An Alpha's Desire

by Amarie Avant

  “It's the most important day of the week. Church, Des. We’ve gotta go to church. Odessa will raise havoc if we don’t attend.”

  I nod then pull the phone to my ear.

  “Riley, I hope you have plans to attend church today. Call my mom. She’ll come pick you up and give you some good eats before dropping you off. When you walk to the bus after summer camp tomorrow—and every day after that—stick around your friends okay?”

  “Okay…”

  “All right, baby. I’ll call you in a day or two. Love you.”

  “I love you, too,” he replies.

  I smile. Riley is one of my favorite people in the entire universe besides my parents. So, Daniel’s mission of attaining my family’s approval is halfway there. In three weeks comes the hard part.

  I start into the master bedroom. Daniel is already somewhere in his large closet sifting through clothing. I silently pray to God that one day soon, I'll have the courage to tell him how much I love him.

  Daniel

  As soon as the congregation is ushered toward the exit after service, I start to pull back since Ephraim is behind me, and he never attends church. Something important has brought him here. However, Reverend Hayes is shaking hands and I must introduce him to Desire.

  “Daniel.” Hayes clasps my hand. “It has been a while. Glad to see you in the house of the Lord, bringing such a beautiful guest no less.”

  “This here is the love of my life, Desire Taylor.”

  As I make introductions, Ephraim drums on my shoulder. Leave it to him to act in a rush. Finally, he and I step outside as Odessa takes over with the pastor and Desire.

  “Good news?”

  “Fuck yeah,” he chortles, glancing over his shoulder as a family of three, with their toddler, hears his cussing. “We have more time.”

  “More fu—” I cut myself of from cussing in the church parking lot. “I don't want more time, I want a resolution. Eph, we already saw eye to eye about my feelings for Des. If and when I am ready to marry her, it will be regardless of anyone's feelings or desires, living or dead. However, the most pertinent issue is the will leaking and we have loyal customers perceiving my family as bigots. We will lose a lot of stockholders if Wentworth’s actions become common knowledge. Desire will be a part of the fold, and I can't have the lady I love thinking bad about my family. Point. Blank. Period, Eph.”

  He gestures for me to stop ranting. “Look, before learning about the will, Wentworth was like a father to you—Jules aside,” Ephraim says. His thin lips tense as he knows our entire family construct. “But your grandfather is no bigot and I have proof of that.” Ephraim shakes his head as if to imply what was he thinking. We both know that I don't give a damn about my grandfather's motivation to add such detestable crap into his will.

  “Daniel, we have time. Don’t worry just yet.”

  I grumble, stopping before my Range Rover. “How do we have more time?”

  “Rebecca is your only blood relative close enough to steal the company.” He beams. Rebecca's mother who was my grandfathers’ niece, died when she was a child. Wentworth was ‘compassionate’ in including her father and stepmother in the will, but they have no rights beyond what they’ve received. Nor are they greedy. “And guess what? Crackhead Becky is in jail.”

  I roll my eyes at his childish antics of saying that nickname since we were teens, but it’s too late to correct his ass now. “How? Why is she in jail? Did you have a hand in it?”

  “Bet your ass I did. Albeit, I didn't blackmail her ass or anything. The bitch has warrants in Texas. I kindly advised the right people during her departure from the museum last night. Mind you, Mrs. Christly was also publicly intoxicated. Voila, more time.”

  “How much more time?”

  “She will see a judge on Monday.” Ephraim rubs his hands together. “Rebecca has a laundry list. Run of the mill petty shit—class one misdemeanors—theft, trespassing, all that jazz. I could talk the judge into showing some tough love. Lord knows she needs it.”

  “Stay out of it,” I quietly order through gritted teeth.

  “Hey guys, is everything okay?” Desire asks from behind me.

  When I turn around, she glances from me to Ephraim. Her gaze is keen, curious.

  “You two fighting over who’s washing dishes as usual?” Juliet saves the day, placing her arm around me and Ephraim while smiling at Desire. “These boys! Gotta love ‘em. One of you dummies wash, while the other one dries.”

  Lee eyes Ephraim wearily. Although I'm not sure of the full details, I've noticed that since Eph’s been around, Juliet has steered clear of him but now she’s hanging off his shoulder. Desire bites the corner of her bottom lip before seeming to believe Juliet’s response.

  “Jules, you feel like riding with me to Miss Odessa’s?” Ephraim asks.

  “Hell, no loser,” she tosses back, heading toward the backseat of my car.

  “Guess I'll follow you all over then.” Ephraim pats his belly.

  “Where is Mama?” I ask Juliet.

  “She’s still chatting it up with a few friends. Just invited the pastor and his wife. They've got a new car. She's riding shotgun. But there’s deviled eggs in the fridge, so I’m all good. Let’s go.” Juliet closes the door.

  I start around the car, but Desire stops me. She glances at Lee who closes his door before she says, “Daniel, I don't like Ephraim.”

  I brush a few strands of hair behind her ear and kiss her forehead. “What do you mean?”

  “I doubt the two of you were arguing about dishes. Is he flirting with Jules to rile up Lee?”

  I scoff. “That couldn't be so far from the truth.”

  “When Juliet just tried to clean up the lie you wouldn't tell me,” Desire's eyebrow arches, betting me to continue with the deception, “Ephraim seemed to leer at her.”

  “Leer at her? Des, if Eph ever attempts anything with Juliet, I would fucking kill him. Shit, he's my age. Besides, he's grown up laughing at her acne. How could you think I would consent to him flirting to her?”

  “Whatever, Daniel.” She shrugs me off.

  ###

  Throughout dinner, Odessa promises two weddings for Reverend Hayes to officiate. She mentions grandbabies that she's waited long enough for me to have, but her voice is extra clear when she says, “I will wait a few years or so for my baby girl and Lee though.”

  The two love birds chuckle at that.

  “Oh, baby christenings,” Mrs. Hayes moans.

  “That’s her favorite part.” The pastor bumps his shoulder against his wife.

  “Yes, you have a way of blessing those children,” Odessa says to the first lady. “Prophesizing over them and blessing an entire village standing on the Lord’s stage.”

  “Humph, it takes a village,” Mrs. Hayes says.

  While the oxtails and roasted hens are passed around, Desire hardly glances my way. The dinner discussion is lively, chatter nonstop, but Desire won't let me touch her.

  Each time my hand slips down to her thigh, she reaches down and flicks it away. At first, I assume it's the act of intimacy in front of the pastor and First Lady. But when I place my arm around her, Desire grazes a hand along her jaw before subtly flicking me away.

  “Des, seriously,” I whisper in her ear.

  Glass of iced tea before her lips, Desire replies, “Sure thing, Daniel. Feel free to keep your secrets,” hardly audible, but I'm sure Juliet, who is on her opposite side hears our discussion.

  Then her tone is content and happy as she inserts herself back into the conversation. I grab the glass of sweet tea before sitting back. I can’t follow this conversation about movies because it’s rare that I’m allotted time to surf channels let alone watch a full-length film. Ephraim jokes about having never seen any of the movies they’re chatting about, but he has a fondness for Madea, which starts another round of laughter.

  “Daniel, I made your favorite sock-it-to-me cake. Would you like to help me dish it out?” Odessa is mo
re insistent than inquiring.

  “Sure.” I rise.

  “I knew we were in for a treat.” The pastor grins. “Odessa only cooks the good food when her babies are in town.”

  The table is full of laughter as we head to the kitchen.

  “What is going on with the two of you?” Odessa doesn't wait for my response. “I knew Desire was ticked off the first day we met, and I swear ‘for she had to love her some you to come back after that. This entire week when the two of you visit, there ain't nothing but love. But damn, boy, don't you know a mad black woman?”

  “She thinks I'm keeping secrets.”

  Her hand goes to her hip. “You must be. Smart as she is.”

  “I am.” I huff, pulling china saucers from the cupboard.

  “If you are cheating, I will slap the white off you.” She shakes her head, removing the glass dome from the cake. “Daniel, is she…is she one of those women?”

  “No, Desire has too much pride for that. But I love her.”

  Odessa takes a cleansing breath. “Thank God. I had doubts that Desire was one of ‘em at first. I can see you two love each other, and real women don’t take no shit, son.” Odessa slices pieces of cake while adding, “These Jezebels will let you do them any way the wind blows because they’re understanding of love is distorted. But I’m right. She loves you and you said you love her. So what the hell possessed you to lie to the woman you love?”

  “I haven't lied yet.” My confidence plummets, all things considered. “At least I’m almost certain that I haven’t. I'm merely holding a few cards to my chest. Biding my time. It’s my grandfather, Wentworth. He…” I can hardly look at the woman who raised me. I swore not to distort her memories of my grandfather.

  “Oh my Lord, Nolan never went back on the contract.” She takes in a sharp breath of air, placing the glass dome back on top of the half cake.

  “You’re aware of the contract?” I stop reaching for the cupboard. I turn around, arms folded and wait for her to respond.

  Odessa waves a hand, cushioning the magnitude of my grandfather’s actions. “It's bullshit, that’s what it is. Nolan ruined his friendship with Ian—he wasn’t even in his right mind at the time. Sheesh, since I was a child and I helped my momma in your grandfather Fredrick’s kitchen, Nolan and Ian have been friends. The day Nolan made that contract… he was a hurt man. He had some people he felt like hurting back.”

  “You're taking up for him?” I almost cackle as I turn around, open the drawer, and count out enough forks.

  Odessa shakes her head. “Nolan was broken and lost.”

  There's underlying pain in her gaze, so I choose not to ask why Wentworth I made such a desirous decision.

  “He more than loved Ta…Tamar, you know. Every other man was captivated by her beauty. Nolan as well. But he loved her mind. He’d listen as she recounted Richard Wright’s ‘Native Son.’ Now, what white man wasn’t outraged by such a book during that time! She told him about the accommodations for blacks at school. Nolan bought books. She marched. That white man was right there alongside her, spit slung in his face too.”

  I lean against the counter. Odessa can't look up from cutting slices of cake so I wait.

  “They were to be married. Fredrick wasn’t all too happy about it, but your great grandfather loved my momma half to death,” she said through gritted teeth. “Loved her in the dark, he did. But Fredrick sho’nuff wasn’t too happy about how Nolan loved Tamar for the world to see and then…”

  “Your sister died?” My tone is teeming with sympathy for the first time. I don’t give a fuck about my grandfather. But Tamar, I feel for her.

  “Yeah, something like that.” She shakes her head as if there are memories there that are clinging to her, haunting her now. “Before Tamar died, bad things happened. Fredrick and your great grandmother wanted him to marry someone else.”

  It was the fifties, so I can guess what that “someone” meant.

  “Tamar told me that they had plans to run away together. Bad shit happened. Then Tamar died. Nolan was so very broken that day. The entire team of servants watched as Nolan snapped. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that white folk don’t break down in front of the help. He told Fredrick that now he could be happy. All the while, Ian tried to talk to him. The shouting going on in the Greenwich estate, humph, it was so loud as Ian did his damndest to save Nolan from himself. You can't talk to a man whose heart has been snatched out of his chest. Would’ve been best to just agree. Nope, Ian attempted to slap some sense into Nolan. Your grandfather declared, ‘we will be like Nazis,’ when he never had a racist bone in his body. The man fought alongside black folk in the Korean war.”

  Not interested in my grandfather’s positive traits, I sift through Odessa’s war and realize his reference to the Nazis is how Jewish women were included. Thus, ending his friendship with Attorney Ian Levine. This is why the clause in Wentworth I’s will had every race under the sun, except for an affluent, blonde woman.

  “He was shattered—Devastated enough to be committed. But instead, Ian was ‘butt hurt’ as was I and all the black servants who Nolan grew up around. Ian drew up the clause. Fredrick allowed the chaos, eyes gleaming as his son had inadvertently created that disgusting contract. Fredrick was happy. Nolan married your grandmother, Marilyn, at his father’s request. Marilyn was a nice enough woman but Nolan, stubborn as he was, didn’t have a single confidant in this world. Not one friend to call on. Might have been part of the one-percent in the seventies and continuing, but he had no one. Not until his no-good son had you. You liked planes like your grandfather.”

  I take it that Odessa’s conclusion is to compel me to have a bit of sympathy for my grandfather. Well, I wasn’t conflicted about our relationship until I learned what a prick he was. I shake my head, although I can recall being two years old. Nobody offered me attention like my grandfather. I was a toddler, dressed in a suit, visiting Titan Airlines, and loving every moment of it. Grandpa and me.

  Then Juliet came along and I learned that my grandfather, who was always fair until that point, could be such a hateful, spiteful asshole. Though respectful, there’s a seed of sarcasm in my tone. “So I was grandfather Wentworth’s first ally after decades?”

  All my younger years were manageable. My father’s drunkenness and my mother’s depressed stupor didn’t faze me much because I had a grandfather who loved me, and Odessa too. I wish I had learned to hate him sooner, for Juliet, but somehow my grandfather always pulled me into the fold. He was like my father. Every happy childhood memory I owe to him, Juliet, or Odessa.

  Odessa breaks through my thoughts. “Just tell Desire about it. Nolan wrote the will because Tamar died, and he died right along with her.”

  “Yeah, well, Wentworth sounds like he excelled in alienating himself and losing friends. Ephraim is working on my way out of that silly piece of paper. I haven't been persuaded to pardon my grandfather his faults.”

  “Tell her.”

  I set the forks onto the counter. “She’ll think my family is a pack of monkeys.”

  “Daniel, this is inevitable.”

  “I am not telling Desire about what my grandfather was up to,” I reply, beginning to spear forks into perfectly sliced pieces of cake, “and that is final.”

  “Now, you have always listened to me. Daniel, I know women.”

  “And I have fought Desire for her. Shit, I’m honestly still fighting for her because she’s so damn smart. Des, has instincts, and…and I will not fight her because of myself. How do I look fighting myself for her when I've been all in from the start?” I contemplate over our relationship and how I strove for Desire to see me and not what's been written, documented, or said about me. I turn back toward the cupboards, recalling what I forgot to grab when Odessa brought up the contract. I pull out the matching mugs for the saucers for coffee or milk.

  “Daniel, you are my first child, blood or not. You mean the world to me. I wouldn't guide you down the wrong path, son. T
ell her.”

  Fuck me, I haven’t pushed Mama Odessa’s buttons since she threatened to whoop me as a child. I reply, “Not yet. I’ll tell her later.”

  After this issue is rectified.

  Desire

  We’ve all eaten dessert and the debates over dinner have stalled due to heavy guts. Now Mrs. Hayes is picking up her purse from the coat rack in the foyer and the reverend is pulling out his keys.

  “You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you,” Daniel says, holding me from behind as he kisses my ear.

  “Oh la la, a man who can quote the Bible.” Mrs. Hayes beams at me. Odessa does too.

  I'm not sure that the company is aware how much he got under my skin earlier, with whatever scheme he has pulled, but I know Odessa is aware. She has patted my shoulder, or said something or the other that reminded me of my Big Mama. I miss my grandmother, and Odessa has done a helluva job in that regard.

  I glance at Daniel and say, “She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.” So you better stop being a jerk, and keeping me in the dark, or someone else will get to know her. Damn, did I just turn this into a tit-for-tat, exploiting Bible verses?

  He arches an eyebrow. “Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.”

  I almost roll my eyes, but his hand claims mine and I’m reminded of peace.

  “Yes! That’s my baby.” Odessa pats his shoulder. “I just love these two!”

  “Amen, the two of you please keep God in the mix, all right, all right?” Pastor Hayes says. “And as for the two of you,” he turns his attention to Juliet and Lee, “if y’all are willing, I would be so fortunate to officiate your nuptials. Juliet, you are headed down the right path.”

  When the pastor looks at Ephraim, he jokes, “No talk of marriage with me.”

  They shake hands, and the pastor pulls him in for a hug. “Will I see you in church before the rapture?”

  “I wish it were easy to see into the future, but this world is going to hell in a Kentucky Fried Chicken basket,” Ephraim jokes.