by Lace, Lolah
“I was gone. Now I’m back. So I don’t know. Relationships are complicated. I will give you a call tomorrow.”
“You are staying here? You have been drinking.”
“I haven’t had much to drink. But yes we are staying overnight.”
“Good. Drinking and driving is how your aunt died, you know.”
“Yes. Don’t forget to send me a text when you get home.”
“I’ll just call.”
“That works too.”
“Have a good night.” I bent to kiss my mother on her forehead. I gave her a hug and watched as she got inside her car and drove off the property.
That went well. Kelby and I were both fairly nervous. This was new for her and me. She and I had at least two more glasses of wine than we should’ve but I was at Daniel’s place. I could relax here.
I went back inside and the place was quiet. The kids had gone to bed hours ago. I was downstairs alone. I made sure all the doors were locked and then ventured up the back stairs to the room that was always ready for me. It was supposed to be a guest bedroom but no one stayed in here but me. I could tell my brother and Carla didn’t let anyone else stay in this room.
Kelby was sitting on the edge of the bed checking her cell phone. Alex was asleep in a baby playpen. It was a little box-like, enclosed contraption that was raised only a few inches off the floor. Somehow Carla found this baby bed somewhere and quickly assembled it for us. My mother’s eyes were monitoring our excessive drinking. It was her idea we stay the night. It was a good idea. Kelby went for it.
No one seemed to care that we would be sharing a bed. I guess we had a child and the cat was out of the bag about us having sex. Kelby looked up at me when I was close to the bed.
“This is the room you stay in when you’re in town?”
“Yeah sometimes. I’ve stayed in hotels if I had someone with me.” Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.
“Why?”
“I’ve never brought any woman to meet my brother and his wife.” I never introduced any woman to my mother either.
“Why did you bring me?”
“The nature of our relationship is just a little more complex.” I glanced down at our sleeping son.
“I was nervous. Could you tell?”
“No, you handled yourself very well.” I unbuttoned and removed my shirt.
“I’ve had a lot to drink and it’s all your fault.”
“I think it was very irresponsible for us to get wasted. We’re parents.” I teased.
“I’m not wasted.”
“Good for you. I’m pretty fucked up.”
“Yes you are.” She smirked.
“How many drinks can a father have? I’m new at this. I don’t know the rules.”
“Ha, and you think I know the rules?”
“You know more than me.”
“Are we really sleeping here?”
“Yes, until morning. We need to sober up.”
“Daniel and Carla probably think I’m the worst mother. They probably think I’m an alcoholic. I’m so glad I started Alex on regular milk.”
“They don’t. They drink too. All of us went through many bottles of wine tonight.”
“Not your mother.”
“She doesn’t drink.”
“Why was your brother challenging me on everything?”
“Curtis, he’s the youngest and he’s kind of a spoiled brat.”
“You didn’t mention he was Black.”
“I didn’t mention you were Black. He’s half Black. Does it matter?”
“No, I just don’t understand why you would tell me half of a story.”
“Maybe I don’t trust you.”
“You force me to take money, a car and whatever else was in that agreement but you don’t trust me.”
“Force you to take life-changing money. That’s priceless.”
“Do you want me to say thank you?”
“No.”
“So why are you bringing money up?”
Control. “Because I can. Haven’t you learned that I do whatever I want to do?”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t want to learn. I’m not in school.”
“Funny. Get undressed. I need to eat your pussy.”
“No sex.”
“Why?” I dropped my pants and stepped out of them.
“Duh, you’re in your brother’s home.”
“He doesn’t care. The secret is out. They know we fucked.”
“Alex is in the room with us.”
“He’s asleep. He can’t see us with his eyes closed.”
“You have an answer for everything.”
“True. I do. Get naked.”
“I’m really sleepy.”
“Me too. I promise it will be really quick.”
“What’s really quick?”
“Three minutes eating pussy. Three minutes fucking— deep meaningful thrust. I’m only going to hit the left side. I’ll come quick when I hit the left side.
“Fine.” Kelby fell back on the bed. “Lock the door. Hurry up, I’m so sleepy.”
Score one for me. I locked the door. I pulled off all her clothes and went into action. Oral first and full-blown slow deep power penetration was second. I went in for more than three minutes. I would guesstimate thirty but my cock did what it wanted.
CHAPTER 8
KELBY
Tonio was gone. He had to make this film. It was some kind of spy thriller. He would be gone for about three months depending on how production went. He said he was filming in Dubai, Adu Dhabi, Bahrain and London. Places I had never been. He stayed at my place before he left and he never had a script. He told me he was really good and memorizing his lines. He didn’t need weeks or days to learn dialogue that was going to be changed during filming.
He was excited about this new picture. It was an Oscar winning director’s film. So that meant Tonio would probably be nominated again. It was hard to remember a time he wasn’t nominated. He always wanted to win and when he didn’t win the last two years it really pissed him off. I didn’t know why he needed to approval of his peers so badly.
Sometimes I would hear from him and sometimes I wouldn’t. A month into production there were rumors that he was seeing his female co-star. Tabloid gossip was false most of the time but his female lead was very young, pretty and blonde. Cinna Lawson was only twenty-four and the daughter of veteran actors Melanie Sarandon and Douglas Lawson. She started off as a model and that was his type. I didn’t want to believe it. I preferred to believe he would come back to me.
While he was gone things were getting handled. He promised a house and I got one. It was odd that he would pick the house where we met but he put an offer on the house in Lake Forest and it was mine. Ironically the house wasn’t even for sale. He offered the owners more than what it was worth. Daniel wasn’t a real estate attorney but he oversaw everything that concerned me legally. Maybe it was a conflict of interest but Daniel seemed like a really honest person.
He also made it clear to me how generous Tonio was being. I didn’t know how to take that but I was still very cautious and I always keep Joel and Lahasia in the loop.
I spent a lot of time with Carla and Tonio’s mother. They helped me with Alex. They seemed to care and I welcomed the help. I didn’t have any real family and they were always warm toward me.
Lahasia and I had been meeting for dinner every Friday night at this lovely cocktail bar and rooftop restaurant above Northwestern Memorial hospital called GreenRiver. I dropped Alex off with his grandmother as usual. This was our routine since Tonio left. He had encouraged me to let his mother spend time with Alex. I called his mother Patti because she insisted. She seemed to be sane, sweet and loving to my son. She didn’t have a problem watching him at my place in Lake Forest and she encouraged me to go out with my friends.
This Friday night I decided to invite Kay to meet me and Lahasia at GreenRiver. Kay did my hair regularly now that I had money for things like hair. I
was living a different lifestyle now. I had money. My friends seemed to hit it off and I just knew they would. They had similar personalities. Kay was the Caucasian version of Lahasia.
I ordered Duck Leg Confit. Lahasia had the Ocean Trout and Kay had the Foie Gras. We ordered a few drinks and chatted over dinner.
“Lahasia, please tell me why Kelby won’t date any of the men I’m dying to set her up with.”
Lahasia looked over at me. She knew she couldn’t say much because of my situation with my movie star baby daddy.
“Well Kay, that’s a good question. I think she is saving herself for someone else.”
“Is that true Kelby?”
“No, not really.”
“I know a lot of single guys. I don’t know why you won’t let me hook you up.”
“I’m not really ready to date.”
“Girl, your son is going to be one soon. When you think you going to be ready?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged.
Lahasia sipped her cocktail. “I’ve tried to set her up but she got her heart set on some unattainable guy.”
“What? Kelby, is he married or something?”
“No, he’s not married.”
“He might as well be.” Lahasia added her two cents.
“Kay, he’s not married. He’s just real busy. He’s always away on business.”
“Is it your baby’s daddy?” How did she guess that? “If so I can understand that. I still think I have feelings for my ex-husband. He’s acting real nice all of a sudden. It’s creeping me out. He was flirting with me and being all touchy feely, I was like hold up brother.”
I could forget Kay was White if I wasn’t looking straight at her. If I closed my eyes she could definitely pass for Black.
“Do you want him back?” I asked because I was nosey and because it would take the attention off of me.
“I can’t lie. I still love him but the cheating I can’t deal with. He thinks because he plays ball he got the right to dib and dab. Nope, he got me all fucked up if he think I’m going to sit around while he fucks every groupie with a big booty.”
“Amen, don’t ever sit around waiting on these men to mistreat you.” There was Lahasia cosigning Kay’s little mantra.
“I don’t think I’m sitting around waiting.” I shouldn’t have said that.
“Really?” Lahasia rolled her eyes. “You don’t think he’s seeing someone else? It sure looks like it.”
I knew she had seen the pictures of Tonio and Cinna on TMZ’s website. They were touching but they weren’t swopping spit. They’re making a movie together.
“Kelby, it’s okay if you want to chill but if you ever want to date a baller I can hook you up. You too Lahasia. All of them not that bad. Some of the retired ones are faithful. They are out of the limelight and these gold digging groupies aren’t throwing it at them because they not bringing in the money like when they was under contract.”
“If my guy start tripping I will take you up on your offer.” Lahasia put her bid in.
“What about you Kelby?”
“I’m good for now but I will get back with you when I’m ready to date.”
“So Kay you only date Black men?”
“Yeah girl, once you go Black you never look at a White man’s dick again.” Kay giggled and so did Lahasia after she shot me a look. Apparently it was the other way around for me. I went White and I’ve been stuck there ever since.
We finished up and I went home. A lot of the conversation stuck with me. Should I be dating? Tonio hadn’t promised me a relationship. He looked so cozy with Cinna. Was I waiting on a man that had no true feelings for me? I was relieved when Tonio contacted me via Skype the next day. He wanted to celebrate Alex’s birthday on his island. It was short notice since his birthday was one month away. I had to get a passport and so did Alex. I had to get us expedited passports because we didn’t have the six to eight weeks to wait.
I was so happy that I would get to see Tonio in person. He told me how much he missed Alex. Going to a private island for a one year old’s birthday was a bit extravagant. I learned to roll with whatever was happening in this new life for my son’s sake.
CHAPTER 9
THE ISLAND
KELBY
My son was turning one. Or was it our son was turning one? I wasn’t at a point in which it flowed freely from my lips. But the truth was Alex was half his. It pained me to say it out loud. Tonio was making a big deal out of Alex’s birthday by flying everyone out to his island. It was somewhere near Costa Rica, wherever that was.
I had a get a passport for me and for Alex. I didn’t want to go without my friends. At first, Tonio refused to let anyone I knew go on the trip. I sometimes felt suffocated by his family. I needed someone there for me. After I pleaded with him he agreed to let Joel and Lahasia come. They couldn’t bring a guest and that was ridiculous. Lahasia couldn’t even bring her son which was silly but she came anyway.
Tonio had to control everything. He made her sign an NDA when clearly it wasn’t necessary. She knew he was Alex’s father and it hadn’t leaked out from her or Joel. My friends were loyal and they were my friends. They weren’t these Hollywood backstabbers. They had no interest in him.
Tonio was generous financially. He made Alex’s birthday into a family vacation. Carla came with her daughters. Daniel wasn’t able to take time off of work. Curtis came alone and of course, Alex’s grandmother was there.
The island was beautiful and secluded. It was literally paradise island. The weather was pristine. The white sand beach was picturesque. Tonio had five days before he had to fly to London and finish filming.
We picked up where we left off and I was too happy to bring up celebrity gossip within the first days of our reunion. On the third night, I had mustered the courage to talk to Tonio and bring up my concerns. After sundown, Tonio and I went for a walk alone. The house on the island was huge. The property spanned wide and took up at least twenty-five percent of the island. I was started to cherish alone time with Tonio. I had no idea when I would get it again.
After a quick swim, we walked along the beach. We sat in the sand and I fell asleep. I was lying on a blanket when I felt his hand graze the exposed area of my back that wasn’t covered by my bikini top.
I opened my eyes and he was lying beside me. His eyes were on mine and they made me feel safe. I had been asleep for a while. It was dark and the moonlight casts a glow on us that made it easy to see his handsome face and manly features.
“I’m glad you came back.”
“Did you miss me, pretty girl?”
“I did.” I readjusted my head on my flattened hands. Tonio leaned down and laid flat on his back. He tilted his head toward me. “I’m glad Alex remembers me. I was afraid he wouldn’t recognize me. I’ve been gone for three months.”
“Yeah, but he sees you when you video chat with him. He knows you’re his dada.”
“I want to have a good relationship with my son. Not one full of lies or built on fear.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“I’m not going to work so much. I’m going to try to do fewer movies that require I leave the US. I don’t ever want to turn into my father.”
“There’s no way that would happen.”
“I’m not so sure.”
“I am. I would never let you.”
“I don’t want to miss the bulk of his life.”
“You won’t.”
“Alex has changed my life. He has really made my mother happy. There were years that she was miserable. I witnessed it and it hurt me to see her hurting. When I left town I didn’t know if you two would get along and it all worked out. She adores you.”
“Your mother is great. I didn’t think Alex would have any grandparents.”
“My next film is in LA. I can’t wait to go home. Maybe you and Alex and fly down to visit.”
“I would like to.”
“You haven’t seen my place in L.A. or my pla
ce in Malibu. I would have to come up with a title for you.”
“A title?”
“Yes a job title, a story to support your proximity to me. You could be my personal assistant, or lawyer or something. No, not a lawyer. Those Cracker Jack journalists would check for your law degree and license. You could pose as Harry’s girlfriend.”
“Would he be okay with that?”
“I pay him to be okay with everything. There has to be some kind of a cover story. The paparazzi are relentless. There have been so many false rumors about me out there throughout my career.”
The word false, it stuck out. My story with Tonio wasn’t made up. It wasn’t false. “Have you been having fun on the set?” I took this time to boldly approach the topic that gave me the most apprehension.
“It’s work.”
“Yeah, but do you like acting.”
“I do. I’m good at it.”
“You are. You have been in the tabloids a lot lately.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, they have been talking about you and Cinna. People seem to think you’re dating.”
“These gossip rags try to link me up to every woman I’m in a movie with. Their shoddy journalism should be banned. Are you happy with the house?”
“Yes.”
“I added Alex to my will. I needed to do it. If something happens to me I want to make sure he legally gets what he deserves.”
I was shocked and didn’t know what to say. “
“I forgot to ask. Did you bring birth control on this trip?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Good, I missed being inside you. I need to fill you up with my mighty semen.”
“When is that going to happen?”
“Now.” Tonio climbed on top of me. His eyes made me wet. His hands made me crumble. His dick made me happy.
I closed my eyes and let him ravage me. He was good to my body and me. It was too late. My heart was deeply invested in this man. I was in love with him. He had to feel this too. Without any prompts, I was able to say it.
“I love you Antonio Lambrusco.”
CHAPTER 10
KELBY
Nothing could match the immense pain I felt. My heart hurt like a thousand bee stings. I had been gut punched by a man that I had fallen for all over again. He had even flown his mother, Alex and me out to LA as soon as he finished the film. I didn’t have any reason to doubt him or to worry. Then two months after filming had ended I got the worst news.
