Mister Moneybags

by Vi Keeland

  “Ignore it,” he said. Go on.”

  “But…it’s sort of late. Almost ten o’clock. Don’t you want to even see who it is?”

  His response came so fast it made me laugh. “No.” After a few more rings the cell phone quieted. Dex prompted me to continue. “So…where were you? What am I opening? The door? My pants? Your pants? A bag? Handcuffs? Don’t leave me hanging here.”

  I giggled. “Okay. Well, I had this one sort of daydream where you open…” As if on cue, Dex’s cell phone started to ring again. The damn thing was vibrating and jumping around on the end table.

  “Maybe you should get that.”

  “No.”

  “At least see who it is.”

  Begrudgingly, Dex reached for his phone. He stared at the screen for a ring before speaking. “It’s my father’s wife, Myra.”

  “Aren’t they in the Caribbean? Why would she be calling? And so late?”

  Dex swiped and brought the phone to his ear with a huff. I listened to one side of the conversation. His body immediately stiffened.

  “What happened?”

  “When?”

  “Where is he?”

  My heart sank waiting to find out the details, but it was clear whatever it was, was not good. After he hung up, Dex immediately got up from the bed and started pacing back and forth. I was almost afraid to ask.

  “What happened?”

  “My father. He had a massive heart attack.”

  “Oh my God. Is he…”

  “He’s in CCU. He’s alive but hasn’t woken up yet.”

  “In Turks?”

  “It happened on a plane. Apparently, he hadn’t been feeling well, and they decided to come home early so he could see his doctor. Happened a few minutes before they were landing in Florida tonight.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  Dex ran his fingers through his hair. “I need to go down there. First flight in the morning.”

  “I’ll go with you.”

  He looked at me. “You sure?”

  “I want to be there for you.”

  After a few heartbeats, he nodded. Then he proceeded to pick up the phone and call the airline. While he barked into the phone, I put away the moisturizer he’d been massaging me with and went to the kitchen to get a drink of water.

  Standing at the kitchen counter, it dawned on me for the first time…I was about to meet my biological father.

  Maybe.

  I needed wine instead.

  Dex was quiet the entire flight down to Florida. He’d spoken to Myra first thing this morning while we were headed to the airport and found out that his father needed a triple bypass, along with a valve replacement. His heart was weak after the massive heart attack, but they couldn’t waste time because of the ninety-nine percent blockage. Surgery was scheduled for this afternoon.

  When we arrived at Good Samaritan Medical Center, Dex already knew the room number so we breezed right past the line at the patient information desk and followed the signs for the elevator. It wasn’t until the doors closed that I had really given any thought to what my showing up might do to Dex Sr. Up until then, I’d been only focusing on wanting to support Dex.

  “Maybe I should wait out in the hall when you go in to see him.”

  Dex was normally so present, so aware of everything around him; it was odd to see him in a fog. “I’m sorry. Did you say something?”

  “I said maybe it would be better if I didn’t go in to see him with you. I could just wait in the hall.”

  “Is that what you want or what you think is best for him?”

  “I don’t want to upset him.”

  Dex took my hand and nodded as the elevator doors slid open. “You’re coming in with me.”

  Dex Sr.’s wife was in the hall outside of CCU talking to a doctor. When we approached, they turned to us. Myra forced a smile. “Hi, Dex. Thank you for coming.”

  “Of course.”

  “Dr. Sharma, this is Dex’s son, Dex Jr.”

  The doctor nodded. Then, Myra looked to me. I extended my hand. “Bianca George. I’m a…friend…of Dex’s. I’m sorry about your husband’s health.”

  The doctor looked at his watch. “I was just about to go in and visit with your father. You’re welcome to join while I review his morning stats.”

  Dex nodded.

  Dr. Sharma turned to me. “I’m sorry. But CCU is limited to family members, so you’ll need to wait out here.”

  I saw Dex’s face and braced for it. He pulled me close to his side. “Bianca is my girlfriend. But there’s also a pretty good chance she’s his daughter. So, she’ll be joining us.”

  Not knowing how to respond to that, the doctor motioned us to follow him inside.

  Even though he was paler than I imagined he normally was, and he had monitor lines and IVs hooked up all over, I would have recognized Dex Sr. anywhere. He looked just like my sister, even more so in person than he did in the pictures.

  His eyes caught on Dex first. There was a moment of surprise at seeing him, and I thought it might be happiness. But the light in his eyes quickly extinguished when he looked at me standing next to him—a real-life reminder that darkness in the past always comes into the light. Frequently, at the worst times.

  “Dad.” Dex nodded.

  His father attempted to take the oxygen mask off his face, but the doctor stopped him. “You need to leave that on, Mr. Truitt.” Dr. Sharma then went on to examine the chart and immediately began talking about the risks of the heart procedure Dex’s father was about to undergo. I thought all of us were listening intently until I felt Dex Sr. staring at me. As I turned to meet his eyes, he gave me a soft smile. Then he looked to the man standing next to me, who I realized was no longer listening to the doctor, either, but instead watching the interaction between the two of us. When Dex Sr. lifted his weak hand in my direction for me to take, I didn’t know what to do. My eyes flitted back and forth between the two men, looking for someone to give me the answer. We hadn’t talked about it since last night, but it was that moment that I knew. Taking his hand in mine, I needed to know if this man was my father.

  We stayed at the hospital the entire time Dex Sr. was in surgery.

  When Dr. Sharma finally came out to tell us that the procedure was a success, Dex and I let out a collective sigh. Dex planted a relieved kiss on my lips, the doctor looked confused; I think he’d given up on trying to figure out our relation to one another.

  “Can we see him?” Dex asked.

  “His wife is in there now. I would say wait a little bit, since he’s still waking up. Give it about a half hour.”

  Myra eventually came out to let us know that it was okay to go in and said her husband had actually asked to see us.

  My heart was racing as we entered the recovery room.

  “How are you feeling, Dad?”

  He swallowed, seeming like his mouth was parched. “I’ve been better.”

  “Well, the operation went well. I’m really glad to hear it.”

  Dex Sr. turned his head toward me. “I can’t get over it. Before I went under, I thought you were her. You look like just your mother.”

  “Yes. Many people tell me that.”

  His voice was groggy, but he continued to force out the words. “I really did care for her. There were a lot of women who passed through my life. Most of them were forgettable. But I will never forget Eleni.” He looked at Dex for a moment then said, “My son has the same look in his eyes now, the one I had whenever I was with her. Except, what you have going on here seems to be even stronger.”

  “Dad, don’t talk too much. You’ll waste your energy.”

  “No, I have to say this.”

  Dex blew out a breath. “Alright.”

  His father reached for my hand as he addressed both of us. “I’m sorry about this situation. I’ll do whatever you need me to do. Nearly dying has put a lot into perspective. I’d really like to know the truth. Mostly for you but also for me.”

 
Dex was quick to say, “Well, you need some time to recover before we deal with all that.”

  “Nonsense. All they need to do is swab my cheek. You get the guy in here today, and do it while you’re still down here. No sense in stalling.”

  He seemed troubled by his father’s insistence. “We haven’t decided one hundred percent on the test.”

  Still holding his father’s hand, I made sure I was looking Dex straight in the eyes when I said, “Yes, we have.”

  “We have?”

  “Yes, Dex. We need to do it.”

  He just kept nodding and blinking, as if realizing he’d just given up on a losing battle. “Okay.”

  About an hour later, someone from the lab came in to take our samples. The entire time my cheek was swabbed, I was looking deeply into Dex’s penetrating eyes while I silently prayed for a favorable outcome.

  Dex then called the main lab where my sister’s sample had been sent, and they informed him that it would take about two days for all of the results. I knew they would be the longest two days of my life.

  We decided to stay in Palm Beach until the results came in. That way, in the event that it turned out Dex Sr. was my biological father, he and I could have a moment to absorb the news together. My sister opted to stay in New York since her husband couldn’t take time off from work; she felt she’d need his support more than anything.

  After I called Bandit’s doggy day care to let them know we’d need to extend his staycation, I spent a good part of that evening on the phone with my father as he assured me that regardless of the outcome, nothing would change between us, that I would always be his little girl and the love of his life. When I’d finally gotten up the nerve to have the conversation with my dad, he had admitted that he always questioned Alexandra’s paternity in particular over the years, but he’d ultimately decided not to pursue testing because he felt it wouldn’t have changed anything in his mind or heart.

  Dex and I ended up spending the night at his father’s guesthouse, which was adjacent to the Truitt’s main waterfront property. So exhausted from the long day at the hospital, I relaxed into Dex’s arms. The mood was somber as we fell asleep in the king-sized bed listening to the sound of the waves crashing just outside the French doors.

  The following morning, he snuck up behind me as I was looking out at the ocean from the patio.

  He handed me a mug of freshly brewed coffee. “How are you feeling?”

  “Sort of numb.”

  “I know what you mean. It feels like a shock. I went from preparing myself to possibly never find out…to now inevitably dealing with the truth as soon as tomorrow.”

  “We couldn’t have lived like that. We would have always wondered.”

  “I think deep down I knew that, but I still didn’t want to believe it.” Dex suddenly looked panicked. “We can’t waste these last hours, Bianca. I feel like we need to not let a second pass us by unnoticed.”

  “What do you want to do?”

  “We have a huge day ahead.”

  “We do?”

  “Fuck, yes. They said the results could potentially be in tomorrow…that means today could be the last full day that we’re living in ignorant bliss. I feel like I need to give you a lifetime today.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means there are certain things that I want to see and do with you while you’re still my Bianca, in case I never get a chance to experience them. Although, the one thing I really need to do, I can’t.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  “I want to take you to a few different places.”

  I’d made some phone calls to area businesses while Bianca showered and got dressed. The Truitt name was well known on the island, so I had no trouble getting people to cooperate with my plans.

  Our first stop was Worth Avenue, which was Palm Beach’s version of Rodeo Drive. Bianca wasn’t very materialistic, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to shower her with the best that money could buy.

  A lifetime.

  I had to give her a lifetime today—just in case.

  We’d parked and were strolling along the sidewalk, looking in the windows of the upscale shops. Her face turned red when I intentionally stopped in front of Tiffany’s.

  Seeming to read my guilty expression, she asked, “What are you up to, Dex Truitt?”

  “Wait right out here, okay?”

  Once inside, I raced to the first person I saw.

  “Can I help you?”

  “Yes, I’m looking for Julia. She and I spoke over the phone.”

  Moments later, an older blonde woman approached. “Hi, Mr. Truitt. I have it right here. If for some reason it doesn’t fit, just bring her back in today and we can resize it.”

  “Perfect. Thank you.”

  With the small blue gift bag in hand, I ventured back outside to find Bianca waiting for me, looking perplexed.

  “What’s in the bag, Dex?”

  I wasted no time getting to the point.

  “Okay, first off, I want you to know that this isn’t a proposal. I’m hopeful if things turn out okay, I can do that the right way someday. I want to really appreciate that moment without this cloud hanging over us. But I wanted to give you something now that you will always remember me by.”

  I took the small box out and opened it, showcasing the nearly three-carat diamond eternity band. The bright sunlight beamed over the diamonds, causing them to really shine.

  “I’m not getting down on one knee today, because I want to keep that option open for later. No matter what the outcome is tomorrow, you’re going to be a Truitt. I want you to wear this and always remember me, remember the time we’ve had together. Whether I can complement this someday with another ring, or whether it stands alone as a symbol of what never could be, this eternity band represents my eternal love and respect for you, Bianca.” I placed it on her finger. It fit perfectly. My earlier estimate of her ring size was right on the money; that was pure fate, kind of like this whole experience.

  She looked down at the sparkling gems, seeming shocked as I continued.

  “Today isn’t our wedding day, but it’s our day, and we’re going to celebrate what we do have—today. There’s going to be cake, and a pretty white dress, and some frolicking on the beach. And we’re going to spend every moment together.”

  Overcome with emotion, she reached up and hugged me tightly. “I don’t even know what to say that will do this gesture justice, except that I will proudly wear this forever.”

  Taking her bejeweled hand in mine, I kissed it hard. “Now, let’s go have some fun.”

  We were right on time for the noon appointment I’d made at the posh boutique. The owner took Bianca upstairs to look at their selection of garments. I’d told the woman to pull all of the white dresses in the place before Bianca’s arrival. Since this wasn’t an actual wedding—just a celebration—I suggested she bring out more casual dresses as opposed to formal evening gowns. But the choice was Bianca’s. My only condition was that I wanted to see her in white. You know…just in case this was all we would have.

  Much to my dismay, they wouldn’t allow me upstairs in the all-female dressing area. I waited down on the lower level, mindlessly flipping through the pages of a bridal magazine and talking to the pictures inside.

  “Bianca’s way prettier.”

  Flip.

  “Dude, would you still marry her if there was a chance she could be your sister? Not an easy decision, is it?”

  Flip.

  “Oh, what’s this? A facial is a great way to relax on the morning of your wedding? Well, I couldn’t agree more.”

  I closed the magazine suddenly when my eyes caught Bianca slowly making her way down the winding staircase. The sight of her in the dress she’d chosen took my breath away. But what made my heart want to combust even more was the huge smile plastered all over her face. It was so full of hope and optimism, beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.

  Good idea, Dex.
This was a good way to help take her mind off things.

  I prayed that nothing would ever happen to take that smile away.

  “You look stunning.”

  With a humble expression, she looked down at herself. “It’s simple. I didn’t want to go overboard. This one just felt right.”

  The dress Bianca had chosen was strapless, fitted at the waist, and flaring out at the bottom just above her knees.

  “It’s perfect.”

  “Get this...” She smiled. “Guess what the name of this design is?”

  “The dresses have names?”

  “Yes.” She laughed. “This one is called La Bandita.”

  A wide grin spread across my face. “Bandit Boy is here in spirit. I love that.”

  “Thank you for this experience. It was very Pretty Woman.”

  “I could never repay you for what you’ve given me.” I leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

  She stretched out her arms. “So, I’m all dressed up. Where to next?”

  “You’ll have to wait to find out.” I winked.

  Driving away in our rented convertible, I felt high on life. Bianca’s hair was blowing in the warm wind. Our hands were interlocked.

  Pulling up in front of our destination, I had to parallel park. Whether the car would actually fit into the space was questionable, but I slid it right in.

  “You have mad parking skills, Truitt.”

  “It was tight, but I managed to get it in. By the good grace of God, you’ll find out more where that’s concerned soon enough.” I winked.

  “Always the dirty mind,” she chuckled. “And for the record, I certainly hope you’re right.” Bianca finally noticed that we’d parked in front of a bakery. “Is this where we have cake?”

  “Yes. But not just one cake. We’re gonna taste many different kinds.”

  “You set up a wedding cake tasting?”

  “Sure, why not?”

  “Don’t you have to commit to ordering one in order to do that?”

  “Probably. So, I’ll order one and have them deliver it to my father.”