“I don’t have to ask if he is going to share the news with his family.”
“And make them despise his choices even more?” Athena asked dryly. “I doubt that.”
Debra shook her head. “As parents, we tend to push our kids away.”
“You never did that to me.”
“Maybe because you were such a model child.”
Athena stared at her mother and burst out laughing. “Yeah right!” she snorted.
“You were.” Her mother protested. “You never skipped school, you did your homework on time- “
“I was caught smoking pot behind the school dumpster.”
“You were experimenting, and I did not say that you were a saint.” Her mother pointed out.
“I pushed Gregory Wilkins off the steps and dislocated his shoulder.”
“Because he was picking on that poor kid, what was his name?”
“Calvin Blunt. A scrawny white kid who was afraid of his own shadow!”
“You took up for the underdog and always did.”
“It got me suspended for two weeks.”
“And you caught up on your schoolwork.”
“Mom, I was a holy terror!”
“No you were not.” Debra told her firmly. “You were an outspoken child who did not believe in looking the other way and I love how fearless you are.”
“That fearlessness almost got me killed when I decided to intervene when I was walking down that alley and that creep was holding a woman at gun point.”
Debra shuddered at that. “Whatever possessed you to do that is beyond me. The man was holding a gun.”
“And the poor girl was terrified. He was going to rape her, and I couldn’t allow that to happen.”
“That was the part that gave me gray hairs.”
“What gray hairs?” Athena scoffed as she stared at her mother’s thick dark hair that was caught up into a neat bun. “I am not seeing any.”
“Clairol has become my best friend.” She was told mildly. “Now tell me about this beauty line.”
“First I want to hear about your date with Melvin.”
Athena looked in amusement as her usually bold mother ducked her head and avoided looking at her for several minutes. “It went well.”
“Mom, I need more than that and you know it.”
“We had dinner at this nice restaurant, and we talked.”
“Just talked?”
“Darling this is highly inappropriate.” She edged.
Athena stared at the woman in shock. “Mom, did you sleep with him?”
“Shush!” Her complexion was too dark to reveal a flush, but Athena saw the signs.
“Way to go Mom.”
“I feel like a slut.” She fretted.
“What on earth for?”
“I slept with him on the first night.”
“You knew him for years.”
“But we just started going out and I invited him inside for a cup of coffee and one thing led to another….!” She shook her head.
“How was it?” Athena hid her smile.
“I am not going down that road. You are my daughter and I should not be discussing such intimacy with you.”
“I discuss my sex life with you.”
“What sex life?” Debra asked her dryly.
“The few times that I had,” Athena grimaced. “Which is not saying too much - God - I do have lousy taste in men.”
“You can only get better.” Her mother told her wisely.
Athena let out a laugh, her dark brown eyes twinkling. “I do believe you are right. Now back to you and Milton. Was he unbelievable…? Adequate…? Lukewarm or something that you are never repeating!”
“As I said before, I am not discussing this with you but only to say that it is definitely something I will be doing again.”
Athena clapped her hands in delight. “At least one of us is getting laid.”
“Athena Monique Blakely!” Debra exclaimed but she could not stop the smile that came to her lips. “We are going to stop talking about that completely inappropriate subject and concentrate on you. Now tell me about the contract.”
*****
Athena let herself into her apartment later that night and went straight to the kitchen to make herself a pot of tea. She had called while she was on the highway to check on Jeff and to make sure he was not moping. He had gone into depression several times since she knew him and had almost committed suicide one time. Jeff felt things deeply and had this habit of trying to please people which annoyed her. “What are you doing?” she had asked.
“I am unpacking. You don’t have to worry.” He had told her.
“Is that all you are doing?”
“Yes mother.”
“Considering whom your mother is, there is no choice for me but to play that part. Are you moping?”
“I am sad, yes.”
“Why?”
“I loved him Athena.”
“Why would you love someone like that?”
“Athena you would not understand.”
“Damn right. I don’t want to hear anything about that creep. I just want to make sure you are okay.”
Chapter 3
“I had no idea this was going to be a crush.” Alan muttered as he looked around the crowded ballroom of the hotel that belonged to his family.
“It’s not so bad.” Rachel smoothed down the thigh length dress self-consciously and could not help but wonder if she was under-dressed. The place was filled with exceptionally beautiful women who were in the modeling industry. It was a launch party for the Self-Absorbed line, and she could see the images all around on walls and what appeared to be murals on the makeshift stage.
“Want to get a drink?” Alan muttered. He would spend a good thirty minutes before he could get out of here. He did a lot of entertaining, but it was for business purposes. He could not see anyone he was familiar with. He would be talking to the ad executives of the new agency and then he would be making his exit.