It's Always The Pretty Ones

by Howard, Vonda

“What the hell?”

  “Trust me.” Romeo smiled as he got out of the car.

  “I guess.” She said as she got out of the car.

  He gave his keys to the valet dressed in all black and they walked into the building. Upon entering the building, they came upon the hostess standing behind a small podium. “Good evening. Welcome to Black. Do you have a reservation?”

  At this point, Krystal didn’t know what she was in for. She just hoped it wasn’t some crazy sex club. It wouldn’t surprise her being out with Romeo.

  “Yes, Romeo Brooks, party of 2?”

  The hostess smiled. “Yes, Mr. Brooks. You can follow me.

  Krystal’s eyes got bigger as she watched the woman put on night vision goggles. “What the hell?” She whispered.

  Anton smiled at her and extended his hand for hers as they stepped into the pitch blackness of the hallway.

  “Romeo, what kind of place do you have me in?” She resisted him as he pulled her into the hallway.

  “You’ll see. I promise it’s okay.” He said as he stepped close enough for her to see the comforting smile on his face from the lights behind her.

  She took a deep breath and allowed him to lead her down the dark hallway. “I must say that this is truly the strangest date I have been on thus far.”

  “Good.” Romeo laughed. “I hate being predictable.”

  “Here you go.” The hostess said as she held Romeo’s hand and led them inside their own private dining room he had reserved for them.

  “You say ‘here you go’ like we know where we are!” Krystal replied jokingly trying to adjust her eyes in the pitch blackness.

  The hostess laughed. “Mr. Brooks, please stand here while we get your lovely date seated.”

  Krystal felt Romeo release her hand and the hostess take it to lead her over to a very soft chair and guide her to sit down. She turned her head and tried her best to see something, anything. No luck. She smiled as she felt Romeo’s familiar touch on her hand after he was seated.

  “You okay?” His voice said through the darkness.

  “Yeah. I’m fine.” She smiled.

  “Please enjoy your dining experience.” The hostess said through the dark. “Your server, Chaz, is here to assist you.”

  “Thank you.” Romeo said.

  “Good evening folks, as she said my name is Chaz and I will be you server tonight. Directly in front of you is a bowl of our fresh chocolate infused strawberries. Please enjoy them while your entrees are being prepared.”

  Thank you.” They said in unison.

  Krystal tried to find her way around the table to the strawberries, but had no luck. “He said they were right in front of us right?” She chuckled.

  “Here, I found them. Open up.” Romeo said as he gently touched her cheek with one hand and inserted the strawberry with the other.

  “Oh my God.” She said after she bit into the strawberry. The taste of fresh sweet chocolatey goodness filled her mouth and nose. “I don’t think I have ever had a strawberry so delicious! Here you try.”

  She felt around the table and found the basket. “Open up.” She said with an audible smile. She felt his warm, soft lips glide against her fingers as he bit into the strawberry.

  “Mmm. That is good.” He said as he held onto her hand. “I think you have some chocolate left on your fingers.”

  She suddenly felt the warmth of his juicy lips once again. Not being able to see, all the rest of her senses were heightened. His lips and tongue on her fingers sent shivers down her spine. The smell of his cologne was intoxicating and his voice felt like velvet ripples that wrapped around her with every word he spoke.

  “Thank you. I think you got it all.” She said nervously.

  “So, having a good time so far?” He asked.

  “I can truly say I am. I have never had dinner in the dark.” She laughed. “I usually like to see my food.”

  “I understand. Actually, eating it this way actually makes the food taste better.”

  “So, Mr. Loverboy. How many women have to b here?”

  “None actually. You are the first and hopefully the last.”

  She smiled. “What do you mean ‘the last’?”

  “I don’t know what it is about you, Krystal, but unlike other girl I have met and dealt with, you stay on my mind. I mean, you’re gorgeous, smart, driven. Everything I like in a woman.”

  “How do I know you don’t say this to all of your women?”

  “You can believe it because first of all, I would not even waste my time and money on any of those other women for something like this; and none of them have the class that you do. I’m ready for something else.”

  “Um-hmm.”

  “I’m serious!” Romeo laughed. “I may be wrong, but I kind of sense that you like me too?”

  “You’re a nice guy, yes, but I have dealt with too many that have some of the same traits that you do, Romeo.”

  “Well, give me the chance to show you I can be different.” Something in his voice soothed her doubts as he reached over laying his hand on the side of her face and kissing her slowly. His kiss was divine ecstasy, reaching every part of her.

  She closed her eyes as he pulled his lips away from hers. “I guess we could give it a go.” She said with a smile.

  Anton carried his sleeping daughter into her bedroom to lay her down to sleep. He stood over her bed for a moment to stare at her for a moment. He was still so happy that the test proved her to be his.

  “You want me to do it?” Dazzy peeked in and whispered.

  “No, I got it. I just can’t get over how beautiful she is.” He smiled as he laid her down and tipped out of the room.

  Dazzy walked behind him and into the living rom. “Anton?”

  “Yes?” He said as he sat down on the couch and put his feet up on the ottoman.

  “How come you never tell me I’m beautiful as much as you tell her?”

  “What?” He said shocked by the stupidity of her question.

  “How come you don’t tell me I’m beautiful as much as you tell Angel?”

  “Are you serious?”

  She put her hand on her hip. “Yes, I’m serious!”

  “Are you jealous of your own daughter?” Anton sat up straight on the couch.

  “No, I’m not jealous of her. I just feel like you love her more than me sometimes.”

  He sat silent as he looked at her in disbelief.

  “Say something!” She shouted.

  “First of all, keep your voice down. Secondly, I am not answering such a ridiculous question.”

  “It must be true then.”

  “No, it’s not true. I love the both of you the same!”

  “Well, how come you won’t marry me then?” She said with squinted eyes.

  Anton shook his head and stood up from the couch. “Dazzy, I am not doing this tonight.”

  She grabbed his arm as he tried to walk around her. “Oh yes you are! I want to know why you refuse to set a date.”

  He pulled his arm away. “You figure it out. I’m going to bed.”

  Dazzy stood fuming as he walked away from her and into their bedroom. She turned and flopped down on the couch, smashing his jacket. “What’s this?” She said as she pulled out the folded paper poking out of his pocket. She unfolded the paper, crunching the ends as she read what it was.

  Chapter 8

  Anton looked at his watch as he stood in the elevator up from the garage. He moved to the back as a group of people got on including Romeo.

  “Hey what’s up with the long face?” Romeo asked as he stood at the back of the elevator with Anton.

  “Long night.”

  “Dazzy tripping again?”

  “As always. I tell you what. I wish I had listened to you and Jamelah.” He said in a regret-filled tone.

  “Well, you wanted to do the right thing by her. We respect you for that.”

  “Yeah, well now I’m stuck with this crazy chick.”

  Romeo
giggled. “What has she done now?”

  They excused themselves and stepped off the elevator.

  “Do you know she actually got jealous of the baby last night?”

  “What?”

  Anton shook his head. “Yes, she questioned me on how I can tell my daughter that she is beautiful more than I tell her. Then, she went off talking about setting a date for the wedding. Do you know, I have woken up in the middle of the night before and found her watching me sleep? I swear, I’m starting to think she has some fluid on the front of her brain!”

  Romeo laughed. “What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know. If this keeps up or she gets any crazier, I’m gonna have to cut her loose!”

  “That’s understandable.” They turned the corner to their office. “Oh my God.” Romeo’s mouth fell open.

  “What?” Anton asked curious.

  “I can’t believe it! Look who just walked out of the boss’s office?” Romeo guided Anton’s eyes towards their supervisor’s door.

  “Colbey?” Anton said aloud.

  She stopped in her tracks and looked up like she knew exactly who was calling her. “Anton? Is that you?”

  He put his briefcase down and whisked over to her, giving her a tight embrace. “How are you doing? What are you doing here?”

  “I started this morning. I didn’t know you worked here! How have you been?”

  “I’ve been good. You look amazing!” He said as his eyes raked over her.

  “Thank you. Thank you.”

  “So, I don’t get a hello hug?” Romeo asked as he walked up.

  “Of course you do! Hey Romeo!” She gave him a big hug.

  “So, what are you doing for lunch?” She asked Anton with a flirty smile.

  “Not a thing.” He smiled.

  “Maybe we can hook up and you could show me what’s good around here?”

  “Sure thing. My office is straight down the hall.” He smiled as he pointed in the direction of his office.

  “Okay, see you then” She smiled as she turned and walked off.

  “Damn! How is it that she is even finer than when you guys were together?” Romeo asked as they both stood and watched her ass as she walked out of their sight.

  “I have no idea.” Anton smiled.

  Dazzy grabbed the now crumpled DNA results from her purse and sat down on the couch fuming. “That sneaky asshole!” She mumbled. “Wait, how could he have put them in at this time when he was with me at the hospital?” She said as she noticed the date and time the test was requested at the top of the paper.

  “Jamelah.” She said through clinched teeth. She yanked the phone off the charger and dialed Jamelah’s number.

  “Hello?” Jamelah said on the other end.

  “So, did you get what you were looking for?” Dazzy asked, snarling.

  “Who is this?” Jamelah said confused by the early morning call.

  “Bitch, this is Dazzy!”

  “Dazzy, get off my phone early in the morning.”

  “Answer my question first! Did you get what you were looking for by sneaking off to test my daughter’s DNA?”

  Jamelah sighed loudly in the phone. “Dazzy, I will do whatever I have to in order to protect my brother from a psycho bitch like you.”

  “Why don’t you just mind your own damn business! What gave you the right to have a DNA test done on our daughter?”

  “The fact that you were trying to pass her off as my niece! That’s what! From the sounds of it,” she laughed. “It didn’t work. What, did Anton throw your lying ass out?”

  “Oh no, sweetie.” Dazzy chuckled. “You must not have read the results. Angel is all his, and so am I – forever. So, you better get used to it.”

  “Oh, he didn’t tell me.” Jamelah said disappointed.

  “Oh no honey!” Dazzy laughed.

  “Shut the hell up!” Jamelah replied sharply.

  “Let me just say this, then I will be done. If you ever pull some underhanded shit like this again, you will live to regret it.” Dazzy’s lips thinned with anger.

  “You don’t scare me one little bit, Dazzy. Let’s get that straight, right now.” Jamelah said with easy defiance.

  Dazzy smiled. “Oh, I don’t want you to be afraid of me, Jamelah. I want to look you straight in the eyes when I stab you through the heart.”

  Jamelah was thrown back by her comment. “Oh now see…you are crazy. Who says things like that?”

  “Somebody trying to protect her family from being destroyed!” Dazzy said her voice filled with rage.

  “You need to be somewhere away from my brother and my niece. Preferably an insane asylum.”

  “Just stay the hell out of my family’s business, you got that?” Dazzy slammed the phone down on the charger, ending the call. Angel stirred and began to cry in the background from all the yelling. Dazzy smiled as she went to tend to her. “Mommy is coming baby!”

  Anton smiled big when Colbey walked into his office. She was still as sexy and beautiful as the last time he saw her. They had dated for about 2 ½ years while he was in the Marines. The only reason they broke up was because she moved away for a new job. It was a hard break up, but he didn’t want to hold her back.

  “Ready to go?” She asked with a smile.

  “Sure, just let me sign out of my computer.”

  She picked up a picture of Angel and Dazzy that he had sitting on his desk. “Oh, is this your wife and baby?”

  “No.” He answered quickly. “Well, the baby is mine. She is just my fiancée.”

  “Oh, well, congratulations!”

  “Yeah, thanks.” He said with little excitement.

  “Gee.” Colbey laughed. “Hold back your excitement there!”

  “Long story. Ready to go?”

  “Sure.” She smiled as she exited the office.

  “So, why didn’t you tell me you were back in town?” He asked as they walked to the elevator.

  “I was actually going to look you up and surprise you!” She laughed. “Who knew we would be working at the same place!”

  “I know! By the way, have I told you how great you look?”

  An all too familiar attraction passed between them as they stared at one another for a moment.

  “Yes, and thank you.” She blushed. “Why don’t you tell me about that beautiful baby and fiancée of yours?”

  They stepped inside the waiting elevator. “I wouldn’t know where to start.”

  Chapter 9

  Romeo walked into “Jaded”, a local nightclub/bar to meet Krystal for some drinks. They had been going strong for a good three months now, which was saying a whole lot for Romeo. Normally he couldn’t even go three hours without hooking up with a new woman. He was proud of himself. It was hard; damn hard, but he was committed to making a change. Besides, he had really fallen for Krystal. He looked across the room and saw Krystal waving to him.

  “Hey sweet pea.” She said as she stood up and gave him a kiss.

  He hated it when she called him that in public. “Hey babe.”

  “Honey, this is Reina. She is a friend of mine that just moved into the area.”

  He reached out and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.” He smiled.

  “No, the pleasure is all mine! It’s nice to finally get to meet the man she has been talking about nonstop for months now.”

  “Oh has she?” Romeo smiled at a blushing Krystal.

  “Oh Lord, now you’re blowing his head up.” Krystal joked.

  “So, Reina, what brings you to town?” Romeo asked as he motioned for the waitress.

  “Oh, I have a small part in the play my best friend here is starring in.”

  “Stop it.” Krystal gently elbowed her jokingly.

  “What?” Romeo smiled. “You didn’t tell me you got the lead! That’s great, baby!” He stood up and walked around the table to kiss her.

  “Thank you. I still can’t believe it, myself.”

  “Well, you deserve it, so you sho
uld be proud!” Reina added. “Just make sure not to forget us little folks on your way up.”

  ‘Girl, stop.” Krystal laughed. “I’ll be right back, okay? I need to go to the ladies room.”

  “So, Reina, how long have you been acting?” Romeo asked sipping his drink.

  “Oh come on, Romeo. I have heard some serious stories about you.”

  He raised his eyebrow. “Really. What types of stories?”

  She reached out under the table and began to slowly run her hand up his thigh. “Really dirty ones, and I’m trying find out if any of them are true.”

  He jumped slightly when she reached his penis and gave it a little squeeze. “No, let’s pull this back. I thought you were Krystal’s best friend?” His face was serious, but he was fighting hard as hell inside not to bend her over the table and punish her ass. He resisted because he didn’t want to hurt Krystal.

  “Didn’t she tell you that we share everything?” She smiled devilishly as he pushed her hand away.

  “Nah, she didn’t tell me that.”

  “Tell you what?” Krystal asked as she sat back down at the table.

  “Tell me how crazy your friend, Reina is.” He chuckled uncomfortably.

  Oh, yeah, she is crazy, isn’t she?” Krystal took a sip of her drink. “Come on, baby. Let’s dance.”

  “Oh no. I’m a little tired from work. You go ahead without me.” He smiled.

  “Okay. Come on Reina!” She said as she grabbed Reina’s hand and pulled her onto the dance floor.

  He had to squeeze his knees together to tame the swelling knot between his legs as he watched Krystal and Reina dance together on the dance floor. Reina would make sure she was in plain view of Romeo; swaying her hips and grinding seductively.

  “Lord, please help me.” He prayed silently.

  Anton and Colbey walked out the front doors of the building after a late staff meeting.

  “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow.” She said as she waved goodbye.

  “Wait.” He tapped her arm before she could turn to leave. “Why don’t you stay and meet my daughter. Dazzy should be here to pick me up any minute now.”

  “Oh, okay. I’d love to! Where’s your car?”