sonny boy, we need to talk

Sitting in his loft, drink from a shot of Jack. Brian was going over
some work that he had brought home with him. Second day in a row that he has
abandoned the guys to finish work that he couldn’t at work. It was a
little after 9 on a Thursday and all he wanted a was beer and a nice blow from
an anonymous face, although, they were all anonymous faces to him. A
knock on his door interrupted his thought process. Walking to his door and
hoping that it wasn’t Mikey coming to take him to the bar, although he
wouldn’t mind it if it was. “Hey, Sonny boy.” instead it was his father’s face,
something he didn’t want to see even in his dreams. “Pop. What are you
doing here?” he asked smugly. “Are you in need of cash again because to tell
you the truth, I’m tapped out.” Returning to his former seat at his table
back to work he waited for his father’s answer. “No, I haven’t come for
that. I want to talk to you about something.”


Motioning for Jack to sit, he offered him a drink but instead for the
first time since Brian was born, he declined. “So, what is it?” Jack got
serious very quick and started in a low volume tone. “Sonny boy, I found out
that a few weeks ago that I have another child.” Now normally this would have
shocked the average person but being the son of Jack Kinney, Brian was
less than surprised. “So, I see. How old is this one?” he asked still
focused on his work, Jack cleared his throat before he could continue, “From what
I understand, she’s 27. 3 years younger than yourself.” Brian picked his
head up from his work and looked at his father, “She? Did she come to you or
did you find her?” he stopped and took a shot of the brown liquid next to
him. “I was reading the newspaper about 3days ago and there she was, I
remember the name because her mother and I had a one-night stand a while back.
But at first I didn’t think it was her until I called the paper that had
interviewed her and it was her, My daughter.” He had said this with
proud and joy in his voice and it was unknown to Brian, because the only tone
that he knew from his father’s tone was drunken slurs and the feeling of his
fists beating on him for years. “So, you meet her yet?” Brian asked
intrigued. “That’s why I’m here. I want you to go for me.” At that
moment, Brian knew that Jack hadn’t changed one bit, having others do his dirty
work for him. “Come on, sonny boy. I cant just go see her after abandoning
her all those years ago, even I know that’s not right. Please, she needs to
know that she has a father but she doesn’t need to see me, I wouldn’t want
to meet me either. I think that you should do this and keep it a secret
from your mother and sister, just between us. Please sonny boy?” jack’s voice was
full of regret and that pleased Brian in more ways than one. If he did
this last piece of dirty work for him, then he wouldn’t have to do anything
else for him. “Alright, I’ll go.” Jack then handed him the address where
his half-sister worked. “Thank you, sonny boy. “ And then escorting him
out, Brian stared at the address of where she worked and looked at the name,
Athena. Jack and his many women and now he has another kid that doesn’t
even know him, Brian quietly envied her.

“So, you’re going to see her? Are you sure that’s smart?” Ted asked
Brian as he sipped his coffee. “Jack asked me to do it, because he doesn’t think
that she should meet him, seeing that he didn’t claim her.” Mikey could
only shake his head, “I don’t think you should, Bri. This is his dirty work,
he should do it.” Putting his coffee cup down he continued to look over
the news article his father mentioned. “I’m doing it for me mostly, so now
I will have something to hangover his head.” ‘So, this is all about
revenge?” Em asked him. “neither.” He smiled and looked at the picture. “I mean
look at her, this picture is to grainy to see her but he notices the name
and now that I can remember, I think I have seen this name before. She is
suppose to be the number one sought after photographer for the past 6yrs. Named
artist of the decade last year and just opened a art exhibit at the
Philadelphia Art Museum. Now she is working at the Underground magazine, not to far
away from my office.” Justin came over with their breakfast and asked, “The
Underground? I read that magazine, the guys in there are so fucking hot.” He
smiled and hinted that remark to Brian. “So, why the sudden interest in
that magazine?” Em piped in, “Turns out, Jack has another kid and asked
Brian to go meet her for him. Brian has another sister.” “Half-sister.” Brian
corrected him. “So, your gonna see her? Can we all come?” Justin asked
with excitement in his voice. “Sorry sunshine. I have to do this alone.”


Leaving the diner after breakfast he went into work and went online to do a
background check on her, just for himself. “So I see that you are hard
at work, what’s the catch?” Cynthia asked as she entered in his office to
drop off a memo on his desk. “I’m doing some personal business here, so if
you don’t mind.” He urgently rushed her out of his office, before she could
see what was on his computer. “Alright, I’m going. Oh to remind you, your
one o’clock canceled, rescheduled for Monday around three.” That was the
fourth time the man canceled on him, if he hadn’t been so interested in the
money offering, he would have just told him to fuck off.


Around noon, he had read the entire background report on her: Athena
Matthews, 27, born in LA the last of 5children, graduated high school
top of her class, valedictorian, went to the German school for photography:
all expenses paid, mother died when she was 17 and never knew the father.
He really wanted to meet her and yet he was a little more concerned on how
she would take the news of a father that abandoned her 27 years ago, who
only now wanted to be in her life.


Walking into the Underground Magazine office, it was massive almost as
big as his own. He saw several men that looked like roman gods, and was
intrigued. Walking up to the secretary’s desk, he waited until she
finished the phone call. “Yes. How can I help you?” she asked. “Uh, I’m looking
for Athena Matthews.” He asked and he could notice that even he was
nervous. “Hold on, I’ll call her and see if she is still here.” She dialed an
extension, and waited. ‘Athena, its Mary. There’s a gentleman here to
see you. Should I send him up? ‘A look at him and she smiled. ‘Alright I’ll
send him on up.’ She hung up and sent Brian up to the 26th floor and her
office was down the hall. A knock on the double doors to her office he waited
for an answer. “Come in.” she yelled. He entered to see windows, bare and
open. Desk and tables and computers and cameras and chairs and back-drops,
and lights everywhere entertained his eyes. And then she entered. “Hi, I’m
Athena. What can I do you for?” she seems younger than her actual age.


She was about 5’9, long black hair, green eyes, her body was very well
built and the shirt she wore showed off her stomach which displayed a ring
through her navel. The girl worked out, the six-pack alone would make straight men
grovel. “Forgive the mess but our next issue is coming out in 4days and
our computers crashed and everything has to be replaced and over-time is
kicking my ass.” She smiled and laughed, walking over to the window and she lit
up a smoke and offered him one, he took it. “Darjum Blacks, too strong for
most, but not for me. Been smoking these since I was eleven.” She was very
pretty and had tattoos going down her back and started at the back of her
neck. “So, what can I do for you, uh…? I’m sorry I never got your name?” he
had forgotten to give it. “I’m Brian Kinney.” They shook hands. “No wedding
ring. I guess you don’t do relationships or love either, most people
our age would be married with five kids already.” It was almost like she knew
him without meeting him. “So, Mr. Kinney what can I do for you?” she smiled
and walked over to her office chair and motioned for him to sit in the
chair in front of her. “Do you know a man named, Jack Kinney?” her faced looked
puzzled and she answered, “I’m sorry I don’t. The name isn’t familiar.
Is he a model who was dropped from the line-up for this issue or something?”
she sat upright and breathed out a puff of smoke. “Actually he is my father
and according to your birth records, so is yours.” He thought to himself
maybe that wasn’t the right way to go. “What?” was all she said, “I don’t
know my father and if I had, my mother would have told me his name before her
death 10yrs ago. Look, uh where did you get this information?” she asked and
her voice was annoyed. “I did a background check on you, and I must say
you have quite the record. Not to mention several achievements. You are
very popular and very in demand. Look, reason I am her is because my father
recognized your picture in the paper 3days ago. Do you remember that
article?” she stood up and went into her file cabinet. “I do actually.
I didn’t want to be because now everyone wants me to shoot them for
magazines and everything else, the money offers are 3 times more than I make
here.” Pulling out the clipped article she saw the photo and he nodded and it
was the same one. “I know that this is probably the last think you want
but believe me, I have known the bastard my entire life, you are lucky not
to know him. But he wants to know you.” She sat right back down and
breathed in another drag. “Brian is it?” he nodded. ‘I have had a shit for a life.
Four step fathers, two of which beat me and raped me daily for 3yrs each, I
don’t need to know any man claiming to be the man who never claimed me at
birth, so for all I know if he is my father, he can burn in hell for all I
care.’

And Brian didn’t blame her for her anger, but was hurt to hear the hell
she went through. And he thought his life was bad. They talked awhile and
he left with his father’s answer but should he give it to him?


*TBC*