7. CHAPTER SEVEN
I cleared my calendar. This day had been a long time in the making. Apparently, her son
Andrew was just as busy as me and today we both had a rare day off. I knew absolutely nothing about Andrew Williams only that his mother loved him to death and believed he was the perfect kid. I hated to tell her, no kid was perfect, especially a grown-ass man.
“What did you tell him?” I asked.
“That I met this wonderful man, and I wanted him to meet him. He joked about how he was ready to meet his new dad.”
I groaned, shaking my head. “Oh, God.”
Her laughter sounded like music to my ears.
I was glad she was calm about this situation because I was going fucking insane.
Even though we hadn’t been dating long we knew whatever this was it was something special despite the age gap between us.
Although looking for the approval of a twenty-six-year-old, someone who was only a few years younger than me, to continue to date his mother fucking sucked, I’d do it ten times over if it meant Oya would be in my life forever.
How in the hell is he going to take it?
“I’ve never been so fucking nervous in my life.”
“You’re going to be fine, Gavin.” She squeezed my hand. “Everything is going to be fine. As long as I’m happy, Andrew will be happy too.”
“That’s easy for you to say. He’s going to love you regardless. If he doesn’t like me, where does that leave us?”
I would never push Oya to pick me over her son. I had a lot riding on this introduction. We both did. I wanted to have a long-term relationship with this woman. I could actually see marriage in the future for us. But I knew I couldn’t have that unless her adult son was onboard with this.
Can he get past the age gap?
Before she had the chance to answer me, the doorbell to her home sounded.
She kissed me on the lips, and before I could deepen it to calm my nerves, she pulled away, then rushed to the front door.
She said it had been almost six months since they had seen one another.
Apparently, he didn’t live in California, but in New England.
Their muffled voices and laughter sounded from the foyer.
When he walked in, I stood up, wiping my hands on my blue jeans. My eyes widen when I saw exactly who Oya’s son was. “Oh, my fucking God,” I mumbled. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
This is not going to be fucking good.
Andrew's eyes snapped to me, and he stopped in his tracks. I watched every emotion move across his face, from confusion to anger and everything in between.
“Saint?” he called out, anger settling back on his features. “Man, what the fuck?”
“Drew, I didn’t know man,” I said, shaking my head, holding my hands up when he rushed towards me.
“Wait, Andrew!” Oya shouted.
She stood in between us before Andrew or Drew as I knew him reached me. Andrew fucking Williams, Super Bowl Champion and one of the most well-known linebackers in the NFL was about to try to whip my ass for fucking his mother. This fucking day couldn’t get any worse.
“You know Gavin?” Oya asked.
“You fucking my Ma!” he yelled, ignoring his mother’s question.
“Andrew!” Oya shouted, getting his attention. “Watch your mouth!”
He sighed, took a step away from us, and started to pace. He was enraged and looked like he was trying his hardest to control his temper. I get it but I’d have no trouble defending myself. Hopefully, it wouldn’t come to that.
Oya faced me, her eyes wide, full of questions.
“I’ve known Drew for a while. He comes in the shop whenever he’s in town.”
He stopped pacing and glared at me. “How long has this been going on?”
“Not long,” Oya replied. “Sit down, so we can talk.”
“I don’t want to talk about this bullshit,” he said. “He’s my fucking age, Ma. You can’t be serious?”
“I know how old he is. And I don’t give a damn if you don’t want to talk. I. Said. Sit.”
Andrew glared at Oya, and it took all I had not to step in. There was enough tension in this room because of me but it was hard for me to watch him not respect his mother enough for us to have this conversation.
I’d known Drew for a while. He was one of my high-profile clients.
Whenever he was in town he’d come into the shop, get some work done, and we’d shoot the shit.
He was a good guy from what I could tell and on a couple of occasions, he’d even talked about Oya and never about his father.
I guess I knew the reason for that omission.
But at the time, I didn’t know it was her, but I knew he loved his mother.
I didn’t blame him for being upset because he wasn’t expecting me to be the one dating his mother. He was in shock.
“Now, Andrew!” She pointed to the loveseat.
He huffed and dropped into the loveseat.
I’d laugh if this wasn’t a serious matter.
To see a woman put this big ass man in his place was wild.
Oya took a seat on the couch, and I sat beside her.
She grabbed my hand and we looked at each other.
I gave her a small nod to start. Drew was her kid.
He needed to hear things from her, not the man she was fucking.
Oya sighed. “You two know each other, so no introductions are needed. Gavin and I are seeing each other. Because you are the most important person in my life, I thought you should know things are serious.”
“Be fucking for real right now, Ma,” Drew said, planting his forearms on his thighs. “Do you even know who he is?”
By the look on Oya’s face, I could tell she was trying her best to maintain composure with Drew. She loved him and she wanted him to know things were serious between us. At least we weren’t doing this shit behind his back. But she didn’t like how he was talking to her, and I didn’t either.
She took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to calm her anger. “I do.” His brows bunched in confusion like there was no way she knew everything about me and still chose to be with me. Even though she knew more about me than my own family. “I know everything.”
It wasn’t a secret I was a Sinner, and it wasn’t a secret I was an ex-con. Most of my clients knew that part of my history. I understood why Drew needed to make sure his mother knew, but that let me know he didn’t think too much of me if he thought I’d keep that from her.
“She knows, I’m a Sinner.” He glared at me, and I ignored it.
“She also knows I was in prison, and she knows why. No one else does. So, whatever you think you know about me, let that shit go, Drew. I’m your tattoo artist. We aren’t friends but we’re not strangers either.
You don’t know my personal life just like I don’t know yours. ”
He looked at his mother. “Does Dad, know?”
Oya rolled her eyes. “Of course, he does. He showed up here unannounced one morning.”
“Morning?” he sneered.
“Yes, Andrew.” She shook her head. “One morning your father showed up and pushed his way into the house. Gavin was here.”
The disgust on his face made me chuckle and Oya glared at me causing it to die immediately. I’d be just as disgusted thinking about my mother fucking someone but from the outside looking in it was funny as hell.
“You know he’s not going to deal with this in a good way, Ma. Are you ready for the fallout?”
“I can’t live my life around your father, Andrew.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “At this point, I don’t care what he thinks. I want to be happy. I’ve moved on and so should he.”
“She’ll be protected,” I said, interjecting. “Your father knows who the Sinners are, and we know who he is.”
I wasn’t sugarcoating shit for him. His father was just as much of a criminal as me—as the Sinners.
His father was no better despite the stuffy designer three-piece suits he wore.
If he wanted to use my past as a reason for not getting behind this relationship, then I’d spill all his father’s dirty secrets to prove my point.
I wasn’t going anywhere unless Oya made that decision.
“I want you to be happy for me, son.” She looked at me, squeezed my hand, then looked back at Drew. “For the first time in a long time, I’m happy and it’s because of Gavin. I know it’s going to take some time to get used to.”
“Understatement of the year,” he mumbled.
“But I want your blessing for me to move on with my life,” she said, ignoring his comment, “with Gavin.”
“I’m not going to hurt your mother, Drew.
I’ve been completely upfront about who I am and about my past. I’m not trying to pull the wool over her eyes about the man that I am and will always be.
I just want the chance to be with the one person who has made me look at life differently.
And I want the chance to make her happy. She deserves it and so do I.”
He leaned back on the loveseat and looked at me. He was making his decision whether he’d be onboard. We’d spent hours talking about politics, everyday shit, and family at Forbidden Ink. Deep down despite my past, Drew knew I wouldn’t hurt his mother. Or at least I thought he knew that I wouldn’t.
“You hurt her, and you’ll have to deal with me,” he said.
“I’d expect nothing less.”