Page 3 of Let the Game Begin

On our descent, from my window seat I observed the giant skyscrapers rising in the distance and all the cars speeding by on the streets of the great city. It was clear to me in that moment exactly why they called it the city that never sleeps.

When I arrived in New York, the cool air and chaotic atmosphere hit me immediately, catapulting me into an entirely new reality. I sighed and let my mother know that I had arrived. She’d asked me to call her the moment the plane landed, and knowing all too well how excessively anxious she got, I tried to reassure her. Then, I tried to spot Matt in the crowded arrivals area of the airport. How could I find one person in such a giant space? Maybe I should have held up a sign? “Wanted: Matt Anderson, asshole father.” Or: “Selene seeks asshole father, Matt Anderson, and his new family.” Either way, I would have kept the “asshole.”

I remembered what model car Matt had—a black Range Rover. He would bring it to come get me, but how many of them might drive by? I looked around me; there were so many people concentrated in one space it made my head spin.

However, I must have had a lucky star on my side, because during all the chaos of people and cars, I spotted a shiny black Range Rover pulled up a few feet away. I wasn’t completely sure it was the vehicle I was looking for, but I had a feeling. I hadn’t seen my father yet, but inside I could sense his presence.

I stuck my cell phone into the pocket of my jeans and grabbed my suitcase, dragging it along toward the luxurious vehicle. As I approached, I squinted, trying to pick out any details of the interior—a figure that I could associate with him for certain. Every step I slowly took toward that car became more and more uncertain, as if I were walking to the gallows.

Then, suddenly, the door opened and dispelled all my doubts. My father appeared, a man of sophisticated charm, decidedly in shape, dressed in animpeccable suit undoubtedly from some famous brand. He looked like he’d made a deal with the devil. Despite his age, he was still handsome and alluring in a way few other men were. And that was his biggest problem. He had always been a magnet for women and incapable of controlling his urges. It was no coincidence that fidelity was a moral commitment he struggled to keep.

I looked at him, but his warm hazel eyes were hidden behind his sunglasses, which gave me a moment to regain my composure. I didn’t want him to see the effect he still had on me.

“Hi, Selene.” He gave me an almost embarrassed smile and immediately reached to take my suitcase, giving every appearance of a kind and considerate person. His voice… I had forgotten the sound of it.

“Hi, Matt.” I didn’t call him “Dad” anymore; he knew how it was between us.

“How are you? How was your trip? I’m happy you agreed to come and stay with us—”

I interrupted him immediately to avoid listening to all those worthless pleasantries. He was good with words, with speeches and little soundbites, but I was certainly not the kind of daughter to be so easily duped.

“I only did it for my mother. Can we go?” I opened the car door and slid into the passenger seat. Neither of us said a word for the entire journey. It was a truly embarrassing situation, but it couldn’t have gone any other way. That man had left us to make a new life, and even during my parents’ marriage, he had never acted like a husband or, more importantly, like a father. I could still remember every birthday he missed, all the performances he promised to come to but never showed up at, and the calls he didn’t answer because he was too busy getting some younger coworker in bed. It happened again and again. His distraction, his absence, I remembered all of it…especially my mother’s tears.

I sighed and stared out the window, trying to think about something else, like the fact that I would be starting my sophomore year of college at Pace, where I would need to study rigorously while trying to fit in and make friends. A difficult task for an introvert like me.

“I’m glad I finally get to introduce you to Mia,” Matt said awkwardly,breaking the heavy silence that hung over the two of us. It wasn’t exactly the first thing I was expecting to hear.

“Since when are you into blonds?” I ask tartly. I had only seen pictures of her, but I already knew, deep down inside, that it would be impossible for me to get along with Mia.

Matt gave me a brief, blank look before turning his attention back to driving. “You could make friends with her kids…” He deflected my pointed question quickly and cleared his throat, tightening both hands on the steering wheel.

“Children? For real?” I gave a mocking shake of my head. “And to think I’m an only child because you didn’twantany other kids. So, do you share a house with your partner’s progeny now? What a twist of fate…” I commented, both sarcastic and indignant.

Yeah, I believed in fate—an impersonal force that governed human affairs in some unknowable way. I was convinced that everyone had a destiny, for better or for worse.

“Selene, I understand your perspective, but I want you to try to—”

“Don’t start with that bullshit! The only reason we are doing this is because Mom convinced me to make an attempt, but I already know that nothing is going to change between you and me!” I answered adamantly, pulling my cell phone out of my jeans pocket.

I didn’t want to talk to him.

I knew it wasn’t exactly the mature thing to do, but I also knew that this was a consequence of his behavior and he would have to deal with it. Immediately, I noticed a text notification flashing insistently on my screen.

It was from Jared, my boyfriend:Did you get there yet, baby? I’m waiting for your call.

I answered immediately, not caring if I seemed rude.I’m with Matt now. I’ll call you later. XOXO.

“Are you listening to me?” Matt burst out suddenly. He had said something before that I didn’t catch, so I decided to be honest.

“No…I was responding to a text.” I smiled at him with the same indifference he had shown me for years. I wondered how he was feeling at that moment. Had he been hoping for a hug from me, the kind he hadn’t gottenin a while? The situation wasn’t easy for me because, although I always put on a good face, I had missed having a father figure.

During those first few years, it hadn’t been easy to accept that I was the daughter of a powerful man who thought only about himself and his career. A man who regularly sought pleasure from other women because he wasn’t satisfied with the pure love that his wife gave him. A man who was only ever able to carve out a tiny space in his life for me, for being a father.

Then, I got used to it.

When Matt pulled the car in front of an enormous iron gate, I knew we had reached our destination. He took a remote control out of his pocket and pressed it, the gate opening automatically. He turned down a stone driveway and parked between a white Audi and a black Maserati. I resisted the urge to make an inappropriate comment and instead just opened the door and got out of the car to grab my suitcase from the trunk.

I turned my gaze to the palatial manor before me and was astounded: it was a luxurious three-story house with a manicured garden, an illuminated swimming pool, and windows everywhere to provide a view of the splendor inside. It was a high-profile property located in wealthy Westchester County, but all that opulence only served to remind me of Matt’s empty and superficial personality. He flaunted his prosperity and cash, not understanding that no house or car could ever make up for a lack of paternal love.