Looking confused, Eleni asked, “What’s that?”
“Dex has been telling the staff at every restaurant we’ve gone to this week that it’s my birthday. I’ve had four cakes and four serenades.”
“Gotta love a man with a sense of humor. Do you have an older brother by any chance, Dex?” Eleni teased.
Oh the irony.
A tall, blond guy saved me from the awkwardness of that comment.
“Dex?” He extended his hand. “Brian…Alexandra’s husband. Nice to meet you.”
Offering him a firm handshake, I said, “Good to put a face to the name, Brian. Bianca’s told me a lot about you.”
“Where are the girls?” Bianca asked.
“They tagged along with Alex to the store.” He pointed to a plethora of appetizers that were laid out on the granite island. “Help yourself to some food. I’ve got a mini bar set up in the corner there.”
“Thanks, Bri.” Bianca smiled but when her brother-in-law walked away, I could tell she was starting to freak out a little. She was staring off into space, her gaze fixed on an electric fireplace built into the wall.
Rubbing her back, I asked, “You okay?”
She blew out a shaky breath. “Yeah. I’m not going to talk to her until after the party. I don’t want to ruin it.”
I spoke low. “Okay. Whatever you’re comfortable with. Let me make you a drink. What do you feel like?”
“A rum and Coke would be great.”
After preparing her drink, I noticed an influx of commotion at the front door. Bianca’s sister had apparently returned with her daughters. I stayed back in the kitchen, letting Bianca have some time with her nieces.
The sound of a woman’s heels nearing the kitchen caused me to straighten my posture. I flashed a smile as her sister approached me. My smile quickly faded as an uncomfortable familiarity set in.
I knew her.
I just couldn’t figure out why I seemed to know her.
I couldn’t even remember what I’d said to her during our introduction. It was all a blur because I was too focused on her face, trying to decipher the mystery.
My mind was racing, our conversation moving in and out of my brain like Formula One cars speeding around a racetrack.
Smile.
Nod.
Speak.
Repeat.
Why was she so familiar? Goddamn it, Dex. Think.
At some point during dinner, as I continued to sneak looks at Alexandra, the realization hit me like a ton of bricks. My throat felt like it was closing up.
Without excusing myself, I got up in search of an escape so that Bianca couldn’t sense my sudden panic. Inside the confines of the bathroom, I looked at myself in the mirror. Beads of sweat were forming on my forehead. My heart was pounding so fast that it felt capable of breaking.
Alexandra’s face was familiar because it resembled one I’d looked at every day for half of my life.
She looked just like my father.
It took me ten minutes to gather up enough energy to head back to the dining room.
Bianca took one look at me and seemed confused. “Are you okay, Dex?”
“No…I think I caught some kind of bug.”
“Oh, no!”
“Yeah. Um…I need to leave. I’m so sorry. I know you were counting on me being here, but I really don’t want to get anyone sick.”
And there I was, right back to lying. But telling the truth in this case—at this very moment—was simply not an option. Telling Bianca that I suspected her sister could be my father’s daughter based on the resemblance alone was not an option. But more than that, the unthinkable—that Bianca’s paternity could be in question—wasn’t an option. I couldn’t even go there until I did the math and confronted my father. Couldn’t even fathom it.
“Are you sure?” The look of fear in her eyes seemed to match my own, albeit she was worried for a totally different reason.
“I’m positive. I’m really sorry.”
“It’s okay. Don’t be.”
As I was walking out the door, all I could think was that I wished I’d told her I loved her earlier this week at the restaurant. I’d stopped myself, thinking it was too soon. Now, I wished I’d told her how I felt before everything changed in an instant.
Flustered, I hadn’t even dialed my driver before leaving, so I was standing outside in the cold with no ride. It was starting to rain as I began to walk, weaving through people and traffic. Picking up my cell phone, I dialed my father.
His wife answered, “Hello?”
“Myra, is my father home?”
“Yes. Is everything okay?”
“Please put him on the phone.”
My father’s voice came on a few seconds later. “Dex?”
“Dad…I need you to think, okay?” The words were coming out faster than my mind could conjure them up. “When you and Eleni Georgakopolous had the affair…exactly how many years ago was that?”
“I told you it was ongoing…”
“Twenty-seven…twenty-eight years ago? What? Think!”
“Hang on.” He paused. “It started about twenty-nine years ago and went on for about six years.”
My stomach was turning.
“When you had sex with her…did you use protection?”
Please say yes.
After a pause, he said, “I can’t remember every single time, son.”
“How can you not remember?”
“I think she said she was on the pill, but honestly…it was so long ago.”
I raised my voice. “You never used a condom?”
“No. Never.”
“How could you do that?”
“I guess I trusted her. It wasn’t responsible. Anyway, why are you asking me all of this?”
“I saw Bianca’s sister tonight for the first time.”
“And?”
“Dad...” I swallowed. “She looks like you.”
Silence.
“You think she’s my daughter?”
The rain started to pelt down on me.
“I think there’s a chance.”
“How can you be sure that you’re not just looking for similarities because of what I told you about the affair? You might just be paranoid and looking for trouble.”
“No. I wish that were the case. The thought never even entered my mind until I saw her face. She resembles you too much. But, God, I could have never imagined that you would have been so irresponsible as to allow this possibility. How could you do this?”
“Nothing is confirmed. And even if what you’re saying is true…what are you so worried about?”
“You can’t possibly be asking that? You’re telling me that you could technically be the father of my girlfriend’s sister, that you were sleeping with their mother during the time period when both women were conceived. There are only a couple of years between them. Now I can’t even be sure whether I’m in love with my own sister! How the fuck can you not know what I’m worried about?”
People on the street were staring as I yelled into the phone.
“Calm down, Dex.”
“Don’t tell me to fucking calm down. The only thing that will get me to calm down is to wake up from this nightmare!”
I couldn’t even remember hanging up the phone. The next thing I knew, I was in a liquor store, leaving with a large bottle of Fireball in a brown paper bag.