“Thanks, Dad,” I tell him, then slowly pull away. “To what do I owe this visit?”
He motions for me to sit, and even in my own office, he still dominates the room. I admire the suit he wears—Armani, of course. They love to style him. As I recall, Mom mentioned years ago they often send new clothes to him. He is an influencer in his own right, and despite his ignorance, I’m aware there are several online accounts dedicated to him. It’s comical until photos come up shirtless from his younger years and there are eggplant emojis in the captions.
“Just checking in on my daughter. Anything wrong with that?”
I cross my legs, resting my hands on my knees. “I love you, Dad, but you’ve got an agenda, and I’m assuming it’s about what happened in Miami.”
He keeps his gaze fixed. “Maybe, I am concerned about you.”
“It’s bullshit, okay?” I mouth, trying to control my temper. “How dare they pull a last-minute thing like that on me. I’m about to walk into a meeting in which people’s jobs are on the line. I don’t know how this happened, but someone is going to pay. Do you know how many people I have to answer to because everything I was supposed to do was endorsed?”
“Ava, you have every right to be upset. I wish you’d called me that night. I would have gotten my people onto it.”
“C’mon, Dad, I wasn’t going to ruin your night too.” I sigh dejectedly. “I’m a big girl. Therefore, I pay people the big bucks to sort out messes like Miami. This isn’t the first bump in the road, and it sure as hell won’t be the last.”
“The offer is there,” he reminds me calmly.
“I know,” I respond, releasing a breath. “So, tell me, how was New Year’s Eve?”
“Let’s see… Rocky ended up naked in the pool. Ashton fell asleep by eight. Your mother drank too many Jell-O shots.”
“It’s not a party without Rocky naked in the pool.” I laugh, shaking my head. “Age has not tamed him.”
“Aside from that, it was a good night.” His expression shifts, the smile wavering as his eyes fixate on me with concern. “How about you?”
“Oh yeah, it was fine. Just went out.”
He continues to gaze at me, stilling his movements to observe my reaction to his question better. It’s almost become second nature to be silently interrogated by Dad. Though, we’ve always had a strong relationship. When it came to Millie, they used to butt heads a lot, probably because Millie is so much like Mom. The two of them often sided with one another, which only riled up Dad. Plus, they were both argumentative, part of being a lawyer.
As for my relationship with him, we’ve always remained close, more so than with Mom at times. I definitely got away with more growing up, hence why I was dubbed his ‘favorite’. Only by my sisters, though, he never actually said it out loud.
It’s not like it’s a competition, but Mom is busy these days doing the grandparent thing, which ties her bond to Millie. I guess it’s natural, given that Will and Millie are in that stage of their lives.
“Look, Dad. I don’t want to hear I told you so. Save the lecture for another time,” I warn him as best as I can. “I’m trying to work through things right now.”
“Ava, it’s me,” he assures me, softening his tone. “I’m not going to lecture you. You’re an adult now, a very successful one at that.”
“Here’s the short version, Dad.” I take a deep breath, then release quickly. “I walked into my apartment and caught Olivier in bed with some guy’s dick in his ass.”
Dad scowls, shaking his head in silence. “I’m sorry, Ava.”
“What’s there to be sorry about, Dad? I’m an idiot. I got caught up in how great we looked on the outside while ignoring the signs. They were all there. And guess what I have to do now? Pretend none of this happened.”
“We’ve all had scandal happen in our lives. Trust me, present company included. Keep your head high and always remain professional,” he advises, straightening his posture. It’s almost like he did it on purpose as I follow suit, bringing back the confidence which has crumbled over the last few days. “Nasty comments will be said. Just have your publicist make one blanket statement. It’s important Olivier does the same.”
“C’mon, Dad, what are people going to say when they find out he’s gay?”
“To be honest, Ava, people will voice their opinion on you, then move on. Olivier’s life will change forever. A straight man coming out is never easy. While I disagree with how he handled your relationship, you have to understand he has a bigger issue at hand. There are a lot of people in this world who don’t support same-sex relationships. If you can find it in your heart to close that chapter in your life, be the woman I raised you to be and support him as a friend. Now is not the time to air your anger in public.”
“You’re right, Dad. It won’t be easy for him.”
“I’m taking it your mother and sisters don’t know?”
I shake my head. “I didn’t want to talk about it. I’m humiliated, Dad.”
“You’ve got the Edwards blood. This will make you stronger. Now listen, I have a meeting downtown, and then I’m flying back home tonight. When are you coming home?”
“Soon, I promise. I’ll schedule a shoot or something, so I can claim it as a business expense.”