No Place Like Home

by Trina Crooks

  She sighed heavily. “I work with a whole bunch of grown ass people who are acting like children. I know I don’t have a lot of experience with different people but this was ridiculous. This one woman gave me hell all day because she has a crush on you,” she fussed as she placed a slice of sausage and pepperoni pizza on a plate.

  “I’m sorry baby. I’m sure it will be better tomorrow.”

  “I hope so.”

  While they ate their pizza, he could see the stress on her face so he offered up a way to soothe it. “How about I run you a hot, candlelight bath tonight?”

  She smiled. “As long as you join me.”

  “I think that can be arranged.” Antonio jumped to his feet and climbed the stairs to the master bathroom so that he could fulfill his promise. After the bath was full of hot water and Antonio lighted candles all around, he helped her to step into the large tub filled with bubbles causing Sonya to sigh contentedly. “Let me get you some wine.”

  “And then I expect you to get in here too.”

  “I will sweetheart.” He exited the room to go to the kitchen and poured two healthy glasses before returning to the dark room where Antonio found Sonya’s eyes closed already. But as he undressed in front of her, she opened them and stared while each part of his body was exposed. Finally adding some soft jazz music to their spa like experience, Antonio climbed in the tub behind her, letting her rest against his bare chest.

  “This is nice,” Sonya said as she rubbed on his leg under the water.

  “I just hope that your days get better.” Antonio kissed her temple softly before they sat quietly in the water for the evening.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “How was your day today?” Antonio asked me when I finally joined him in the kitchen. He was preparing us some dinner that smelled heavenly so I immediately went over to open some pots. I found Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, and some green beans. I was so hungry that I was ready to eat it right from the stove.

  “It was fine.” It’d been two weeks now and I was easing into my new normal as best I could. My co-workers did get a little nicer to me over time which I appreciated. Having Antonio come in for an impromptu visit and introducing him around to everyone surely made Joanne happy and made me friends quickly. “How was your day? Must have been easy since you got home early enough to make this feast.”

  “It was and you know I have to take care of my girl.” I stood on my tiptoes to give him a quick peck and then sat down at the kitchen table.

  “I like the sound of that.” My cell phone began vibrating on the table next to me and I saw it was my mother. I would call her back later.

  “My brother and his wife want to go on a double date next weekend, if you’re up to it.” Antonio brought over my plate for me and after a quick prayer over our food we dived right in.

  “That sounds good.” Since I’d been here our social calendar had been rather full. Besides Antonio taking me to every restaurant he deemed as the best of anything—Italian, French, Greek—we were also meeting his friends out for drinks and dinner too. This was one of our few nights in and I was terribly looking forward to it. I loved being out in the New York night life, but I wanted some Antonio time too. The more time I spent with him, the more I was falling for him each day.

  “Anything special happen at work,” he asked with his sly grin.

  “Are you speaking about the roses you sent me?”

  “Mm-hmm. Did you like them?”

  “Of course, I did.” When they arrived the whole office practically came over to admire them as if they were some special exotic flowers. I think they were more impressed by who they were from then the flowers themselves. “Thank you again for those.”

  Antonio glanced down at his food and then up at me. “I have something to tell you.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I have to go out of town to check on a store.”

  I sighed because I knew this day would come. That was his job and I’d been lucky to have him for the two months I’d known him without him having to run off. “Okay. When are you leaving?”

  “Tonight.”

  I set my fork down with disappointment. “What?”

  “I’m sorry. It just came up today and there is nothing I can really do about it. I got off work early so that I could at least have dinner with you before I headed out.” He looked sad so I didn’t want to give him too much grief about this but I was a little upset that I was going to be alone. I wasn’t comfortable being in this big old city yet and now I was going to be left in this huge home all by myself.

  “Okay.”

  “It’s only for a couple of days. I will turn things around as fast as I can and get back home.”

  I just shook my head. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

  “I really am sorry.”

  I watched from the doorway as he packed up a quick overnight bag and tried to keep my emotions in check. Antonio gave me a long hug and kiss before he jumped into his car and I waved goodbye. As soon as his car drove off, I immediately went inside to set the alarm on the house. This was a pretty quiet neighborhood but after all of the horror stories I saw on the news, a girl couldn’t be too careful. I decided to spend my evening in the family room so I turned on the television and grabbed my cell phone to give my mother a call back.

  “Hello honey. I hope I didn’t disturb your evening.”

  “No. Antonio just left for work.”

  “This late?”

  I sighed and curled my legs underneath me. “He had to go out of town.”

  “Leaving you by yourself?”

  “I knew that was what his job entailed. I know you didn’t call me to talk about that. How are things with you?”

  “It is going great. Lois Blake and I went to dinner the other day and played catch up. It was really nice touching base with her again.” I listened as she rambled on and on about their wonderful outing and then she brought up the fact that Mr. Carter asked about how I was doing. “He is still holding out hope that you are going to come take over the bakery for him.” I didn’t respond to that because I was still very much torn with the whole thing so I changed the subject and we talked about the grocery store until it was time for me to get ready for bed. I said goodnight to my mother and then climbed the steps to the master bedroom I was now sharing with Antonio. The bed felt so huge without him in it.

  “Mmm,” I moaned as I rolled over and rubbed Antonio’s pillow with a frown.

  Bzzz!

  I rolled back over to my phone and smiled. It was a message from Antonio.

  I miss you so much. I don’t know how I am going to sleep without you here.

  I miss you too. I can manage a few days but hurry home to me.

  I will. Love you.

  My heart skipped a beat because that was the first time we’d ever gotten anywhere near those words.

  Love you too.

  I set my phone down, hugged a pillow trying to imagine that it was Antonio, and then drifted off to sleep.

  Morning came fast after my not so peaceful sleep, but I managed to get dressed and off to work in good time. The office was bustling as always so I hurried to my desk and quickly got started with work. There was quite a bit on my plate today and I needed to attack it early so that it didn’t overwhelm me by the middle of the day.

  “Hey. What are you up to?” Daphne asked when she came over to my desk several hours later.

  “Nothing. I am leaving in a few minutes to show a couple a house they are interested in, but other than that, just a boring day.”

  “Mine too. Do you know how to get to the house you are showing today? Do you need instructions?”

  “I was going to use my map app on my phone.”

  “Alright. Well I will see you later.”

  I gathered my items along with printed instructions as a backup and went to my car. I typed in 25 E 63rd Avenue in my phone app and then pushed for it to lead the way. I listened to my favorite radio stat
ion as I drove and sang along until I hit some heavy traffic, which was a normal way of life here in Ney York. “Just great.”

  Traffic finally started moving and I arrived in front of my destination to find an industrial building which was not what I was looking for. I double and triple checked my phone before I closed my eyes and wished I was anywhere but here. How did I manage to get lost when my phone directed me? Tears slowly started to form and as much as I wanted to hold them back, I couldn’t. I was lost and scared because this area I found myself in didn’t seem like the best. I immediately picked up my phone to call Antonio even though I knew he could possibly be in a meeting but he was the only person I knew that would help me out. The phone rang and rang before I got his voicemail. Totally frustrated, I threw the phone into the passenger seat and started crying a river of tears.

  This move was taking a bigger toll on me than I thought it would. I wanted so desperately to get away from Jasper Springs and now that I was away, I found myself missing my hometown a little more every day. Days like this didn’t help any. I wiped my eyes and looked around at my surroundings before I tried calling Antonio again, and again he didn’t answer. I felt stress building in my chest as I looked again at the address I was supposed to be at, 25 E 63rd Avenue, when my cell phone began ringing with Antonio on the line.

  “Hello,” I said as I tried to keep my tears at bay.

  “What’s wrong baby?”

  “I’m so sorry that I am interrupting you at work.”

  “You are more important. Now what’s going on?”

  I sighed and wiped a single tear that escaped my now puffy eyes and began to speak. “I am supposed to meet some clients to show them a house and I am lost. I am so late now and I look like an amateur. I don’t know where I am and I used the mapping app to help me. I don’t understand.”

  “Where are you?”

  “25 E 63rd Avenue.”

  “Are you supposed to be at Avenue or Street?”

  “Huh?”

  “There is an Avenue and a Street.”

  I checked my paperwork and saw that I was supposed to be at Street so I was in fact at the wrong place. “Who has streets with the same names?” I fussed as I programmed the new information into my phone and realized that it was much closer to the office than this location was.

  “A place with over eight million people living in it sweetheart,” he said with a soothing chuckle. “You okay now?”

  “Yes. Thank you for helping me.”

  “That’s what I’m here for. Talk to you later tonight.”

  “Okay.” I hung up from him, called my clients to let them know about my small snafu that they handled with understanding, before I faced my car in that direction. “Get it together Sonya. It’s going to be okay.”

  *~~~*

  Antonio was so happy to be on his way home. This trip lasted a little longer than he anticipated and now he just wanted to spend time with Sonya. But he knew he’d better drop into the office for a couple of hours or his dad was going to have a major attitude.

  “Hello Antonio,” Bridget, a co-worker said as he arrived on the tenth floor. “Good to see your handsome face in the office today.”

  He smiled politely. “Thanks.” He kept on walking to his office and was about to check his emails when his father popped his head in the door.

  “Oh good. You’re back already.”

  “Yeah. I’m back.”

  “Just in time to go to a business lunch with me.” His father leaned against the door frame as he talked to Antonio and seemed to wait for his answer.

  “I’m tired Dad. I just came into the office to check emails.” And truth be told he could have done that from home which he was now wishing he’d done. “Can you take someone else? I don’t even know what you are discussing.”

  His father came further into the office. “I want to talk to someone about working on a campaign for us and you might be helpful.”

  “And who might this be?”

  “Michaela. I think she would be good for this new campaign the Marketing team is kicking around.”

  Antonio just stared at his father. The last thing he wanted to do was hang out with Michaela for any amount of time but business was business and he knew that his attendance at this lunch would be helpful in convincing her to do this job. Besides that, he was hungry. Might as well let his father feed him. “Fine. What restaurant and what time?”

  “Red Kitchen on Vine Street at noon.”

  He glanced at the clock on the computer and saw that was in another hour. “I will meet you there.”

  The restaurant was not that far so Antonio stopped working right at noon so that he could be stylishly late and maybe miss some of the small talk. Not to mention Michaela could never show up anywhere on time which meant they would probably be walking in at the same time. But to his surprise, she was already there seated with his father and Mickey from the Marketing dept at one of those half booth, half table type things. Of course, they slid Michaela in the booth and left the open spot next to her for him. Just great.

  “Sorry I’m late. Last minute business,” Antonio said as he slid in next to his ex-girlfriend who was smiling brightly at him.

  “It’s fine. We were just getting started really.”

  “Yeah,” she said as she laid a hand on his hand. “It’s great to see you again.”

  “You too.”

  After they ordered some food and alcoholic drinks, his father and Mickey began to describe the details of the campaign that they wanted her for while Antonio sat and listened as if he cared. Michaela listened intently and it seemed as if she liked what they were saying. She took a bite of her salad and nodded while Mickey talked, before she set her fork down.

  “It all sounds nice but I’m not sure it will be a good fit.”

  His father glanced at him as if he wanted him to say something. It’d been a while since he had any influence over Michaela but Antonio decided to take a shot. “What part are you uncomfortable with?”

  “It’s not that I’m uncomfortable with anything, I just don’t know if it’s a good move for me.”

  Antonio leaned closer to her which caused her to smile. “How is this not a good move for you? This will be a national commercial. Your face will be seen everywhere.”

  Michaela leaned toward him making it so that she was inches from his face. “If you want me to do this, I will do this. As a favor to you.”

  “I don’t want you to do me any favors. How about you think about it? Mickey will send you the details of the commercial and a compensation package. You look it over and let us know.”

  “I will.”

  “That’s great,” his father said with a wide smile.

  After that lunch Antonio decided to go back to work and busied himself for a couple of hours before his brother came into his office. Rashad plopped down in a chair across from him with a flourish. “Man, you have missed it.”

  “Missed what?”

  “Dad didn’t tell you?”

  Antonio stopped glaring at his computer screen to finally look at his brother. “Tell me what?”

  “Gigi is engaged.”

  “Oh, I knew that. I was just waiting for her to tell the family. I actually met him and he seems nice.”

  Rashad leaned toward him with wide eyes. “And you didn’t tell me?”

  “I promised Gigi that she could tell you herself. It was not my story to tell.”

  “I guess,” Rashad said as he played around with the pendulum swing Antonio had on his desk. He kept going and going until finally Antonio scooted it away from him.

  “Big old kid.” They chuckled before Rashad’s phone dinged informing him of an incoming message. “Wife got you on a short leash?”

  He glanced down at his phone and then back up and Antonio. “It’s not my wife. This is about you.”

  “Me? What did I do?”

  Rashad handed over his phone and there was a picture of Michaela and Antonio at the restaurant, looking awf
ully cozy. While they dated some of the low-level paparazzi kept an eye on their comings and goings to sell pictures to magazines. Antonio never thought they were a newsworthy couple but they certainly were interesting to a few people out there. “You two look chummy.”

  “I was just trying to convince her to do this commercial. It wasn’t nothing more than that.”

  “You don’t have to explain to me,” Rashad said with a sly grin. “You better make sure your lady doesn’t see this. She is the one you need to explain this to.”

  Rashad was right so Antonio gathered up his things and made his way home where he found Sonya standing in the kitchen with her head in the fridge. He sat his keys on the counter and stared at her until she finally stood up straight and closed the door. “We have absolutely nothing to eat,” she said with finality.

  “We can order something for delivery if you like.”

  “That sounds wonderful.” Sonya came over to stand in front of him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “How was your day? I am so happy that you are back. I missed you.”

  “I missed you too baby.” Antonio placed a soft kiss on her lips and hoped that their night would continue to be this nice. “I did want to talk to you about something.”

  Sonya stepped away and pulled out the drawer that housed all of the to-go menus. “What is that?” She picked up Alcove Alley a neighborhood bar that had the best burgers and looked through the menu. They went there last week and she fell in love with the spicy chicken sandwich.

  “I wanted to tell you about a picture before you see it and think the wrong thing.”

  She sat down the menu and looked at him. “The one of you and Michaela today at some restaurant?”

  “You’ve seen it?”

  “Yes. I think I have Googled you enough that anything with you comes up as a notification on my phone.”

  “I wanted to make sure you know that there wasn’t anything to it, even though they are trying to make it seem like it.” The title of the picture read ‘Back Together?’ and that was certainly not the case.