Page 27 of Lily In The Valley
I kept my voice even. “So far, we’ve gotten buy-in from three major local sponsors, including a few of the city’s sports teams. All it took was a few conversations.”
Kenneth didn’t respond. He looked me up and down, as if trying to minimize the space I took up in the room to use for his inflated ego. I kept his gaze, matching his energy. Xavier busied himself with the papers on the desk. Mr. Taylor shook his head.
The meeting dissolved after that, but the older men remained, stating their wives were on their way with lunch. I stood by the window, sipping water, watching Kenneth and Mr. Taylor settle into the leather chairs across from our desks.
“Tell me, Zay,” Mr. Taylor started. “How you feeling about fatherhood? It’ll be here before you know it.”
“I remember when I found out Charisse was pregnant with Kelly,” Kenneth interjected, starting with a story no one asked for. “I was cocky. Thought I had that shit in the bag.”
Xavier looked over at him, genuinely curious. “Did you?”
“Hell yeah.” Kenneth laughed. “Told her doctor and the nurses to move out of the way. Brought my baby girl into the world myself. Didn’t sleep for two weeks after that. But Ishowed up. That’s what matters most. Love my girls with all my heart.”
Mr. Taylor nodded. “You always did love hard, even if it didn’t come out the best.”
“Kids don’t need perfect,” Kenneth said, wistfully. “They need presence. I been around for every one of my Kelly baby’s accomplishments.”
I raised my eyebrow at that. Did he know how stressed she got trying to attain each one of those accomplishments? The late nights she stayed up pushing herself to be on top? The hypocrisy tickled me.
“You sure about that?” I said aloud to the room, not seeking an answer.
Kenneth turned to look at me. “You got something to say, son?”
“Last I checked, my pops was at home in Dallas. Don’t son me,” I said, glaring at the man who claimed to know so muchabout his daughter. “And presence is more than physically being there. You got to show up emotionally, too.”
Xavier stilled. Mr. Taylor sat up in his chair, slight amusement twinkling in his eyes.
Kenneth narrowed his eyes, snarling his teeth. “You got something to say about the relationship between me and my daughter?”
“Nah,” I said, sitting at my desk, unbothered. “Just might explain why she don’t want to be around you like she used to.”
The temperature in the room dropped. Xavier and Mr. Taylor looked on with caution, neither taking a chance on interceding.
Kenneth stood slowly, walking over to me. “You think you know her just ‘cause you been sniffing around her since she had something to sniff?”
“I know her well enough to know you haven’t known her since she was a kid.” I looked him up and down. “And I ain’t just sniffed.”
Kenneth charged forward, clearing the space between us. “Watch how the fuck you talk about my daughter,” he snapped, pointing at my chest.
Mr. Taylor shifted forward again. “Kenny, you just got out of the hospital.”
Kenny. Weak ass nickname for a weak ass, excuse of a man.
“You talking a lot of shit.” Kenneth smirked, taking a breath. “You think ‘cause you got big ideas and talk a good game you ready for a grown man’s world?”
“I think Kelly, and her mama, deserve more than being guilt-tripped for doing what’s best for them.”
Before Kenneth got the chance to fire back, the door swung open.
“Kenneth, enough. We heard you down the hallway,” Mrs. Risse’s voice rang out like a gavel. She stood with Mrs. Taylorbeside her, bags of take-out in their arms, eyebrows lifted, eyes scanning the tension in the room like seasoned referees.
“Sit your narrow ass down before you wind up in the hospital again,” she said. “This time it’ll be my foot up your ass.”
Kenneth turned. “Charisse”
“I don’t want to hear it, Kenneth,” she replied, cutting him off, rubbing her temples. “Doug, why is your friend out here still acting like his ego’s on life support?”
“I don’t know, Risse.” Mr. Taylor laughed, sinking back into the leather chair. “That’s your husband.”
