“Sorry, that was business,” I tell him, offering him a smile that I can only hope placates him. I know that I have to play nice in order to keep him at bay.
“Back to my visitation. I figure that I’ll come up one weekend a month until school is out, and then she can come to Virginia for the summer. Renee would really like to be a mother to her. I’m sure you can understand.”
My mouth waters, and not in the way that it does when I see Travis, but the way it does before I’m about to throw up. That is what I want to do right now, hurl into my garbage can or all over his lap. He can’t be serious with this pile of shit he laid out for me.
“I think I need a minute, Elijah.”
I leave my office, taking my picture of Lucy and my cell phone with me for good measure. I wouldn’t put it past Elijah to snoop through my desk while I try to regain my composure. In the bathroom, I lean against the door and try to catch my breath. I knew this day would come, but honestly I never expected it. I figured—had hoped—that he was content with his new family and wouldn’t want to interrupt mine.
Heading to the sink, I splash water on my face and pat it dry, trying not to ruin too much of my makeup. Elijah doesn’t need to see that he’s getting the best of me. I return with my head held high as I strut back into my office. Sitting back down, I face him.
“First off, Lucy has a mother; it’s me, and I don’t give a rat’s ass if your wife wants to be a mother to my daughter—it’s not going to happen. Second, if you want visitation, you will have to follow the court order that has been in place since she was six months old. Had you been following it right all along, I might have been amenable and let her spend a week or so in Virginia, but you haven’t, and one weekend a month isn’t going to change that. Third, I am never going to understand anything when it comes to Renee or you, for that matter. As far as I’m concerned, she has no say in what goes on in Lucy’s life.”
“Don’t test me on this, Saylor. She’s my daughter, too.”
I should take his threat seriously, but I don’t. “Then act like it, Elijah. Until then, we have nothing to talk about.”
“Except, I’m here to see her.”
I pick up my phone from off my lap and look at my calendar. “Tomorrow we’ll be at the indoor play palace. You can see her there.”
Elijah stands and slips on his coat. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be. One call and her bags are packed and she’s on the next flight with me.”
He doesn’t give me a chance to respond before he’s walking out of my office. I’m frozen in my chair as his words replay in my mind. There’s no mistaking that threat. If I don’t give in to his demands, he’s going to call in a favor. He did that many times when he was living here, often with his corrupt friends. Elijah said that’s how you made it to the top, how you became powerful, trading favors for favors.
I grab my coat and lock up my office. The trains will be crazy at this time of the day, so I hail a cab, only to get stuck in traffic about halfway from home. I get out and walk as fast as I can through the holiday shoppers, and in high heels. In hindsight, I should’ve taken the time to change my shoes, but I want to get home to Lucy. I need to hold her, feel her in my arms, and know that she’s safe.
When I open my door, Travis and Lucy both stare at me. Christmas music is playing, and our tree is lit. Travis smiles, and I cover my mouth to hide my laughter. This man, who has been telling me that he wants something, anything, with me is sitting on my couch wearing a tiara. His lips are painted ruby red, and the blue eye shadow he has on really makes his eyes brighter.
Somehow he knew that this would make my day better.
Fifteen
Travis
By the mixed expression on Saylor’s face, I can tell something is bothering her even as she tries to mask the turmoil at my current state. I slowly slide the tiara off and set it on the table before scooping Lucy up in my arms and carrying her over to her mother. Don’t ask me why I felt the need to do this, as opposed to letting Lucy walk over, but something inside told me that I needed to deliver Lucy into her arms.
They both collapse into each other while I stand by awkwardly. This seems to be a private moment that I shouldn’t witness, and yet here I am, wanting to envelop both of them in my arms. In the matter of a week, these women have wrapped me around their fingers, and there isn’t shit I can do about it.
Saylor lets out a sob. It was quiet, but I heard it. As she sets Lucy down, she shyly tries to cover her eyes so that I don’t see her tears.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask as I reach for her hand.
She lets me hold it, only briefly, until she’s pulling away and wiping her eyes. “Stressful day.”
“Thankfully, it wasn’t anything I did,” I tell her jokingly. She smiles, only it doesn’t reach her eyes. I’m not sure what happened today at work, but whoever fucked up did a number on her.
“Mommy, Travis let me do his makeup.”
Saylor looks at me and laughs. I curtsy and wish I still had on the tiara so I could twirl around like a ballerina.
“His makeup looks great, sweetie.”
Lucy beams with pride and runs off to her room after Saylor asks for an “adult” minute.
“I need more than a minute, Saylor. I think you know that.” I waggle my eyebrows at her, causing her to half laugh, half cry. I pull her into my arms, and she nestles her head into my neck. “Do you want to talk about it?”
She shakes her head and pulls away from me. “I can’t take you seriously with that crap on your face. Follow me—I’ll help you clean it off.”