the bill, you don’t have to eat a thing.”
“You ask me here and you’re also expecting me to pay?” Lawrence took a sip from his glass as though he were drinking something stronger than mere water.
Darius smiled. “If we’re getting straight to it, I suppose you can say that I asked you here and, yes, I expect you to pay. Maybe you can write it off as a campaign expense.”
“Did my daughter send you to try another ruse on me?”
Darius fell back against his seat and grinned. “You talking about Paris? Paris doesn’t even know I’m here. She’s a sweet girl though. A bit too trusting maybe. I said maybe now. You see, she was the one that helped me put this all together.”
Lawrence leaned in. “All of what together?”
Darius leaned in as well. “All of the pieces. About how dedicated you were to finding a donor for that child. Then there was your reaction when I brought up what I’d heard about that child possibly being yours, when we all were eating lunch the other day.”
Lawrence began a phony chuckle. “Listen here. Do you have any idea how many things I’ve been accused of doing that have no merit?”
“Probably just a few shy of what I’ve been accused of. The only thing is: I know which things that are said about me that happen to be true, as I’m sure you do as well.” He glanced in the direction where the waiter had disappeared to. “I wonder what’s taking so long for my salad and some rolls to get here. They have the best yeast rolls. Have you tried them before? If you’re not careful, you can get full just eating the rolls.”
“I’d appreciate it if you’d just get to the point of why you’re sitting in my face right now. If all you came to do is rehash gossip that’s easily purchased from any filthy rag on a newsstand, then I would say our business here is concluded.”
“How about this: I know you’re the father of that child, and I can prove it.”
Lawrence started to laugh. “Once again speculation, rumors, and lies.”
“Your baby girl, Imani, or as you prefer to call her, Courtney, was a match for the little girl. Now what are the chances of that also happening? I mean really. And, yes, I believe in God and the power of prayer as much as the next person. In fact, I happen to attend church regularly, although I’ve not quite latched on to the entire concept the way my wife has.”
Lawrence smiled. “Your wife’s name is Tiffany, isn’t it?”
Darius stopped and frowned. “How do you know that?” He grinned. “Oh, that’s right. Paris mentioned that the other day at lunch.” He began nodding like a bobble-head doll.
“And you have three children: two girls and a little boy you call Junior. Jade is your oldest; she’s eight. Dana is six, and Darius Jr. just turned three last November.” Lawrence steepled his fingers together. “How am I doing so far?”
The waiter brought Darius’s food, made sure he didn’t need anything else, then left.
Darius stared at Lawrence almost the whole time the waiter was there.
“Don’t let me stop you,” Lawrence said, making a sweeping motion with his hand. “Eat up. Drink a little of your water. All of a sudden you’re not looking so hot.”
Darius continued to stare at Lawrence as he picked up his fork and speared a grape tomato on his salad plate.
“You’re not going to say grace? One shouldn’t eat before praying and thanking God for the food provided. Who knows: You might end up choking on your food, and then what?”
Darius put the tomato in his mouth. He smiled. “So what did you do? Have someone check me out? That’s fine. I have nothing to hide.”
“Is that right?”
Darius picked up a roll, pulled off a piece, and tossed it into his open mouth. “That’s right. It’s like you said: Most things are stuff that can’t necessarily be proven. The thing that’s different between me and you? You’re an Alabama legislator up for reelection later this year. And I’m willing to bet you that your opponent would pay dearly for what I’m able to give him on you. But I was thinking that I owe it to your daughter, who has been wonderful to me, by the way, when our paths have crossed, to at least allow you the first opportunity to buy the information that I have.”
“Which would be?”
Darius flashed him a big smile. “My silence for starters. You see, your opponent would pay me for the information I can provide to pretty much take you out of the race for good. But you can pay me to keep my mouth shut and not give this piece of information that just may point folks in the right direction to learn everything they’d need to know about that bone marrow situation.”
“And how much were you thinking of charging me for this ‘service’?”
“Well, you know people have fallen on hard times these past few years. I have a family, as you’ve already learned, and we have bills mounting to the ceiling.”
“Well, I hope you know I’m by no means a rich man.” Lawrence took a sip.
“Yeah, I didn’t think you were rich. But you probably do okay. I’m a fair man. I was thinking maybe you could give me a job with your campaign, one of those positions that pay well. I’ve never had a one-hundred-thousand-dollar-a-year salaried job before.”
“So you want to work for me on my campaign?”
Darius cut off a piece of his pecan-crusted tilapia fish with his fork and shoved it in his mouth as he nodded. “That’s a good start. After you win reelection, maybe we’ll see where else I’d make a good fit. That’s a fair deal, don’t you think? This way, no money would have to come directly out of your pocket. See how I’m looking out for you already? Even before you put me on the payroll.”
“Give me one bit of information that says you’re worth a place on my campaign staff and my payroll. Otherwise, this meeting is over.”
“How about Gabrielle Mercedes?”
Lawrence maintained his poker face. “And who is she that I should care?”
Darius’s smile dropped slightly.
Just as Lawrence thought. Darius didn’t have anything. All he was doing was fishing, although in truth, it bothered him that he would use bait that was close enough to truth to cause him to possibly take a bite.
Lawrence stood up. “Young man, let me give you a little piece of advice. I chew folks like you up and spit them out on a daily basis. Don’t you ever try and blackmail me with foolishness again! Or I will not overlook your naiveté, and I will have you for breakfast, then lunch, then dinner. You need to be careful who you mess with. Because if you fool around and mess with the wrong person, trust me: You’ll end up getting yours!”
Lawrence took out a fifty-dollar bill and stuck it in Darius’s blue shirt pocket. “That should be enough to cover your meal. Oh, and the water? It’s free.” Lawrence patted Darius’s pocket with the money in it. “Whatever is left over, why don’t you use it to buy your children some ice cream as opposed to something for one of your women on the side?” Lawrence then leaned over and whispered in his ear. “And tell Fatima Adams the next time you happen to run into her that she was really smart to get out when she did.” Fatima Adams was a woman with whom Darius once had a secret affair.
Lawrence patted his shoulder and strolled away without looking back.