THE VIXEN

Chapter Twenty

"How are you feeling today, baby?" Daniel asked Vixen as they sat at the table in his kitchen. She had been dealing with a stomach bug for about a week and he was getting really worried about her.

"I am starting to feel a little better, baby" she said, finishing her scrambled egg whites with tomatoes and asparagus.

He was watching her to make sure she was not trying to hide from him how she was really feeling, when he asked her to have dinner with him on Saturday.

"Do you think you are going to feel up to going to the family dinner on Saturday? I want you to feel comfortable when you meet the rest of my family." Daniel said. He had told her yesterday that he wanted her to meet the rest of his huge Italian family. Vixen was a little nervous but more excited than anything.

"I will be fine honey. Nya gave me a good holistic remedy for my stomach and I have actually been doing pretty well with that." She said. "Are you getting cold feel about introducing a woman like me to your family?" she finished. "Am I getting nervous about introducing a gorgeous sexy talented woman to my clan of crazies? HELL YEAH! You do not understand babe, I have 5 brothers with wives that are just as crazy as they are and 3 sisters with husbands that are like their crazy brothers." I am scared they are doing to run you off!" he finished.

She paused with a piece of cantaloupe halfway to her lips and started laughing hysterically. "Oh, sweetie I am sure your family are nothing compared to the abusive circus folks I call family." Vixen said taking a bite of Cantaloupe and laughing.

He nodded. "Agreed" he said laughing. Vixen had over the last 8, months told him a lot about her family and there was a lot of pain there that he knew she was not ready to expose to him. He was willing to wait as long as she needed.

Daniel reached across the table and took her hand in his. "It's not every day a man asks a woman to meet his entire Italian family," he smiled.

She cast her gaze downward and played with her fruit. "There are certain...implications attached to introducing a woman to your entire family, Daniel."

He shrugged. "So I've heard."

"Daniel." She lifted her gaze and stared at him.

He nodded. "I know what the implications are."

"But it's only been four weeks since we decided to try and make this work and...."

"You're my woman and I want you to meet my family. What's so hard to understand about that?"

She smiled and shook her head. "Nothing. Okay. It's a date."

She gave him a brief, sweet smile.

"Are you sure they won't be expecting a Jackie look alike?" she said apprehensively.

"Trust me. That's the last thing they would want. Besides Dad is going to want you to make some of those sandwiches you made when you met my parents." Daniel said taking a sip of his coffee. "Why don't you make those for me?" he said stopping to look at her.

"Because I have already impressed you in other rooms of the house." Vixen said winking at him

"Hell yeah you did!" Daniel said leaning in to give Vixen a long lingering kiss.

Saturday morning while Vixen was having coffee with Nia and Phoenix, Jackie called. Daniel had taken work home with him so she had spent the night in her own condo. The moment Vixen heard Jackie's voice, she knew something was wrong. Her voice was low and nasal, as if she'd been crying.

"Jackie? What's wrong?"

"It's Gavin, Vixen," she screamed, hysterical.

Oh boy had Gavin figured out that Jackie was gold digging?