The Sorceress (23 page)

Rome waved his hand in front of Jen's face, snapping her out of her stunned stupor.

She finally blinked, closed her mouth, and gulped. “
The
Twyla Tanning! The big star known as the Big Tee? She's your mother?”

Rome nodded.

“Wow! I heard the rumors that Tee had a child, but from what I read, I thought she had a girl…who'd be around—”

“Around my age—twenty-five,” he said solemnly. “She wanted her career more than she wanted me. And unfortunately, my pops took the money without giving a shit about what that lie would do to his son.” Breathing hard, he clenched his fist in anger.

“You don't have to talk about it—”

Rome gave a rueful laugh. “I want to talk about it. I've been keeping this bottled in for most of my life. Just like you, a confidentiality clause or some bullshit like that has kept me from opening my mouth. And the one time I slipped up…believe me, I learned it was wiser to keep my mouth shut.”

“You signed an agreement?”

“Hell no. My father and his wife did all the signing for me; a few months before I was even born. They got paid big bucks to do it. Up until I was six years old, I thought Sylvia was my mother. But one day, after a big fight with my pops, I heard her talking to
one of her friends over the phone. She said my pops
and
his son could both kiss her ass. She was sick of playing mommy to some other bitch's child.”

Jen reached across the table and patted the top of his hand.

“I asked my grandma if I was some other bitch's child. My poor grandma didn't have anything to do with those decisions that were made and she told the truth about my parents. According to my grandma, Twyla and my pops were two teenaged recording artists trying to get a hit. Twyla got hers first. My pops never did. Twyla's big break happened when she was seventeen years old and six months' pregnant. It was too late for an abortion, so the bigwigs from her record label, along with her family, paid my pops to keep his mouth shut. My pops was eighteen. Too young and dumb and too damn greedy to refuse. In my opinion, he sold his soul…and offered up mine along with the deal.” Rome's voice cracked with emotion.

“Where is your dad—still in Philly?”

“State pen.”

“You're kidding! What for?”

“Bad checks.”

“I thought he had a lot of money.”

“Used to. He lived the life of a big baller, but the money stopped coming in when I turned eighteen.”

“Do you visit him in prison?”

Rome grimaced. “Hell no. I don't owe him anything. Ain't no love lost between me and my old man.”

“But he was only eighteen when you were born. He was a kid who made a big mistake.”

“People are supposed to apologize after they realize they've made a mistake. My pops never even came close to saying he was sorry.”

“Did he put any of that money aside for your future?”

Rome shook his head. “He didn't have to. Twyla took care of me.” He paused. “Financially, I'm set for life. But everything isn't always about money. On the emotional side of things, I'm as broke as a joke.” He laughed wryly. “Especially with my grandma gone.”

“No other relatives?”

“No, my pops was an only child. No cousins or aunts or uncles on his side. It's just me now.”

Now Jen felt guilty about the way she'd taken her parents' love for granted. Resented them for raising her in a boring, rural community. Trying to live at a faster pace in Philly was her way of rebelling.

Now Rome was pointing out that family love was really one of the most important things in life. She was definitely going to call her parents. After the Provosts hired a new nanny, she'd take a trip home. Invite Rome to meet her folks. Show him the cornfields. Hmm. Make love in the cornfields. She wondered if he'd be willing to try that.

“If you could see the situation from your mother's teenaged perspective, maybe you'd understand the decision she felt forced to make. Things were different twenty-five years ago. She had that squeaky clean image to live up to back then. After she turned twenty-one, she threw away that good girl image and became a sex symbol. When you think about it, the Big Tee persona, with all the surgery and the humongous boobs, seemed like an angry young person, mad at the world. She was probably furious because she'd listened to the people who forced her to give you away.”

“She wasn't forced. She willingly went along with the decision. What kind of heartless person could give up their child and never look back because she doesn't want to tarnish her public image?”

“Probably more stars than we realize have made similar choices.”

“None that I ever heard about. Everybody has heard about Twyla's abandoned daughter. Fucked-up part is that she doesn't have a daughter…she has me…a son.”

“Have you ever met your mother?”

A shadow fell over Rome's face. “I met her once. A long time ago.” His Adam's apple became visible, bobbing up and down as if something were caught in his throat—something really hard to swallow.

She'd unwittingly conjured a memory that Rome was having difficulty reliving. Jen didn't know what to do or say. She caressed his hand; her eyes filled with an apology for bringing up an unpleasant topic.

While staring at him, she started to see some of Twyla's features in his face. The features Big Tee possessed when she was a cherub-faced young woman. Before the outrageous breast implants, ribs removed, liposuction, and before she started allowing plastic surgeons to restructure her face. Today at forty-two years old, Twyla Tanning barely resembled her former self.

“What was she like?” Jen asked, filling the uncomfortable silence.

“Distant.”

“Oh.” Jen lowered her head, sorry she'd asked.

“The fucked-up thing is that if I had kept my mouth shut, I could have spared myself some additional pain, but when I was in the elementary school, my classmates were really feeling Twyla. The girls danced like her and tried to imitate her hairstyles. The boys…well suffice it to say, my mother was the fantasy of every little boy. One day, trying to get some props, I blurted out that Twyla Tanning was my real mother. And like I said, there aren't any birth records to prove it and I became a laughingstock.”

“That's awful.”

“Yeah, I know all about being the butt of jokes.”

Jen touched her hair self-consciously. Her hair issues seemed so minor compared to what Rome had gone through and obviously, from his pained expression, he still hadn't made peace with his mother's abandonment.

“My grandma was furious about what I was going through. She tried to get her son…my pops…to get in touch with Twyla, but he refused to make waves. He wasn't trying to stop that gravy train he had coming in. Finally, my grandma took it upon herself to contact Twyla's people. After about six months or more, she finally got a call from my mother. It took a year of negotiating before she sent for me.”

Jen smiled. “What did you two do together?”

He shrugged. “Nothing. She met with me in a hotel room. She came in looking beautiful, surrounded by bodyguards. She smiled at me and shook my hand like I was an underprivileged child who'd won a contest to spend five minutes with her. She didn't introduce me to her security team and I really wasn't sure if she actually knew I was her son. I mean…for real…she treated me like a fan. As she was breezing out the door, I told myself to yell, ‘Mom,' just to make sure she hadn't mistaken me for one of her kiddy fans.”

“Did you?”

His eyes hooded over. “No. I punked out. She left me with a hired nanny who was instructed to show me a good time.”

Hit with a flash of memory, Jen recalled Rome telling her that he'd had a nanny for a couple of days, but she hadn't taken him seriously. “That was it? Your mother left you like with a stranger?”

“Yeah. She called my grandma and told her that she'd held up
her end of the bargain—she met me. She told my grandma that if she continued to pester her, she would have her lawyers contact her—with a lawsuit that would cost her everything she owned.”

“So, your grandma gave up?”

“What could she do? She couldn't force my mother to love me? She held up her end of the bargain.”

“Did you meet your relatives on your mom's side of the family?”

“No, she didn't introduce me to anybody.” His voice broke again, revealing his immense pain.

“She sent me a birthday card for my eighteenth birthday. It was generic and didn't mention the word
son
. But she signed it,
Love, Tee
, and that card gave me the hope that one day when the fame and the beauty faded, maybe she'd come around and be a loving grandmother since she missed out on being a mom. It's a fantasy of mine,” he said with a very sad smile.

His story was so sad; so unfair. Jen wished she could give that selfish Twyla Tanning a piece of her mind. Feeling helpless, she hung her head and joined Rome in silent sorrow.

“Now you know more about me than I've ever told a soul. And you know what, I feel much better. I feel purged.”

Jen looked at her watch and made a face. “I have to get back. I promised the senator I'd be home by nine.” Jen didn't miss the disappointment that shot across Rome's face.

“Aw, damn. You have to go?”

She nodded. “But after he hires the new nanny, I'll have a lot of extra time.”

“It's cool. I understand. Just a little disappointed. I had a big surprise for you.”

“What?”

“It's a surprise. I get off work at six tomorrow. Think you can get away?”

“I'm going to make it my business to get away. I want my surprise.”

Leaving the restaurant, Rome put an arm around Jen. His hand slipped down and publicly caressed her butt. He caught himself and smiled that boyish smile of his. “When I'm around you, it's hard to keep my hands to myself.”

Jen didn't have to use the key pad. The senator, impatiently waiting for her, pulled open the door.

“Sorry I'm late.”

“It's okay, really. You deserve a lot more free time than a few hours. I hope you had an enjoyable evening.” The senator seemed antsy, raking his fingers through his hair as he spoke.

“I had a very nice time,” Jen said, noticing how ill-at-ease the senator seemed.

“Ethan's asleep. If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to you about something.” He dragged his fingers down his face so severely, Jen was surprised there weren't welts left behind. God, she'd come home feeling good, but now she was starting to feel squirmy and anxious. He paced quickly toward his study. She had no idea what was on the senator's mind as she tagged along.

Inside the impressive, mahogany-walled room, lined with beautiful artwork, bookcases and leather-bound books, Senator Provost sat in the high-backed chair behind his desk. Jen took a seat in a plush upholstered chair opposite his desk.

Her hands folded in her lap, she politely waited for the senator to get down to business. Senator Provost was a handsome man, but being weak and totally henpecked detracted from his good looks.

As if he'd forgotten why he'd asked her into his study, he looked at her blankly for a few moments, then sprang suddenly to his feet. His expression was troubled. “Excuse me for a second.” Jen nodded as he took rushed strides toward a locked mahogany cabinet.

While the senator searched his key ring, Jen allowed her mind to wander to the pleasant thought of Rome, wistfully recalling the sexy pat on her ass. Then she wondered what he had in mind as a surprise. She decided that she would have a surprise for him as well. She'd make it a really hot night.

Tomorrow was Halloween, the perfect occasion to dress like a slut. She'd awaken Rome's dirtiest fantasies when she took off her coat, revealing erotic lingerie. In keeping with the holiday, she'd experiment with makeup, going for a dramatic look: smoky eye shadow, a vibrant shade of blush to make her cheekbones pop, shimmering pink lip gloss, false lashes—the works.