VALERIE

Twenty Seven

"Can I help you two?" The girl who opened the door repeated, she was around their age. The girl stood 5'9 or 6'0 she looked like a supermodel with her olive skin, green eyes, long curly black hair and fat lips that looked like a ducks bill.

The unsettling feeling of anxiety set itself in Nick's stomach, he clenched his already tight grip on Valerie's poor hand.

Valerie winced at the feeling, she stared down at his hand and then up at him, he was looking the other way. Not making eye contact with neither Valerie or the girl.

Unsure Valerie cracked her neck before taking a deep sigh and saying, "We're looking for a Petunia Young."

The girls facial expression changed, her forehead creased as if the name caused her a great deal of nostalgic pain.

"And who are you guys?" She spoke, her bottom lip quivering but her voice sounding sarcastic and full of attitude. Something Valerie picked up and didn't like.

Again Valerie looked at Nick but he was still looking away like if he tuned out. By the way he was holding onto Valerie's hand it was as if his life depended on it.

"Don't worry about it, we're just here to see Petunia." Valerie snapped back at the girl.

"You come to my house and give me attitude? Little girl you must be out of your fucking mind. Now tell me who you guys are and what you want with Petunia." Her snarky tone and smug face was beginning to piss Valerie off even more.

A witty and sly look emerged onto Valerie's face, "I'm Valerie and this is Nick her son."

Flipping her curly hair off of her shoulder she scoffed, "My step mom didn't ever mention having another son. So fuck off."

About to slam the door in their face, a hand appeared and reopened the door to reveal a tall handsome middle aged man dressed in what Valerie identified to be an Armani suit, the girl stared up at him as he gave her a scolding face.

"And who are our guests Elena?" He asked her, rolling her eyes she gave him a fake smile revealing white, straight teeth.

"Well dad, she claims that the fucking mute standing next to her is Petunia's son."

"Elena that's no way to speak to guests, I apologize for my daughters behavior," He flashed the duo a smile, "would you two like to come in?"

"No, we're here for his mom."

Overwhelming amount of guilt and sadness over ran the mans tan olive face, his dark brown eyes bore into Valerie's who had her eyebrow arched up in defiance waiting for him to speak.

He cleared his throat, "How can I make sure you're really Nick King?"

"How do you know his last name?" Valerie seemed dumbfounded and very suspicious.

These people definitely know about Nick's mother.

"Come in, please." He offered one more time.

//

"Wow so you two came all the way from Washington, to look for Petunia." The man who introduced himself as Antonio said as he held a cigar box in his lap.

Valerie nodded, she had been doing all the talking while Nick was in his fragile state of mind.

"Yeah, and well actually you obviously know something about her since you haven't denied anything." Valerie continued, Antonio nodded his head while he took out a long brown Cuban cigar from the box, reaching to the end table beside his chair he grabbed a black lighter and lit the tip. A red orange shining along with smoke.