Simone (The Ciprianos of Kellington Book 2)

by Bergman, Jamallah

  Simone laughed when he saw Andrew smiling. “Let’s just say it was something to remember always.”

  It had been months since the diary fiasco and things had finally cooled off between Delia and the guys. It almost seemed like what had happened between them never really happened and in a way Simone wanted it to be like that. There was way too much history between all of them to let something stupid like reading her diary break up what they had.

  He found her sitting in the courtyard, where some of the students would eat or read. Her naturally curly hair was up in some kind of high messy ponytail, wrapped in a peach-colored scarf that matched the long skirt she wore. A beautiful white peasant sleeveless blouse complemented her ensemble. Simone thought as he approached her that with the beams of sunlight coming down over her and the courtyard, she looked like one of those women in those paintings he’d seen at the museum. Walking slowly behind her, he knew she would probably scream bloody murder as soon as his fingers made contact with her ribs. The screeching echoed around the courtyard while everybody looked over at her, and the book she had in her hands went flying into the air until he quickly grabbed hold of it. When she looked over and saw it was him, she shook her head and laughed. “Oh my God, that was totally unfair of you Simone. You sneaking up behind me like that.”

  He sat down right beside her, handing her the book she was reading but not before he took a good look at the cover. “Jane Eyre, really good book, one of the classics.”

  “I swear, sometimes Andrew has to take the book away from me because I always end up getting so into the books that I lose my train of thought. So, Simple Simon, what brings you over here to scare the shit out of me today?”

  “Well, I wanted to scare the shit out of you and I’ve done my job pretty damn well.” They both ended up laughing and he had to admit he enjoyed hearing her laugh. “But no, seriously, I wanted to ask you something and I’ll give you time to think about it.”

  She looked concerned for a moment but nodded, as he continued. “I want to ask you out on a date this Saturday.”

  The look she gave him was neither shock nor surprise at first but soon a smile spread across her lips. “Are you serious?”

  “I am very serious and I would like to take you out on a date if you want.”

  “Why are you doing this, Simone? Does it have to do with my diary and what I said in it?”

  “Honestly, I must admit that when I first thought about asking you out a while back, it was because of the diary. But honestly Delia, I would be honored to go out on a date with you, show you a lovely time. Plus, when your brother showed us that diary of yours, I was the first one who took it from him. I know if you were my sister, I wouldn’t want anybody reading your personal thoughts and ideas.”

  Delia leaned toward him to hug him around the neck, and Simone held her for a moment and heard her say, “Thank you so much for doing that, it really means a lot, hearing it from you. And yes, I don’t have to even think about whether I want to go out on a date with you, Simple Simon.”

  “Great. Now, you’ll have to dress up for where I’ll be taking you because I want it to be a very special night for you. So Saturday at seven, I’ll come and pick you up. See you later, Deedlebug.”

  She waved goodbye as he walked out of the courtyard, feeling like he had accomplished something great.

  “I remember her coming home all giddy and smiling. She told Mom that she had a date with you on Saturday. We were both in shock over it because honestly, I never thought you would ask her out in the first place. Mom thought it was sweet though and they went out and bought her a really nice dress and she helped Delia put her hair up and all. I honestly have to say that I have never seen Delia more of a nervous wreck than that night.” Andrew chuckled, downing the last of his beer.

  “She wasn’t the only one who was nervous as hell. I mean I was taking your sister out on a date. You want another beer?” Simone asked, getting up from his chair.

  “No, even though I’d love to. I’ve got to get back on the road so if you can get me a water that would be great.”

  Nodding, Simone went inside to get another beer for himself along with a bottle of water before returning outside to the patio. “Thanks, man. I wish you could have seen how she was acting before you came to pick her up that night.” Andrew opened the water to take a swig.

  “Mom does my hair look all right?” asked Delia for what seemed like the fifth time that night.

  All Andrew could do was look at his sister scampering around the house, a completely nervous wreck.

  “Baby, your hair looks just fine, please come and sit down now before you wear a groove in the floor,” their mother reassured Delia who finally sat down on the loveseat. He had never seen his sister look so beautiful in his life. The dress she wore fit her perfectly and was in her favorite color of lavender. She’d had their mom put her hair up, framing her face with a bit of curl here and there. He had to admit that his sister looked beautiful, even though she was his sister.

  “I wonder if this is just a joke.” Delia asked Andrew.

  “Come on, Delia, this is Simone we are talking about. Plus, you know that if he did stand you up, I’d kick his ass.” Andrew smiled as Delia nervously giggled. “Don’t worry sis, he wouldn’t back out on your date.” Giving her a small kiss on the forehead, she seemed to calm down a bit until the doorbell rang. They all stood up as Andrew went to the door and opened it to see Simone standing there with a smile on his face, a single red rose in his hand and wearing a white long-sleeved shirt with a black tie and slacks. “Hey there man, come on in.” When Simone walked in, Andrew could tell by the look on his friend’s face that he was just as flabbergasted as he had been when he first saw his sister.

  “You look beautiful Delia and we are going to have some fun tonight.” Simone told her, handing her the rose.

  “Thank you, you look handsome.” There was an odd moment of silence in the room while everybody stood watching the two looking equally nervous until Simone said, “Well we’d better head on to our destination. Have a good evening everybody.” Holding his arm out for her to hook, they headed out of the house. Andrew stood at the door and saw that instead of Simone’s car being there, a black Cadillac, with a chauffeur, of all people, stood waiting for them to get in.

  “I swear I had never seen anybody as beautiful as Delia looked that evening when I picked her up. I was completely in shock when I saw her wearing that dress. I had to struggle to compose myself when we headed out.” Simone admitted to Andrew.

  “Oh, I could see that for myself, I swear you gulped so many times it was unreal. That flower you gave her was trembling along with the rest of you. So what happened on the actual date, man?” He noticed the smile on Simone’s face and knew that it must have been something amazing.

  “You did all of this for me?” Delia smiled as the chauffeur opened the door for her.

  When they were both inside and the car was in motion, he took her hand and smiled. “I told you I planned on making this evening together very special. Now there is another part but you’ve got to be blindfolded.”

  “Blindfolded? Why do I have to be blindfolded?”

  “Because it’s going to be a surprise, Deedlebug, so put this eye mask over your eyes.” He handed her the black mask. A smirk swept across her lips as she took the mask and put it on before she lay back against the seat with a sigh. He couldn’t keep his eyes off of her for she literally had taken his breath away with how beautiful she looked. Taking her hand, he felt her immediately squeeze it as tightly as she could.

  “Thank you, Simone. I have to admit I’m really nervous. This is of course, my first date with anybody.”

  He’d always known that Delia was a bit on the “thick” side but she never made a big fuss about it. She was well-liked in school, never picked on by any of their fellow students. But she never did get any of the guys asking her out on dates, which was odd because she was so well-liked. As they made a turn up along the driveway
of his home he wondered if maybe she had been holding out for him all this time. He had planned on having an intimate dinner in his mother’s garden, and he let his mother pick out the decorations while he and his brothers put up everything along the garden. Simone had wanted this to be a night that she would never forget.

  Once they pulled up to the front, he got out of the car and helped her out. “Just hold onto me and I’ll lead the way.” Simone assured her as they made their way toward the back gate. When he knew that the time was right he asked her, “Are you ready?”

  She smiled, “Yeah, I’m ready. Can I take this thing off my eyes now?”

  “Go ahead Deedlebug, you can take it off.”

  Once she removed the mask, complete astonishment was displayed upon her face to the point that she was literally brought her to tears by what she saw. She covered her mouth as her eyes scanned her surroundings, slowly walking around. He watched her looking over everything. He hadn’t thought it was too overwhelming but for her it must have been because she didn’t say a word for the longest time. The radiance from the white paper lanterns that hung along the lines only made her even more beautiful. Walking slowly toward her, he took out a handkerchief, handing it to her so she could dab her eyes and nose. “I can’t believe that you did this all for me.” He smiled as he felt her arm wrap around his waist to hug him, resting his head on top of hers while looking around himself. “Come on, let’s sit down to eat.” They walked over to the pergola, which was lit up with a huge lantern in the middle and some candles scattered around the table which was set for two. Showing her to her chair, he sat down across from her and handed her a small silver bell.

  “What’s this?”

  “Just ring it.”

  Taking the hint, she picked up the bell and rang it. Looking around she waited to see what would happen next. That was when Gianni and Federico came out from the house with domed cover plates, putting one in front of each diner. Simone noticed the way they both were looking at Delia. He knew they had to be in as much in shock as he had been when he first saw her. Gianni popped open a bottle that was in a bucket of ice next to their table. “Don’t worry, it’s sparkling apple cider.” He winked as Delia smiled and Federico took off the domes which were over their plates. Taking a deep whiff of the homemade fettuccini alfredo, she smiled up at him after he said, “Buon appetito.” Both brothers left the two alone again as they began to eat.

  Simone had to admit that the night was going pretty smoothly. Delia began to open up a bit and he found out a lot more from her that he hadn’t really known, like her love of books from classic authors, primarily those of romance and drama. She loved the same kind of movies that he did from the silent era. “You know, there’s a theatre over in Bristol that plays silent era movies every Saturday, want to go with me sometime?” Simone asked her.

  “I’d like that. I honestly don’t find that many of my friends like those kinds of movies. Don’t get me wrong, I do like some of the current movies, but for me there is nothing like sitting back and watching the people’s reactions on screen. Watching the way their faces and their movements tell the story. Why didn’t you tell me you liked silent movies?” Delia asked, sipping her cider.

  “Well, I honestly didn’t know what you would have thought if you found out that someone like me liked that stuff. But when I find out what’s playing, I’ll let you know and you can come with me.” Simone smiled when he noticed her blushing just a bit. He was enjoying himself with her for he felt so at ease with Delia. Why hadn’t he thought about asking her out before? “All right, ring the bell again.”

  Grabbing the bell, she looked around while ringing it and smiled when she saw the brothers coming out once again. Gianni grabbed both their plates while Federico placed another covered plate in front of her and Simone nodded as his brothers left them alone again. He moved closer to her as she looked on. “What’s this?” she asked with a cock of her brow.

  “Dessert”

  Removing the dome from the plate, Delia squealed with delight when she saw a big slice of homemade cheesecake with strawberries. “Your mom is amazing because she knows I love her cheesecake to death.” They both grabbed their forks and started in on the cheesecake, and sometimes he would let her feed him some from her own fork which he thought was funny and sweet. Once they got to the last bite they looked at each other and then at the cheesecake on the white plate. “You take it.” Delia told him.

  “Oh no, you take it. I’d feel bad if I took the last bite.” Simone assured her.

  He watched her edge her fork toward the piece but instead of just eating it, she split the small piece into two even smaller ones. “There, now we can both have a piece and I won’t feel guilty about eating it alone,” Delia told him with a smile as they each took their piece and ate them together. Hearing her take a deep sigh he watched her wipe her mouth.

  “I have to say, you sure do know how to make a girl’s evening, Simone. I don’t think I’ll ever forget tonight.”

  He rose from his chair, helped her up from hers, and took her by the hand. “Well, I have one more trick up my sleeve and I think you will like this one very much.” They walked along the well-lit pathway hand-in-hand for a moment until they came to a clearing where two men in tuxedos stood holding violins.

  “What’s all this?” she asked as Simone nodded toward the men and they began to play a beautiful song. Soon he took her gently in his arms, taking one of her hands in his and wrapping his other arm along her back. They both swayed softly along with the music in the garden that night. Simone had only hoped that she enjoyed every part of this evening they were spending together.

  Chapter Four

  “Wow, it seemed like you both had a really nice time. She did tell me about the dance though, but honestly, she didn’t tell me about any of what happened until about two weeks later. I kept pestering her over and over again because of course, I was very nosy.” Andrew smiled as they had made their way to the front door.

  “So, it’s dinner on Sunday at Mom’s, right?”

  “You know it, man. I wouldn’t miss it for the world, much less miss seeing the rest of you guys. But listen, man, just let it go with Delia. Honestly, nothing can come between you two ever, except for a lifetime of friendship. Just be thankful for that, man. I’ll see you on Sunday, all right?” Both men shook hands and gave each other a hug before he watched his friend get into his car and leave. Simone thought to himself that maybe his friend was right that he needed to try and move on from Delia. She was happy, of course, in her current relationship. Why not be happy for her and just be friends like they had always been?

  After cleaning up after dinner and cleaning the grill, Simone went to take a shower. Even though he’d enjoyed the steaks he had cooked, he honestly couldn’t see himself going to bed smelling like beer, steaks and smoke. The hot water stung his tanned skin when he stepped inside and quickly he changed it to make sure it was cool enough for him to endure. That’s what I get for not testing it before I got in, he thought, grabbing the sponge and soap to lather up. He continued thinking about what Andrew had told him about just leaving things the way they were and to just move on. But there was a part of that story that Simone never shared with Andrew, namely what happened during and after the dance.

  Simone had been holding Delia in his arms while they swayed to the music that evening. Everything had been perfect for her and that’s what he had wanted. But he had to admit that she felt like heaven in his arms as he held her. The perfume she was wearing had consumed his senses. God, he wondered what she was wearing? “Can I ask what that lovely perfume you’re wearing is?”

  “Oh, well, my mother had put some of hers on me since I was out of what I normally wear. Do you like it?”

  “Mmm, it smells divine.” He took a long whiff along her neck as the heat from her body seemed to make her scent flow around them, enveloping them like a cocoon. He didn’t understand what was coming over him at that moment as he looked down into her eyes. Th
ose beautiful brown eyes sparkling with a smile to match them ever so perfectly. God, Simone thought, she was a pure vision of beauty if he had ever seen one.

  And that’s when it happened, before he knew anything, their lips joined as one in the garden. He knew he had taken her completely by surprise because she had yelped when the kiss first started. But eventually he felt her lips soften against his and she let his tongue play with hers as he deepened the kiss. A captivating sigh and a whimper were both muffled when he felt her arms go around his neck, her fingers running through the hair at his nape, which at that time he had always kept in a ponytail. Not wanting to get too carried away with their kissing, he slowly stopped while looking down at her face. Her eyes were still closed, her lips parted and wanting more. But he wasn’t going to give her more, at least not now. He poked the tip of her nose, and her eyes opened to see him smiling as she did too. Soon, a laugh erupted from her as she held him tightly once more around his neck in an embrace. “I can’t believe you just gave me my very first kiss and at such a perfect moment, too. Oh, I love you, Simone.”

  She repeated softly in his ear while he held her, “I love you, Simone,” as they continued to dance. Those were the four sweetest words he had heard any girl say to him in a long time, especially because it was a girl who meant more to him at that moment than anything.

  * * * *

  Delia made sure that she had some fresh towels for Andrew. She was anxious because he had told her to expect some great news. He knew she hated to wait, especially when it came to something she had to wait and find out. The phone rang and she grabbed it. “Hello?”

  “Delia. Hello my dear, this is Mrs. Smith.” Even though Rodger’s mom was from Alabama, she tried to make herself sound more regal. But of course, there was no denying the fact that her voice reflected her origins.