OVER THE NEXT COUPLE of months, Conner and I became inseparable. We were four months into our relationship, and our lives seamlessly blended together, rarely spending a night apart. Since the night of the gala, we hadn’t stepped foot inside of his parents’ home. However, we did join Conner’s father for dinner, meeting him at a restaurant downtown. Coincidentally, Martina wasn’t in attendance, as she was recovering from cosmetic surgery. Kenneth’s personal assistant, Yanna, attended in Martina’s stead. Yanna was a Dominican woman in her late thirties. She wore a sleeveless red sheath dress which complimented her dark chocolate skin. Her jet-black curly hair was cut short in a tapered afro, its luscious locks cascading forward over her deep-set dark brown eyes.
Kenneth and Yanna arrived only a few minutes after us. He led her to our table with his hand on the small of her back. It was such an intimate gesture between two colleagues. I turned to Conner to gauge his take on their familiarity with one another. Conner’s face was unreadable as he watched the two of them. Upon approaching our table, introductions were made. Over dinner, Conner and his father interacted as two business partners would, discussing mergers and acquisitions. Kenneth was pleasant and charming towards me, and he openly flirted with Yanna. Conner observed their interaction with a calm irritation that was expertly masked by a look of boredom. Conner slightly winced when Yanna used the pad of her thumb to wipe a drop of sauce off Kenneth’s lip. I clasped Conner’s hand under the table as we watched Yanna and Kenneth openly make advances towards one another.
After dinner while in the car, I mentioned to Conner, ‘So…Yanna. She’s friendly. Did you know about the two of them?’
A brooding Conner replied dryly, ‘I did.’
‘I see.’ I rested my hand on his thigh. He clasped my hand and brought it up to his lips for a kiss, before resting our joined hands between us. We drove the rest of the way home in silence.
Upon returning to his place, Conner excused himself to his home office. I excused myself to bed and waited for him to come to me. And he did, during the still of the night. He reeked of bourbon, and his touch was rough and desperate, lacking intimacy.
After withdrawing from me, our bodies were slicked with sweat, and our chests heaved with staggered breaths. Without so much as a goodnight kiss, Conner rolled off me and onto his stomach. He passed out without uttering a single word.
∞∞∞
WE INVITED MY PARENTS over for dinner at Conner’s place. Unfortunately, my father declined our invitation. Helena, however, graciously accepted our invite. Dinner was a success. Conner passed her ‘test’ with flying colors, answering all the questions she had for him to her satisfaction.
After dinner, I walked Helena to her car, our arms linked. ‘I like him. He’s a bit of an enigma, but I can tell that he’s crazy about you.’
‘You really like him?’ I was relieved and giddy. Helena, like my father, was ridiculously hard to please.
‘Yes, sweetheart. Conner didn’t come in the package that your father and I imagined, but he’s quite a catch. He’ll be able to provide for you in a way that you’ve become accustomed to, even more so than I’ve ever dreamed for you.’
‘I don’t care about his money, Helena.’ It was off-putting that his net worth seemed to be a significant factor in Helena’s favorable opinion of him.
‘I know, sweetie. But let’s face it. You’ll need a little help in that department since you quit dental school.’
To say that my parents were disappointed in me for dropping out of dental school was an understatement. ‘I thought we went over this. I’ll be going back in the fall. Just with a different major.’
‘I know, Novalee. We just had other plans for you. You’ve made so many changes, as of late. It’s hard to keep up sometimes.’
We now stood at her white Lexus convertible. She tweaked my septum piercing with her finger and fluffed my curls while pursing her lips. I defiantly held my head up high. Gone were the days of hiding who I really was to appease my parents. I was finally doing what I wanted to do when it came to my education and my future. I was with the man that I…dare I say loved, no matter what my father thought about it. ‘I’m still the same person, Helena. I’m just finally living my life by my own rules. I’m happy. So be happy for me.’
She gently cradled my jaw. ‘Oh, honey, I love you. And I’m proud of the woman you’ve become. Just be patient with us…especially with your father.’
‘I will, but dad is overreacting. It’s not like I got a face tattoo or joined a cult. Goodness.’ I was tired of fitting into the box that my father had for me. During the first twelve years of my life, he was content with being a very part-time father and a full-time financial contributor. When I moved in with him, his heavy-handed approach to fatherhood took some getting used to. He had an opinion about everything, from how I wore my hair, to the style of my clothes, to the way I spoke, and my educational path. My schedule for a twelve-year-old consisted of therapy, etiquette classes, private tutors, piano lessons, and cooking lessons. I tried hard to please him over the years, still not one hundred percent sure that his love for me was unconditional.
‘I’ll work on your father. Tell Conner to work on his mother, because you will not tolerate disrespect.’ Helena and I embraced, and she settled into her car. ‘You get along okay with his father?’
‘Mr. Brathwaite is very kind. He seems to be supportive of our relationship.’
‘Good. Times have changed, you know. And besides, you’re not some ghetto hoochie mama from around the way. You are a beautiful, cultured, educated, and sophisticated young woman. You come from a good family. Men have always been weak in the knees over you. So many of my sorors and colleagues want to set you up with their sons. Conner is lucky to have you in his life.’
‘I know.’
‘Good. Never forget your worth. You are loved. You are wanted.’ This was something Helena repeated to me often. She had the uncanny ability to know just when I needed to hear it.
‘Love you, Helena. Drive safe,’ I said as I closed her door.
‘Love you, too.’ She daintily waved her hand before driving off Conner’s estate.
