Virgo - Mr. Intelligent: The 12 Signs of Love (The Zodiac Lovers Series Book 9)

by Tiana Laveen

  The doorbell suddenly rang.

  “I know he has… He’s going to miss you, that’s for sure. He really liked you as a person as well. He shouldn’t have done that, it was all done out of anger. Hopefully, when he calms down he will see that and reverse this nonsense. Anyway, sweetie, I gotta go. I love you.”

  “I love you too, honey. Someone is at the door anyway. I’ll hit you up later.”

  “Okay.” She blew him a kiss over the phone and disconnected the call.

  “Be right there!” Vangelis called out, figuring it may be a Saturday delivery guy. He had an auto-renewal on several vitamins and supplements he used in his green smoothies that often arrived on Saturday mornings. Figuring it was a new shipment, he raced up the steps to his bedroom and in a flash, pulled on some black shorts he used to work out in.

  When he got to the door, he looked through the peephole to see Chi standing there. The boy’s hair seemed to grow longer overnight. Long, black, poker straight strands draped down past his shoulders. An oversized black hoodie practically swallowed him up and his white sneakers seemed to glow. Vangelis unlocked the door and prepared to tell him that it was too early and to please go back home. But then he noticed that there were tears in his eyes…

  “Chi, what’s wrong?”

  The boy sniffed and rocked back on his heels, his gaze lowered. A slow breeze caught his hair. His slightly yellowish skin appeared rosy and pink about the cheeks, making him look innocent, more child-like than usual.

  “Yesterday I came over, but you weren’t home.” The boy lifted his gaze to his.

  “I spent the night over my girlfriend’s house.”

  Curiosity shone in the boy’s eyes. “You have a new one?”

  “Yes, but she’s not new. We’ve been together for a bit now. Come on in. It’s cold out.”

  Chi looked duly surprised to be invited inside. He stepped carefully over the threshold, as if barefoot and the place were covered in shards of glass. Vangelis closed and locked the door, then led him into the kitchen. “Have a seat.” Chi made himself comfortable at the island. “Now, what’s bothering you?” Vangelis handed him a bottle of organic apple juice from the refrigerator.

  “Yesterday, I, uh, got beat up.”

  Vangelis scanned him from head to toe. “Oh my God, are you okay? Do your grandfather and parents know?”

  Chi shook his head. “No, I didn’t tell them.” He sniffed again. Vangelis grabbed a napkin and handed it to him. The boy blew his nose vigorously. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  After taking a few swallows of his juice, Chi set the bottle down, then lifted his sweatshirt, exposing a small frame—evidence of a very high metabolism since the kid ate practically night and day. Vangelis gasped at the sight of a large purple bruise over his heart. “Who the hell did this to you?! I demand you tell me right now!” Chi’s eyes watered and the tears flowed. Vangelis went to sit next to him on the bar stool and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Chi, if you are being bullied then you need to—”

  “Nothing will help!” he blurted, the tears falling fast now. “The guys in my class don’t like me! I’ve been lying to you about everything! I have no friends and no girls want me, either! It’s all been a big ass lie! I am a joke! People make fun of me! I used to get good grades so I started bumming around in school to be more cool but all that did was get me in trouble at home and still no friends! It’s been a fucking nightmare, Vangelis! I hate my life! I hate myself, too! I wanna just die!”

  Vangelis drew the boy in a tight hug.

  “Don’t you ever say that again. Do you hear me? You’re just a kid! To you, everything bad that happens is monumental and can never get better. It does get better though, Chi! Life gets better. I’m serious about that.” He released him and placed both hands on the boy’s shoulders now, looking him dead in his eyes. “It’s not the end of the world, okay? I wasn’t always the most popular in school, either.”

  “But did you have friends?”

  “Well… yes, some, but I think because I was so into my schoolwork and a little awkward, I didn’t always get the girls I wanted at that time, and I certainly wasn’t homecoming king until my senior year. I was very shy when I was your age. It took me a while to come into my own.”

  “Oh, big whoop! You may not have been a popular freshman but you were a popular senior. Homecoming king?! Jesus Christ! Poor Vangelis! See?! I knew you’ve been cool for years! There’s no way you could understand!” The boy snatched another napkin and swiped at the angry tears brimming in his eyes.

  “I have not been cool for years, Chi. Every kid has a difficult period. That’s normal.”

  “A difficult period? My entire life has been a difficult period! To make matters worse, I’m still a virgin!”

  “So what! You should be! Look how young you are. Do you know how many damn diseases are out here, Chi? You kids don’t need to be having sex anyway.”

  The boy rolled his eyes.

  “Says the guy who had women coming in and out of his house like a line of ants marching towards a pile of sugar! You were the man! Screams of ecstasy coming from your house… it was like I had Cinemax, but for free! Dr. Looooove!”

  Vangelis almost laughed, but swallowed the urge just in time. A part of him was embarrassed though, too.

  “Let’s get back on topic, okay? There are too many possible consequences, physically and emotionally, for you to be having intercourse right now. Be proud to be a virgin. Save yourself for someone special… and she’s coming, I promise.”

  “That’s what she said…”

  Vangelis shook his head and burst out laughing. “I see you still have your sense of humor, even in the midst of your troubles. That’s good. Now, tell me why you got into a fight yesterday. What started it all?”

  “There’s this guy named Jason.”

  “Yeah, what about Jason?”

  “Well, he’s really cool, like the most popular guy in our class. Everyone likes him. He was making fun of me yesterday, as he always does, but I just was tired of it, ya know?” Vangelis nodded. “So, he made some joke about me being Chinese.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He said, ‘How do you blindfold a Chinese guy?’ Then he said, ‘Put floss over their eyes.’” Vangelis grimaced and leaned back in his seat, disgusted. “And it’s not the first time he said things like that. The day before he asked, ‘What does a Chinese person say if they accidentally spill soup on you?’ His response was, ‘Miso sorry.’ The entire classroom started laughing.”

  “Have you told any teachers or school staff about this?” The boy shook his head. “Well, you should. This is unacceptable. Racist comments are not to be tolerated.”

  “But I make fun of myself sometimes, too. I mean, it can be funny I guess…just not when you’re the butt of the joke.” He dropped his head.

  “Well, sure, sometimes, amongst friends or family, we will say things, okay? Like me and my Greek friends will crack jokes about Greek mothers, things like that. I imagine most races do that sort of thing but you’re at school and he is singling you out, trying to make you feel bad. He’s not acting in a loving or fun way; he’s trying to inflict emotional pain and that’s not cool. So what happened next?”

  “I punched him in his fucking face.”

  Vangelis wished he could have curbed his smile, but he simply couldn’t.

  That a boy!!! He cheered inside his head…

  “And then he and his friend jumped on me and started beatin’ the shit outta me. This was at recess. We all ended up being sent to the principal. I didn’t rat him out when the principal asked what happened. I just said it was a misunderstanding.”

  “No.” Vangelis pointed at him. “That was definitely the wrong thing to do, Chi. On Monday, you take your ass right back in there and you tell the principal the truth, do you hear me? I will go with you if you want me to. This isn’t about ratting someone out—this is about standing up to this bully and showing
him that he can’t get away with this, that you won’t take it anymore. He probably didn’t expect you to defend yourself so he had to save face. He couldn’t even fight you one on one; he had to bring another guy into it… make it an unfair sparring match. You cannot accept this. If you do, he’ll never stop. Mark my words. My youngest brother was a bully in school… still is, sometimes. That’s deplorable behavior and bullies are actually afraid, scared people. We teach people how to treat us, Chi.” Vangelis got up from the seat and grabbed a green apple from a crystal bowl, then washed it at the sink. He looked over his shoulder at the kid. “Do you want one?’

  “Yeah… thanks.”

  Vangelis grabbed another one and washed it, too. He swaddled it in a paper towel then handed it to the kid.

  “You’re White, so you probably never had nobody make fun of you because of that.”

  Vangelis offered a sad smile.

  “You’re right, Chi. I don’t recall anyone making fun of me because I’m Greek. I can’t argue with that. I’m sure it has happened to some Greeks, but that’s not really the point. Greek culture is seen as cool,” he said, putting his fingers in quotes, “in our society so many people pledge Greek, you know? The fraternities and such. I’m in one myself… Sigma Alpha Epsilon. People often want to visit Greece. They learn Latin and Greek culture, though at times make fun of it. Still, it is held in high regard so no, I cannot begin to know what you go through, Chi. After all, Greece is often referred to as the beginning of Western Civilization. Life actually began in Africa, but I don’t want to get too sidetracked. The point I am making is that I don’t know how you feel, but I’m interested in learning. You can help teach me and others like me by sharing your experiences.”

  He approached Chi, took a bite of his apple, and patted the boy’s shoulder.

  “Yeah, I guess I can. You know what trips me out though? I didn’t know you were in a fraternity. That’s cool!”

  “Yeah, I have all sorts of plaques and things in my office. I talk to my frat brothers all the time. Look, back to your situation though. I want you to stand up for yourself, okay? I know at your age peer pressure is through the roof and you want to fit in, but please believe me when I tell you this—being your own person, making good grades, and following your heart are the most important things, Chi. The women will come, so don’t worry about that right now. These idiots messing with you in school may grow up to be losers, especially if they keep the same mentality. Meanwhile, you’ll be making a six-digit income, have a nice house, a great career, true friends with similar tastes as you, and finally, you’ll get yourself a honey with a fat ass.”

  Chi burst out laughing so hard, his face turned red.

  “I’ve never heard you say that before! See? You are cool, Vangelis.”

  For some reason, a sense of affection washed over him as he looked at the boy. The tears still glided down Chi’s cheeks—cheeks that were slightly plump, but losing their fat as he became more of a man.

  He doesn’t really have a father figure… His dad is always gone and his grandfather isn’t in the best of health and doesn’t spend much time with him. I have to step up to the plate. He needs me.

  He leaned forward and kissed the boy’s forehead.

  “What… what was that for?” Chi smiled as he touched the spot.

  “Greeks are very affectionate people, Chi. It’s my way of saying that you’re always welcome here and that you were wrong. You do have a friend… Me.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Soul Brother

  “I’m glad you agreed to meet with me.” Vangelis grabbed the rather small glass pepper shaker at Richard Walker’s Pancake House. He sprinkled a dash of it on his scrambled eggs then took a bite of the fluffy goodness, which practically melted on his tongue.

  Leonard sat across from him, grumbling under his breath. The man grabbed his cup of coffee and sipped. His muscles looked stiff, as if he were eager to hop away any minute and dash off, never to be seen again.

  “It’s been a couple of weeks since you and your sister spoke. She is really heartbroken by this. Please, if you are willing, talk to her.”

  “Oh, you’re Dr. Phil now? Not only do you want to mess around with my sister, but you want to lay down some rules for how I conduct myself with her, too. You don’t determine that.”

  “That’s not what I said.”

  “You didn’t have to. I can read between the lines. Somebody musta told you that you were big shit. Well, you’re not. My relationship with my sister is my own damn business.” The man pointed to himself. “You were so quick to tell me to mind my own, I suggest you do the same.” Leonard wasn’t raising his voice or yelling, but a darkness hung in his eyes, one that reeked of a threat on the horizon.

  “Please tell me why you are so upset about me dating your sister, Leonard.” He shoved his plate aside and clasped his hands together.

  “I already told you.”

  “No, see, you actually didn’t.” Vangelis shook his head and smiled, though he was certain he looked tense. “That’s not really it. I want you to tell me face to face, man to man, why someone who cares about your sister as much as I do, loves her with everything within me, is now seen as a threat?” Leonard cocked his head to the side and grimaced. “Me being White is only a part of it. Me being your doctor and hers for a short time is only a part of it, too. There are other portions of this pie that aren’t accounted for, Leonard, and I need you to tell me what they are and where they are. This doesn’t just hurt Sahara, as if that’s not bad enough. It hurts me, too.”

  “Now why in the hell would how I feel about your ass hurt you?” The guy chuckled dismally.

  “Because I even considered you a close associate at one point… not just a patient. I actually looked forward to when you would come in because I knew we’d have some good laughs and you were just… very pleasant. We’ve talked on the phone several times, Leonard, just shooting the shit. Now please tell me, what is it? What can I do to make you feel more comfortable?”

  Leonard ran his finger against his lower lip and glared at him. “Leave my sister alone.” He smiled, and not in a friendly way.

  “You and I both know I can’t do that.”

  They stewed in silence for a spell.

  “You’re a piece of work, you know that? You got a real slick mouth. It was kinda funny, actually, you know, the stuff you were saying on the phone when I confronted you. I didn’t expect that from you.” Vangelis grinned. “You just, uh, seem so reserved for the most part. It was a bit of a shock.”

  “I was upset and just tryna not inflame the situation by yelling back is all.” Leonard nodded. “Thank you for not making any calls or sending any emails that could cause me or even Sahara to have to explain ourselves. I told you I already did this the right way, but even you making such an allegation against me is not really a good look… it’s something to definitely be avoided.”

  “Just so you know, I didn’t call nobody about you only because my mother asked me not to.”

  “Your mother?”

  “Yeah. I called her and told her what happened, thinking she’d agree with me, to be honest, and she pretty much said the same thing you and Sahara said. All that did was make me madder. She told me to stay outta my sister’s way and if she makes a mistake again, it is her mistake to make. I been thinking about that over the last few days… but it’s hard. My sister’s been through hell. I meant that when I told you the first time.” Leonard jammed his finger on the table surface, bringing the point home.

  I know… and I also know more than you about it but that’s her secret, and I’d never tell…

  “I understand. I spent a lot of time getting to know your sister and her needs before and during the examination and treatment process, Leonard. In speaking with her, spending time with her, something grew between us.” He threw up his hands. “I promise you that this has never happened to me before.”

  “I don’t believe you. I know some honeys have walked into that off
ice.”

  “Sure, I’ve found some of my female patients attractive before, but my thoughts never went there. Your sister was different, okay? When I first saw her, I was actually speechless for a second.” He laughed lightly. “I was literally tongue-tied, Leonard. She was just so pretty, it blew me away. Then, as we got to know one another, I realized just how caring and smart she is. She’s very confident, not needy and self-reliant. She knows exactly who she is as a person and that really appealed to me.”

  Leonard studied him long and hard, as if he were trying to look into his very soul.

  “Yeah… that’s Sahara.” Leonard nodded, taking another taste of his coffee. “She is a ‘I don’t need anyone’ type of woman.”

  “So, she’s not this weak minded person who can’t handle herself. I know that you care and based on her track record, you’re worried. I’m the eldest, too,” he said. “I know what it feels like to be responsible for your younger siblings, to ensure they don’t mess up but really, Leonard, that’s not our job. I have a habit of wanting to rush in and fix things, like you do. We probably have more in common than you realize.”

  Just then, Leonard’s food arrived—a whopping plate of pancakes and sausage patties. The man attacked the plate as if he were famished.

  I hope he doesn’t eat like this all the time… I wonder if he is still following the regimen I put him on? Is this the right time to ask? Probably not…

  “Here’s the thing, Dr. Alexopoulos, you seem to—”

  “I think with all that has transpired, you calling me Vangelis is fine now.” He smiled and took a forkful of his eggs.

  “All right, Vangelis, but I’d prefer to just call you mothafucka.”

  “Well, you’ve already taken the liberty of using that little term of endearment several times.” He grinned, and so did Leonard.

  “Look, Vangelis, I can’t even lie. You seemed like a real good guy when I was workin’ with you, and yeah, I saw you more like an associate than just a doctor, too. You were real personable, easy to talk to, and you knew what you were talking about which was most important to me.” The man paused, his expression thoughtful. “I can’t have someone fuckin’ over my sister though, Vangelis.” He gave him a stern look. “I know it’s none of my business and all that shit, but my sister is also my friend. That woman would take a bullet for me.”