Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
It seemed like the more Yanna worked for WCMG and helped Troi prepare for the wedding, the less sleep she got.
Add in her constant circles with Kas, and she was asleep on her feet.
It had been two days since Kas practically threw her out of his house, and she’d done nothing but work thereafter.
She was in desperate need of a good bottle of wine and her bed, but that would have to wait until after the dinner date she wasn’t at all looking forward to.
Pulling down her skirt so that it reached her knees, she approached the ma?tre d’s podium inside Book Binders restaurant in Tobacco Row.
“Good afternoon and welcome to Book Binders. What’s the name on the reservation?”
“Jaivion Priest.”
“Oh yes, Mr. Priest is already waiting at your table. Follow me, I’ll take you back.”
Yanna followed the pretty white girl through the restaurant near the back, where the table was located.
She groaned inwardly as she noticed the man sipping on a glass of red wine.
He was a handsome man, only a few months over 50, with smooth reddish brown skin and a nicely maintained ceaser cut.
His eyes brightened when he spotted her, standing to greet her as she approached.
Yanna thanked the hostess for walking her to the table before stepping forward and accepting his embrace.
“There’s my beautiful girl.”
“Hey, Dad,” Yanna spoke as she broke away from their hug and took her seat. The waiter approached and placed a menu in front of Yanna.
“Welcome, I’m Halle, and I’ll be your waitress for today. Can I get you started with something to drink, an appetizer, or both?”
“I’ll have a French Martini, and I’m ready to order as well.” Yanna took a few moments to look through the menu before deciding what she wanted. “I want the sesame crusted yellowfin tuna, with a side of the lobster mac.”
Halle took down Yanna’s order before turning to Jaivion. “And you, sir?”
“I’ll have the large filet mignon with the jumbo baked potato.”
“Perfect, I’ll just take your menus, and I’ll be right back with your drink, ma’am.”
Yanna offered the waitress a closed smile, handing over her menu before she quickly walked away to retrieve their items. Jaivion leaned back in his chair, hands folded in front of him on the table as he took in his daughter, loving smile etched on a face that was a masculine version of Yanna’s.
“I’m glad you finally gave your old man a minute of your time. You’ve been canceling our date for months.”
It took every ounce of willpower Yanna possessed to keep from rolling her eyes.
Her father was right; she had been canceling on him because their monthly dinner dates wasn’t something she ever looked forward to.
When her father left her mother, he’d disappeared from her life for a few years as well.
It wasn’t until he was about to get married, he called requesting that Yanna meet his then fiancée.
After Yanna made it clear, she didn’t wish to have any type of relationship with the woman he’d left her mother for, her father was semi-present, coming around for birthdays or holidays, mostly to shower her with gifts or money.
Then when it was time for her to go to college, Jaivion paid her tuition in full and made sure she kept money in her pockets.
When Troi first purchased her townhouse and Yanna expressed she wanted to do the same, he footed the bill for a down payment.
She allowed her father to pay her mortgage bill and deposit a monthly stipend of $10k into her bank account for nearly a year.
After a really bad drunken incident with her mother, Yanna’s disdain for her father grew.
She felt like taking his money was a betrayal to her mother, so she got a job at the club and vowed to never spend a dime of Jaivion’s money.
She never checked the account, so she didn’t know how much money was in there, or if Jaivion had cleared it out or not.
The only reason she still made it to their dinners every few months was because she still felt it was the least she could do after he practically purchased her townhouse.
“Yea, sorry about that. I’ve been busy lately. You know I’d been with Troi in LA a lot, and now I’m working at her fiancé’s record label. I’m also helping her with her pet food company.”
“How are you liking working at a record label? Finally getting a chance to put that business degree to use?”
Another roll of her eyes. Yanna hated when her father hinted at the fact that she’d practically gone to college for nothing. “If you want to call it that.” She agreed to appease him.
“And how is little Troi? Got a baby and about to get married. Damn, if Troyan could see his baby girl.”
“She’s great. Onyx makes her really happy, and although Kian is bad, he’s the most adorable kid I’ve ever seen.”
“That’s what’s up. Tell her, her Uncle Jai asked about her, yea?”
“Sure thing.”
“When am I going to meet that boyfriend of yours? He’s Troi’s fiancé’s brother, right?”
“I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“No? I was watching one of Troi’s interviews one time, and she mentioned you were involved with the brother.”
“She lied. At the time, she was trying to cover up her own relationship.”
“That’s too bad. I’d like a grandchild of my own sometime soon.”
“I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you.”
Their food arrived, and the two ate while having small talk.
It was more like Jaivion trying to make conversation and Yanna giving him snippy responses.
She’d never eaten so fast in her life. The longer she sat in front of her father, the more her irritation grew, and she just wanted to get out of there.
“So… how’s Janis?” Jaivion asked timidly. He knew that asking his daughter about his ex-wife was risky, but his conscious wouldn’t allow him to not at least check up on her.
Yanna had been about to take a sip of her second drink but stalled at his question. Her mind trekked back to the last time she saw her mother. How pathetic she was, all because of the man sitting there with the nerve to call himself checking up on her.
“She’s right where you left her. Wallowing in her self-pity with her favorite bottle of gin.
Judging by the bag full of empty bottles I collected last time I was there, I’d say she’s guzzling close to two bottles a day.
But I guess that’s what it takes to numb the pain caused by the only man you ever loved just up and leaving you. ”
“Come on now, Jaiyanna. I thought we were past this?”
“Clearly she’s not past it, so I guess that means I’m not either.” She shot as she scooted her chair from the chair and stood.
“Wait a minute now, don’t go. At least sit back down and finish your drink.”
Yanna picked up her glass and gulped the remainder of her drink. “Now I’m finished. See you next month.” And with that, she grabbed her bag and stormed out of the restaurant, leaving her father at the table alone.
“What’s wrong with TT baby?” Yanna asked as she entered Troi and Onyx’s living room. They were seated on the couch while Troi held a crying Kian.
“He’s hungry, but he doesn’t want regular food, he wants breast milk. We keep trying to tell him he’s too old for that now.”
“Girl, whip them double d’s out and let him have some titty milk… do y’all have wine?”
“You drove all the way down here to leech?” Onyx asked.
“I came to see my baby,” Yanna replied, flashing Onyx her middle finger as she took off for the kitchen. She found a bottle of red wine, opened it, and poured herself a glass before returning to the living room.
“Where you coming from?”
“Dinner date with Jaivion.” Yanna scoffed.
“Oh, I’m guessing it didn’t go well.”
“It went the way it usually does. Him forcing conversation like we have anything to talk about. But he said to tell you that he asked about you.”
“You okay?” Troi asked, knowing how being around her dad affected Yanna.
“I will be as soon as I drink all of your wine.”
They heard the keypad on the front door beeping, and since Onyx wasn’t speaking to Layla, Yanna knew it was Kas.
Seconds later, he strolled into the living room with no shirt, joggers, socks and slides on. His eyes landed on Yanna, and he frowned.
“I was about to ask why my nephew was fussing, but now I see why. All this negative energy in here.”
“As if you didn’t bring your funny looking ass over here because you saw my car sitting outside.”
“I’m funny looking, Yanna?”
“As fuck,” she replied, feeding into the natural joking banter between them.
“Must be why you always letting me beat them walls down, huh?”
“I could really squish that little ego of yours, but I’m not even in the mood.”
“Can y’all take that bickering somewhere else?” Onyx interjected.
“We just playing,” both Yanna and Kas retorted simultaneously.
“That’s sickening.” Troi laughed. Their theory that Kas and Yanna were the same person was becoming stronger by the day.
“Baby, you might need to go ahead and let him have some titty milk,” Onyx suggested, over Kian’s crying. “He just like his daddy, can’t get enough of you.”
“Gross.” Kas scoffed as Onyx and Troi engaged in a kiss. Expecting Yanna to join in on the teasing like they usually did, Kas looked over at her but noticed the distant look on her face. Seeing that something was wrong, he tapped her on her leg. “Where you just coming from?”
“Dinner with my Dad.”
Kas knew what that meant. He’d been present after her dinners with Jaivion before and knew they usually left her in a bad mood. Even worse than she’d be after leaving Janis. “Come to my crib with me for a minute.”