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  “Absolutely. No need for small talk and chatter when we came here to get some business done.”

  “My mom is always like this,” Chelsea said. “It doesn’t have anything to do with you needing a job.”

  Mrs. Richard took another sip of her tea and peered at Onika over the rim of the cup as she swallowed. Onika felt like she was being assessed. She hoped that she wasn’t found wanting.

  “I also attended Robinson University on scholarship,” Mrs. Richard said. “My family is from Alabama. Not dirt-poor, but close enough. So I understand the need for extra finances. You don’t have to have your guard up around me, dear.”

  “Thank you so much for helping me. I think it was a blessing that I got Chelsea as a roommate. She’s been good to me from the very first day.”

  “It’s all about sisterhood,” Chelsea said. “My mother taught me well.”

  “Very true. My husband will hire you, but you’re going to have to do the rest. You’ll have to work hard, and remember to network. Every donor that comes through that office is a potential husband, father-in-law, or mother-in-law. Look stunning always.”

  “That won’t be hard for her,” Chelsea said. “Look at her.”

  “You are beautiful, sweetie. You’ll have it a lot easier than I did when it comes to landing a husband. I had to put in effort to snag Dr. Richard. There were quite a few competitors. I wasn’t the prettiest, but I was the smartest, and I was victorious.”

  “You make it sound like a war,” Onika said.

  “It is. Think about it. Do you want to go back to where you came from? Didn’t you come here to start a different life?”

  “I did.”

  This was accurate. Onika had come to Atlanta to be born again.

  “Well, then, you can’t be seen stumbling around drunk at fraternity parties,” Mrs. Richard said.

  Onika didn’t reply. She wouldn’t throw Chelsea under the bus, and she didn’t expect the girl to tell the truth.

  “I know it was Chelsea,” Mrs. Richard said. “I’ve already spoken to her about this. But the truth is, you are not her. She can get away with it, because she is Dr. Richard’s daughter.”

  “I understand.”

  “No, I don’t think that you do. Anything and everything you do will be watched and scrutinized, because there are people who don’t want women like us to attend college with their precious socialites. I cannot tell you the torture I endured at Robinson at the hands of some of these women.”

  “Will you be my mentor? I need someone to protect me.”

  Mrs. Richard took Onika’s hand and squeezed it tightly. “I will mentor you, but I don’t know how much I can offer in the way of protection. I will say this. Next time my daughter’s silly ass gets drunk at a party, you leave her right there on the floor. Call me when you get back to campus.”

  Chelsea looked at the ground, but not before Onika could see the tears on her face. All Onika could think about was how she wished she had a mother like Mrs. Richard who cared about how she turned out. Judy wouldn’t care at all about her getting drunk at a party. She’d tell the story to her friends like it was funny.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Richard.”

  “You’re welcome, darling. We’re going to make Robinettes out of you both.”

  Onika wanted to hug her, but Chelsea looked up at her with a look of disdain. Onika knew how angry Chelsea must be, but she wanted to take her to meet Judy. If Chelsea met Judy, she’d accept every bit of criticism from her mother with kisses and hugs. To Onika, a mother like Mrs. Richard was priceless, and now she was going to start a new job because of her help.

  Onika would make Mrs. Richard proud, too, just like she’d made Ms. Carpenter proud.

  CHAPTER SIX

  The trustees’ office was enormous, but it still managed to feel intimate. Onika took deep breaths to calm her nerves as she waited for Dr. Ben Richard to interview her for an office assistant position. The opportunity hadn’t been advertised on the campus jobs board. It was only for those who were referred by someone in a high place. Thanks to Chelsea and Mrs. Richard, Onika’s name had found its way to Dr. Richard’s desk.

  Mrs. Richard had promised that she’d be hired, but sometimes men didn’t always do the bidding of their wives. Onika wouldn’t allow herself to believe she was hired until she heard the words come from his mouth.

  Mrs. Richard did not leave anything to chance, though. She provided Onika with an interview suit as a gift. Pantyhose, shoes, and makeup, too. Chelsea hadn’t lied when she said her mother would make a doll out of her. She had done exactly that.

  Onika stood inside the office, unsure if she should sit. The receptionist had merely opened the door and told her to wait. Wait meant wait, but not necessarily sit, so Onika chose to stand rather than make a mistake that might cost her the job.

  Dr. Richard emerged from a door on the opposite side of the office. He was wearing a fitted golf shirt and shorts, and what looked like a fresh bronze tan. The black hair on his head and face was peppered with silver strands, but even still, he was incredibly handsome. He could’ve been a runway model, but here he was, a trustee at a university.

  “I apologize for my appearance, Nikki. I had a meeting with a senator on the golf course. We got to talking politics and it went overtime. I didn’t want to keep you waiting much longer.”

  “Are you interested in politics, sir? Are you going to run for public office?” Onika asked.

  Dr. Richard grinned as he walked toward Nikki. He shook her hand firmly, and she matched his grip, wanting to convey confidence. She desperately needed the job, but she didn’t want him to feel her desperation in the handshake.

  “If I did, would you work on my campaign?” Dr. Richard asked.

  “I would, but not as a volunteer. As a paid staff member.”

  Dr. Richard’s loud laughter filled the room, the acoustics from the high ceilings giving the sound more volume. He held his sides as the laughter poured out of him. Onika was happy that she’d amused him but wondered if she’d said too much. She was just being truthful. She needed a paycheck.

  “I would make sure you got paid, young lady. I understand exactly where you’re coming from.”

  Dr. Richard motioned for her to sit, and he sat on the edge of his desk, still looking quite amused.

  “My wife and daughter can’t find enough good things to say about you. Honors student, well mannered, and polished. So I should probably get to hiring you, shouldn’t I?”

  “You should, sir.”

  “The job entails some filing of paperwork, checking and responding to e-mails from the general mailbox, answering phones, and making appointments. Do you think you can handle that?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “The job pays fifteen dollars an hour, and you’ll work about forty hours a week.”

  Onika’s jaw dropped. She hadn’t expected fifteen dollars an hour. She’d expected minimum wage and maybe twenty hours a week. With this amount of money, she’d be able to save for a car, and for plane tickets instead of bus tickets. She might even get to go on the spring break trips everyone talked about. With fifteen dollars an hour, she could have a life.

  “We’ll work around your class schedule. Do you have any early-morning classes?”

  “Only on Tuesdays. I have an eight o’clock class.”

  Dr. Richard nodded. “All right, then, you’ll come every morning at seven, except Tuesdays, when you’ll come when your class lets out. You’ll work until it’s time for class, and then you’ll be off every day by four or four-thirty, leaving you plenty of time for your studies.”

  All of a sudden, Onika felt as if she had a knot in her throat the size of a grapefruit. No one had ever shown her so much kindness. Chelsea and Mrs. Richard, and now Dr. Richard. She didn’t know how she could repay them for being so good.

  “Thank you, Dr. Richard.”

  “You’re welcome, Onika.”

  It startled Onika to hear Dr. Richard call her by her true name. Even
though she hadn’t told Chelsea her real name, it was in her school records and on her application. Dr. Richard must’ve read her file before their meeting.

  “I know you told my daughter that you’re an orphan, although your mother is alive and well in North Carolina. Isn’t that right?”

  Onika’s heart raced. Was he going to take away all that he promised, just like that?

  “It’s true, sir, that my mother is alive. I wouldn’t say well.”

  “I understand. I have family members who decided to use drugs to the detriment of their children and spouses and everyone around them. I don’t blame you for walking away from all that.”

  Onika relaxed and exhaled.

  “She didn’t want me to come here and go to school, but I couldn’t turn down the scholarship. I had to see what I could accomplish. I am grateful for this job, sir. I will work extremely hard.”

  “I know you will. And don’t worry. I won’t tell my wife and daughter about your mother. That can stay between us.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Richard.”

  “You do know why I’m giving you this opportunity, right? Why the pay is so good?”

  Onika shook her head. She really had no idea why he was being so kind to her.

  “Because there are too many brilliant young women without means who end up stripping or selling their bodies to make extra money. It’s easy to do. We have girls here on campus who work at strip clubs. My daughter has taken a liking to you, and I don’t want her to be friends with someone who slides down a pole at night.”

  Onika wanted to tell Dr. Richard that she’d never had any intention of sliding down a pole to make money. And that his daughter was the one who suggested becoming a play toy for an older man.

  “Thank you for providing me with a reputable way to earn money,” Onika said, not wanting to disagree with him. Let him feel like he was saving her from whoredom. Onika didn’t care, as long as the job was still hers.

  “Can you start tomorrow morning?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. You can wear something like what you have on today. Skirts, or dresses, heels and pantyhose while you’re in the office. We have donors and potential donors in our offices on a daily basis.”

  “All right.”

  Onika hoped Dr. Richard didn’t see the worry on her face. This was her only professional work outfit. She had a few blouses that she could match with the skirt, but there was very little variety. It seemed like the majority of her first check would end up being spent on new clothes.

  Dr. Richard shook his head. “What am I thinking? Of course, you don’t have a closet full of clothes.”

  He reached into his wallet and pulled out two hundred-dollar bills. When Onika just stared at the money in shock, he put it in her hand.

  “I-I can’t take your money,” Onika said.

  Dr. Richard laughed and closed Onika’s fingers around the bills.

  “Yes, you can. I won a bet today, so you’re not taking any money out of my household. I do need you dressed nicely. That’s not optional. So go get a few blouses, skirts, and a couple pairs of shoes. And don’t forget the pantyhose.”

  It felt a little bit strange being instructed how to dress by a man, but Onika trusted him, and she didn’t exactly know what to wear.

  She got to her feet and shook Dr. Richard’s outstretched hand. “Thanks again, sir,” she said. “I will go directly to the store to prepare for this week.”

  “You’re welcome, Onika. I look forward to this being a long working relationship. If it works out, you can do this all four years you’re at Robinson.”

  Onika wanted to hug Dr. Richard, but she knew that wouldn’t be appropriate, so she shook his hand again. When he pulled her into a chaste embrace and then patted her affectionately on the head, she knew she was in good. She wondered how such a kind man could be the father of a rapist. She’d have to keep her eye on Dr. Richard. That apple fell from somewhere, and she didn’t want to find out too late that father and son were just alike.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Onika was running late for work at the trustees’ office. She’d overslept. She cursed her cell phone alarm, because the last thing she wanted was for Dr. Richard to think she was taking advantage of his kindness. She’d worked for him her entire freshman year and definitely wanted to come back in the fall.

  When she got to the office, the campus police were there, and immediately Onika panicked. Had something happened to her mother or grandmother? Would she have to leave and go to Goldsboro?

  “Is everything all right?” she asked as she approached Dr. Richard’s desk.

  “These officers just want to ask you a few questions. I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation for this.”

  “For what?”

  “Come have a seat, Nikki. Relax.”

  It was hard for Onika to relax with her boss standing in front of her and being flanked on either side by police officers. She tried anyway, though. She sat down and eased back in the chair, although her heart felt like it was beating in her throat and temples.

  “We got a report this morning,” Officer Davis said (his name was on his badge). “And we just want to ask you about it.”

  Onika’s mind raced. Did this have something to do with Jaime? Had he tried to flip the script and make it seem like she was the guilty one? If he had, Onika was going to destroy him. She had protected him and his reputation.

  “All right . . .”

  “A woman claiming to be your mother said that you stole her Social Security check. She said it was directly deposited to a debit card and that you stole the number.”

  Onika sat speechless. Why would Judy do this to her?

  “I haven’t stolen anything from anyone. Are you sure it was my mother?”

  “She said her name is Judy Lewis, and she had all of the correct information about you. Your birthday, Social Security number, and all of your relevant contact details,” Officer Davis said. His partner was silent but scribbled furiously in his notebook.

  “Well, I haven’t been home since school started. I don’t know how to prove I didn’t take her check.”

  “She claims purchases were made at a jewelry store and Victoria’s Secret.”

  “I haven’t made any such purchases.”

  “Mmm-hmm,” Officer Davis said. “Well, if you don’t mind, we’re going to check your dorm just so we can say we followed up.”

  “I absolutely do mind!” Onika said. “You are not about to humiliate me in front of my roommate and sisters on the word of a crackhead. You need some proof and a warrant before you can search my dormitory.”

  “We can search a dormitory if we have reason to believe a crime has taken place,” Officer Davis said in response.

  “Please, Dr. Richard, don’t let them do this,” Onika pleaded.

  “Calm down, Nikki,” Dr. Richard said. “Listen, how much money did the woman say was missing?”

  Officer Davis’s partner flipped a few pages on his notebook and looked up at Dr. Richard. “Six hundred forty-two dollars was the amount.”

  “I’ll write a check for that amount, and we can consider the matter closed.”

  “She’s lying, Dr. Richard. Don’t give her any of your money. She’s just going to use it to buy more crack,” Onika said. She was beyond annoyed that Judy could call her college and get anyone to listen to her ridiculous stories.

  “Inform her that if she calls the school with any more false reports on her daughter, we will file harassment charges and get a restraining order,” Dr. Richard continued.

  “Okay, Dr. Richard. We’ll handle it,” Officer Davis said. “Hopefully, we won’t have any additional problems from her.”

  Onika broke down in sobs as soon as the two officers exited the office. She’d hardly been able to hold back the tears, but she didn’t want to lose it in front of them. She didn’t want Dr. Richard to see her like this either, but there was only so much restraint she could show.

  Dr. Richard left his s
ide of the desk and pulled up a chair next to Onika. He encircled her with his arms and let her cry into his chest. He stroked her hair and cooed in her ear. Wiped her tears with a tissue and rocked her until her shoulders stopped shaking.

  “I hate her,” Onika said. “Why won’t she leave me alone? Why would she do that to me?”

  “Don’t hate her. Be happy that you have the opportunity to escape. She’s a pitiful and sick woman, and it’s not your fault.”

  Onika stiffened at hearing Dr. Richard repeat her grandmother’s favorite excuse for Judy.

  “She’s sick because she chooses to keep putting poison in her body. She doesn’t want to be well.”

  “I believe you, but you still don’t need to hate her. Pray that she makes some changes, and then you be the best you can be. No matter what, you wouldn’t be here without her.”

  Onika allowed herself to relax in Dr. Richard’s arms. He was right about one thing. She wouldn’t be alive without her mother’s sin. If Judy hadn’t been sleeping with a pimp to pay for her drugs, then there would be no Onika. Still, she found it hard to set aside her anger at Judy’s antics, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to pray for her.

  “I don’t want to go home and have to look at her all summer. I don’t think I’ll survive it,” Onika said.

  “Then don’t.”

  “I have no choice, Dr. Richard. I can’t afford to stay here over the summer.”

  “I am going to speak for my wife and children when I say we would love to have you join us for our summer at Martha’s Vineyard.”

  Onika stared at Dr. Richard in disbelief. Suddenly, his embrace felt too intimate, so Onika backed away.

  “Do you really mean it?”

  He nodded. “I do.”

  Onika had never been anywhere other than Goldsboro and Atlanta. She fit in on campus, but she didn’t think she’d be able to fool the Martha’s Vineyard crowd. They’d see right through her. They’d know right away that she was beneath them, that she should be changing the sheets and vacuuming the floors instead of splashing in the pool with their children.

  Yet she was going to go anyway. How could she not go?