Heart Of Stone

by Lace, Lolah

  “I don’t have the luxury of time. I have a job.”

  “God please go and do it.” I mumbled under my breath. “Dubai wants you right a fucking way.”

  “I heard that. Let’s try to be nice to each other.”

  “I’ve already been nice to you.”

  “While we have clothes on. Last night was last night. Today is today.”

  He can’t be serious. “Kelby.” I turned to Daniel’s voice calling my name. “It’s nice to officially meet you.” He extended his hand. I didn’t want to shake it but I didn’t have anywhere to run— with my naked ass. “Let’s sit and talk.”

  Daniel pulled out my chair like a gentleman and I sat down. I placed the baby monitor down on the table. Daniel sat at the head of the table and Tonio sat across from me. He pushed my vase of assorted flowers to the right so nothing could obstruct his view of me. I wished those blue eyes didn’t affect me the way they did.

  Daniel went into an attaché case that I hadn’t noticed before now and pulled out a manila envelope. He carefully removed a packet of papers.

  “What is this?” I directed my question at Daniel. Then I cut my eyes over at the asshole that wouldn’t give me a minute to digest the hot-mess-foolishness of yesterday. Not before he brought the hot-mess-foolishness of today.

  “It’s another agreement. This is preliminary. Things can be negotiated.” Daniel answered without giving me a real answer. Lawyers and their double talk.

  “Like what? What is this?”

  “Look it over.” He slid the packet of papers over to me.

  “Nooooooo.” I stretched that NO out like a yoga position. I looked down at the papers laid before me. “Tonio, tell me what this is about?”

  “You really don’t know.” His forehead creased.

  Motherfucker! “No, I don’t. That’s why I’m asking. I haven’t said anything to anybody about anything. No one knows who my son’s father is. I haven’t mentioned your name. My own family doesn’t know who Alexander’s father is. I already signed a non-disclosure agreement that lasts forever. I can’t talk about you and I haven’t said a word. What more do you want from me?”

  Tonio chuckled. “What do I want from you?” He raised one scary blonde eyebrow and did some weird sound with his lips. “Kelby, what do you want?”

  I sighed. “To be left alone.”

  “How much money do you want?”

  “What? I don’t want your money. I just want to raise my son in peace.”

  “You have my son. I’m going to support him, financially.”

  “You are?” I don’t know why I was so shocked. But Alex didn’t have a father two days ago so child support wasn’t a thought. “Why?”

  “Pretty girl, I don’t remember you acting so ditzy.”

  Why did the words pretty girl make me think about my behavior at the table? I took a breath. I needed to get myself together. I hated when he treated me like I was so much younger than him. I’m a grown ass woman.

  “Tonio, you gave me money already. I have a job. My bills are paid. I can take care of my son.”

  “Ms. Dozier, it’s the law. You are entitled to child support.” Daniel had taken over. Tonio leaned back in his chair and watched his lawyer do the talking for him. “Mr. Lambrusco wants to voluntarily give you child support. He believes you both can come to a satisfactory agreement without getting the courts involved.”

  “What if I don’t want it?”

  “It’s not up to you. It is Alexander’s legal right as a minor child to receive support from both parents. You support him now because you are the custodial parent. Mr. Lambrusco is obligated to contribute financially toward the support of the child.”

  “Okay fine.” I threw my hands up as gesture of defeat. Was I supposed to fight him? I didn’t have on panties. I decided to chill and glare across the table at Tonio, with his shady ass. “Why didn’t you say this yesterday— or last night? You just ambushed me with a lawyer.”

  “I’m sorry.” He didn’t mean it.

  “I don’t believe you’re sorry.”

  “Tough tittie. I’m not really sorry at all. I just want to get this financial issue over with.”

  Financial issue? Okay. “What does this agreement say? Tell me what’s in it.” I turned to Daniel. It seemed he was the mouthpiece.

  “Basically, he’s offering you a little over half a million dollars per year. Payments of forty-two thousand dollars a month until Alexander is nineteen years old. Twenty-two thousand is the child support. The other twenty thousand is for your personal expenses. It’s for unforeseen incidentals and also so you can keep this lovechild a secret.”

  Lovechild. Now that’s a joke. “Lovechild.” I chuckled.

  “You get a new car every year. One that Mr. Lambrusco chooses. Something that is sixty thousand dollars or more and safe. This contract gives you a house that is paid for by Mr. Lambrusco with your name on the deed. This home is where you will live and raise Alexander until he is a legal adult. Private schools aren’t mentioned because Alexander’s age. But the contract can be amended to accommodate certain things that are standard in child support settlements.”

  “Kelby.” I glared across the table at Tonio. I was pissed. He had so much bullshit to say when he had his dick inside me but never did he mention this. “This is more than a fair agreement. Russell Murphy, Charlie Gibson and Sean Spears pay less in child support. You are getting more than A-list celebs pay out.”

  Did he just rattle off a list of famous celebrities? Yes, he did. “Tonio, this is what you’re doing?”

  “Yeah this is what I’m doing. Would you at the very least look at the agreement?”

  “Without a lawyer?” So now I’m stupid.

  “You haven’t even looked at the damn thing. Your fucking eyes haven’t even moved down to the paper. Look— at— the— fucking— agreement.”

  Who in the fuck did he think he was talking to? “Don’t speak to me like that. It’s too early in the morning. I can’t breathe with you in my space. You have overwhelmed me.”

  “Overwhelmed?”

  “I think you’re trying to coerce me. I haven’t seen you in forever. Now you’re here all in my condo with papers to sign.” Get the fuck outta here!

  “I’m not trying to coerce you.”

  “Right. What about all the things you said last night?”

  “The sex— last night— has nothing to do with this agreement. This is for Alexander.”

  “Don’t you want to wait and make sure I’m not with child?”

  “Tonio, seriously?” Daniel muttered as he shook his head. “You had unprotected sex again?”

  “I didn’t plan it.” Tonio shrugged. “Shit happens. She’s hot.”

  “Ms. Dozier maybe we should just leave this agreement with you. Give you a chance to look over everything.”

  “I would appreciate it.” Please leave and take your big face movie star client with you.

  I looked over at Tonio. “Pretty girl.” Shit, there he goes with that. “I’m not trying to cheat you.”

  “I never said that you were. I don’t care about the money. I care about my son. I’m not going to let you take him from me.”

  “Is that what you think?”

  “I don’t know what to think. You haven’t given me a moment to wrap my mind around all of this.”

  “You think I’m trying to take him?”

  “You say one thing and you do another.”

  Tonio pushed his chair back and stood. He strolled around the table and found his way next to me. He was too close. I was already frazzled.

  “That’s not fair. I haven’t done this before. I don’t have any other kids hidden away. This is only about child support. I’m trying to secure Alex’s future. I don’t want him to grow up without things. This agreement has absolutely nothing to do with custody. This is financial support only. I would never take him from you.”

  Shit! Is he acting? He seemed so sincere. But he’s such a phenomenal act
or. Help! “I don’t know you well enough to know what you would do.”

  “That’s fair. No, you don’t know me well. I would never do that. I know how much you love him.”

  Does he know how much? Does he get it? “I do, love him. He’s mine. I don’t have any parents. I don’t have any brothers or sisters. All I have is Alex. I haven’t said anything. I’m not going to tell anybody. Just let me have my son.”

  “I just want to make sure you and Alex are taken care of.”

  “So why didn’t you mention it, in this new agreement?”

  “Kelby, I will never do things the way you want me to. I’m Antonio Lambrusco. I do whatever I want to do. I’m sure you know that by now.” Tonio reached over and stroked my neck. Nooooo! My hot spot heated and I could feel my kitty getting moist.

  I looked over at Daniel and caught the tail end of him rolling his eyes at Tonio’s statement. Under different circumstances I would’ve laughed out loud. If I laughed, I might leak. I wasn’t wearing panties and my chairs were made of cloth and I was already grossing myself out thinking about it.

  A sound came from the baby monitor. Alex was awake. He was making baby sounds. Good baby sounds, not bad ones. I grabbed the video monitor out of nervousness and stared into it. It was better than looking into Tonio’s eyes.

  “Alex is up.” I was hoping this would provoke them to leave. I noticed Daniel looking directly into the baby monitor. Odd. Why does he care?

  “Kelby.” I turned back to Tonio. His voice commanded it. “We’ll leave you to look over the agreement. But we will be back.”

  “Fine.” I just wanted to hold my son and take a shower. I wanted them to get the hell out three minutes ago.

  I looked over at Daniel and he was engrossed in the monitor screen like he had never seen a baby before.

  “Daniel, let’s go.” Tonio called out to him like he was in charge of all things in this life.

  Daniel stood and gathered his attaché case. “It was nice to see you again.”

  “Likewise.” I don’t think I ever used likewise before today but it just seemed to fit.

  “Give me a minute. I will meet you downstairs.”

  Tonio and I sat there and waited for Daniel to leave. After he heard the door close Tonio grabbed my chair. It skidded across the floor. I was pulled directly in front of him. Too close. He had a thing about being in my personal space.

  “Pretty girl, don’t be mad at me.”

  “I’m not. I’m confused. I’m shocked. I’m tired.”

  “Did I fuck you too hard last night?”

  He changed the subject to sex. How original. “What does that have to do with this?”

  “Next time, I will fuck you soft.”

  Liar! He went off topic, off script once again. “Do you know how to do that, fuck soft?”

  “I can learn. I take all my jobs very seriously.” He placed his hands on both my knees. “Getting your pussy wet and making you come is very important to me.

  Now that I believed. He was a great actor, a successful philanthropist and the best lover I had ever had. His personality could use some work.

  Alex’s baby shouts were getting louder. I was sure he was wet. He stopped crying about being wet a few months ago. I was really grossed out about how he was comfortable in a wet pamper so I started checking him often.

  “Don’t leave your lawyer waiting.”

  He cracked his movie star smile at me. “Give me a kiss and I will go on my way.”

  “I didn’t brush my teeth.”

  His hands slid up my thighs and his thumbs grazed the lips on my pussy. “No panties. Open. Open.”

  Fuck. I did it. I opened my legs. He pushed two fingers inside me. He swirled them around and I just couldn’t believe he was doing this to me. I bit my lip as he strummed my clit.

  “You’re mine. You know that right.” I shook my head like some preprogrammed robot. Tonio removed his fingers and pulled them up his face. His fingers were coated in my juice. I was sort of embarrassed by it. He reached over toward my face with his glazed fingers. I angled back. “No, no no.” He warned and I froze. He painted my closed lips with my fluid. Tonio quickly grabbed the back of my neck and pulled my glossed lips to his. He kissed me deeply and licked my wetness from my lips. He sucked me deep into his mouth. I kissed him back and I had another orgasm right in the chair. My body was too sensitive to resist him.

  Charismatic bastard!

  Sexy motherfucker!

  Oscar winning asshole!

  Irresistible cocksucker!

  I’m glad I got that out.

  “Kelby, stop fucking seducing me.” Huh? He’s the one seducing me. “Stop doing magic on my cock.” He kissed me again and my stomach but the Milly Rock. “I mean it, pretty girl. Stop with the voodoo!”

  What in the hell is he talking about? I grew up Baptist. I don’t even believe in that mess.

  What was I supposed to say? Was he serious or acting, or talking shit? Tonio was an enigma.

  He looked me deep in my eyes. “Do not ever give my pussy away. Kelby, I’m serious. I will fucking flip out. Do not ever give my pussy away.” His face contorted into something a little frightening. He really looked like that crazy guy he played in the movie Blinders. This wasn’t really a time to say something smart or cute.

  “Okay.”

  His face softened. “Good girl.” He stood and I got a good look at the huge bulge suffocating behind his denim zipper. He bent and affectionately kissed my forehead. He walked out of the dining room. I waited to hear the front door close.

  When it closed, I exhaled. That was intense. He was intense. I got up and rushed into Alex’s room to change his pamper. My baby could pee an ocean and mess up the bed sheet if I wasn’t vigilant.

  Could I handle eighteen years of Antonio Lambrusco? Of his demands? Of his dynamic personality? Of his ridiculous paranoia? Of the roller coaster? Was this all to get me to sign the stupid agreement? Maybe this was a part of his sinister plan to get me to sign over my rights. I didn’t trust him. Something was off. I’m sure all actors were eccentric divas but Tonio was different. His kink meter was off. But I hadn’t actually slept with enough people to know if his kink meter was off. I didn’t really know how other people performed in the bedroom. Maybe that part was normal and his personality was just a little off the chain.

  It didn’t matter. No matter what was wrong with Mr. Hollywood, I had fallen head over heels for this man once before. He straight up deserted me. I have to keep it real with myself. I can’t get sucked into him. He only loves himself. Maybe one day he could love Alex but he could never love me. He doesn’t have it in him. He moves from one supermodel to another. At his age its cliché, predictable and ridiculous. I’m far from a supermodel.

  I’m not trying to fix any raggedy ass man anymore. In the past, I tried it and I failed. I struggled so hard to make it work with Marcus my first boyfriend and that relationship taught me a lot. It practically knocked the wind out of me. I cannot get wrapped up in another man. All I want to do is raise my son.

  If Tonio thinks I’m some dumb ass goofy chick that can be bullied with dick, he’s got another thing coming. I ain’t the one. Mr. Hollywood better meet Ms. Bad and Bougee. I got something for his self-centered ass. I will not be underestimated. He can’t buy me again. Those days are long gone. I bet he thinks he can buy anybody and anything. No sir.

  CHAPTER 4

  KELBY

  I needed moral support. I needed clarity and yes I needed to be messy. I was going to be ready when Tonio showed up with his polite and nosey lawyer. I was nervous about this little improvisation but I was doing what makes me feel secure. Half a million dollars a year was a lot of money. I remember when Tonio gave me his credit card. I felt like I had to use it or I would be insulting him. I felt the same way now.

  My doorbell rang and I buzzed Tonio up. I unlocked the door and left it slightly ajar. Standing there and waiting for them to ride the elevator up took forever. Finally they a
ppeared at my door. Tonio walked in first. He was wearing an Oakland A’s baseball cap, a plain white t-shirt, acid washed jeans and pure white Air Force Ones. He looked ten years younger than his age. He looked really cute and I had to admit it. Why is he so sexy?

  Daniel filed in behind him. He hadn’t changed clothes. He was handsome just like Tonio but they had two completely different styles. Whatever, I felt ready to take both of these smooth talkers on. Who was I kidding I wasn’t ready to do a damn thing. I had no idea it was going to go down like this. I thought I would never ever lay eyes on Tonio again. I definitely never thought I would have sex with him again. And now to be offered more money from him. Life is so unpredictable.

  “We’re back.” Daniel tried to sound light and friendly under the extreme circumstances.

  “Uh-huh.” I was dry but the situation left me sort of detached.

  “Back into the dining room?” Daniel probably wanted to get this over with.

  “Yes, follow me.” I led the way. Tonio was on my heels. He had a habit of getting too close. I think it’s an intimidation tactic.

  “Why did you bring him?” Tonio blurted and I suppressed my smile.

  My surprise guest was sitting at the table looking like a supermodel of manly perfection. Joel looked extra fly for a White guy today. Sure he wasn’t a lawyer but he knew his shit. I trusted Joel more than I trusted Tonio and his overly polite lawyer.

  “I need his support.” I internalized my elation. I just staged a coup. They came to take over but I foiled that little plan.

  “So you brought your pimp.” Tonio sat directly across from Joel.

  “He’s my friend. You have your lawyer.”

  “Daniel is my brother. He’s family. Joel isn’t your family. He’s a pimp.”

  “Yes, he is. He’s my family. He’s Alex’s godfather.”

  “You made a pimp, my son’s godfather.”

  “He became your son two seconds ago superstar.” Joel finally chimed in. I knew he would. He was very protective of me.

  I took a chair directly across from Daniel. The table only fit six so we were a little too close for comfort.