chapter five
1142 Words
"Mother!" Simone screamed as her heels clicked loudly on her parents' marble floor.
After the dinner fiasco, she went straight to her parent's Mansion with war on her mind. She was beyond pissed off at her mother and for good reason. The woman needed to know she would not take her meddling lying down.
"Hey, peanut," Simon Njopera called out, coming from the kitchen with a cup.
It probably had tea in it. Her father loved a nice cup of tea late at night. He said it lulled him to sleep better than a lullaby.
"Hey, Daddy, where is Mother?" Simone asked, throwing pleasantries to the wind.
She was a daddy's girl through and through. Especially with growing up with a super-controlling mother who demanded perfection and excellence at every corner. Her father had been her shield and hero. Letting her be her when her mother wasn't around.
Simon loved his wife and could not see any wrong in her, or maybe he just ignored it. But he loved his only child too. To keep them both happy, he had to play the devil's advocate to both.
"She is at that charity gala she was yapping about all week. Is everything alright darling?" He asked, going back into the kitchen, knowing Simone would follow.
And judging from the clicking of heels, he knew she was right behind him. He set out to make another cup of tea for his daughter, a small smile gracing his lips. It had been their thing to have late-night tea until his daughter grew up and left the nest. Now he drank alone. Carol found tea disgusting and opted for a glass of wine or sherry instead. Only his baby girl got him.
"Everything is peaches, I just have a bone to pick with your darling wife," Simone stated, growling out the word wife as she slammed her clutch on the kitchen island and sat down.
"What did she do this time?" Simon asked with a sigh.
His wife and daughter were like cat and dog or cat and mouse. They were always at each other's throats. He tried to keep the peace but any man knew not to get too involved in female squabbles.
"That's what I want to know also. I just had dinner with J.J Stein and he was just spouting nonsense. I need mother to explain what in the world that i***t was talking about." Simone told her father, her temper barely in check.
"Aah Stein junior is not good at being subtle," Simon said as he brought a cup to her. He now knew exactly what had Simone all riled up.
"You knew about this?" Simone asked as she grabbed the hot mug in both hands, hoping the heat would melt her anger.
"Of course, there is nothing your mother does that I do not know. She told me her plan and I told her you would not like it even if it made good business sense. So, in the end, she said you will have the chance to decide on it." Simon said, moving to the kitchen island to sit with Simone following suit.
"I have decided there is no chance in hell I would shackle myself up with J.J. I told him as much," Simone told her father. Of all the idiots to pick J.J Stein was the biggest of them all.
"Your mother means well," Simon said to his daughter.
He knew the reason his wife did these things. As their only child, they both just wanted her protected and taken care of. It was not easy to find good, genuine people. All Claire wanted was to make sure their baby girl would not be taken advantage of. He did not think anyone could beat Simone, his daughter was as smart as she was ruthless.
"Do not start on that, Dad. I know she is the love of your life and all but she needs to stop meddling in my life." Simone said with an eye roll.
Her parent were the most mismatched couple she knew. Her mother enjoyed the limelight and the glitz and glamour of being a socialite. She was always flawless and perfect one would think she was not human. Her father on the other hand was very relaxed. Simone knew that if he could he would go to the events he was dragged to in jeans and loafers. But they loved each other just like that. And that's what she hoped to get. Not the business arrangement that her mother tried to get her into.
"She just wants you happy and with a good man." her father told her.
"Her methods are infuriating, first the catalog and now the Stein imbecile. When the time is right I will meet someone. She needs to stop trying to set me up with the city's most eligible. Most of them are bird-brained idiotic jerks,"
"Given your track record when it comes to dating, you can not blame your mother for worrying. Not even a single rumor about a possible date. Hell, honey, not even a compromising picture in the magazines, " Simon joked.
"You know as my father you should be telling me to avoid boys or something not pushing me to boys," she responded shaking her head with an amused smile.
"You are getting old and I want grandchildren, sue me," he said with a wink.
"I am not that old, plus I have been busy." Simone countered defensively.
"I know peanut but now you can ease up a little. Take days off and go clubbing or whatever the kids are doing now, " her father suggested.
"And leave my company to crumble, I do not think so," she said.
"Now you're just being dramatic like your mother. A night out with friends here and there will not bring ruin. I worked hard, but I also made time to enjoy myself. You should do that too,"
"Maybe. One day. For now please tell mom to butt out. If she pulls another stunt like this late-night tea will not calm me," Simone said as she got up and picked up her bag.
"Hey, do not underestimate the power of tea," Simon said getting up too.
"I will see you tomorrow," she told him as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Are you sleeping over?" her father asked.
"And have your wife nag me in the morning before coffee, no thank you," Simone said as she walked to the door with her father following.
"Ok then, tell your grandma I said hi. I did not get the chance to see her today," Simon said with a smile.
"How did you know I was going there?" Simone asked as she got into her car.
"Honey, I know everything," was her father's reply before her driver closed her door.
- Writer
