Damon
March 8, 2009
SEVERAL months passed and I’d never been happier. Carleigh had accepted the terms for our divorce, and we were simply waiting for it to be finalized. Brooke and I were purchasing a new home together in Northwest, D.C. She had graduated and obtained her certificate as a pharmaceutical technician and was working at a local drugstore. She was elated to be out of that diner, but still hung out with her friend Tony quite often. I’d never been homophobic, but he took some getting used to. After a while, I understood why Brooke loved him so much. He always gave it to you straight, no chaser. He kept it real, and in a world where people put on so many pretenses, he was a breath of fresh air.
Tony had become such a mainstay around our house that he had convinced me to start yet another dating site for men searching for men exclusively. We were still working on a name for it though. Tony came up with all kinds of raunchy names: Dick4Dick.com; Bottomsup.com; RamMeHard.com; SuckHimGood.com. I tried to explain that all of those names sounded like sex sites. Tony’s argument was that it was better to get to the bottom line. He insisted that anyone going on any of those sites is looking to get laid, despite poetic profiles stating the person is searching for a serious relationship. I didn’t agree.
Case in point, Summer. If another couple never made an official hookup in the history of Able Minded Dating, I would have been content. Summer had found the love of her life on the site, and I was elated.
Brooke and I—along with Tony and Destiny—attended Summer’s wedding together.
Summer married Duncan, a lawyer who was also confined to a wheelchair after a terrible skiing accident in the Poconos. His injury had been temporary though, and he had learned to walk again. They were the perfect couple and incredibly cute together. When they exchanged vows at the church, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the place. Why? Because Summer walked down the aisle. I was proud of her. She had been determined to get used to her prosthetic legs before her wedding date. After months of therapy and learning how to use them, there she was, walking.
At the reception, which took place at the Old Ebbitt Grill near the White House, Destiny and Tony were actually competing over who could pick up the most men. My, oh my, how times had changed!
Summer and Duncan shared a first dance together. It was outstanding as they swirled around the floor to “At Last” by Etta James. Brooke looked stunning in a sleeveless red gown. I asked her to join me on the dance floor, halfway through the song. Destiny and Tony jumped on the floor quickly after we did, both of them having had a little too much of the champagne punch already.
I shook my head as I approached Duncan and Summer. I tapped Duncan on the shoulder. “May I cut in?”
He grinned and went to dance with Brooke, not a bad trade-off in my opinion, and I took Summer into my arms.
“You look so happy,” I told her.
“I am happy, and I owe it all to you.” She kissed me on the cheek. “I never thought that I would find someone—anyone—to love me, but you told me I could.”
“And you did.”
“Thanks to you, and your site.”
“Oh, you would’ve found Duncan anyway.”
Summer looked confused. I could tell her legs were tiring her some because she held on tightly to my neck. “What do you mean? I wouldn’t have found him.”
“Yes, you would’ve. What’s for you will be with you, no matter what other circumstances try to intervene.” I glanced over at Brooke, who was bantering lightly with Duncan. “Take Brooke and me. We’d seen each other before, but the timing wasn’t right. When it was time for us to meet, we did. When it was time for us to love one another, we did.”
“I’ve never seen you happier either,” Summer said. “I always thought you belonged with Brooke, but there was that little …”
“Marriage?” I chuckled. “Well, things are all good now. In fact, I need to ask you for a favor.”
“Anything,” Summer said as I began to whisper in her ear.
After the wedding cake was cut, it was time to throw the garter and the bouquet. Summer had a symbolic garter that Duncan was to throw out to the men. Tony ran out onto the floor and wrestled another man down to the ground to get it. After he came back to the table, flailing his arms and breathing all heavy, Brooke glared at him.
“Are you satisfied now? Making a fool out of yourself like that.” She tried to suppress a laugh, but couldn’t, and we all fell out laughing, even the four other people sitting at the table that we didn’t know. “You can’t get married anyway,” she added jokingly.
“Hey, you never know when the laws in D.C. might change. Besides, my groove is in the heart. I’m ready to meet the man that Candy Land dreams are made of and settle down. I’m sick of all the drama and bullshit out there.”
Destiny took another sip of champagne punch. “Amen to that!”
Tony punched her lightly on the arm. “The night’s still young. At least your dating pool is thicker than mine up in here. Only slightly though. They’re so many down-low men in here trying to pretend like they like women, it’s pathetic.”
“Well, hell, I can use a little sugar in my bowl,” Destiny said. That’s when it became obvious that she had consumed too much liquor.
Brooke rolled her eyes at Destiny. “Yeah, right, whatever. Why don’t you just hook up with Tony then? You two could take the term freak to another level.”
Tony and Destiny stared at each other for a moment, like they were contemplating it, then said, “Naw!” in unison.
“Look at all those fish out there waiting to catch the bouquet!” Tony exclaimed. “You’d better get on out there, Miss Destiny.” He swirled the garter around on his fingertips. “I’ve already claimed my destiny, no pun intended.”
Destiny was about to get up when I said, “Destiny, why don’t you chill! There are so many women out there, you don’t stand a chance.”
“Plus, she might fall on her ass and make a fool out of herself,” Brooke stated sarcastically.
Summer walked out onto the dance floor where all of the women were positioning themselves to catch the bouquet. She pretended to throw it a couple of times, faking out the women who were ready to pounce.
Then she surprised everyone by walking over to our table and handing the bouquet to Brooke.
Brooke stared up at her. “What’s this?”
“You’re the next woman to be married.”
Brooke was shocked. “What do you mean?”
Summer pointed to the bouquet. “Why don’t you smell the flowers?”
Brooke played along and put the bouquet to her nose. She took a long, deep whiff. “They smell great.”
Summer sighed, looked at me, and shrugged.
“Brooke, why don’t you pin one of the roses on me? It’s a tradition,” I said, lying.
“I’ve never heard of that tradition before,” Destiny broke in.
“Me either,” Tony said. “Not that I hang out at a lot of weddings.”
“You’re making that up,” Brooke said, right on point. “That’s not a tradition.”
Summer said, “Well, I’m starting a tradition at my wedding.” She pointed at the bouquet. “Pin that big, fat yellow one in the middle on Damon.”
Brooke seemed reluctant but pulled the rose out, and as she did, she finally noticed the four-carat diamond engagement ring on the stem. She gasped. Destiny dropped her champagne flute on the table and it spilled everywhere. Tony let out a slight scream. Summer giggled.
I got down on one knee beside the table. Everyone was watching since Summer had brought the bouquet to our table instead of throwing it.
“Brooke Alexander, will you do me the honor of being my wife?” I asked.
Brooke’s eyes almost popped out of her head. Then she whispered, “But your divorce isn’t final.”
“It will be, and I like to look ahead.” I took her hand in mine. “We’re already living together, and I don’t want to waste any precious time. The second tha
t we can, I want to commit to you for the rest of my natural life. I’m not a perfect man, but …”
“I don’t need, or want, you to be perfect, Damon. I love you for you.”
“Then marry me for me.”
Brooke started crying as she yelled out, “Yes! Yes! I’ll marry you!”
I took the ring off the stem of the flower and placed it on her finger. “I’m going to love you forever … and even after forever.”
Everyone started clapping as Brooke fell into my arms. It had been a long road, but we had finally arrived at our final destination: unconditional love.
Brooke
August 18, 2011
DAMON took me and the kids to the Cayman Islands for a late-summer vacation. Our twins, Judith and Jacob, were playing in the sand, trying to bury Damon, even though their little hands were hardly big enough to scoop enough of it onto him. They were sixteen months old, and I still hadn’t recovered from the fifty-eight hours of labor. I almost killed Damon in the delivery room, and the doctor, and the nurses. I was out for blood. But it was all worth it. My family was worth it.
All of Damon’s sites were pulling in tons of money, and we were able to purchase an even bigger home once we had the children. We were having an architect make the plans for our dream home, which we planned to build within the next few years. While I refused to give up the job at the pharmacy—I needed to maintain my individuality—I was helping out with everything. Damon now had a large staff, which included Tony, who runs StallionsOnline.com—a compromise between the raunchy and the practical.
Destiny found her a man on the Last Good Men. She had to break a few eggs to make an omelet, but she met a man named Wisdom, who was a local newscaster and sexy as all get-out. She was the godmother of both twins. Bobby was Jacob’s godfather, and Steve was Judith’s.
My parents were so excited that Damon and I were married. We didn’t have a big wedding. We got our license and got married at the courthouse. We were so glad to be together that we didn’t need all of that fanfare. We only wanted to get our life together started—and we had.
Damon got up from the sand and walked toward me. I was sitting under the largest beach umbrella that I could find, trying to stay out of the unrelenting sun.
“Your turn,” he said, as he plopped down on the huge towel beside me. “They’ve worn me out.”
I was so glad that Damon felt comfortable enough to come out on the beach wearing only swim trunks. Some people stared at his arm, but most people ignored it. He had no reason to feel ashamed.
“I’m not letting them attack me,” I said jokingly. “That’s Daddy’s work.”
“Oh, is that in a manual somewhere?”
“Yes, the one that I’m working on now. I’ll let you know when it comes out.”
“Smart-ass!” Damon sat up and kissed me on the lips, then looked back at the children. “They’re so beautiful—a mixture of you and me.”
“Yes, they are.” Judith and Jacob had curly, medium blond hair, and their skin was the color of cashews. “I hope people don’t judge them unfairly because of their racial makeup.”
“Oh, please, Brooke. No one cares about interracial couples anymore, so why should they care about what bloodlines our children have running through their veins?”
“Even though Barack Obama is in office, racism is still very prevalent in this country.”
“How many people have said anything about you and me?” he asked. “Since we’ve been together?”
“A few, but they were all ignorant. I don’t give a damn what they think, but our kids have to grow up with that ignorance.”
Damon took my hand. “I love you, without limitations, and no one is going to tell me who to love.”
I grinned at him. “Nor me. You couldn’t get rid of me now if you became a serial killer.”
“Yeah, right. Stop laying it on so thick.”
“Okay, maybe not a serial killer.” I ran my fingers through his hair. “You could never hurt a flea and you know it.”
“I’m so glad that we’re together, married. We were meant to be.”
I looked at the twins and then back at Damon. “Yes, we were.”
I got up and ran toward the kids, then dove into the sand and started throwing sand on them.
“Bet you can’t bury Mommy,” I said.
As they jumped on me and started yelling out, “Mommy,” over and over, from the corner of my eye I saw Damon staring out at the ocean. My beautiful, beautiful husband.
Zane’s Commentary
I HOPE that you enjoyed Total Eclipse of the Heart as much as I enjoyed writing it. It evoked many emotions in me, and I gave much thought to constructing the characters and story line, as I do with all of my novels. I wanted to explore many things with this book; some more obvious than others. I have long dreamed of writing a novel with a main character with a disability. Many of my readers are disabled, and they deserve a voice in literature. They love and are loved, like everyone else.
Years ago, I was doing a book signing in Maryland and I was overwhelmed when a group of wheelchair-bound fans came out and requested that we take pictures together. They had never been to a signing before but had asked their caretakers to bring them. We took the photos and had them developed at a one-hour photo shop so that I could sign them. I was extremely moved by that gesture, and I have never forgotten them. So if any of you are reading this, I want you to know how much I love and appreciate you all.
I have never liked shallow people who base a person’s value solely on their looks. They do not realize how many positive experiences they miss out on by playing into that mind-set. In this novel, Brooke and Damon were brought together by unlikely circumstances but learned to appreciate and embrace the differences in one another. I did not reveal which of them is African-American and which is Caucasian; it does not matter. What matters is that they found one another amid a sea of toxic situations. I also wanted to prove that a good love story is a good love story. Too much emphasis is put on a book’s being an African-American title. Passion and sensuality, love and romance, are universal. So is the story of Brooke and Damon.
Even though Damon literally saved Carleigh’s life, she did not truly appreciate it. He was a trophy husband to her. She did not care about his desires to further his dreams or to have children; her only concern was that he looked better than the men any of her friends were attracting. Once he was damaged goods, she had no further use for him. Yet, despite her cheating and lying, when he got ready to leave, she did not want to lose the fight. A lot of people are like Carleigh. Usually men want trophy wives though, and once the wives gain a little weight or do not look like they did before childbirth, the men are ready to toss them aside. But this goes deeper. What would you do if your mate became disabled? Would you stand by his or her side or be ready to move on?
For twelve years I have been giving relationship advice, and never once have I suggested that a person cheat. I attempt to convince people not to, even when they feel justified. While I have written many books about people who do cheat, they generally learn their lesson. In this book, I wanted to show how temptation can creep up without it being the intention of either party. Brooke and Damon’s relationship started out innocent enough, but they ended up dating—albeit unofficially. Damon’s decision to stay away from Brooke was the only way that he could ensure that they would not end up in bed together. Too many people do not believe that being tied to someone emotionally is a gateway to cheating, but it definitely can be. So if you or your mate spend a lot of time talking to someone else on the internet, chatting with the person daily on the cell phone, or “hanging out as platonic friends,” do not be surprised if something else comes of it.
Brooke’s relationship with Patrick brought her down in so many ways. Her self-esteem was ripped from her, causing her to bury her pain in comfort foods and to gain weight. Even though he was considered a good man, he was not a good man for her. Nor should she have to accept sharing him with other wom
en. If that was in a memo, I must have missed it. Once she started pulling away from him and allowed Damon to encourage her, instead of put her down, she was able to pursue her dream of bettering her life. I hope that some of you will learn something from that. We should never sacrifice our happiness for someone else, period. Everyone is entitled to happiness, and while many people will be in your life, not all of them are meant to be there. That can be a hard pill to swallow,
but it is true. It is also true that you are not meant to be in everyone’s life. Your habits and beliefs may not be conducive or advantageous to them. If you are in a toxic relationship, cut ties and begin anew.
I could go on and on about my purpose in writing this story, but, hopefully, that is clear enough and you will think about the messages contained within it long after you close the book. The experience of writing it will last within me forever.
Blessings,
Zane
The Zane Music Group presents songs inspired by Total Eclipse of the Heart, featuring the vibrations of R&B, Soul, Retro, Dance, Latin, and World Rhythms by various hit artists. You have read Zane’s books. You have seen Zane’s show. Now listen to Zane’s stimulating music, designed exclusively for all of the special moments in your life. Executive Produced by Zane and Maxwell Billieon. Available now for digital download on www.PlanetZane.org and www
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Readers Club Guide
TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART
by Zane
Do you believe that Patrick was actually in love with Brooke, or was he with her because he wanted to control her? Do you think he felt that Brooke was beneath him?
Why would Patrick cheat even though he made a commitment to Brooke and wanted to marry her? Do you think that people who want multiple lovers should simply stay single?