Truth or Dare

by Dwayne S. Joseph

  Truth or Dare?

  Dwayne S. Joseph

  www.urbanbooks.net

  All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Acknowledgments

  Truth or Dare?

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Epilogue

  Book Club Discussion Guide

  Copyright Page

  Acknowledgments

  Thanks to God ... a new adventure is about to begin. I’m waiting to see what you have in store. To my wife and kids ... this one took me away for a lot of hours. I appreciate the patience. To my family and friends ... thanks for having my back and being the best. To my special crew of readers: Nancy Silvas, Portia Cannon, Cheryl Francis ... thank you for taking the time and the great feedback. To the readers and book clubs (Mom, I truly appreciate you and the Circle Of Women) ... thank you all for the love and support you continue to show me. I’m honored that you all take the time to hit me up on Facebook and in e-mail to let me know that you enjoy the storylines and the dark twists and turns! Knowing that you do, keeps me pushing the envelope. To Victoria Christopher Murray, Eric Pete, La Jill Hunt, Anna J... . thank you guys for the friendship and support. Let’s keep it going! To Brian Smith, Moses Miller, Marc Lacey, Vincent Alexandria, Ricky Teems & Jihad ... I cannot tell you enough how honored I am to be a part of the Love Literature Tour!

  To my G-Men! My son’s got his helmet. I’m preparing him to wear the Big Blue someday! Let’s get it!

  Hit me up and remember: If you don’t know ... you will!

  Dwayne S. Joseph

  Djoseph21044@yahoo.com

  www.facebook.com/Dwayne-S-joseph

  Truth or Dare?

  Jess sighed as she turned on her laptop. In a few minutes, she was going to tell Jayson that two weeks wasn’t going to happen, because it couldn’t. Not again. A one-night stand: technically, that’s all their night was. She felt bad about that, not because it was the right thing to do, but rather because Jayson was a good man who didn’t deserve to have that done to him. So, two days ago, she had backed out and skipped her seminar to avoid him. But now, she sat ready and determined to take the first step toward redemption because she needed to be able to look her husband in the eye again. She needed to be able to look at her girls and feel the pride she felt before she’d done the unthinkable. Until she closed the book to a very dark chapter in her life, however short it had been, she couldn’t face Esias; she couldn’t be her daughters’ example. So, as Windows loaded, Jess sat still, ready and desperate to get it over with.

  She’d lost herself over the course of seven weeks and, as she had, her marriage had suffered. Esias was an imperfect man who was absolutely perfect for her, and for the past few weeks, she had treated him like shit. He didn’t deserve that. Her girls hadn’t deserved to see the man who loved them more than anything in the world get half-assed treatment.

  Jess took a breath, and then moved her arrow to the AOL icon. Jayson would be waiting for her; she knew. She didn’t know how he was going to take what she had to say; that after tonight, the game was officially over. But, she couldn’t worry about that. The time had come to get back on the right path.

  Truth or Dare?

  Chapter 1

  Jess was stressed. She’d missed the deadline to withdraw from her classes for the semester, and now she was a week behind in both of her programming classes. She groaned and ran her hands through her short, Halle Berry-styled hair. She needed a haircut, but that was the last item on her laundry list of things she had to take care of.

  She looked at the seventeen-and-a-half-inch screen on her MacBook and groaned again as she listened to her online professor speak, while her classmates furiously typed comments and questions that prompted the professor to babble off more technical jargon that she didn’t understand.

  She ran both hands through her hair and scratched her scalp, not because it was itching, but, rather, just because it was as close to driving a knife through her heart with her own hand as she would get.

  Chicken, she thought. Just go and get the damn knife. It would be a hell of a lot easier to just end it that way, than to sit through a frustrating semester with high blood pressure while you die slowly. Chicken!

  Jess took a breath and released it heavily. She wasn’t ready for this. Mentally, she was already at the beach, Six Flags, the park, or just on her couch with her legs stretched out and her Victoria Christopher Murray novel in her hands. Stress still existed, but it was just the typical work-related stress; the bills-that-needed-to-be-paid stress; and the two, overly dramatic and all-too-whiney-little-girls stress. She could deal with those stressors with no problem. What she couldn’t deal with was another eight weeks of mundane seminars, mandatory participation sessions, quizzes, weekly assignments due at the stroke of midnight, and most important, the sleepless nights.

  Mentally, she wasn’t prepared for that, which is why she’d tried to take the summer off to recharge her battery that had long been drained. But, she’d read the e-mail from her academic advisor giving her instructions and withdrawal deadlines incorrectly and now she was two assignments, four seminars, and six class partici-pations behind.

  Jess let out another wounded moan as she scratched her scalp again, and then pulled down on the back of her neck. She was exhausted. Work was as stressful as ever, the kids were becoming increasingly more demanding, and her husband was becoming more unavailable, leaving her virtually no chance to relax in the evening before she sat down in front of her laptop. She took a glance at the time in the bottom right corner of her screen. It was a quarter to eleven. Fifteen minutes to go before she’d begin to tackle attempting to get herself caught up. Fifteen minutes before she’d begin the ritual of going to bed well after one in the morning, only to get up at five to get ready for work.

  She wanted to cry.

  And perhaps she would have, had an AOL instant message window not suddenly appeared on her screen.

  R u as lost as I am??

  Jess looked at the message with the strange font, bunched her eyebrows together, and then looked at the screen name of the person who’d sent it. Jayson Winston. The only reason she had downloaded the instant messenger was because it had been a requirement for her classes. If and when it was used, which was rare, it was only during class. She looked at the name again. Jayson Winston. She recognized it from her PHP (Hype
rtext Preprocessor) class. She thought about closing the IM window. After all, she and Jayson had never exchanged words before, but the question had been a comforting one because, for the first time, she’d felt as though she weren’t alone. She nodded her head, let out an “Uh-huh,” and then typed a reply.

  I’m beyond lost! Ahhh!

  She hit send with a smile.

  Seconds later, Jayson replied.

  The prof lost me after the first 5 minutes! Jess chuckled.

  At least u made it 4 5! I’ve been lost since I signed on. I missed the last 2 seminars!

  Damn! Why?

  I thght I had withdrawn in time, then found out I hadn’t. Now I can’t or else I’ll hve to pay 4 the classes!

  That sucks!

  Tell me abt it. I have no clue what the professor is tlking abt, and the textbooks don’t help worth a damn. I feel like the village idiot compared 2 everyone else.

  LOL! Well, at least now u knw u hve a neighbor in the village!

  LOL! Sorry u r struggling 2, but it is nice 2 knw I’m not alone.

  I’m Jayson Winston by the way.

  Jess smiled.

  I’m Jessica Richards. But I go by Jess.

  I like tht. Sounds cool, stylish. Nice 2 meet u, Jess.

  Nice 2 meet u 2, Jayson.

  There was a pause of messages for a few minutes, and when creaking and closing doors began to sound— indications that students were logging out of AOL—Jess wondered if Jayson too had called it a night. She looked at her friend list and saw that he was still logged in. She didn’t know why, but she smiled.

  A few more creaking and slamming door sounds went off as the professor told everyone good night. Jess sighed. “Nice talking to you, Jayson,” she said with soft disappointment.

  She scrolled her arrow to the AOL menu and clicked on the drop down, giving the option to click to sign off.

  Hey, Jess ... u still thre?

  Jess’s index finger had been inches away from going down on her sensory pad to log out of the messenger. The corners of her mouth curled upward.

  I am. Was jst abt 2 log out. Thght u had gone.

  No ... sorry. Brkng news came on ESPN abt my NY Giants.

  I take it ur a big fan?

  Sheeit! I bleed blue!

  LOL.

  U in2 sports?

  Yup! Die-hard Stlrs fan here.

  Stlrs schmlrs. It’s all abt the Big Blue!

  LOL! All I hve 2 say 2 tht is 6 rings!

  Yeh, yeh.

  Stlrs, baby! Woot woot!

  LOL! So were u born and raised in P’burgh?

  I’m actually a New Yorker. Born and raised in the Bronx.

  Oh yeh? And yet u like the Stlrs?

  My husband is frm Pittsburgh. He got me in2 the game.

  Hubby’s lucky. Not many guys hve wives tht get in2 the game, especially if thy wrn’t in2 it bfre.

  Jess frowned as she thought about her husband, Esias. Hectic schedules, her online classes, and his side career as a budding producer had them at a disconnect for the past year and a half. She didn’t reply.

  After a few seconds, Jayson sent another message.

  So ... a hubby ... any kids?

  Jess smiled.

  2 grls.

  Lil princesses. Wht’s their names?

  Jeanette and Jasmine.

  Prtty.

  Wht abt u? Married? Kids?

  Hell, no! I’m proud 2 say I’m in the minority.

  Minority?

  I’m a brotha with no girlfriend and no kids!

  Wow! What’s wrong with u? Gay?

  Hell, no!

  Lol!

  Lol. I hve some things I want 2 accomplish. I’m not tryn 2 hve kids til I do. Besides ... .I hvn’t found the rght woman yet.

  Sigh. The world could use more black men with tht mentality. Especially the younger ones.

  Yeah.

  The sounds of keys rattling announced themselves.

  Jess looked up. Esias was home. She shouldn’t have, but she sighed, and then typed quickly.

  Hey ... hve 2 run. We’ll tlk again.

  Awww ... OK.

  Hve a good night.

  Jess closed the messenger window before Jayson could reply, and then signed out of AOL just as Esias walked into their home. Her heart was beating heavily, and beads of perspiration had formed on her forehead. Why? she wondered. It wasn’t as though she were doing anything wrong, just casual conversation. Yet, despite the rationale, the guilty feeling remained. She logged out of the classroom, and then closed her laptop down. As she did, Esias walked into the living room.

  “Hey,” he said, his voice weary.

  “Hey,” Jess replied.

  Esias put a stack of blank CDs he’d been holding in his hand down on the dining table, and then walked over to her. He was still dressed in his business attire: black slacks, white dress shirt, baby blue tie undone. She always liked when he dressed up. He leaned down and gave her a kiss on her lips. “I didn’t mean to take so long, but I was in a zone. Sorry.”

  Jess shrugged. “This was one of those rare nights I was able to get Jeanette and Jas in bed before my seminar.”

  Esias gave a nod of approval, and then stood erect and stretched. “Are they asleep?”

  “Yeah. But, you need to wake them up to go to the potty.”

  “OK,” Esias said.

  Jess pushed her chair back and stood up. “So, you got a lot done?”

  Esias nodded. “Yeah. Got three tracks done, one hip-hop, one more of a Linkin Park kind of a track, and then a throwback baby maker one. Anxious for you to hear them.”

  “Can’t wait.”

  “How was your seminar?”

  Jess groaned. “Frustrating. I’m so completely lost.”

  Esias raised his eyebrows up and down. “You’ll catch up.”

  Jess sighed. “I don’t know. With the other classes, I at least felt like I could when I got lost. This is the first time I feel like I might fail.”

  Esias walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. “You won’t,” he said.

  “I can’t,” Jess said. “We can’t afford to pay the school any money right now. Speaking, of which, our turn-off notice for BG&E has to be paid by this Friday.”

  Esias nodded. “We’ll take care of it when I get paid on Thursday. How much is it again?”

  “Four hundred twenty dollars.”

  Esias snapped his head up in her direction. “What? How the hell is it so much? I thought you paid last month’s bill.”

  “I didn’t do the whole thing. I only paid what we owed from the previous month.”

  “So we’ll pay what we owe from last month again.”

  “I tried when we got the notice. But we’ve been behind for too long. They want the whole thing now.”

  Esias slammed the refrigerator shut. “Goddamn,” he said. “Do you get paid this week?”

  “No.”

  “Shit. That’s most of my fucking check.”

  Jess sighed. “Yup.”

  “Goddamn,” Esias whispered again. He dragged his hand down over his face and pulled down on his chin. “Goddamn.” He planted his hands on his hips, dropped his chin to his chest, and stood still for a few seconds.

  Jess frowned. They both made decent money, had relatively little debt, yet they couldn’t seem to get ahead.

  A minute or two passed, and then Esias turned to her. “I have to get this demo done,” he said. “I have some people interested in hearing more of my music. The sooner I can get it in their hands, the sooner I think I can get a deal and get some more money in here.”

  “That would be nice.”

  “So does that mean you won’t be giving me any grief about needing more time in the studio?”

  Jess shook her head. “As long as you’re back before my seminars begin, and you know that Mondays and Tuesdays are off-limits, then handle your business.”

  Esias turned his palms up to the ceiling. “How do you expect me to handle my business when y
ou’re giving me restrictions like that?”

  “Why do you have to look at it like that, Esias? I’m just asking for some give-and-take.”

  “Didn’t you just say it would be nice if I brought more money in here?”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “So how do you expect me to come home before your seminars? And how could you say I can’t have Mondays or Tuesdays?”

  Jess curled her lips. Unbelievable, she thought. “Esias. . . I need you home before my seminars because nights like tonight don’t happen often. And I need you here on Mondays and Tuesdays because those are the nights my assignments are due. It’s not about restricting you. It’s about you compromising with me.”

  Esias let out a heavy breath. “Compromise, compromise,” he said, tossing his hands up to the ceiling. “I’ve been compromising ever since you started taking your classes. Honestly, I could have been done with a demo by now if I didn’t have to compromise so damn much.”

  Jess closed her eyes a fraction. “Esias, all I’m asking for is some consideration. Work is stressful enough as it is. I don’t think it’s unfair of me to ask you to compromise.”

  “Work is stressful for me too, Jess, but I need time to handle my business.”

  “Esias ... I am behind in both of my classes, and I’m struggling to catch up. I know you need your time, but I need your time too. The kids don’t act the same when you’re not around; you know that. So yes, on Mondays and Tuesdays I need you here to help me get them together so I can complete my assignments.”

  “I need to get this demo done, Jess.”

  “And I need to pass my classes!”

  Jess stared at her husband, while he stared back at her with a set jaw. This was a constant battle between them. One that neither side ever really won. One that was helping to widen the disconnect. Jess took a deep breath and let it out slowly, and as she did, she found herself wishing that she could rewind the clock to twenty minutes earlier when she had been chatting with Jayson Winston.