Naked

As soon as I got the chicken started and my hands were washed I decided to call my dad. It would be morning for him but he’d be at work by now and if he wasn’t too busy we could have a chat. I set my phone on speaker and dialed his office.

“Tom Bennett.”

“Hey, Daddy.”

“Princess! I’ve missed hearing your sweet voice. This is a surprise.” I smiled at my dad’s choice of name for me. He’d been calling me Princess ever since I could remember. And now that I was twenty-four years old, he didn’t seem bothered in the slightest about continuing with the nickname either.

“I thought I’d call you for a change. I just miss you.”

“Is everything all right over there in London? Getting excited for the Olympics? How was Benny’s show? Did you like how your pictures looked when they were blown up huge on canvas?”

I laughed. “That was four questions all at once, Dad. Give a girl a break would ya!”

“Sorry, Princess, I just get excited to hear from you. You’re so far away and busy with your life. The proofs you sent of your photos were magnificent. Tell me about Benny’s show.”

“Well, it was a success. Ben did well and the pictures sold. I’ve had some more jobs too, so I’m just taking it slow and we’ll see where this leads.” I was happy I could talk to my dad like this and that he supported my modeling. He thought it was good for me, unlike my mother who was embarrassed by her daughter posing sans clothing.

“You’re going to be famous the world over,” he said. “I’m proud of you, Princess. I think that the modeling is going to help you. I hope you feel that way.” He sounded a little off to me, almost sad. “What are you doing right now?”

“I’m making dinner. Tacos. I have a friend coming over in a bit. Dad, is everything okay with you?”

He hesitated for a moment before answering me. I could tell there was something on his mind. “Brynnie, you heard about the plane that went down and Congressman Woodson’s death?”

“Yeah. He was the one they were going to tap for vice president? That was big news even for over here. Why, Dad?”

“Have you heard about who is replacing Woodson on the ticket?”

I never expected the name he told me. And just like that the past reared up and dug its claws in again.

“Oh no! Do not tell me Senator Oakley got the nomination! You’ve got to be kidding me if that—that—man, could be the next Vice President of the United States! How is it possible they want him? Daddy—”

“I know, sweetheart. He’s been working his way up the food chain these last years. First State Senator and now U.S. Senator—”

“Yeah well, I hope they all go down in a big ball of flames.”

“Brynnie, this is serious stuff. There’ll be digging into his past to find dirt on Oakley—on his family—by the incumbent party. I want you to be careful. If anyone approaches you or sends you anything suspicious you need to let me know right away. These people have the resources to dig down deep. They are like sharks. When they scent even a drop of blood get ready for a sneak attack.”

“Well Senator Oakley is the guy with the demon seed for a son. I’d say he has a very big problem then.”

“I know, sweetie. And Oakley’s people will work just as hard to keep his family secrets buried. It’s not a nice situation and I hate that you’re so far away from home. But I do think in this case it might be a good thing that you’re in London. I don’t want anyone to hurt you and the further removed you are the better. No evil stories to surface in the news or…anything else.”

Like a video. I knew that’s what my dad was thinking of. That video was still out floating around in cyberspace somewhere.

“You’re doing so well, Princess. I can hear it in your voice and that makes your old dad smile. So who is this friend you’re cooking dinner for? It’s not a man is it?”

I smiled as I mixed up the corn salsa. “Well I met someone, Dad. He’s really special in a lot of ways. He bought my picture at Benny’s show. That’s how we met.”

“Really.”

“Yeah.” It felt weird telling my dad about Ethan all of a sudden. Maybe because I’d never talked to him about boyfriends much. There had never been reason to. I hadn’t wanted one for a long, long time.

“Tell me more. What does he do for a living? How old is he? Oh and go ahead and let me have his number while you’re at it. I need to give him a call and set him straight on the ground rules with my baby girl.”

I laughed nervously. “Well, I think it’s a little late for that, Dad. Ethan’s pretty special like I said. We spend a lot of time together. He really listens to me and I feel truly…happy with him. He understands me.”

Dad got quiet for a minute. I think he was shocked to hear me talk about a man like I really cared. And I shouldn’t have been too surprised either. Ethan was the first in a long line of firsts with me.

“What is this Ethan’s last name and what does he do for a living?”

“Blackstone. He’s thirty-two and he owns a private security company. He’s so paranoid he has me assigned to a driver so I won’t take the Tube to get around. All the influx of people for the Olympics has him nervous. So you don’t have to worry about my safety at all. Ethan is a pro.”

“Wow, that does sound serious. Are you…are you guys sleep—in a relationship?”

I laughed again, this time feeling sorry for my dad in his obvious discomfort. “Yeah, Dad. We’re having a relationship. I told you this one’s special.” I waited into the silence on the other end of the phone and started warming tortillas. “In fact he won some big poker tournaments in the states about six years ago. I thought you might have heard of him.”

“Hmmmm,” Dad muttered. “Maybe, I’d have to check.” I heard some muffled talking in the background.

“I should let you go, Dad. You’re working and I just wanted to say hi and tell you what’s been happening with me. I’m doing well and things are good.”

“Okay, Princess. I’m so glad you called. And I’m happy if my baby girl is happy. Be safe and tell your new boyfriend if he hurts you he is a dead boyfriend. Don’t forget. And give him my number too. Tell him your dad wants to have a little man-to-man with him sometime. We can talk about poker.”