Chapter 5
As I introduced Genesis to my mother, I noticed a woman, who looked a lot like Genesis, and a man approaching us. I had to assume that was her mother and brother. My mama was being extra and had hugged Genesis like she was a long lost relative. I could only roll my eyes at her as she stuck her tongue out at me.
Once she’d released Genesis, I extended my hand to my mother. She came to my side as Genesis turned to see her family standing behind her. “Mama, this is Judge?—”
“I know who he is, Gen. I voted for him. Hello, Judge Patrick. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Gabriella Farris.”
“It’s nice to meet you as well. This is my mother, Carolyn Patrick.”
They shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. I glanced over at Genesis to see she was talking to her brother. Once our mothers had quieted down, she introduced him to us. He looked familiar to me, so when he said he was a police officer, I figured that was how I knew him.
“Would y’all be okay with going to get a bite to eat together?” my mother asked.
Everyone agreed, and we took off walking. Today had been a trainwreck. I had no plans of talking about anything concerning my father’s infidelity. I’d only accepted the invitation so I could spend time with Genesis. Plus, my mother thought it would be good for me to do this to get some sort of closure. That didn’t happen, thanks to the man who introduced me. I wanted to grab him by the neck and choke the life out of him.
Having Genesis by my side after the morning I’d had meant everything to me. I’d gotten a phone call, threatening me about the trial for Darlene Doll. They’d brought her through a colleague’s court for arraignment, and everything about that woman said coercion and defeat. She wasn’t in this alone. She had help. If the district attorney didn’t see it, then the citizens of Jefferson County had done themselves a disservice when they elected him. She bonded out within hours. I would have remanded her.
I watched our mothers talk as they walked like they were best friends already. Genesis was walking next to me, quietly following their lead. I slid my hand to hers and intertwined our fingers. She looked up at me and blushed. I gave her a slight smile as I said, “Thank you for coming to my aid. Your presence produced a calm in me that I’ve never felt, especially around strangers.”
She smiled and leaned into me a bit. I wanted to put my arm around her, but I didn’t want our mothers in our business. I could tell that her mother was no better than mine when it came to meddling in business that wasn’t theirs. Finally, she looked up at me and said, “You’re welcome. I saw you struggling, and I didn’t want you to feel like you made this trip for nothing. I had a feeling you were going to leave that podium without saying half of what you said.”
“You’re right. I wasn’t going to say a word. My mama was trying to silently encourage me from her seat, but I was looking right past her. However, even if I wouldn’t have spoken, my trip wouldn’t have been in vain. Seeing this gorgeous face again is definitely worth it.”
She bit her bottom lip as she stared up at me, and I swore I wanted to scoop her up in my arms and take her back to my hotel room. I was grateful that I had the gumption to get separate rooms for my mother and me. She fussed about me wasting money, saying that we could have shared a room. I only rolled my eyes. I was a grown man, and I wouldn’t have felt comfortable sharing a room with her.
I liked to walk around in my underwear. Had I been sharing a room with her and messed around and got aroused from my thoughts of Genesis, I would have been extremely embarrassed. The entire moment would have been awkward. I needed my privacy, even if Genesis didn’t come to my room later.
Genesis was still blushing as she released my hand and looped her arm around mine. I knew this was the woman I was meant to be with at this very moment. The way she soothed my soul spoke volumes. Had she not been here, my anger would have consumed me, and I could have possibly ruined my reputation. The gentleman apologizing for making me uncomfortable did nothing to smooth things over. If anything, it made them worse.
With Genesis by my side, I was able to at least nod at him without saying a word. He was a liar, and he wanted to shine a light on my father’s inability to be faithful to my mother. It was like he knew it would get a rise out of me. I slowly shook my head as I thought about it.
“What are you thinking about?” Genesis asked.
I glanced down at her and smiled, something I didn’t do very often. “I’m thinking about how great it is to be spending time with you… finally.”
She giggled. “You’re making it seem like we’ve been trying to sync our schedules for months. It’s only been a little over a week.”
“Closer to two weeks.”
She slowly shook her head and rolled her eyes playfully. “It has not been… Well, maybe it has.” I bit my bottom lip as I watched her think things over. “It’s been two weeks since we first met… a week and a half since our first phone conversation.”
It was my turn to roll my eyes. I’d been wanting to see her again since she led me out of that burning building. “Whatever. The point is that it has seemed like forever.”
She gave me a smile as our mothers entered a sandwich shop. Samuel followed behind them, but I didn’t miss his glance back at us. I didn’t know if he was being protective or if there was something he had against me. It definitely seemed like it was personal. We entered right behind them.
After going to the counter and placing our orders, we all sat at a table. Our mothers seemed to have bonded immediately, but I also noticed the shift in their moods. They seemed a lot quieter. I slid my hand to Genesis’s as I asked my mom, “Are you okay? You’re rather quiet suddenly.”
“Yeah. I supposed during our talk about your father and her husband, we retreated within ourselves. Despite what happened, Kyrie, I really miss him.”
I nodded as Ms. Farris nodded and hugged my mama. When I saw the tear trickle down her cheek, I couldn’t hold my position next to Genesis. I stood and went to her side, pulling her in my arms. Instead of sadness filling me, too, I was starting to feel angry. I really wasn’t sure why or who I was even angry with. Like she’d said, whether he was on that plane with his mistress or had been alone, the fact remained that he was no longer here.
She laid her head against me as I glanced over at Genesis. When I saw her tears, I knew I would be in for a long day. It was like my mama’s sorrow served as a domino effect, sinking everyone into their feelings. Samuel was comforting his mother and Genesis. I hated that I wasn’t the one comforting her.
“I’m so sorry, everyone,” my mama said, lifting her head and wiping her tears. “I got everyone in this sunken place. We are supposed to be remembering the life they lived and what they stood for. Kenneth was a loving man. I didn’t know the man that the media portrayed after the attack. The man I knew loved his family. He loved Kyrie with his soul. He was his pride and joy. Genesis and Samuel, I’m sure the same was true for your dad.”
Ms. Farris nodded. “Absolutely. He was so proud of his children.”
As we talked, the lady from the front counter brought out a cookie with a lit candle in it. She set it in front of Genesis, and we smiled at her. She’d made twenty-seven today. I was so embarrassed that I’d forgotten to get her a gift. Genesis smiled at the cookie and candle and said, “Thanks.”
Her mama started singing the birthday song, and we all joined in. Genesis’s cheeks had reddened, and the second we stopped singing, she blew out her candle. That had to be hard, losing her father on her birthday. While she talked to my mama about her birthday plans of doing absolutely nothing, my phone vibrated in my pocket.
My heart rate climbed a bit. I didn’t even know who was texting me yet. However, when I looked at the text, my heart rate increased even more when I read it. Be careful on your flight back. I would hate for you to go out like your father.
Someone was doing their best to torture me and have me questioning everything and everyone. They were doing a damn good job at making me paranoid. There was no way they would be causing that type of destruction on a plane. We were so far removed from 2001 security. It was because of that attack that our security was what it was today.
However, the mere fact that they were tracking my whereabouts was the problem. The detectives hadn’t obtained any evidence to even suggest who this person was, if it was even the same person.
“Kyrie, are you okay?”
I looked up to see everyone staring at me. I gave Genesis a tight smile and nodded. She didn’t smile back, so I knew she was analyzing me. Her gaze didn’t waver, and neither did mine. Yeah, I need that drink ASAP.
The rest of our late lunch went by in a blur. My mind was far away from here after that text message. I requested an Uber through my app, and when it arrived, Genesis grabbed my hand and said, “Let’s go get that drink.”
I gave her a one-sided smile, and we bid our mothers and her brother farewell amid their silly grins. Once Samuel closed the door and they took off, she said, “Now maybe you can answer my question truthfully.”
I grabbed her hand and walked to a sports bar I’d scoped out since this morning. It was only a block away from where we were. Once we were seated at the bar, she grabbed my hand and just held it. Her warm and gentle touch had my mouth running like a leaky faucet, telling her all my worries. I couldn’t even blame it on the alcohol because I hadn’t had a drink yet.
“Someone is sending me death threats by text, and I’ve had two notes placed on my car.”
She frowned. “Have you reported it?”
“Yeah, but they can’t seem to find anything.”
“Have they offered to provide you with protection? They know you’re getting these threats.”
“One of the detectives did, but I told her I didn’t need it.”
“Why?”
“Look at me. I’m six feet, three inches tall, and two hundred forty pounds. How would I look having someone to protect me? Just my luck, they would send someone way smaller than me and probably a woman.”
The bartender came and took our drink orders, then Genesis turned to me. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“What?”
“That they would probably send a woman.”
“I’m a pretty burly guy. Having a woman that’s half my size protect me would look foolish. You don’t think so?”
“No. Training has nothing to do with size. Whomever they would assign to you would have the skill to be able to protect you.”
“I guess you’re right.”
The bartender set our drinks in front of us. I threw that Crown Black back like it was a shot. Genesis stared at me for a moment then did the same. When she held her fingers to her throat and let out the hot air, I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m a grown man, Genesis, and my taste for alcohol is the same. Don’t try to hang with me, or I’ll have to carry you out of here.”
“So you say. I’ll just have to prove you wrong.”
I chuckled as the bartender set another two glasses in front of us. After informing her that she could create an open tab for us, she smiled and walked away. We threw those two back as well. After the events of the day, I could drink myself into a stupor. I would stop short of that, because if I got too drunk, I became a problem. My filter fell off, and I didn’t hold back my opinion at all, whether it was requested or not.
There was one time I’d gotten drunk, and this lady sat next to me. She smiled, and her teeth were slightly yellow, possibly coffee stains or something. When she spoke, though, her breath smelled like garbage. I didn’t hesitate to tell her what I thought. “Please go smile and be friendly somewhere else, because your breath just made me throw up in my mouth a lil bit.”
When I thought about how badly I’d hurt her feelings that night, I wished for a do-over. She didn’t deserve my rudeness. While I didn’t lie, just because I knew the truth didn’t mean it always had to be verbalized. I could only hope that she had done something about it and not allowed my hurtful words to destroy her self-esteem.
“So, how ironic is it that we both lost our fathers the same way? I mean, not the same way, but on the same day during one of the most horrific events in American history?”
“That means it was in the cards for us to meet. We both followed in their footsteps as well, although I didn’t initially want to. I wanted to be a detective.”
“Really? So what made you change your mind?”
I shrugged. “My change had nothing to do with him. I just felt I could benefit the justice system more by being a judge. My father was an attorney… a damn good one. I just…” I inhaled and blew out an exasperated breath. “I hated him for a long time for what he did to us. Sometimes, I still think I hate him. The media was relentless about the scandal. It was like they didn’t care that we’d lost the man we loved along with everyone else who had lost someone. He left us here to handle his screw ups alone, which made the grieving process even harder.”
She leaned over to me and put her hand to my cheek. “I’m so sorry y’all had to go through that. Hate is such a powerful thing, but so is love. Try to focus on the good things and memories that make you smile… memories that prove just how great of a father he was and how much you admired him when you were growing up.”
I stared into her eyes, and the liquid courage I’d been downing caused me to lean in and kiss her pretty lips. When she kissed me back, it only propelled me forward. I pulled her bottom lip into my mouth. She slowly pulled away from me, her eyes closed. “Kyrie, that was nice.”
“It was. Can it be nice again?” I asked in a low voice.
“Yes, but not here.”
I pulled away slightly as the bartender set another round of drinks in front of us. She knew we weren’t driving anywhere, especially not here. Hardly anyone drove anywhere in this area. Genesis took a sip of her drink. I could see she was more relaxed by the way she was slumped over. She glanced at me and said, “Shut up. Don’t you say a word.”
She was definitely feeling that liquor. I wouldn’t say she was completely drunk yet, but she was surely on her way. I chuckled then bit my bottom lip as she downed the rest of it. She was going to have me carrying her out of here, and I wouldn’t mind in the least. Being able to slide my arms around her body would be like heaven.
She shot me the finger as she lifted her finger, letting the bartender know she wanted another one. I slowly shook my head. “So you must want me to carry you out of here.”
“You don’t want to?” she asked, taunting me.
I leaned into her. “Oh, I want to.” Sliding my fingers down her cheek, I watched her cheeks redden and the goosebumps appear on her skin. “I just don’t know if you would be cool with the places that could possibly lead us to.”
“I’m a grown woman, Kyrie. I know how to say no.”
The bartender set another round in front of us, and I said, “Close it out, please.”
I downed my drink, feeling slightly dizzy. My erection was threatening to tear a hole in my pants with the way she was talking. I had tunnel vision right now, and that was getting her to my room ASAP. It was still daytime, but if we were drunk as hell before five, our lustful desires would be quenched before five as well.
While I knew this was only our sadness and hurt acting out loud through our daytime drinking, I was okay with letting it lead the way. For some reason, I felt like being with her would make everything alright in my world. Once I signed the receipt, I watched Genesis down her drink, then requested an Uber.
Genesis placed her hand on my cheek and said, “You are so handsome… too handsome to be so tortured.”
I frowned slightly. “What makes you think I’m tortured?”
“Because you won’t forgive your father. It’s bothering you more than you want to admit.”
“And you’re too beautiful and successful to be longing for a man to take care of you. I can tell that you want the knight in shining armor to rescue you from your own ambition. It’s like, you work so hard because you don’t have anything else to do. That doesn’t have to be that way. You’re looking for your father in a potential partner.”
She looked away, but I grabbed her chin and turned her back to me. “So it seems we both have daddy issues.”
My phone chimed, letting me know our Uber was a couple of minutes away, so I stood from my stool and helped her from hers. We silently walked outside, my arm across her back, allowing my hand to rest on her hip. As we waited, she leaned into me. Before she could say a word, our car arrived. I was grateful, because that alcohol was really coursing through me, threatening to have me sitting on the cement.
I opened the door and allowed her to get in first. She was so off balance she nearly fell out of the car. She giggled as I gripped her hips, holding her steady. I got in behind her, and the minute I closed the door and put on my seat belt, she asked, “Am I that obvious?”
“What?”
“Is it that obvious that I’m looking for him in a significant other?”
“No. It’s because of where we are that I was able to put two and two together.”
She nodded and leaned against me. I lifted my arm and put it around her shoulders and kissed her forehead. Staring up at me, she licked her lips, sending my body into orbit. My gaze didn’t waver. I wanted her to see what she was doing to me. This feeling was foreign, but with a woman as fine as Genesis, I accepted it. I would be soft and tender all day if it meant I could be with her.
I lowered my head to hers and kissed her lips. When I tried to pull away, she gripped my beard, holding me in place, as she slid her Patrón flavored tongue to mine. My eyes nearly rolled to the back of my head as I fell into the rhythm she’d created and allowed my hand to slide down her back. She moaned softly as my hand went further south, taking the dangerous dip to her ass and squeezing it.
I wanted her, and this car couldn’t get us back to my hotel fast enough.