She made herself a quick bagel and ate it before taking a shower. She lingered in the shower, knowing that the day would be anything but relaxing. Just thinking about SM3 cooking Christmas dinner was enough to make her uneasy.
Her phone rang as she began to dress. She adjusted her bra and picked the phone up. It was a text message from Robyn, wishing her a Merry Christmas. She smiled and hit a fast reply then went back to dressing. Although she knew it was freezing cold outside, she put sheer stockings on and dressed in a long-sleeved cream colored scalloped lace dress. It came down to her knees and she put her feet into a pair of her highest heels. She knew that she shouldn’t bother getting dressed up but dressing nicely made her feel good and she needed a pick-me-up.
She stood at her mirror, undecided over what to do with her hair. She finally did several twists, pulling them all into a ponytail. She decided against makeup, settling on simple clear gloss for her lips. She put all of the food that Samantha had requested into a bag and also packed herself a bag of snacks.
She put her coat on and grabbed her purse. She felt a little foolish dressed as she was in the arctic-like temperature. Her car took a long time to warm up and her teeth were chattering by the time it did. She blasted the heat and began driving to her father’s house.
The streets were very empty and she made it to the house in about fifteen minutes. Parking was a whole other matter. After driving around several times, she was forced to double-park the car. She’d take SM3 the bag of food she’d asked for and then go back to looking for a spot.
She could hear the laughter and yelling before she even knocked on the door. A man she didn’t recognize opened the door. He was thin and at least a foot taller than her with creamy brown skin and dark brown eyes.
“Hey,” He said, stepping back so that she could enter. “You must be Shawn’s daughter.”
“Emerald,” She said, sticking out her hand for him to shake. He surprised her by kissing the back of her hand instead. Shivering from the cold she gave him a quick smile before turning to everyone. There were about a dozen people and the only one she knew was her father.
He jumped up from his spot on the end of the couch and gave her a hug.
“Hi, baby,” He said as they hugged. “Take your coat off; let me introduce you around.”
“I’m Deon,” the man who’d let her in said, standing very close to them. “I’m Samantha’s nephew.”
“Nice to meet you,” Emerald said politely. “Where is Samantha? I need to give her this stuff. I couldn’t find a parking spot, Daddy. I have to go back out and try again.”
“I’ll take it to her.” Shawn took the bag. “She’s in the kitchen with her mother.”
Emerald became aware that everyone was looking at them and some of the conversations had stopped. She was used to being stared at. As a reasonably good looking woman, it had happened often. What she didn’t like were the frowns that a couple of the women gave her.
She waved and told her father, “I’ll be back soon. I can’t leave my car double-parked.”
“I’ll go with you,” Deon said, already reaching for a coat.
“You don’t have to,” Emerald began to say although her father was grinning as if he liked the idea.
“Damn, D,” A male voice teased. “Don’t hurt yourself now.”
Deon sneered at someone behind her and put his coat on.
“Be back.” Emerald walked out of the door with Deon behind her. They quietly got into her jeep and she shivered in her coat as she turned the key in the ignition.
“Shawn has been telling us a lot about you,” Deon said conversationally.
“Oh, really?” She feigned interest in what her father had said about her. The truth was, she didn’t care what her father had said about her or what anyone thought about her.
“He said you work for 50G, the gaming company.”
“Yeah, I do.” She turned the corner.
“That
Her phone rang as she began to dress. She adjusted her bra and picked the phone up. It was a text message from Robyn, wishing her a Merry Christmas. She smiled and hit a fast reply then went back to dressing. Although she knew it was freezing cold outside, she put sheer stockings on and dressed in a long-sleeved cream colored scalloped lace dress. It came down to her knees and she put her feet into a pair of her highest heels. She knew that she shouldn’t bother getting dressed up but dressing nicely made her feel good and she needed a pick-me-up.
She stood at her mirror, undecided over what to do with her hair. She finally did several twists, pulling them all into a ponytail. She decided against makeup, settling on simple clear gloss for her lips. She put all of the food that Samantha had requested into a bag and also packed herself a bag of snacks.
She put her coat on and grabbed her purse. She felt a little foolish dressed as she was in the arctic-like temperature. Her car took a long time to warm up and her teeth were chattering by the time it did. She blasted the heat and began driving to her father’s house.
The streets were very empty and she made it to the house in about fifteen minutes. Parking was a whole other matter. After driving around several times, she was forced to double-park the car. She’d take SM3 the bag of food she’d asked for and then go back to looking for a spot.
She could hear the laughter and yelling before she even knocked on the door. A man she didn’t recognize opened the door. He was thin and at least a foot taller than her with creamy brown skin and dark brown eyes.
“Hey,” He said, stepping back so that she could enter. “You must be Shawn’s daughter.”
“Emerald,” She said, sticking out her hand for him to shake. He surprised her by kissing the back of her hand instead. Shivering from the cold she gave him a quick smile before turning to everyone. There were about a dozen people and the only one she knew was her father.
He jumped up from his spot on the end of the couch and gave her a hug.
“Hi, baby,” He said as they hugged. “Take your coat off; let me introduce you around.”
“I’m Deon,” the man who’d let her in said, standing very close to them. “I’m Samantha’s nephew.”
“Nice to meet you,” Emerald said politely. “Where is Samantha? I need to give her this stuff. I couldn’t find a parking spot, Daddy. I have to go back out and try again.”
“I’ll take it to her.” Shawn took the bag. “She’s in the kitchen with her mother.”
Emerald became aware that everyone was looking at them and some of the conversations had stopped. She was used to being stared at. As a reasonably good looking woman, it had happened often. What she didn’t like were the frowns that a couple of the women gave her.
She waved and told her father, “I’ll be back soon. I can’t leave my car double-parked.”
“I’ll go with you,” Deon said, already reaching for a coat.
“You don’t have to,” Emerald began to say although her father was grinning as if he liked the idea.
“Damn, D,” A male voice teased. “Don’t hurt yourself now.”
Deon sneered at someone behind her and put his coat on.
“Be back.” Emerald walked out of the door with Deon behind her. They quietly got into her jeep and she shivered in her coat as she turned the key in the ignition.
“Shawn has been telling us a lot about you,” Deon said conversationally.
“Oh, really?” She feigned interest in what her father had said about her. The truth was, she didn’t care what her father had said about her or what anyone thought about her.
“He said you work for 50G, the gaming company.”
“Yeah, I do.” She turned the corner.
“That
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