The Honest Truth

Matheson felt like kicking himself. He didn't know why he allowed her to get to him once again. It was crazy! He finished up at the bakery and made arrangements for the assistant manager to be able to open the store the rest of the week. He didn't want to take a chance seeing VaLysia again anytime soon. He doubted if she would come to his store twenty five miles away.

It was late when he got off as the mall closed at nine o'clock that night. He was tired and just wanted to go home, however he had promised to stop by his parent's house and talk to his father about how things looked at the Crescent store. He lived forty five minutes away from his parents and he debated whether or not to just stay the night with them after he talked to his father.

He walked into the house and found his father reading in the den.

"Where's Mom?" he asked looking around.

"She's gone to bed already." Gregory replied. "How were things out at the mall?"

"Business is good" Matheson said sitting down. "I don't think we suffered any with the late opening. People were waiting when I arrived and they were very patient when we did open. I gave them a discount as well as an apology."

"Excellent!" his father replied smiling.

He looked at his father and leaned back on the sofa. "I gave a key to Charlotte. I think she can handle things the rest of this week. I want to get back to my own store. I am confident that she can carry on without me. I'd rather not neglect my own store any longer."

Gregory grinned at him. "All of them are yours..or will be eventually."

"You know what I mean." Matheson replied.

"So...the weekend is coming up." his father replied. "Any hot dates?"

Matheson rolled his eyes. "Who has time for dating when you work me like a government mule?"

"Me?" Gregory replied laughing. "You can take off! You just choose not to. I bet you didn't even take a break today!"

"You're wrong about that. I did. In fact, Mavis' granddaughter came into the store for lunch and we had a little chat."

"Oh really?" Gregory replied surprised. "She seems like a nice girl. Mavis put her through college, you know. She really dotes on her only granddaughter. Such a tragedy with her parents and all."

Matheson tried not to appear too interested. "Really? What's the story?"

"Her mother had cancer. Seems her father fell apart after Rachel died. He just started drinking and had to go into rehab on several occasions. He could never get himself together. His whole world was built around VaLysia's mother. It seems that he totally ignored his own daughter after she passed on. VaLysia was sixteen I think when it happened. That's why Mavis went on and retired to help with her. Her father ended up committing suicide about a year later. I am sure that the whole situation was devastating for a young girl."

Matheson was surprised. "No wonder she's so hostile. Maybe she needs some counseling"

"What are you talking about, Matt?" his father said surprised. "She seemed perfectly nice to me. ..but there was the yelling that was going on when you two were in the music room."

Gregory watched his son's face turn red and knew that he had hit a nerve. Matheson quickly stood and changed the subject. "I'm tired. I think I'll stay here tonight and just get up early in the morning."

Matheson avoided his father's stare. He didn't want to talk about what happened in the music room!

"Of course, son" Gregory replied. He knew Matheson was keeping something from him...but what?

Gregory watched as Matheson quickly exited the room. Well...well...well!

He knew his son and he knew something was up! He remembered how the two of them had jumped apart when he barged into the music room when he heard all the commotion. Gregory knew Matheson well enough to know they were both lying when he told him that they were arguing over Patsy Cline.

He wondered what was really going on, but he then felt that most likely knowing what a hothead Matheson could be; that they had got into an argument of some sort and most likely his son was too embarrassed to tell the truth. Now he wasn't so sure about his previous conclusion.

Elliott who was one of his golfing buddies had called him earlier that day and told him that he had gone by the Crescent store and saw Matheson sitting with a black girl who was feeding him cake. He claimed that Matheson was so up in her face that he didn't even see him come in the store. Elliott proceeded to ask him if she was Matheson's girlfriend! He then speculated that this girl most likely was just someone his son was picking up for some after hours entertainment!

Gregory was slightly irritated at Elliott's inquiry. He was worse than a women when it came to gossip. Elliott was the one who speculated that Matheson might be in the closet and now he was saying that he might be picking up hookers? He did wonder though who the girl could be until Matheson told him indirectly that it was VaLysia.

Gregory wondered if something was going on between the two of them. He doubted it...but he didn't want any trouble with Mavis either. Emily would have a fit and so would Mavis if the two of them had some sort of fling. He had heard of 'jungle fever'...could his son be experimenting? He never would have thought Matheson would do that. He wouldn't even have considered it, but he had to admit that Elliott made a point. Matheson was very germ conscious and he couldn't imagine him eating off a fork of a girl he hardly knew. Something was going on.

As much as he liked Mavis, he couldn't see his only son being serious about someone like VaLysia. He knew that how it sounded, but he wanted white grandchildren and if Matheson and VaLysia got together, any children they produced would most certainly be black! No, Matheson was most likely just fooling around. He was still young and that was to be expected. He just hoped the girl was on some sort of birth control and that his son was smart enough to use condoms!

VaLysia sat on her bed reading. She could hardly concentrate on the book for thinking about Matheson. She realized that she had flown off the handle when he walked her to her car. He was only trying to be nice. He wasn't responsible for her feelings. She remembered the hurt in his voice when he had responded to her comment about hurting his corneas.

Maybe Mr. Jenkins was right. Maybe she really was too blunt, too hostile. She didn't know why she acted like she did sometimes. Maybe he was sincerely sorry. She picked up the phone and called her grandmother.

"Hey, Grandma" she said when she heard her voice.

"Val baby. This is a pleasant surprise!" Mavis replied. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah. Uh, Grandma can you give me Matheson's number?"

Mavis paused for a moment. "I don't have his number, but I have his parent's number. You can call and ask them and I'm sure that they'll give it to you."

Val hesitated. "That's OK. I don't want to bother them!"

"Nonsense!" Mavis replied. "Here take the number."

Val wrote the number down. What would she tell them? Did she have to tell them anything? She felt herself begin to sweat. She was surprised that her grandmother didn't question her further.

"Thanks Grandma" she said

"Sure, baby" she responded.

Val hung up the phone and stared at the number a full ten minutes before she dialed it. She took a deep breath and looked at the time. It was almost eleven o'clock. Suppose they went to bed early or something? She would just have to take her chances!

She quickly dialed the number before she could change her mind.

The phone rang several times before a male voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Uh, hello...may I speak to Matheson, please." Val held her breath figuring it must be his father. She waited for him to ask her who she was. She still hadn't decided on what reason she would give for asking for his number.

"This is Matheson."

Val paused with a lump in her throat. It was him! He was at his parent's house! There was a long pause as she tried to get herself together.

"Hello?" Matheson stated. "Are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry. Matheson...this is VaLysia." She held her breath waiting for him to hang up in her face.

"VaLysia? Hey...this is a totally unexpected surprise."

She heard the laughter in his voice.

"Well I wasn't exactly expecting you to answer the phone" she said laughing nervously.

"Really? Then why did you call here then?" he responded chuckling.

"I was going to ask for your number." she confessed.

"Oh really? Well you have me. What can I do for you" he asked in his most formal voice.

Val winced in the phone. She took a deep breath again. Her hand shook slightly.

"I..I just wanted to apologize for today." she said finally. "I know I was rude and you hadn't done anything to deserve that."

She heard no response from the other end of the line. Maybe he wouldn't accept her apology.

"Matheson? Are you there?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm just surprised that's all." he replied.

"Well do you accept my apology?" she whispered apprehensively.

"Only if you'll have dinner with me" he replied chuckling again.

"Why would you want to do that" she gasped.

"Maybe I want your apology face to face" he replied teasingly.

Val hesitated. She wasn't expecting this. What should she do? Was he feeling sorry for her again?

"You don't have to do that" was all she could think of to say. God! She hadn't been on a date in ages and she had never been out with a white guy before!

"I realize that. I want to do it. We can go out to eat and see a movie. I haven't been out in a good while and I need to take a break"

Val was surprised at that bit of information. She knew that he must work long hours, but she found it hard to believe that a man like Matheson was celibate. Maybe since they both hadn't been dating, it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe they both would be a little nervous.

"Alright. When do you want to go out?" Val said finally.

"Saturday evening. Give me your number and address and I'll give you my cell" he said.

Val quickly took down his number and gave him hers.

"Alright, I'll see you Saturday" she said.

"Look forward to it" Matheson replied and hung up.

Gregory was intriged. He had picked up the extension the same time Matheson did. True, he should have hung up as soon as he heard VaLysia ask for Matheson, but he couldn't help eavesdropping. he was curious after the conversation with Elliott.

So, his son was taking Mavis' granddaughter out on a date! Hmmm. Most likely it was just a curious itch he wanted to scratch. Maybe he should have a talk with Matheson. He didn't want any trouble. Then again, he had heard enough about black girls and their sexual habits these days to know that she most likely just wanted a good time also. Hell, they were both adults. Let them have their fun!

Satisfied with his deduction, he grinned to himself. He was sure that this was just a passing fling, an itch that Matheson needed to scratch. Gregory doubted if it was more than that. He got up and cut out the light and decided to go to bed.

Matheson hung up the phone and wondered what had just happened. He still couldn't believe that she had called to apologize. Well, he would accept her apology face to face. After all, she had attacked him and he felt that he should at least give her a chance to explain herself. That was the only reason he asked her out, besides the fact that he hadn't been out in months.

He lounged back on his old bed. This date could get pretty interesting. He heard the hesitation in her voice when he asked her out. He wasn't sure why he had even asked her out.  He had never dated a black girl before. Still it was only a friendly date, nothing serious.  The business had benn consuming a lot of his time and he reasoned that he needed a break.  This was just fun.  She wasn't expecting anything from him and vice versa.  He just hoped that things would remain friendly and stress free!

Unable to sleep, he got up and walked through the house which was now quiet. He wished that he had taken the time to get some more of that almond milk she had told him about. Matheson started to go into the kitchen and grab a snack, but then changed his mind.

He spotted a photo album on the shelf of the den and picked it up. It was one that he hadn't looked at in years so he took it back to his bedroom.

He smiled as he looked at several pictures of his parents before he was born and all of his school pictures. There were even some pictures of Mavis with her arm around a young girl. He stared hard at the picture wondering who she was. It was too old of a picture to be VaLysia. He then realized that it must be Mavis' daughter.

He turned the pages looking for a better shot and got to one that was a closeup of her and Mavis. She was a pretty girl with long hair and a light brown complexion. He wondered where VaLysia got her coloring from being as dark as she was. He could see a resemblance between VaLysia and her mother.

He continued flipping the pages and saw another picture of Mavis, her daughter and a man, apparently Mavis' son in law. He had his arm around Mavis' daughter who was obviously pregnant.

The picture was a little out of focus, but Matheson could see a resemblance also between the man and VaLysia. The man was also fair skinned like Mavis. That surprised him. Maybe the dark skin skipped a generation or something.

He decided to surprise Val and he removed some of the pictures to scan on his copier. He would buy a small photo album and present it to her on Saturday. He knew that she would like that. He quickly scanned the pictures and put them back in the album.

After he was done, he put the pictures in an envelope until he could pick up what he needed from the store.

Matheson climbed in bed and cut out the light. He wondered why he was going through so much trouble to impress a girl that he didn't like. He didn't like black girls remember...he thought chastising himself.

The honest truth though was that he couldn't get VaLysia out of his mind. He didn't know why...but then again he did. He had to admit that he was attracted to her. Ever since that kiss...those full lips of hers and how they felt under his burned in his memory. What he couldn't figure out was why she appeared so hostile much of the time? He couldn't figure that out. It seemed to him that she didn't like white people. If that was the case, then why did she agree to go out with him? It was all so contradictory, but he knew that he wasn't acting normal either.

Maybe this was bigger than both of them. He remembered his father once saying that you can choose a woman with your head, your penis or your heart. Which one was choosing VaLysia? He wasn't so sure.

When he first saw her, she didn't appeal to him at all, so that ruled out the head and the penis. But then again when he kissed her...maybe it was the penis talking. Maybe. He wasn't sure about anything anymore. Whatever it was, he knew that he had to tread carefully. He didn't want any backlash from Mavis or his mother. He certainly didn't want her to get the wrong idea. It was just a friendly date. After all, he didn't like black girls, remember?