Free Black Lies White Lies by Dranda Laster

ordered.”
    “Yes it was. Are you as famished as I am?”
    “Maybe even more.”
    “I called my service and had them call Giorgio’s to bring something over.”
    “That sounds good. I’ll take a shower while we wait.” I showered and slipped into the pink sundress I had bought while in Jackson. I brushed my hair into a twist and sprayed myself with a little Chanel before rejoining Ashton.
    I lay my head on his chest. I could live in his arms forever. “You smell fantastic and you look even better,” Ashton told me with a smile. “The food should be here soon. I wanted to shoot something by you.”
    “What’s that Ashton?”
    “I’m going to my folks this weekend and wondered if you would like to go.” I sat there, stunned for a minute. “I’ve told them about you and they’re dying to meet you.”
    What? He wanted me to meet his parents? I just didn’t know what to do with this information. “Sure, why not.”
    “We will be in meetings all day tomorrow. So we can leave after that, if that’s ok? I know your assistant has filled you in on the details.”
    “Yes.”
    “And what is your take on the whole thing? Candice, everyone knew there were going to be changes. You know how the business goes. It’s not personal.”
    “Maybe not to you, but some people need their jobs.”
    “Candice, you’re overreacting. The people that lost their jobs, needed to. You still have your job.”
    “That’s beside the point.”
    “Let’s not spoil a delightful evening talking about things that don’t matter.”
    Just then the doorbell rang. “Saved by the bell. We must finish this conversation.”
    “It is finished.” That’s what he thought. I opened the door for the delivery guy.
    “I have an order for Mr. Williams.”
    “Right this way.” He placed the food on the table in the kitchen. Ashton had left his card on the counter to pay. I gave the delivery guy an enormous tip. I’ll teach him to walk away from a conversation.
    Ashton strolled in wearing the black silk pajamas bottoms he always wore when he slept over. “The food smells delicious. You wouldn’t happen to have a bottle of wine to go with it?”
    “You’re in luck.” I happened to have a bottle left over from a party I’d had. He opened the bottle and I dished up the food. “Ashton, tell me about your folks.”
    “What would you like to know?”
    “What would you like to tell?”
    “Well, it was just my mother and me for a long time. Then she married my stepfather when I was maybe eight. I have only one brother, Victor, and he lives in Seattle. He has a wife named Susan and two kids, Steven and Maximus. I see him maybe twice a year and on holidays at Mother’s. We will be spending time at my Mother’s summer home in the Hamptons.”
    “Your family has a summer house in the Hampton’s?”
    “Yes, but it’s nothing much really. My mother is actually very down to earth. She loves to have people over. She’s just like that. I honestly think she’s lonely sometimes. My stepfather is always gone on some business trip or another.” He hadn’t talked much about his family until now. Maybe we were too busy with other things.
    “Well what about your family?”
    “There is not much to tell. I have two sisters and you know my mother just died.”
    “What about your father, is he around?”
    I didn’t want to talk about family, so I changed the subject. “I can’t wait to get to work and see all the changes.”
    “Let’s not talk about work, Candice. We don’t see eye to eye, so leave it at that. Anyway, I asked about your father.”
    “My father is sick and going through some stuff right now but he’s a genuine person.”
    “I guess that’s more than I can say about my old man. He always left us alone. He was a captain in the Navy, so we moved around a lot in my early years. Now he’s retired and living in San Diego. Those are my family dynamics.”
    “Candice, I won’t be staying over tonight. There is so much going on