Chapter 24 #2
“Patch can we do a sweep of the room, make sure the glasses are full and people are happy?”
He gave me a thumbs up. “No prob, Bob.”
“Great,” I scanned the room. “Has anyone seen Lavender?”
“She’s with the influencers going over dietary restrictions… again,” Hartland informed me as he passed by checking his clipboard.
“And Orim?”
“With the travel agents.”
I sighed in relief. We were doing fine.
“And you got everything you need?”
“Aurora.” He lowered the board. “Woosah. It’s going fine. Okay?”
I exhaled. “Okay.”
“Good,” he waved me off. “Now go and relax by the bar with the other boss.”
Then he was off to manage another task that needed his attention. He’s good. The team was good. But was I good? I will be once I get a sip of that special wine with the special grapes.
At the bar, Marlon stood with Marcus. They sipped and smoked their cigars and it made me wonder why we even invested in a ventilation system and a smoke room if the damn owner wasn’t gonna use it.
“You done putting out fires, Bunny?” Marlon smirked at me.
“All but one,” I swatted smoke from my face. “Good to see you again, Markie.”
Marcus smiled politely at me. “Likewise. I love what you did with this place. Really brings back the color Marlon needed in his life.”
Marlon elbows him but I smiled.
“Thank you,” I looked away in case I missed her. “Did you bring Carmen?”
“Nah,” Marcus ashed his cigar. “She’s on vacation for a wedding. Somewhere in Dominican Republic.”
I pouted. “I see.”
“Cheer up, I’m sure she sends her love.”
“Marcus!” A voice yelled over the crowd. “Come here please.”
I recognize one of the guys from the board. I guess they wanted to talk business.
Marcus excused himself to attend to him, leaving me, Marlon and the uncomfortable heat of my fathers glare.
“Oh my god,” I muttered under my breath, leaning slightly toward Marlon without breaking my smile for the guests passing by. “My father is gonna kill me, isn’t he?”
Marlon didn’t even look at him.
“You’re fine, Aurora.”
I turned my head just enough to glance across the room again.
“You sure?” I asked. “Because he’s looking at me like a priest looks at a prostitute.”
Marlon let out a quiet sound under his breath.
“Tuh. He’s hardly a priest.”
I swallowed, my stomach tightening. My hand clutched his chain, looking for comfort now that I couldn’t hold him in front of everyone.
“I’m being serious,” I said, keeping my tone low but my smile still in place for the people around us. “He can definitely tell. You’re right, he knows all about us for sure.”
Marlon finally looked at me then.
“He does,” he said calmly. “I mean I can smell myself all over you.”
That made my head snap toward him. “Really?”
“Really.” He nodded. “And when you walk, I can hear my cum squishing around in your panties.”
Now I felt like I should’ve just embroidered my dress with a scarlet letter. It’s only fitting since everyone knows what I did.
“Just shut up.”
“Tell your panties that.”
I let the chain go and swatted his chest. “You are not funny!”
“So touchy today. Focus on what matters.”
Right. Now was not the place for family drama. So I straightened, adjusting my posture, forcing myself back into host mode.
My eyes kept drifting, scanning for anything I could help with. And that’s when I saw him.
Wyatt.
Standing not too far from my dad and talking. Out of all people.
I watched them for a second.
That was not good.
That was not good at all.
I looked away quickly, forcing myself to move before I made it obvious I was watching them.
Think, Rory. Think!
Fix it before this white man tells your dad just how close his daughter and business partner actually were.
Shift the attention.
I clapped my hands lightly to get the room’s attention, stepping toward the center of the space where more people could see me.
“Alright, y’all,” I called out, voice carrying just enough to pull focus without sounding forced. “If I could have your attention for just a second.”
Conversations slowed then stopped.
I smiled, holding it steady even though my chest was on fire.
“First off, thank you all for coming out tonight,” I said. “This space… this experience…it means a lot to us. Not just as a business move, but as something personal.”
I glanced across the room and found my dad.
“For those of you who don’t know,” I continued, “this property has history. And the people tied to it… they built something that gave a lot of us a foundation.”
I paused just enough.
Let it land, Aurora. Tug at those emotions.
“So I wanted to honor that,” I said. “In a way that felt right.”
My fingers tightened slightly around the mic.
“The space we’re standing officially has a name now.”
I looked straight at him when I said it.
“Alice.”
Silence.
I watched my dad. He kept his face neutral despite my announcement. Everyone clapped lightly and he joined but his expression didn’t change.
No smile or approval.
Damn it.
I forced a smile anyway, wrapping it up clean.
“Enjoy the night,” I said. “Drink, relax, and let us take care of you.”
Applause followed as I stepped down, handing off the mic, already feeling my stomach twist again.
That didn’t work. Not even a little.
I barely made it two steps before I felt his presence. I turned just as he gestured to me.
“Come here.”
My throat went dry. I glanced once at Marlon then back at my dad.
“Excuse me,” I said to the people around me, moving toward him.
The second I walked up to my daddy, I knew I was in trouble and the kind I could talk my way out of.
No.
He was pissed.
“I’m gonna ask you one time.” He held a finger up. “Are you and Marlon involved?”
My stomach dropped immediately.
And the crazy part? I almost felt relief knowing we were in a crowded room and he couldn’t talk like he wanted to.
I forced a smile. I don’t even know why. Habit, I guess.
“Daddy—”
“Don’t ‘Daddy’ me,” he said through gritted teeth. “Answer the question.”
Oh! Okay.
We doing this for real.
I shifted my weight and twirled Marlon’s chain between my fingers, glancing around real quick. Too many people. Too many ears.
“I’m working right now,” I said, keeping my voice even. “Can we not do this here? I don’t think this is the time—”
“Aurora.” The way he said my name made my back straighten. “Are you involved with him?”
I hesitated. That’s all it took. His face changed instantly.
“You are.”
“Can you lower your voice?” I muttered. “We’re in public.”
“I don’t give a damn where we are! You think I’m worried about appearances right now?”
Maybe he didn’t care people were around.
“Dad. You’re assuming,” I said. “And you’re doing it loudly.”
“I’m doing it loud because you not answering me!”
See… that turned heads. A couple people looked over. Then a couple more.
Great.
“Relax,” I hissed. “You’re making a scene.”
“I’m making a scene?” he snapped. “You out here sleeping with a man I trusted and I’m making a scene?”
So we just saying it now? In front of everybody?
Cool.
Before I could even come up with something Marlon stepped in.
“Y’all good? Cause we at an event full of people right now.”
His voice was calm, but I knew him well enough to hear the tension under it. Marcus was right behind him too, already scanning the room like security. Or maybe he was just looking for the nearest exit. Shit. I should too.
My father turned to them slowly.
“No,” he said. Then stepped closer into Marlon’s face. “No, it ain’t fucking good. You fucking my daughter, man?”
My heart started beating in my throat.
I looked at Marlon, pleading.
Like… please.
Please say something else.
Please fix it.
Please don’t—
“…yeah.”
I closed my eyes for half a second.
Wow. Okay. That’s how we doing this?
Daddy scoffed once in disbelief before he turned to me.
The way my father gripped my arm and dragged me to the back room, you’d think I was a dog off the street and not his only daughter.
“Okay! Okay! I get it. Let go.”
He didn’t.
Not until we were all the way in the back room and the door slammed shut behind us.
Then he released me like my sins burned him. I stumbled a step back, rubbing my arm immediately.
“Come on, man. That was unnecessary,” I snapped, already heated. “You doing way too—”
“You got some fucking nerve,” he cut in.
I straightened, matching his energy.
“Oh, I got nerve?” I shot back. “You just embarrassed me in front of a whole room of people and I’m the one with nerve?”
“I sent you here with a task,” he said. “A simple task. And you couldn’t even do that without opening your fucking legs?!”
Ouch.
The door opened again and Marlon stepped in. He shut the door behind him, locked it and faced us fully.
“Let’s bring it down,” he said. “We can talk without all that.”
Dad laughed but there was no humor to it.
“Talk?” he repeated. “You think we about to fucking talk?”
Marlon didn’t move, and he didn’t back down either.
“That’s exactly what we about to do because we not about to make a scene and embarrass ourselves in front of all these goddamn people.”
“Oh fuck you, Marlon.” My dad dismissed his statement. “You already embarrassed yourself messing around with a girl half your age. Fuck is wrong with you, man?”
“Look man,” Marlon shoved his hands in his pockets. “I know you processing a lot right now, but let’s keep it cordial and respectful.”
“Or what, nigga?”
I stepped between them before this got worse.
“Okay, everybody needs to calm down,” I said, holding my hands up slightly. “We can figure this out without—”
“Move.”
My dad didn’t even look at me when he said it.
“Excuse me?”
“I said move, Rory.”
“No,” I said, standing my ground. “Not until you stop acting like—”
“Aurora.” Marlon’s voice made me stand straight. “Let me handle it.”
“No,” I said immediately, still lowkey mad he snitched on us to begin with. “Because clearly you already handled enough—”
“Rabbit.”
That tone.
It hit me like a switch flipped. I stopped mid-step, my words catching in my throat. I hated that it worked. I hated that he could do that to me.
“Please,” he added.