My One-night Stand, Soon To Be My Uncle

Landon was dressed in a black suit. Mom was wearing a coral-coloured maxi dress with an empire waist. They were standing close together, deep in conversation. Landon came to me as soon as he spotted me. ‘I got a call from Grandma this afternoon,’ he said in a low voice. ‘I thought you were sleeping, so I didn’t disturb you.’ ‘Uh-huh.’ I took his arm like I always did in the past. The sight of him repulsed me, but I had enough sense not to air my dirty laundry in public. ‘Have you seen Rainey?’ ‘She’s over there. Do you want to go over and say hi?’ Landon wasn’t involved in the family business, but he knew there was no love lost between me and my so-called aunt. ‘Of course I will say hi to her. She’s thirty years old and finally engaged. That’s quite a feat. I have to offer my congratulations.’ The Queen Bitch was standing in front of a raised stage, talking with a small knot of people. She wore a champagne-coloured cheongsam with a slit that opened way past mid-thigh. More than one pair of eyes landed on her legs. Standing right next to her was a man, towering above the rest of the crowd. He had on a midnight blue Brioni suit, handmade. His cufflinks looked familiar. He held a champagne flute with one hand. The other hand was stuck in his pants pocket. He stood there casually, cutting quite a striking figure. But that wasn’t why I was staring. My mind went blank for a few seconds. My legs, still aching, carried me forward mechanically. My hand flew to my chest. The hickeys and bite marks were covered by the Bermuda collar, but I knew they were still there. Left by the stranger who screwed my brains out last night. The stranger who was standing less than three metres away, fully dressed and looking handsome. He saw me as well, but his face showed no sign of recognition. ‘Amiyah, don’t you know your aunt is getting engaged today? Why are you dressed like this?’ As usual, Shannon, my step-grandmother, fired the opening salvo. She wore a sleeveless hand-stitched cheongsam with a floral print and clutched a Gucci Horsebit 1955. Both her arms were covered with enough bracelets and bangles to start her own jewellery boutique. Shannon’s age was a jealously guarded secret, but I pegged her at somewhere south of fifty-five. Which made her just a few years older than my dad and at least two decades younger than Grandpa. The thick layer of powder did nothing to hide the crow’s feet around her eyes. She was standing in front of Rainey like an overprotective mother hen, her face scrunched up in disgust. I could smell the stink of her perfume from a mile away. ‘My dad just passed away last week,’ I said in a voice loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. ‘What’s wrong with me wearing black?’ ‘This is your aunt’s engagement party,’ she repeated, glowering at me. ‘Behave yourself. I don’t want you to make a fool of yourself in front of your uncle.’ Saying this, she flashed an ingratiating smile at the tall stranger, the man who took my virginity. ‘Kieran, I’m sorry about Amiyah. She’s always been the black sheep of the family. The girl has no manners.’ ‘Grandma, your daughter and I share a last name. If I have no manners, that’s not going to reflect so well on her either, right?’ I crossed my arms. ‘Besides, even though you didn’t give birth to my dad, he still called you Mom. Do you think it’s such a good idea to have a party so soon after his death? Aren’t you afraid he’s going to come back and haunt you in your sleep?’ I was making a scene, and enjoying every moment of it. Pain to Shannon and Rainey was pleasure to me. I couldn’t give a damn about what others thought of me, including the stranger who was about to become my uncle. ‘Amiyah, watch your tongue!’ Shannon’s face was beet red. She would have clawed my eyes out if we were at home. But right now, she had a public image to maintain. Which worked to my advantage. I jutted my chin and curled my lip. The angrier she was, the happier I got. I hoped she suffered a brain aneurysm and dropped dead. That was a surefire way to make this engagement party the most memorable of them all. ‘Mom, that’s enough. Amiyah has gone through a lot.’ Rainey had to play the peacemaker because no one else would. The guests were pricking up their ears, eager for more drama to unfold. The Queen Bitch put on a convincing act as she looked at me and said, in a voice properly apologetic, ‘Amiyah, please forgive Mom and me. I know this is a bit of a shock, but the company’s share price dropped by three points since your dad passed away. We’re in desperate need of some good news. So we had to bring the engagement forward. The support of the Valentines is immensely important for us.’ She put her palms together like a faithful supplicant. ‘Surely, you’ll understand?’ She begged me with her voice but goaded me with a malicious gleam in her eyes. She would have made an excellent actress. Everyone else around her was fooled by the act. Everyone except me. Guests were throwing disapproving glances my way. They were pointing and whispering, probably blaming me for making a scene at my aunt’s engagement party and for acting like a spoiled brat. ‘Amiyah, today’s Rainey’s big day.’ Landon put his hand on my shoulder, restraining me. Was he afraid I would get into a catfight with the Queen Bitch? I took a deep breath. Anger was still raging inside my chest. But I knew it would accomplish nothing if I kept on arguing with Rainey. I turned around to leave. But the Queen Bitch wouldn’t let me off that easily. She grabbed my arm.