Mask

Chapter 11

“Imani wants to meet you. I told her earlier that I saw you,” she said, slyly which was completely different than the hard ass she was earlier. But given the situation it was understandable; I was her first and she was my first love.

“Imani?” I asked, through a smile. She shook her head yes. “And she wants to meet me? You didn’t tell her anything crazy right?” I asked, nervous at the thought of meeting my child for the first time.

She shook her head no then grabbed my hand, an act that instantly sent my heart pounding, “I told her you were a nice guy that I met briefly and we parted before either us knew I was pregnant. Then I told her today that I saw you and she wants to meet you,” She said, still holding my hand the way she had ten years ago in that crowded mansion.

A smile flushed my cheeks, and my nerves were shot. I was a father and my daughter wanted to meet me. Was it okay to meet her after all these years? And what if my boss finds out. Oh s**t, my boss. There is no way in hell he would give me a raise now if he knew about my connection with Tailani, but does that really matter? We have a child together, and despite how many years it has been, there is no way I am going to let her continue to grow up without a father.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to see her. I wont force you to do anything you don’t want to. I know finding all this out right now messes up everything for you, especially since it is your job to stalk and spy on me for that asshole,” She said, that last part bitterly as she let go of my hand leaving it feeling empty.

“Stop,” I said cutting her off. “You just told me, I’m a father, that means that I’ve already missed 8 years of my daughter’s life. Job or not, I’m meeting her,” I declared. My own father had walked out on my mother before I was born and never looked back, the last thing I wanted was for my little girl to grow up not knowing me or hating me for leaving her.

“I’m so happy to hear you say that,” She said with a smile. “She has a game tomorrow at 5 if you want to meet her then. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you,” She assured me.

“Good, glad we’re on the same page. Now as for the stalking thing,” I said, changing the subject.

“Right, that.” She said, with an eye roll.

“That stalking thing is over, I have to tell my boss about this,” I said, bluntly. There was no way that I could hide it, and the last person I wanted to hide was my daughter.

“Really?” She asked, just as shocked as I was even though I was the one who said it.

I shook my head yes, “The truth is bound to come out, it’s best for everyone if it comes out now,” I said, sternly but suddenly dreading going to work the next day.

A smiled flushed her beautiful lips, and just like that my c**k began to stir as thoughts of that night came to mind and it took everything in me not to grab her right there and make love to her on the table, especially in front of that asshole waiter that kept checking her out in front of me, as if I wasn’t there. Sure, we weren’t together, but we had a child together, and to anyone else this would have looked like a date.

“Sounds good,” She said, breathing out a sigh of relief.

“But for this to work, you have to tell me about you,” I reminded her.

“Fine you wanna play 21 questions?” She suggested. I laughed as my mind traveled back to ten years ago when I suggested that game that laid to me falling in love with someone I would not be allowed to keep.

“Good idea, it worked so well for me last time,” I said back to flirting. Instantly putting everything else on the back burner.

“Really?” She said, trying to sound more annoyed than I knew she was, while trying to cover up a blushed smile.

“I’ll go first. Is this your real voice?” I asked mimicking myself from 10 years ago.

She chuckled, “Yes this is my real voice. Do you prefer the other?” She asked, that last part with that fake English accent that still controlled my wet dreams.

“See if you would have talked like that to me earlier, than I would have known it was you. Where you disappointed when you saw me again?” I asked, because I genuinely wanted to know if she missed me as much as I had her.

To my delight she shook her head no, “I wasn’t, I was happy,” she said as she finished off her plate.

“Really?” I asked shocked, “Is it because of Imani?” I asked hoping not.

Again, she shook her head no, “Besides the s*x, I had a really good time with you. I had never talked to anyone the way we talked, and I felt so disappointed that it ended so quick,” she said mirroring my thoughts.

A smile spread like a wildfire across my lips as I listened to her, she missed me. “I felt the same.” I admitted. “After being with you that night I regretted not turning on that light. I really wanted to see you again. Now it’s ten years later and you’re in front of me, but I can’t talk to you the way I want to,” I said staring at my half-eaten chicken.

“Why?” She asked suddenly, while searching my eyes for an answer, “Why can’t you?”

“You know the answer, my boss likes you,” I said, dryly and hating myself for admitting it.

“I don’t care how much he likes me; I don’t feel that way about him. I don’t like him. I don’t want to be around him, and I definitely don’t want him around my daughter,” she said, sharply.

“Our daughter,” I corrected.

“Our daughter,” She repeated, a lot softer.

“I, know you don’t like him, I’m not telling you to like him, I’m just telling you what’s going on.” I said, reaching for her hand.

She pulled it back, “I know what’s going on. I asked for a raise for you, and your boss is holding that over your head to get you to stalk me, because he’s obsessed with me. He wants to buy my love, and body but I’m not giving it to him. I’m not interested in anything he has to offer. I’m only interested in getting to know you. To introducing you to Imani and letting you two build a relationship. That’s what I want for now,” She said, that last part as whisper.

“That’s what I want to,” I said, finally able to grab her hand. “For now,” I added.

“So then can we drop this topic and get back to our game. I will introduce you to your daughter tomorrow. I promise,” she said, smiling softly at me.

“Okay,” I said, and for the rest of the night we focused the conversation on ourselves and our daughter.