Robin could hear chattering coming from the down the hall and as they got closer she recognized the sound of Ryan’s voice. She immediately felt knots in her stomach and had the almost uncontrollable urge to have a bowel movement. Great! She was about to be the center of attention for the wrong reason and she had to boo-boo. She then heard J.C.’s laughter followed by some voices she didn’t know. Every step down the hall felt like one towards a fate she wasn’t sure she was ready to accept. The second thoughts were screaming for her to abandon her mission to destroy this man and leave his wife to handle this situation herself. What she was doing was what women did when they were emotionally attached to the man in some way, which she kept telling herself she wasn’t. Still, it was too late to turn back now so she swallowed hard and prepared for the inevitable.
As she followed her hostess down the hall she thought to herself, that at least she looked like a million bucks. She didn’t know what to expect but she expected to be looking good when it all went down. Besides, J.C. was a very attractive woman who looked as though she lived at the damn gym with style to match, and Robin was not about to be shown up. She didn’t want whoever was going to be present to think Ryan had to be out of his mind for seeing her when he had J.C. at home. Silly, because that what should be said but still it’s not what she wanted to be said. She wanted them to secretly think that she was so fine that Ryan couldn’t help himself.
She was wearing a dress that accented her huge breast, and unlike J.C.’s sweater puppets, hers were real. She had pulled out the 3-inch heels that could be easily kicked off, just in case things went the wrong way because she was definitely not above beating a bitch down if she got out of hand…lawyer or no lawyer. It looked as though three flat irons had given their lives to lay her hair down as sleek and straight as the oil moisturizer would allow. She had even let Monique put just enough makeup on her face to accent her sexy. She was wearing her good jewelry and best scent ready to set off the grenade that would blow this couple’s marriage into outer space.
“Here she is!” the woman said as she and Robin entered the room. Just as Robin had imagined, Ryan was floored while J.C. instantly donned the Cheshire cat’s grin. Robin’s icy glare met his shocked expression with a force that would have knocked the average man down, but Ryan wasn’t your average man. He rose from his seat too, as did the other two gentlemen in the room as the woman announced her. All Robin could think was “yeah, I’ve got you now motherfucker” which is exactly what the smile on her face said. He started to make his way across the room, as if he were going to confront before his wife had a chance to say anything to her but that wasn’t about to happen.
“Robin!” J.C. exclaimed as she pushed past Ryan making her way over to Robin before he could reach her. Robin glared over J.C.’s shoulder at him as the two exchanged hugs. She kissed her on both cheeks before taking her hand in hers as she continued, “I’ve told everyone all about you!” J.C. paused for a second before she added, “well, almost everyone.” J.C. seemed to be in an extremely good mood, especially for someone about to make a scene in front of her parents. She was never this friendly when Robin came to visit her at the office; in fact, she was all business and hardly ever did anything that resembled a smile. J.C. then turned and announced to the room, “Mom, Dad this is Robin. This is the girl Ryan had been hiding from us for the past month or so but I tracked her down. She’s also a client of mine,”
“What in the world is happening?” That was the only thought floating around in Robin’s mind. Everyone was smiling, with the exception of Ryan who still looked as though he’d been hit by a bus. She could tell he had a wealth of questions that he wanted to ask her, in private of course but he wouldn’t get to do that not before he was exposed anyway.
Still, these people were being awfully friendly, especially J.C. who said, “Where are my manners? This is my mother, Carol who let you in,” she said as she introduced the woman who had escorted Robin to the room.
“You can call me Cece,” the woman said extended her hand to Robin. Robin started to feel really badly because everyone seemed really nice and she was sure that they would all turn on her when they found out why she was there.
“…and this is my daddy, James,” J.C. continued with the introductions. “Everyone calls him Jimmy.”
“Nice to meet you,” the older man smiled as he took her hand before turning it over to kiss the back of it, after which he seemed unable to take his eyes off her breast. He held her hand and stared at her for a moment before he said, “You are very beautiful. I can see why-“
“Why you can’t take your eyes off her boobs. Let go of her hand Jimmy,” Carol snapped giving her husband the evil eye. She apologized to Robin saying, “I’m sorry. My husband has a thing for a pretty face and a huge set of knockers...and you happen to be blessed with both of them.” Robin didn’t know whether she should have been offended by Carol’s remarks or not, but she was and couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow but before she could respond J.C. was redirecting her attention to another person in the room but nit efore reprimanding her parents.
“Oh my God! Could you two just cut it out! Sorry, Robin. My parents can be a bit trying at times,” J.C. said rolling her eyes. J.C. continued as she still blocked Ryan’s path to Robin, “This is my husband Devon and our daughter Devin.” She said as she introduced the man that was holding the little girl from the photo. Her introduction sent Robin’s head reeling. Husband? What did she mean husband?
Devon shook Robin’s hand and before she could say anything Devin, the little girl, asked, “Mommy is this Uncle Ryan’s new girlfriend?” It wasn’t until the little girl asked her question that Robin was able to put two and two together. Ryan must have been related to J.C.’s husband.
“We don’t know yet, honey,” J.C. said to the child before she turned her attention back to Robin and said, “and of course you already know, my brother, Ryan.”
“Brother?” Robin replied dumbfounded, “but he’s…and your…” Robin blurted out censoring herself as much as she possibly could. She didn’t want to seem like an ignorant, close-minded, loser but she was confused. Ryan was black...as in sweet melt in your mouth chocolate drop, black. There didn’t seem to be a smidge of European blood in him while J.C’s entire family with the exception of her husband was white as snow.
Apparently, the confusion was evident on her face because Devon smiled and said, “I know what you’re thinking. Trust me. They did the exact same thing to me and I was thinking the exact same thing that you are thinking now.”
Robin was still at a lost and Ryan still hadn’t said two words so she finally asked, “Just what the heck is going on here?”
As they sat down to dinner, Devon started the story that would shed some much needed light on just what was going on, “When J.C. and I were dating, I saw her hugging this young black guy outside her apartment before she gave him the keys and he drove off in her car. So, of course I was like ‘this girl is cheating on me and with someone who at the time looked like he was in high school'. I confronted him about it and he pretended like they were married and got me all pumped to come expose them at “their” house in front of her family. I get there and she’s shocked because at this time, I hadn’t met any of her family. They didn’t even know she was seeing anyone. Anyway long story short, I was completely lost because he was still acting like they were married; throwing stuff and fussing and carrying on when I showed up, so when he came clean, I didn’t even believe him. I didn't believe him until he showed up at my job with family photos and what not.”
“When I saw the picture in her office of him holding you guys’ daughter, I was like oh my God, he’s married to my lawyer!” Robin said, which made everyone at the table chuckle except Ryan who seemed more than a little embarrassed. “Then when she showed up to my house…I should have known something was going on because she was way too calm for a divorce lawyer who just found out that her husband was involved with one of her clients.”
“You know, she did this to get back at him for having done this to her,” Devon said.
“It was a joke,” Ryan said rolling his eyes.
“It wasn’t funny,” Carol said. “J.C. was so upset. They broke up for like a two weeks or something. Devon wouldn’t believe her and wouldn’t listen to us, as though we would cover her so that she could cheat on her husband with him.” Carol laughed.
“I don’t know what the big deal is,” Ryan said “I was in high school and more importantly, I straightened everything out and now they are married with a beautiful little girl.”
“Yes, but now you see how embarrassing it is to have your girlfriend thinking you’re married,” J.C. said.
“I’m embarrassed that she had to find out my family is filled with a bunch of lunatics. That happened almost ten years ago. I don’t know why you couldn’t just let it go James” Ryan said.
“I don’t know, Ryan Shay. I just couldn’t,” J.C. smiled as she revealed what the “S” in Ryan’s full name was for. The playful banter between J.C. and Ryan proved one thing; that they were definitely bother and sister but apparently he had been adopted.
“So, what’s with you guys calling J.C., James?” Robin asked, wanting to get some of the questions swirling around her head answered.
“It’s her name,” Ryan replied seemingly thrilled to shift the focus of embarrassment to someone else.
“My name is Jamie!” J.C. snapped.
“Yeah, because you changed it,” Devon laughed but his laughter was abruptly cut short by a stern look from his wife.
“She used to tell everyone in school that they spelled her name wrong so, when she ordered her senior cards she had Jamie printed on them instead of James. She passed them out to everybody saying it was her real name but apparently she forgot it would still be James in the yearbook. She’s named after our dad here, James Carter. She didn’t become J.C. til she went down to Clemson,” Ryan said unmoved by J.C.’s glare. “I call her James because that’s her name.”
“I think it’s cute and it had to get you a lot of interviews with employers who saw a man’s name on your resume,” Robin said jokingly.
“It did get me interviews with sexist assholes who always had some excuse for why I couldn’t get the job after they met me in person.” J.C. replied.
“Still, it’s a cool name to have if you’re a girl,” Robin said.
“Yeah right,” J.C. said before picking up her wine glass, “try to get a straight guy to call out James in the middle of getting laid, then tell me how cool it is.”
“James!” Carol snapped, “That is enough of your dirty mouth! You’ve already said the “A” word and the “L” word and Dee Dee is sitting right here. Maybe you’ve had enough wine.”
“Whatever mother,” J.C. said as she rolled her eyes before downing the rest of her merlot, “I don’t know why I couldn’t just have a girl’s name like Kim or Cynthia or…or Robin for God’s sake.”
“Please, you do not want to be named after a bird. Trust me. Everyone called me bird until middle school,” Robin said trying to break the tension that was building in the room. She turned to Carol and asked, “So, what’s the C stand for? Carol?” Robin asked.
“Carter,” Jimmy said, “She doesn’t have a middle name and I don’t know why she’s complaining, at least she has a cool nickname. I had to be called Jimmy Carter, which was cool when he was first in office because it was Mr. President this and Mr. President that and Happy Birthday, Mr. President but that got real old, real fast.”
Robin figured that after she left the Carter residence that night that she would never see Ryan again so she didn’t have any problem asking them a question that she would usually expect to be answered when they were further along in their relationship. She reasoned that since she had only been having sex with Ryan that she didn’t have to abide by the usual rules of engagement. Ryan was sitting directly across from her staring as though he was completely taken by her when she said, “I don’t mean to sound rude or ignorant but how are you guys related? Are you adopted?”
Ryan’s expression was immediately washed away and replaced with one of blank disgust. She had touched a nerve and the entire room had gone silent. Robin had opened the family lockbox. Every family had one, even hers. A subject so sore that the family avoided it at all cost, so much so that when questioned by an outsider no one knew how to address it. Ryan’s relation to these white people was apparently what was locked in this family’s lockbox.
“Ryan’s mom and I were best friends in high school and college,” Carol said as they talked over dinner. She continued, “When Sherita got…sick” Carol paused before she glanced around the table as if she were hiding some parts of her story, “Ryan came to live with us. He’s been our good child ever since, nothing like this one over here, giving us pure shit her entire life.”
“Sick?” Robin asked Carol, “What was wrong?”
“She…she,” Carol started, again as if she didn’t want to tell her story.
“She wasn’t sick. She was a junkie,” Ryan said as he pushed the food around on his place. He was very monotone and unemotional, as though he had no emotional connection to his mother or any desire to even talk about her.
“Ryan!” Carol snapped. “Drug addiction is a disease, more so you will not refer to Rita like that in my presence.” Ryan didn’t say anything else but Robin could see the resentment on his face. It was the same look that would wash over Monique’s face whenever someone brought up the topic of her mother who had died of an overdose when she was twelve years old. Robin felt sorry for Ryan and the energy of the room was thick with negativity. The mood of the entire dinner stayed melancholy after that. Robin had still ruined the family's evening without even trying.
