A Whole New World (Minnelli Family Series book 2)

Candid Conversation

Spa Day
South of France

"I'm so happy you had the time to meet with me on your day off Mélissaire!" Diane hugged the younger woman. Missy blushed.

"Please call me Missy."

"Call me mama." Diane squeezed her hand and they changed clothes before waiting for the massage rooms. "I'm well aware of your complicated relationship with my son. And I must say it gets even better."

"How? I don't know-"

"Understand this Missy. One simply does not date a Minnelli man. You are involved with a Minnelli man. And then you're married." Diane explained.

"Involved?"

"Fucking. You are kept secret and thoroughly fucked. You are fucked better than any man before him and you will not want anybody after him. He will fuck you good, eat you better and leave. It won't feel like it but if you are kept secret, you are his. Period."

"That doesn't make any type of sense!" Missy frowned.

"Minnelli men are powerful men. With plenty of enemies. The last thing they need is those enemies attacking you to get to them."

"You knew?"

"Not completely. I noticed a change in them once they moved with Aries but they had yearned for that father-son bond and I couldn't stand in the way of that." Diane sighed. "I made a decision as a mother to allow Aries to be a truly present father." She switched the subject again. "How did you meet my son?" She watched Missy turn red. "You slept with him the first time you met?"

"We got drunk and ended up back at my dorm about 8 years ago." Missy sighed. "It happened so fast."

"Best sex of your life." Diane said matter of fact. Missy looked over at her in shock. "It's okay to admit this."

"You're so accepting." She said.

"Because I was waiting on a woman to bond with that ended up in the same situation. If I had known what I know now, I would've been done more."

"I know what you mean. I feel so misplaced sometimes. Like he's not for me but he's comfortable. Familiar."

"I understand how that can be. Antonio is the most like Aries of the two. I can imagine he pursued you afterwards. Antonio Minnelli is his father because I had moved them away to raise them with my family and still dealt with their dad off and on until they went away to college."

"How did you know he was the One?"

"I was 23 years old when I met Aries. But I kept dating. And it was still something missing. It didn't help that I already had children for him, his only children at that. And from the time they were a year old, I couldn't bring no other man around." Diane explained. "Antonio especially was loyal to his dad and hated we weren't together throughout their childhood."

"If you could go back, would you change it?"

"Sometimes But I'm content with how everything turned out. I wished we'd gotten married earlier but we didn't miss anything. We already had sons. Aries always wanted a girl but that ship had already sailed. I was done with children." Missy egged her to continue. "He kept getting me pregnant but for some reason, I kept having miscarriages. I had about 4 miscarriages before I finally told him we may need to stop. 2 more boys and 2 girls." Diane sighed sadly.

"Until I had Dionne."

"How did you cope?"

"I'd rather not talk about that. Every woman is different in that regard."

"Because Antonio is Aries in his younger days. Wild, uninhibited, whatever he wants, he wants. And if it's a woman he'll have her. Even if he has to wait years. Funny part of it is, Antonio won't act on his rage like Amiri will. But if Amiri gives him the okay..." she stopped with a smile. "I fear for that person. Aries didn't have that direction."

"What would you advise me to do? I love your son."

"First thing I want you to do is get a pregnancy test." Missy's eyes widened. "Your innocence is so refreshing. I know you were having sex, and plenty of it. Because if you're pregnant, it's a wrap. Antonio will make you a Minnelli if it's the last thing he does. Is this the life you want?" Diane gestured to the luxurious hotel they were sitting.

"It's daunting." She readily admitted. "The glitzy side is much more daunting than being his wife or the mother of his children. I can do that but..."

"You have a career. A rewarding career and you don't want to walk away from that."

The women finished their day with much lighter topics, such as the new upcoming fashion designer, Zipporah St. Victoire.

A week later, Missy was late for work.

"Save it Kevin. I am not in the mood." She growled. "What is that smell!" She gagged and then puked.

"What the fuck! Missy. Go to the doctor right now." Alex pushed her to the door.

"I'm not sick!" She yelled.

"You're a damn doctor! Go get checked." Kevin yelled. She turned weak again.

"I'm not sick damn it! It was the mangoes from the fresh market not agreeing with me. I'm taking a day off." She yelled back again. Her partners rolled their eyes.

An hour later, Missy laid in her room with a cold towel on her forehead. Crackers and ginger ale cured her sickness, now she was battling with hot and cold shivers and a headache.

"Mangoes don't make you this damn sick." She fussed. Or maybe it does...

"Hope! What would you feel like if you thought you were pregnant?"

"Who you been fuckin Missy! When I was pregnant with my son, I thought I was hit with the stomach flu. Just constant throwing up... so you think you're pregnant?"

"I hope not. I got too much to focus on. Plus my mom-"

"Bitch you almost 30! Every time you spread your legs it's a possibility for you to get pregnant." Hope fussed. "Go take a test."

"I'll think about it."

"When was the last time you had a period?" Missy kept thinking. "Bye Missy. Go get a pregnancy test."