Teaghan
“Hey, can you water my flowers? I just need to check and make sure the messages are back on,” I lied quickly because his request to actually take me out caught me off guard. I was elated but still shocked that finally he opened his damn mouth.
“Of course,” he agreed.
Stepping into the building, I needed to call Missy and tell her that he had finally come around.
For the last two days, our daily conversation had consisted of me fussing and cussing at Houston’s confusing ass signals.
One minute he was smiling in my face, and the next he was barely saying a word.
I was pressed but today that would end. Hence our promise, I was done being caught in the middle of his shit.
If he wanted to be single for the rest of his life I would let him.
At this point, he could live a full life or die empty it was no longer my concern unless he wanted it to be my concern.
“Missy,” I whispered checking to make sure he hadn’t followed me inside.
I needed to install a window on that back door.
Leaving him to water my flowers wouldn’t take long but I couldn’t be sure how long he would be.
The job was almost finished and soon we would be parting ways for our date tonight.
Excitement took over my body. I knew it would be different than what I was used to.
Houston was different, and he was wise. Even though he didn’t say much I was comfortable with him. It didn’t take much for him to get my attention. Our conversations either got really serious or were superficial. Either way, we would laugh, have healthy debates and crack jokes.
“What you want now girl?”
“He did it, he finally asked me out!” I said in a hushed tone looking over my shoulder.
My excitement was flowing like a river, but I couldn’t be too loud in fear that he would catch me.
I was done letting him know that I liked him.
It seemed as though the minute I admitted to that he would pull back.
“Baby, listen, I told you it was all about patience.”
“Fuck all that,” I laughed, patience was kicking my ass right now and so was dropping it down a notch. This wasn’t me, I wasn’t afraid of the pursuit. With Houston, it felt like I was only running in place until now. Finally, he was pursuing me, and I wondered what changed his mind.
“Teaghan, don’t do that shit, you said you would be patient. Allow him to get into position. You just be ready to go with the flow,” I was beginning to think that Missy was on his side.
Over the few days, I had shown him on more than one occasion that I didn’t require a lot. Fancy dates were nice, but it didn’t have to be all that. It was evident he was still holding on to me being some princess that I was not.
“Fine, I’ll call you later.” As soon as I hit the end of the call, I heard knocking on the front door. Making my way, I paused - concerned with who it could be. Everyone knew we were shut down. Afraid of opening the door I went and grabbed Houston.
“Hey, can you come in for a second? Someone is knocking an-,”
“And you scared?” he said, cutting me off.
Grabbing my hand, he led me to the front.
The knocking was getting louder and harder.
I assumed they would get the hint, the more time I wasted.
That wasn’t happening, peeking out the window as he opened the door, I saw a few men at the door with jackets that read Building and Codes.
“Good Afternoon, I’m Carl, and we are here for an inspection. Is Teaghan LeJune available?” A tall, bald man asked with a thick mustache. It looked like a caterpillar on his damn face. It was making my skin crawl watching it move as he spoke.
“That’s me, but I don’t understand. My inspection is up to date. What’s this about?”
“We have received reports that there is a mold problem and other issues that have now come to our attention,” Carl answered handing me a paper.
I read over the contents quickly and couldn’t believe my eyes.
My business was being temporarily shut down while they inspected every inch.
Asbestos, mold, out of date plumbing, and a list of other things were being documented.
“This is impossible; everything is up to date. I can prove it.”
“We have to check ourselves, allow us to do our job and this will go smoothly. You don’t want to mess with us, ma’am.”
“Wait one damn minute. It’s me you don’t want to mess with, so let's be clear, I will allow you access, but this isn’t going to go how you want it. You must not know who my father is,” I fussed.
I hated to name-drop, but Carl had me confused with someone else. He didn’t scare me. I knew my shit was legit, and they were fucking with me. This had to be a joke.
“It was your father who provided the report, Ms. LeJune. Please step aside. We’ve got work to do.”
“Hold up, man, did you say her father sent you? And you know her inspection is up to date, but you don’t care.
Let me check your credentials,” Houston spoke up for me because I couldn’t speak for myself right now.
My father was trying to sabotage my business.
I couldn’t understand why he was being so malicious.
If this were over, me not working for him, I could assure you this wouldn’t change a damn thing.
“Sir and who are you?”
“Don’t fucking matter, you got credentials or not, homie?”
“Ok, let's try this tomorrow. Ms. LeJune, we will be back tomorrow to start the inspection. Enjoy the rest of your day.”
“That’s what the hell I thought,” he commented before closing the door. I watched out the window as the three men climbed in their service vehicles. The building was old, and I was worried that my father had sold me the business in hopes of using it against me.
“This is some bullshit,” I screamed, grabbing my things.
Before I did anything I was going to visit my father.
He needed to explain this shit and his motive.
I already knew his motive, he wanted to send a warning shot.
He wanted me to know that at any moment he could take the one thing that made me happy.
This was disturbing and I hated that Houston had to see me coming unglued.
“I’m sorry this is going down. I’ll fight your pops if you want me to,” he mentioned face as stiff as a board. He wasn’t joking, and I considered it. He wasn’t the only one that could send a warning shot. “Real shit, Teaghan, this is foul, and I can handle it, just say the word.”
“Houston, it’s ok really. Thank you for buying me some time. What time should I be ready?”
“You still wanna go out after this?” he asked.
“Yep, he can’t win and take everything from me,” I smiled.
I’m sure my father wanted me to fall apart over this situation, but I wasn’t going to.
Eventually, everything would work out in my favor.
I was doing kingdom work. This was my gift and it could be done anywhere.
I was confident that sooner or later this would blow up in my father’s face.
It didn’t remove how pissed off I was, but I wasn’t going home to cry in my pillow, about this.
He got my attention and that was about it.
No victory would come from his malicious acts.
“Be ready by six, don’t forget to dress nice. Text me your address,” he said kissing my cheek and squeezing my hand.
We left out together and I was headed to see my father.
He had some explaining to do and it couldn’t wait until I calmed down.
His disregard for what I wanted out of life was out of line.
The only thing I kept thinking about as I drove was my patients and how long this would take.
What would I do with my time? How would I fuel my ignited passion while sitting home?
I couldn’t sit around doing nothing. I couldn’t even enjoy the idea of having a date later due to his shit.
* * *
At home, I could hear laughter coming from the kitchen.
It brought back happier times, and I winced.
Franklin could be happy, but I couldn’t.
That was some shit that was going over my head.
All his life he claimed he wanted to be at the forefront for the people.
That’s what made him happy and no one pushed that on him so where did he figure he could push his shit on me.
“Dad, I’m disappointed,” I said, cutting him and my mom right off. I slammed the report down on the counter. She looked between us, and his smile disappeared. One for Teaghan, I thought. No smiling would be going on while I was in turmoil.
“Dear, can you excuse us?” he said, speaking to my mother but looking at me.
“Not so fast. Mom, stay here,” he wasn’t about to keep her in the dark and leave himself out of the dog house.
She needed to hear about his last stunt.
My mother was a wonderful, soft-spoken lady who assumed her husband could do no wrong.
Good things came from that, but it always left me feeling alone and like she didn’t have my back.
That was the weird part of our relationship.
I loved her even though she never stood up for me and my dreams. “Dad reported my building to Building and Codes today. I’ve been shut down. Happy now?”
“Frank?” she screeched again look between us both. We were both locked in a stare-down. I wanted him to say something that made sense. That would soften the blow. Anything that would help me walk from my childhood home with love in my heart for him.
“Dionna, I just brought it up in casual conversation. I can’t help what anyone does with it from that point,” he shrugged.
“Really, Dad? I wish you would just understand that working for you isn’t something that I want to do. I think the work you do is wonderful but it’s not for me. You can’t keep forcing me to do something that would make me miserable because you want me to do something else.”
I would never take away from my father’s career choice, but I wasn’t going to be stuck in a dead-end profession just so he could accept me.
“Frank, this has gone on long enough. Teaghan isn’t a competitor you can just screw with to fit your view.
She is our daughter. She is smart, she loves what she does, and she does a damn good job standing in the gap for children that may not have someone otherwise.
What you did was childish, and I’m disgusted with how you’ve been carrying on. Let her live or deal with me.”
“Dad can’t you see this is causing unnecessary conflict. You act like I’m stripping or prostituting.”
“This just isn’t what I had in mind for you and I don’t know that it will ever change.
You should not be making pennies when you can make a life for yourself that is beyond your wildest dreams. That’s just how I feel.
I reported you because working for me is where you need to be,” he fussed as if he didn’t care that what he was saying was insane.
Me and my mother just stared at him unsure of who we were looking at.
He was a stranger in my eyes, a nobody, an intruder.
“Mom thank you for finally seeing what I see, I’ve got a date to prepare for. Talk some sense into this stranger or forget about me.”
“A date,” he asked.
“You know longer have access to my personal life. Only real fathers need to care about that.”
“I will always be your father and care about your best interest.”
“If that’s true then call your dogs off.
I need my business; those kids need me. I know you are too selfish to understand what it is that I do but you don’t have to anymore.
I won’t spend another second explaining it to you,” I said speaking to my father.
Coming over was a waste, he was expecting me.
He knew it was going to happen and he didn’t care.
Me standing in his face wasn’t going to change anything. His mind was made up and so was mine.
Leaving out I made sure to do what I always wished I could and that was to slam the door. I hoped the glass shattered from me slamming it. I didn’t look back to see. I wasn’t even mad, I was disappointed in his thought process.
I was a damn doctor for crying out loud.
Where was the respect? Truth is there was none.
He found his identity in what he did. If helping the people was his calling it wouldn’t matter how he accomplished that.
Frank was full of shit and I was finally seeing right through it.
It taking so long irritated me, but it was better late than never.
This was all about power and control. He wanted to control me like he controlled everything else.
“Damn you,” I fussed driving towards my apartment to get ready for this date.
I needed to clear my head, or I would ruin my chances.
When I got upset it took me so long to come back to a happy place.
If I didn’t release the animosity I wouldn’t enjoy myself.
That wasn’t fair to me or fair to Houston.
This moment had been on my mind since the first lunch we shared.
I declared I would enjoy it no matter what.