Page 101 of SnowBound

Unable to reel in the stupidest grin shaping my lips, I sat in the little bar next door to grab a bite before being driven to my mother’s house, the driver on speed dial as soon as I was ready to go. Our relationship had improved over the last year. I was still not over all the lies, but I had agreed to give her the benefit of the doubt and trusted she had done what she did out of love for me. One day, I’d let her explain, but I still wasn’t ready, scared of the emotional tsunami that would follow.

I ordered a salad and was texting Joe about the meeting when a man I had only seen on TV sat opposite me.

“Fuck” was the single word that escaped my mouth. “Whoa, you are the Curtis Burns.”

“Hey, Anderson.”

Oh, he knew my name. Wait. What? How come?

“Can we have a chat? I’m a friend of your mother. She told me about your meeting.”

“My mother? How do you—?” Realization hit me. Like a ton of bricks. Air had a hard time reaching my lungs. It couldn’t be, could it? My own idol. “No. No, this is not funny. Tell me you’re not who I think you are. Please.” Anderson Curtis Ford. A storm rose inside me. I balled my fists against my thighs. “Are you—”

He watched me, not saying anything. His throat worked. For a long beat, our eyes fixated on each other. I studied his features. Green eyes with golden rims, brown hair almost the same shade as mine, square jaw, and thick golden brows. In many ways, we looked very much alike.

Discomfort spread through me. “C’mon, old man. Spill it already.”

“Anderson, I’m your father.”

A loud chuckle left me. “Oh wow, it sounds like a line from a movie.”

His face remained frozen, his lips not even twitching as we stared at each other.

“Fuck, it’s not a joke, right?”

“No, son.”

This admission of my worst fears sent a wave of nausea to the back of my throat, and my laughter died down. All this time, I had idolized my own father. Hung posters of him on my wall as a young teenager. Sang his songs at the school talent show. Pretended to be him at award ceremonies when I was nine. And my mother never said a thing about it. She kept it a secret until now. The fragile progress in our relationship died in that instant.

My parents were delusional. Two sick bastards. Curtis Burns didn’t even blink when he confirmed my suspicion.

“Fuck, I was conceived by two crackheads. Were you high that night?” His lips parted, but before he could say something, I added, “Say nothing. I don’t wanna know the details of your sexual encounter.” I breathed hard. “Let’s rewind and come back to the reason you are here.” I stared into his eyes, searching for answers. Answers to what, I had no clue, but something that could justify his presence here on one of the most important days of my professional life. “What were you doing just before coming in here and spoiling my time? Spying on me? Waiting in the shadow of the building, ready to ambush me the moment I was alone?”

“Not exactly. Anyway, we gotta talk. It’s important.”

“Well, I have nothing to say to you. Already told my mother the time she tried to tell me all about you years ago. I’m still not interested. Get lost. Forget I exist. You’ve been great at doing it all my life; just keep pretending we never met.”

His stance stiffened. I was quite tall, but Curtis Burns had broader shoulders and looked more imposing than I did. Perhaps it was his older age or life experiences, but he didn’t seem like a man you wanted to butt heads with. “Today, you will listen. And I won’t take no for an answer. I’m not your mama. I’ve been in this business a long time. Tantrums don’t impress me. Don’t throw a fit, and we’ll be fine. Are we clear, son?”

I could feel anger awakening in the depths of me. “Don’t call me that. I’m not yours and never was. And never will be. Forget about me, old man. And I know you weren’t present in my life all this time, but I’m not three anymore, in case you hadn’t noticed. I don’t throw a fit when I don’t get sweets.”

I motioned to stand, but he leaned over and grabbed my arm, preventing my escape. “Anderson. Sit. Now.”

I blinked. All my life, I had wished I could meet with my idol, but right now, Curtis Burns was the last man I wanted to spend time with. But when he said my name like that, I felt obligated to listen. And hated myself for doing so.

He let go of me once I sank back into my seat and folded my arms over my chest. “What is it? You have five minutes.”

He scratched his throat as if he wasn’t happy to say whatever was about to leave his mouth.

I lifted one brow. “Talk. Four minutes and forty-three seconds. The clock is ticking, Curtis.”

He flinched when I said his name. If he thought Daddy would come out of my mouth, he was in for the longest ride of his life.

“You can’t sign up with Riley. Before I say anything, just know he is the best in the industry, but he isn’t right for you.”

“Why?” I coughed, and my eyes rounded. “Says who?” I studied his expression. Tight lips, flushed cheeks, he was indeed not kidding. “Why? Tell me one reason why I should listen to you. You’ve been M.I.A. forever, and now you think you have the right to boss me around?”

He remained silent as if searching for his next few words.