Relapse: A Novel (25 page)

“See me?”

“Yep, he’s waiting on the boat along with Greta, your mom, your sister, Chyna, April, and a few more people. It’s supposed to be a surprise, but I wanted to make sure you were on your A-game, to make him sorry that he ever left you. Now let’s get this lip gloss on and get out there.”

Beijing felt crazy; she didn’t know what to say. “Are you kidding me?”

“Nope.”

She hit her cousin. “I should smack the shit out of you.”

“Hug me or fight me later, but for now we are going to continue to enjoy the night on Lootchee’s dime.”

“We’ll see” was all that Beijing had to say, not knowing what to really do.

There Lootchee stood in an all-white linen suit, looking better than ever. He had begun growing short dreads that made him look amazing, and she didn’t even like dreads.

He embraced her. Beijing wanted to resist and ask him a lot of questions, but she didn’t, not yet anyway.

“Let’s just enjoy the night and I will tell you everything tomorrow,” Lootchee said, after kissing her on the cheek. “I promise.”

$  $  $

Sterling had just boarded the boat when he saw a guy he assumed to be Lootchee embracing his daughter. He asked himself what in the hell he was even doing there. But he answered his very own question by reflecting back to the phone call he’d had with Lootchee the day before yesterday.

Sterling answered when the man asked, “May I speak to Mr. Lee?”

“Yes.”

“This is Lootchee and I’m calling about your daughter, Beijing.”

“Yes.” He was concerned that something had happened to his only child.

“As you know, I’m throwing your daughter a surprise birthday party and I noticed that your name wasn’t on the final RSVP list that Seville gave to me.”

Without any hesitation Sterling said in a cold voice, “Because I’m not coming. I already celebrated my daughter’s birthday on the day of her born day, which was months ago.”

“Yes sir, I just happened to be out of town and wanted to throw her a belated celebration. If you’d reconsider coming to the party,
I’d book you on a first-class flight to Miami.” He added, “I know it would mean a lot to her.”

Sterling thought to himself,
This clown really thinks that I’m jumping on a plane because he snapped his fingers. He got another think coming
. “Me not coming has nothing to do with my daughter; I’m simply not the kind of father who conspires with a guy who is trying to play with my daughter’s heart after breaking it once already.”

Lootchee thought about Sterling’s comment for a moment. Then he said, “You know, you are the most important man in her life and I’m just trying to be a distant second. That’s all, sir. Please don’t fault me for that. Now, we both know it would make Beijing’s night if you attended. Please reconsider attending for your daughter, sir.”

“I’m not making any promises, but I’ll check my schedule.”

Now here Sterling was on the yacht of a man who had toyed with his daughter’s heart, who he’d come to meet eye-to-eye. Greta stood beside him in a beautiful green silk sheath dress.

Beijing turned around and screamed with enthusiasm, “Daddy!” A big smile covered her face. “I’m so happy you are here. What a surprise.” She gave her father a big hug.

Her smiled remained as she made the introductions between her two favorite guys.

“Dad, this is Lootchee. Lootchee, this is my father.” Lootchee extended his hand for Sterling to shake. Sterling accepted, but their eyes met and Sterling shot Lootchee a bullet-ridden stare. Lootchee met his stare beat for beat before finally saying, “Nice to finally meet you.”

“And this is my stepmom, Greta,” Beijing said. This time Lootchee smiled and took her hand, but Greta pulled him in and gave him a quick hug as if he were family.

Seeing his daughter as happy as she was, half of Sterling’s work was done. Now he had to finish the job.

Greta knew what time it was and called Beijing over, pretending to have to tell her something so that the two men could be alone.

After sizing the man up who had been playing mind games with his baby girl’s head, he said, “You know that’s my heart.”

Lootchee nodded. “I do, sir.”

“And I love her dearly.” Sterling didn’t blink nor cut anything close to a smile whatsoever.

“Yes sir.”

“More than life itself, especially yours,” Sterling added, still maintaining the same hard cold stare.

“Well, that makes two of us,” Lootchee tried to convince Sterling.

“That’s what I need to hear.” Satisfied he had made his point.

Lootchee knew that Sterling was dead serious and wanted to lighten up the mood. “Well, we got the particulars out of the way. Let’s party,” he said, rubbing his sweaty hands together. “With moderation.”

“In moderation,” Sterling added under his breath.

The Atlantic Ocean shimmered under the stars like a black velvet blanket. The guests were dancing and drinking, and Beijing was happier than she had been in months. This was the first time that Lootchee had met all the people she loved. He meshed well with everyone and they all seemed to love him, even Willabee.

Beijing felt Lootchee tug her hand.

“C’mere,” he whispered. “I want to show you something.”

Beijing looked around. It didn’t seem like anyone would miss her for a few minutes. She followed Lootchee down to the end of the yacht, which was gently and slowly passing over the Atlantic water.

“This is so nice,” she said. Lootchee stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She felt him pressing against her body, and warmth flooded through her.

“Look at the moon,” he said. “I ordered that just for you.”

It was full and as shiny as a new silver dollar.

“I thought you’d forgotten about me,” she said.

“No, you the only thing I think about,” he said. “Most the time.”

“You have a funny way of showing it,” she said and jabbed him with her elbow.

“Nobody’s perfect. I was going through something. And working mostly. I have a present for you. Baby, a man’s got to work sometimes so he can buy stuff for his boo. Ya know, diamonds and shit like that.” He reached around and opened his hand, revealing a pair of teardrop diamond earrings.

Beijing gasped.

“They’re gorgeous, Lootchee.” They wouldn’t get him off the hook for the stunt he pulled, but it was a nice start.

“Put ’em on,” he said.

She slipped the earrings she was wearing off and handed them to Lootchee, then fastened the diamonds in their place.

“Perfect?” he whispered.

They were about to consummate the gift with a long wet kiss when Seville called her name.

“Beijing, your daddy wants to raise a toast to your birthday,” she said. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

Beijing smiled and said to Lootchee, “I got something to give you too … later.”

That night on the yacht would be remembered by all who attended for a long time to come. Lootchee had thought of everything. The seafood buffet was catered by a private chef. There was live entertainment with a team of bartenders preparing every type of alcoholic refreshment known to man or woman. And Lootchee had been at her side the entire time, making her feel like the queen of the night.

It was the next morning and already half past noon when Beijing turned on her side to look at the clock on the night table. For a brief moment she didn’t know where she was.
This is why I don’t
get drunk
, she thought to herself. Then she made out the familiar decorations of the Tabby’s suite.

“Now I know why Seville insisted that we get two rooms,” she said.

Lootchee was under the covers of the king-sized bed next to her with a smile on his face.

“You had it all figured out, didn’t you? Down to the final detail,” she said to him.

“I just wanted you to have a good time,” he said sheepishly. “Did I at least succeed in doing that?”

“You did okay,” she said. If she was to be honest, she had to admit the entire weekend was thoughtful since he had missed her birthday. The party on the boat was fabulous and the sex they shared afterward was amazing. “But now you have some explaining to do, mister.” As emotionally famished as she had been without him around, she had no intention of being played for anybody’s sucker. Not again.

“I promised I would, didn’t I?”

Although she loved the way she felt when they were together, she was prepared to move on and never see him again if his explanation was bullshit. What could he possibly say that could justify acting so callous and cruel?

“I’m ready to hear it, then,” she said, sitting up in bed, giving Lootchee her undivided attention. “No time like the present.” She gazed into his eyes.

“Okay.” He sighed before continuing. “Remember when I told you that both my parents were dead?”

“Of course,” she said. She reflected on how he sounded so cold when he told her. How could she forget something like that?

“Well,” he said. He seemed to be trying to come up with the right words. “That wasn’t the truth. Not exactly anyway.”

“Then what exactly is the truth?”
There goes the neighborhood
, she thought.
If he would lie about something like that, then the truth isn’t in him
.

“It’s not like it sounds.”

It never is, let you tell it
, Beijing thought and was about to tell him so, but he put his hand up and stopped her.

“My father loved my mother unconditionally. He worked twelve to sixteen hours a day, six days a week, sometimes seven, in order to afford all the clothes, jewelry, and other material things my mother insisted she had to have.” His eyes saddened like a little child who had just witnessed his first puppy getting crushed by a speeding car.

“But she could never get enough,” he went on. “She never really loved my father. She was only there for the ride. However far it would take her. Even as a little boy I used to see the heartless looks she gave him when his back was turned. After a while she started giving him that look to his face. My father thought her unhappiness was due to him. He wasn’t working hard enough, wasn’t giving her enough of the things she said she deserved to have.”

Beijing knew that this must be really hard for him to talk about and was grateful that he was opening up to her. She reached out to put her arm around him for support.

“Things got so bad,” he said, “my mother started rejecting him totally. She wouldn’t cook or clean, and she barely talked to the man. They even started sleeping in separate bedrooms.” Lootchee closed his eyes for a moment. “The only woman, besides his own mother, that my father ever loved didn’t care if he was dead or alive. I know for a fact she wished that he would die. I think that’s what my father thought too. Heartbroken and depressed, my father decided to do the only thing he knew how to do when it came to my mother. He gave her what she wanted. They found him with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was slumped over in the car in the driveway of our house.”

“Oh my God, Lootchee.”

With tears in his eyes, he continued, “There was a note left on the passenger seat. Six words:
I hope you are happy now!

“He gave her his life, and her only concern was whether or not he had the kind of insurance that would pay off the house. Though she did not pull the trigger, my mother murdered my father by being selfish and greedy. As far as I was concerned,” Lootchee muttered with steely eyes, “my mother died that day, too.”

“Wow
, baby, that’s deep. I’m so sorry you had to live through that.” Beijing kissed him on the top of his head. “That’s such a sad thing to witness.”

Lootchee didn’t speak; he just stared off into space.

“Thanks, baby, for sharing such an intimate part of your life with me.”

“You know I’ve never told anyone about that.”

“I’m glad you chose to share it with me. I feel closer to you.”

There was silence, and though it felt awkward to ask at this moment, curiosity was killing Beijing. “I don’t want to seem selfish but I still don’t understand what any of this has to do with you not calling me for months at a time?”

“When you said you thought it was too soon for us to be engaged it reminded me of my mother … rejecting my father,” he said. “Whether it was wrong or right, the only thing I knew how to do was fall back. But I couldn’t stay away. I want to make you happy, the way you make me happy.”

All of the built-up animosity she’d harbored toward him over the past months was wiped away by the time he finished. How could she stay mad after he opened his heart to her, pouring out its contents?

She wrapped her arms around his strong upper body. Truthfully she was so happy just to be back in his arms that she wasn’t sure she would have cared no matter what his reason was. At least he had a good story. She could save a little bit of her pride.

“So, let’s live happily ever after.”