Bolden lowered his eyes, choosing to stare at his hands when he said...

“In spite of that...there are aspects of my life that I can choose; and my employment just so happens to be one of those things.”

His father said...

“Okay...I get it and it’s obvious to me that over time you’ve allowed your opinions concerning me to be clouded by lies intended to keep us apart.”

“Clouded by lies.”  Bo mocked.  “If you’re referring to Fawn--then on that point, you’d be correct because my current objections have little to do with information rooted in my past.  In fact...before you joined us, my sister laid out her case; and I can’t argue against her points.  She made it clear to me that I’m a problem for her.  Maybe you should talk a little less about me.  Better yet; why not just give her the whole enchilada.  She deserves it.”

There it was in a nutshell.  Morpheus could play this game, or he could do what he does best.  As an arms dealer and a security expert; he knew when to hide, dodge the bullets or duck and take cover.  This was a duck and take cover kind of moment.  He locked eyes with his son when he said...

“Fawn is an enigma...and she isn’t your puzzle to solve.  That’s my job son.”  Morpheus abruptly stood, then commenced to pat his firm belly.  He sparked a conversation as if, nothing had come before or preceded his words.

“Are you thirsty....or have you eaten yet?”

Bo looked confused because from one moment to the next, his father had changed the conversation, sending him off balanced.  Bo’s brow rose when he said...

“I...I haven’t eaten today.  I thought there would be food, so I...”

Morpheus cut him off saying...

“And there is food.  Food...drinks...hell, it’s a party son.”

Morpheus startled Bo when he slapped his large hand dead center on his back.

“Come on son...let’s go find your mother.  It’s been a while since I’ve danced with Mikita.”

“Six years.”  Bo supplied.  His parents had danced at his   boarding school graduation ceremony.  He recalled the way their bodies swayed, then separated when the music stopped.  He’d noticed a sadness in their eyes; the same pain that his father was currently expressing.  Bolden thought about this, then he considered the present.  Some parts of him wanted to know his father, apart from the gossip and embellished rumors.  He considered this at the same time he’d decided that he would stay for a while.

Morpheus caught a glimpse of his son out the side of his eye and he wished that Mikita would have given him more than one child.  He’d been a fool, allowing her to leave him and out of all his women, her’s was the only name he’d tattooed on his chest; directly over his broken heart.  Of course--he didn’t blame her for leaving after she’d found him in bed screwing around with her cousin.

Morpheus dismissed the thought when he said...

“Your sister has taken up with an artist.  Some kind of hippy I think.  Judd Marko--”

“Marko--yes--he’s a well known artist.  If I’m not mistaken, I think he’s a sculptor.”

Morpheus groaned.

“Fawn will be the death of me.  If she has children by this man--I hope she’s prepared to deal with the backlash.  She’s angry at me because he isn’t one of us and I forbade her from inviting him to my party.”

Bo didn’t know what his father meant when he commented that Judd wasn’t one of them.  His father’s voice broke through his mental clamor.

“Fawn gets mixed up with the weirdest people.  She is my daughter, and I try to indulge her, but I won’t tolerate people offloading every bullshit idea that enters their brain--and I won’t listen to liberal nonsensical rhetoric meant to change the world.  Most times--people are clueless to the way this world truly works”

Bo smirked, because on that point, he agreed with his father.

Morpheus opened the door.  The outer hall was filled with a mix of sounds.  People moving about--music, laughter and countless mingled voices.

Morpheus said...

“I won’t be pleased if she pursues a relationship with this Judd person.”

“Maybe you should talk to her.”

They were standing near the balcony, and from this position they could see many of the guest flowing from one room to the other.  Most of his family was here.  Morpheus sighed, because his brother Raal had come and he’d brought his latest conquest; Kyle, a man he’d met two years ago while passing through Belize.  When they were young men Raal had been the ladies man, getting two and three women pregnant at the same time.  His brother was a merciless flirt but after meeting Kyle, his brother had seemed to settle down.  Raal had not looked at another woman and he’d even tattooed his lovers name across his knuckles.  Morpheus counted his nieces and nephews--Raal’s children; seeing them made him accept that wonders never ceased.  After seeing his brother’s apparent happiness, Morpheus thought about himself, then he scanned the crowd, looking for Bo’s mother.  He noticed Fawn in a corner and she was talking to a group of her friends.  The girl Cynthia was among them. Morpheus swore, then he said...

“Your sister is a sly one.  You need to watch her Bo.”

“You aren’t telling me anything that I don’t already know.”

Bo couldn’t wait to leave.  He had a life in Denver waiting for him but he paused for a moment.  He took a few seconds to look at his sister.  He didn’t know why but he’d been transfixed by her actions.  Fawn had wrapped her arm around the shoulder of Cynthia; pulling her in close to console her.  Morpheus chuckled, then he said...

“I wonder if Cynthia knows not to trust her.”

Bo said...

“Is she the friend that you talked about?  The one whose upset over her boyfriend?”

Bo didn’t understand the specifics so he looked at his father waiting for him to respond.

“Yes.”  Was all his father said.  An overwhelming question rattled in his brain, and he couldn’t silence the noise.  He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to say about Fawn, Cynthia and the boyfriend, but his father was choosing to remain silent on the point.

Bo said...

“Does Fawn know something about Cynthia’s boyfriend...”

He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence and now he wished that he’d never broached the topic.  Morpheus sighed, then he reached in his inner coat pocket.  He pulled out a gold case, then flipped it open.  He lifted a tightly rolled cigar, then at that moment, his hand stalled.  A crowd of people emerged from one of the large rooms. That’s when Morpheus caught sight of Mikita--and that’s all it took.  A rush of memories flooded his brain.  In stunning detail he clearly recalled the caressing warmth of her brown skin.  She was more beautiful than he remembered--and she’d loved him for himself, and not the superficial trappings of his wealth.  No--she wasn’t like his other women and it galled him that Mikita still possessed his heart.  For years he’d tried to hate her--to forget her--but this had been time wasted, because his efforts only strengthened his love for her.  He hitched his belt because after seeing her, he was determined to win her back.  He didn’t care that his pregnant girlfriend was in the room; being with her had been an error in judgment--a mistake he planned to rectify.

Morpheus recalled every day and night spent with Bo’s mother, then he said...

“Son--look...”

Morpheus didn’t gesture using his hand or any other part of his body.  He simply scanned the crowd of people when he said...

“Some of the most powerful people in the world are here.  Do you see that gorgeous lady over there--the one wearing the red dress.”

Bo noticed the woman.  His father said...

“She’s someone I’d like you to meet.  She holds a very important position working for Governor Wilcox.”

Morpheus noticed Bo’s subtle nod, then he added...

“Eliza Pendleton is a classy woman.  She’s smart, but not in a stodgy way.  She’s damn attractive but a little too young for my taste...of course, I’m not currently looking for a woman.  But you on the other hand; you might find her interesting.”