Mr. Hahn laughed again to himself. “It’s honorable to protect the woman you love, but before you turn your back on your family, be sure that the woman is worth the loss.”
I started to run as I heard one of them coming my way, but then Mr. Hahn began to speak again. “Anthony. Don’t leave like this. There’s no reason we can’t enjoy the meal you mother has prepared for us. You wouldn’t want to let her down, would you?” There was a long pause. “We’ll finish discussing it later. No one has to even know that we had this conversation but you and me.”
A few seconds later I heard them both walking toward me. I slid quietly into the bathroom and latched the door. I waited until I heard them pass by before I breathed. As I looked at my reflection in the mirror, I suddenly felt stupid for ever trying to impress them. Without speaking to me at all, he’d summed me up with one general term – no good. There was one thing that was for certain, I had to try my best to be myself and not let on that I’d heard AJ’s conversation with his father. I took a couple of deep breaths and sucked it up as I walked out of the bathroom with my head held high. I tucked my emotions in my back pocket and put on a happy face. As best as I could anyway.
I rejoined AJ and his family in the living room and didn’t dare make eye contact with Mr. Hahn. AJ walked to meet me and led me back to the couch to sit next to him. There was an awkward period of silence before Mrs. Hahn stood and announced that she had to put the finishing touches on dinner. My eyes followed her as she walked out of the room.
In my peripheral, I saw Mr. Hahn snap his head in my direction. “So…….Samantha. What do your parents do for a living?” He asked. I had half a mind to tell him that my father was a drug dealer and my mother was a prostitute. That’s what he wanted to hear right? I clenched my jaw as I resisted speaking the words.
“My father’s a doctor with his own practice and my mother’s an elementary school teacher.” I couldn’t control my smug tone when I responded.
He was visibly shocked by my answer. “Wow. That’s interesting.” I’ll bet it is. I smirked and then turned to look out the window at the falling snow. My goal was to ignore him to let him know that I preferred not to converse with him, but he didn’t seem to get the hint. “Are you planning to attend college? A local community school perhaps?” He asked with a smirk on his face.
AJ turned his head sharply toward his father. No, actually I’m going to hair school to support my six bastard children while I wait for AJ to finish school and support me – that was what I wanted to say. “Actually none of the local schools appealed to me, so I decided to go to Charleston University.” I’d shocked him yet again.
“Charleston’s a good school. Do your parents know someone on staff there who helped you get admitted?” He asked sneeringly.
Relentless. “No, I was admitted based on my own academic merit. No, string pulling. No ghetto ‘hook-ups’ from Daddy’s homeboy Pooky from back in the day. Just me and my grades.” I smiled sweetly, masking my anger.
By this point AJ figured that something was up and didn’t allow his father and I to finish our pleasant conversation. He grabbed my hand and pulled me from the couch. “That’s enough. Why don’t I show you my room.” As he took me away I looked back over my shoulder and saw Mr. Hahn staring at me with a mischievous grin on his face. I rolled my eyes and then turned around.
When we reached the hall outside of AJ’s bedroom he stopped and leaned me against the wall. “What was that about?”
“I tried to pretend, but I couldn’t do it,” I replied.
His expression was questioning. “Pretend? What are you talking about?”