CHAPTER 3
Charles and Alice Bishop sat in Heathrow awaiting the arrival of their second born and his guest. Their minds filled with memories of the last girl Ashton brought home the last time he returned to London.
Alice cringed mentally and physically when she thought of that fiasco. The woman was the most annoying, condescending snob Alice had ever met.
The way she tried to order their house servants around set Alice's nerves on edge and took everything within her not to tell the woman how she felt about her and order the cow out of her home.
"I hope he isn't bringing that idiot for another visit," Alice said looking over at her husband.
"He said he was brining someone new," Charles replied. "I'm quite sure he would've told us if he was bringing Ka...."
"Don't say her name," Alice said. "We agreed we would never mention her name again."
Charles chuckled at his wife. Ashton's last guest left a really bad taste in her mouth.
"If he was bringing her I'm sure Ashton would've told us," he said to his wife. "He knows we hate surprises."
"I would prefer that he brought a rabid dog rather than that cow," Alice said. "You can get a shot for rabies, there isn't anything you can do about stupidity."
Charles tried to contain his laughter but he couldn't. Whenever Alice went off on one of her tangents he always wound up laughing out loud and almost rolling on the floor to the amazement of those around him and knew him.
Charles Bishop CEO and founder of Bishop Digital Services was the image of what one would expect to find when one thought of a British businessman straight laced, stuffy and all business.
An image he was able to maintain unless he was in the company of his wife. Alice was a free sprit in every way. The way she dressed, the way she thought and the way she spoke her mind. Charles didn't know what she was going to say in any situation which was what he loved about her.
The woman had away of snatching him out of a bed mood or a tense situation by bringing him out of himself with on of her off the cuff remarks.
Her last remark had Charles laughing so hard people around him were staring at him.
"It's not funny Charles," Alice said. "There should be a law that stupid people aren't allowed to walk around unsupervised and if they are found to be out without proper supervision they should be forced to be chained to someone stupider than they are so they can see what the rest of us go through dealing with them."
Charles was really drawing attention now he was laughing uncontrollably with his hand over his face to hide the tears that were falling from his eyes.
"Alice please," Charles pleaded as he shook with laughter. "I can't take much more, please stop it."
"You'd better get your black suit pressed Charles you're going to a funeral and I'm going to jail."
Charles stopped laughing when he heard the coldness in his wife's voice as she spoke. He looked up at her and saw Alice staring at something.
When he looked in the direction of her stare what he saw surprised him. Ashton was walking towards them holding the hand of a very pretty black woman.
"Don't get excited Alice," Charles said rubbing his wife's back to calm her, "it might not be what you think."
"It had better not be what I think," Alice said her teeth clinched together. "Because if it is what I think it is our son will be riding home in the boot of the car."
Charles quickly covered his mouth praying that the laughter lodged in his throat wouldn't escape through his mouth but Alice kept talking.
"I'm going to cut his balls off, flambé them and force feed them down his throat," Alice said as she pasted a smile on her face and went to greet their son and his guest.
Charles turned his back to try and gain control of himself but he couldn't contain the laughter that escaped his throat. The image of his wife doing what she said burned into his mind. Charles made his way to the restroom because he didn't want people seeing him rolling around on the floor laughing like an idiot.
Ashton and Chevonne watched his father race towards the restroom.
"I hope my father is alright," Ashton said a look of concern on his face and in his voice but secretly happy to see that his father's reaction was worse than he expected it to be. He almost jumped for joy at the tight tense smile he saw on his mother's face as she approached them.
Ashton smiled, released his hold on Chevonne's hand and spread his arms to greet his mother but the look he saw in his mother's eyes as she came closer to them said that if he touched her he would be taking his life in his hands so he put his arms down to his side and retook hold of Chevonne's hand.
Alice wasn't happy and an unhappy Alice was a dangerous Alice. Ashton fortified himself by thinking of the reason he was doing what he was doing. So that he could marry Katrina and his family would accept her, support their marriage and be happy for him. It was all he wanted.
"Hello, mother," Ashton said swallowing the uneasiness he felt and smiling.
"Who do we have here?" Alice asked ignoring Ashton's greeting and giving Chevonne her full attention.
"Chevonne Michaelson, Alice Bishop, my mother," Ashton said.
"It's a pleasure meeting you Mrs. Bishop," Chevonne said extending her hand out to shake Ashton's mother's hand.
"None of that Mrs. Bishop stuff," Alice said ignoring the hand Chevonne held out and breaking the hold on the hand Ashton was holding and pulling Chevonne in for a hug, "the only people I have call me Mrs. Bishop are people I don't like. I like you love so I would appreciate it if you would call me Alice."
"Alright," Chevonne said, "Alice it is."
"You and I are going to get along just fine," Alice said taking Chevonne by the hand. "Ashton go get your father out of the loo so the two of you can collect the luggage."
"What's wrong with dad?" Ashton asked.
"He had another laughing fit," his mother replied.
That bit of news made Ashton smile. His father only had one of his laughing fits when his mother went on one of her tirades and she only did that when she was angry.
"There's no need to send him for me, I'm right here."
Everyone turned to see Charles standing behind them.
Chevonne and set her gaze on Charles Bishop. Handsome didn't began to describe the man. Ashton went over to greet his father but there was a look in Mr. Bishop's eyes that said he wasn't at all happy with his son. Chevonne wondered if her coming to London with Ashton instead of Katrina was the reason for Mr. Bishop's look.
She took the opportunity to compare the two men as they stood side by side. They both stood six feet tall exactly. Charles Bishop weighed about two hundred-fifteen pounds. Ashton weighed exactly two hundred pounds.
Both men had brown eyes, strong jaw lines, straight Anglo-Saxon nosesand jet black hair. Charles wore his short and stylishly cut there were hints of grey showing around his temples.
Ashton wore his long and it came to rest on his shoulders. Just like his father handsome didn't come close to describing him.
"Dad I would like to introduce you to Chevonne Michaelson," Ashton said introducing his father to Chevonne. "And Chevonne I would like for you to meet my father Charles Bishop."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Chevonne," Charles said reaching out and taking hold of one of Chevonne's hands.
"It's nice to meet you too Mr. Bishop," Chevonne said.
"My family and I are going to make sure you enjoy your visit to London," Charles said as he gently patted the hand he was holding.
"I'll try not to be a bother," Chevonne said.
"We're glad you're here and entertaining you will be our pleasure," Alice said. "So don't you worry about being a bother to us. We want you to just enjoy yourself."
