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With that, he turns around and leaves.
“Maliki, wait.”
“Go to bed, Sierra,” is all he growls out.
* * *
“Shit.”
I’m late.
With all that transpired last night, I failed to set my alarm for brunch.
I pull a dress over my head, ridding it of wrinkles with my hands, and slip on red wedges. I brush my teeth, braid my hair, and am out the door in minutes. I want to go to this brunch like I want to have mimosas with Louise.
Thank God Maliki is nowhere to be seen. I can’t face him yet.
“You’re late,” is how my father greets me when I sit down at the table.
“I overslept,” I say around a yawn.
“If you weren’t working at abar,you wouldn’t have overslept.”
I snatch the carafe of orange juice and pour myself a glass. “I’m not having this discussion.” My gaze bounces to my mom’s. “I told Mom to inform you of that.”
“Oh, she did all right,butyou’re my daughter,” he answers with a huff.
He hates not calling the shots, but his life has changed since his affair was exposed. His ass is on the line in every aspect of his life—his career, his family. Hell, even my grandparents are pissed at him. Right now, my father has no one on his side.
My mom brushes her hand against his arm. “Honey, let’s wait until after we eat.”
“Yeah, Dad. We don’t want your sour mood to affect our French toast and eggs,” Rex adds with a smirk.
A vein pulses in my dad’s neck, and no doubt, he wants to give Rex an ass-chewing, but he stares at me with intent. “We will talk about this.”
“Can’t wait,” I mutter, spreading my napkin on my lap.
I was once a daddy’s girl. He wasn’t perfect, but he was my dad—the man who fought the monsters in my closet and taught me to ride a bike. Somewhere between me growing up and him growing more successful, he changed—a man I no longer knew but still loved. No matter what, I stood by his side, stood up for him, until he destroyed my mother’s heart.
I eat my breakfast while listening to my father rattle on about town developments and my mom about her latest fundraiser. When breakfast is finished and our stomachs are full, I help my mom clean up, moving as slow as I can to delay this unnecessary talk with my dad.
“All right, Sierra, my office,” my father says, stepping into the kitchen and straightening his shirt cuffs.
I roll my eyes, follow him to the office, and speak before he has time to shut the door, “Look, whatever you say won’t change my mind about working at the bar. I’m working there, and that’s final.”
The door clicks shut, and he circles his desk, looking more powerful when he sits in the executive chair. My father is a handsome man who’s aged well. He’s tall with dark hair, only a few sprinkles of gray strands, and he possesses enough confidence you’d guess he was in his twenties. He’s wearing a black suit, black tie, and the Rolex that was passed down from his grandfather.
“Not only is working there inappropriate for the mayor’s daughter, but it’s also dangerous, Sierra.”
“You know what else is inappropriate for the town mayor? Cheating on his wife.”
He flicks his finger my way. “Touché. This isn’t an attempt for me to control you. Maliki’s life is darker than the sunshine you’re used to, honey.”
“Weird. Maliki is my sunshine every time I’m having a shit day, crying overyourindiscretions and being cheated on. He makes me happy. Do you remember the last guy youapprovedof? He cheated on me in the restroom of a bar.” I start pacing in front of him. “And I’m not even dating Maliki. I’m working for him. So, for that reason and our friendship, I’ll takecloudy dayswith him because …”
“You have feelings for him?”
I gulp. “Friendship feelings.”
