November Rain

by Maureen Anderson

  “Hey, big brother.”

  “Sis? Finally. How are you?”

  “I’m okay.”

  “Are you sure? I know you’re trying to sort out the bomb mom dropped on you.”

  “Something like that.” Back in her room, she stared at the scattered mess on the floor. “Oh my goodness, I’ve been so stuck on how I felt that I forgot about you.”

  “Honestly, I figured it out on my own a long time ago.”

  She dropped to the floor beside the hatbox. “You knew?” Her voice quivered. “You knew and you never told me? We had a pact.”

  “I’m sorry. It wasn’t my secret to share. Mom begged me not to tell you.”

  “That didn’t stop you from telling me daddy was never coming back.”

  “You cried for him every night. I had to tell you.”

  Unkind words she’d never say to her brother darted through her mind. She regretted answering the call. When they were left without a father, Cliff promised to always be there for her and that included not keeping secrets from her.

  “Sis, I’m sorry. I can go with you to meet him.”

  “What if your father came back; would you see him?”

  “That’s different and you know it, Torri.”

  “VJ left mom when she was pregnant with me. Then it took him over thirty years to decide to show his face. What am I supposed to do with all of that?”

  “I don’t know. But, let me come over to talk about it. I don’t like having this conversation over the phone.”

  “I don’t want to talk about it anymore tonight, Cliff.” Torri scooped up the stack of letters and photos. “I’m still processing the breaking news.”

  “I love you. Promise to call me when you’re ready?”

  Her heart softened when she heard her brother take in a deep breath. “I promise. Love you, too.”

  The call with Cliff raised her body temperature. Not even those closest to her could be trusted. Her brother let her down and she needed time before she’d excuse his betrayal. Fortunate for him, the stack in her hand required her immediate attention.

  Torri spread the pile on her bed. Her mother said her grandmother wanted Torri to have the box. Torri automatically assumed it was one of her church hats. She pushed her hair behind her ears and pored over the loose photographs. They were of her mother in her early twenties. A few of her grandmother were mixed in the batch. They had to be the pictures VJ took. The ones that initiated their love affair. Torri wasn’t sure she wanted to continue, but curiosity dominated.

  Her mother’s eyes sparkled in each photo. She was in love with the man on the other side of the camera. Torri’s hands shook as she gazed upon the last photo. Her mother rested against VJ’s chest smiling like the 44th president and his first lady. It may have been the only picture they ever took together. She fished through the rest of the pile. The letters were unopened. All from an address in Puerto Rico. The range of postmarked dates spanned across more than half of her life. The first envelope nearly fell from Torri’s quivering fingers. She put the envelope down and drew in a deep breath before she picked it up again. Careful not to damage any of the written memories inside, Torri gently tugged on the sealed edge of the envelope until it opened.

  My dearest Lynnie,

  I miss you so much. My mother is getting better, but I cannot leave her yet. Keep smiling for me. I’ll be back to visit as soon as I can. I love you. Victor

  She opened another, postmarked two months before her first birthday.

  Lynnie,

  How are you, my love? I’m sorry I can’t be there for you and our baby right now. My mother still needs me. Even though I am far away from you, remember I love you. You are my light. Love always, Victor

  Torri knew she intruded on her mother’s privacy, but unable to pull herself away she read on.

  My love,

  Your mother sent me pictures. Our daughter is beautiful. Thank God for our angel. I know what we did was wrong, but I wish you would bring her and live with me. I miss you. Give my princess a kiss for me. Daddy loves her.

  What? VJ wanted her mother to live with him in Puerto Rico. Lynette never opened the letter. Torri felt like she read a romance novel. She opened a few more. Her hands shook. Torri couldn’t read anymore. As angry as she was, she felt sad for her mother.

  Torri jumped when her phone buzzed. It was a text from Antonio. She was glad he chose not to call. Her emotions were off the chart. In less than an hour, she learned more about her parent’s affair. Her father wanted them to live with him in Puerto Rico, and her mother never knew. Torri sprawled across the bed among the letters and photos and closed her eyes. She mused over her mother’s words; getting to know her father sat literally in her hands.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “To lifelong friends.” Jasmine raised her glass of champagne. She made eye contact with each friend. “Let’s never lose each other again.”

  Their glasses joined in a gentle clink. Under the table, Antonio’s fingers traced Torri’s thighs. She squeezed them together to control the throb triggered by his warm touch.

  “I’m glad you finally had some free time, Antonio.” Her voice quivered.

  “The restaurants keep me busy.” He sipped his sparkling cider.

  “Wow! We’re thirty-two and Antonio owns three restaurants. It seems like yesterday we were teenagers giving Mr. Brown a hard time.” Xander reflected.

  “Umm, maybe ‘you’ caused trouble for Mr. Brown. How many times did he catch you in the back staircase?” Jasmine teased.

  Xander swallowed the contents of his glass in one swift gulp.

  “Bruh, you can’t lie. Everyone hung out there once or twice.”

  “I never said I wasn’t there…just never got caught. Heh, heh.”

  They howled with Xander and chatted until the server placed a platter of appetizers before them. The mouthwatering medley of codfish fritters, coconut shrimp, jerk chicken bites and fried plantains toyed with their emptiness. Jasmine blessed the spread before they dug in.

  Antonio prepared a plate for Torri unaware of the look Jasmine and Xander exchanged. He continued the conversation. “Yeah, seems like I missed a lot, including a broken engagement and a wedding. I’m sorry for your loss, Jazz. I wish I was around to meet your husband. I’d love to hear about Ray when you’re ready to share.”

  Jasmine’s eyes glistened as she nodded.

  “Skip me, Tone. My broken engagement was the best thing that happened for women across New York City.”

  Antonio chuckled.

  To preserve their charade, he turned to Torri. “What about you, Torri? Anyone special hold your heart?”

  “Man, look at her. Men are dropping at her feet and she ignores all of them.” Xander saved Torri the embarrassment of responding when he jumped in.

  “Yeah, even her hot partner, Marcus.” Jasmine added.

  “They’re exaggerating. I’ve kept myself very busy over the last couple of years. Relationships took a backseat.”

  “The backseat, huh?” Xander couldn’t resist adding a smart comment.

  Torri nailed Xander in the nose with her napkin.

  “You’re getting slow in your old age, X.”

  “Now that you’ve heard from the owner of the hottest gallery in Harlem, tell us what we all want to know. Where have you been for the last fifteen years?”

  “Leave it to Jazz to ask the heavy questions?”

  “We’re all thinking it, Xander.”

  Antonio hoped to bypass the burning question. He didn’t want their joyous reunion to take a nosedive. “I know I owe all of you an apology. Some unfortunate life events pulled me into a different direction. This restaurant set me on the right path.”

  “I would have enjoyed helping you interview the staff. The women are beautiful.”

  Antonio didn’t
hear Xander’s remark. His attention was jerked away. A tall, skinny, ivory-skinned man stumbled into the bar area. Ruddy, unruly curls clung to his flushed cheeks. He pulled his hands from his disheveled khaki pants and sat on the barstool. Roxie rolled her eyes before she approached.

  “Hello pretty.” His words slurred.

  “What can I get you?” Roxie placed her right hand on her hip.

  The man leaned closer. “Let’s start with your name.”

  She stepped away from the toxic stench of alcohol and sweat permeating from his pores.

  “How about I set you up with a tall glass of cool water?”

  “Scotch. Neat.” He huffed.

  She poured his drink and strolled to the other end. He threw the drink down his throat, ignored the burn and slammed the glass on the counter. He shoved his glass across the bar toward Roxie.

  “Another one.”

  With her arms crossed, Roxie whispered to avoid a scene. “Sorry, dear. I can’t continue to serve you in your condition.”

  “Why don’t you leave the bottle next to me, so I don’t have to bother you.” He threw a fifty-dollar bill on the bar.

  Roxie glanced at Antonio. The drunk followed her gaze and smirked. He staggered toward the table. Jake cut off his path. A muscle twitched in Antonio’s cheek. He trusted Jake to handle the situation.

  “You think you’re better than me, son. All high and mighty ‘cuz you own this place.” He shouted over Jake.

  “I’ll have to ask you to leave, sir.” Jake demanded.

  He pushed past Jake. In a hoarse whisper he continued his rant. “The drugs, the alcohol, the women. Nothing takes away the pain. Do you hear me?”

  Antonio stood and placed a firm grip on the man’s arm. “That’s enough, Pops!” Through clenched teeth he continued. “Get out of my bar. I never want to see you in here again.”

  The drunk shook free and poked Antonio’s chest with each word. “We are the same.”

  “I’m nothing like you. Get him out of here, Jake.”

  “You can kick me out of your bar, but you can’t kick me out of your life. I’ll always be your father, whether you like it or not!”

  All eyes locked on Antonio.

  “Mr. Martins, its time for you to go home and sleep this off.”

  Jake escorted Mr. Martins from the restaurant.

  Antonio rejoined the table. Beads of sweat formed on Antonio’s upper lip, he ran his hand across his head smoothing his ponytail. He stabbed his steak with his fork and sawed off a bite. Torri grasped his hand before he shoved the bloody meat into his mouth.

  “Tony, what was that all about?”

  “Just another drunk customer.”

  Xander jumped in. “Man, he sounded like he knew you.”

  “He was drunk. Who knows what he was talking about?”

  “How could you toss him out in that condition?”

  Antonio snapped. “Why are you so concerned, Torri? He’s just a lousy drunk!”

  “Relax, Antonio. She just asked a simple question.”

  Antonio took a deep breath. He savored another bite before he responded. “If it’ll make you feel any better, Jake will get him a cab. We never let anyone like that attempt to get home on their own.”

  Torri shook her head. “That so-called lousy drunk claimed he’s your father and you treated him like garbage. You’re lucky to have a father. Some of us grew up without one.”

  “Let it go.” Antonio tossed his fork onto his plate.

  Torri stood. “I can’t.”

  Her heels smoked toward the ladies room. Jasmine jogged behind her.

  “Torri! Wait!” Antonio rushed behind them.

  Allen blocked his path. “Unless you plan to tell her the truth, man, let her go.”

  He shoved Allen aside. He stormed into his office and slammed the door. Antonio wished his father picked another night to show up at the restaurant. Whenever he was around Antonio’s composure collapsed. He disgusted him. It made sense that Torri was agitated. She witnessed Antonio toss his father onto the street. She didn’t know the entire truth. His father and Allen were right. The truth was too painful and one he wished he could forget. In time, he’d have to tell Torri everything.

  Xander shrugged his shoulders and poured himself another glass of champagne. “It’d be a shame to let good bubbly go to waste.”

  “Girl, why are you so worked up? You caused a scene back there.”

  “Me?” Torri snapped back.

  “Relax, Tor. I’m not the enemy.”

  “I’m sorry. I’ve just never seen that side of Antonio before, Jazz.”

  “So?”

  “He nearly bit my head off.” Torri locked the stall door.

  “And, you interrogated him like the FBI.”

  “Something just doesn’t seem right. If he’s Antonio’s father, how could he toss him out like that?”

  “I think you’re overreacting without knowing the whole story.” She stared at Torri in the mirror. “This is about your father abandoning you, isn’t it?”

  “Try two fathers.” Torri pumped the lavender-scented soap onto her hands.

  “Two fathers?” Her head tilted to one side.

  “My mom had an affair.”

  Jasmine leaned against the sink and handed Torri a paper towel. “Damn, Tor. How did you find out?”

  “My real father showed up at the opening.” Her voice hitched.

  “Well, that explains why Cliff’s been so moody.”

  “What? That’s not the point, Jazz. Until now, I grew up thinking I had a father who didn’t want anything to do with me. And, Antonio’s pushing his father away. It’s not right.”

  Jasmine’s voice softened. “Antonio hasn’t been a part of our lives for a long time. I’m sure there are a few things he’s not ready to talk about. You don’t know anything about his relationship with his father.”

  The queasy feeling in Torri’s stomach threatened to erupt. She lowered her head. She hated it when Jasmine was right. Her reaction could have been about her own issues with her absentee fathers. Shrugging aside her problems for a moment, the fact remained that Antonio tossed his drunken father out on the street. She planned to find out why he didn’t handle his father with more care. “Let’s go.”

  “Fine, but you owe me details on your daddy drama.”

  They reached the table just as Xander poured the last drop of champagne.

  “I hope you ladies didn’t want any.”

  Torri shrugged and searched the immediate area.

  “Looking for Antonio? He locked himself in his office. Give him some time to cool off.”

  “That’s probably a good idea, Tor. You can call him tomorrow. Let’s go.”

  “No. I’ll meet you at home.” Torri watched the door at the back of the restaurant.

  “I think you’re wasting your time.” Jasmine grabbed her purse. “Come on, X. Let’s share a cab.”

  “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, sis.” Xander stumbled to his feet. “Man, that was great champagne.”

  “Pray for me, girl.” Jasmine teased over her shoulder as she helped Xander through the glass doors.

  Torri shook her head at her friends’ shenanigans and strutted toward Antonio’s office. She knew sleep would escape her once again if she didn’t settle things with Antonio. She adjusted her dress when she reached the end of the bar a few feet from his office. The door opened before she took another step.

  “Ree. I’m glad you’re still here.” He reached for her hand.“I never meant to raise my voice at you.”

  “Help me to understand.” She slipped her hand from his grasp and inched away.

  He clasped his hands together. “Torri, my father’s been a heavy drinker for a very long time. It got worse after my mother died. When you deal with someone like
that for as long as I have, you become immune. It doesn’t affect me much anymore.”

  “So, you’re giving up on him?” Her heart raced.

  “I’m just tired of fighting.”

  “He’s hurting, Antonio. Maybe, if you spoke to him.”

  “I know you’re trying to help, but it’s complicated.”

  Torri closed the gap between them. She caressed his tense arms. “Things are only as complicated as we make them.”

  “I agree. However, I refuse to let my father spoil this reunion. Can we get back to our friends before they ditch us?”

  “Too late.”

  “Well, that gives me more time to make up with you.” He pulled her into her arms.

  She smiled and wriggled free. Although, she wasn’t done talking about his relationship with his father, Antonio made it clear that he was. “I’d like to go home.”

  “I like the sound of that.” He rested his hand and the small of her back and led her toward the exit.

  Jake fell into step beside them.

  “Boss, do you have a minute?”

  “Torri, excuse me. I won’t be long.”

  “Take your time. I’ll be outside.”

  “Talk to me, Jake.” He smirked as he admired Torri’s sexy sway out the door.

  “Your father was worse than he’d been in a long time. He wouldn’t stop talking about your mother. I told him to go home and get some sleep.”

  “Any excuse to drink.”

  “He was out of control, Tony. When the cab pulled up, he refused to get in. He wanted to walk it off. I followed him for a few blocks before I came back. Man, I’m sorry. He was adamant that he’d be okay.”

  “No worries. You did your best.”

  “It’s never easy seeing him like that. Your father was so cool when we were growing up.”

  “He was.” He placed his hand on Jake’s shoulder. “Can you close up tonight?”

  “Going to check on your pops?”

  “Nah. He’s a pro at being drunk. He’ll be fine.”

  “If you say so.” Jake saluted and left to check on Roxie at the bar.