Chapter 10 #2
After dinner, drinks were offered, even though there had been wine during the meal. Again, Huston, Bolin, and Mom all partook. This time, I asked for coffee, and Heath asked for the same.
What we were offered was a surprise. I hadn’t thought Arthur would go to such trouble.
“Something nonalcoholic with coffee, yet it meets the vibe. I thought an espresso mocktail would suffice,” he stated.
It was made like a real espresso martini, except that instead of alcohol, it had condensed milk, and Arthur had added chocolate and whipped cream on top. I took a sip and moaned.
“Arthur, this is perfect. Thank you,” I said, smiling.
“I’ve got to admit, I was skeptical, but this is good. Thank you,” Heath added.
“I’m so glad you like it. May I get anyone anything else?” he asked the room at large. When everyone said no, he left us alone.
Over dinner, most of the talk had been about people they knew, their companies, vacations, and that kind of thing. I expected the same to happen now. I wondered how soon Heath and I could escape.
“Heath, you said earlier you work in cybersecurity. That must be interesting. Would I happen to have heard of your company?” Huston asked.
“You may have, but for security reasons, I’m not at liberty to say who employs me.
It’s a matter of confidentiality. However, I can say that the work is never dull, and I make more than enough to ensure that Danae and I live comfortably, even if she didn’t work, not that I foresee her quitting.
She loves her work, and it nurtures her soul,” Heath replied.
“But surely, as a man, you would expect your wife to care for the running of your home and if you have children, to care for them with help,” Mom chimed in.
God, she was still on this kick. What would it take to make her drop such antiquated thinking?
“Dallia, I believe in my wife having her own identity and being able to care for herself and our children. While I would love to be the one to care for them no matter what, the future is never certain. For example, Danae told me it was a struggle after her dad died. And it took your son quitting college to work full-time to support the family, because there weren’t enough funds to cover the bills.
Had you been a woman with a job outside the home, that might not have been necessary, or at least the strain would’ve been less. ”
Mom’s mouth tightened, and her eyes narrowed. Heath had scored a hit. I wanted to giggle and kiss him, but I remained calm.
“My wife’s first marriage was unfortunate in the way it left her and her children.
If her first husband had been more ambitious, then Haris wouldn’t have been required to sacrifice.
And if Haris had used the business degree he eventually earned and joined my company, he would’ve been able to carry the weight easier,” Huston said pompously.
My anger that had always simmered under a thin layer of restraint broke through. Heath’s hold on my hand was firm, but not like he was holding me back. I glanced at him, and he gave me a subtle nod. Then, I faced my mom and the others.
“Since you see fit to discuss family matters in front of your guest, I’ll do the same.
My dad took care of his family. True, he wasn’t rich, but we hardly lacked the necessities.
And we were happy. It wasn’t until he died that Dallia’s true avarice nature came to light, and she went searching for a rich man to keep her. Hence, you came into our lives.”
“Danae, don’t you speak about Huston or me in that manner!” Mom shrieked.
“I merely speak the truth. They say the truth hurts. You can’t tell me that six months after your husband’s death, you met and fell in love with Huston.
I’m not stupid. And no one, seeing the way you two are with each other, believes you’re a love match.
I’ve never understood what he got out of this deal, though.
What do you bring to the table? Whatever it was, Haris and I wanted no part of it.
And Huston, I won’t listen to you malign my dad or brother. They were exemplary men.”
I stood. Heath stood with me.
“We’re leaving. And Dallia, in the future, don’t contact me. I have nothing to say to you. I came to your dinner. Now, give me Dad’s belongings that you used as blackmail to get me here. Then there will be no ties between us.”
Huston and Mom’s faces were red. She was sputtering. Huston was silent. And Bolin watched with a cold, calculating expression. I didn’t care what he thought. If he was friends with them, he already knew what kind of people they were, and that meant he was like them.
It took Mom a few seconds to respond. “You ungrateful brat, you have no idea what I sacrificed for you and your brother. And now, you dare to speak to me like this. You’re ruining everything.
You could have a wonderful, easy life, yet you persist in working like a drudge.
I lied. I don’t have any of your dad’s things.
I threw them out as soon as I could. They were a reminder of the mistake I made in marrying him. Get out,” she snapped.
I didn’t know if I believed her. Maybe I should’ve kept my mouth shut until after I got his things, if there were any, but I’d had enough. Years of snide comments running down my dad and brother had been swallowed. I was done. And though we rarely spoke, this would be the end of even that.
Without saying another word, I took Heath’s hand and headed out of the room.
He came willingly. Behind me, I heard the tap tap of Mom’s heels and softer footsteps.
Oh joy, we were being followed. Did they think I’d steal some of their pretentious shit on the way out?
More like I’d light that shit on fire and laugh as I watched it burn.
All the gold and sparkle were garish in my opinion.
You didn’t need to display your wealth like they did unless you had no other identity.
They might as well stand there waving their arms and screaming, Hey, look at me.
I have money, but nothing else. I’m a soulless, miserable lump of worthless flesh.
We were almost to the door when Arthur rushed out of somewhere to reach it before us. His face showed he was alarmed.
“Do not open that door,” Huston told his butler, who froze.
Heath and I turned to look at the ones trailing us.
“I suggest that if you know what’s good for you, you’ll open that door right now. And never contact Danae again. She doesn’t need you,” Heath said low, yet with force behind it.
There was a threat implied, and the way Huston and Bolin’s eyes flickered, they heard it. Mom was too stupid to get it.
“If you walk out that door, I wash my hands of you. Don’t expect me to help you. When this man leaves you, don’t come crying to me. You’re dead to me like your worthless father and brother,” Mom said.
Without missing a beat. I shortened the three steps between us. Without saying a word, I slapped her. The crack was loud, echoing through the huge foyer. Mom gasped and put her hand to her red cheek.
“I haven’t needed you or asked for anything in years. And even if I were homeless on the streets, I wouldn’t ask you for anything. My mother died the day my dad did. You’re just the bitch that was left behind,” I informed her.
“How dare you touch her?” Huston thundered.
Heath was next to me. As Huston took a step toward me, Heath intercepted him. He stared deep into my stepfather’s eyes.
“I dare you to touch her. Go ahead. When you do, I’ll tear you to fucking pieces. Your wife got what she deserved. Now, open the door before I use your head to open it,” he growled.
Whatever Huston saw must’ve convinced him to shut up and let us leave.
He eased back and gestured to Arthur, who opened the door.
Bolin stood back from my family, near the base of the stairs.
He watched with an inscrutable expression.
He never said a word or stepped in. Mom was sniffling. Huston was furious, yet silent.
Heath took my hand, and we turned to leave. However, I noticed he kept his body angled so he could keep them all within sight, and he kept me on his non-dominant side. He never took his gaze off them until we were both in the car and driving away.
I leaned back in my seat, closed my eyes, and fumed over how stupid I was to fall for her lies. She knew I’d come if she hinted she had anything of Dad’s. What would’ve happened if I came alone? That kept circling in my mind.
???
It had been four days since the fiasco of a dinner with my mom.
Heath and I had talked about it. He suggested I cut off all avenues of contact with her.
I’d always left my phone and email open to her.
I guess I held out a tiny hope that she’d wake up and become the loving mother she was before Dad died.
After this last dinner, I knew it wasn’t happening.
It didn’t take much persuasion to block her on my phone and email.
She’d never been on my social media account, not that I posted much there.
I pushed her to the back of my mind. I had better things to think about, like preparing for our baby’s arrival. I had four months to go, but I was anxious to get everything in place.
At the top of the list was where to live permanently.
While I liked living with Johann, and it was adequate for a baby and me, it would be too overcrowded to continue living with him, plus I wanted to be with Heath.
If I moved in with Heath, both adults needed office space.
I sometimes worked from home on documentation, and Heath had Patriot business that he conducted from home as well.
Last night, we sat and went over our options.
I liked Heath’s condo, and it had more space than my old apartment or Johann’s place, but it wasn’t somewhere I wanted to raise our baby.
My ultimate dream was to give her a yard and space to run and play.
I wanted something similar to Cassidy and Sean’s house.
It didn’t have to be fancy or have a pool.
I told Heath that. The conversation had gone from there.
Heath smiled. “Danae, I’ve wanted to have a place like Sean has. But being single, I saw it as a waste of money. However, with you and our daughter in my life, I would love for us to find a home that can be a fresh start for all of us. A blank canvas we can make into our styles.”
“Really? Oh God, I’m so relieved to hear you say that.”
“It can take a while to find exactly what we’re looking for. I hope it won’t, but just in case it does, I have a suggestion,” he added.
“What?”
“I know that moving twice is too much. And I don’t want you stressing.
What would you think if we brought your clothes and anything else you need here?
We’ll leave the rest at Johann’s. Then, after we find a house and decide what to take from both our places and what to give away, we’ll clean out Johann’s and this condo at the same time and put this one up for sale. What do you think of that idea?”
I’d straddled his lap and kissed him deeply as my answer, which led to a more heated agreement with what he proposed. It was the ultimate yes.
Thankfully, I recalled this while taking a lunch break.
The office had slowed down long enough for me to eat.
I sat there eating the food that my man had prepared for me.
He was adamant that I eat well during the day.
I tried my hardest not to get caught up in work and skip, as I had before I got pregnant.
Today, I had a tortilla filled with grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato, and cheese with a seasoned avocado spread. In addition, I had raw carrots and celery with a side of ranch, and for dessert, he’d prepared vanilla Greek yogurt with fresh strawberry slices.
“Well, that sure looks yummy,” Caroline said as she came to stand next to my table. I was the only one in the break room.
“It is. Do you need me?” I laid down my tortilla.
“Oh, no, just making rounds, and I saw you in here. I’m glad to see you’re taking breaks and fixing yourself lunches.”
“I wish I could take all the credit, but it’s mostly Heath who does the lunch prep. He’s pretty great that way,” I admitted.
“Oh, my, a man who cooks and packs lunches. You’re very lucky. I’m happy for you, Danae. Oh, before I forget. You’re still taking the afternoon off tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah, I have my doctor’s appointment. We’ll see how much the baby has grown and all that.”
She sat next to me. “That’s always exciting. Have you started on a nursery?”
“Actually, we talked about that, and we’re using a spare room at Heath’s until we find a house, then we’ll buy and move into it and do the actual nursery there. No use doing it twice. We’re hoping we’ll find a house quickly.”
“If you need a realtor, I know someone great. She helped us find our last couple of houses and has worked with friends and family to find theirs. She’s thorough, and she doesn’t try shady stuff.”
“Oh, that would be fantastic. We were talking about finding someone whom we could trust. Yes, please. We’d love the information.”
“I’ll write it down and leave the note on your desk. Now, I’ll let you get back to your lunch. Finish that, or Heath will be upset,” Caroline grinned as she said it and rose to her feet. I thanked her as she left.
Taking out my phone, I sent off a quick text to Heath.
Me: Caroline suggested a realtor. Getting the name & #.
Heath: Great. See you after work—love you.
Me: See you then. Love you, too.
With that done, I got back to eating. Happiness filled me.