registered smirk. “Hey.”
Mick glanced
at his son’s small arm and could see the remaining scars of that beating he put
on him. And he knew the emotional scars
were even worst. But it was a necessary
beating, one Mick would never take back.
The waitress
arrived at the table, took Mick’s drink order, and left.
Mick looked
at Teddy. “So where’s my wife? I thought I told you to pick her up.” Mick was concerned about Roz’s stress level
earlier, and the fact that he was dealing with some unknown enemy that stole
his shipment. Until he knew who the bad
guys were, he was keeping a tighter rein on her.
“I was going
to pick her up,” Teddy said. “But she
told me she had to deal with a distraught client or something and couldn’t
leave the office right away. She said
she’ll meet us here.”
“And she’s
not here?” Mick asked.
Teddy
realized Roz wasn’t known for her tardiness. “No, sir,” he said.
Mick quickly
reached into his pocket, pulled out his cell phone, and called her. Joey rolled his eyes. It was always about Roz all the time!
“I hope
she’s on her way,” Gloria said as Mick made his call. “I have a hot date tonight. You guys are cutting into my date time!”
Teddy
smiled. “And why is that, Glo? Because those men you date are so old they
have to be in bed by eleven?”
Joey
laughed. Gloria threw her napkin at him.
“Where are
you?” Mick asked when Roz came on the line.
“I’m just
leaving the office, sorry,” Roz said over the phone. “I had to tell a client she didn’t get a
certain role in a play and it didn’t go so well. But I’m on my way.”
“Drive
carefully,” Mick said, “but get here.”
“I will,”
she said. They ended the call, and Mick
sat his phone on the table. “Who with?” he
asked, and then looked at Gloria.
“Yeah,”
Teddy asked, smiling at his half-sister. It was no secret to anyone that he was impressed with Gloria. If he had to pick a woman, he would want his
woman to be just like Glo. And he didn’t
mean because of her physical beautiful either. But because of her heart and spirit and decency. “Who is this hot date?”
“None of
your business,” Gloria said to Teddy.
“None of
mine either?” Mick asked.
Gloria’s
heart began to beat faster. She knew, if
she said the name, her father would run a background check on the guy, declare
him unsuitable, and that would be the end of a budding romance. She felt she had no choice. “His name is Derby,” she said.
Mick leaned
back. He wasn’t even looking at Gloria,
but Teddy, who knew his father’s moods better than any of them, knew that he
was highly pissed with her.
Teddy,
fearing for his sister, decided to give her an out. “Now tell us his real name,” he said with a
grin.
When Gloria
looked his way, he gave a slight head movement toward their father. It was only then did Gloria realize that
Mick, and the spies he often had tailing his children, probably already knew
chapter and verse about her new love interest. He probably knew more than she knew about the guy. And she had the nerve to lie to him? “I knew you were going to say that,” she said
to her brother, thankful for his heads-up. “His real name is Deburt Morney. Alright?”
“How old is
he?” Teddy asked. “Let me guess. Dad’s age, right?”
“Very funny,”
Gloria said, although Mick wasn’t laughing at all. He knew the fact that Gloria was always
attracted to older men was because she had daddy issues. Because he wasn’t there for her when she
needed him most. “No, he’s not Dad’s
age,” she said to Teddy.
“But older
than you?” Teddy asked.
Gloria
didn’t respond and took a sip from her drink instead. When a lull in the conversation occurred,
Gloria decided to go there. It was the
only way, she felt, that her private life wouldn’t be the hot topic of
Mick glanced
at his son’s small arm and could see the remaining scars of that beating he put
on him. And he knew the emotional scars
were even worst. But it was a necessary
beating, one Mick would never take back.
The waitress
arrived at the table, took Mick’s drink order, and left.
Mick looked
at Teddy. “So where’s my wife? I thought I told you to pick her up.” Mick was concerned about Roz’s stress level
earlier, and the fact that he was dealing with some unknown enemy that stole
his shipment. Until he knew who the bad
guys were, he was keeping a tighter rein on her.
“I was going
to pick her up,” Teddy said. “But she
told me she had to deal with a distraught client or something and couldn’t
leave the office right away. She said
she’ll meet us here.”
“And she’s
not here?” Mick asked.
Teddy
realized Roz wasn’t known for her tardiness. “No, sir,” he said.
Mick quickly
reached into his pocket, pulled out his cell phone, and called her. Joey rolled his eyes. It was always about Roz all the time!
“I hope
she’s on her way,” Gloria said as Mick made his call. “I have a hot date tonight. You guys are cutting into my date time!”
Teddy
smiled. “And why is that, Glo? Because those men you date are so old they
have to be in bed by eleven?”
Joey
laughed. Gloria threw her napkin at him.
“Where are
you?” Mick asked when Roz came on the line.
“I’m just
leaving the office, sorry,” Roz said over the phone. “I had to tell a client she didn’t get a
certain role in a play and it didn’t go so well. But I’m on my way.”
“Drive
carefully,” Mick said, “but get here.”
“I will,”
she said. They ended the call, and Mick
sat his phone on the table. “Who with?” he
asked, and then looked at Gloria.
“Yeah,”
Teddy asked, smiling at his half-sister. It was no secret to anyone that he was impressed with Gloria. If he had to pick a woman, he would want his
woman to be just like Glo. And he didn’t
mean because of her physical beautiful either. But because of her heart and spirit and decency. “Who is this hot date?”
“None of
your business,” Gloria said to Teddy.
“None of
mine either?” Mick asked.
Gloria’s
heart began to beat faster. She knew, if
she said the name, her father would run a background check on the guy, declare
him unsuitable, and that would be the end of a budding romance. She felt she had no choice. “His name is Derby,” she said.
Mick leaned
back. He wasn’t even looking at Gloria,
but Teddy, who knew his father’s moods better than any of them, knew that he
was highly pissed with her.
Teddy,
fearing for his sister, decided to give her an out. “Now tell us his real name,” he said with a
grin.
When Gloria
looked his way, he gave a slight head movement toward their father. It was only then did Gloria realize that
Mick, and the spies he often had tailing his children, probably already knew
chapter and verse about her new love interest. He probably knew more than she knew about the guy. And she had the nerve to lie to him? “I knew you were going to say that,” she said
to her brother, thankful for his heads-up. “His real name is Deburt Morney. Alright?”
“How old is
he?” Teddy asked. “Let me guess. Dad’s age, right?”
“Very funny,”
Gloria said, although Mick wasn’t laughing at all. He knew the fact that Gloria was always
attracted to older men was because she had daddy issues. Because he wasn’t there for her when she
needed him most. “No, he’s not Dad’s
age,” she said to Teddy.
“But older
than you?” Teddy asked.
Gloria
didn’t respond and took a sip from her drink instead. When a lull in the conversation occurred,
Gloria decided to go there. It was the
only way, she felt, that her private life wouldn’t be the hot topic of
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