Chapter Fourteen - Lu
Chapter Fourteen
Lu
L u peeked inside of John Samuels’s door, a Starbucks cup in one hand and a copy of the Sacramento Bee in the other. She tapped lightly, quietly walked in and tiptoed across the buffed tile floors. He was sleeping, so she took a seat in the corner of the room next to the window. She didn’t want to wake him. She opened the newspaper and tried to read the latest local news, but ominous thoughts were busy swarming in the back of her mind. Her palms were sweaty. She had a thousand questions dancing in her head—the same ones that had danced all night and kept her from sleeping. She breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth a few times.
“Good morning.” He startled her, giving her a smile when he awakened.
“Good morning,” she said.
“You’re up bright and early,” he asserted.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“You didn’t. Who can sleep when the nurses are in here ever hour on the hour poking and prodding? Taking my vitals.” He maneuvered his body in the bed and raised himself up a bit. “What are you drinking?”
“Starbucks.”
“I know it’s from Starbucks, but what is it?”
“It’s an almond milk honey flat white.”
“Wow. That must be some of this new age stuff. Whatever happened to a simple caramel macchiato? That was always my favorite. Now I’m drinking these.” He chuckled and held a bottle of Ensure protein drink in the air.
She held her cup in the air. “Cheers.”
“Cheers,” he said. “Where’s Zach this morning?”
“He stayed back at the hotel. He wanted to take advantage of their state-of-the-art weight room. He’s a gym rat.”
“I see.” John grabbed the remote control from the side of his bed, changed the channel to the morning news, but left the television muted. “Are you a gym rat, too?”
“I try to stay fit, do cardio, and a little yoga here and there, but it’s nothing compared to his routine. He runs three miles every morning, hits the weights, eats a healthy nonmeat diet. He’s fit.”
“That’s impressive. I was fit in my younger days, too, long after the military. It was nothing to run several miles a day. But then I just got old.”
“You’re not that old.” Her body felt less tense. She was more at ease than she was the day before. Her shoulders were relaxed and her chest didn’t hurt quite as much.
“Thanks, but I’m not as young as I used to be.” John chuckled and then was silent for a few moments before saying, “You have more questions, I presume.”
“Lots more.”
“Lots more,” he repeated. “Well, let’s get to it. What is it that you want to know?”
“My mother told me that she met you at the nightclub where she worked.”
“Yes. I would go there every single day, just to see her. We were all stationed in Manila. Some of the guys were only there for a short time. I spent several months there.” He looked at the television and then back at Lu. “I know that people don’t really believe in love at first sight, but I loved her the moment I first saw her. She was beautiful. Feisty, too.”
“She is feisty .”
“She doesn’t take anything off anyone. That’s what I loved about her. The sailors would come . . . would pay her to entertain them. She would give them fits.”
“She was a waitress, right?”
“Of sorts.”
“What do you mean, of sorts ?” Lu was on the edge of her seat now. Wanted to know what it was he was saying but not saying.
“You don’t know, do you?” he asked.
“Know what?”
John became silent. He glanced at the television again.
“Oh, don’t get quiet on me now.” Lu stood, walked to the center of the room. “What do you mean, she was a waitress of sorts ?
“It was no secret . . . and not uncommon for . . .” He was silent again.
“For what?” Lu was panicky now, wringing her hands together. She was afraid of what it was he was trying to say but needed to hear it.
“Sailors would pay Yana for her services. There was an upstairs at the nightclub, and Yana would take sailors up there and . . . you know . . .”
“Are you saying that my mother was a whore?”
“I would never call her that. I prefer to say she was a lady of the night. Life was tough in Manila, Lualhati. You must understand, there was a lot of poverty there. People were destitute.” He shrugged, as if what he was saying was normal. “Many Filipino women engaged in prostitution to earn a higher wage. Higher than they would performing some of the other domestic services. They had to do what they had to do.”
“She never told me that.” Lu’s eyebrows raised; her posture stiffened. She paced.
John’s revelation took her by surprise, hit her like a freight train and made her head spin. She was grateful that Zach hadn’t been there to hear it because she needed to process it on her own before revealing it to anyone else. She was disgusted by what she’d just heard and suddenly felt ill.
“You shouldn’t judge her too harshly. It was something that she had to do to survive,” John said. “After I fell in love with Yana, I told her that she didn’t need to do it any longer. I promised to take care of her, to take her away from all of it.”
“But you were married.” Trying to make sense of this love triangle between John Samuels, his wife, and her mother was exhausting.
“I was indeed married. Not proud of being unfaithful to my wife. Things were complicated back then. It’s not pretty, but it’s the truth. Isn’t that what you wanted— the truth ?”
“Yes.” She said it almost in a whisper. She cleared her throat, lowered her head, and then raised it to look at him. “Why didn’t you ever come for me?”
In that moment she was two again, a child.
“I reached out to Yana over the years, wrote letters. Yana wasn’t having any of it.”
“So, you just went on with your life as if I didn’t exist.”
“No, that’s not true. There hasn’t been a day in my life that I haven’t thought of you. I wanted to be a part of your life as a child and after you grew up, but she was determined not to let me in. And when you went to college, I even attempted to pay your tuition once, which your mother returned. She warned me to never reach out again, said she didn’t need me complicating your life.”
Lu plopped back down into the chair and peered out the window. She was ready to be back in New Jersey. She needed to see Yana, to confront her about all that she’d learned from John. If the things that he claimed were true, then her entire life was a lie.
“Good morning, Daddy dear.” Milan walked into the room, wearing a pastel blue pantsuit and heels. “I brought Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Shhh! Don’t tell the nurses.”
The last thing Lu needed was to see Milan. The sound of her voice was annoying enough. She needed to finish her conversation with John and didn’t need another temper tantrum from his spoiled daughter.
“Good morning, sweetheart,” John greeted his eldest daughter with a smile.
Milan was startled when she realized that Lu was in the corner of the room. “I didn’t know you had company.”
Lu rose to her feet. “I was just leaving.”
“Good,” Milan mumbled under her breath. “This city really isn’t big enough for the both of us.”
“Milan!” John exclaimed.
“Daddy, I’m so over this whole bastard child thing.”
“Who are you calling a bastard child?” Lu asked.
She crossed her arms over her chest and gave Lu a wicked grin. “Well, if the shoe fits.”
“Milan, that’s enough!”
Milan raised her hands as if to surrender.
“I’m leaving. I’m going back to Jersey today,” said Lu.
“Lualhati, I wish you wouldn’t. I wish you would stay,” John pleaded. “Milan, can you give us a minute please.”
“Seriously, Daddy? You’re asking me to leave again ?”
“Just for a few moments, please.”
“You’re choosing her over me . . . and . . .”
“I’m not choosing anyone. You’re both my daughters.”
In a huff, Milan slammed down the box of doughnuts onto her father’s tray and stormed out of the room.
“She’s a daddy’s girl. I’m afraid I’m responsible for her behavior. I’ve spoiled her.”
“Shameful.” Lu no longer cared about being polite. Her emotions were all over the place and she couldn’t seem to get them under control.
“I’m grateful that you accepted my invitation. And I’m glad I got to meet you in person.”
“I must say, the visit was productive. I learned a lot more than I expected. Now I need to process it all—go have a chat with my mother.” Lu tossed her empty Starbucks cup into the trash can and placed the newspaper underneath her arm. “She has some explaining to do.”
“I pray that I see you again, Lualhati. But if I don’t, please take care of yourself.”
“I’m praying for you as well.” Lu walked toward the door. She looked back at John Samuels. “Take care of yourself. Goodbye.”
* * *
Once in the hallway, she was grateful that there was no sign of Milan. She might’ve given her a piece of her mind, but she was nowhere in sight. Instead, John Jr. was making long strides in her direction. She wasn’t in the mood for him either.
He smiled. “Good morning. Lualhati, is it?”
“It’s just Lu.”
“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” he asked.
“Jersey. I’m going home.”
“Today?”
“Yes.”
“Why so soon? I thought you were staying a few more days.”
Lu shrugged. “Changed my mind.”
“Don’t let my sister run you away. I know she can be a handful,” John Jr. said. “I was really hoping to spend some time with you. Maybe have dinner later . . . with you and your fiancé.”
Lu exhaled. Her emotions were high, and suddenly she had her guard up. She wasn’t in the mood for any shenanigans. “I don’t know.”
John Jr. reached into the inside pocket of his blazer. “Well, think about it. I really hope you change your mind. Here’s my card in case you do. I’d love to just sit and talk and get to know you.”
Lu reached for his business card, took a glance at it. He owned a software company.
“ If I change my mind, I’ll give you a call.”
“There’s a quaint little restaurant not far from your hotel. It’s beautiful, nice ambience, great Italian food. They have a decent patio, live music. I’ll be there at six today. No pressure if you can’t make it. I’m going there for drinks anyway.”
“Okay.” Lu gave him a half-smile.
“Hope to see you later.”
Lu let her guard down a bit and stuffed the card into the back pocket of her jeans. Then she headed toward the elevators.
* * *
Outside, she hopped into an Uber for the short ride to their downtown hotel. She took the elevator up to their suite and found Zach relaxing on the bed.
“Done working out already?” she asked.
“Yes, and had breakfast, too. I figured you’d be there for a while.”
Lu exhaled, then removed her jacket.
What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Zach asked.
“This trip is nothing like I expected. The things that I’m uncovering about Yana . . . just incredible.”
Lu lay across the bed on her stomach alongside Zach. He massaged her shoulders.
“Whatever happened between the two of them, it was a long time ago, babe.”
“Still very shocking. I don’t know who Yana is anymore,” Lu exclaimed.
“Come on, it can’t be that bad. She’s your mother.”
“She’s done some things that make me ashamed.” Lu replayed John’s words in her head: I prefer to call her a lady of the night .
“Really?” Zach stopped massaging for a moment, then was right back at it.
“Yes, really. ”
“Well, honey, I think before you pass judgment, you should just talk to her.”
“Oh, I will.” She flipped over onto her back. “And that Milan person is just . . . dreadful.”
“She was there?” Zach sighed.
“Called me a bastard!”
Zach laughed. “What? You’re kidding, right?”
“It’s not funny, and yes, she did.” Lu couldn’t help but laugh, too, at Milan’s antics, “What is she, a kindergartener?”
“She’s definitely immature, or crazy.”
“Or both.” Lu looked up at Zach, who was resting on his elbow and looking down at her. “There was one silver lining this morning. John Jr. invited us—me and you — to dinner tonight. That is, if I’m still within the city limits. I left there thinking I might catch the next flight back to New Jersey today.”
“That was thoughtful of him, to invite us to dinner.”
“It was.”
“We should go.” Zach leaned down and kissed Lu’s lips, then her nose and her forehead.
“You think?”
“I do. I think it’s nice that he extended the invitation. Looks like he’s trying, at least.”
“Yes, I agree.” Lu breathed in deeply. “Okay, we should go.”
“Good.”
“What the hell is going on in my life?” she asked rhetorically.
“You’re growing up, kid.”
Lu closed her eyes for a moment. She didn’t know who the heck she was anymore, nor did she know who Yana was either.
* * *
She chose a red backless after-five dress, the one that Zach had brought her from his medical conference in Honduras. She slipped a pair of leather strappy, sexy heels onto her feet. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d worn heels so high; she’d traded them for flip-flops long ago, when she moved to Cape May. She pulled her curly hair up and off her shoulders and colored her lips with a candy-apple red lipstick.
“Whoa! You look amazing.” Zack fastened the clasp on the white gold necklace on her neck.
“Thank you. And you look very handsome yourself, Doctor.”
He wore a pair of tan slacks, a white crewneck shirt, and a navy blazer.
“I spoke with Gideon this morning. It seems he and Kenya are having dinner together again tonight,” he told her.
“Interesting.” Lu thought for a moment. “She didn’t mention it when we talked this morning. You don’t think . . .”
“They’re becoming awfully cozy.”
“She’s not interested in becoming cozy with anyone right now. She just wants . . .” Lu thought about Kenya’s woo-ha comment and chuckled.
“Wait a minute, what’s that laugh? She just wants what?”
“Nothing.” Lu grabbed her clutch purse from the nightstand. “You ready?”
“I am. Let’s go.”
* * *
John Jr. was right. The restaurant was quite beautiful, with a nice ambience, and the patio was open and breezy. He had snagged a table with one of the best views. A live band serenaded patrons with their horns, drums, and vocals. She spotted his raised hand.
“I’m glad you came.” John Jr. stood to greet them.
“This place is just as you described it. Very beautiful.” Lu looked around, taking it all in.
“I like it. I hang out here quite a bit. The owner is a good friend.” John Jr. had their father’s face, eyes, smile. “What are you drinking?”
“I’ll have a Chardonnay.”
“Chardonnay? Oh, come on. This is a special occasion.”
“What is it that you’re drinking?” Lu pointed at his glass.
“Vodka tonic.”
“Well, I’ll have one, too,” Lu decided. She’d never been a heavy drinker. Wine had always been her drink of choice, except on rare occasions. But she was on vacation and John Jr. insisted, so she took a chance.
He motioned to the server, and the young woman made her way over to the table.
“What can I get for you?”
“She’s having a vodka tonic. And make it really special, like you did this one.” He gave her a wink. “And what about you, Zach?”
“I’ll have a cognac on the rocks,” Zach told the server.
“And Sandy, we’ll start with some bruschetta for the table, and maybe some green olives.”
“Great. I’ll get that ordered for you, John.”
“Thanks,” he said and then turned to Lu. “I’m glad to see that you didn’t run away. You’re still here.”
“I bet Milan won’t be happy about that.”
“Who cares what Milan thinks? I love my sister, but she’s a self-absorbed brat. Always has been. You can thank my dad for that. I’m actually very happy that you’re here.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
Lu wondered which details of his parents’ relationship John Jr. knew about. Did he know that her mother had been John’s mistress, that she’d been a prostitute, that his father had fallen in love with her? Did he know that her mother, Yana, was a home-wrecker?
“I don’t care what went on between our parents years ago. Doesn’t have a thing to do with us. And it doesn’t change that you’re our sister. You didn’t ask to be here.”
His words touched her heart. She’d never been called anyone’s sister before, except maybe Kenya and Natalia. They called each other sisters from time to time. But she’d never been anyone’s real, blood sister before now. It felt good.
Sandy returned with their drinks.
“Let’s have a toast.” John Jr. held his glass in the air. “To my sister, the badass attorney-turned-innkeeper. My dad told me that you traded your law career to run an inn.”
“I did.”
“I think that’s so cool. Cheers.”
“Hear, hear.” Lu giggled. She liked him.
She spent the evening learning about John Jr.’s life. He’d almost gotten married a few years ago but got cold feet and called the wedding off. He had no children that he knew of . She told him about her life, her friends, the inn, and about her and Zach’s impending wedding of the summer.
“You think it would be cool if I came to visit you in New Jersey? Maybe for the wedding, if you have room for another guest,” he asked.
She inhaled deeply. A lump formed in her throat, but she managed to say, “I’d like that.”
John Jr. nodded a yes and smiled. “Good.”
And just like that, she had a brother.