by Vera Roberts
“So, you’re putting yourself into that category?” Tony asked.
“Hell, no, I’m Gucci.” Trudi smiled.
“She’s not the bitter type,” Tony found himself defending his ex for reasons that were inexplicable to him. “She doesn’t hold onto grudges like Faith.”
“Shots fired,” Wes chuckled.
“Well, in fairness,” Trudi began, “it’s a twenty million dollar shot he just fired.”
It’d been a wild road to get to where they were. They were friends for a long time as they watched his brother and her best friend tangle back and forth in their relationship, acting as pseudo relationship counselors and giving hard-hitting advice no one else would.
Even when Krista went through boyfriend after boyfriend, failed relationships that made her question her sanity, Tony simply waited his time. She’d only seen him as the little brother who kept it real with everyone, and never a grown man with grown needs. She’d often teased him and soused up his hair.
He knew why she never pursued anything with him – his age. He was five years younger than her and in many ways, it showed. He was materialistic to a fault, and showed pride in a vast sneaker collection that had its own room in his home.
He was a huge TV binger. Tony didn’t see an issue with curling up on his sofa with his favorite bowl full of Fruit Loops and watching Young and the Restless before he went to work. He was not about to miss out the messiness of Victor Newman.
But when it came to matters of the heart, age didn’t have a number.
“You know she’s been asking about you?” Trudi replied. “How long are you going to be mad at her?”
Tony shook his head. He stopped being mad at his ex a long time ago. It was her lack of an apology that hurt him the most. It seemed she was nonchalant about the entire ordeal. “I’m not mad; I just don’t care.”
“Yeah, okay.” Trudi snickered.
“What?” Tony looked at his friends. “I’m not allowed to stop caring?”
“Oh, you’re allowed to stop caring,” Wes added, “we just think you’re full of it.”
Tony knew that was a boldface lie and a rather poor one. He’d often showered Krista with roses for no reason other than she needed some. He paid for her rent, bills, and often gave her extra money so she would never be broke. Everything about her lifestyle was updated to reflect his taste and hers.
When they were around each other, Tony and Krista had their own code and language. They often sent texts to each other in the form of emojis, memes, and GIFs, along with several Snapchat videos a day. They followed each other on every social media site and gladly boasted of each other in status updates and pictures.
Krista would find a nonsensical YouTube video and send it to Tony for no other reason than to troll him. Tony often showed up to work wearing tank tops, knowing Krista would be instantly aroused seeing him.
They were yin and yang. Peanut butter and jelly. Cheese and hamburger.
Then they weren’t.
When they broke up, he let Krista keep all of the gifts as they both moved on. He was never lonely and his dick had seen its more than fair share of conquests. None of the women, however, could replace Krista. They couldn’t replace her street smarts combined with a nerdy vibe that Tony coined her a ‘blipster’ or black hipster.
The women couldn’t put it down in the kitchen like she did, making every Sunday a feast of high cholesterol and heart attack proportions. Tony never knew he was a fan of Italian soul food fusion.
Definitely none of the women could sexually please him the way she did. Her tongue was skillful and he loved watching her lips glide along his thick shaft as she took him again and again. When he finally did enter her, her sex tightly wrapped around his length like a vise, pulling him in deeper with each stroke.
He could still her soft moans lingering in his ear as she encouraged him to fuck her harder, faster, hurting her until her legs shook and they both were trembling, sweaty, and exhausted. As always after every tryst, she made him a sandwich.
Everything was great until it wasn’t. Krista betrayed Tony and his family in the worst way and while Eli eventually forgave Faith for her actions, Tony wasn’t sure if the same applied to his ex, a woman he’d loved since he was 13.
Man, fuck that bitch.
Tony nodded and began cleaning his shop again. It was a busy day with customers, old and new coming in to get lined up just right for their dates. He’d listened, in quiet agony, the intricate details some of the customers had for their lovers. Even those who didn’t have a significant other, they did something special for their parents or siblings.
He immediately thought about Krista and wondered if the sometimes-boyfriend-but-he-was-never-really-around guy he’d seen her with was going to do something special. She deserved it.
There I go again, caring about someone who I shouldn’t.
Tony finished cleaning his shop and made sure everything was locked for the night before he made his way to his Range Rover. He’d poured a lot of energy and time into his business and expanding it into another location. The last thing he needed was matters of the heart messing up with his money.
He needed to get out in time to get ready for his Valentine’s date. He specifically made reservations months ago at Per Se and he didn’t want to be a minute late.
Maybe once he was out, it would be the final day he would ever think about one Krista Allen.
Three
Krista casually glanced around the restaurant and felt even sicker to her stomach than she did at the salon.
Table after table were couples enjoying their Valentine’s date. Some held hands. Some fed each other. Some linked their arms together as they toasted.
And there she was, all alone sipping some pretty expensive champagne she couldn’t pronounce.
She chose a sleek Monique Lhuillier black cocktail dress that was worth a few months’ rent and paired it with glittery Jimmy Choos. Her long, ebony hair was pinned up in a bun and she kept her makeup nice and light. She figured if she was going to eat alone, she might as well look good.
She perused the menu and gently bit the inside of her cheek as she realized how expensive her dinner was going to be. Just by herself, Krista was looking at a bill nearly a thousand dollars. She kept telling herself she was worth it but she wondered if her wallet would still feel the same the next morning.
When the server asked her if she wanted to start with wine, Krista played it safe and ordered water. She wanted to be completely sober for her dinner and actually remember it.
“Oh my God! Yes!” A woman shrieked as her boyfriend proposed to her, emitting applause from around the restaurant.
Krista looked over and softly clapped. How sweet. They were going to get married in a fancy wedding, the bride was going to wear the most expensive dress ever, and they were going to live somewhere in Brooklyn with two point five children as they go to farmer’s market during the weekends and make their homemade kombucha juice during the weekdays.
Krista opened the wine booklet again and picked the most expensive bottle on the menu. She’d already spent a fortune; might as well get blasted.
~~~~
“Right this way, Mr. D’Amato.”
The maître‘d led Tony inside Eleven Madison Park upon his arrival. He briefly glanced around and saw the many patrons enjoying themselves. He was almost at his table when he saw the lone solo party in a nearby corner. He recognized her immediately.
Kristabella.
It was a name he’d given her during their courtship and he never thought about amending it. Even when he hated her, he still referred to her as such.
Staring a long and enduring moment at her, Tony couldn’t help but to notice how stunningly beautiful she was. Light makeup painted her face while a tight dress complemented her body. She was God herself.
He swallowed hard, releasing a cool breath through pursed lips that suddenly became dry.
Krista caused a vicious chain reaction inside him,
and it seemed he was knocked upside-down, though Tony perfectly stood still among the raging storm fighting for dominance within him.
He eyed her up and down; his emotions balancing between wanting to fuck her and wanting to hate her. She could calm the rage within him while encouraging the fire he had through other means.
His chest tightened and Tony knew he only had a split second to make a profound decision that would either haunt him for being stupid or blessed him for being smart. “One moment,” he instructed the maître ‘d and walked over to where she was.
~~~~
“Where’s your date?”
Krista recognized the voice. It was soft-spoken, yet authoritative. Smoky, almost wispy, with sensuality dripping off every word. His voice hit her spine and she straightened her posture as every syllable traveled throughout her body.
His voice was poetry. The way he laughed, the way he talked about something non-sensical, the way he moaned in her ear as he masturbated her. “Mmm…you like that, Kristabella? You like how I play with your pussy like it’s made for me?”
If she wanted to be truthful, she felt his presence before he said a word. It was something all of the D’Amato brothers shared, they commanded a room before even stepping foot inside it.
She slowly raised her head and felt her breath stolen upon looking at him.
Tony.
His dark hair was slick back and his ears boasted of two large diamond solitaires. His cologne was light but she could still smell the earthy notes. He wore a business suit with an open-collared light pink shirt.
Pink was significant because it was the shirt Krista picked out for Tony to give him a pop of color in his wardrobe. His tall and muscular physique filled out the suit perfectly and Tony looked more like a calculating business executive than a round the way barber.
And now he was standing in front of her.
“My date had other plans.” Krista bit the inside of her cheek and swallowed her pride.
“A woman like you shouldn’t be alone,” he held out his hand, “come join me.”
“I don’t want to be a third wheel to your date tonight.” She replied.
“I’m taking myself out for Valentine’s,” he replied, “I always treated myself something nice and this year is no different.” He motioned his hand again. “I can use the company of a beautiful woman.”
Krista stared at him for a long moment. A rush of endorphins flooded her body and she suddenly felt like a teenage girl who discovered the guy she’d been crushing on, liked her back.
If Tony hated her, he wouldn’t have invited her to his table. Tony may have been a lot of things but cruel and heartless were not them.
Krista swallowed whatever pride she had left and slowly stood up as she grabbed Tony’s hand. She immediately felt warmth as a sensual air passed between them. His brown eyes softened to a dark chocolate color and he lightly gave her hand a quick squeeze.
Trust me, his squeeze said.
Unless… hers replied.
“Unless I want you to,” she softly replied.
Tony shook his head. “What?”
“Whenever I was unsure about being with you in a close proximity, you would always say…”
“I don’t bite…” he slowly blinked. He stepped closer to her and inhaled the flowery scent of her perfume. He studied the fullness of her lips and remembered how soft and tender they felt against his. He briefly wondered if he would feel them again by the end of that night. “…unless you want me to.” He caressed her cheek.
Krista softly moaned and her body quietly shivered under Tony’s touch. He always claimed her no matter where they were. Her up-do didn’t conceal the emotion rising in her cheeks and she briefly glanced away from his intense stare.
His desire for her was infectious and she never felt so wanted and needed by anyone in her life. Krista was convinced no man would come close to Tony – ever. “Maybe, I do.”
Four
He could still knock the wind out of her.
He ordered for her, chose the best wine on the menu that would pair well with dinner and fell back into step with conversation as if the last two years never happened.
They playfully teased each other. They talked about current events, shared personal stories, laughed at each other’s corny jokes. He showed her the latest meme. She talked about how she was stuck on Sense8.
Still, no matter the love and light banter between the pair, there was an underlying tension; the elephant in the room quietly made its appearance. Krista knew Tony was simply being nice to her and he could still humiliate her at any time, if he chose to.
“I still can’t believe you think The Wire is better than Breaking Bad,” she shook her head.
“It was all around. Solid casting through and through,” Tony defended. “Come on. Stringer Bell. Avon Barksdale. Omar. Dude, everyone loved Omar. No one cared about him being gay.”
“Okay, but what about Walter White?” Krista countered. “And his unfortunate but lovable sidekick, Jesse? They were like yin and yang. Even the other dude Walter had, he just didn’t have the same chemistry with.”
“Yo, if you want to talk about chemistry? Let’s talk about McNulty and Bunk, for a minute. One scene and they only said a variation of fuck. You cannot get more brilliant than that!” Tony exclaimed. “Do you honestly think people are still talking about a controversial scene from Breaking Bad? No. Why? Because no one cares about a white dude who has terminal cancer and wants to see the world burn. If anyone praises Breaking Bad the same way they praise The Wire, it’s a clear bias. Fuck outta here.”
Krista giggled. Tony was always so passionate about his shows. His DVR recordings were sometimes astronomical and she wondered if he had any time at all to watch through all of them. It then occurred to Krista, Tony had time for everything that interested him.
Including her.
“So, where he is tonight?” Tony finally asked between bites.
Krista lightly shrugged. “He had a business meeting to attend to so there’s that.” She loved Marc’s hustle and in turn, that made her hungry for more. She also hated how lonely she became in the process. He always made up for his absence in the forms of lavish gifts and trips.
Krista soon realized while she might have been materialistic in the past, she most certainly wasn’t in the present or future. A closet full of designer wear meant nothing if the man giving them to her was always gone. “I’ll see him when he gets back.”
“The most romantic day of the year and he’s not with his girl?” He held her hand and softly kissed it. “Shame. I would’ve never left you alone tonight.”
Tony’s declaration sent a shiver down to Krista’s spine, causing all sorts of pinpoints prickling up on her skin. “I thought you hated me, though.”
Tony slowly leaned back into his seat and licked his lips. “Once upon a time.”
“And you don’t anymore?” He slightly shrugged, indicating there were still hard feelings. “You know why I did it, though?”
“Not really,” he answered after a beat, “I know Faye is your friend but I also think true friends would’ve said, ‘Yo, you might want to rethink this.’”
“What Eli did was foul, Tony,” she softly replied; her voice wispy as smoke. “Demanding all three children to be tested?”
“And she still hasn’t agreed,” he countered, “there’s a reason why he’s still seeing other people in addition to Faith.”
“They’ll be back together,” Krista dismissed Eli’s actions, “he’s always gone back to her.”
“This time on his terms,” Tony replied, “things will be quite different if they decide to remarry.”
Krista didn’t appreciate how cryptic Tony was in his declaration. “How so?”
When Faith married into the family, Eli was already rich and so was she. Still, the couple saw no need to sign a prenup because Eli wanted to give her half of everything. Talks of reconciliation made a strong demand from the D’Amatos Faith sign a prenup
in the future. “You’ll see.”
Tony paused for another beat before he continued. “Kris, I don’t know why Eli stepped out Faith. Honestly, truly. I don’t know if he was bored in his marriage, he was tired of her bullshit, if he wanted that new-new, or what I really believed it was, he had a mid-life crisis and realized he spent his prime years married.” He continued. “What do I know is that after Eli gave Faith everything she could ever want and then some in the divorce, she took a few steps further and tried to destroy our family with your help. And Kris, I’m going to keep it real: you and Faye are very lucky we’re a forgiving family because had Eli taken my advice, both of you would’ve been on the corner panhandling for change.”
Tony’s tone shocked Krista, and she felt his words in her spine. “You hated me that much?”
“I had twenty million reasons to.” He casually replied, referring to the income the family lost due to the allegations. “I don’t anymore.”
“Why?” She honestly questioned.
Tony knew exactly why. Immediately he saw her light eyes, curly brown hair, and supple light almond skin appear before him. Siena. He blinked away the vision and focused on the woman in front of him. “I grew up.”
Tony offered no more than that and it was an answer Krista would have to accept. “So, did I.”
Tony could still remember the devastation he felt when he’d found out Krista sold out his family to the highest bidder. Story after story came about the negative dealings regarding the D’Amatos. They were called everything under the sun with nigger lovers being a prominent insult on various social media pages, when a nasty rumor circulated about the brothers having a black woman fetish.
Tony didn’t have to wonder if that particular insult influenced him to have a life-altering decision. “I hope so,” he paused for a beat then he continued, “I get it, Krista. I truly do. You were used to being dogged out, you couldn’t think for a moment that someone with my reputation would change. I get it. That’s why when you went through my phone, I didn’t say anything. When you demanded you smell my dick, I thought, ‘Wow, my girl is kinky and weird as all shit. I kinda dig this’ but I didn’t say anything. Because I knew you had some trust issues from your past and I was determined to prove to you I wasn’t like the others.
