Lynnia (16 page)

Dario

The clients liked what they saw when they did the walkthrough. The team was able to get everything fixed in time enough for the team that came with the client not to have an idea that they’d put in extra work to fix the previously missed issue. Dario was indebted to Harry for being on his game even when he wasn’t. After reading the daily report that he was required to submit every night, he and a member of human resources had a sit down with Carter. They were down one team member. He hated to do it so close to the holidays, but there was nothing else he could do. The man had been warned in his last meeting.

“Mr. Phelps, if you mess up once more, then you won’t have a job. A ‘mess up’ includes causes of accident (s), injury, or the company learning that you were directly responsible for a mishap on the job site. Anything that may cause the company to lose money is defined in this warning. If you are found to be the root of a problem with a project is included as well. You need to take this matter seriously if you want to continue to work for Palmer Construction?”

At the time, Carter was sitting smiling as if hadn’t a care in the world. The man didn’t take anything at face value. It was as if he lived his life to dare other people or call their bluff. When he’d been called in the day before, no smile was in sight. As a matter of fact, the man all believed didn’t have the ability to know what it meant to be serious walked away angry.

After dealing with the aftermath of that--the paperwork, the restructuring of his team, and setting up the request for the newly available position--all he wanted to do was go home. Dario sat back in his seat at the desk that he had at the headquarters of P. Construction and looked at the ceiling. Too much time had passed and he was starting to worry that things weren’t going to change between him and the one person he felt he was supposed to have in his life. The woman that he’d been seeing, he’d broken things off with the night before he’d ended up at Lynnia’s for the millionth time in their life.

The merry-go-round, rollercoaster, tilt-a-whirl, or whatever you wanted to call their on-again, off-again sexscapade had officially been going on for seventeen years. They’d had some amazing times over the stint. He was mentally berating himself for not making it more than what it was. His heart was there. It was obvious his body was there as well. The thought of being right where he wanted to live with the woman he loved had him set to go, but that woman wasn’t responding to his messages, phone calls, or emails.

Momma Norton said things were set in motion. He just had to wait on her cue. He didn’t know what Lynnie’s mother had cooked up, but he was willing to take the chance that she was offering. The females of the family had a hell of a track record of making sure the sister in need was happy and loved by the man they were supposed to be with. Momma had told him that she believed he was the exact person Lynnie was supposed spend the rest of her days with.

“The fact that the silly, headstrong child hasn’t stepped up yet irritates my tail feathers. Tomorrow, you and I are going to have a sit down dinner at Parker’s Restaurant. I have some things I need to take care of, so I need to run right now. A late dinner should be good. Let’s say 8 p.m. See you there, D’Oliver.”

He hadn’t been there fifteen minutes before she was walking him to the door. A cab had been waiting to take him home and she was in her car before he could make sense of what had just happened. He didn’t have any further information than a time and a place. Beyond that, he felt like a sitting duck. Dario hoped that he wasn’t setting himself up for failure waiting to see what that brilliant mind had in store. He chuckled as he went back to reviewing the papers he had in front of him. There was work to complete if he was going to make his “date” in time. D’Oliver needed to get back to his place, shower, change, and pick up a special “thank you” for the matriarch of the family.

One hour later

“I don’t know why I let this woman have free rein like I have. I’m sitting there, dressed to impress with flowers, and now I’m feeling like a damn idiot.”

“You said that you trusted this woman. Why do you think she’d stand you up?” his brother, Darien was on the phone as he paced the floor outside of the men’s restroom.

His little brother had called to check in with him. It was something he did every few days so their parents wouldn’t freak out as bad as they would if he didn’t make his calls. Darien was probably regretting making the call today since Dario was officially on edge. Where was she? She was never late for anything. The woman always answered her phone. Yet, she wasn’t responding to his calls or the texts he’d sent. It was forty after eight and she still hadn’t arrived. He looked up to see a woman arrive at the table. She looked familiar, but also looked a little lost.

“I think I might’ve just figured out why she’s not here. I’m thinking she sent me another woman.”

“What? Oh my … shi … vering rockets! Hello Melanie. Yes, we’ll go see your mother and tell her about big brother. No
precioso pequeño
(precious little one), I’m not going to leave you. All right, big bro. I’ve gotta go, but you’re telling me about the grand mama that hooks
machismos
up with the foxy
chicas
the next time I call.”

“You’re still a dorky ass, Dar. Let me see if my theory is correct. Go do good and all that shit.”

“Of course, it’s what I do. Soon, bro.”

“As always. Love.”

“Twice so, D’Oliver.”

Dario laughed out loud at his brother’s recollection of the name that Momma Norton latched onto. Darien used to call him that when he was younger. His given name is Dario Oliver Dominguez. Once they were adopted, the Dominguez was dropped and they gained the Anderson. Darien would stumble over Dario when he would say Dario’s name, but would get through the syllables of Oliver with no problem. Though, the “v” would become a “b” every time. D’Oliver became the closest version of his name.

It was better than the names he was given from his less than stellar parents. The best one he was given was “dod” (because of his initials). Darien’s was a little worse. Darien Ulysses Dominguez was given “dud” for the same reason. They were “Dod” and “Dud” anytime the gruesome twosome were high off their daily efforts. Those two thought it was the funniest thing ever. It was their version of “dumb and dumber”. The two should never have been allowed to have children. If they hadn’t though then the Andersons would never have had the two boys they regularly let know they were adored, prayed for, and were a welcome addition to their family. Even if took a moment for Dario to accept the new life they had and the fact that adult people actually did care for their children along with their well-being.

Emily Anderson, his and Darien’s mother, stated that the two of them were night and day when it came to listening to and following rules. Darien has always been the one to make sure to keep his nose clean and stay out of trouble. Dario felt like living like that meant that his life was going to be forever boring. He needed to try things that might be considered dangerous. Everything needed to be attempted once. He hadn’t met a dare that he hadn’t conquered.

Mr. and Mrs. Noel Anderson didn’t share his beliefs about rules and regulations. There was a time when every adult he knew feared for his safety and livelihood. He was on a destructive path for a while until Lynnie arrived and shook up his at thirteen-year-old world. Not many knew how much trouble a kid who wasn’t even a teenager could get into. They’d gone to live with the Andersons when Darien was four and he was seven. He’d already been initiated into the meaning of life on the streets because of his whore birth mother and heroin addict father. For the longest, he believed the life he was leading with the junkies, pushers, tricks, and thugs was the life of being with “family.”

A day running the streets with the wrong crowd landed him in a place he never wanted to return to. The fact that he’d left his brother unprotected and threatened by enemies of the ring leader of that crowd was his wake-up call. He didn’t find out until years later that a visit from Mr. Anderson and a few of his “friends” kept him, his brother, and their new mother safe from any retaliation. He walked the straight and narrow after that. A few days later, Dario caught sight of the lovely Lynnie. That was all she wrote.

He could clearly see that she deserved to have someone good, smart, and willing to do the “right” thing by her side. That was probably part of his current problem. If he gave it much thought, he would come to the conclusion that he didn’t think he should have someone as great as she is with him. He didn’t dwell much on those thoughts. There were things that he still had a great deal to atone for because of some of the actions he carried out when he was living that other life. He didn’t want to dwell on that. There was a familiar face looking as if she was getting ready to leave the restaurant. He needed to learn her role in all of this. Dealing with the shit ton of guilt he felt about some of his childhood antics could come another day.

Making his way back to his table, he pocketed his phone and walked up to Lindsay. She looked good. The woman was working her look: sexy form fitting dress, killer heels, hair perfectly pulled up off her neck, and make-up on point. The attention she drew from a couple of the men around her was lost on her because she looked unsettled. When she turned in his direction and saw him, she smiled. Yeah, he knew her. The question was what was Momma Norton up to?

“Hey Linds, looking for someone?”

“D.? Hi, how are you? Oh, thank God it’s you. I’ve been debating on whether or not I would come to this blind date all day. I can’t believe it’s with you. Wait, tell me it’s with you. I didn’t expect the person I was supposed to meet to be … oh, it’s you.”