Читать книгу Love Is Blind - Rodney Suggs - Страница 11

Chapter 7

Standing outside Ron’s Barbershop after getting a haircut and shave, I felt recharged. It’s amazing how the simplest things like a haircut and shave could be so gratifying. I looked at my wrist to check the time. It was 6:00 p.m., so I decided to head into the office for a little while. Reviewing the Chicago Fusion Supplements commercial layouts, things seemed to be in order. This account appeared to be a slam dunk on paper, so all that was left to do was execute a flawless presentation.

My watch showed about 7:30 p.m. when I finally began my journey back home. I walked into the house to find a note that read:

Kahlil,

I’m at the mall shopping with the girls. Iliana is upstairs doing some homework. Will be back in a few.

Janet

On my way to the bedroom, I saw Iliana’s light on, so I yelled her name. Out walked a five-foot and seven-inch, petite-framed, young lady dressed in a pair of gray lounge sweats and a pink T-shirt that ironically read Daddy’s girl.

“Yes, Dad,” she replied with a big grin.

The moment I saw her shirt, I felt special.

“You hungry?”

“I’m starving,” she said in a quick response.

“Great! I need you to do me a favor though. Put this on, no questions asked,” I said, handing her a large, wrapped velvet box. A puzzled look appeared on her face as she slowly took the box from me. She then ran back into her room closing the door swiftly behind her, excited to see what I got her.

Standing at the bottom of the stairs in a black suit with a pair of black, alligator dress shoes, I looked up to see Iliana walking down the stairs in the elegant, black Dolce & Gabbana dress with matching shoes and purse that I had bought her.

“What do you think?” she asked while giving me a slow model twirl showing the dress off.

“I’m speechless. You are so beautiful. I hope you like it. Did I do well?”

“Oh, I love it!”

“I am proud to be taking my daughter out to dinner this evening,” I responded, fighting back tears of joy.

“Thank you, Dad,” she replied, blushing and smiling from ear to ear.

“Shall we go then?” I asked, extending my arm to her.

We walked outside to a black Rolls Royce Phantom that I rented for the two of us.

“Wow! What is all of this for?”

Smiling at her excitement, I replied, “I’ll explain on the way.”

The driver opened the passenger door for the two of us.

“Iliana, I wanted you and me to have an official father–daughter date night. This is a very special night for me as your father figure.”

Before I could continue, Iliana put her hand up. “Wait a minute. You’re not acting or standing in for anyone. You are my father,” she said in an aggressive tone.

“Allow me to graciously rephrase. As your father, I need to take my daughter out to show her how a woman should be treated and what expectations she should have when a man is looking to date her exclusively.”

Iliana just looked at me nodding and smiling as she sat there taking in the moment.

“When I was sixteen, my mother grabbed me one night and demanded that I get all dressed up in a new suit she had bought me. Then we went out for the night. She showed me all the dos and don’ts on how to treat, respect, and honor whomever the lucky woman I chose to take out when it was time to date.” Iliana’s eyes began to swell as if she was ready to burst into tears. I felt the car stop signaling we’d made it to our destination.

The driver opened the passenger door letting us out. Together, the two of us walked into one of Chicago’s finest restaurants.

“Reservations for Smooth,” I said to the hostess who began skimming her list for my name.

“Right this way, Mr. Smooth.”

As the hostess sat the menus down on the table, I walked over pulling Iliana’s chair out so she could be the first to sit down.

“Order anything you’d like, sweetheart,” I said to Iliana and then kissed her on the forehead. I could not stop smiling as I watched her looking through each page of the menu.

“Dad, you know I’ll turn eighteen next month, so do you think we can do this again?” she asked.

“We can do this anytime you’d like. Iliana, we’re here tonight so you can have the clear experience and expectation of how a man should treat a woman when they go out on a date. The man should always want to open any and every door, pull out your chair for you to sit first, let you order what you want, and most of all enjoy being with you. When it comes to dating, it’s all about give and take without compromising who you are. If any man can’t offer you these things, he’s simply not worth investing your time in!”

“Thank you for taking me out tonight. I would have never guessed a night like this was going to happen. This is a way better night compared to when Mom took me out.”

When Iliana said that, I felt a small knot building in my stomach. I didn’t want her to feel like I was pressuring her to talk about meeting David, but now it felt that way. I had to be the one to take the high road, play mediator, and disrupt the good vibe yet again for the benefit of her mother. The time had come for me to get on with it and let the chips fall where they might.

“Well, aside from this being a father–daughter date night, we need to briefly discuss this whole David situation.” Iliana immediately stopped chewing on her shrimp and slowly placed her fork on her plate, never looking up. A few seconds later, she took a drink of soda and finally allowed her eyes to meet with mine. “Iliana, I didn’t ask you to get all dressed up for an enjoyable night only to hurt your feelings. This is our time together, and I wish this night would never end, but we cannot avoid the inevitable truth that you have a biological father who is requesting to meet with his daughter. At the end of the day, Iliana, I must respect the fact that by law he is entitled to see you. Iliana, I am asking that you honor my request to sit down and meet with him. Once the meeting is done and everyone has said what they needed to say, you do not have to meet with him again if that is your wish.”

I felt I had done the best I could to convince Iliana to meet with her dad when in reality, the last thing I wanted my daughter to do was meet another man claiming to be her father. With tears in her eyes, Iliana just stared at me for a moment. There were some things that went without saying, so the moment Iliana’s eyes locked onto mine, I could feel that she knew that I really did not want to ask her to do it.

“Sure, Dad, if that’s what you need from me, then I will do it,” she said, reaching across the table grabbing my hand. I smiled, masking the pain of having to ask my child to do something she didn’t want to.

“Iliana, if you feel wrong about any part of the meeting, you need to call me.”

“Wait. So you’re not going to be there?” she asked in a panic.

“I think for this first time that it should just be the three of you. There would only be tension if I came. I’ll be in New York for work, so I feel this is the perfect time for you all to talk.” I leaned across the table, wiping away the tears that began to fall down Iliana’s face. “Now, I think it’s time that you and I enjoy the rest of our night together.”

Iliana finally smiled back at me and nodded. “Yes, I agree.”

Lifting my hand in the air, I signaled the two waiters who were standing close by to come over. As they walked to the table, they each carried a dozen roses. A huge smile appeared on Iliana’s face once the vases were placed on each side of her.

“These are for my beautiful daughter whom I love so much and would do anything in the world for. Although we are not bonded together by blood, you will always be my daughter. You are one of the best things that have happened in my life. I’ve always said if I was ever blessed to have a child, I wanted a daughter first.” Emotions filled the room as we shared joyful tears together ending the night on a very high note.