Seeds of Jealousy

“Brian, there’s a young lady here to see you. She doesn’t have an appointment. She told me to tell you that it’s Dee,” I hear Cynthia tell me over the intercom.

“Send her in” I tell her as I let up off the button, my mind flashes back to ten years earlier.

Ten years Earlier

“I can’t believe you are going off and leaving me.” Dee tells me. Dee has been my best friend for most of my life. We went to high school together. We shared a lot in common, including abusive parents. I was going off to college and she wasn’t. She said that colleges are for those who don’t have lives. She was a rebel.

“I’m not leaving you. I’m just going to college.” I pull her into me.

“You don’t understand. It’s supposed to be us. You and me.” She starts to cry. I hug her closer.

“Dee look, I need to do this for me. I need to show them I will not be just a weak person. I know we said we wouldn’t do anything to prove ourselves to them, but I need to do this for me. It doesn’t mean we can’t still be friends and hang out.”

“Brian, you will be too busy for me once you get there.”

“I will never forget you. So stop acting like I will. We will keep in touch.” I hug her to me.

We didn’t keep in touch like I thought we would. We lost contact somewhere in there. She left town and I never heard from her again. That was ten years ago.

I look up to the knock on the door. “Come in” I get up as I see my old best friend walk in the door.

I walk over to her and hug her. “Dee, it’s great to see you.” She smiles up at me.

“I can’t believe it. You own your own company. I saw one of your ads and thought I would look you up.” She tells me.

“Yes I do. My partner and I have had it for a few months now. Come in. Sit. Tell me what’s going on.”

“Well I know you are wondering where I went. I took off and went to Boston. I needed to get away.”

“Dee, look we kept in touch for a few months afterwards, why didn’t you tell me you were leaving?” I look at her eyes. I know she’s not telling me something.

“I had to go. I had no reason to stay. But I had a reason for leaving.” Just then a pretty little brunette walked in who couldn't be more than ten years old.

“Mom, can I have some change for a drink?” She looks at me and I see the splitting image of my eyes looking at me. “Hi” She said to me.

“Hi. I’m Brian.” I tell her.

“Cool, I’m Brianna” She tells me as she takes change from Dee.

Brianna walks out and I look to Dee. “Pretty thing.”

“Brian,”

“Why name her Brianna? It’s sweet you named her after me.” I look at her.

“She’s named after her father.”

I stumble back and lean against my desk. “You better mean another Brian,” I say to her.

“Brian, the night we got drunk to celebrate graduating we didn’t use protection. Well when I found out, you were in college and I didn’t want to bother you with it. So I left town.” She tells me.

“And you didn’t stop to think that I would want to know. Fuck. She’s what, ten now. I have a ten-year-old daughter that I haven’t heard about. Fuck me Denise. You could have told me.” I sit down as she gets up and walks over to me.

“And what would you have done?” She asks me.

“I would have quit college and got a job and took care of what is mine.”

“Right, and then you would resent us both because we took you out of something you wanted to do.”

“So why now?”

“She was asking about her father. I never spoke bad of you.”

“Glad to know. Denise, I could have been helping you out with money. Damn Dee this is a shocker, even from you.”

“What’s that suppose to mean?”

“It means the rebel never left you. Always looking out for yourself and now me by doing this.”

“Bri, I never meant to hurt you.”

“I know” Justin walks in with some sketches.

“Brian, here are the boards you wanted.” He looks over and sees Denise and looks at me.

“Sorry didn’t know you had a client. I’ll come back.”

“No Sunshine, stay. I want you to meet Denise, also known as Dee. She came to visit me and give me a surprise.”

“Hi Denise, I’m Justin.”

“Hi, please call me Dee.” Just then, the door opened and in peeked Brianna. “Come in” I tell her.

“Justin this is Brianna, my daughter. Brianna, this is Justin, my partner.”

“Nice sketch.” She tells Justin.

“Umm thanks. Brian?” He looks at me.

“I just found out as well so don’t give me that look.”

“Brianna, go get yours out of your bag.” She nods and walks out.

“Brian, how did you not know.” Justin looks at me.

“Because she never told me.”

“Why is it any of your business?” Dee has always been one to speak her mind.

“Because I’m his partner.”

“Shit, Brian do you mean you really are gay?” She looks at me.

“Yes, what did you think it was a phase?” I say resisting my urge to my roll my eyes at her.

“Justin, he didn’t know because I never told him," said Dee looking at Justin.

“And now that I do know, things will be different.” I look from Denise to Justin. He has a look on his face that I don’t know about just yet.


“Brian, I didn’t bring her here to make you change your life. I came back because I miss you and Brianna wants to know her dad.” Dee looks so lost, more then I have ever seen her.

I go over and sit down and pull her into me. “Dee, when have I ever left you to deal with things alone? When our parents beat us, we were there for each other. And if you would have told me about our daughter, yes I would have not gone to college, just yet, but I would have sooner or later. Dee, you were the only one I could talk to then. We were like as one. You shouldn’t have taken off. That wasn’t what the rebel I knew would do.”

“Fuck you Brian. I did it because I am a rebel. Then, now and always will be,” we both laugh and I look over in time to see the door shut and see Justin was gone.

“I’m sorry Brian.” Dee whispers.

“No need to be sorry. Look, I know having a kid changes things. I now have two kids.” She looks up at me. “I have a two year old son. Well he’s almost two. His name is Gus. I met Justin on the same night. He actually helped name him.”

“I’m impressed.” She looks away.

“Denise, don’t feel bad. Justin has a lot to take in as well. He’s my life partner.” I hope he still is this is all I shock to me, but as usual I put on the Kinney facade.

“I know it’s a shock to you.” Damn she still knows me better then me.

“Well of course. Fuck, you come back ten years later and tell me, no show me I have a daughter. How am I supposed to act?”

“Brian, yes having a kid changes the way you live, but it doesn't mean you change as a person.” I see her lift her sleeve and I see on her arm a Black Panther, looking like it’s tearing out of her skin.

“Damn, that is awesome Dee. Why this?”

“Its sexy and sleek, but yet powerful.” I look at it closer. “Very cool.”

“Ya well there is another form of machine I love to have power on. And feel the power of. It’s my 2005 Ford Explorer Sport Trac.” She smiles at me.

“What do you do? I mean without an college education and bringing in big bucks your making me jealous,"

I raise my eyebrows disapprovingly at her.

“I’m an escort. I escort men and women to parties. Don’t give me that look. I have never had sex with any of them.” She tells me as the door opens and Brianna walks in.

“I need to use the restroom. Brianna, stay in here and I will be right back.” I look at Dee who smiles and walks out.

I can see she’s a tad bit nervous. “So how was your trip?” I ask her.

“Long. But it was fun. So are you my dad?” I look at her and I see the look in her eyes.

“That’s what I have been told.” I see her smile a bit.

“I know my mom didn’t tell you about me. She told me you are a nice man though,” She looks so shy.

I laugh a little. “Well I guess we are all a bit shocked today.”

“Yes, especially Justin.” She tells me.

“You talked with Justin?”

“Ya, he was in the art department. I went to look at some stuff. He said I have something special in my talent.” She beams. Shit, even though Sunshine is upset, he still makes her feel at ease.

“Did he seem upset?” I ask her.

“Ya, he said that he can’t believe that this is happening.”

“Makes a few of us.” I whisper.

“My mom meant no harm.” She looks straight into my eyes. She has my look.

“I know she didn’t. And Justin and I will work things out.” I smile at her.

The door opens again and Dee walks in. “Brian, here is the number to the apartment.”

I take it and look at her. “Ok, I’ll call you soon.” I give her a hug and before I knew it I have my arms full of a smaller image of me.

“Later Dad.” She kisses my cheek before walking out with her mother.

“Later” I say back and can’t help the smile on my face.
I look up to find Justin standing in the door with one of his non-readable looks on his face.

"Oh Shit, here we go".