Fighting Destiny (11 page)

“How are you?
I am glad to see you and I did promise you that hug for all of your help!” he said with a broad smile.

“I could be better actually!” she replied turning again to watch Darius’ rapidly retreating figure. “But enough about me, are you happy with the facilities?” she asked trying to deflect the attention from
herself.

“Are you kidding, this is fantastic!
I never imagined that we could ever host an intensive in a place like this,” he laughed. “By the way, how do you know Darius Brogan so well, to call in such a big favour?” asked Nathan curiously.

Solange bent her head a little and scuffed the tip of her shoe against the stone walkway before she responded. “I met Darius
last year at a tourism conference and you could say we became friends. We go out every now and again when he needs a date for a business function, but so far nothing serious!” she said in a deflated tone.

Nathan could not believe his ears. What was it with this man
that women were left sighing in his wake?

“Well you would have to be pretty close to pull of these arrangements for us! Nathan co
untered trying to encourage her to say something, anything he could use to his advantage.

“No
not really! Darius is the consummate businessman and he is benefitting from this as much as you are. He isn’t doing this for free you know; it is my hotel that is suffering the loss here.”

“
Solange, I am really sorry about that. How are the repairs coming along?”

“Slowly, we haven’t done much yet except for clearing away the debris. Estimates need to be drafted and presented to the owners so I think we will be closed for a few more weeks.”

“Wow, well I hope that all goes well there!”

“Yes me too! The hotel is like a ghost town right now. I was hoping to meet Darius for some dinner tonight but he blew me off,”

“Dinner?” asked Nathan even more intrigued.

“Yes, we planned to have dinner tonight but he said he made other plans but did not give an explanation. He was hurrying after someone. Actually now I think about it
, he was talking to a woman dressed in dance clothes when I stopped him, probably one of the intensive instructors!

Nathan froze at that bit of information and fumed inwardly at Darius’ repeated attempts to get close to Candasee. Goodness, it had only been one day, what was the man’s rush?

“Did this woman have dark skin and long black hair?” asked Nathan trying to sound nonchalant.

“Yes,
in fact she did!”

“
It seems that you like him a lot though, judging by the way you look and sound right now!”

“That would be
understating it Nathan,” replied Solange looking deflated.

“
You’re in love with him aren’t you?”Nathan guessed, now understanding Solange’s body language.

“Guilty as charged! Look Nathan, I think I am going to
leave now, I am going home to repair what’s left of my dignity with my favourite bucket of triple chocolate chip fudge ice cream!”

“Solange, I think we can help each other,” said Nathan thinking quickly.

“What do you mean by that?” she asked.

Come, let’s have a drink and I will fill you in on all of the details. I think we are both in a position to help each other out!”

Solange looked quizzically at her old friend and regarded his wide smile. Any help in snagging the elusive Darius Brogan was definitely worth
a listen, but she couldn’t imagine how Nathan could help her do that.

Fifteen minutes and a glass of punch later, Solange looked at Nathan with amazement at his idea. It turned out that they had much more in common than she’d even realized.

“So, will you help me?” he was asking at that moment.

Helping Nathan was helping herself now that she knew what Darius’ distraction was.  But one thing was still bothering her!

“What if they really love each other, I wouldn’t want to go through any more heartbreak than I have already, Nathan.”

“Solange, they
already got a divorce, so all we need to do is to make sure that we keep them apart and remind them why they aren’t any good for each other while we are on this trip,” said Nathan through gritted teeth.

“
But sometimes divorcees get remarried when they realize they made a mistake in separating!” argued Solange glumly.

“Not in this case though, Solange!
Candasee is my fiancée now and I’m not letting her go! Hey, I thought you wanted Darius so why all the negativity?”

“Nathan
sometime you just have to face facts. Besides, I can’t be here all day doing this. I still have a job at the Meridian Hotel during the day and now that we are carrying out repairs I have to supervise that to make sure everything runs smoothly and on schedule,” she replied.

“I know it
all sounds difficult and it will require some of your time but I love Candasee and I want to marry her and I can’t do that if Darius keeps sniffing around like some kind of bloodhound, reminding her of their past.”

Solange exhaled see
ing the angst of her friend thought of what could happen if this plan should fail. She could lose her friendship with Darius and Nathan would lose too, but on the other hand the possibilities were almost too tempting to pass up. She’d dreamed for months of having Darius finally look at her as more than a business associate but as a woman he desired. What would it finally be like to have him wrap her in his arms and make love to her? Just the fantasy caused her blood to warm and he skin tingled with anticipation.

“Okay, I’m in!” she said and she and Nathan clinked their glasses in agreement.

The candlelight flickered within the red glass orb in the centre of the table casting a sensuous glow on the tablecloth and on Candasee’s radiant skin. Her white and silver cotton, batik-printed, halter dress fitted to her full, rounded breasts and her narrow waist before flowing fluidly around her ankles. When she emerged from the bathroom earlier, Nathan thought she looked as beautiful as a bride and wanted this night to go as slowly as possible as he drank in her loveliness.

They walked hand in hand from the hotel room all the way to the restaurant and Nathan slipped his arm around her waist and held her close
to him as they walked. There was a relaxed air about her and it seemed that she was finally comfortable with being here with him as a couple. It was such a welcoming change from earlier in the day and he wondered what happened to cause it. Whatever it was he wasn’t going to question it!

She’
d released her hair from its ponytail and it now flowed all around her shoulders and her back in long ebony waves. This was heaven indeed and Darius Brogan could eat his heart out, he thought! Cajun cuisine wasn’t a big favourite of his, but tonight he didn’t care what he was eating, everything tasted perfect. She was perfect.

“If you keep staring at me like that Nathan, I ‘m going to start th
inking that I am the dessert,” flirted Candasee as she regarded Nathan’s brooding expression.

“Perhaps you are the dessert,” he
replied as his gaze lovingly caressed her face before dropping lower to the deep cleft between her breasts. They were smooth and firm and rose gently as she breathed.

To tease him she c
hanged the subject and began to ask him about the plans to reschedule the off-site outing for the instructors on the final day of the intensive, and if he’d had any success as yet. She could barely stifle the giggle in her throat at his indignant expression.

“Candasee, I’m not sure if you noticed
, but here we are in a completely romantic restaurant setting, dining by candlelight and we have all this wonderful music, cool breeze and the sound of the ocean behind us. So the last thing on my mind right now is the intensive,” he replied simply. “Actually I would love to dance intensively with you on the beach, if you know what I mean.”

“So no dessert then?”
she asked again laughing lightly.

“I thought you figured out who the dessert was already,” he said
pinning her with an intent look that communicated his blatant desire for her.

Nathan signalled to the waiter and
signed off on the bill and they both walked out onto the deck and down onto the beach.

“Let’s go down to the water’s edge,” Candasee suggested
playfully. “I love to feel the water on my toes!”

They both removed their shoes and left them on the deck so that they could feel the
powdery sand between their toes as they walked closer to the water’s edge.

The water was cold but it felt refreshing against her feet. Feeling a bit mischievous she waited till the next wave came in and scooped up a handful of water and threw it onto Nathan.
He almost jumped a mile when the cold water touched his head and neck.

“Hey! I hope you can finish what you start
ed,” he taunted lunging for her arm. She stepped back and squealed as she tried to escape him but she was too slow.

“Come here,” said Nathan, drawing Candasee close to his body and enfolding her in his arms.

“Mmm, this feels really good Nathan. I’m glad I came out here with you tonight,” she replied wrapping her arms around his waist.

Nathan’s heart swelled until he thought it would burst inside of his chest at hearing those words from Candasee
. He tightened his grip around her body and ran his hand lovingly along her back as they swayed in the moonlight to the rhythmic music coming from within the restaurant.  He brought his hand up to the back of her neck and twirled a lock of her soft hair around his index finger. He allowed the strands to loosely fall away from his hand and leaned down so that his mouth was a mere breath away from hers.

“Candee, do you love me?”

Candasee inhaled the warm, clean scent of Nathan’s aftershave and looked into his dark eyes which now looked like black marble in the moonlight.
She could trust these eyes couldn’t she?

“Nathan, “she
began, “Of course I love you”. She had strong feelings for him, liked being with him and he treated her like a queen. Even her father liked him which was miraculous considering that he hated Darius and never approved of their marriage. He seemed to be perfect for her in many ways and she was ready to open her heart to someone new; someone who understood her and accepted her as she was.

After her response, he rested his forehead against hers and allowed himself to exhale slowly before claiming her mouth with slow deliberation.
His lips were warm as they covered hers and she could feel herself slowly falling under the spell and the fantasy he was weaving around her. Being with him was slowly bringing her alive again. This relationship would give her the freedom she was looking for from her past wouldn’t it? She told herself as she allowed herself to open up to the moment as Nathan claimed her lips softly nibbling and tasting her before sliding his tongue past her lips to deepen her surrender. She entwined her arms around his neck and pulled her body against his until she was pressed fully against his length.

“God, Candasee you have no idea how much I want you right now!” he groaned into her mouth as his hands travelled down to her derriere to pull her
tightly against his arousal.

“I think I have an idea,” said Candasee coyly.

“Candasee, did you mean it when you said you would marry me?” Nathan asked searching her eyes for any sign of hesitation.

“I meant it
Nathan; I want to be with you!” Candasee replied.
At least she really hoped she did
. The feelings she was encountering in Darius’ presence were really scaring her.

“Will you marry me Candasee?” Nathan asked once again holding her hand and twisting the ring on her finger gently.

“Yes, of course I will Nathan,
I already said I would,” Candasee laughed as a tear slipped out of her right eye. Nathan kissed her once again, but neither saw Darius seated at the other end of the boardwalk inside the restaurant.

Neither saw
the tears which left his eyes as he watched the couple embrace each other on the beach. It was as though she was leaving him again, but this time the pain wasn’t buried under layers of reasoning’s and excuses. The memory which haunted him for twenty-eight years once again twisted in his heart and he could see why he’d literally wrecked his marriage with his own hands. He’d only been a boy then, but the trauma he was left with left gaping wounds in his soul.

Scotland
             
                           
Twenty-eight years ago

“Mom, what’s wrong? Aren’t we planning for my birthday party anymore,” Darius asked his mother who was just standing staring blankly through the window at the bustling activity on the street below. He hated seeing her like this, but it seemed now that every day, this standing and staring blankly out of the window was becoming a habit.

Mar
ianne Selby-Brogan looked down at the disappointment on her son’s face and swore to herself that today was the last day that she would allow him or herself to suffer abuse and disrespect from anyone. She’d already placed a call home to Derrien Island to her sister Petra to make plans for them to be on the earliest flight back to her homeland.

Marianne stooped down until she was at eye-level with her son. He w
as too young to experience this kind of hurt, too young to truly know and understand what was really going on and she wanted to shield him from any further pain.

“Darius sweetheart,
I’m taking you on a trip, and it is going to be exciting!” she said pinching his cheeks with a forced smile.

“Really, where are we going, Mummy?” he asked with his innocent gray eyes wide and searching hers.

“I’ll tell you but it has to remain a secret between us, okay?”

“Can I tell D
ad?”

“No, Darius,” Marianne almost shouted and shook his small frame insistently. “You mustn’t tell your father anything about this, do you hear me?”

“But...”

“No buts,
this will be our little secret!” she whispered pulling her son in close for a hug.

Today was the final
day she would endure the lies and being treated like a common beggar. It wasn’t her idea to relocate her home to Scotland, but in the early days of her marriage she would have followed her husband anywhere and she did! They were in love but to her horror that love dried up quickly! Now she lived as a woman scorned and abandoned by the man who promised to love her till death.

At that moment
, the front door of their home slammed open and in staggered his father Iain Brogan, drunk at two in the afternoon.

“Where’s Darius?”
he bellowed with his red cheeks puffing with the effort it took to speak!

Marianne pushed Darius behind her and stood facing her husband with her chin raised defiantly.

“You are not taking my son anywhere, not like this, not now, and not ever!” She would die fighting to save Darius from any future that involved having to stay here with this man.

“He’s my son and I will take him anywhere I choose, woman.”

“Over my dead body!” shouted back Marianne.

“That can be arranged right now then!”

Darius peeked from behind his mother’s skirt and watched as his father advanced toward her with his hand raised. He was about to strike her when he ran out between them screaming for his father to stop at the top of his voice. He hated seeing his parents fight like this and even more hated when his father came home drunk. He wasn’t always like this! Before, he was kind and often took him out to play on evenings after school and even helped him with his homework. But it all changed last year when he saw his parents fight for the first time.

His screams seemed to have brought his parents to their senses, even if only temporarily and they both stopped shouting to look at him.

“Stop fighting, please!” he begged with tears streaming down his face.

“Iain listen to reason, I don’t want Darius to spend the weekend at your family’s home,
and you know that they hate him! I will not send him there to be abused. He is better off here with me,” said Marianne in a calmer voice.

“He needs to know who his family is!
” slurred Iain angrily.

“Look Iain, just sleep off the alcohol and we can talk about it later
,” said Marianne trying to get him to see reason.

“There’s no time for that, I have a taxi outside waiting for him.  He will be back in a day or two,” said Iain reaching down and grabbing Darius’ hand.

“No Daddy, I don’t want to go. I don’t want to go without Mummy!” Darius protested tearfully pulling back his hand.

Iain Brogan looked down through hazy eyes and heard the cries of his son and they made him angrier. Ever since he
’d made the mistake of marrying Marianne and bringing her to live in Scotland, he had no end of bad luck. His parents simply couldn’t accept that he’d married a black girl and had a son, considering that they’d planned his wedding to Aileen MacLeod for years to unite the family businesses. Marianne just didn’t fit into his society and because of her, neither did he. His parents cut him out of the trust and he had to go and work like a commoner. Now that jobs were hard to find, he wished he’d listened and forgotten Marianne when his family threatened him the first time.

“Boy you will go where I tell you to go! Do you hear me!” shouted Iain suddenly reaching out and twisting Darius’ ear until he squealed in pain.

Marianne rushed forward to defend her son and Iain shoved her against the table. She grabbed the vase in the
centre of the table and was about to throw it at Iain’s head when a woman’s voice called from outside. She walked cautiously through the door and peeked around it.

“Iain, are you alright in there?”
she said looking around the door.

Marianne stood there
hand still raised and now incredulous that Iain would finally bring his mistress to their home in the full view of his son!

“
How could you Iain, how could you think to take my son to see his grandparents with your girlfriend on your arm?” spat Marianne bitterly. “You are married and it is bad enough that I have to endure your reputation as a drunk and an adulterer but to bring it here for Darius to see is unforgivable.”

Darius recognized the woman as the lead dancer in the travelling
performing arts troupe his father currently managed. He was barely at home lately, always on the road promoting some new show.

“Marianne, you know this marriage is over, it’s just a formality now,” laughed Iain as if it was a joke.

Darius watched as his mother trembled with rage as Iain trotted over to the other woman and kissed her full on the lips in full view of Darius and Marianne.

“Here son, meet your new step-mother,” he laughed.

Darius shrank back toward his mother and clung to her legs. His entire world felt as though it was turning black around him. He had never seen his father behave like this and how could he call this strange woman his step-mother while his own mother was still standing there!

“Leave Iain, right now or I swear I will...”

“You’ll do what? You wouldn’t know what to do without me! I hate you, I hate everything about you. I ‘m leaving, you and Darius can stay here and rot for all I care,” said Iain once again half-stumbling toward the open door.

“Oh and by the way Darius, happy birthday!” he said before looping his arm around the dancer’s waist before pulling her back outside with him. Darius and Marianne heard the sound of a car door closing and after that Iain was gone.

Hot thick tears were flowing down Darius’ cheeks and the pain in his chest was unbearable. He felt the warm reassuring hand of his mother touch him gently on his head and all she said was,

“
Come we have to get packed, we’re leaving tonight!”

That evening he and his mother packed up their belongings and checked into a nearby hotel for a few days while she arranged the travel details and then they left for Derrien Island.

As Darius sat at the table and recalled the scene still vivid in his mind
after all these years, he knew that he’d allowed his past to cloud his judgement terribly. It was irrational of him really to think that just because Candasee wanted to be a dancer that she was exactly like the woman who took his father away from him and broke his mother’s heart. He wasn’t anything like his father for choosing to love her either, but every time he’d watch Candasee dance back then he felt as though he was betraying his mother’s trust and his own vow to never be a rotten louse like his father.

His mother
had always tried her best with him even though the light in her eyes was never quite the same after that day for many, many years. She struggled to provide for him and refused the help many offered because she was a proud woman and it was embarrassing to let people know that she left with such high hopes for Scotland only to return in shame, poverty and disgrace as a divorced woman and a single mother. But she held her head high and she taught him to do the same and it was that strength he attributed to the success he enjoyed today.

He’d been so happy for his mother
this year when she found a wonderful man who really cared about her. It took her reaching her sixtieth year to do it but she eventually found someone to love and someone who loved her. She and Francis got engaged a month ago and now his mother had a new bounce to her step and the full light of life in her eyes.

Reaching into the pocket within his jacket, Darius
took out his phone and dialled her number, needing to hear her voice. The phone rang about three times before she answered.

“Hello? Darius?” came h
is mother’s voice over the line.

“Hi Mum, yes it’s me! How are you
doing?”

“
Oh son, I am wonderful, Francis is keeping me happy in my old age,” she joked.

“Is th
at Darius?” He could hear Francis’ muffled voice from the background.

“Yes, love
its Darius!” his mother replied.

“Tell him I said hello then!” said Francis.

“I think he already heard you, but I will pass on your message! You heard Francis, son?” she asked.

“Yes, I did! By the way
, the plans for your party are all set. You guys really deserve this happiness!” said Darius as he imagined how his mother must be smiling right now. Her voice sounded light and happy and that was what he wanted for her all along! Although she was now sixty, she didn’t look a day over fifty. Her hair was still mostly black and lustrous and her skin wasn’t as wrinkled as it should have been for a woman who saw as many troubles as she had.

“
I’m so excited about this, and thank you again for humouring the extravagant wishes of your mother!” she said.

“Mom, you know that
I would do anything to see you happy! I’m just glad that I could!” he said hoarsely with his voice registering a touch of sadness as he continued to watch how close and intimate Candasee and Nathan looked together as they kissed and talked on the beach.

“Hey
, I don’t like how you sound, where is my confident son?” asked Marianne with concern.

“
He’s here somewhere,” replied Darius trying his best to laugh even though it felt like a hot iron was being passed straight through his body. It was a strange sensation, being unable to breathe, and feeling like he was dying and waking up all at the same time.

Marianne was
n’t fooled at all by Darius’ false bravado. The world knew him as powerful and wealthy but to her he was always her caring son, who all his life made sure never to add a day of worry to her life. The hardest thing about raising him was in getting the work she needed to pay the bills and to put food on the table. When Darius came of age he vowed to her that she would never have to work as hard as she did again and he followed through on that word. She now lived the life of luxury and ease and knew that she was the first motivator for her son’s success.

Right now though, she could hear the unmistakable sound of pain in his voice.

“Darius, you know you can’t fool me, I gave birth to you and raised you. What is it?” she pressed.

“You
know me so well Mum!” he replied wondering if he should say all that was on his mind at the moment.

“Okay Darius, Francis and I will be there at the hotel tomorrow and then you can tell us what’s bothering you!”

“Mum,
there’s no need for all the fuss. I just thought of you and wanted to see how you were, that’s all! How is Francis?”

“Both Francis and I
are fine, you have seen to that Darius, and stop trying to change the subject. I want you to hear me well. Thirty-eight years I have known you like the lines on the palms of my hands and I know when something is bothering you. I am coming down tomorrow and then you can tell me what is going on, okay! I am not taking no for an answer.”

Darius knew it was useless to argue with his determined mother and
it was always good for them to catch up anyway. He’d remember to tell Portia to schedule her in for lunch the next morning.

“Okay, I will
see you tomorrow!” he relented and said goodnight before disconnecting the call.

Candasee and Nathan
were now walking back to the boardwalk to retrieve their shoes. Candasee looked strikingly beautiful and radiant in the moonlight as her flowing white ankle length dress clung to her legs in the light breeze. Even in the dim light he could see how she was the centre of Nathan’s gaze. She raised her hand to touch his cheek tenderly and the sparkle of the diamond on her hand caught the light.