“And this is why I say you haven’t been rich long. You have had to work hard for your money and you are happy that otherpeople can sit back and have an easier life because of it. You don’t lord it over them or want something from them because of it.”
Realization struck that she was complimenting me with what she said and of course I didn’t expect anything else out of Sterling. “But your people do.”
“It’s literally like living in an episode ofGame of Thrones. I never know who is truly an ally because people can shift their allegiance depending on who is in or out of favor with the matriarchs. The only person who's ever been a good person to me consistently was Dalton.”
“Shit. I mean I get how family systems works but they're doing it like that?” My father’s people knew better than to come to me with their hands out. After he passed they tried to see what money he had for them and after me and Sonya got through cussin’ them out, they cut contact with us. I was sure they knew about my being in the league, but they’d been smart not to reach out.
“Yeah. They want to have control over whichever business is the most lucrative at the time. Not to necessarily work hard and make it better: that’s what workers are for. But they want their name and their face to be synonymous with the greatness that our family has represented for years. They want the prestige of being important without the work that goes into it.”
“And you try to stay out of all of it.”
“Yeah. I mean I get the same dividends they do because I’m a relative and I don’t feel like going through the ridiculous games they do trying to gain approval. I’m proud of what my ancestors have accomplished but a lot of their ideals are completely ridiculous when it comes to how things should go. There are plenty of ideas that I might have for the businesses, there’s so many that there is enough room for everyone to make their mark. That would be too sensible for them so they stick to beinghow they are and trying to knock each other down to ensure they look the best even if they aren’t doing the best.”
“They say it only takes three generations for a family to lose everything. Y’all did something right to beat those odds.”
Her laughter was softer but it wasn’t any less filled with sarcasm. “Losing money is akin to death to a lot of them. They wouldn’t dare do anything to risk the fortune. Morals should matter, but look at the world around us. We’ve got a government run by felons and treating this place like they’re the mafia shaking the American people down. Social media cache is more important than morality and profit over people is still the real American dream for capitalists. It’s not easy to instill values but God knows it’s not hard. Look at me.”
“Do you think that comes from your father’s side or the fact that they treated you like an outcast?”
“I’ve wondered if it’s the lack of desirability and conformity that made me this way but I’m not sure. What I know is that I’m grateful for it. I don’t want to fit in with the ideals they hold. They see nothing wrong with scheming, lying and cheating one another all for control and power; they will have to hire someone to explain to them. I don’t even dabble in the family business and I could probably go and run it better than they could.”
“And that’s the problem.”
“What is?”
“The fact that you could run it but don’t. That you are so capable and knowledgeable about positions you don’t even want. People hate success that they wish to covet for themselves but can’t. You think I don’t know the washed-up running backs that now commentate our games aren’t talking shit from jealousy? That I haven’t had former teammates try to throw dirt on my name because they didn’t make it as far as I did? I know that’s a fact and I let it slide off me. You’ve done something akin to that but you haven’t had it as easy as I have. I’ve always had mypeople in my corner telling me to ignore the haters, while your people were the haters. It’s fucked up how that works but I’m glad you’re nothing like your people. Some snobby lil rich girl couldn’t be around my kid giving her the wrong ideas about what success and womanhood are.”
“Please don’t even get me started on that. The way they treat the marriage market is even worse.”
“Husband hunting?”
“Worse than a Regency England mother trying to land her daughter the title of duchess.”
I paused again because her description didn’t seem to be pulled from thin air. “That was extremely accurate.”
“If my people would’ve been the right skin color and had more money I’m sure they would’ve forced one of my ancestors into the peerage like the rest of the dollar princesses way back in the day. Supposedly there was some talk of one of my great aunts being married to a sheikh or a shah or something like that.”
“Aren’t they the same thing?”
“Both are kings but one is from Iran and the other Arab.”
“Again, the same thing.”
She laughed as she shook her head lazily. “Actually no. Iranians are not technically Arabs.”
“I’m feeling veryleft behindright now.”
She bust out laughing but I was being dead ass. “This is stuff that everyone should know but the American educational system makes people mice in mazes and button pushers. There’s no innovation that they desire unless it comes from their class.”
“Their?” Her ass was speaking like she wasn’t wealthy her damn self.
“Yestheir. I’m a nanny. A working girl.” She said it proudly but it still sounded wild.
“Not you likening yourself to a 304.”
She ground her hips like her bare pussy wasn’t two centimeters away from my dick. She knew if she woke him up I was gone need her to help him get back to sleep. “I mean I’m doing something strange for a piece of change so…”
“I wouldn’t call it strange. Acrobatic and very satisfying, yes. But not strange. Unless you've got some other trick up your sleeve…” She had me wondering what else she had to show me. Sterling might present as buttoned up but she was relaxed with her sexuality. She had no issues with telling what she liked or didn’t. Or letting me know when I needed to go harder or make love to her.
