Page 56 of In the Safety's Zone
I felt like Teresa was okay with being like my father just not as heavy-handed. She was an iron fist but took the time to put the velvet glove over her words so the delivery was smoother.
“That’s not going to happen.” I put the menu down on my plate not even wanting to bother with getting something to go. I picked up the phone and saw I had a message from Anthony waiting on me.
“And why not?”
Dad looked furious at my blatant refusal to do his bidding and I looked up from the phone before slipping it back in my purse.
“Dad, do you realize how many contracts we’ve signed?”
“What do you mean?”
“I have contracts in place where I pay a certain amount of people on my team. Everyone, down to the people I practice against is spelled out. I’m not about to spend money on a person I don’t even like to provide him a leg up he didn’t earn.”
I was disgusted with this man coming around begging. Especially with the model of man that Anthony presented. He had no issue busting his ass for everything he got and then still doing what he needed to make sure I was good. My bank accountdidn’t exist to him because he saw taking care of me as his privilege. He for damn sure wasn’t standing around looking for me to fund his life or give him clout.
“You can always make exceptions for an old friend, Didi. It can’t be that deep.” Chris had the nerve to cross his leg like begging me for money and recognition was no big deal.
“I know you’ve been out of all of this for a minute, but not too long that you don’t understand proper etiquette. The answer to your request was no. I wouldn’t do it for an old friend and I absolutely won’t do it for you. A friend wouldn’t request clout off of someone else’s hard work.”
“Aphrodite, I don’t understand where this new attitude came from but you need to fix it.”
My mother was right about one thing: I had a new attitude. It came from the understanding that these people really didn’t see me as a person, not even when the cameras were off. I was something that needed to be managed. A commodity to be traded on or for or leveraged. Being treated like I was priceless by damn near a perfect stranger really had me seeing things clearly.
“It’s that boy she’s been running around with. The little hoodlum. I’m sure he’s got it in her head that she can be disrespectful to her parents just because he does his that way. I heard his brother doesn’t even take care of his mama. What next, are you going to do the same to us?”
My father was waiting on me to react. Waiting on me to question how he knew about Anthony but I already knew. Terri was the only person who had even laid eyes on him and somehow she’d found out way more information than I’d provided. Another strike against her and confirmation that she was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
I wanted to scream out to themYESbut I refused to show my hand.
Disgusted with the entire exchange I scoot back in my chair after setting my menu on my plate.
“I’m sure you all are enjoying this lunch on me anyway so I don’t truly need to be here for it. I’m going to rest up.”
My father shook his head but didn’t bother to ask me to stay. Even when he wanted something from me he couldn’t lie and say he enjoyed my company.
Feeling was mutual asshole.
“You need to be doing laps.”
I frowned even though I should’ve expected him to behave this way. “Dad—”
“You need to do laps so that your muscles are warm. Teresa is too easy on you. Prioritizing all of this rest when it’s not needed. It’s why you’re behind Serena. You might have more singles titles than she did at 25, but she put in the work to almost double that in two years. You’ll never break the record if this is how you continue to move.”
I grit my teeth because he knew that was the way to get me.
“I’m more than happy to do that if it means I don’t need to finish this meal.”
“Hold on, that’s not—”
“Nope. I’m off to practice. Christopher, the answer is no and trust me I will deny any of this and expose whatever scheme you’re up to if you try to go behind my back. Enjoy your food. Try to keep it to a reasonable number because I will dispute the charge in real time if it’s something ridiculous. I’m sure y’all would hate to be washing dishes in order to cover your tab.”
I met each of their gazes as I spoke conveying that they held no power over me. There had been a few changes I’d been making slowly, but right now it was all going to pick up. They’d played with me for the last time.
I hit the video call and tried to do the mental calculation of what time it was in Texas. I was used to East Coast time but Anthony was an hour behind that. It was already eight at night here, which meant it was only two in Texas.
“What’s up, AP?”
He picked up the call with the same enthusiasm he always had. My heart was hurting because I wanted to be with him so badly. I was thankful that I had a break coming up after this last match and I was going to head his way. We’d made the plans before we went our separate ways in Miami and I’d been counting down the days until it happened.
