Fateful Renuion

by Haze, Joanna A.

  “What can it hurt?” She clicked it.

  Category? With so many options, it was a bit overwhelming. What she wanted really didn’t fit in any. Escorts? Not a chance.

  She selected jobs and dating. “Those two should be safe.”

  She drummed her fingers on the keyboard while biting her bottom lip. “Loser needs date for her class reunion?” She laughed.

  A few moments passed before she typed. Wanted: Weekend getaway. Seeking date for ten-year-class reunion. Must be age twenty-eight to thirty-two. Pays well and inquiries must have pictures.

  “Upload picture?” Ugh. Though it was optional, she thought it best to add one of her own. She skimmed numerous photo files of her and her best friend Tasha. Tasha’s hearty laugh showed through her toothy smile. The only one of her alone was one of her receiving her Ph. D., taken by Tasha right after the graduation. She clicked the photo and uploaded it to her advertisement.

  Done. Now all she had to do was sit and wait…and pray that she doesn’t get a bunch of crazies.

  Chapter Three

  “Who’s that?” Dante looked over his friend’s shoulder at the chocolate beauty on the screen. Her smile was warm and inviting, and behind her eyes laid a hidden passion. Maybe it was his imagination, but it sure seemed that way to him.

  “Some desperate lady. She’s offering a thousand dollars for me to join her in Chicago for her class reunion. How sad is that?” Aaron responded.

  “Says the man who plans on taking her up on her offer.” Dante laughed and walked into the kitchen.

  Aaron tossed his hands up. “Hey, man, times are hard. I’m a black actor trying to find a decent role, and all I get are the drug dealer and convict auditions. I have bills to pay.”

  “I know. It’s why you’re sleeping in my guest room.” Dante looked in the refrigerator, grabbed the organic juice jug, and shook it. “Dammit, man, did you have to leave this little corner of juice in here? What could I possibly do with it?”

  “My bad, man. I came in late and wasn’t thinking. I’m serious about it being hard to find good acting gigs though. You’re white. I’d bet they’d jump at a chance to have you.”

  Dante came out the kitchen, crossed his arms, and eyed his longtime friend. To compensate for his small stature, Aaron resorted to body building. The worn-out gym tank top he wore showed off his biceps and stretch marks. A less confident man would be intimidated by the mini hulk sitting at the kitchen table. “I’m from Spain, and I don’t get the benefit of the doubt all the time either.”

  “Dude, please.” Aaron smirked. “You get respect because no matter how tan you are, they still see you as white.”

  “I’m not getting into this with you today. I have to get to work. I’ll see you later. Make yourself useful and grab some more juice when you go out.” Dante laughed at his friend and headed to his car in the garage.

  He and Aaron had been friends since they were teens. They grew up in the same neighborhood but Aaron went to a private school while Dante went to the public school. Aaron’s family had money and gave him the world while Dante lived with three generations—his grandparents, aunt and her husband and their kids, and his parents. It was the only way to afford the house he grew up in.

  Now it was Aaron sleeping in his guest room. He’d rather date women for money than get another job outside of acting. He was too stubborn to be a waiter. Funny how things turned out.

  The ringing phone interrupted his thoughts. He answered using his hands free device. “Hello, gorgeous.”

  “Hola, hijo. How’s my wonderful son today?” a gentle woman’s voice asked in a thick Spanish accent.

  “Buen. I’m great. Right now I’m on my way to work.” Dante’s car zipped down the street and out of Hollywood Hills.

  “I know. I just want to make sure you’re coming for dinner,” his mother asked.

  “Yo no sueño de desaparecidos. I wouldn’t dream of missing it.”

  “Good. Bring Aaron too.”

  “But…” He stopped at a red light.

  “No but’s. Bring him.” She disconnected the call.

  Aaron was family and expected to attend gatherings, but knowing him, he’d probably already had another date set up with some woman online. Dante would have to lie to cover for him.

  Enjoying the California sunshine, Dante made his way to his office. An hour later, things were in full swing.

  “Dr. Perez, a lady came in. She hit a dog. She doesn’t know whose it is but feels so bad she brought him in,” his assistant Tina said. For once, she’d listened to him and pulled her blonde hair up into a ponytail at the start of the day instead of just before surgery.

  He stopped typing in the notes for a procedure he needed to perform on one of the German Shepard’s from a local K-9 unit. “How bad is it?”

  She leaned against his door. “The usual.”

  “Go ahead and prep room two.”

  Tina nodded and headed out. Dante finished his notes and prepared for a femoral head arthroplasty. Hip surgery was the most common injury when a pet was hit by a car—if they survived.

  “Thank you for bringing him in,” Dante said to the young lady sitting outside of the exam room. He pulled down his mask, allowing her to see his face. “Not everyone is as kind. I’ll check to see if he has a chip, and we can locate the owner as well.”

  Kind eyes looked back at him. “Is he going to be okay?”

  “Yes.”

  “Thank you.”

  Dante left her and headed through the double door. Due to the mild manner of the beagle, surgery was a breeze. Less than an hour later, he was able to comfortably put the dog in a cage and send him to recovery.

  “This business card was left for you.” Tina waved a lime green card at him. “She said to contact her so she’ll know the status of the dog.”

  “Put it with the others.” He finished typing his notes into his tablet.

  Tina walked over to his desk and dropped it in the fish bowl sitting on the corner. “It never fails. One look at those blue eyes of yours, and the women swoon.” She put her hand across her heart and sat on the edge of his desk. “Oh, Dr. Perez, can you make me, I mean, make my cat feel better?”

  Dante laughed. “My eyes didn’t work on you.”

  “I’m a lesbian.”

  “Point taken.”

  “Room one is ready. Dr. Valdez’s assistant is on his way with our patient.” She headed out.

  By the end of the day, Dante completed four surgeries. He showered and made his way to his childhood home. As expected, Aaron bowed out. This time for a legitimate reason—a casting call.

  “When are you going to bring a woman to visit us? Un hombre adulto no debe ser solo. A grown man should not be single.” These were the first words out his mother’s mouth as soon as his father finished saying grace. Her silver hair was a stark contrast to her youthful face. At sixty-two, she had minimal age lines and her slim frame was still that of a twenty-year-old.

  “Rosa.” His father shook his head. Years of being in construction had worn on his skin, which had hardened resembling worn leather.

  “Eh. ¿Qué pasa? I just want to know. Our son is handsome, Alberto. It’s not right for him to be single. He needs a woman to cook for him.” She added more paella to his plate for emphasis.

  Dante held back his amusement at the heaping of fried chicken and rice on his father’s plate. Laughter would only add more to his, and he was close to being stuffed. “Mama, when I find the one you will know it. La pacienca.”

  “Patience? I’d be dead and gone before my eldest gives me any grandbabies.” She huffed.

  “Mama,” his sister Isabella interrupted. “No worries. Hector and I will give you plenty.” She patted her protruding six months pregnant belly.

  Her husband, Hector, smiled and continued feeding their two-year-old son who was content on tossing the food off the high chair instead of eating it.

  “No es lo mismo. It’s not the same.” She placed her napkin on the
table and went into the kitchen.

  Dante followed her to the sink where she started running dish water. “Madre. ¿Qué pasa?”

  She sighed. “I want you happy.”

  “I am happy.”

  “No. Happiness is sharing your life with someone. All you do is work. No one is good enough for you. What happened to Elsa?”

  The name alone almost required him to take a valium. Elsa was loud, crazy, and wanted to be married after dating two months. She was also a set up by one of his mother’s friends. Within a few weeks, she’d showed up at his job, saw a woman waiting outside his office, and went crazy. It took his and Tina’s pleading to get the scared owner to come back to pick up her Siamese cat after surgery.

  He shoved his hands in his pockets as he’d done a million times as a child while pleading his case. “It’s been over for months now.”

  “She was a good girl.”

  “Muy loca.”

  His mom softened and shrugged. “Tal vez un poco loco. Maybe a little crazy.”

  He laughed and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I have to get going.”

  After saying his goodbyes to the rest of the family, Dante made his way home. He wondered if the woman on the computer screen was loca like Elsa.

  Chapter Four

  Mandy checked the clock on her cell phone for the third time. It was five minutes after six. People with no concept of time annoyed her. She said to meet her at six, therefore he should have walked through the door at five to ten minutes prior.

  He’s late. She sent a text message to Tasha.

  Quit being anal. He’s not a client. Call me after.

  She put her phone away and scrutinized the people walking through the coffee shop’s front entrance, two women followed by a white gorgeous man headed in her direction. There was no denying his Adonis looks. His jet black hair, chiseled jaw, and deep tan had all the women in the place craning their neck to get a good look at him. He’d be the perfect candidate in another Superman remake.

  The bathroom was right behind her, and people had been walking by for the last fifteen minutes. Mandy figured he’d do the same. She activated the display on her phone again to check the time.

  “Sorry I’m late,” a deep voice said while taking the empty chair across from Mandy.

  Her eyes met the blue gaze of the same white man she saw heading in her direction. Her breath caught in her throat, and she let out a soft cough. “Excuse me?”

  “Sorry I’m late.”

  “Late for what? Who are you?” Crossing her arms, she gave him the stare down. Molded to perfection or not, he had no business sitting at her table.

  “Meeting you.” A slow smile moved across his face. “Mandy, right?”

  Her mind went through all the inquiries. Not once did she respond to the any of the white men’s requests. “How would you know that? Furthermore, how did you know I’d be here?”

  “Aaron couldn’t make it and had me fill in.”

  “Is this a joke? If so, I’m not amused.” Mandy stood up to leave.

  “Wait. My apologies. I’m Dante Perez. Aaron is a good friend of mine and asked if I could fill in.” The words came out rushed, his eyes willing her to stay.

  Mandy paused, not taking her seat but not ready to walk out the door yet. She looked him up and down, taking in his gentle gaze and warm inviting smile. He was bigger than she first thought, well his shoulders were. His chest was broad, filling out the button-down stripped shirt he wore. “I was very specific in my request. I wanted a Mandingo Warrior, not a friend of Ken’s.”

  “A Mandingo Warrior?” Dante laughed. “Are you serious? Who’s Ken?”

  Her brown eyes narrowed. “I’m very serious. My date needs to be black, and Ken is Barbie’s boyfriend. You can’t be him. He’s a blonde so that leaves you as one of his friends.”

  A low chuckle escaped his lips. “I’m not black, but I wouldn’t say I’m white either. My family is from Spain.”

  “With a last name of Perez, I figured it was something, but according to the government, your country associates with the European side. That would make you white,” she said matter-of-factly.

  “White, black…who cares.” He shrugged his shoulders. “You need a date and are desperate enough to pay for it. Here I am, waiting and willing to fill in. Take it or leave it. I’d advise you to think wisely, being from your own correspondence you need a date this weekend.”

  He had her. She’d been through dozens of emails, and Aaron was the best she came up with, even though she appeared to be the victim of the bait and switch. No way could she find someone else before Friday. Conceding defeat, she took her seat. “I’m sorry. I was caught off guard.”

  “Understandable.” He nodded.

  “Like I told Aaron, I’ll pay half when you meet me at the airport and the other once we touch back down in L.A. Of course, the flight is covered. I’ve prepared some material for you to learn.” She flipped open her briefcase and pulled out a file.

  Dante opened the manila folder and scanned the page. A few moments passed before he spoke. “Are you applying for a green card?”

  Mandy’s frowned and squinted at him, willing his brain cells to come into focus. “Come again?”

  “This is insane. My profession, how long we’ve been together, where we met, our favorite color, favorite food, and the list goes on. You’re telling me who I need to be.” He dropped the file on the table.

  “We need to have the appearance of a legitimate couple.”

  “I think you need to sit on the other side of your therapy chair. Is it too much just to ask me about myself?”

  Unrelenting, she responded, “I wasn’t looking for you at all. Aaron knew all of this and agreed. You’re filling in, so I assumed you would know. Either you’re willing to go through with it or you’re not.”

  Dante rose from his seat and spoke in a low but direct voice, “I’m not. Good luck.” He turned and stormed off from the table.

  Mandy’s jaw dropped. What had she just done? It was too late to find anyone else. As Dante pushed through the entrance, the reality of having to attend her reunion unaccompanied hit her like a ton of bricks. She’d have to face David and his wife Jessica on her own.

  She slowly sipped the last remnants of her tea. Sitting in a café pouting wasn’t going to fix the situation. Mandy needed to put on her big girl panties and tough it out. She grabbed the file off the table, shoved it back in her leather case, and headed home.

  “Call Tasha.”

  “Calling Tasha,” her car hands free device repeated.

  “That was fast,” Tasha answered.

  “It seems like I’ll be going alone after all,” Mandy huffed.

  “What happened?”

  “You mean besides Aaron turning out to be Dante and not black? Nothing.” She rounded the corner into her neighborhood.

  “Say again?”

  Mandy let out a sigh. “Aaron sent a white guy named Dante.”

  “Is he cute?”

  “Does it matter? He’s not black.”

  “He’s a man, and he’s a date. What’s the big deal?”

  She made her way into her neighborhood.

  “It’s too late now. He walked out.”

  *****

  Dante still wore a scowl as he marched in the kitchen and tossed his keys on the counter. They skid across the counter top and landed on the floor. Who the hell did she think she was?

  Aaron popped his head up from the laptop. “How’d it go?”

  “The woman is brutal. She called me Ken. No, one of Ken’s friends.”

  Aaron gave him a blank stare. “Who the hell is Ken?”

  “The guy Barbie dates apparently. I need a drink.” He made his way to his self-made bar and poured himself a shot of Tequila.

  “What does a silly girl’s toy have to do with anything?”

  “Ken is white. She was looking for Mandingo.” Dante downed the drink and let out a breath. It was strong, just what he needed. He shou
ld have never let her get under her skin the way she did. “You neglected to tell me about her stipulation.”

  “Beggars can’t be choosers. You jumped at the chance to fill in when I go the call for this acting gig. I gave you what you wanted.” He laughed.

  “From the picture, she looked sweet and innocent. Man, was I fooled. From the moment I sat down, she looked at me like she was in a knife throwing contest and I was the target.” He started to pour another shot before thinking better of it.

  “She’s one fine sista. I’ve always told you a fine black woman comes with attitude.”

  “It wasn’t so much an attitude it was the control. Mujer loca. That’s one crazy woman. She gave me a long list of things I needed to remember for the reunion. Good grief, it’s just a reunion. Who’s she pretending to be?” Dante made his way into the living room. He flopped down in his lazy boy and leaned back, extending the bottom half to prop up his feet.

  Aaron halted his bellowing for a brief moment. “I forgot to tell you. My bad. It was her dime so I didn’t mind. I’m an actor. Playing a role for a desperate woman is right up my alley.”

  Dante relaxed the furrow in his brow and thought back to the smile he noticed on Mandy’s face when he first walked in, before he sat down in front of her. “I’m not so sure she’s desperate as much as she has something to prove. If she were desperate, she would’ve jumped at the chance to have anyone. She was purely annoyed about me not being a brotha.”

  “Whatever, man.” Aaron closed his laptop. “You’re my brotha from another mother. I’m on my way to my reading. See you later.”

  Aaron made his way out the door. Dante’s thoughts went back to Mandy. He had to admit her quick wit slightly turned him on. What did a woman as beautiful as her have to prove?

  Chapter Five

  Mandy paid the cab driver and walked to the smiling curb side attendant. LAX buzzed with patrons as she rolled her bags along the bumpy sidewalk. While packing, she went back on forth on what to wear. Chicago summers often were smoldering, but being on the lake at night could be chilly. She prayed her bag came to under fifty pounds. Paying extra for weight was an unnecessary annoyance. No matter what, it was still getting on the plane so why couldn’t it be like those boxes from the postal service? If it fit, it should ship.