“Thank you for flying American Airlines,” the flight attendant said to me when I walked past.
“Thank you. I’ll be in touch,” I said in response.
Luckily, I didn’t need to go to baggage claim. I’d packed everything for the two days in a duffel bag that I carried onboard. With every step I took toward passenger pickup, I wondered whether or not I was doing the right thing. All my life I’d been void of a paternal familial connection. Never knew my father. Never even knew there were other males that I was tied to. Did I really need it now? The closer I got to the escalators that would lead me to the drivers, I came to the conclusion that, yes, I needed to know. I owed it to myself to at least see who these people were.
There were signs everywhere when I reached the top of the escalator to descend to the lower level. Guys in black suits, caps and dress shoes, holding posters with names on them. I scanned the thirty or so until I spotted a tall, blond-haired white guy with my name, “GRAF”, in his hands.
I walked directly up to him. “I’m Graf.”
Even though it was dark outside, the homes were so well-lit that I was able to see the structures, and some of the detail in those structures. No denying that West Palm Beach was beautiful. Palm trees, water, and luxury homes everywhere. I thought there were some nice homes in Vegas, but shit, Florida took the goddamn cake. The homes were massive and top-of-the-line architecture. Some of the homes that we rode past were full-on glass houses that you could see clear through. I knew for sure I couldn’t live like that, but the shit was glamor, at its finest.
When the car slowed, I looked up to the front of the car and out the window, to see what we were pulling up to. What I was met with were a pair of large rectangles, that I guess they called a gate, but looked more like a wall to a fortress. I was like a little-ass kid waiting for the gates to part so I could see what sat behind them. It was almost like watching a banana peel one side at a time.
And then there it was . . .
Once the estate came into view, I entered another realm. The bitch was enormous as fuck! It seemed to light the fuck up like a model home that a realtor was trying to sell to the highest bidder. We drove up a small hill before rounding a circular driveway—a driveway that could easily fit 10-15 cars. Probably more than that. There were four garages that I counted. There was something that looked like some kind of small business office that sat off to the side of the garages.
Then came the stairs that led to the front door. I didn’t know what the hell they were made from, but they shined under the light and had lights on either side of the railings. Palm trees lined the area looking like Jack’s fuckin’ beanstalks. Shit was wild.
“We’ve arrived, sir.”
They were the first words that the driver had spoken since I approached him at the airport.
“Thanks,” I said, opening the door to get out.
I walked around to the trunk where the driver had put my bag. As soon as the trunk closed, standing just a few yards away, was a smiling Adonis Anastas.
“Welcome to my home, Marco,” he said.
-77-
KASSIDI
4:45 stared back at me from my computer screen. I thanked God that in fifteen minutes I would be heading home to cohabitate with my pillow. There would be no more late nights, before work, for me. Hell no. I had nodded off more times than I could count, and drank waaay more coffee than I cared to. Me and Marco’s liaisons, as filling as they were, were going to need some boundaries. I didn’t know who to blame, though. Him or myself. I was the one that didn’t want him to hang up, hoping that he would segue to coming inside. And he had—come inside—literally.
Okay, regret over. It was worth it, dammit!
But I did want to get home, though. Rest was needed in my life, pronto.
Checking the last of my emails, my mind went to Clyde and his dinner invitation. It came out of nowhere. I said ‘Yes’, before I could think about what I was doing. One side of my mind was telling me that going out on a date with someone from work was a bad idea. Especially, being that Clyde was the person that I reported to. Now, on the other side of my mind, I was stuck on how extremely fine and how extremely accomplished he was.
The date wouldn’t take place tonight because I needed to make up for sleep I didn’t get last night. I told him that we could do Thursday, since the next day would be Friday. However, he suggested Friday evening, so that’s what we ended up setting the date for. I knew, though, that if I kept playing it back in my head like I was in that moment, by Thursday I would be finding a reason not to go. I just didn’t want anything to fuck up a good situation. And workplace romances seemed to always end with both sides hating each other, with one of them leaving the company’s employ.
“Kassidi . . .”
I looked up from my computer to find Kandice standing akimbo in front of my desk.
“Oh, hey, girl.”
“I only called your name three times.” She leaned down and whispered, “Where the hell is your head at?”
An unexpected yawn escaped just as I was about to respond. “I’m just tired, girl.”
“Girl, you went straight home.” She smiled and then sat down. “I’m the one who should be tired. I was up all night. But I would never . . . ever complain.”
I shook my head smiling at her. It was so obvious that she was in love. I just wondered if she knew it or had admitted it to herself yet.
“I heard that, girl. Why complain if it’s good, right?”
She smiled and her whole face lit up. “Yes honey. It’s better than good. I had it all wrong when I said what I said. It just took a little bit, but yesss . . .” I stared at her for a few seconds waiting to see if she would say more. “Whaaat?” she asked, still blushing.
“Umm, hmm. Just tell it. I know you want to tell somebody. Unless you already shouted it from the mountaintop and I didn’t hear it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I threw my arms in the air and noted the time. “Okay, well . . .” I started, while shutting down my system. “When you’re ready to—”
“Okay,” Kandice said, smacking her lips. “I love the man. There, I said it.”
I chuckled lightly. “Nuh-uh, don’t act like you said it for me. You’ve been wanting to say that. And I’m glad you told me. But I already knew.”
Kandice closed her eyes and blew out a puff of air she’d obviously been holding in.
“I can’t help myself. He is just everything I ever wanted in a man. Everything.”
“I’m happy for you. I really am.”
“You don’t think it’s too fast? Be honest, Kassidi.”
I looked at my computer’s time and saw it was 5:01. I grabbed my purse and keys and leaned against my desk.
“I say that if both your heart and your head are pulling you in the same direction, go with it. Nobody can say something is too fast if they’re not in the situation themselves. You guys spend a lot of time together. I’m sure y’all have gotten to know each other really well. From where I stand, with the way you can’t stop smiling, it can’t be bad.”
“Aww, thank you, Kassidi.”
“You’re welcome. I saw the chemistry from the moment he said, ‘Introduce me to your friends,’ but was looking at you the whole time.”
“You remember that?” she blushed.
“Yep, I do.”
Kandice stood up from the chair and walked over to hug me. “I’m so happy we met. You’re a cool one. I appreciate you.”
“Back at you. When I’m a friend, I’m a friend. Honey, you sat with me and didn’t judge anything I had to tell you about my past. You’re gonna always get that back from me.”
When we pulled back from our hug, we walked to the door together.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she called out as we walked in separate directions.
“Yep!”
“Oh, and Kass!” she called out.
I stopped briefly and turned around to see what it wa
s, that she wanted.
“Yes ma’am?”
“Alonzo and your friend—are best friends.”
I squinted my eyes, my heart racing. “And?” I stated slowly.
Kandice started laughing. “Stop it.”
“What am I stopping?”
“Girl, you’re funny!” she exclaimed tickled to death. “You didn’t even bother to ask me what friend I was talking about.”
I went numb, and I went mute. I was caught, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to let Kandice know that!
“Best friends tell each other everything . . .” she stated cryptically, smiling the whole time. “So, I knowww you’re holding out. I’ll just wait until you’re ready! Toodles!”
Oh. My damn. I was mortified! I stood there watching her walk away, listening to her giggle all the way.
-78-
MARCO
“I didn’t expect to hear from you, but I’m glad that you did reach out. This is something I’ve wanted for a really long time—thirty years, to be exact. I’m usually a man of many words, but I’ll have to be honest, sitting in your presence . . . again, has me a bit stumped.”
I looked around the lavish environment of the sunken room we were in, with the floating fireplace burning in the center of the space. It was about twelve-hundred square feet, with ceiling-to-floor windows. The room was all-white with black, silver and red accents. There were two on either side of the room, which I found to be too much, but who the hell was I? Even though it was too embellished for me, they were nice. Everything about the house said that it was fit for a king.
The theater-size screen mounted into its own wall, was showing a movie I didn’t recognize, but that had some awesome special effects. Across the enormous space were glass sliding doors that seemed to take up an entire wall. Just outside those doors was a huge pool with a pebble waterfall on the other side of it. I didn’t get to see that when I arrived last night, but something told me that it lit up on the bottom, probably in indigo or some other blue color.
“This is probably the most amazing home I’ve ever seen in my life,” I told Adonis, after a bout of silence. You must do really well for yourself.”
He nodded. “Thank you. I can’t see myself living anywhere else. And yes, I’ve done pretty well in the publishing industry.”
“Publishing?”
“Yeah. I own a magazine publishing empire. I also have a literary fiction division, as well as a movie studio where some of the books are turned into film.”
“Damn. Nice.”
“Thank you. I enjoy it. A lot of work, but the entertainment industry is full of entertainment and that’s what makes it interesting.”
“Cool, cool,” I remarked rubbing my hands together and then back and forth across my thighs. “So, as you can imagine this is all real weird for me. I appreciate you opening your home to me. I really want to . . . you know . . .”
Adonis pushed a puff of air from his mouth before going to pour himself another glass of something from the bar.
“You want something?” he called out.
“I’m good.”
I was one-thousand percent sure I would need something once the conversation was over; probably somewhere in the middle of the conversation. Adonis tossed his drink back at the bar, and then walked back.
“Okay. So, let me just go ahead and dive right in. I’ve stalled because everything you’re about to hear might make you turn on me and that’s the one thing that I don’t want.”
“I’ll do my best to keep an open mind. I can respect the fact that you want to fill missing gaps. Despite the fact that, you know . . . I’m an adult now . . .” I hunched my shoulders. “There’s still a lot to be said about the gesture.”
“To take the mystery out of everything, I’ll let you know that a DNA test was done the day you were born. So, if you had any doubts when I came to you, there’s no need. Your father Stavros Anastas is my brother. We’ve been estranged for years, but that is my brother. I’m ten months younger than he is.”
I wanted to stop Adonis right there and ask where this person was, but I thought it best to let him tell everything and then follow with any questions I had. It was still even foreign to hear that I had a father, at all. And to now have his name! Because it never appeared on my birth certificate.
But I did have one question.
“Is he still living?”
“He is. Where he is I don’t know. I haven’t talked to him. I have a suspicion where he is, and I have the resources to locate him. I just haven’t had the desire to do so. Too much of his life is in direct contrast with the way that I live. Not to mention I’ve been upholding his responsibilities for over thirty years.”
“Wow . . .” escaped my lips before I knew it.
“Wow is right. Your father was a huge ladies’ man. He never settled down with one woman and as far as I know, he never really loved any woman. Kaia, your sister, has only ever seen him once in person, but holds onto an ideal of who he is. She both hates and loves the man for whatever reason. Her mother managed to get him to marry her, but that didn’t last long at all. She was a conquest for him, only. He wanted her because I had her.” He bobbed his head to the side casually, with a light smirk. “She fell for his charms and then into his bed and thought she’d won a prize. All she ended up with was hurt, and with a child that Stavros didn’t want.”
“So, is she older than me or—”
“She is. By almost a year. Stavros met your mother when he was in Las Vegas for some bachelor party. He stayed out there for two weeks after that bachelor party, then left her pregnant.”
“He sounds like a real piece of shit,” I shot.
As many women as I fucked, I would never think of walking away from a child of mine if it ever became a situation. What kind of man does that shit, anyway?! And then to never look back! Not ever!
“I won’t argue that. He did tell me about your mother and that she had been contacting him about being pregnant. When I asked him what he planned to do, the answer was obvious. That was the start of the two of us falling out. We’re total opposites. I’m all about family—he’s all about self.”
Adonis dry-washed his face with both hands and shook his head. I didn’t know him well, but I knew that whatever he was planning to say, wasn’t something he wanted to say. My foot started to tap in anticipation. It was like a mystery novel unfolding.
“Kaia has suffered pretty much her whole life not having her father’s acceptance. Even with me, her uncle, stepping in to fill the shoes of a father figure, she was still troubled. I saw early on that she had tendencies about her and I tried my best to get her the help that she needed. After a while I just figured that as long as I could keep her close, I would at least be able to protect her from herself. When she found out about you, she flipped. That was about ten years ago. She took it well—at first. But last year . . .” He paused and shook his head. The look in his eyes was intense. He was reading me. “Last year she went to Vegas for a girls’ weekend and she saw you. She had only known about up to that point. In you, she saw her father. She became fixated. It was a fixation unlike anything I’d ever seen. You became him to her. I want to show you something.”
Adonis picked up his phone from the spot next to him. He then got up and walked to where I sat. Once there, he handed the phone to me.
“What’s this?”
“Look at the picture on the screen,” he instructed.
I reluctantly took the phone from his hand. I had an idea what I’d be met with because I’d already taken the time to see Kaia on surveillance. I wasn’t in denial that she and I looked alike. It was undeniable. My guess was that he had a picture of her that would just drive it all home with a single look. It was like everything happened in slow motion when I did finally look down at the screen.
I might’ve stopped breathing for a second when I laid eyes on the eyes looking back at me. It was so damn exact that it was like looking into a mirror. The dark hair, the cheekbone struct
ure, the nose, the lips! The same stare . . . in the same green eyes! The shit was almost scary. I couldn’t stop staring. I was drawn in and couldn’t be pulled away.
For all the people who insisted that I looked like my mother growing up, they had never seen the man staring back at me on the image. Stavros Anastas had my exact face.
-79-
MARCO
I slowly handed Adonis his phone back. I didn’t even know how long I’d held it in my hand; I just knew it was a while.
“Uncanny, right?”
“Yeah,” I whispered. “Uncanny.”
“I wanted to be in your life—all your life, Marco. I swear on your deceased grandfather that’s the truth. My hands were tied. Your mother didn’t allow it. That was the only reason. Since I wasn’t your father I couldn’t fight her on it. She thought it would cause you undue harm. She felt that I would set you up for rejection just as my brother had. Even with buying a house to raise you in, paying for private school and college, she wouldn’t let me in your life. So, I did what I could from a distance.”
My insides were boiling at the fact that my mother would step in at that level, and not think that having a connection to my other family, could be good for my life.
“So, it was you that bought the house? My mother said to me once that it was a gift. I didn’t believe it because who gifts a house to somebody? I just thought that she wanted me to believe that one of her sorry-ass boyfriends was doing more for her than it appeared.”
“It was me. She lived in an apartment until you were about six. I felt it would be better if you had a yard to play in. I was always very protective of you. I only wanted the best for you. I never knew if there were any dangers to you, but I did what I could to look out for you, from where I was.”
“When I was sixteen I got into some trouble with—”
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