Chapter 16 The Nixon siblings
Chapter 16: The Nixon Siblings
Alex watched Golden and Varney interact with so much ease and couldn't reconcile the Golden she was seeing now with the version she met at school.
Golden was a warm and sweet girl who was swallowed whole by her insecurities and a body she was ashamed of.
Although a joke, Alex couldn't get over the fact that Varney was willing to pay a billion dollars to buy a friend for his sister.
What Golden needed wasn't a store-bought friend, what she needed was a class in confidence and self esteem.
“So tell me Alex, how come I've never seen you before?” Varney asked between bites.
“Well, I've always lived in space. I just relocated to earth.” Alex replied with mock seriousness.
“Cool! I've always wanted to visit space. How do I get there?” Varney played along.
Alex chuckled, turning to Golden. “Is your brother always this charming?”
“When he is not working his ass off, yeah pretty much.” Golden said nodding her head like it was the norm.
“I am a transfer student from Bejing City University. I was born in Houston. My mum was a typical cowgirl and until I was six, I lived in Texas.” Alex explained.
Varney listened carefully.
“I went back to Bejing when I lost my mum. She died trying to give birth to my baby brother who also didn't survive.
My dad couldn't get over the guilt. For some reason he blamed himself for her death. I still don't get why, but...” Alex paused, sucking her teeth and pushing away emotions.
“Anyways we moved back to Bejing and moved in with my grandma and that's where I've been until about a month ago when my dad got an offer in a research institute here in Florida.” She smiled at they siblings, Golden returned the smile.
Alex emptied the glass of water and continued. “The offer was really good and when he asked if I was interested in moving again, I jumped on the offer with my hands and feet.”
Golden laughed, enjoying the conversation.
Alex shrugged. “Truthfully, I was already tired of Bejing. I never really fit in there. I was a girl with a Southern accent and it didn't help that my Mandarin was broken. My Chinese was even worse.
I was never Chinese enough to fit in. I did face my own share of bullies you know but let's just say I learned to cope.
Coming to OCU and meeting “Linda Cruella” it was BCU all over again, only that in BCU, the bullies were more brutal. From where I come from, Linda is at best a baby bully.”
“Wow dude! You've been through a lot” Varney said as he took a sip of his wine.
Alex almost choked on her wine and Golden had to pat her back gently to help her ease the flow of the drink.
“Did this guy just call me a dude?” Alex turned to Golden with a questioning look.
Golden shrugged in response and got back to eating her dinner like it was normal.
“Well you certainly have been through a lot for a girl your age. And to still be seated here like nothing has ever happened then in fact I should refer to you as boss!” Varney said.
Alex dropped her cutlery with a clatter and rolled her eyes.
She hadn't gotten over the fact that Varney called her a dude and then again he called her ‘boss’.
Golden could see that Varney was begining to get to Alex and immediately stepped in before he angered her friend to death.
Varney obviously didn't know when to draw the line with his teasing. How dare he call a delicate lady like Alex a ‘dude’, then ‘boss’
She was going to skin him alive if Alex decided not to be friends with her again.
But it's been a while since they have had this harmonious atmosphere.
“V, can you stop teasing my friend? I will shoot you if she decides not to come over again” Golden gave Varney a warning glare.
“Don't worry Gigi, he can't get rid of me that easily. Today's game is a home run for him. Next time I come around, I will make sure to beat him on his own turf.” Alex smiled reassuringly to Golden.
“Wow! I really like this girl!” Varney said. “I look forward to our next meeting.
“And Alex... Thank you. Really from the bottom of my heart I'm grateful that you decided to be friends with Golden. It's been a while I've seen Gigi smile and be this happy. You really don't understand what your presence has done for her…for us.” Varney stared at Alex, genuinely happy.
“I owe you big time. So whenever you are broke, just remember that I owe you a billion dollars.” He added.
“Well ladies, I have to go now. I have an online business meeting in about 30 minutes and I have to go and prepare. Alex, it was a pleasure meeting you. Gigi, take Alex to the pool to help her digest her food.”
Varney gave Golden a half hug and a kiss on the forehead “Love you.” And sent a warm smile at Alex, then he left the dinning room.
Golden and Alex cleared the table and went upstairs to Golden's room.
Golden’s bedroom was wide and airy, a quiet blend of luxury and comfort. A queen-size bed stood at the center, dressed in soft cream linens and neatly arranged pillows. Windows lined one wall, offering a clear view of the garden and back patio. When she pulled the heavy champagne-gold curtains aside, the room lit up beautifully; when she closed them, it softened into a calm, private space.
A small coffee table and lounge chair sat near the glass, her favorite spot to read or clear her mind. On the opposite side, her study area held built-in shelves packed with textbooks and novels, a sleek computer, and a comfortable chair.
A sliding door led to her walk-in closet and spacious bathroom, both organized with the quiet precision of someone who spent more time indoors than she admitted.
Alex saw a standing Victorian mirror that was covered with a blanket sitting pretty in a corner and she didn't bother asking about it.
Alex hesitated for a second, realizing she didn’t bring a swimsuit. But Golden shrugged and said it was fine, the mansion was their private space. So Alex simply settled for her underwear.
Then they headed out to the back and dived into the pool.