Don't Tell Daddy (17 page)

“You’re welcome.” She smirked, awaiting a reaction he refused to give her.

The night progressed, and Pamela pinched Lila as the sun started to go down. “Ow, you bitch.”

“Why did you leave me?”

“Because that boy was fine!” Lila said, laughing.

“It’s not funny, Li.” Pamela frowned. “I’m with someone.”

“Oh yes, I think I caught his name. Hold on. ‘oh, Bryan, oh daddy,’ that it?” she asked, cracking herself up, mocking Pamela’s moans. “Jae’s disgusted he got Mr. Valdez first name but Bryan is a pretty common name.”

Pamela said nothing. At least they didn’t assume it was Bryan Valdez. She’d be in hot water.

“I tell your ass to go home, and instead you decide to listen to me fuck?” she asked, rolling her eyes. “Typical Lila.”

“Girl, whoever he is, when you hook up with Mr. Fine over there, tell your last lay to call me.”

“No, slut.”

Lila shrugged. “You know you like that man. Just go on and go out with him.”

Pamela shrugged. “Oye, Jordan,” she called, speaking rapid Spanish, asking when he wanted their date to be. He replied that he would let her know.

Pamela went and got a burger off the grill and went in the house where her mother and Heather were speaking. “Mela, doesn’t Heather look so good?” Carmella asked, calling her out of the kitchen and into the dining room.

She grabbed her can of Sprite and sat down. “Yes, Mami looks very good. I told her earlier she did. I’d give her all my old clothes, but… I might be able to fit them again soon.”

Carmella looked at Pamela’s bust, and then she looked at her best friend’s C’s. “Pamela, I hate to tell you this, honey, I doubt you’re going back to a C any time soon.”

“What happened to all your talk of reductions?”

“Don’t tempt me to make it real, child.”

Pamela just shrugged and began to eat her food. “If you want them, you can have them, Madrina. I was gonna give them to the Goodwill, but you’re already fashionable.”

Pamela knew she was being two-faced. But she didn’t hate Heather. She still loved her as her second mother. It was just that she envied her something terrible. Especially now that she had this new hot body. However, Pamela wouldn’t be malicious towards her. It wouldn’t be right. It wouldn’t be fair.

“That’s sweet of you,” Heather said. “Bryan told me to dress younger. But I don’t think I should dress like an eighteen-year old.”

Carmella couldn’t help her laugh then. She looked over at her daughter in her outfit, and then to Heather. “Heather, the last time I checked, jeans and tees didn’t know ages because we and our husbands still wear them.”

“True. Okay, Mela. I’ll come and get them later.”

“Great. Now I can have space in my closet again. Success!” she said goofily and took a large chunk of burger.

Bryan and Jonta came in the house, talking sports as they grabbed beers. All three ladies rolled their eyes. They liked sports, but they couldn’t be in the same room as those two. They got so animated as if they were the coach. This was just from the couch. Anytime one or the other managed a few tickets to the game… It was just the two of them and whatever one of their co-workers they could get to go if Bryan’s sons were all busy.

Pamela saw Jordan enter the house, and he smiled at her on his way to the basement with the other men. Her heart lurched forward and she willed it to calm down. That man had nothing for her. Nothing she could use, anyway.

“Jordan seems to really like you,” Heather noticed. “He’s very nice; and he’s smart. You should date him, Pamela,” she continued.

“Why does everyone seem to know this kid but me?” Pamela asked.

“He’s Jae’s boyfriend’s older brother and he works for Jonta.”

Pamela’s eyebrows came in. “I saw him at work once.”

“Yeah. Your daddy and papi do work together sometimes. So Jordan was probably just there on errand for your father.”

Pamela looked towards the basement stairs, almost as if she would be able to see through the door to the men.

“And he’s cute,” Carmella added in a sing-song voice.

“Because my attractions center around superficial looks, Mother.” Pamela rolled her eyes.

“Oh no, baby. That was the plus. Your attraction should center around the smart and has a job part. He graduated Michigan State this May, you know.”

College-educated, Pamela did find attractive. Yet and still, her heart somehow still belonged to Bryan. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to give Jordan a chance. It was more that even if she did, he still wouldn’t have one.

Jonta came upstairs and pulled Pamela down to the basement, asking her about soccer. When she got downstairs, it was all men. She was put on the spot about her soccer skills.

Being an only child, Pamela was especially her parents’ heart, joy, and pride. Every little accomplishment was huge to them. So the fact that she was on a championship winning soccer team for five years, and a championship winning competitive cheer team, and an award winning school pom squad filled her parents’ pride cups to the brim.

She noticed that Jordan was looking at her with interest. “Are you really good at soccer?” he asked.

“Yes. All positions on the field. Even goalie.”

She knew Jordan was going somewhere with this. He never asked her questions out of idle curiosity. She wondered now what he was leaning into.

“Would you like to test that theory?”

Pamela raised a brow at him, hands on her hips. “Make it interesting. Five dollars says you can’t get a single ball past me.”

“Okay. Make sure you have money on you.”

“Sounds like challenge to me, mija. You gonna take that?” Jonta asked, instigating the whole thing.

“Heck no. You, me, outside. Ten minutes, buddy,” she told him, smiling.

Bryan was a bit annoyed inside, because he could tell the two were flirting, and Jonta only seemed to encourage it. Watching Pamela like another man tore him up inside and he didn’t want her to have anyone else. He wanted her there when he wanted her.

“Alright.”

Pamela went up to her parents’ room and took a pair of her mother’s running shoes. She then went to find her soccer ball in the attic and put enough air in to firm it up. She marched outside. “Oh, hija, what are you doing?” Carmella called.

“About to wipe the smirk off this cocky bastard’s face and get five dollars for it.”

Carmella got up and followed her daughter out. Sure enough, Jonta had set up a makeshift soccer net, and Jordan stood in wait of Pamela.

Jonta announced the game of one-on-one that was going on, and Jada and Lila cheered for their girl from the sides.

Pamela kept the ball out of Jordan’s reach. “Just because I’m pretty doesn’t mean I can’t play,” she said smugly, kicking the ball past him into the net. She threw her hands up in victory. “Wanna stop? Or shall I continue to embarrass you?”

“Make it twenty. First one up to four. You got one.”

She smiled. She was going to enjoy taking this kid’s money. She didn’t let him get a single goal past her. It wasn’t long before she scored her remaining three. Jordan stared at her, mouth agape. She smiled, picking up her ball, and putting it under her arm. She closed his mouth. “Don’t worry. You’re not the first to be beaten by a girl. You won’t be the last. Pay up.”

She held her hand out, and he gave her the twenty. “Shoulda stuck to the five. Cockiness doesn’t pay off, now, does it?”

“I let you win.”

The statement made Pamela crack up. She knew Jordan had given his all in that game just as she had. He was good, but her goalie skills were better.

“They all say that.” She winked at him, sauntering away.

“Alright. Fireworks time!” Jonta announced.

Pamela smiled over her shoulder at Jordan, and he smiled back, shaking his head. He lost to a girl. “Hey, Pamela,” he called, taking her hand.

“Yes?”

“So… where should I take you?”

“Where do you want to?”

“I know a spot,” he said softly, pulling her closer to him, looking into her pretty gray eyes and back to her lips. Her mouth suddenly felt dry and she swallowed hard. The fireworks were lit, and Jordan’s lips met hers. She couldn’t be sure if the fireworks she saw were behind her eyes or the real ones. Damn why did he kiss her?

Pamela moved away from Jordan, looking as if he had lost every fabric of a piece of his mind. “Who told you it was okay to kiss me?” she snapped.

He just smiled lazily at her. “You liked it. Otherwise, your tongue wouldn’t have been all in my mouth, now would it, Miss Pamela?”

“Boy, you’re asking for it.”

She decided to just walk away. He caught her wrist. “Pamela—”

“Look, I don’t know who you think you are, but I didn’t give you permission to kiss me.”

“Yes you did.”

She glowered at him, saying nothing else. She knew damn well she hadn’t told this man to kiss her.

Releasing an irritated breath, Pamela made her way over to sit with Jada.

“What are you doing tomorrow when you get off?” Pamela asked.

“Going home and listening to Moms bitch about something new. Probably about to start apartment hunting.”

“I said you could move in.”

“My dad moved in with his best friend after college.”

“See?” Pamela smiled.

“They ain’t friends no more,” Lila clarified.

“Oh.” Pamela cleared her throat and shifted in her seat. “Let’s go see a movie. I’ll pick you up.”

“Cool. Don’t stand me up again.”

“I promise.”

As Mela turned back to watch the fireworks, Jordan came over, and he apologized to Pamela, saying that maybe he read things wrong. She accepted the apology, leaving out that he had read things exactly right.

To the right of her, she could hear Jonta telling Bryan he should take Heather on a honeymoon to rekindle their spark. Their wedding anniversary was coming up. Bryan replied with just a little smile, thinking it was a good idea. “How did it work out when you took Mella to the Bahamas?”

Jonta just chuckled. “I’ve never seen a forty-six year old married woman jump on dick so fast.”

“Sounds good to me,” Bryan decided. “I don’t know where I should take her though. I don’t know. She’s been dying to see Spain.”

“Then take her to Spain. Have a good time.”

Pamela was irritated at her father for putting ideas in Bryan’s head, and Bryan for even entertaining them.

She left directly after the fireworks and took a nice, hot shower. She was lying in bed, surprised to hear Bryan come in. She couldn’t imagine anything he would want with her tonight and didn’t know why he bothered showing up.

He came and sat on her bed. “Have you lost the very essence of your mind? Is there even a thread of common sense left in there?” he asked her, his eyes blazing into hers.

She stared blankly at him. “Why the hell are you talking to me like that?”

“I saw you kiss Jordan.”

She sat up. “Whoa, chill out!” she said, holding her hand out. “Come off that. Homeboy kissed me. I didn’t tell him to.”

“Whatever, Pamela. Wear black tomorrow.”

“You tell me this shit at midnight? I don’t have any black clothes that fit.”

“Well, you better find some before 9:30 tomorrow morning.”

“Get out, asshole.”

He tried to kiss her, and she put her palm to his forehead. He knew she didn’t want to be kissed by him. “Get out.”

Bryan left and locked her door, making his way home and sliding into bed beside his sleeping wife. He fell asleep, pulling Heather into his arms.

When Bryan woke up, he went to pick Pamela up, and she was wearing navy. “This is as close to black as I could get. Nothing is open this early,” she informed him.

“Did you call your mother?”

“At eight AM the day after Independence Day? No. Because her boutique is closed and I’m sure she was up until three cleaning. Some of us are actually considerate,” she sneered.

“Whatever, Pamela. Let’s go.”

They got in his car, and she stared out the window. “Good morning,” she finally said.

“Good morning.”

There was silence for a few blocks, and when Bryan stopped at a light, Pamela removed her seatbelt and leaned over the center console, pulling Bryan’s face towards her and pressing her lips to his. A gesture she wasn’t sure he even gave a thought. 

“Are you mad at me?” she questioned. “I swear to you I really didn’t tell him he could kiss me.”

“I believe you.”

“Then what did I do?”

“Nothing,” he said, looking over at her, his brows turned down. “Why do you think you did something?”

“Bryan, I just kissed you.”

He said nothing. She turned back out the window, clicking her seatbelt back in.

They had their meeting, and then they went to two more. She wanted to have lunch together, but Heather had asked him to come home. So she asked if he could just take her to Panera Bread. She got a Panini and a latte, and he took her back to the office.