Trife Life To Lavish Part 2 Genesis & Genevieve...Am I My Brother's Keeper (13 page)

"Well then how `bout we go and celebrate. Let's cheer
to your first official day on the job."

"Not tonight, maybe tomorrow"

"I understand, you're probably exhausted from your
long day here."

"Yeah, I am."

"Okay, I'll have Clarence take you home."

"He really doesn't need to do that. It would be nice to
have some alone time, if for this one night."

"I can't do that, not after what happened."

"That was weeks ago. We haven't had any problems
since.

"Yeah, probably because they see you've been walking
around with a three hundred pound killing machine."

"Listen, Akil, just let me have this one night alone. I
feel like a prisoner!"

"I can't take that type of chance. A lot of money
is being invested in you. To take a careless chance and
something bad happen to you is out of the question."

"Fine. Have Clarence bring the car around, while I go
to the bathroom."

"OK. I'll come get you when he's ready."

"Thanks." Nichelle watched as Akil walked to the
back to get Clarence. When he was out of sight, she quickly
gathered her belongings together and made a discreet exit.

"Hi daddy," Aaliyah grinned when Nico answered
the door.

"What's up, superstar! Give your daddy a kiss," Nico
smiled lifting Aaliyah up in the air.

"What is he doing here?" was the first question
Precious asked when she walked through the door and saw
Quentin sitting down on the sofa.

"It's grandpa," Aaliyah yelled. Nico put Aaliyah down
and she ran to Quentin.

"Precious, don't make a scene," Nico warned.

"Excuse me?" she barked back.

"Aaliyah is here. You don't need to show out in front
of her," Nico said in a low but stern voice.

"Fine," she smacked, knowing that Nico was right but
pissed all the same.

"Aaliyah, your daddy has a game he wants to play with
you while I go talk to your mother."

Precious opened her mouth to say, No the fuck you not,
but stopped when Nico gave her a threatening look.

"Baby, go play with your daddy, but mommy has to
make a stop, so I'll be back."

"Okaaaay, see you later," Aaliyah waved.

"Precious, wait!" Quentin called out, trying to stop her
before she left.

"I'm trying to keep my cool because my daughter is
here but I don't have shit to talk to you about!"

"How about you just listen then."

"Listen to what... a bunch of bullshit. Please save that
for your other daughter."

"At least you're acknowledging I'm your father."

"What do you want from me, Quentin?"

"Just hear me out. You've never given me more than
thirty seconds of your time. Would it kill you to give me
twenty minutes of your time? I really need more, but I
understand this is a work in process."

"Fine, start talking because all you have is five."

"How about we step outside, go for a walk."

"Have it your way because this is going to be a very
short walk."

While standing in front of Nico's building, the cool breeze
hit Precious' face sending a peaceful chill through her body.
The crisp air and beautiful sunny skies almost made her
forget that she was standing next to a man she completely
loathed.

"I know that you hate me," Quentin began as if
reading Precious' mind. "But I believe if you hear my side,
you might not be so unforgiving."

"I doubt that seriously, but I said I would give you five
minutes so you better get to talking because your time is quickly
running out," Precious said eyeing her watch.

"Your mother was breathtakingly beautiful and believe
it or not I was in love with her. I believe she loved me too
but she loved the drugs more."

"So you were in a real relationship with my mother?"

"I'm not going to he to you, Precious. I was married
at the time that I met your mother. But I was greedy and
wanted her to be mine. The circumstances were wrong but
yes, the relationship was very real in every sense of the
word"

"So what went wrong, why didn't she want you to
know I was your daughter?"

"When I met your mother, she was a party girl but
only a casual drug user. We use to have a lot of great times
together. As my feelings grew deeper, I slowed her down. I
knew I couldn't leave my wife, we had a family, three small
children but I also wanted your mother in my life. So I put
her up. I guess you can say she became my official mistress."

"Your mistress... wow, this is interesting."

"I wasn't perfect and I'm still not. All I want you to know is the truth before you judge me and turn your back
on me.

"Continue."

"For a period of time your mother was content but
she was a firecracker-like you. She got restless being a
kept woman. I stopped letting her run the streets. The
only life I wanted her to have was me. I was a selfish man,
Precious. It didn't take long for her to start rebelling against
me. She would get missing for a few days, I couldn't find
her. I believe during this time she started using again. We
would fight then make up. She hated the fact that I wouldn't
leave my wife and I couldn't blame her. I was married to
somebody else but wanted to own her too."

"I can't believe how real you're keeping this. Honestly,
I thought my mom was one of your ho's or something
that you knocked up and then tossed to the side when you
found out she was pregnant."

"Hell no! I loved your mother as much as I knew how
to love any woman."

"So how did it end?"

"One day when I came over she was gone. She didn't
come home that night. I thought once again she was upset
trying to get payback. But then that night turned into a
few days, and a few days turned into a few weeks. By that
time I had everybody looking for her. It was known in the
streets that she was my woman and I wanted her back home
immediately. But no one could locate her. Your mother
disappeared. I almost went crazy looking for her."

"And you could never find her?"

Quentin let out a long sigh before continuing. "Yeah over a year later, she was back on the scene. I had no idea
she gave birth, especially not to my child. When I saw your
mother again, she was in a whorehouse turning tricks and
was a complete junky. My heart broke that day and it has
never completely healed."

"Why didn't you save her?"

Quentin paused in the middle of the block and stood
directly in front of Precious. His face was solemn and his eyes
full of grief. "Don't you think I tried? But I had done my dirt
long enough on these streets to know you can't save anybody
that doesn't want to save themselves. Your mother didn't want
to be saved. I couldn't compete with the high she got from
doing drugs and that killed me."

"So what about me? You never saw or knew she had a
baby and put two and two together?"

"No, because your mother was never with you.
Precious, you're a smart girl. If you think back I'm sure you
can remember that your mother was probably hardly ever
around."

Precious didn't need to do much thinking back because
she knew what Quentin was saying was true. Precious
remembered being left with anybody and everybody. There
wasn't any sort of stable childcare in her life until Ms.
Duncan. All she could do was put her head down and think
about the what if's. What if Quentin had known she was
his daughter, could he have saved her from the miserable
childhood she suffered? Could the love from her father
have made her kind-hearted and not so cold? Those were
questions she would never be able to answer.

"I'm glad you told me this but it doesn't change our relationship because I don't know you. You weren't there
for me. Maybe that choice wasn't given to you but I'm a
grown woman now and it's too late for us."

"No it's not. I refuse to believe that. Just because you're
grown doesn't mean you've stopped being my daughter."

"Why is it so important to you for us to have a
relationship? You have other children, it's not like I'm the
only one."

"You and Maya are my only girls and Precious, when
I look at you, you really do remind me so much of your
mother. Remember the first time I saw you with Mike. I
told him how you reminded me of a woman I used to know
a long time ago. Little did I know she was your mother. All
I want is the chance I was denied and that's to be a father to
75
you.

Precious couldn't front, Quentin was getting to her.
It wasn't just his words but how genuine they sounded.
Precious was a master manipulator in every way and nine
times out of ten could spot when someone was trying to
pull the wool over her eyes but she was getting none of that
from Quentin.

"I believe you."

"Do you mean that?"

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't."

"Then are you willing to try and give us a chance at
having a father and daughter relationship?"

There was an extended period of stillness. The
atmosphere was only filled with background noise as no
words were being spoken between the two. The air almost
became haunting as Quentin's powerful stance seemed ready to force Precious to utter a word and break the silence.

"Yes."

"Yes, what?" Quentin inquired moving closer towards
his daughter.

"Yes, I wanna try and have a relationship with you. I
don't know what's going to happen but I wanna see."

When Quentin wrapped his arms around Precious she
was completely stunned. It was unexpected but somehow it
felt right. "I'm going to do my best to make up for all our lost
time. You're my daughter and I love you."

Tears welled up in Precious' eyes. It wasn't until right
then, she realized how much pain had been bottled up
inside of her for all those years. It had been too painful for
her to admit she wanted and needed the love of her father
because it seemed totally out of reach. But now there was a
chance and her heart welcomed it.

"I'm very pleased that you accepted my dinner
invitation," Arnez said staring at Veronica who was sitting
directly across the table.

"You say that as if you're surprised I agreed to come."

"Honestly, I have to admit, I am. A woman like you
having dinner with a man like me."

"A man like you...I don't get it. From where I'm sitting, looking at you, I doubt you have a shortage of women
friends."

Arnez slightly chuckled and put down the glass of
wine he had in his hand. "No shortage but how about quality, you seem to be a very successful lawyer. I've never had an opportunity to have dinner with a woman like that."

"Well you seem to be very successful yourself," Veronica paused for a moment glancing around the restaurant with
its vast, vaulted gilded ceilings and mosaic the floor, from the
original nineteenth century design. But the absolutely stunning
place was further complimented by a dash of futuristic twenty-first century interior design with picturesque views of St.
Patrick's Cathedral and The Palace Courtyard. "You certainly
couldn't afford to take me to a pricey place like this if you
weren't doing pretty good."

"Who said I was paying. I thought this dinner was on
you," Arnez cracked, causing a huge smile to spread across
Veronica's face. "But seriously, I'm honored that a woman
like you would want to have dinner with me. I didn't think
I was your type."

"And what type are you?"

"Let's just say I'm a bit rough around the edges."

"You look anything but rough to me. But since we're
being honest, when you first asked for my number I was rather
shocked. I didn't think I was exactly your type."

Arnez raised an eyebrow waiting for her to continue.

"I picture your type being more of the bombshell beauty."

"I don't know the last time you looked in the mirror
but you're beauty personified."

"Thank you, but I'm not the obvious beautiful that I
would think you'd be attracted to."

Arnez leaned back in his chair and grinned. He
understood what Veronica was saying but she was exactly
how he liked his women-from her shoulder length
chestnut brown bob, classic features and voluptuous toned body. She had understated sophisticated beauty that was
timeless. From pure visual perception, Veronica was the
type of woman that brilliant men like President Obama
would gravitate to. But he highly doubted that Veronica
had the psychological savvy of a Michelle to marry her own
Obama and Arnez's assessment was dead on point.