CHAPTER 12
Alexis
“You want to go to Stone Mountain with me?” Spencer asked. “Chick, this time of the morning?” I said. I knew the attraction park opened at ten thirty during the summer, but man. I checked my phone, then told him, “It’s nine o’clock.”
“Your mom is tripping. Worse than kicking a bruh out, she left my naked ass stroking my shit on her couch, told me to let myself out,” he said.
Cracking up! I almost fell on the floor.
My mom was like most females. Considering ending the best relationship she’d probably had in years over her dude cheating. I knew her. Although Spencer left my place an hour after she had last night, Blake was wondering if Spencer had dipped his dick inside of Chanel. Wouldn’t be surprised if she believed he’d fucked me too. When would she learn, chicks couldn’t police good dick.
“Wait, don’t laugh. That’s not all. She told me to go fuck my sister and Chanel.”
I sat up in my bed. Smirked. Nodded. A burst of laughter escaped, causing me to hold my stomach.
He paused, I guessed waiting for me to stop hollering. It was cool that he could share details with me of his personal situation with my mom. Blake had no concept of how people my age got down. Sex wasn’t sacred. Cuming was recreational. We did not have sexual hang-ups. That was for people her age.
Spencer’s firm tone was filled with annoyance when he asked, “You done?”
Smothering my last few chuckles, I told him, “I know you put the D in her real deep when you got home. You did go straight home right? Or did you detour to Charlotte’s?” I cracked up.
Silence came before, “I went to Blake’s, man, but all that backlash kept my shit flaccid. What you gon’ do besides ridicule?”
“Hold on. You woke me up with this hilarious stand-up. What did you expect?”
“Then I probably shouldn’t tell you Max stared me down like he was the man and my black ass had better not be home when he got back.”
That was it. I let loose and couldn’t reel in for damn near a whole minute. “Yeah, you need to release some tension. Come get me in an hour. I might not get on the rides, though. Gotta take it easy after those blows to my stomach from your gurl.”
“Chill,” he said, ending the call as though he hadn’t heard my last comment.
I needed to get out of bed anyway. Ordinarily I’d hit the gym and get down with Kanye’s workout plan station on Pandora. I amped up “Do Ya,” a single by DaBoyDame. He was my generation’s P. Diddy and Jay Z doing collabs with artists we loved like Ty Dolla $ign. I showered to the beat. Washed every nook and cranny. Layered sunblock all over my hourglass figure.
Everybody needed something or someone to love. Billy Blackstone had no idea how much joy he’d brought my mom by giving her King MaxB. Blake had a fit anytime anyone called her pedigree a dog. Sandara’s kids adored Max. He had that laid-back attitude I’d want my pet to have. Maybe I should get tropical fish.
Scanning my halter minidresses, my selection was more about what color I was feeling. Purple stood out. Money green four-inch stilets. Any heel shorter was for the conservatives. Not certain of what part of the three thousand plus acres park we were going to stomp on, I put a pair of mint leather flat sandals in my purse.
The only breathing animal I needed to love me was me. Wasn’t sure I did the best job of taking care of my emotions, but for sure I had no problem keeping myself first. Unlike a lot of these females in Atlanta trying to keep GPS on their dude, I’d never chase pussy or dick.
My cell rang. Hopefully, that was Spencer calling to say he was on his way. I didn’t mind people waiting on me, but I hated being the one sitting around.
I looked at the caller ID. It was my sperm donor. Hopefully he was calling to make good on his offer to financially support me. Knowing there was no baby in my belly, I’d take every penny he offered and call it restitution.
Still couldn’t call him dad, I answered, “Hey, Conner.”
“Alexis, this is not Conner,” she said.
Well, that was obvious. “How can I help you?”
“This is the nurse at Grady. Your father told us that you’re the only living relative he wants to see. He’s in ICU. He may not have much time. You need to come to the hospital right away.”
My heart thumped in my chest. “What happened? I just saw him yesterday. He was fine.”
“Honey, he was shot several times early this morning. You need to hurry,” she said.
Shot? Frowning, I became speechless. I’d only known Conner a few months. Didn’t care much for or about him. But his offer to help me yesterday had softened my exterior.
Only living relative he wants to see?
“Are you there?” she asked. “I have to go. Hurry. Please.”
“Yes, I’m on my way.”
Before Spencer knocked, I opened my door to gasp fresh air.
“You look nice, as always. You ready?” Spencer asked, then paused. “Oh, no. What’s wrong?”
Covering my mouth, with wide eyes I stared at him. There were no tears to shed for Conner. Didn’t know him that well. Wasn’t going to visit him without Spencer.
“Let me get my purse.” I removed my gun. Placed my forty on the kitchen counter.
“Now I know something is wrong. Sis,” he said, holding my biceps. “Tell me.”
Afraid he’d bail on me if I told him the truth, I said, “It’s a beautiful morning. I don’t want to ruin it.” Then insisted, “I’ll drive.”
The stop we had to make, I knew Spencer wouldn’t agree to if he were behind the wheel. I headed south on Interstate 75. We didn’t have far to go to get to the hospital.
“James really bought you this ride?” he asked, reclining his seat.
I was glad he’d asked something that eased my concerns about our father. In a few minutes, Spencer was going to be pissed. I replied, “I earned this bitch.”
“Cash? Is that how he paid?”
I went from being alone in my bed, cool with hanging out with my brother, to traveling into the unknown. My immediate future was scary. I didn’t want Conner to die.
“Did he pay cash?”
“Oh, I guess. All I made sure of was that my name was the only one on the title.”
“So why you cheating on the dude?”
“The question is why not? You guys do it all the time. James has a white girlfriend in Los Angeles. What you call that?”
Spencer sucked his teeth. “Females always suspect, but y’all constantly suspecting. And you know she’s white and she’s his woman . . . because?”
“Saw the texts on his cell. I said that yesterday. I wasn’t being nosy. We were in his car, I picked up his phone, and there was her naked pussy spread across his screen. She said she missed him already.”
“You shouldn’t have done that.”
“You shouldn’t have had sex with my mother, then me, then left the restaurant Saturday morning and fucked Charlotte.” Recalling the throwdown with Charlotte, I started getting mad all over again.
“Well, she’s history. Your mom is too.”
Men, I swear I hated their double-standard bullshit rationalizations. I drove into the entrance at Grady.
Spencer stared at me, then sat up. “Why are we here? You have an appointment?”
I got out the car; Spencer trailed me. His question about an appointment gave me the perfect idea. The only way to get out of being pregnant without confessing my lie was to fake a miscarriage. I could do that later.
Standing at the information desk, I said, “We’re here to see Conner Rogers.”
Spencer stepped back. He became quiet. His eyes shifted left, then back to me. “For real. This is how you gon’ do this shit?” he asked. “Why you spring this fucking trickery on me? This is the second time you’ve broken our agreement without telling me.” He yelled, “We are not supposed to deal with his ass!”
I chose not to say a word hoping he’d calm down.
The receptionist gave us directions to the intensive care unit. I led the way. Spencer walked beside me. He muttered, “I hope that muthafucka die.”
“Don’t say that, Spencer. Conner was shot early this morning.”
Crime in Atlanta had increased rapidly. Robbers were invading people’s homes while they were at home, then beating, sometimes killing them. Purse snatching in daylight was happening. Carjacking had taken a more organized approach with thieves stealing keys from valet attendants. Anything could’ve happened to my, I meant our dad.
Spencer nodded, became quiet, slowed his pace. Standing in the hallway, my brother held my hand. We stopped. He faced me. “How do you know he was shot?”
“After I spoke with you, a nurse called and told me.”
“Why would she call you?”
No need to lie. Wasn’t sure how my brother was going to feel. “She told me Conner said I was his only surviving relative.”
Letting go of my hand, he became quiet again.
I gripped his hand. “Go in with me. Please. I need you.”
“You’re his favored. I’m sure he doesn’t want to see me. I’m chill. Don’t tell him I’m here. I’ll be over there when you come out,” he said, going toward the seating area.
Maybe if my brother hadn’t cursed out Conner yesterday, things would be different. Taking a deep breath, I approached the nurses’ station. “I’m Alexis Crystal here to see Conner Rogers.”
“Certainly. Right this way.”
I followed her to a door. I peeped into the window. If Conner hadn’t offered to help me and my make-believe unborn, I wasn’t sure I’d be here.
The nurse opened the door. “Go on in,” she said, entering behind me. She checked his monitor, looked at me. Her eyes shifted to Conner, then back to me. She nodded.
A breathing cup covered his nose and mouth. He looked at me through eyes that were halfway opened. I shouldn’t have but had to ask the nurse, “Can you tell my brother I need him? His name is Spencer Domino. He’s in the waiting area.”
Conner’s eyes shifted left to right, then back.
The nurse nodded once, then left.
Removing the cup, Conner said, “Thank you for coming, Alexis.” His voice was low, weak. “I’d hoped to get to know you better.” He took a long, slow, deep breath inside the cup. “I want you to take good care of my granddaughter.”
No need to confess now, I said, “I will.” Sitting beside his bed, I held his hand. My throat began to swell. I swallowed. Asked him, “Why did you deny me? Why didn’t you at least let me know that you knew I was yours?”
“Please don’t cry,” he said, watching my eyes fill with tears. “I can’t change what I’ve done. I was hard because I thought that was what made me a man.”
Since my brother wasn’t here in the room yet, I asked, “Did you know your brother was molesting my brother?” I was entitled to an answer. If this man knew and did nothing, I was walking out and never going to see him again.
Saying nothing was worse. I pulled away my hand. Stood. “So I’m your only living relative? Is that what you told these people?”
He sucked more oxygen. “Alexis, wait. That’s not exactly what I told them. Please don’t leave. I asked you to come for a reason.”
“And I asked you a question about my brother. I’m listening,” I said with one hand on the door.
“I’ve changed my will. I’m leaving everything to you and my granddaughter.”
I let go of the door. “You did what?” He mentioned last night that he’d email his attorney but that was fast.
“I don’t want my only grandchild to want for anything. Please, come here.”
I moved closer. This time I held the cup over his face. Waited until he’d inhaled several times.
“Open that bottom drawer. Take my keys. They’re to my house and the car I was driving when I got shot. If I don’t make it out of here, everything is yours,” he said as though he knew he wouldn’t. “A copy of my revised trust is in my mailbox. Upstairs in my office, inside the top drawer of my desk you’ll find the keyless remotes to all my vehicles. My lawyer can help you work out the details.”
The only attorney I trusted was mine. I was going to contact Kendall. He was the one who’d located Conner.
Conner took a deep breath. “All I ask is that you do one thing for me.”
Better not be something crazy. “What’s that?”
“I want you to name my granddaughter Venus Domino Blake Crystal and call her Domino.”
I was in shock. Wondered what else he’d left. Why didn’t he say he’d left something for Spencer? My brother was abused and abandoned.
Spencer pushed open the door, entered the room, stood over Conner, then asked, “Did you know, old man?”
Conner took a deep breath. “Son, I forgive—”
This time Spencer’s voice was deeper. “You don’t deserve to call me your son. I need to know before you check out of here, old man. Did you know?”
Conner’s chest heaved as he nodded his head.
Spencer yelled, “You bastard!”
Faintly, Conner responded, “No, son. Hear me out.”
“No, nigga. Fuck you!”
A nurse rushed into the room. “Is everything okay?”
I hugged my brother. Spencer cried on my shoulder. Snot rolled down my arm. I didn’t care. I lied to the nurse, “Yes, he’s okay. Just a little upset.”
Relieved she came in when she had, there was no telling what Spencer would’ve done. The nurse looked at our dad.
Conner’s eyes slowly closed. I held my breath until he opened them, then said, “We’re good.”
Soon as the door closed, Spencer stared down at Conner. “I swear if you weren’t in this hospital, I’d kill you.” Grinding his teeth, my brother asked, “Tell me why?”
“Conner, please. Tell my brother the truth,” I pleaded.
He took a deep breath. Blew it out of his mouth. “Until you took the DNA test, son, I honestly thought your mother had cheated on me. I thought you were his son, not mine.”
“So you’d stand by and let him screw his own son. Man, that’s bullshit and you know it.” Spencer left the room.
I started crying.
Dropping Conner’s keys in my purse, I told my dad, “I have to go.”
He opened his mouth. Gasp after gasp no words came out. I stood there waiting, hoping, praying he’d die for knowing and not stopping the molestation.
“Did you leave anything to Spencer?”
Shaking his head, he dragged air into his throat.
“You hate my brother. Why?” I stood there not caring if he were short of breath. If he’d take his last, I wouldn’t call for the nurse.
Gasping, he said, “Spencer.”
“Spencer, what?” I asked.
“Hates me.”
Shaking my head, I hated him too. If I didn’t have access to his possessions, I’d curse him out. “You can’t blame my brother for how he feels. You created that situation.”
“True. But he didn’t have to shoot me,” Conner said. Alarms on his monitor started beeping. Nurses ran in. I walked out.
My tears were for my brother. Not for Conner Rogers’s lying ass. I needed to drown my sorrow with a mai tai. Knew Spencer would agree.
I texted my manager friend at Suite Food Lounge, You at work.
William Alfred William hit me back, You know it beautiful.
Set me up man in a corner booth. Coming through in 10 to 20.
Al, that was what everyone called him, texted back, For sho.
Make that an hour and forty-five. I knew Conner wasn’t dead yet, but I wanted to see his house, car, trust, and whatever else he claimed he’d left me and his granddaughter.