A Red Apple (5 page)

I wake up cranky to the beeping noises of a stupid garbage truck outside my window. The sound couldn’t be any louder. I stare into the ceiling wishing there was no class today. I want to pull the covers over my head and go back to sleep but the last thing I want to do is skip another class. I’d got into a habit of doing that lately and I am beginning to feel lost. I turn my head over towards Piper and of course she is perky, dressed and getting ready to leave for class.

“Rise and shine pumpkin pie,” Piper says to me while drinking a cup of coffee.

“I just want to go back to sleep so leave me alone,” I place my pillow over my head.

“Well too bad it’s school time,” Piper snatches my pillow away from me and tosses it to the foot of my bed. “And plus I need you to tell me how I look in this Valentino dress.”

I look Piper up and down she looks pretty. A little bit more on the sophisticated side than her usual but very stunning. She is wearing a pink, cotton blend, lace mini dress. It is definitely a one of a kind design with delicate scallop shape trims and a luxurious silk underlay. The dress stops a few inches above her knees, which is a good thing because if it were any longer it would be
an evening gown. Her favorite nude, red bottom shoes set the dress off that much more. Her makeup is natural with a baby pink lip-gloss.

“You look very
hawt but why are you getting so dressed up for class suddenly? Is this about that boy you refuse to tell me about?” I get up to brush my teeth.

“Something like that,” Piper smiles and drifts off into space as if she’s having a flashback. “I will see him today in class.”

“Have you been moving in on him like I told you to?”

“Yes but things are complicated between us now,” Piper admits. “I’m trying to show him what he’s missing out on.”

“Everything is complicated girl. Have you let him…you know?” I want to know.

“NO!” Piper looks away nervously. This is something she always does when she’s lying. “I told you I am showing him what a good thing he’s missing out on!”

“You liar! You finally gave up the pussy!” I start poking her in the stomach sending her to fold over laughing at the top of her lungs.

“No I didn’t B its not like that. I just really like him and I threw myself out there and now he’s being an asshole.”
She says still out of breath from our horse playing.

“Ok sure. So how does he look? The way you’ve been dressing lately says he is fine as hell and not easy to impress,” I finish my hygiene routine and start
fumbling through my closet for something to wear.

“Oh my gosh B, he is so good
-looking. I could go on about him all day but I have to get to class,” Piper puts on her pearl earrings and heads toward the door. “See you later.”

“You look really good by the way and once he sees you he will be sorry.” I assure her before she leaves.

I decide on a pair of khaki capris, a yellow Versace tube top and brown cheetah print Versace loafers. I meet up with DJ so he can escort me to my class. We are in a relationship now and have really been kicking it hard. His sex game has improved a little but he still needs a lot of work. I’m not going to break up with him because I am enjoying the limelight of dating an Alpha Theta. People are always staring and trying to befriend me and I have become quite popular around campus. People I don’t even know address me by my first name or as DJ’s girl. Being noticed feels good.

“What’s up
bae? I like this little bun in your head its classy. You ready for class?” DJ has his arm around me as we walk.

“Ugh not really but I have to go sometime. Dr.
Berhane is such a bitch and I’m not in the mood for her ass today.” I say sucking my teeth.

“I told you just go up to her after every class and start talking
about studying abroad in motherland over the summer and she will love your ass. That’s what I did and I got an A. But do you think I really went to Africa?” DJ cracks.

“I don’t kiss ass DJ and I’m not going over into no damn third world country. I bet they don’t even have malls over there.” I think about how much those people lives must blow. “I have to go in here now
. Bye baby.”

“
Aight but meet me in the cafeteria afterwards,” He plants a kiss on my forehead and splits.

As I sit in class my mind is somewhere else. I hear my professor talking but I have no idea what about. I’m too busy thinking about what I am going to do over thanksgiving break. Piper says she i
s staying here in Houston for volunteer work and DJ wants me to meet his family in Michigan. Personally, I want to go home and be with my dad who I haven’t been checking in with like I am supposed to be. It’s just the two of us because my mom died in a car crash when I was an arm baby. The closest thing I ever had to a mother was Mrs. Smith, Piper’s mom and I was always jealous of their relationship. My dad never got remarried or had more children so I am an only child. He is a real estate investor so he’s rarely at home. However, he told me he would be taking a break from work for the holidays.

I text
ed Piper earlier telling her to meet up with DJ and I in the lunchroom. When I make it inside, they are already sitting next to each other goofing off like best friends. DJ is staring at her intriguingly, as if she is the only person in the room or in his world. I feel a twinge of jealousy forming inside of me because Piper knows how to captivate a man better than anyone I know. I don’t understand it because she is a virgin and doesn’t know the first thing about turning on a man. She can pass gas and men will still salivate at the mouth for her. How does she do it?

“Hey y’all what’s going on over here?” I sit down beside my man DJ and tongue kiss him. I want to let Piper know that he belongs to me.

“Damn bae you trying to make a nigga pull you into the nearest bathroom?” DJ asks me.

“We can do that too,” I lick my lips hungrily at him. This is all for Piper’s sake of course because DJ’s dick
still isn’t really hitting on shit.

“Okay I didn’t just hear that.” Piper covers her hears playfully.

“What Piper? Don’t tell me you aint never had sex in the bathroom,” DJ jokes but he has no idea how right he is.

“She’s a
virgin so no she hasn’t.” I am more than happy to offer this information to DJ to display how much of a square Piper really is.

“Damn B just
tell all my business I don’t mind.” Piper is upset but I don’t care because she shouldn’t have been flirting with my man.

I decide I am going home to spend time with my father first and then to Michigan to meet DJ’s family. I am on a plane to Dallas watching a movie on my tablet, laughing my ass off.  People in first class are staring at me like I have no home training but that is their problem. The flight is short so they won’t have to deal with my loud ass mouth too long.

I haven’t told my dad I am coming because I want to surprise him. I can hardly wait to see his face when he sees me. I am the most important thing in his life so I know he will be pleased. His silver Lexus is parked in our circular driveway along with a black 750
that I have never seen before. Does he have company? I didn’t know he was dating anyone so this was news to me.

I turn the knob and it is open so I let myself in. I walk around calling for my dad but he never responds. I hear some faint noises coming from upstairs and go to check it out. The closer I get the louder the grunts become. He is having sex and from the sounds of it he is really gi
ving it to whoever this chick is. I quietly turn the knob and steal a peek. My eyes have to be deceiving me because my dad isn’t giving it to her; he is doggy styling another man. The sight of two men going at each other is horrendous and the two of them are sweating profusely. I want to puke, I want to run away, I want this to be a dream but it isn’t. It all makes sense now. He never remarried and had more children because he is a homosexual.

“Dad!” I yell as I drop my purse to the floor. “What the hell are you doing?”

When he sees my face he panics and pulls out. I watch the both of them scramble around trying to put their clothes back on with dicks flying everywhere. I can’t stand the sight of them anymore so I turn and walk away to leave. I run once I get outside and don’t look back. I can hear my dad footsteps on my tail. I trip on a sprinkler and fall onto the ground.

“Please Brianna,” My dad begs. He looks so ashamed that I almost want to cry for him. “Let’s talk about this inside.”

“I’m not going back in there Dad! So whatever you have to say you can say it now,” I yell with tears streaming down my face.

“I’m sorry that you had to find out this way. I didn’t know you were coming home and so…” He tries to explain himself but I cut him off.

“How long dad? How long have you been gay? Who was that man in there?” I demand.

“For years now I’ve been this way. After I lost your mother I never found myself attracted to another woman. That’s Fredrick in there, he is my partner,” My dad admits with tears forming in his eyes.

“I’ve seen him before when I was in middle school. You said he was a client of yours, was that a lie? Have you been fucking him all this time?”

“Watch your mouth Brianna Mays. I’m still your father and just because I am homosexual don’t mean I wont still whoop your ass. But no he was my client then and we started dating after our business ended. We have been together every since.” My fathers domineering manner has returned just that fast.

“For six years you kept this away from me dad? Why? I thought we told each other everything.”

“I didn’t want you to see me as less than a man, the man who has raised you to be a decent young woman.”
He sighs.

“You think I’m that shallow daddy? I still would have loved you the same. You have always been the best dad in the world. Being homo doesn’t make you any different from any other father. It’s just something that’s a small part of you. Just like I started smoking cigarettes. That doesn’t make me less of a woman it’s just something I like to do. I am mad because you kept it from me.” I explain to him.

“You have really turned into a beautiful young woman, inside and out. Give me a hug,” My dad picks me up and bear hugs me like he used to do when I was a little girl. “I did alright as a single dad then right?”

“Yes and no. I never did get that Bugatti I asked you to buy me,” I joke. “If you get that for me then hell yes.”

“Nice try Brianna. Let’ go in so I can formally introduce you to Fred.” He grabs my hand and we start walking back towards the house. “Did you say you smoke cigarettes? Since when?”

“I started a few weeks ago. At first it was just something I wanted to try but then I liked it so I kept doing it.”

Once we make it back into the house Frederick is in the dining room setting the table for dinner. He isn’t a feminine man; he looks just as assertive as my father. He is really handsome as well. He’s a tall, light skinned, well built with a neatly trimmed beard. I assume he has taken a shower and got himself together because he is dressed in black slacks and a crème Ralph Lauren button up. At least my dad has good taste in men so I won’t have to help him in that department.

“Fred this is my daughter,” My dad has his hands over my shoulders as if he is so proud to say this. “I’m going to go get myself cleaned up but you two can start without me.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you. You are all Patrick talks about he loves you so much. I think I have fallen in love with you just hearing about you’ve grown up over the years.” Fred gives me a hug and I swear it looks as though he is about to shed a tear. “Come on let’s go sit down and eat.”

At dinner we share stories
about the past and what we has going on in our lives now. My dad tells him the story of the time he came home early to take me to Six Flags and caught me and Kevin, my old high school sweetheart in my bedroom lip locking. I got a serious beat down that day and was grounded for an entire month. I sit embarrassed while the two of them laugh. I tell them about college life with Piper and my new boyfriend. My dad isn’t too happy to find out about my dating a frat boy. I find out Frederick owns a chain of noted hair salons throughout the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex. That is pretty cool because I can get my hair whipped up anytime for free. We talk about everything until I say I am ready to get some much-needed rest. I promise Fred I will go shopping with him the following day and they agree to cut me lose.

Fred and I are at a Prada store inside th
e mall living it up. My dad paid for them to close the store down just so we can shop in private for two hours.

“This was nice of daddy,” I say to Fred.

“Yeah he tries to spoil me because he always has to leave on short notice like tomorrow,” Fred sighs. “But who needs quality time when money isn’t an object.”