Facade

chapter 10

Just as Naia in the midst of drying herself off from her relaxing shower, her phone rang. Could it be Lenny? She hoped it was him. She wrapped the body towel she was drying herself off with around her body, and rushed to her bedroom to grab her phone. As she grabbed her phone, she looked at the number on the screen. It wasn't Lenny. Instead, it was her father. Prince. She swiped over on the screen to answer the phone and sat down on her bed.

"Talk to me." She answered in a playful tone like she always did whenever her father called her.

"Is that anyway to talk to your dad, Naia?" Prince answered on the other end. Just like Naia, the playful tone within his deep voice couldn't ignored.

Naia laughed at her father's response. "Alright, alright. I'll stop before you sue me like you do everyone else. Nevertheless, I'm glad you called. I've missed you, dad."

"I do not sue everybody. That's your mother and her brothers-your uncles. I'm nice as they come. Ah... you know I had to call to check up on my sunflower. I miss you too. I know you're an adult an all, but I miss you being out here in Chanhassen." A vulnerability could be heard in his voice. And that-that tugged on Naia's heartstrings.

She knew he was there in Paisley Park alone except for the maids and band members that came to rehearse. When Naia decided to leave Chanhassen and move to New York, that was a tough decision. Her and her father was practically joined at the hip from the moment she was born. There was a brief pause on the phone between the two. That slience was broken by Prince's voice.

"Are you still there or did you drop your phone in the toilet again?"

His comment made the silence of Naia's end of the phone turn into laughter. "No! I keep my phone out of the bathroom with me now. I just don't know what to say. I mean... I feel bad. I don't like that you're there in that huge complex alone. You should move to New York and be closer to me. We could see each other for lunch or something like the old times."

"Me? Leave Minneapolis? You already know that ain't gonna happen. Don't feel bad or worry about me, sweetheart. I'm fine. Besides, I'll be leaving soon to go on the road. You know how that goes."

"Okay. You said you're fine and all that. But I have a question."

"And what may that be?"

"Is you happy?"

As soon as she asked Prince that question, the phone fell silent again.

"Your silence says it all."

"Listen. I'm fine, sweetheart. Really." A light chuckle came from his end of the phone. But Naia knew him like the back of his hand. That wasn't a sincere laugh at all.

"I just called to check up on you." He continued. "I'll most likely fly out to see you in a week or so we can properly catch up before I go on the road. You can tell me how the fashion thing going and maybe you could design a few pieces for myself and band to wear."

"I'd love that. Just let me know what day you're planning to show up and the time your plane lands."

"Will do. Until then, sweetheart. I love you."

"I love you too, dad." As she said that, a wide smile grew on her face.

"See you later."

"See you."

Seconds later, Prince hung up the phone. She followed suit and did the same. She always loved talks with her father. He always seemed to make everything seemed so less complicated. The only thing she disliked was how unhappy he seemed. It was clear, he needed a woman in his life. He deserved to have that happiness. Putting her phone on her nightstand, she stood from her bed and walked over to her closet to look for something to wear.

She couldn't spend all day waiting for or IF Lenny called. She had to stay focus on herself and her career. She had a meeting at 11 A.M. with one of the fashion companies she worked for.