Inner Circle (9 page)

Andrew circled his finger in the air as an indication that he was wrapping up his call. Eve smiled politely, hoping that the beads of sweat that began to heat the back of her neck didn’t make their way to her brow. As she waited she thought about how much she actually missed Miami. Los Angeles had proven to be good to Eve, yet, there was nothing like being home. Although L.A. was where she and Chase lived, even after five years, she personally hadn’t been able to become firmly rooted there enough to call it home. After all, Miami had been the place of many firsts for Eve. It was where she first learned to walk, attended her first day of school, and even lost her first tooth. It was also when she first fell in love, first had sex, and had her first heartbreak.

Nadia had immigrated from Puerto Rico and settled in Miami when she was only seventeen. Prior to giving birth to Eve three years later, Nadia had made the trip home to Puerto Rico at least twice a year. Although the details surrounding what had happened to cause her to stop visiting her family had always been shaky where Eve was concerned, Nadia vowed that once Eve was born, she would never return to Puerto Rico again.

At twenty-nine, Eve had never met any of her mother’s family. Although she knew about her mother’s seven siblings and grandmother and grandfather, outside of pictures, a few calls, and a couple of Christmas and birthday cards, Eve had never spent time with any of them. She would often beg her mother to allow her to go to Puerto Rico during the summers, but her mother would always reject her requests, stating that everything she needed was in Miami. When Eve was a teenager, she’d saved her money with hopes to surprise her mother by arranging to have her sister Sylvia come for a visit. However, when Nadia got wind of what Eve had planned, she beat her with a dustpan from the room she was cleaning until Eve promised to
never interfere with her personal life again. Eve learned firsthand just how serious secrets were in her family and if her mother said not to do something, then by all means, she shouldn’t do it.

Eve shook her head as she examined the small scar on her left wrist. The metal from the dustpan cut into her skin, leaving a permanent mark reminding her of her mother’s wrath. When asked about it, Eve would often lie and say it was a birthmark, reminding her of not only where she came from but also of where she was forbidden to ever go. For the life of her, Eve didn’t understand what the big deal was with connecting with her family in Puerto Rico, yet whatever it was, Nadia was hell-bent on insisting that Eve never found out.

“Well, well, now, Eve, it’s sure good to see you, darlin’. How have you been?” Andrew greeted as he made his way from behind his desk in an effort to give his prized protégé a hug.

Eve leaned in appropriately and returned a hug to Andrew. “I’ve been good,” she beamed brightly, trying hard to mask her need of an immediate departure.

“Sorry about that call, darlin’, but with us finally opening up offices in London, and, of course, my home state of Texas, I’ve gotta get in as many calls a day to ensure everything is what it should be.”

“I always wondered how a Texas oilman like you ended up in Miami.”

“For the Hurricanes, obviously,” Andrew laughed. “I come from five generations of University of Miami football playing graduates. As loyal as we are to our dear state, everyone who is anyone knows that some of the finest athletes in the world come from the hurricane capital. And I’m no exception.”

Eve smiled as Andrew pointed to his custom-framed jersey bearing the #7 on it.

“I knew after my shoulder blew out on me my sophomore year that I’d have to play on the opposite side of the field, but I also knew
that if I got in the game in any capacity, I’d be the best. Five partnering offices later . . .” Andrew’s smile was wide.

“That you are,” Eve agreed.

“How’s that husband of yours treating you? And how’s your mama?”

“Chase is fine, doing really well this season, and my mom . . .” Eve hesitated. “Well, let’s just say the more things change, the more they stay the same.”

Andrew laughed out loud. “Is she still having a fit about you and Chase getting married?”

“Absolutely.”

“Well, it’s certainly her prerogative to feel that way about it. Tell you the truth, I don’t know how keen I’d be on either one of my daughters marrying anyone in sports, either. You just see and hear too much is all. I don’t think any parent desires for their kids to marry into any situation where the temptation for trouble awaits them because their spouses are in the public’s eye. Not that every marriage doesn’t have trouble, but trouble under a microscope is altogether different. I’d say your mama has a right to worry.”

Eve appreciated Andrew’s words and as with everything else he’d ever told her, she allowed the words to sink in. “Speaking of my mother, I’m supposed to meet her in half an hour before heading back to L.A.”

“That’s fine, darlin’, I won’t keep you. I’ve just missed you the last few times you were out here; wanted to make sure you are okay,” he said leaning against his hand-carved mahogany-colored desk.

“Things are good. The partners and people in the L.A. office are treating me with the upmost respect and courtesies. Although I miss you guys immensely, I’m doing all right out there.”

“No one can close the deals quite like you, Eve, that’s for sure.”

“Mr. Rothberg,” Kimberly, Andrew’s assistant, interrupted, “sorry to interrupt you, but Drew Rosenhaus’s office is on the line; says it’s urgent.”

Almost as if on cue, Eve rose from the plush chocolate-colored leather chair she was sitting in and gave Andrew a good-bye hug. “Dinner when you come to L.A. next week?” she quizzed as she gathered her things and made her way to the door.

“Most definitely!” he replied, making his way around his desk and back into his oversized cherry-leather studded chair. “Have Kimberly put it on my calendar on your way out. Good seeing you, darlin’.”

Eve closed the door to Andrew’s office behind her, stopped at Kimberly’s desk in an effort to coordinate her schedule to accommodate Andrew’s visit to Los Angeles, then darted to the elevators and out the door to the town car awaiting her with hopes to make it across town in time to make lunch with her mother. With six months having passed since their last visit together, she knew being late to meet her mother was not an option.

Eve secured her seat belt and tried to relax her mind. She focused her thoughts back to Andrew’s advice about cutting her mother some slack. Although Nadia had refused to come to her wedding, refused to meet Chase’s family, and refused to come or even set foot in their house in L.A., Nadia was still her mother, the only blood relative she knew and had. And even though the rules of the game weren’t fair, the situation was what it was, and if Eve knew her mother, how it was, was exactly how it would stay.

Eve
leaned her head against the air-conditioned cool leather booth back as she waited for her mother to complete her order. She rolled her eyes at her mother’s constant ability to drag out even the simplest of tasks. Every time she took her mother to lunch it was always to the Houston’s across the street from Nadia’s store. No matter how many changes they made to the menu, Nadia always ordered the same thing: salmon with a side of asparagus, lightly seasoned, with a large iced-green tea, yet Nadia insisted on having the waitress recite the selection of specials anyway.

Eve laughed out loud as the waitress took her mother’s usual order as well as her Ahi Tuna salad request.

“Why are you laughing?” Nadia asked as she placed her napkin on her lap.

“You do this every time, Ma. You make the waitress go through all of that, only to order the same thing. Why do you even bother?” Eve joked.

“You never know when I may hear something that prompts me to change.”

“The day you change is probably the day the world comes to an end.” Eve took a long swig from her plum martini.

“I’ll have you know, the last time I came here, I ordered the swordfish,” Nadia stated proudly.

“Let me guess. Before they filled the order, you had the server cancel it and bring you the salmon, right?” Eve stated matter-of-factly.

“Stop acting like you know me,” Nadia laughed out loud. “The fact remains, I ordered something new. Baby steps,
mija
. . .”

“I hear you, Ma.” Eve joined in her mother’s laughter. “How’s the store doing?”

“Well, you should stop by and pick out some things for yourself instead of having me send you boxes of new clothes every month.”

“What are you complaining about? You know me and the other wives are some of your best customers. You’re racking up five to ten grand a month on me alone. Not to mention the eBay store you’ve got set up on all things I wear once then return to you.”

“You’re not the only savvy businesswoman, you know.”

“I’m not knocking your hustle, Ma,” Eve laughed out loud. “I want you to do well. Actually, I’m really proud of you.” Eve placed her hand on top of her mother’s.

“I’m doing all right. Can’t complain. At least not about work anyway.” Nadia took a sip of her iced-green tea.

“Well, you look great, Ma. You seeing anyone?” Eve cringed as soon as the question departed from her mouth. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

Nadia pursed her lips and dusted her neatly cut honey-colored bangs with her fingers. “It’s okay. Yes, actually, I am seeing someone. Three months now.”

There was an awkward silence between them. Eve waited for an invitation to further explore the conversation, especially since Nadia had made painfully clear during her last visit to not ask about her love life since any and all comments regarding Eve and Chase’s relationship was off-limits.

“You seem happy, is all. I’m glad you found someone.”

“No, I’m glad the right man found
me,
” Nadia corrected.

Eve took a deep breath trying hard to fight the urge to say what was really on her mind. She tasted a small trickle of blood in her mouth as she chewed the inside of her cheek so hard that it broke the skin.

“What is that supposed to mean? So now, Chase is not a good guy?” Eve snapped.

“Who said anything about Chase?” Nadia snapped back. “You asked me about me.”

“And yet you always manage to throw jabs at my marriage. What the hell kind of comment is that, Ma? No, a good man found you . . .”

Nadia chuckled. “Every time,
mija
. Every time you find offense with my words. I don’t need to throw jabs at you. You’ve already made your choice. I couldn’t stop you then, and I’m not trying to influence you now.”

“It’s always my fault, huh, Ma?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Ev. I haven’t said anything about you. If you’re feeling a certain way, than that’s on you. But don’t go ruining my happy moment because you apparently have issues.”

“Chase and I are fine. We just celebrated five fabulous years of marriage together,” Eve boasted.

“Great,” Nadia said dryly.

“Unbelievable!” Eve shouted, causing stares from a few curious onlookers.

Nadia looked around and smiled politely at the handful of guests looking their way. “What is your problem?” she managed to say between clenched teeth.

Embarrassed by her outburst, Eve lowered her head. “Why won’t you come to L.A. and visit me, Ma? I’ve been married five years. I’ve been happy for five years. You were wrong.” Eve wiped the tears that had taken up residence in the corners of her eyes. “Chase is a good man. Why can’t you just give us a chance?”

“You don’t listen—”

“I’ve heard every negative thing you’ve ever said about Chase,” Eve interrupted her mother.

“Proof! You see,
this
is what I mean, Eve. You don’t listen . . . You just hear. You only hear what you want to hear rather than listening to what I’ve really said. This isn’t about Chase. This isn’t even about me coming to Los Angeles. This is about you and your need to control everything and everybody. But not me. No! L.A. is your home, and Miami is mine. The difference is this—mi casa is su casa, not vice versa. Understood?”

Silence returned as the waitress placed their meals down in front of them. After confirming everything was correct with their orders, the server walked away, leaving them under the thick cloud of discomfort their conversation had just created.

“I just miss you, Ma.” Eve whispered as she struggled to swallow the knot of pride that had formed in her throat.

“I miss you too,
mija
. But I’m not ready for L.A., and unfortunately for you, coming to L.A. is my choice to make.” Nadia took her fork and scooped a huge portion of Eve’s Ahi Tuna salad from her plate. She opened her mouth wide, stuffing the contents inside it.

Eve watched in amazement as her mother chewed the large bite of food slowly. She’d never seen Nadia be so daring with food before in her life. Eve realized this was her mother’s way of lightening the mood she’d so dramatically created and for that Eve was grateful.

“Not bad,” Nadia confessed.

Eve burst into laughter as she welcomed her mother to another helping of her salad. Waving her white flag of defeat, she knew there was no winning the visit to L.A. battle. She realized now that in order to win the war with her mother, she’d have to choose her battles a bit more wisely. And instead of jumping into a full-on fight, forcing her will and her way onto her mom, she’d take her mother’s advice of taking “baby steps.” She whispered the answer to herself, knowing that was truly the only way to win the war.

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