A Family Reunion (14 page)

“Yes, they are. Must be from someone special.”

Alexia lifted a brow at the woman’s comment. She had no idea who could have sent them. To avoid the media, she had let few people know where she was this weekend. “Just a moment, please.” She walked across the room and grabbed some money she had placed on the nightstand next to the bed to give the woman a tip. “Thanks for bringing them up here.”

“My pleasure. I hope you enjoy them.”

Alexia smiled. “I’m sure I will.” As soon as she closed the door she pulled the card from the arrangement and read it:

Alexia couldn’t help but smile. She was touched by Quinn’s thoughtfulness. And yes, she would enjoy them and think of him while doing so.

Even though she really didn’t want to.

She had thought about Quinn often since that evening they’d shared dinner. And what she had told Rae’jean and Taye was true. He was the man she wanted to father her child.

After placing the flowers on a table, Alexia slid back onto the bed. Lying on her back, she stared up at the ceiling as she forced her mind back on track. The only thing she wanted from Quinn was his child. She didn’t want nor did she need a loving and serious relationship with any man, especially a man who could enslave her the way Richmond had done during the two years of their marriage. Now that she had rebuilt her heart completely, after Richmond had ripped it to shreds, she would never be that vulnerable a second time. She would always protect herself from hurt and pain.

No man was worth the agony. Not even Quinn “Drop-Dead-Gorgeous” Masters.

“Well, there’s the white man,” Victor Junior said in a cold voice to the others standing around him when Rae’jean and Grady entered the banquet room. “He’s about to get a taste of what it feels like to be in the minority. And I can’t wait to see his reaction at church tomorrow when Aunt Sadie starts jumping a pew or two when the Holy Spirit hits her.”

Alexia shot Victor Junior a deep scowl before moving her gaze across the room to Rae’jean and the man by her side. She smiled and so did Taye, liking what they saw.

“He’s cute and has a nice build,” Alexia said, giving Grady a thorough once-over as they watched Rae’jean take him over to Poppa Ethan to introduce him. It seemed that most everyone in the room had their eyes on the couple.

“Yeah, he is good-looking, isn’t he,” Taye agreed, thinking that Grady’s sharp, chiseled features and dark brown hair made him look very attractive. “He sort of reminds me of movie star Alec Baldwin.”

“Well, no matter what the two of you think, I just hope Rae’jean knows what she’s doing crossing color lines,” Victor Junior said, frowning.

“I take it you have a thing against interracial marriages,” Michael said to his cousin as he watched Victor Junior’s frown increase. Michael’s brows beetled down and his gaze narrowed. He was bothered by his cousin’s insensitivity in regard to Rae’jean’s engagement.

“Yeah, I have a thing against it,” Victor Junior replied brusquely. “You don’t?”

Michael rolled one shoulder casually. “No. I don’t have a problem with it.”

Victor Junior met Michael’s gaze. “Yeah, I bet you’d think differently if your daughter ever brought home a white boy.”

Before Michael could respond, Alexia, who could see the anger lining Michael’s features, cut in by saying, “Tonight should be interesting. Look who just walked in.”

All eyes turned toward the door when Valerie and Brandy walked in. There was a nice-looking man with dreads at Brandy’s side whom she was clinging to, as well as a very attractive woman who looked to be in her late twenties.

“I wonder if that’s Brandy’s fiancé,” Taye said, giving the man a curious glance.

“Mmm, probably,” Alexia said, giving him a curious glance as well. She had to admit—although she really didn’t want to—that the guy was nice-looking. Even from across the room she could tell he was from the islands and was such an impressive package that she couldn’t help but wonder how Brandy had gotten so lucky. “What’s the scoop, Victor Junior? What’s going on with Brandy?” she asked curiously.

“How in the hell would I know?” Victor Junior replied, too busy checking out the woman with Brandy to care about anything else.

“Considering she’s your half sister, I’d have thought you’d know what’s going on with her and just how she met this guy,” Alexia said.

“Well, I don’t. All I know is that Brandy is getting married over the Labor Day weekend, and according to Dad the guy’s family is loaded. They are paying for the entire wedding, and it’s going to be in Jamaica. All Dad has to do is be there to give her away.”

Everyone stopped talking when Brandy looked over in their direction. She whispered something to the people with her; then Brandy, her fiancé, and the younger woman began making their way through the crowd over toward them. Valerie, with her head tossed in the air like that of some regal queen, headed in the direction of Aunt Otha Mae and Aunt Sadie, no doubt to boast and brag.

“Heaven help me if Brandy comes over here with those boojee ways of hers. I’m in no mood for it tonight,” Alexia whispered through clenched teeth while holding her smile in place.

“Chill, girl. There’s a possibility she’s changed.” Even as Taye said the words she knew they were a lie. Brandy still possessed her uppity-acting ways. “And if she hasn’t changed, then just ignore her. She’s not worth the bother.”

Growing up with Brandy had always been a pain in Taye’s, Rae’jean’s and Alexia’s rear ends. They’d tried to be nice to her, but Brandy, thanks to her mother’s influence, had always acted like she had a chip on her shoulder because Uncle Victor didn’t marry Valerie to make Brandy a legitimate Bennett instead of an illegitimate one.

“I wonder who’s that woman with her. She’s a real nice-looking piece. I hope Brandy plans to hook a brother up with her,” Victor Junior said, smiling.

Alexia raised her eyes to the ceiling. “Pleeze, Victor Junior,” she mumbled. “Do you need to be reminded that you have a wife?”

“I wasn’t checking her out for myself. I was giving her the once-over for Michael. I’m trying to look out for my cousin here.”

Taye wished there was some way she could give Victor Junior a good kick in the butt just for having that thought. As far as she was concerned, Michael didn’t need Victor Junior looking out for him and certainly didn’t need to be bothered with the likes of the hoochie momma walking over toward them with Brandy and her fiancé.

“Hi, everyone! I’m so glad to see all of you. It’s been years!” Brandy exclaimed in a high-pitched voice and with more airs than were needed. She threw her arms around Victor Junior and gave her half brother a resounding smack on the cheek.

Taye and Alexia rolled their eyes upward and decided to play along and be just as phony as Brandy was being. They pretended to accept her hugs graciously and figured she was trying to impress her fiancé with such a warm display of family affection.

“Heaven mercy, Alexia, I swear it’s been years, girl. I was just telling Mama last month while watching Body and Soul’s concert on HBO that you couldn’t possibly have gained as much weight as those cameras made it seem.”

Taye took a deep breath as she eyed Alexia carefully, hoping she had the good sense to ignore Brandy’s pointed remark. Alexia was known not to take anyone’s crap. She was not one to mince words.

“And Taye,” Brandy was now saying, bringing Taye’s attention back to the conversation. “I hear you’re still messing around with hair. Seems like you’ve been doing that forever.”

Before Taye could respond, Brandy pulled the man next to her to the forefront. “Everyone, I want you to meet my fiancé, Lorenzo Ballentine. And this,” she said, motioning to the woman, “is my best friend, Jolene Bradford. She’s maid of honor in my wedding.”

Lorenzo shook everyone’s hand as Brandy made all the introductions. When he got to Alexia, his smile was friendly and his voice had a rich, sexy Jamaican accent as he said smoothly, “Alexia, I’m a huge fan of yours. I saw you in the same HBO special, and unlike Brandy, I didn’t think you looked like you’d gained any weight. In fact, I thought you looked great, and now that I see you in person, I think you’re even more beautiful,” he added.

Alexia smiled, thinking it was a shame that someone this good-looking could be engaged to Brandy. “Thanks, Lorenzo; that was such a nice thing to say. You’re too kind.” She cast a glance at Brandy and saw the deep scowl on her cousin’s face. Knowing Lorenzo’s compliment had irritated Brandy made Alexia’s smile widen.

“And you have a beautiful voice,” Lorenzo said, recapturing Alexia’s attention.

“Thanks again.” Alexia looked deep into Lorenzo’s gaze. There was something in the dark depths looking back at her that suddenly made her feel uneasy. That along with his lady-killer smile. Was she imagining things or was this man checking her out, giving her a thorough once-over? No, he couldn’t be that brazen, not with Brandy standing right there watching the whole thing. Alexia shook her head. She had dated island men before and had found them to be—in addition to sexy and handsome—brash and possessive. They were also big flirts.

Looking past Lorenzo, Alexia released a sigh of relief when Rae’jean chose that moment to come up to join them. She went about introducing Grady to everyone.

“So, Rae’jean, when are you getting married?” Brandy asked in a tone that said it was a crying shame that she wasn’t the only one in the family tying the knot.

“Grady and I are getting married on Christmas Day. It will be a very small wedding.”

“Oh, well, mine will be a large one,” Brandy said excitedly, thinking she had one up on Rae’jean. “Lorenzo’s parents are covering all the expenses. They’re so happy that he’s settling down to take over the family business. They own a chain of hotels in Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. I’m sure you’ve heard of the Ballentine Hotels.”

Everyone nodded. Of course they had.

“We would love for all of you to come to our wedding,” Lorenzo said, smiling. “If you decide to do so, my family will cover the cost of your airfare and hotel accommodations.”

“Hey, we just might take you up on that, man,” Victor Junior readily said, smiling at the invitation as he tried to keep his gaze off Jolene Bradford.

“I’m hoping that all of you do.” Lorenzo then turned his attention back to Alexia. “I’d be honored if you were to sing at our wedding.”

Alexia pasted a smile to her lips. “I’ll have to check my schedule first.”

“I already have a soloist for our wedding,” Brandy cut in, protesting mildly.

“I’m sure you can add another song, sweetheart,” Lorenzo said smoothly without missing a beat. Although he’d worded it like a suggestion, Alexia had a feeling it was understood by Brandy to be anything but.

“If that’s what you want, Lorenzo,” Brandy said softly.

“Yes, that’s what I want.”

“Fine.”

Alexia inwardly frowned. She totally despised domineering men and had a feeling Lorenzo Ballentine was as domineering as they came. Her earlier opinion of him as being nice suddenly vanished. She wondered how Brandy could tolerate such a man. She shrugged. He was Brandy’s problem, not hers. In fact, Lorenzo and Brandy deserved each other. She had long ago learned the truth about men and their need to manipulate and control. Maybe it was time Brandy learned the same lesson.

“After you’ve checked your schedule please let us know,” Lorenzo said, like he was used to giving orders and having them obeyed.

Alexia was about to tell him that she had decided not to sing at their wedding when the music stopped playing and Cousin Agnes announced that everyone was to take their seats for dinner.

Rae’jean couldn’t help but hide a grin behind her napkin as she finished wiping her mouth. She glanced across the table, and the grins on Alexia’s and Taye’s faces matched her own. Victor Junior was getting a taste of his own medicine, which served him right.

After everyone had sat down to the table to partake in the meal, Victor Junior had deliberately started a conversation that was intended to exclude Grady. Unfortunately, Victor Junior had not known that Grady, being the type of person that he was, could hold his own in any group, even when he was in the minority.

Also, Victor Junior had not known that this was not Grady’s first time being placed in such a situation. Before moving to Boston, Grady had worked two years at an inner-city hospital in Chicago. During those two years, he and three other doctors, all black, had operated a clinic in one of the worst areas of town. Therefore, none of the topics being discussed were going over Grady’s head like Victor Junior had intended. Grady was just as much a part of the conversations as everyone else. In fact, he was hitting it off big-time with Michael and Taye’s brothers as well as some of the other cousins. And Poppa Ethan seemed to like him. That meant a lot to her.

The only person who didn’t seem to be happy about the recent turn of events was Victor Junior. He was the one on the outside of the conversation, since the topic had shifted to golf, a sport Grady, Michael, and Taye’s brothers played regularly and Victor Junior didn’t play at all and knew very little about.

“As soon as the food is cleared away, it’s movie time,” Cousin Agnes announced to everyone.

Rae’jean knew that for this portion of the evening, which would last around thirty to forty-five minutes, a video that consisted of family photos Cousin Agnes had collected over the years would be shown. She wondered at what point during the evening she would have to speak privately with her uncle Victor. She was certain he knew the facts about her father, but like the others, he would not talk. She was prepared to beg and plead with him if that’s what it would take for him to tell her what she wanted to know.

Rae’jean noticed as soon as the lights were turned off for the movie Uncle Victor quietly left the room. Thinking that this would be the perfect time to talk to him, she turned to Grady. “Excuse me, Grady. I need to go talk to my uncle about something,” she whispered.

Grady nodded, smiling, not taking his eyes off the video. Evidently he was enjoying watching the movie Cousin Agnes had put together.

Rae’jean stepped out into the empty lighted hallway, wondering where her uncle could have gone so quickly. After waiting outside the men’s room for a little more than five minutes, she figured he must have gone someplace else.

A thorough search of the pool area indicated Uncle Victor was not there. Rae’jean was about to turn around and leave when she noticed the door from the pool area that led to the outside stairway was slightly ajar. Automatically she walked through it, and immediately she heard the moans and grunts of a man and woman entrenched in the throes of hot-blooded lust.

The stairway area was dark, so she could not see a thing, but she sure did hear a lot. She recognized her uncle’s voice but didn’t recognize the moans of the woman he was with and wondered if it was the woman who worked at the hotel. The sounds Uncle Victor and the woman were making went above and beyond mere sexual gratification as far as Rae’jean was concerned. She refused to believe that anyone could enjoy doing it so much that they had to make that kind of noise. They sounded like two animals who hadn’t had sex in fifty years and were making up for lost time as well as stocking up for the next fifty years.

Embarrassed at the thought that the man under the stairway carrying on that way was her fifty-year-old uncle, Rae’jean couldn’t help wondering if perhaps he was taking Viagra or some other type of medication to boost his sex drive. It must be in the genes, genes he had unfortunately passed on to Victor Junior, since he couldn’t keep his pants zipped, either. Deciding she had heard enough, more than she’d actually wanted to, she entered the pool area and sat down on one of the recliners to wait. They had to get their fill and come out sooner or later. Rae’jean quickly decided to use her uncle’s whorish activities to her benefit by blackmailing him into telling her what she wanted to know about her father.

Nearly a good twenty minutes later the woman slipped back through the door’s opening and Rae’jean nearly gasped out loud. The woman who had been outside making out with her uncle was none other than the prim and proper Valerie. Talk about being shocked. It appeared that even after thirty years Uncle Victor and Valerie still had some use for each other.

Rae’jean stayed out of sight in the darkness as she continued to watch Valerie fix her hair and straighten her clothes. From the smile Valerie wore, evidently Uncle Victor’s performance tonight had been well worth her time. Rae’jean wondered if anyone attending the banquet had noticed that both Valerie and Uncle Victor were missing. She wondered if Rose had noticed.

After Valerie disappeared from sight it didn’t take long for Uncle Victor to make an appearance, as he hurriedly entered the pool area. Rae’jean waited until he’d finished tucking his shirt back in and zipping up his pants before making her presence known.

“Uncle Victor.”

Nearly startled out of his pants again, Victor Bennett, Sr., placed a hand over his heart. “Rae’jean, what are you doing out here? Why aren’t you in there watching the movie like everyone else?” he asked, catching his breath.

Rae’jean came closer to him in the light. “I could be asking you the same thing.”

He had the gall to look innocent. “I decided to get a bit of fresh air.”

Yeah, and that’s not all you got a bit of,
Rae’jean thought as she met her uncle’s gaze. She checked her watch. She didn’t have a lot of time to waste. “Look, Uncle Victor, I know what you and Valerie were doing out here, and I know Rose wouldn’t be too happy if she found out, so I’m willing to make a deal.”

Uncle Victor frowned. “What are you talking about, girl? Are you saying you’ll say something about tonight to Rose?”

Rae’jean detected surprise in his voice. “Yes. I might say something unless you’re willing to swap secrets with me.”

Uncle Victor lifted a brow. “Swap what kind of secrets?”

“I want to know about my father.”

Uncle Victor shook his head regretfully. “Can’t do that, girl. All of us promised that we wouldn’t.”

Rae’jean frowned. “And just who did all of you make that promise to?”

Uncle Victor crossed his arms over his chest. “Can’t tell you that, either.”

Rae’jean rubbed both hands across her eyes. She was sick and tired of family secrets, especially one she felt she had a right to know about. “Fine, Uncle Victor, you keep your secret, but
I won’t
keep mine. If you don’t agree to meet with me later and tell me what I want to know, then I’ll make sure Rose knows all about what happened here tonight with Valerie.”

Uncle Victor looked at her, shaking his head. In his heart he knew his niece was bluffing, but he also knew how determined she was to learn the truth. “Rae’jean, honey, some things are better left alone. You didn’t have a daddy all these years; why do you want to find out about one now? Didn’t me and your other uncles give you everything you needed while you were growing up? Didn’t we help your mama with you, girl? God rest her soul, Colleen was my sister and we all loved her dearly. Not once did any of us turn our backs on her when she got knocked up with you. She was the youngest of the girls but was the first to have a baby. She had you when she was only sixteen.”

Rae’jean sighed. “Uncle Victor, I know all that, and I do appreciate everything you and my other uncles did for me but I need to know who my father is. Because of my coloring, I know he couldn’t have been a black man. I need to know who he was, not just for me but for the kids I may have one day. I have a right to know about the person responsible for creating me. For once, think about how I feel. I bet all your outside children know you’re their daddy.” At his nod she said, “Then why can’t I know who my father is? Just because he may be white doesn’t change anything. I may decide not to act on the information once I get it, but I think I have a right to make that choice.”

“Leave it alone, girl,” he said gruffly.

“No, I can’t leave it alone. If I don’t get the information from the family then I’ll hire a private detective and get the information that way.”

Rae’jean saw her uncle swallow hard. Evidently taking that approach was something he and the family would not want her to do. “I mean it, Uncle Victor.” She turned and started for the door.

“Rae’jean?”

She stopped walking and glanced back over her shoulder. “Yes?”

“About tonight. You’re not going to mention anything to Rose about tonight, are you?”

Rae’jean turned and stared at her uncle for a long time before answering. It would serve him right if she did. He was a married man but was not honoring the vows he’d made. But she knew she would never do anything that could possibly cause him harm. What he said earlier had been the truth. When she was a child growing up her uncles had always taken care of her just as much as they’d taken care of their own kids.

“No, Uncle Victor, I won’t mention anything to Rose.”

Hunching his shoulders, he nodded his head and muttered, “Thanks. It will be best for everyone if you don’t.”

Rae’jean’s full lips tightened as she nodded in agreement. She was certain that it would be. She turned around to leave again.

“Rae’jean?”

She turned back around to her uncle. “Yes, Uncle Victor?”

“See me after church tomorrow. We’ll talk and I’ll tell you everything then.”

Rae’jean felt her stomach jump. “You’ll tell me about my father?”

Uncle Victor nodded. “Yeah, as much as I know. And you’re right, girl. You do have a right to know the truth.”

“Yes,” she quietly agreed. “I do.” She smiled as she walked back over to him. She reached her hand out to him. “Come on, Uncle Victor; let’s go back inside together. And if anyone asks why you’ve been gone so long, I’ll just tell them that you and I had a long uncle–niece chat just like we used to do. How does that sound?”

Uncle Victor took her hand. “That sounds good, girl. Rose will believe that.”