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“Stop being so harsh with us. We’re your parents,” Amy said, running her hand down my arm. She was putting on a show, playing the role of the loving mother, likely because cameras were everywhere, and her reputation mattered more than being a decent human being.
I rolled my eyes and managed a fake smile as my dad approached, and of course, he brought Annalise. I despised him more than anyone.
“Dillon, I’ve missed—”
“Cut the crap. Dillon doesn’t miss you. You’re the most vindictive person ever. You betrayed him, and if you want to remain in one piece for the next few minutes, I suggest you leave my brother alone. You’ve caused him enough pain, don’t you think?” Mara shouted at her, almost causing a scene. She had taken the words right out of my mouth.
Mother and father were stunned. They didn’t expect this, and as I saw my father about to raise his voice to Mara, I stepped in, “Be careful about what you say next to my sister. You’re not going to bully Mara, not tonight, you asshole.” I moved closer to him, and he backed down slightly.
Those were only a fraction of the words I had for my father, but it would have to suffice for now. Annalise took her seat, appearing suitably ashamed, and my father stepped away. This left only my mother and Mara.
Amy looked quite distraught, almost fearful, but I knew better than to buy into that. I wasn’t in the mood for anyone’s nonsense tonight, and having Azzaria absent only made it easier to be an ass.
I guided Mara over to Alexander, and she seemed a bit shaken, as usual. These harsh exchanges were something we had grown up with, and you’d think they’d hurt less over time, but they only seemed to hurt more.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” Melissa said as she took the microphone. She was our annual host for these events. “You all look stunning tonight, and as we’re about to begin, let’s welcome our esteemed and eloquent speaker of the evening… The one and only, Mr. Dillon Timothy Xander.” The crowd’s applause was enthusiastic, the camera shutters were clicking away, and I made my way to the stage.
Anxiety started creeping back, but making eye contact with her was the most reassuring thing in the world.
“Good evening, everyone,” I began, my tone both warm and weighty. “It’s a source of great joy when we come together for this gala. There’s nothing more heart-wrenching than learning about the hundreds, even thousands, of individuals—women, men, and children—who endure sexual assault, rape, and abuse on a daily and quarterly basis. This foundation exists to raise awareness and deliver justice to all victims and survivors. In all my independence,” I let out a wry chuckle, “I couldn’t do this alone. I’m truly grateful for every single person in this room that helped me turn this childhood dream of mine into a successful reality. Any questions?
The Q&A portion following this speech was often the challenging part. Reporters tended to ask me the same questions every year, expecting different answers, which was a kind of stupidity at its peak.
A sea of reporters clamored for attention, but I typically only took questions from Jasmine and Belsib. They were my favorite reporters, known for not portraying me as a scoundrel or an unpleasant character. Jasmine asked about the shelters I was building to which I told her that we were planning on expanding and opening across the world and Belsib asked about the agenda to which I referred him to our website.
I thanked them as well as everyone, and made my way to my girlfriend.
Even before I approached her, I sensed that a difficult conversation lay ahead. As long as I was in the public eye, peace with Azzaria seemed elusive.
“Hey, baby,” I said, leaning in for a kiss on her cheek, but she shifted away.
“Don’t ‘hey, baby’ me,” she whispered.
“We’ll talk about this outside; there are too many people here.”
Outside would probably be worse, but I led her to the empty room upstairs. This was the room where Mara and I would hide out during events at this place, a room full of good memories.
“Care to tell me why I’m being attacked?”
“I was minding my business when a woman stopped me, basically implying that I’m too fat to be your type, suggesting you prefer thinner, blonde women. Furthermore, it seems you forgot to tell your girlfriend that you had lunch with other women,” she said with anger, even if her voice remained calm. I approached Azzaria, wrapping my arms around her. She didn’t resist, and I gently tilted her chin up with my fingers.
“My love, you’re perfect. I don’t care about what any woman says except you. It doesn’t matter if your hair is blonde, purple, or green. My type is you. And I didn’t have lunch with Nalena. I had a scheduled lunch with LanCorp today, and she’s apart of that company.” I regretted my past flirtations and promiscuity, for I was now paying the price.
“Whatever.”
“Arnoldo,” I said when he answered his phone, “meet me in room four right now, please?”
“I’ll bring booze; you sound mad.”
“Just get here now, Reyes,” I hissed and hung up. I could hear women in the background, and I’d have to apologize to him for interrupting whatever he’d had going on. However, this was more important.
Azzaria stood there, agitated and irritated, and I understood her emotions. I approached her, placing several kisses all over her face and a final one on her lips.
“Baby, I’m sorry,” I pleaded.
“I’m not mad at you. I’m just upset and insecure right now, okay? I’ll get over it. I just need to go home, read my comfort books, and eat something. This fancy food isn’t for me.” Truth be told, it wasn’t my thing either. I preferred cooking my own food in generous portions.
The door burst open, and a visibly alarmed Arnoldo Reyes entered. It was about time.
