********
He didn’t want to be here, amongst this guest of people who didn’t know about him, and he also didn’t want to be in the same room with the man standing not so far from him who literally hated him just because his name was Adam and His mother had insisted that his birth name to carry Pope because his father was Gerald Pope.
He could literally feel the hot steam of boiling anger oozing from Gerald as he watched him and the Mayor talking , and he couldn’t do anything about it, unless he wanted to offend the Mayor. And from everything he had gathered with the short conversation with the Mayor, he is a major financer to Gerald’s recent scientific project overseas, something that brought in so much more. Guess Gerald didn’t want to piss him off, that’s why he was standing there like a good boy..
That’s it, stand there for once and say nothing. Adam smiled
“…so Hilarious, Maggie, that child would be the death of me one day, I tell her mother” The Mayor is saying, everyone graces it with a laugh, Adam joins in even though not getting the joke. He figured no one did too, but because Money talks, bullshit works.
He smiles at the Mayor as he made another halfbaked joke. He should go see his mother, he wanted to read to her before she slept, he hadn’t spent time with her for a few days and he didn’t like it.
“if you would excuse me sir I would take my leave “ Adam says
“Nonsense. By the way young man, I didn’t ask how you got an invite into the party, my guards didn’t seem to like the way you easily beat them to a pulp, what are you, a writer and a black belter?” the Mayor chuckles, so did the others
Did they like laugh when he did? So would they take a shit if he did too? The way money controlled people, he never understood it.
“ well, I enjoy some fitness every now and then, and I don’t need an invite sir to be here” Adam says
“How so..even I had to be invited” the laughs again.
“ No I meant…”
“Mayor, shall we discuss another project I am working on , and then we cut that massive cake being rolled into the room about now, and …”
“In a minute Gerald, this young man has pigued my interest, what is your name?” the Mayor held his finger up to quiet Gerald
“He is no one of importance …” Gerald cuts in
Adam chuckles..
Yeah, Gerald always made him feel irrelevant. He had gotten used to it.
He stopped caring when he was 10 years old when his father told his school never to call him for anything “father days” and that they should change his name from Adam Pope to Adam whatever they wanted. Then he went and tore his birth certificat , everything that implied Adam was a pope.
Of course, his mother had to go to court to swear an affidavit for a name stick, after they have had two straight days fight.
Gerald publicly acknowledged Adam as “not his son”, and that meant..no one knew who Adam was to him, well except his mother, Damien and the helps in the house who had stayed with them for years or who were around during their fights. Outside the four walls of their home…Adam Pope was another dude who shared the same surname with a certain Pope and nothing else.
And he had stopped feeling pained about it, or even cared. He still didn’t. but it still sort of hurt when he does this..make-him-feel-like-shit in front of his friends..it hurts like hell.
“I was asking the young man Gerald..”
the Mayor replies, he turns to Adam “ Your name?”
Adam manages a smile “No one sir.”
“Oh, see what you have done Gerald. Tell me son, I promise I won’t squeal” everyone laughs, Gerald’s eyes were cold, like he was daring him to say it, and then he would take the pleasure to trash him down just the way he did, always did.
“Adam, Adam Thelma Cruz” He replied, Geralds eyes is filled with shock and then back to cold ice
“Cruz? From the Gibson Cruz family?”
“Yes sir. “
“You are the grandson of Gibson, he had only one daughter Thelma, married to ..” He glances at Gerald and then back “Are you Gerald’s son, I thought his only son died” The Mayor is confused
“No, I am not Gerald’s Son, I am just Thelma’s Son, and Yes my brother is late” Adam stares coldly at Gerald.
Happy now father, hope you feel good, I helped you tell them how I am nothing to you and not related to you either. Oh, you are welcome.
He needed to get out of here, else he could punch someone in his anger rising.
People are murmuring, Gerald isn’t pleased. That’s why he didn’t want that bastard here. Over the years he had hosted parties, either the fool hadn’t been around or choose to come in when they had left. They avoided each other like plagues.
He never told anyone, about Adam. Everyone knew he had only one son Damien who died, Adam had meant nothing to him from the beginning , and he still does till now. If he had been stupid to tell the mayor he was his son, he was going to wash him down to nothing right here, he won’t associate this boy to his person.
NEVER!!!
“Gerald, you never told me about this Adam, your wife’s son. I assume before you married her?”
Gerald nods , “it never came up”
Mayor smiles, sadly “well, I must say he has that same fire in your eyes when you first walked into my office those years ago, that confident and fearless spirit, and he has that stubborn chin too” they laugh, the Pope men don’t
“But he is a talented young man, Maggie made me read one of his works, there wasn’t a full name but an ‘A’ for authors name, good stuff. Have him come by my office, I may have something he might love. Have you thought of having your own publishing house and firm, a lot of people would learn from you. I wanted to be a writer once, I dropped the dream in grad school” he says turning to Gerald and Adam
“He may not be your Son Gerald, but, if he is your wife’s, then you should love him as one, life is too short, you never know who might help us feel the void of loved ones gone too soon, trust me I know.” He says
Gerald stiffens. Never!!
Adam shakes his head.. that would be till hell freezes over
Then the Mayor looks up, his eyes sparkles “Ah, you look magnificient, see why roses shouldn’t be hidden”
He says beckoning to someone as the room parted for her to come closer to him “Simply magnificent !!!’’
Gerald eyes moves a bit, then goes back cold, Adam turns and looks, then his heart literally stops
Was that ..was that the nurse..
He blinks a couple of times..
“You didn’t tell me your name beautiful?’ the Mayor give her his hands and then she takes it as they walk into the crowd
“Marybeth Stowe” she says, risking a glance at the Pope men, one was frowning painfully, the other..
Wait..the other was looking at her with shock and then something else entirely..
She felt hot suddenly, it suddenly felt like the way he looked at her that night on his bed, when they stared at each other and she felt he wanted to kiss her again.
Stop it Marybeth, don’t think such things.
“Beautiful, dance with me. You just made this evening lovelier” he whispers into her ears “Adam, stay and enjoy the party, and Gerald stop looking like Grumpy..it’s your 10th Anniversary, grab a lady and dance. Everyone..dance” he says as he guided her to the floor and they begin to dance.
Gerald instead decides to have a brief talk with investors who got his attention immediately, he throws Adam a wicked glance that read “You are not needed here, just get out”
Adam grabs a drink from the passing waiter, raises it to him and then winks “Oh, I aint going no where..for now. Infact I am going to enjoy this party” he drinks it, Gerrald scrowls and turns away
Adam stands by the corner watching the dance floor, his eyes never leaving the all-of-a-sudden breathtaking beautiful woman wearing a low cut dress showing all her contours and curves in the right places
Where the hell did she get that dress.
No, more importantly, where the hell did she hide that body.
Damn !!
Her slit at the front left leg going all the way just below delicate area was making his heart palpate..she had beautiful long legs, and her bosom rightly perked
Stop it Adam, you are checking out the nurse. He chides himself
But he couldn’t help it, he suddenly remembers that night, her lips was soft, her body was softer, her warmth down there was..
His frontal shorts felt uncomfortable. He finishes his drinks.
This wasn’t the first time he had seen a beautiful woman, he had seen them plenty, even had his own share of them. But there was something about Nurse Marybeth.. was it her annoying attitude of butting in into things that didn’t concern her, entering into trouble with his father, or the fact that she was stubborn and that she had a sharp mouth.. that mouth coated with red lipstick he would love to trail his tongue over now..
Stop it Adam. He sighs.
People clap, their dance had ended, They were coming towards him, he frowns
“Attention please, Ceo Gerald Pope would like to say a few words” someone says and then spot light is on Gerald.
Marybeth is standing beside him with the Mayor who keeps saying stuffs to her and she smiles.
What the hell was this old man saying to her to have her giggling, was she into old men.
He knew it, her type liked the affluence and wealth. He suddenly became pissed.
Admit it Adam, you are jealous .
Shut up!!
