“Ms. Dupree?” a thin black middle-aged man said the moment she entered. He was wearing blue hospital scrubs and a gold name tag that read Dr. David Scribner.
“Yes.” Mona shook his hand and noticed it was ice cold. Her eyes moved from the doctor to the closed eyelids of her father. She felt he was preparing to tell her the worst. Placing her blue Hermès Birken bag down on a chair, she did her best to remain calm. “How is he doing?”
“Please have a seat, Ms. Dupree,” the doctor requested.
“I’d like to stand.”
He paused. “All right. Let’s walk over here.” With that he placed his hand on her back and guided her to the other side of the room. When he was sure he was out of earshot from Devin he said, “Your father has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.”
Mona placed her hand over her opened mouth and immediately felt the tears streaming down her face. “Wha…what do you mean?”
“Apparently he’s been experiencing problems for quite some time now and since he didn’t seek attention, his condition has progressed.”
“Oh my God. Is there something you can do?” Mona said in near hysterics.
“We’ve scheduled surgery for tomorrow. After that he’ll be put on chemotherapy. As I said, the condition has progressed, but we’re still holding out hope.”
“What am I gonna do?” She was crying so heavily that her stomach began to ache.
“The very best you can do is to just be strong for him.” The doctor put his hand on her shoulder. “I understand you live in New York. Will you be staying here in the area for the surgery?”
Mona jerked her head back. “Of course I will.”
“Good. I’ll leave you two alone,” he said, handing her a napkin he had in his pocket.
“Thank you,” she said, wiping the tears from her face before facing her father, who had awakened.
“Hey, you!” she said, trying to appear as if things couldn’t be better. “If you wanted attention, all you had to do was ask.”
He laughed and when the pain was unbearable, gripped the sheets.
“Don’t do too much, Daddy,” she said as she adjusted his pillows to make him comfortable. She then placed her hand over his and felt his IV. She was frightened. She already lost her mother and couldn’t bear to lose him, too.
“I’m fine, honey.” He smiled. His almond-colored complexion was now dark and dry. “At least I know what’s going on.” Pausing for a moment, he continued. “I’m glad you’re here, sweetheart.”
“Where else would I be? I’m mad at you, though, that you didn’t have the hospital contact me sooner.”
“You’re just getting settled there in New York, and I didn’t want to be a bother.” He smiled weakly. “Besides, I’m not going to let a little thing like cancer get me down.”
“You’d better not,” Mona said, while trying to blink back her tears. “I’m going to stay here in D.C. for a few weeks until you’re out of here and back on your feet.”
“No!” He tried to sit up, but then fell back in the bed.
“Daddy, please don’t strain yourself.”
“Mona, I don’t want you putting your career on hold just to stay here with me. I’ll be fine. You go on back to New York.”
Mona shook her head. “I’m going to be here when they bring you into surgery, and I’m going to be here when you get out. You might as well not even argue about it.”
Her father looked at her, his love apparent in his eyes. “Okay, how about this? You stay until after the surgery, and then you hightail it back to New York and take care of your business.”
“But, Daddy—”
“No. That’s my final say. And to throw your words back at you, you might as well as not argue about it.”
Mona sighed. “We’ll see.” She lifted his head slightly to give him a drink of the water next to his bed.
“Now, tell me. Have you met any wonderful young men in New York yet?”
Mona flashed a wicked smile. “A few.”
Her father shook his head weakly. “Listen to you. Okay, but don’t pass up the right one just so you can sample the rest.”
Mona couldn’t hide the shocked look on her face. Was this her father, the biggest playa in the world talking? The man who always encouraged her to have her fun but never get serious since it would only lead to hurt?
She looked at him as he dozed off again. Cancer had really changed him, she thought.
The surgery was successful, the doctor told her the next day. They managed to get all of the cancer out, and there was every reason to believe that her father would make a full recovery.
“Can I see him now?” she asked anxiously.
The doctor shook his head. “He’s in recovery, and he’s so heavily medicated he’ll probably be knocked out for the rest of the day. Why don’t you go back home and get some rest? You look like you can use it.”
Bright and early the next morning, Mona was back. Her father was weak, but he was conscious, and seemed eager to see her.
“There’s something I want to talk to you about,” he said after she’d been there only ten minutes.
“Okay…” she said slowly. Whatever it was, it sounded serious, she thought.
“Baby…I’ve had a lot of time on my hands since I’ve been here. And I’ve been thinking about how I raised you. I was a terrible father.”
“No, you weren’t, Daddy!” Mona said, holding his hand again.
“Yes, I was.”
“That’s a lie. You didn’t leave me like Ma did.”
“Don’t say that. Your mother’s death was partially my fault.”
Silence.
“Had I treated her nicer, and with more respect, maybe she never would’ve felt the need to take her life.”
“I don’t believe it’s—”
“Let me finish, baby,” he interrupted. “I’m very serious about this. I should’ve spoken to you a long time ago. I was a terrible father. And I want to do as much as I can to make things right…before it’s too late. You never should’ve seen half of the things I showed you, or told you half the things I told you.”
“Because of you, I’m a better person. I got my own things and don’t rely on men to validate me. Love complicates things.”
“Do you love your father?” he asked with doe eyes.
“That’s different.”
“How is it, Mona? Look at me. I’m in the hospital alone. I hurt so many people and now karma has returned to punish me. I don’t want you to suffer the same fate I did, sweetheart. I want you to have a full life, with a family of your own.”
“What if I don’t want a family?”
“We all do.”
“Well, I don’t, Daddy,” she responded as she got up and began to pace the room. “I love my freedom. I don’t believe in love stories and that’s why I appreciate that you taught me what the world is really about.”
“Sweetheart, whatever happened to that young man you dated in college?”
She knew exactly who he was talking about.
“I forget his name but I know you remember him,” he continued.
Silence.
“I never saw you happier than when you were with him. And one minute he was there and the next he was gone. Was it because of me? Because of all the things I told you about not committing yourself?”
“No. We were just roommates, Daddy.”
“Are you sure? You used to talk about him all the time. Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you two made it?”
“It wasn’t like that,” she repeated.
“Maybe not…but everybody around you saw differently…even me.” He yawned. “This medicine is starting to take hold of me again. Hey, sweetheart,” he said, patting her hand. “I don’t want you fussing over me. Go back to New York and handle your business. Besides, you know Ray will be checking on me.”
Mona kissed her father on his cheek. “Okay…I’ll leave, but I’ll be back tomorrow before heading home. I love you, Daddy
.”
“I love you, too,” he said, his eyes getting heavier. “Now let me get some rest.”
She took care of a few details with the doctor before leaving the hospital. The moment she got in her truck, she thought about everything her father had said. Finally she was unconsciously admitting to herself that she did feel something for Nat, even if she didn’t know what the something was.
She retrieved her BlackBerry from her purse and scrolled through the address book. I’ll just call him to see if he’s okay, she thought, tapping on her steering wheel with her French-manicured nails. She didn’t have his number, but she knew Vincent Wright would since he gave Nat hers. Where’s his number! When she found it she shook nervously as she gave her index finger the permission to dial.
The phone rang one time before she hung up. What am I doing? This is so fucking stupid. When she thought about how desperate she had almost appeared, she thanked herself for coming back to her senses. She was pulling out of the parking lot of the hospital and on her way to the hotel at the Embassy Suites in D.C. when her phone rang. The name on the display read Vincent. He was calling her back.
I can’t believe I’m really doing this! Vincent had not only contacted Nat, he also arranged a meeting on the same day. Her legs shook as she sat in the front seat of her car and watched the crowd of people passing by a busy office building in downtown D.C. There were people walking up and down the sidewalk in business suits and dresses. Her palms sweated and she constantly wiped them on the crumbled tissue paper in her lap. She wondered what he looked like…what he smelled like…and most importantly, if he thought about her as much as she’d thought about him over the years.
“Okay…breathe, you can do this. He’s not God…he’s just a man,” she said out loud. The moment she laid eyes on him she said, “Oh my Gawd!”
He was wearing a black tailored suit by Theory. He completed his look with a black shirt with burgundy pinstripes. His hair was neatly cut and her heart melted when she saw the dimples that had won her over every time he smiled back in college. He looked taller but she was sure it was only because he was standing straight and not slumped over like back in the day. He favored Jenson Atwood so much that it was uncanny. Nat walked directly to the truck and jumped in. She’d told Vincent what she’d be driving earlier. As he closed the door behind him, she inhaled the cologne called Fresh he was wearing. His eyes were bright and his teeth were so perfect they looked unreal.
“Mona Lisa Dupree…where in the world have you been?” he joked.
His eyes were mesmerizing, and his lips were as hot as L.L. Cool J’s.
“I’ve been around,” she said, still not believing he was sitting in her car.
“I’m not going to lie, when Vincent told me you wanted to see me I didn’t believe him,” he stated, placing the seat belt over his crisp suit.
“Why?” she asked, turning the ignition on.
“Because when I reached out, you blew me off.”
“Nat, I’m so sorry about—”
“There’s no need to explain,” he interrupted. “All that matters is that we’ve reconnected. Besides, I want to talk about the present, not the past.”
“Me too…but I do want you to know that I realize I could’ve handled things differently,” she responded, focusing on the red car that had pulled out of the parking space in front of her. “I hope we can move past this.”
“I can if you can.” He winked. “Now, I don’t know about you, but I’d love to get some food and play catch-up. So will you have lunch with an old friend?”
His lips. Oh my Gawd! They look even better than I remembered, she thought.
“Mona,” he said, waking her out of the horny state she was in. “Do you want to have lunch with me?” he repeated, thinking she hadn’t heard him.
“Yes.” She smiled even though there were a few things she’d like to do, none of which concerned food. “So, where are we going?”
When they reached the Capital Grille on Pennsylvania Avenue in D.C., Mona Lisa was eager to be seated to order her meal. She figured the quicker the food reached the table, the more she’d appear in control, because as it stood, the only thing she thought about was jumping on top of the man candy in front of her. When the caviar arrived, she grabbed cracker after cracker and swallowed them down. Afterward, they ordered their meals. Mona chose Kona-crusted aged sirloin with caramelized shallot butter and Nat ordered the sliced filet mignon with cippolini onions and wild mushrooms.
Nat attempted to engage in small talk, but a nervous Mona busied herself with her meal. Truth was, she didn’t know what to say to him. She looked everywhere in the restaurant except at the man who had captivated her heart for so long
“When are you gonna stop avoiding me?” he asked after putting the last of his meal in his mouth. Placing his fork on his empty plate, it made a clinking sound. “I’ve never known you to eat this much or to be so quiet.”
“I’m not avoiding you,” she laughed as she fiddled around in her purse for nothing. “Why would you say that?” When she realized she was probably making herself look ridiculous, she grabbed her water glass and gulped it down. But when she attempted to place the glass on the table, it fell on her dress instead.
“Oh no!” she yelled, looking over the table for something to wipe it up. The cool Mona had been replaced with Cindy from Three’s Company.
Nat ran to her side with a clean cloth napkin and begin to soak the liquid from her lap. Although it was a kind gesture, seeing him work so diligently between her legs aroused her. His face was inches away from her lips. She contemplated kissing him. She imagined if she did, he would return the favor, and they’d embrace and everyone in the restaurant would cheer because she’d finally realized love. She moved in, but so did he. Back to his seat.
“It’s a good thing it’s only water,” he said as he scooted his seat closer to the table.
“I guess,” she said as she removed the last few drops from her lap.
“I think I got it all…so, what’s up, love?”
“Huh?” He’d thrown her off by his tender use of words.
“I want to know what’s going on in your life.”
“Nothing outside of working hard and playing harder.” She ran her fingers over the edge of her wineglass.
“Well, you look great!” he complimented.
“Whatever, Nat,” she said, waving him off.
“I’m serious. You’re still beautiful.”
She smiled.
He winked. “Now…stop keeping me in suspense. What have you been doing with yourself?”
“Well, I finally got into showbiz.”
“Stop playing!” he said, sitting up straight in his chair. “You’re an actress now?”
“No, boy! Acting is not for me! I decided to stay behind the scenes.”
“Doing what?”
“I’m a casting agent. Production companies hire me to get the right people for the right parts.” She picked up her wineglass and took two sips. When she saw the waiter she ordered another glass. “It’s hard work, but I’m enjoying it.”
“That’s great, Mona! I always imagined you’d be doing something big.”
“Thanks.” She blushed. “Now what about you? I can tell by the suit you’re wearing that life is good.”
“I’m doing okay. I’m an entertainment lawyer.”
“You call being a lawyer okay?”
“Well, it’s nowhere near as exciting as what you do. I deal primarily with club and bar owners in D.C.”
“Wow…I never knew you were interested in entertainment,” she continued as she devoured another glass of wine before getting the waiter’s attention for another.
“Me either. It just came to me after Danny asked me to help with the paperwork for this spot in N.E. It wasn’t until then that I discovered I was pretty good at it.”
“What’s the name of the club?”
“Grown and Sexy.”
“Cute name,” she laughed.
/> “I know. I chose it when I became part owner.”
“So you’re a lawyer and a club owner, too?”
“Yes,” he said, moving to the next topic. “So, where do you live now?”
Suddenly she felt herself becoming a little dizzy. She could usually handle a glass of wine or two but never a full bottle. What was worse was that whenever she drank any liquor, her sexual drive was heightened. And for Mona that was a recipe for disaster.
“Mona…are you okay?” he asked as he looked at her with concern.
“Oh…sure…I’m fine.” She smiled. Her speech was slurred.
“So, do you want to fuck?”
“What?” Mona didn’t know if she heard him correctly. She was positive she was hearing things as usual when she had too much wine.
“I said…where do you live?” he repeated, confused.
“Oh…where do I live?” she laughed after hearing his real question. “In Harlem.”
“You moved to New York?”
“Yes. And I love it.”
“So, what brings you back to D.C.? Visiting?”
“I wish. My father’s been diagnosed with cancer. He had surgery yesterday.”
“Sorry to hear that. Are you okay?”
“I’m dealing…it would be easier if I didn’t have to do this alone,” she blurted out. Had she not been under the influence of alcohol, she never would’ve shown her vulnerability.
“Well, I’m here if you need me. What do you say we hook up for lunch tomorrow?”
“I can’t. I have to head back tomorrow morning.”
“So you better be easy on the wine, then.” He pointed at the glass in her hand.
“I’m fine,” she lied.
“You sure?”
Suddenly she felt like an unseen weight was being pressed on her head. Mona hadn’t realized that she hadn’t slept a wink upon hearing the news about her father. Mixing sleep deprivation, the excitement of seeing Nat, and an entire bottle of wine was deadly. She needed to sprinkle some water on her face in the restroom. But when she stood up, she could not hold her balance. She was on her way to the floor before Nat caught her.
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