“I’m good, Dad. What brings you up here?” We shook hands because he wasn’t the hugging type. I offered him a seat then I sat behind my desk. It gave me a false sense of security. I knew that even though I was in charge, he’d always come in and try to own whatever situation he was in even in my damn office.
“I wanted to personally see to it that you declined to sponsor the bill that I know is on your desk today.”
“How do you know what’s on my desk for the day? You stalking my assistant?” It was only half a joke.
“No. Your assistant would have to be phenomenal for me to stalk her. She’s rather dowdy if I do say so myself.”
My nostrils flared. I said, “Navy is phenomenal and why would I hire her based on how she looks, Dad? Is that what you did when you were a senator?”
“I certainly cared about what my assistant looked like. She was a reflection of me. Your assistant looks like she shops at Target for sales and hasn’t ever set foot in a country club.”
“If you came here to insult my assistant, you can get out.” I lowered my brows and glared at him so hard my head started to throb.
“She’s not important. You declining that bill is though.”
Every muscle in my body felt like lead. I was laden with expectations and I was sick of it. I shook my head and ran a palm over my face. “Dad, I don’t feel like dealing with you medaling in my job right now. If that’s all you came for, the door is right there.” I pointed then focused on the computer screen again.
“You’ve been thinking with your bleeding heart a lot lately, Van. It’s not a good look.”
“Well, I’m not thinking and deciding based on how it looks.”
“You should be. You’re going to burn bridges if you keep this shit up. Our family has worked hard to create these connections and you’re spitting on them.”
“I’m doing this the way I want to and there’s nothing wrong with it. I’m trying to help people.” My words fired out like bullets. I was tired of him griping about keeping money circulating in the affluent communities. I was tired of him always steering me toward decisions that didn’t benefit anyone in middle or lower-class living situations. I wanted to step away from my family name and do what made me happy.
Shit, not being a senator at all would make me happy. Dad would never hear of it though.
What about what you want?
The voice crept into my head sounding very much like Xari.
Dad’s face was apathetic, and it infuriated me even more. “Are you done with your little tantrum now, Van? Can we get this ball rolling?”
“I’m not having a tantrum. I’m telling you I’m done doing things your way. I thought the art funding bill would have shown you that. I’m not who you expect me to be, Dad. I’m who I want to be.”
But are you though?
Xari’s voice popped into my thoughts again and I wished I could swat it away. She was just as persistent in my mind as she was in real life. “You’ll be who you were raised to be and who I was raised to be, and your grandfather was raised to be. Eventually, Frankie will follow along in our footsteps. It’ll be just in time for the world to accept a double minority from our family into the senate.”
“No. It won’t. Frankie loves to cook. She’s not thinking about politics.”
“Cook?” Dad barked out a laugh. “You want my granddaughter flipping burgers in some fast food joint, Van?”
“I don’t care what she does as long as she’s happy. I’m trying to give her what I didn’t have growing up…a chance to be herself.”
“Christ, Evander I thought we moved past your mood swings about passions and dreams. It’s garbage.”
“I’d rather walk away from the senate than keep living this bullshit-ass façade you and Mom keep shoving down my throat.”
“Now you’re quitting? I didn’t think I raised a quitter.”
“I’m not quitting on myself. If…when I walk away from the senate, it will be because I’m giving myself a chance and quitting on you.” My voice was poised and controlled belying my true fireball emotions.
“Senator Freeman, sorry to interrupt. You have another visitor.” Navy’s voice filtered through the intercom as a much-needed distraction from the tension mounting between me and my father.
Dad tossed a look of disgust at the intercom and said, “You honestly can’t afford better help than a simple girl who doesn’t know when visitors should be held off?”
“Send in the visitor, please Navy.” I was done with Dad. I didn’t give a fuck who the visitor was as long as they broke up the anger and resentment multiplying in my bloodstream like a disease.
“Knock, knock…” Xari poked her head in and smiled at me without noticing my father. “Hey, you,” she purred clutching my laptop sleeve to her chest.
She was the perfect vision in a purple pencil dress that clung to her slight curves and slender waist. Her dark hair was swept off her neck and shoulders and pulled into an effortless bun at the top of her head and her lips were painted vibrant red.
“You left this at home. I would have shown up naked but…”
“Xari, come on in. I’d like you to meet my father, Warren Freeman.” Her eyes widened and she turned to the chair my father was sitting in. An apologetic smile curved her lips.
“Oh my god. Mr. Freeman, I’m so sorry you had to hear that. I thought Evander was in here alone.” She handed me the laptop then attempted to shake Dad’s hand. He looked at her and shook his head. More anger flushed through me. The back of my neck was hot and blanketed in needles.
“Shake. Her. Hand,” I demanded through clenched teeth. “She’s being polite. You could at least shake her hand.”
“From the way she came in here, I think I’d rather not. I don’t know what she’s been doing with that hand.”
“Lucky for you, today is Friday. I only hand-stir the blood of my enemies on Saturdays.” She flashed a smile but I knew her sarcasm was real and not a joke.
“Charming. I see you can find a young woman who looks the part but you struggle to find someone with any couth. Maybe if you train this one, she’ll look better sitting outside of your office than the Target shopper out there.”
I knew right then, Dad used up all his strikes with Xari at once. He had no way of knowing she and Navy were sisters even though they looked nearly identical. He was about to find out the hard way, and I planned to watch the festivities. I was tired of fighting.
“Excuse me?” Xari said, narrowing her eyes. She turned to me and said, “I keep my job no matter what, right, Evander?”
“Yup.” I nodded clasping my hands behind my head.
“Good.” She turned her eyes to Dad and let loose. “My sister is the best damn assistant Evander has ever had. She has more intelligence in her stiletto pinky nail than you do in your entire body. I mean, you don’t need intelligence to sign papers and kiss ass but you do need it to keep a senator’s life in check. Says more about you than about her.”
I couldn’t hide the smile on my face. Xari chopped the great Warren Freeman into bite-sized pieces with ease. He’d never admit it, but I knew she needled under his skin like she did with everyone else. Turns out, either she made a soft spot for herself or burned through you like acid. I think Dad just got the latter.