CHAPTER 30
Antonio sat in his office, tossing a stress football between his hands, trying to calm down.
He wasn’t exactly upset, but he was annoyed.
Jackie was giving him the brush-off. She’d been giving him the brush-off for a couple of days now.
Granted, she wasn’t exactly talking to anyone.
The voice thing seemed to be very real, not an act—in the last board meeting, she hadn’t said much and just nodded, using the app only when necessary.
After the meeting, Donny had stopped him to ask what was up with Jackie, and Antonio chose to feign ignorance.
“I guess it’s severe laryngitis,” he lied.
But he knew it was deeper than that. She had been communicating just fine after they…
and well… during as well. Antonio shook his head and palmed his dick through his slacks.
He wasn’t trying to get a hard-on at work thinking about the one woman who didn’t want to have anything to do with him.
Maybe PJ was right. Maybe he had gone a little too hard at her.
He should have just enjoyed the moment for what it was—two adults having adult fun, living in the moment.
The problem was, Antonio didn’t want the moment to end.
He’d let her get away once. He couldn’t let that happen again.
His cellphone rang, and he saw his parents’ names flashing. Smiling, he answered the video call.
“Hey, my people. Where are you world travelers now?”
“Hey baby! We’re in Zanzibar!” His mother was wearing a bright pink straw hat, her skin glowing in the sun. “We decided to hop over here and make this our last stop in East Africa before we head west. It’s gorgeous. I’ve never seen water so blue.”
“You said the same thing in St. Lucia, Annette! Water is blue everywhere! It’s water!” Horace said in the background.
“Hush, Horace,” his mother fussed. “Anyway, I’m calling to check on you, and to tell you about the wonderful surprise your father and I got the other day.”
Antonio scratched his head. Had he sent his parents something? He sent gifts sometimes on a whim, but he didn’t have an address for them on this trip. “What was the surprise?”
“Our grandson!” Annette beamed, radiating joy through the screen. “He called us. He said he just wanted to say hi, to catch up. He asked us all about our travels. He tried to send us some money, but we assured him that we were fine. We wouldn’t dare take a dime from him!”
Antonio was sure that was new for PJ—love from someone that wasn’t transactional. He’d have to make sure to have a talk with him about that. He didn’t need to throw money at anyone to get affection, but especially not Antonio’s parents. All they wanted to do was love on him.
“And,” Annette continued, “he told us about how his season is going. They’re saying he may be Rookie of the Year? That’s wonderful! I’m sure you’re proud.”
Horace got on camera, finally. His dad was rocking a pretty thick beard and his well-worn Virginia State hat. “He’s a fine young man, son.”
Antonio nodded. “He is.”
“So, I take it that means you all are getting along?” asked Annette.
“Still taking baby steps, Mama,” Antonio said.
“Well, you seem to be taking steps in the right direction,” Horace said. He looked at Annette and nodded, encouraging her to talk. Antonio squinted. Those two were up to something.
“So, uhm, PJ told us that you are having lady troubles,” Annette said. “Something about you ‘crashing out’ over some woman. Is that what he said Horace? ‘Cash out’ or ‘crash out’?”
“Hell, I don’t remember,” Horace said. “I didn’t understand half of what that boy said. Kids these days speak in code.”
Boundaries, PJ. Damn. Antonio groaned as he rubbed his temple. “PJ is running his mouth. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
“See, I told you to stop trying to be that boy’s friend and be his daddy! He wouldn’t be all in your love life. Even though we know you ain’t really got one,” Horace said.
“That was really shady, Pops.”
“Well, he’s not lying,” Annette agreed. “When’s the last time you had a girlfriend?”
Antonio thought about it. “I mean, I dated Carla for a minute. She was cool.”
“The esthetician?” Annette rolled her eyes. “That girl had clouds for brains. Sweet, but she wasn’t that bright.”
“You need a woman you can hold a conversation with. A pretty vessel that’s empty inside will do nothing for you, son,” Horace added.
“True,” Antonio agreed. They were right.
Carla had been about ten years younger—not his type.
She’d wanted to be in the club all weekend long and was always talking about celebrity gossip.
Whereas his idea of a perfect night was staying in, ordering takeout or cooking a great meal, and watching true crime documentaries snuggled on the couch.
Just like he’d done with Jackie in Mexico…
Antonio blinked away the memory, coming back to the present. “I’m focused on work right now, and that’s about it.”
“Is it because the woman you like doesn’t like you back? That’s what PJ said. He said the situation is complicated. Love isn’t complicated,” his mother said.
Antonio tossed the stress ball a few more times. “Well, everyone can’t have a perfect love like you and dad.”
“Son, we said love is uncomplicated; we didn’t say it was perfect,” his father said. “We’ve had our ups and downs. But we talk it out. We see it through. There are no ‘complications’ when you communicate.”
Lord, if only they knew how ironic that statement is, Antonio thought. “But if the other person doesn’t want to talk—or can’t talk—what do you do?”
“You keep talking, sweetheart,” Annette said. “Trust me, if she’s worth it, she’ll hear you out. You have to at least fight for it.”
“And I didn’t raise a quitter,” Horace said. “Now, c’mon, Annette. We’ve kept the boy on the phone long enough, and he’s at work. We rented jet skis, remember?”
Antonio’s eyes widened. “Uhm, I don’t think that’s a good idea, you guys! Pops! C’mon, now! You’re almost seventy.”
Horace puffed out his chest. “Boy, you act like seventy is halfway in the grave! We are still full of life!”
“You only live once!” his mother sang. “Life is too short for regrets, son. Remember that!”
“I will,” Antonio replied. “I hope you all are back home in time for Thanksgiving. It’ll be here before we know it, and I really could use a slice of my mama’s sweet potato pie.”
“Of course,” Annette beamed. “The holiday wouldn’t be complete without it. Maybe PJ can come to the farm too. I hate to rush off, but we got to go, or we’ll lose our spots!”
“Love you, Ant!” his dad said.
“Love you too. Be safe.”
Antonio ended the call and instantly wanted to call his folks right back.
He missed them deeply. His entire life, it had only been the three of them.
His mother called them “three the hard way,” though their life together had been loving and easy.
They were inseparable. Though he was an only child, his parents never made him feel lonely or alone.
He was grateful for that. Now that he had a young adult son, he wanted their relationship to be the same way.
He wanted to pour that same kind of love his parents had into his son.
PJ calling his parents was a start. Maybe he was getting through to him.
But…the kid told his parents about Jackie? Yeah, he was going to have to work on those boundaries.