Page 56 of Giving Him Something He Can Feel

Chapter Ten

Jovie

When I woke up this morning, Cartier was already gone but had gotten me decaf coffee and a croissant to start my day. It was sitting on the island waiting on me, still warm. Instead of staying in the house like I so badly wanted to, I got up and got myself together. If nothing else, I needed to go to my suite and get some type of work done. I couldn’t be one of those pregnant bitches that let pregnancy take over their whole damn life. The only thing I hated is that Cartier had to live all the way in the damn boondocks, so the convenience wasn’t there. It was literally a forty-five minute to one hour drive into the city, then at a certain time the drive was easily two hours. Shit was sick and I knew he felt it too, even though he loved his place. When I arrived at my spot, my assistant was already there working, and she had samples on my desk for me to look at. That’s what I loved about Alicia, she had hella work ethic which meant she got shit done.

I was a few hours into my day when she knocked on the door and let me know I had a visitor. I wasn’t expecting anyone and per Cartier’s last text he was meeting up with somebody before he came to me, so immediately my face contoured into a frown showing my confusion.

“Who is it?”

“He said he’s your father, Jo.”

Now I was really thrown for a loop because that had to be wrong. The only man I remotely called my father was in the ground, so who the fuck was out there playing games and why.

I nodded. “Send him in.”

She nodded, then opened the door fully and stepped back. Low and behold, there stood Thorn. My mama’s husband, my auntie’s husband and my sperm donor. Not a motherfucking soul could make me call that nigga daddy, because he was no such thing. Nigga was a bum.

“What are you doing here, Thorn?” Yep, we were on first name basis.

“I came to uhh?—”

“Nope…nope …nope. Why are you really here?”

“I wanted to talk to you about the family and everything that’s going on.” Now that looked sincere because it wasn’t about me nor did his family involve me. His family consisted of him, his wife, and her two kids that he didn’t father, but took care of. Grown ass bums now. Last I heard Al had a gambling problem and Phoebe had about three kids while still living with them.

“And why would you want to talk to me about your family, Thorn?” I had no patience for the beating around the bush. “I don’t have all da?—”

“We’re broke and drowning in debt. I lost my job a few months ago and uh I ne?—”

“You need money. From me.” I finished his statement for him in disbelief.

"He didn't leave anybody anything. He left it all to you. Don't you care about how anyone else is?” he saw how unmoved I was, so now he was trying to play to my emotions.

I laughed to myself, looking at this pathetic ass excuse of a man standing before me. How he knew where to find me was beyond me, but the audacity of him to find his way in my face asking for money was the absolute craziest. "Excuse me?"

"Look, baby girl the last thing I want to do is be standing here asking you for money, or anything but I'm here and we're in trouble. Now I know I haven't always been right an?—"

"Ever."

He looked at me like he was confused at what I said.

"Ever. You haven't ever been right. It's crazy that you can come in here and ask me for money to helpyourfamily butcouldn't pick up a phone and even see how I was doing over the years. As a matter of fact,you couldn't even call me for a fucking birthday, but here you are. When my mother died, you took thatinsurancecheck and married her fucking sister right after dropping me off on my grandfather's front porch. You abandoned me, your own flesh and fucking blood years ago, but now you've got the audacity to stand here, in my fucking office and ask me... no expect me to give a damn about you and your family. When did you give a damn about me?"

He stood there, dumbfounded lookingeverywhere, but at me.

"Right and you still don't give a damn. You're just here to beg for her."

"I just need time with you, baby girl. Let me make this ri?—"

"Deeds already done.When I neededafather,youweren'tthere. You were a father to my cousins, while my pop pop had to step up. God rest his soul. The fact still stands though. You ain't getting a dime out of me. You nor her."

He looked at me for a while before he shook his head and walked back out of thedoor.

"Aye, homiedon'tbring yo' ass 'round hereno more, either. Shit ain't necessary." Cartier's voice made me look up. I didn't even know he was here, or how long he had been here.

He stepped through the threshold, shaking his head. "Motherfuckers ‘round here feigningto get in them pockets."

I laughed. "Sholl is. It's sad, too."

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