Roberto hurried out of the truck to open the door for her, but she didn’t get in right away.
She stood on the sidewalk with the cold air brushing her face and made a decision that felt both humiliating and necessary. She was going to Brooklyn to talk to her father. And if she had to kiss Charles Marcelle’s ass to get her life back, then so be it.
Because Nina could survive heartbreak and survive embarrassment. She could even survive loving Jio. But what would kill her was trying to survive becoming a woman she no longer respected.
“I need to go talk to my parents.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Roberto nodded.
Nina got into the truck and she didn’t look back at the club. It was time for Jio to be in her rearview.
Her whole world had shifted, cracked, and rearranged itself, but the Marcelle home remained untouched. Polished. Quiet. Elegant and most importantly, it wasn’t going anywhere. Ever.
The housekeeper appeared startled when Nina stepped inside after knocking on the door, but she recovered quickly.
“Miss Nina.”
“Is my father here?”
“In the library.”
Where else would he be? Charles Marcelle lived in that library the way some men lived on the golf course, which was the second place he spent all of his free time. It smelled like old books, bourbon, cigars, and decisions that affected people who were never even invited into the room.
Nina paused outside the door for a moment before knocking.
“Come in,” her father called.
When she entered, he looked up from the document in his hand. His glasses sat low on his nose. A glass of bourbon rested untouched beside him.
For a second, neither of them spoke. Charles removed his glasses first and greeted her. “Nina.”
“Daddy,” she followed. Hearing her say his name relaxed his face. Nina was once his precious baby girl until Jio came and changed everything.
“You’re here late.”
“I know…”
He leaned back slowly. “Is everything all right?”
Nina almost laughed.
Was everything all right?No, it wasn’t, but it would be.This too shall passwas her favorite scripture right now. She left the dramatics in the truck, this encounter was super calculated.
“I want my privileges reinstated. Is that possible?”
There was no surprise on his face and that annoyed her. It made her feel like he had been waiting for her to crawl back, and if that was the case, here she was.
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
“What brought this on?” he wondered.
Nina swallowed the first three answers that came to mind.
Jio’s possible side chick embarrassed me at the bank.
I realized I was losing myself.
