The Assistant, The Quaterback, and The Professor

Truths Revealed

My life had settle into a routine. Allen Michael and JR forced themselves into my life. One, I couldn't get rid of and the other, I couldn't get in. The end of the semester was near. That's when the wall first began to crumble. The Halloween masquerade fund raiser is the biggest of all. Alumni and their wallets flock to the union's Hyatt ballroom, for dinner, dancing, and endowments. Of course, JR's research proposal was on the menu. He had been a nervous wreck. I saw him less and less. All fellowship grad students were ordered to attend. The masquerade ball would have been a fun idea by itself, but with the alumni's analyzing probes everywhere, the whole idea was making me nervous. I wanted to bow out gracefully but I couldn't find JR anywhere. Sociology chairperson Dan Willoughby personally delivered the tickets for the Dr. Noll and two more. His instructions were to make sure he gets there. I dropped the tickets off at the door.

"Hey stranger."

"Hi baby, how are you?"

"Good...wow if you add another stack of papers., we won't be able to see the floor."

"I know. Thank God this unveiling is tonight."

I heard voices coming near the door. I looked up at JR. His face was horrified. "Oh Catherine, I'm so sorry."

"Sorry about what?"

Storming in came the cutest little girl. "Daddy, look ey what I got."

"Let me see, buttercup, oh that's pretty." While she explained in detail, her beautiful new bangles, I could feel the stress off of JR. So he has a daughter, ok. "Where's your mommy?"

"She's with uncle Danny." 'Uncle Danny,' that most mean Dr. Willoughby.

"She'll be here any minute."

He reached for my hand, "Cat baby, I never wanted to hurt you, please believe me." Then I got worried. A daughter and a baby mama, who doesn't have one of those today. In walked the most refined beautiful woman I ever saw. This 30 something woman had curves women would kill for. Gorgeous from her manicured hands to her salon-styled locks all the way down to her polished toes.

"Hey baby, guess what?"

I barely made it to the costume store. They were sold out of afros. We have a changed of plans. You'll go as a matador and I'll go as your Spanish rose. What you think?"

The emptiness in his eyes gave him away. She turned to me and said, "oh excuse me, I didn't see you there."

"Cat, may I present Alicia Pearson-Noll, my wife?"

"Your wife, what a pleasure to meet you finally, I've been Dr. Noll's T.A. for months and we never met."

"I know but he talks you at home. Your stunt with the Ryan's was priceless. We sometimes joke about it at the board meeting.

"Board meeting?"

The once speechless, JR interrupted, "Alisha is the COO of Mercy Yarns Memorial. "

'Oh...that's nice." not only was she drop-dead gorgeous, your wife, and mother of your child, she's accomplished."

"What about me daddy?"

"Forgive me, buttercup. Ms. Daniels, may I present Ms. Bianca Natasha Pearson Noll."

The little girl curtsied and said, how do you do?"

"Very well and yourself?"

Before she could answered, her mother, the gorgeous soft of 'elephant ion the room' interjected.

"By any chance, are you Ms. Catherine Daniels from Miami?"

"Yes...I'm guilty as charged."

"Oh girl please, siiiiii eeeee."