Betrayed (The New Yorker)

by M. O. Kenyan

“You are a virgin.” Reno was amazed. At that moment he regarded her in the same way he would if he had seen a unicorn. Excitement was soon replaced by caution, especially with all the sexual innuendo Lisette kept dropping on him.

  “I talk about sex, because I want people to think I am experienced. I want to feel normal especially with today’s progressive society.” She swallowed hard. “I don’t want you to think that I am waiting for the second coming or marriage.”

  “I know, you’re waiting for the right guy.” He wished his mother had waited ‘till she was in the confines of marriage before giving up her all to Dennis Kent. But according to Kono, Dennis was the right guy. He couldn’t fault Lisette for looking for the unavailable and nonexistent ‘one’.

  “And I think…no…I know I have found him—” She paused and Reno hung onto her every word. “I think my ‘one’ is you.”

  Reno felt his breath constrict in his chest, and his heart pounding out of its confines. He was her ‘one’. How could he be? New York was one of the most populated cities in the world and this virgin sitting before him had chosen him to be her designated de-virginator.

  “I know it’s a lot to take in, but I feel, like, you are it for me. Please don’t tell me I am only twenty-two and have a lifetime to find my guy. I know what I want and what I want is you.”

  “Yes.” Reno heard his voice, but couldn’t believe he said it. He sounded strangled and terrified and unsure and yet so sure. “Yes, I will be your boyfriend. I won’t rush you into anything you are not ready for. When you are ready I will try my best to make it special for you.”

  * * * *

  Lisette had heard the word “yes” and immediately her senses went into a celebratory rumba. She barely listened as he promised to make things special for her. What she wanted engraved in her mind and heart was the moment she took a giant leap of faith and landed in Reno Kanaloa’s strong arms. So she did.

  Lisette got out of the car and walked round to the passenger side where Reno was waiting for her with open arms. She rushed into them and they held her in place. She felt like she belonged there, as if she’d finally found her place in the world.

  “It’s dark down here and we are alone,” she said in a seductive tone. “I might let you take me to the back seat and sneak a peek under my skirt.”

  Reno’s body shook as he laughed, his laughter filling and bouncing off the walls of the small parking garage. “Its statements like that that can get a girl de-flowered.”

  “Oh really,” She teased as she rubbed her chest against his.

  She saw his eyes widen in shock, and then they slowly grew dark as his breathing labored. Lisette took a startled step back when she felt his manhood come alive and press against her belly. “I think I should stop teasing you now,” she mumbled as she stared at the bulge of his jeans.

  “I think that is a great idea.” Reno closed his eyes and steadied his breathing.

  “Reno, promise me something.”

  “Anything.”

  She waited until he had his eyes open before she spoke again. She needed to look into his eyes when he gave her this one promise. She needed to see if he was being honest with her. “If you feel like you are tired of waiting and you need to—”

  “I won’t.”

  “But if you need to, please break up with me first. If there is one thing I cannot forgive, it’s the breaking of trust.”

  “I won’t.” Reno took a step forward and pulled her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head, before moving to her cheeks then her neck. “You are so tiny,” he mumbled as his lips smoothed against her neck.

  Lisette rose to her tiptoes and angled her head. What she didn’t expect was Reno to lift her off the ground and settle her on the bonnet of her car. He claimed her lips and kissed her passionately and hard, the hunger flowing through him and into her body.

  She whimpered when he took a step back. Lisette put her hands on his shoulders and tried to pull him back in. But Reno took a step back and shrugged her hands away.

  “I need a minute,” he gasped out. “You shouldn’t be so willing to give me what I want.”

  Lisette watched as he struggled to get his body under control. She could feel a throbbing in her own body as her center pulsed with the need to be filled. “Maybe you should take me to the back seat and lift my skirts.”

  “I think we should get going.” Reno started walking toward the parking entrance, leaving Lisette behind. She watched him for a while and could see he was serious about leaving. She leapt off the car, ran after him and hopped on his back. Reno’s hands secured her legs around him, and they walked to the parade in laughter.

  * * * *

  Reno froze when they got to where the Ross family was watching the parade. He stared at the four people who weren’t part of the Ross family—an older woman, a teenage girl and two men who resembled him. He wanted to turn around and run. Being faced with the family he and his sister could never have ate at his heart and his resolve. But Lisette was still on his back. Her lips so close to his ear, whispering to him to put her down, gave him the strength to take a step forward.

  “Hey, dude.” He saw AJ emerge from the crowd in scrubs. “If I knew you were doing pony rides I would have asked for a lift.”

  Reno chuckled, trying to ignore the ache in his heart that pained him. “Well this ride is reserved for only one girl.”

  “He’s huge, Lisette, you weren’t kidding.” He watched as a younger girl who resembled both Lisette and AJ stepped forward. “I am Catalella, the nice sister, and you are freakishly large.”

  “Thanks, I guess,” Reno mumbled uncertainly.

  “Well that’s how I like them, tall and packed with muscle,” Lisette said as she pushed her fingers into his bicep. “You should meet my parents and my cousins and my aunt.”

  “Sure.” Reno hesitated as Lisette pulled him toward his family.

  “Papa, Uncle Dennis you already know, Reno.”

  “Yes, nice to see you again young man.” Adrian shook his hand and gave him a guarded expression. But Dennis all of a sudden didn’t seem so sure of himself.

  “This is my mother Rosalinda.”

  “Buenos Dias, Senora Ross.”

  “Buenos Dias, mijo.” Rosalinda said. “I like this one, Lisette.”

  “Me too.”

  “Me three, so who’s the hunk?” The teenager with her hair cut to her shoulders stepped forward.

  “Daniela, this is my boyfriend Reno. Reno, this is Daniela, her mother Issadora and her brother Dennis Junior.”

  Reno regarded his siblings and felt a rush of warmth engulf him. If only Rhyne was there with them. They could finally have the happy family they wanted. He looked at Issadora and Dennis and couldn’t help the resentment he felt for them. He took a step back and stood with AJ and his new found brother. He watched Daniela from the corner of his eye and vowed he would always protect his siblings.

  “So, you are whipped,” DJ said.

  “Why would you say that?” Reno smiled as he saw the resemblance in his and his brother’s features. DJ was a few inches shorter, he wasn’t filled out as much as he and AJ were, but he was getting there. He had this smile in his eyes and apart from Reno’s dark coloring, they were pretty much the same.

  “My sister has already got you carrying her around,” AJ scoffed.

  “I didn’t know you were a doctor.” Reno changed the subject. He wasn’t confident about talking about his new relationship with Lisette. Plus he secretly wanted to find out about his younger brother.

  “He tries to be,” DJ teased. “I on the other hand am attending Harvard University, on the fast track to law school.”

  “That’s great.” Reno was unable to hide the pride in his voice. “What about Daniela?”

  “I’m afraid the only interests Daniela and Catalella have at this time are in boys,” AJ said. “Speaking of, where are the little rascals?”

  “They went with Lisette to get some cotton candy,” Rosalinda filled them
in.

  Reno felt guilty—how could he have not noticed that Lisette wasn’t with them? “Other than boys, what are their interests?”

  “Catalella is on Law and Daniela is on her boyfriend. Wherever he goes she will follow.” DJ smirked. “She is ‘in love’ with him apparently and can’t live without him. I wonder where she will find an interior design school that will offer both her and her meathead a football scholarship.”

  “Why a scholarship?”

  “Dad threatened to cut her off. Of course he wouldn’t, but he thought threatening her would set her mind straight.”

  Reno wouldn’t let his sister struggle. If he couldn’t be there for Rhyne, he would be there for Daniela. First he had to find out who the meathead was. He looked around and immediately spotted Catalella and Daniela in a circle of teenage boys. He had to focus his energy on pulling his protective side back.

  “Guys, I think you need to go into big brother mode.” With his head he signaled toward the growing crowd.

  “Oh shit. I wonder what having a brother feels like.” DJ groaned.

  He followed the two to the group and one by one the boys began dispersing. The scowls on Daniela’s and Catalella’s faces told them their protective instincts were not appreciated.

  “You need to stay out of my business, DJ,” Daniela wailed.

  “I think if you brought your boyfriend to your brother, and he got to meet him and see what a nice guy he is, DJ would feel much better,” Reno offered.

  “If only. How about I trade you for my brother?” Daniela teased.

  “I would like that,” DJ offered. “He sort of looks like me though. Imagine that—another guy to help me handle you, Daniela.”

  “Don’t say that. I don’t think I would be able to get away with anything with two of you.”

  Reno smiled, wishing he could tell both of them that he was their older brother. He knew for a fact that if he had grown up with Rhyne, all her boyfriends would have gone through a vetting system and those he didn’t like he would scare away.

  “Hey, I want my boyfriend back.” Lisette dragged an unwilling Reno from his siblings.

  Reno turned just in time to see Dennis watching them as Adrian whispered something in his ear. He could have been wrong but he thought he saw a look of pride and joy in Dennis’ eyes.

  Chapter Four

  “Thank you for bringing me.” Reno pressed a kiss on Lisette’s temple.

  “Thank you for coming.” Lisette stopped and stepped in front of him. She toyed with his fingers, unsure of how she should approach the subject of his family. In the few weeks that they had been dating, Reno hadn’t mentioned them once. When she had brought up the topic of spending the Fourth of July with her family, he didn’t say anything about his family. “Reno, I don’t know anything about your family, but I want you to know that you can always share mine.”

  Lisette swallowed hard, her heart trembling under Reno’s intense gaze. There seemed to be tears in his eyes, but she restrained herself from trying to catch them before they fell. He was a man and maybe it was a matter of pride for him. She laid her hand on his chest and rubbed on the muscles she found there. “I know you’re big and strong, but I am always going to be here if you need someone to lean on.”

  “You promise?” he choked out.

  “I swear.” Lisette rose on her tiptoes and nibbled on his bottom lip. She heard a groan rise from deep in his chest and she smiled. The next thing she felt was Reno’s arms around her and her feet leaving the ground. She pulled back and stared into his eyes, cupping his jaw in her palm. He was beautiful inside and out and Lisette knew that as long as he made her heart quiver with just a look in his eyes, she would always be hooked. She was like a junkie and Reno was her drug of choice.

  “I am in like with you,” he whispered against her lips.

  “Just like?” Lisette teased.

  “The like is growing into something stronger and soon I will never be able to let you go.” There was a serious earnestness in his voice that scared Lisette. Was he thinking of leaving her?

  “I am never going to let you go. I am going to stalk you and follow you to the ends of the earth.” She grabbed his chin in her hands and placed a firm kiss on his lips.

  “I hope so.”

  Before Lisette could ask him what he meant, Dennis and her father stepped out of the massive Hampton house, quizzical scowls on their faces. Reno put her on the ground and cleared his throat before walking toward the two men. “Good afternoon Mr. Kent, Mr. Ross.”

  “Good afternoon,” the two men grumbled.

  “What took you so long, mija?” Adrian pulled Lisette into a hug and kissed her forehead. “I missed you. You know seeing your little face makes my whole world.”

  “Hey, what about my little face?”Catalella stepped out of the house with a pout on her face.

  * * * *

  Reno swallowed the lump forming in his throat as he watched a father shower affection on his children. He stared down at Dennis and the primal feeling of ramming his fist in the old man’s face overcame him. How would he explain this act of violence to Lisette? He stood back, his hands behind him.

  “I missed you too, my little Lella. My babies,” Adrian cooed. “So where is the other one?”

  “He’s on duty, but he said that if you send him the company helicopter tomorrow morning he will be able to get here and back much faster,” Lisette said in the cutest voice Reno had ever heard her use. “He also said, you were the one who wanted a doctor in the family. Apart from the legal liars and financial cheats, you wanted a son with an honest career.”

  “I said that, did I? Fine, tell him to call Marie and tell her what time he wants to be picked up. She’ll organize it.”

  Reno was smiling down at Lisette so he didn’t realize Adrian was staring at him.

  “We’d better get in. How are you at the grill, young man?”

  Startled he looked up and said the first thing that came to mind. “I went to luaus. I handled the pig section.”

  “Good, then you can help your fa—pah! You can help Dennis and me man the grill.” Adrian cleared his throat. “DJ is useless when around girls, and AJ is at the hospital.”

  “Sure, sir.” Reno watched the two men carefully. Adrian was about to let something slip a few minutes ago, and Reno could swear that he was about to call Dennis his father. Did they know? Was he idiotically planning revenge against a man who already knew who he was?

  “Oh plus, there is flag football and Reno is on my team,” Lisette yelled out.

  “No fair.” He heard Catalella whine as she ran into the house.

  “Son.”

  Reno’s head shot up and Dennis cleared his throat nervously. “I heard that NYU is finally starting a football team and you are on it.”

  “Yes.” Reno pushed the word out of his stuffy throat.

  “Lisette tells us you are really good.”

  “Lisette is biased.”

  “She’s there with you every day, during practice that is.”

  “Yep, sort of what a parent should be doing, right?” Reno stalked past a stunned Adrian and Dennis. He knew something was up. He felt stupid thinking that he could actually try and stay under the radar with those two. They had all the money in New York and could easily hire someone to investigate him, especially since he was working at their company and dating Adrian’s daughter.

  Reno had the impulsive feeling of just getting back into Lisette’s car and driving straight to the airport. He thought of going back home, and letting this charade end. Lisette would be better off without him anyway. He didn’t think his bruised heart was capable of loving, not while it still harbored all this anger and resentment.

  Reno walked to the backyard and true to Adrian’s word, DJ was distracted by a little blonde. He shook his head and chuckled—DJ was the lady killer in the Kent family.

  “Come here, dear. Let me give you something to eat.” Rosalinda beckoned him. But before he could get anywhere, Daniela
had rushed in to hug him. Reno held her in place wondering what had brought on the sudden impulse for affection, but thanking God that he felt the warmth of her.

  “Reno, I’m glad you are here,” she rushed on. “I brought my boyfriend over for everyone to meet, like you said, but DJ is distracted by that blonde bimbo and Daddy just seems preoccupied. Mommy likes him.”

  “That’s good.” Reno stared down at her with a smile.

  “I thought you could come and meet him too.”

  “Sure, but tell him to come over here. Mrs. Ross called me and it’s not right to keep your elders waiting.”

  “Really? You are so cool.”

  Reno laughed as he watched his baby sister run to retrieve her boyfriend.

  “She’s going to be stuck on you now.”

  Reno turned around and faced Issadora. He wanted to hate her, to resent her and for the better part of his twenty-four years he had. But the woman seemed soft spoken, kind and loving. Reno didn’t know how long he would be able to keep the wall between them up; not when she was the kind of mother he’d wanted while growing up.

  “I don’t mind.” He shrugged and walked to Rosalinda and Lisette who were preparing a plate of food for him.

  Reno took a seat at one of the tables in the backyard, and watched this extended family as they interacted. His heart ached as he watched the loving scenes unfold before him.

  “Hey, man!” DJ walked over to him. “Long time no see.”

  “Work and football are keeping me busy. I wish my teammates looked half as good as your blonde over there.”

  “Who? Her?” DJ chuckled. “This is the first time I’m meeting her. I found her at the beach and I reeled her in. It helped that I had my dad’s Ferrari.”

  Reno glanced at DJ and saw the same sad look he had seen on Lisette’s face when she told him the reason guys wanted her. He felt terrible that his brother was put in this position. “So why do you give them the time of day if they are only after you for your money?”

  “It’s hard to weed out the genuine ones from the gold diggers. Anyway I am only twenty and in no position to be in a serious relationship.”