by Vera Roberts
“So let me go around the table and ask since everyone wants to know,” Sheree smiled, “who’s single and who’s not?” The audience erupted in cheers. “Okay, Kieran? Let’s start with you? Single or married?”
“Married with four children,” he smiled and the audience sighed and clapped.
“Nick?”
“Married with one child and one on the way,” he answered and the audience responded the same.
“Joey?”
“Engaged with twins,” he answered.
“Tony?”
“Very single, ladies.” He stroked his goatee. “Oh yeah. Very single and no kids here! None! I wouldn’t mind to find that special one to settle down and have a family with, though.” He winked.
“Hear that, ladies?” Sheree pointed out. “A multimilionaire who’s single? Holler at him!” She turned to Eli. “Finally, the Golden Child, Eli! What’s your status?”
Eli stroked his light scruff and carefully thought about his life. With a heavy heart and deep sigh, he finally answered. “Single,” Eli slowly nodded as Nick put his arm around his brother and the others reached out, “with two children.”
****
Faith sniffled as she watched the interview.
Eli looked handsome as ever as he chatted along with the host. All of the D’Amatos were great but Eli was exceptional. He already had a big personality but it was turned all the way up when he talked with the girls and asked them about their lives and loves.
Faith missed him already.
After the surprise summons, Faith took the day off and went straight to her parents’ home. When Eli announced the separation on TV, she cuddled up more and cried softly into a tissue. She immediately turned the channel and saw swarms of TV vans camped outside of their brownstone. A couple of vans were parked in front of her shop and at the Madre’s locations.
Despite being on TV and in millions of homes, Eli was private. It was a stark contrast to how he was at the shop and how he behaved at home. He wouldn’t risk bad publicity just because he was trying to prove a point. In fact, Eli would go out of his way to avoid it.
That’s when Faith knew – he was no longer playing with her.
“I sent your father to pick the boys up from school so they could get ice cream afterwards,” Amy Sheppard sat on the couch next to her daughter. She motioned Faith to come over and she promptly laid her head in her mom’s lap as Amy stroked her hair. “I think we needed some girl time now.”
“He hates me, Mom,” Faith sniffled.
“Oh, I don’t think he hates you,” Amy replied, “but he’s very hurt, Faith. He’s very, very hurt.”
“Why is he the one hurt?” She went on the defensive. “He’s the one that cheated!”
“And that’s why he’s hurt,” Amy let out a small sigh, “Faith, Eli found out you were still talking to Darren. How was he supposed to react? Just be okay and take the lashings?”
“It was an innocent lunch!” Faith defended. “We agreed not to be in contact anymore.”
“Which leads to my next question. Why were you two in contact to begin with?” Amy was met with silence from Faith. “Well? Why were you?”
“I thought Eli was going to cheat again,” Faith admitted.
“Ah, so you decided to beat him to the punch?” Amy nodded. “Honestly speaking, that was stupid.”
“Can you blame me for thinking so?” Faith wiped her nose.
“Yes.” Amy replied, forcing Faith to promptly sit up and stare at her mother. “Faith, when you said you’re going to forgive Eli, it meant just that. It didn’t mean you could bring up his affair whenever you felt like it. It didn’t mean you couldn’t trust him anymore. It meant you two were going to work past it and rebuild your family. Eli was committed in doing that; you weren’t. He tried very hard – harder than all of us expected him to – and you still didn’t trust him. Worse yet, I got the feeling you never wanted to.
“Sweetheart, Eli made a mistake and was remorseful about it. You said you were going to forgive him but it seems to all of us, you like the power of being angry gives you. When you have all of that unresolved anger towards someone, guess what happens? The other person stops caring while you're home alone collecting your various jars of anger. I hope those jars of anger are keeping you warm because you're about to become a very bitter woman whose only company is Facebook. A man needs to be respected and admired in order for him to return the love and adoration a woman seeks."
Faith’s mother always had a polite no-nonsense way about getting her point across. It made sense why she always considered herself to be a ‘lady of opinions’ instead of an ‘opinionated heifer’ in her words. “What am I going to do?” Faith asked.
“Well, you’re officially separated. Give him time. You both really do need to be alone right now. Work out an agreement that’s fair to both of you and most importantly, to your boys. Then after a year, see if the marriage is worth saving.”
“And if it’s not?” Faith asked. “Then what?”
“Then maybe,” Amy rubbed her daughter’s shoulders, “it’s for the best for all involved.”
Fourteen
It was a Winter Wonderland inside The Lancaster hotel.
Real pine miniature Christmas trees greeted the guests as they entered the auction dinner. The banquet hall was decorated with dangling ornaments, poinsettias, holiday lights, and soft holiday music played overhead.
A server came by with a tray of champagne and Darren took two glasses for him and Simone. She carefully sipped her champagne as she watched him mingle with other celebrity guests and talk business with a few investors. It was amazing to see Darren’s transformation. In the limo, he was smooth operator and seemingly said all the right things to her. In public, he was part-business and part-frat boy depending on who he was with. She briefly wondered how he would act around family.
She briefly closed her eyes and let the thought drift out of her head. Darren was a nice man and he did her a favor by taking out of the house and most importantly, away from instigating Alicia. A friend, however, was all he was going to be.
“So I rear-ended a car the other day and a dwarf came out. He looked at me and said, ‘I am not happy!’ I asked him, ‘Well, which one are you then?’”
Simone burst out in laughter and turned to Darren. “Where did you learn that?”
“The internet. The source for everything heavenly and debauchery,” Darren stepped closer to her, “I’m going to keep you smiling and laughing all night, even if I have to pull out the corniest knock-knock jokes.”
Simone inhaled Darren’s cologne of musk, pine, and just man. Her thighs tingled by just the mere thought of Darren doing unspeakable and wicked things to her. She wondered if she would ever get used to his scent. “Is that a guarantee?”
Darren kissed her cheek. “Forever.”
****
The charity auction did run long – about a three-hour affair. But it was far from boring. With celebrities cracking jokes on each other and the emcee being the most gracious host, everyone had a great time. Darren bid on a few items and secretly admitted to Simone he didn’t need (nor want) any of them but he knew the money was going to a great cause.
After the auction, the pair took a stroll around the hotel grounds with Darren’s security at a nearby distance. During the course of the walk, Simone and Darren got to know each other better. Simone discovered he loved doing yoga and planned to open his own studio once he retired from the NFL. Darren found out Simone had traveled to South Africa, Morocco, and Ukraine.
They found common ground in political causes, entertainment interests, and family values. On the surface, Darren seemed like a great catch to Simone and she wondered if some of the rumors she’d read about him online had some truth to them. He had a reputation of – how did one gossip board put it? – ah yes, being the Thot Savior.
Simone swallowed her emotions. Never again would she give her all to a man who probably didn’t give a crap about her.
<
br /> “Would you mind telling me why you were so upset with your family?”
Simone slowly shook her head. Why did Darren had to ruin a perfectly good night? “Years ago, I was stupid. I did a very stupid thing and I’m still dealing with it.”
“Oh?” Darren’s brows rose.
Simone let out a deep sigh. It was better to tell Darren now then later. Maybe the news of her past would scare him off and she could stay celibate and focused on her business. “I had an affair with a married man. Elena is the product of said affair. Her dad is in the public eye but he doesn’t know about Elena and I’m not sure how to approach him with the news. My sister pretty much threatened me by saying if I didn’t tell him, she was going to go to the press about it. My hands are tied here.”
“No judgment here,” Darren reassured her, “I dated a married woman once. Well, she was separated at the time but she acted single. As soon as it started, it ended.” He thought about the conversations with Faith. “Never again.”
Simone couldn’t tell if Darren’s admission was a ploy on not making her feel bad or a cautionary tale from his experience. “I know it sounds horrible and if you want to end things here, I completely understand and –”
Just as Simone was about to finish her sentence, Darren leaned over and brushed his lips over hers. He slid in his tongue and she relished in the velvet roughness of it. He deepened the kiss by grabbing her neck and slowly caressing it as his tongue explored her mouth.
Simone moaned in response as she held onto his muscular back for support. The musk of his cologne wafted in the air as she welcomed him more into her space. It wasn’t a demanding or needy kiss. It was loving, sensual, and a bit playful.
It was just right.
Simone finally pulled away. “I don’t give it up on the first night.”
Darren chuckled. “I wasn’t expecting you to.”
“I don’t give it up on the third night, either.” She clarified.
“How about this?” He held her hand again and kissed it. “We’ll make love when you’re comfortable and ready for it.”
“You’re based in New York. I’m in Houston.” Simone argued. “The odds are stacked against us.”
“You’re acting like we’re about to get married tomorrow and that’s not the case,” Darren chuckled, “once we get to that point, we’ll both make some sacrifices. Until then, I’m comfortable flying you out to New York for a few games.”
“I’m not worthy of a season pass?” Simone teased.
“Sweetheart,” he kissed her again, “you’re worth the whole damn team.”
Fifteen
“Now lean over until your comfortable,” Eli guided his girlfriend as she straddled him, “and do a rocking motion.”
Faith followed her boyfriend’s lead and slightly leaned over him, while he guided her hips. She was on spring break from college and spent the entire week having sex with her boyfriend. He introduced her to porn, sex toys, and massage oil. She was officially turned out.
Now he introduced her to new positions. She loved it when he was on top of her but her favorite was when he was behind her. She loved how he took control of her body and mind. She’d especially loved it when he held one of her arms behind her back as he thrust into her from behind.
This time, howver, he wanted her on top.
Her girlfriends told her how many wonderful orgasms they had while being on top and Faith was curious enough to try. She felt self-conscious being on top and so exposed. Being so vulnerable and emotional; almost ashamed. Once Eli told her she had nothing to be afraid of, her inner vixen came out.
Her pussy clamped down on his shaft as they passionately kissed. Oh, she didn’t know if she would ever get used to his thick cock. The only man she’d ever been with and his cock was well above average. She was blessed in many ways her girlfriends weren’t.
“Eli,” she cooed as she buried her face into his neck. Eli took the lead and drove upward into her.
“Baby, your pussy feels so good,” he moaned as he guided her faster on him. He wrapped his arms around her back and placed soft kisses on her neck. “Fuck, you feel like heaven.”
“I’m about to come…”Faith panted as she rocked hard. “I’m about to…oh God, oh God…”
“Ooh, come on, baby girl…”
“Fuck!” Her world shattered as she collapsed on top of him with Eli soon following her.
They laid in that position, spent, and did not move for a long while. “Can we just stay like this forever?” Faith laughed.
“Forever, I’m yours.” He promised.
That was only 12 years ago. It felt like forever but to Eli, it seemed like it just happened yesterday.
“I’m never getting married again,” Eli suddenly spoke as the memory faded into the background.
“Oh, it’s not that bad,” Joey replied.
“How would you know?” Eli asked. “You don’t even want to get married.”
“Well, Kieran and Nick like that shit so I figured it can’t be that bad.”
Eli never cared about online gossip before and he certainly didn’t start when he became a pseudo-celebrity. Whenever a celebrity scandal broke out, he knew just as well as anyone, it was a one-sided sordid affair. Magazines and gossip boards catered to those who were ‘in the know’ and had screaming headlines to anyone willing to shell out dollars or worst yet, their time to read.
Eli wasn’t even a bit curious.
Him being in a bubble only intensified the media’s thirst for more answers and scoop on what went down between him and Faith. Work went on as scheduled at Madre’s as well as TV production. All future interviews were granted with a stern warning to not ask about the split. Madre’s employees were under strict rules to not say a word of what they knew or thought they knew or termination was guaranteed.
Just as the story erupted, it disappeared when a new celebrity scandal hit. It was perfect – How to Shut the Media Down 101.
He still had the issue of talking to Faith and coming to a reasonable agreement to their separation. Since he’d announced it to the world, Eli barely slept and his chest pinched in anger whenever he thought about his wife. No, that wasn’t good. He couldn’t be angry at the mother of his children, no matter how hurt he was. He needed to get over it and act like an adult, even if the child in him wanted throw the biggest tantrum.
It had been several long months since the split and while Eli informally took care of Faith, it was time to get everything in writing. They were no closer in working out their marriage than before and thoughts of divorce crossed Eli’s mind more than ever. It was partially why he suggested they met at his lawyer’s office in Manhattan instead of hashing out the agreement at their former shared home. He didn’t want to be on the receiving end of an angry Faith and a kitchen full of knives.
“I’m glad we’re all here together,” Eli’s lawyer, Sebastian, greeted everyone. On one side was Eli, Joey, and Nicola. On the other, it was Faith, her father, and their lawyer. Faith and Eli didn’t even look at each other. “I drafted a separation agreement and I hope it would be beneficial to both parties. Eli suggested he was open to a few suggestions but not too many so let’s not get carried away. Faith, you can take a look at this agreement and let me know if that’s to your liking.”
Faith read over the agreement and had no issue when it came to joint custody and child support. Her heart stopped when she came to the last amendment. “If we divorce, I can no longer go by Faith D’Amato?” She looked up at the D’Amatos across from her. “What’s that about?”
“It was a suggestion by Eli here,” Sebastian began, “we all feel that it’s best for all parties and…”
“You suggested this?” Faith spoke directly to her ex, who met her stare for the first time that morning. “How dare you?”
“How dare me?” Eli scoffed. “Yes, because I’m the one still playing LOL smiley face with my ex.”
“Well, if you hadn’t fucked your ex, Darren would’ve never existe
d!” Faith’s voice raised and her father calmed her down. “No, he wants me to give up my last name because he’s mad at me. Just be honest, Eli! You’re mad that I was with Darren and there’s a comparison for now on!”
“This meeting is over,” Eli got up and buttoned his suit. “I’ll see you all at the shop.”
“You’re not leaving until you answer me!” Faith stood up and Eli stopped walking. “You will not do this to me!”
“You want an answer, I’ll give you one!” Eli yelled. “I’m ashamed. There? Happy? I’m ashamed I had the affair. I’m ashamed I forced you into another man’s bed. I’m ashamed I wasn’t good enough for you forgive me despite all of the goddamn therapy and prayer! You like that answer? Is that answer good enough for you? You busted my balls for the past two years and you finally got exactly what the fuck you wanted, Faith! You didn’t want to be married to me anymore and you wanted the fucking quarterback, well, you can have his sorry ass for all I care! I’m done here!
“In case you’re wondering, I protected you from having those photos printed!” Faith’s mouth dropped upon hearing the news. “Yeah, you didn’t know about that, didn’t you? One of my friends who works at the Post came to me with those photos and I asked her not to print them. How do you think that would’ve looked in the press? Famous preacher’s married daughter on a date with another man? Innocent Faith getting even with her husband in public?
“I’m giving you the car, the house, and more money than you know what to do with every month. All I’m asking in return is that I want my last name back. And then you’re going to tell me I have some nerve?” Eli smiled. “No, you do!” He slammed the door on his way out.
“Well, I guess we’re done here,” Joey got up and gathered his things. “I guess we’ll be in touch.” He helped his mother up and they began to leave.
“Nicola,” David Sheppard called after her, “ a word, please?”
Nicola nodded and turned to her son. “Go after your brother.” Joey left before Nicola addressed the reverened. “How may I help you, Pastor?”
