by Nella Tyler
I’d started to think about calling Tyler into my office for an apology when my phone rang. I answered without looking.
“Hello?”
“Hey!” Briella’s voice on the phone made me grin. I made sure that the door was closed; it was nothing I was ashamed of, but I didn’t want anyone barging in while I was talking to her.
“Hey. How are you doing?”
“I’m so tired. I feel like I didn’t get any sleep last night. The neighbors were having some kind of barbecue, and no one went home until three in the morning.”
I frowned in empathy. “Aw. Try to get a nap during the day, if you can.”
“I have a couple billion clients,” she laughed. “But yeah, I’ll definitely try. What are you up to?”
Casual conversation didn’t bode well for me telling her that my father was proving himself more and more to be a racist with every passing day and my brother might be driving the company into the ground with his own inadequacy and attitude issues. So instead of talking about any of that, I said, “I’ve been fine. I think I might drown in paperwork.”
She laughed, and the longer we talked on the phone, the more I could feel myself slipping into a sense of indescribable calm.
Chapter 32
Briella
After an exhausting week of back-to-back clients and endless barrages of work and appointments, I was more than happy to sleep in on Saturday morning. When I did wake up, it was to the sound of Nina talking to my father, and it made me smile that my friend had come over and made herself comfortable. She’d truly always been family.
I was out of clean leggings, so I put on a pair of shorts that I didn’t usually wear and a T-shirt, doing a quick check to make sure any and all recovering hickeys were still hidden. Even if my dad didn’t notice, Nina would, and she would make my life living hell about them. Especially in front of my father.
“Good morning, sleeping beauty!” Nina chimed. They had the breakfast table laden with pancakes, bacon, toast, eggs, and orange juice. My stomach growled helplessly at the sight and I sat down to give them both a small hug.
“Good morning. How’s it going?” I asked, and started to serve myself.
“Nina got a job,” Dad said.
“I got an interview,” Nina corrected. “But it went really well. Unless there’s some fluke, it should go great.”
“That’s awesome! What’s the job for?” I took a drink of orange juice.
“Secretary at a law firm,” she said. “I know, I know, but this one looks a lot better. It’s an all-black women’s law firm, and the people there are such badasses. The lady who interviewed me had probably a million degrees hanging up on her office wall.”
I grinned. “I never understand when they try and tell us that black people aren’t educated. Black women are the most well-educated group of people in the United States.”
“I believe that,” Dad said. “I’ve been outsmarted by pretty much every woman I’ve met since I was old enough to talk.”
I laughed. “When do you start work?”
“Like I said, I just had an interview. I don’t know if they want me working there or not. They said they’d let me know by the end of the week.”
I hoped that she could keep this job. “Did you tell them that you’re punctual?” I grinned, knowing that that was a little below the belt.
Nina set a hand over her heart and feigned a swoon. “I would never show up late!” She declared. “Besides, it’s people I actually wanna be around. Speaking of which, how is Dexter?”
I could see my father’s face drop and he swallowed hard. “He’s, um, he’s fine.”
“That he is,” Nina agreed. She didn’t seem to notice the change in my father’s demeanor. “Oh, you know what, do you want to come with me to go pick out a present for my stepdad? It’s always a pain to shop for him.”
“Sure,” I said, eager to change the subject. After I’d gotten dressed, we took off to a sports supply store—Nina’s stepdad was a workout junkie and pretty much anything she got him in a store like this would be a good gift.
“So what the hell was up with your dad this morning?” Nina asked, turning over a baseball glove in her hand to check the price.
I sighed. “Oh, you noticed. He, um, he kind of hates Dexter.”
“What the hell?” Nina set the glove down and picked up another.
“Yeah. So you know how Dexter’s dad has this huge investment firm? Well, it turns out that Dexter’s dad is like a blatantly horrible racist. He turned my dad’s sports shop investment down and left bullshit racist reasons why he denied his investment in the review,” I said. I hated to bring it back up; I hadn’t talked about it with Dexter yet because it still made me sick to my stomach.
Nina turned to me, eyes wide. “Woah, what? What did he say? Actually, that’s not important.”
I didn’t want to recount it, so I was grateful.
“Damn, I’m surprised at that. Dexter doesn’t seem racist. I mean, he sure as hell has been good to you.”
“That’s the thing. It’s his father, so I don’t know if I should be worried or what.”
“It’s definitely a surprise. Goddamn. Have you met his father yet?” Nina picked up a tennis racket, wrinkling her nose at it like she’d never seen a tennis racket before in her life.
“Jesus, no,” I said. I couldn’t imagine going in to meet his father. It would be a total nightmare, especially knowing what I knew about him. “I don’t think I want to meet him. It hasn’t come up, even.”
Nina grabbed a helmet off the shelf. “Carl’s always hitting his damn head when he goes to the batting cages with his friends,” she said. “This should help.”
We checked out and got back in the car, generally avoiding the topic of Dexter’s father’s shitty personality. I didn’t know what to make of it, and I knew Dexter personally. I couldn’t imagine how Nina could manage not to hate Dexter for all of this.
When we got back to my house, Nina set a hand on my knee. “Hey. Bri. You be careful with him, all right?”
I sighed. “Yeah, I will be. I think it’s just his father, and it should be fine, but I’ll be careful.”
“It’s just his father now,” Nina corrected. She shook her head and popped a piece of gum into her mouth. “Things are going good, and I’m glad for that. But you’re in a long-distance relationship. You can’t keep tabs on him.”
I didn’t like the insinuation that she was making, even if she was completely right.
“It’s worth remembering that some boys turn out like their father. A lot of boys do. They can’t help it, for the most part.” Nina shrugged and gave me a side hug. “I know you’re smart. I just worry.”
Walking back into my house, I thought about what she’d said. Sure, men tended to turn into their fathers. But racism wasn’t something that a person could just pick up on. Except… racism was inherently taught, and not bred. I knew that from interacting with children versus their parents.
Not everyone became a carbon copy of their fathers. Dexter was smarter than his father, and he was different, too.
So why did my stomach still feel like a knot?
Chapter 33
Dexter
“Things have been incredible. The distance makes things so much more difficult. I miss her every day.”
“Gross.” Tyler huffed as he pushed a weight off his chest. “Sorry I asked.”
I shrugged. He’d asked me how things were going with Briella over the last two weeks and if we’d still been keeping in touch. I told him the truth; for a musician and self-proclaimed artist, he didn’t seem to much appreciate the spectrum of human emotion, or human affection, for that matter. Maybe it was because it came from me, his brother.
“It’s been good,” I repeated. “I really wish she were closer. If she lived in Florida, maybe, or if I lived in Houston…” I trailed off, not sure whether either of those things were more likely than an alien invasion. Briella couldn’t leave Houston. It was where she wa
s starting her business.
“I don’t think any of it is a good idea,” Tyler said.
I looked down at him. “What?”
“I don’t.” Tyler huffed again and lifted another set. “You’re just going to miss her more all the time if you keep this up. It’s not like you’re planning on leaving the company.”
“I could leave the company.”
“You absolutely could not.” Tyler laughed a little and nearly dropped the weight. “You would sooner die. The company is your baby, even if you didn’t have it. Dad’s never going to be okay with you dating someone who isn’t both white and incredibly wealthy, and that means you’ll have to choose between him and Briella.”
I couldn’t help but be a little insulted at the insinuation that I couldn’t make a decision that felt so obvious. I would choose Briella over my father, of course. I thought about losing my job, about the company going to shit, and about Tyler being at the helm of the investment firm in my stead. I wrinkled my nose and began to retrace my decision-making process.
“A-ha, see?” Tyler set the bar back in its place. “You don’t know.”
“Shut up.” I rolled my eyes. “Maybe… maybe the only way to make this work is if I introduce Briella to our father.”
“Uh, terrible idea.”
“Is it?” I frowned. “If they get along, then I don’t have to worry about any of this. If they don’t get along, then, well, no real progress lost. I can only benefit.”
“Or, he could say something horribly offensive, and she could leave your ass,” Tyler offered. “Or, he could hurt her feelings. She could very seriously lose.”
“He wouldn’t do that,” I assured him.
Plan in the making, I went to work feeling a bit better about my situation. Still, I avoided my father’s office during the day. Even as I defended him to my brother, I didn’t trust him not to say something that would dishearten me from even being associated with this company. I couldn’t handle hearing another horrible comment from him today.
After work, I decided to put my plan into action. I had to do something to get everything aligned in my own life. I called Briella when I got home and was relieved that she picked up right away.
“Hey,” she said. “How are you?”
“I’m doing well,” I said. I smiled at hearing her voice. “How are you?”
“I’m all right. It’s been a long day, but things are… things are good.” She sounded a bit bothered by something, but I didn’t want to pry.
“I have kind of a crazy idea to run by you,” I said. “If you’re up to hear it.”
“Sure. Shoot.”
I leaned forward against the counter and took a deep breath. “Do you want to come to Florida for the weekend? Expenses paid?”
“Oh.” Briella paused for a moment. “That’s, um, that’s a lot.”
“I know. I know, it’s a big deal, but I wanted to see if you could meet my father.”
Dead silence.
“You don’t have to. I’m sorry.”
“No, I’m just thinking.”
“I thought that since I met your father, you’d want…” I shook my head. I couldn’t lie about my intentions. “I just wanted you to meet him, that’s all.”
“I just don’t know if it’s a good idea,” she said. “I mean, I’m not… I’m not really in your league, as far as class goes. I don’t think he’d like me. I’m not a DuBois.”
I bit the inside of my cheek and furrowed my brow. I didn’t like that train of thought. I preferred the idea that Briella was out of my league, and that my family could never quite earn her trust, not the other way around. “You’re better than any of the DuBois. If you don’t want to meet him, that’s fine. I certainly won’t force you to, and I understand why you don’t want to. But nothing that he says can change what I think.”
“You’re not trying for your dad’s approval?”
“Not really.” That wasn’t entirely true, but I liked to think that it was. “If you meet and he doesn’t like you, tough shit for him. But I’d rather try than just assume he hates you. And there’s no reason for him to hate you. You’re successful, you’re smart, you’re beautiful, and you make great coffee for someone who hates coffee.”
This got a laugh out of her. “I understand. How about I go, and we’ll see if I change my mind about meeting your father?”
“That’s fine,” I assured her. “Send me your schedule this weekend, and I’ll take care of the flights. I’ve got a guest bedroom in my house, so you won’t need to book a hotel.”
“Sounds good. I’m kind of excited.”
I smiled into the receiver. “Me too.”
Chapter 34
Briella
Once I allowed myself to get excited about going to Dexter’s house in Florida, regardless of the fact that I was to meet his dad, it was hard for me to endure the rest of the week. He sent me my plane tickets, and I got my dad to drive me to the airport.
“You’re going to be careful now, understand?” Dad set a hand on my shoulder before I walked off to security.
“Of course. I’ve flown before.”
“No, I mean with Dexter. With his family.” Dad frowned.
I sighed. “Yes, Dad. I’ll be fine. Worst case scenario, I book a flight home, no problem. I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think. I’ll prove it.”
“You always see the best in people,” Dad reasoned. “I just worry that you’ll be disappointed with what you find when you get there.”
“Thanks for the pep talk,” I said, a little bitterly.
“Oh, come on now.” Dad kissed the top of my head. “Have a good flight. Call me sometime and let me know how everything’s going.”
During most of the flight, I tried not to worry too much about what he’d said. He was right in that I strove to saw the best in people, but I’d always considered that an attribute, not a downfall. I never stopped to consider that maybe I wasn’t optimistic, but rather naïve. The implication that I was flying into a racist shitshow did frighten me a little, but I knew that I was safe, and I had enough money to fly home if I needed to make an emergency exit.
As the plane started to land, I started to get worked up into a panic. If what my father said was true, I was about to have the most miserable 24 hours of my life. I thought of all the times that Jason had gotten angry with me and I’d hidden in my room, fearful of my life. I thought of how much I wished I could evaporate into nothingness in those moments. I’d been afraid for my future then.
I was so much more afraid now. Then, the worst that could happen was that everything would end. At the time, that was reasonable. Now, I had the potential to have something really, really good happen to me. The idea that it could all be snatched away by one dinner gone wrong… it was enough to frighten me.
I couldn’t let it get away. Not just because things might go wrong. It wouldn’t be right to not even try to make things work. I’d kick myself forever if I did that. Besides, this was assuming that I ended up meeting Dexter’s father at all. I hadn’t given Dexter a definitive answer yet; there was plenty of room for me to back out of this, still.
I hopped off the plane and made my way to baggage claim. Once I’d gotten my suitcase, I started out to the lobby, assuming that Dexter wouldn’t be there; he’d probably send a cab to pick me up. It was a weekday, after all.
Instead, when I left the building, I saw Dexter standing there. He had a bouquet in one hand, and the other stretched towards me. When I saw the smile on his face, I nearly forgot every thought I’d had on the plane, and I ran towards him.
“Hey,” I managed, one arm wrapped around his neck. He pulled me close and kissed the side of my head.
“Hey,” he returned. I pulled away from him to kiss him. It felt like it had been so, so long since we’d seen one another, and yet all of a sudden it was like we’d never been apart.
“It’s been almost a month. Why does it feel like it’s been no time at all?” I kissed his cheek and made a
face at the slight stubble.
He laughed, and my heart leaped to hear the throaty sound. “I missed you,” he said, as a sort of agreement. “Did you have a good flight?” We started back to the car.
“Yeah. I was a little nervous. I’m still a little nervous.” I shook my head and ran a hand through my hair.
“You’ve got nothing to be nervous about. You told me you’d decide when you got here; you’ve got time,” he assured me. “How about dinner tonight? Just you and me, nothing else. No one else.”
I smiled at his offer. “That sounds perfect.” I needed time to talk to him and catch up with him before I was thrown into the terrifying realm of meeting his father for the first time. Getting familiar with the territory would help me feel a little less nervous.
When we reached his house, I was reminded again of how lucky I was to be dating him. I didn’t say it out loud, because I was sure that he would tell me I was wrong, but looking at the sprawling lawn and walking in to see the flawless furnishings and designer décor, it was hard not to feel like it would be stupid for more reasons than one to walk away from this. He took my suitcase from me and led me upstairs.
“I have a guest bedroom set up so you’ve got your own space. I didn’t want to crowd you.” Dexter opened the door to the guest bedroom.
I could have swooned. The bed, for one, looked magnificent. It was probably the same as his bed, made up with lovely pillow arrangements and a thick, dense comforter. A huge window with the curtains slightly parted let in enough light to illuminate the bouquet Dexter brought that I set in a waiting vase on the dresser. An automatic kettle sat on that dresser, too, with a small box filled with different sorts of tea just to the side of it.
“It’s beautiful,” I said. “It’s absolutely beautiful.”
“I’m glad you like it,” Dexter said. He squeezed my hand. “I have to go back to the office for a little bit and fix a few things up. I’ll pick you up from here at about 7, okay?”
