"Fuck you," my father says to Nico, and Max gets up, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"He’ll be fine," my uncle Max tells Nico. "I’ll come find you in a bit for a press release."
"A press release?" I say, shocked, and all eyes turn to me. "For what exactly?"
"How could you do that?" my father says, his voice cracking.
"What? Have sex?" I look at him. "I’m pretty sure you and Mom have done it at least four times."
"Frances Grant," my mother says with clenched teeth, and I’m sure she is trying to smooth everything over.
I look over at her, seeing her sitting on the stool wringing her hands with nerves. "I’m not going to apologize for having sex." I stand tall with my shoulders back even though my stomach is in knots, and I’m one second away from throwing up. I really wish I had a shot of tequila for this, or whiskey, to take the edge off and give me courage for this fight. "I’m not going to apologize for being intimate with a man I’m seeing." I look at my father and mother when I say that.
Vivi gasps behind me. "You’re seeing him?" I turn my head to see her trying not to laugh while all the women’s eyes go big. "I thought it was just sex."
I take a big breath in. "Yes," I admit, swallowing, and I look over when I see Erika push away from the table and come to me with her glass of wine. "I’m seeing him." She hands me her glass, and I down the whole thing in two gulps.
"Not anymore, you aren’t!" my father roars, and Max laughs at him. My mother gets off her stool and comes over to stand beside my father. My blood runs cold with his words. The nerves from before are replaced with the fear that after all of this, I might lose my father.
"This is déjà vu all over again." My uncle Max laughs, shaking his head. He comes over and stands beside me. "You need to calm down and listen to her."
My father runs his hands through his hair now. "She needs to stop being calm." He puts his hands on his hips. "And see the bigger picture." His voice goes soft when he turns to look at me. "This is going to ruin you." His voice shakes, and I know it’s killing him.
"This is not going to ruin me," I reply softly. "Kim Kardashian had a sex tape, and she is a millionaire." I want my father to see I’m okay with this.
"She’s actually a billionaire," Vivi says from the couch, and my parents glare at her. "But that is hearsay. Go on." She puts out her hand.
"Well, for one," Alex says, holding up her finger and making her parents groan, "I’ve watched the tape."
"Who hasn’t?" Vivi says from beside her.
"Not that one. The one with Franny," Alex says. "And Wilson."
"Alexandra," my aunt Allison says through clenched teeth.
"What?" Alex looks around the room. "I wanted to see how long it was. It’s not like I sat there watching it frame by frame. I skimmed it." She shrugs. "Twice."
"Dear God." My uncle Max puts his hands on his hips and looks up at the ceiling. He pinches his nose and then looks at my aunt, who just shrugs.
"I will say your body is banging." She looks at me, and I can’t help but laugh. "And high-five on the eggplant. You did good." The parents groan while the young ones laugh. "It could be so much worse. It could be a threesome." I’m the one who holds my mouth. "Bet you're happy it was one-on-one, huh, Uncle Matthew?"
"Dad." I walk to him and take his hands in mine. "I promise you that I’m okay. I promise you that I’m going to be okay." The tears flow, and it has nothing to do with the sex tape. It has to do with standing here in front of my father, seeing the pain on his face. He’s the first man I’ve ever loved and the man I put on a pedestal. He’s the man who would fight to his last breath for his family and those he loves. I know this is killing him, but I need him to know I’m going to be okay. "I promise you that if I’m not, you will be the first person I'll call to make everything okay." I smile at him through the tears. "Did I want everyone to see us? No. Did I want people to see my nipples? Probably not." He closes his eyes. "But c’est la vie."
"For the rest of your life, this is going to be out there," he says softly.
"It’s not like I murdered someone, Dad."
"It’s my job to protect you." His hands come to hold my cheeks, bringing me to him and hugging me. I wrap my arms around his waist as he kisses the top of my head.