by Vera Roberts
“I don’t want to choose sides because I feel both of our children are at fault. I have told Faith many times I disagreed with her stance but, well, you know how stubborn she is.” David defended.
“Pastor, you don’t have to defend your daughter. You and the First Lady raised her well and brought her up right. How she is behaving now doesn’t erase what you’ve done,” Nicola replied. “Same goes for Eli. His mistake doesn’t erase everything he’s done. They’re both young in age and attitude. This is something they need to figure out and we shouldn’t get involved.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more,” David breathed an air of relief. “I wanted you to know where we stood.”
“Pastor, there’s a Bible verse I like – 1 Peter 4:8.”
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins,” he answered.
Nicola patted the reverend’s hand. “Our children love each other very much, though they’re both too angry and too hurt to admit it. Once the anger dissipates, the love will come through. They’ll be back together before the yearlong separation is up. I’m sure of it.” She then left the conference room with Sebastian.
David returned to the table with Faith and their lawyer. “What was that about?” Faith asked.
David smiled. “Just two adults praying for their children. That’s all.”
****
“I’m surprised to see you here,” Krista said as she entered Tony’s shop.
Tony dusted off a chair before he greeted his best friend with a hug. He loved how she always smelled like cinnamon and vanilla. “How’s it going, baby?” He murmured.
Tony always gave the best hugs. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her body close like a protective lover. He was a warm blanket on the coldest winter day. “I’m doing well,” Krista finally exhaled, “how are you?”
“Better now that I’ve seen you,” he smiled as she pulled away, “what’s up?”
Krista sat down in one of the chairs. “Faye and Eli.”
“Nope,” Tony stopped Krista before she got started, “not going there now or ever.”
“Tony, hear me out,” Krista pleaded and he conceded, “Faye is hurt but what Eli did was pretty harsh.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Tony snickered. “He could’ve embarassed her but he chose not to.”
“What do you mean?” She asked.
“The Post was planning to print those pictures, Kris. Eli asked them not to.” He began sweeping.
“What?” Krista was surprised. “I didn’t know that.”
“No one did. He didn’t want to make a big deal about it so that was that.” He continued sweeping. “He saw the pictures, heard her reaction, made a decision, and they went to mediation to hammer out the agreement this morning.”
“Wow,” she began to slowly digest the information, “Eli’s serious about really leaving her this time?”
“I don’t know,” Tony shrugged, “but he’s not putting up with her shit anymore.”
“So what about you?” She asked. “What’s going on with you?”
“Nothing really. I’m about to go on a date tonight.” He smiled. “So hopefully, that’ll be something good.”
Krista always hated when Tony went out on his dates. She had no reason to be jealous because they’d established a solid friendship but she still didn’t like any woman taking advantage of Tony’s generosity. She just wished the not-so subtle pangs on her heart would be just as convinced. “I hope you have fun.”
“No, you don’t.” Tony looked up at her. “That’s a mean thing to say.”
His face had the just right amount of scruff on it. His hair was a typical bedhead mess but it was totally Tony. His mucular build he kept hidden under loose fitting clothing but it was no secret he was manic about his fitness. She loved his smile, his laugh, and his honest approach to everything.
Yet, Krista kept him in the friendzone. “I hope you find the right woman one day, Tony.”
“I have found the right woman,” he walked up to her chair and stood in between her legs, “right here in front of me.”
A sensual heat passed between the best friends and Krista sighed to relieve the not-so hidden sexual frustration. “Tony, you’re a nice guy and all…”
“But I’m permaently in the friendzone, I got it.” Tony accepted. “I know we can never have anything and I’m okay with that.”
“Are you really?”
“Hell, no!” Tony replied and Krista chuckled. “But I respect your wishes and that’s that.”
“But it’s not just that,” Krista began, “I have a past, Tony, and I’m not sure if you would be okay with knowing some of the details of it.”
“I don’t care about your past as long as I’m a part of your future,” he lifted her chin to his face, “and I want to be a part of it forever.”
Tony’s lips brushed against Krista’s and just when she was about to welcome into the intimacy zone, they were interrupted. “Hey, Tony. I’m sorry to interrupt you two.”
Tony stepped away and shuffled over to his brother’s best friend. “Scott! Yo, dude! When did you come in?”
Scott Reed set his messenger bag on the floor and hugged Tony back. “Just last night. I’m about to meet with Joey and Nicola regarding Eli but I decided to pop in here first.”
“Yeah, he needs all the help he can get now.” Tony shook his head. “Scott, this is my friend, Krista. Krista, this is Scott Reed, PR and advertising guru to just about everyone! If you see an ad on TV, online, in print, he’s more than likely the dude behind it! He’s going to help with the PR disaster known as Passions aka Faye and Eli.”
Krista froze as she met eyes with her former Master. He looked as goregous as ever with wavy brown hair, a soft matching beard, and those dazzling green eyes that sparkled. He wore an open collar shirt with slacks and dress shoes. A very noticeable accessory also accompanied his look: a platinum wedding band. “Nice to meet you, Scott.”
“Same here,” he smiled as he sniffed the air, “I love your fragrance.”
“Thank you,” Krista smiled.
“It reminds me of sugar.” Scott replied before he turned to Tony. “I was wondering if I could get a quick trim before I head back out.”
“Say no more, my man. Say no more.” Tony walked over to another chair and patted it for Scott to sit.
“I’ll be going now,” Krista waved to the men, “Tony, I’ll see you for lunch. Scott, it was nice…meeting you.” Again.
“Same here.” He flashed his smile again.
Sixteen
Simone was Darren’s lucky charm.
The Giants had an unpredecented season – 6-3 – and were favorites to win the Super Bowl. Other than a few bad games at the beginning of the season – the three – Darren’s performance had never been stronger. He’d quickly silenced the critics who openly laughed at his misfortunes and impatiently waited for his downfall.
Not a chance. Not anytime ever.
The pair kept their long-distance relationship a secret from the media, with Darren only admitting to having a girlfriend and nothing else. It was completely fine by Simone. She didn’t mind being Darren’s secret due to his career. It was a far cry from being Eli’s secret due to his shame.
As their relationship progressed, so did the seriousness of the union. Darren flew Simone out to meet his parents and he met hers. He finally met Elena and Simone introduced him as ‘Mommy’s new friend.’ They had a spiritural advisor to counsel them on the relationship and offer pre-marital counseling, though they weren’t quite engaged. Both knew an engagement, then marriage, was imminent.
They agreed to keep their relationship chaste and pure until they were ready to take it to the next level. It was both weird and refreshing to Simone. Darren was unpredictable but not disrespectful. A man that respected her that much to wait? While Simone appreciated Darren’s patience, she did pack a cute little black lingerie number just in case patience flew out the window.
“New York is nice in the winter,” Meredith commented as she glanced out of Darren’s Brooklyn apartment. “I’m surprised it’s so snowy.”
“So snowy?” Simone chuckled as she colored with Elena on the floor. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I guess I thought it only snowed for a few months and that was it. I didn’t think there would still be so much snow in the middle of January.” Meredith shrugged before she turned around. “What are your plans tonight?”
“D and I are just going to go out to dinner and that’s it, really,” Simone replied. She’d certaintly hoped it wouldn’t just be it.
“Well, in case you two need some privacy, I plan to take Elena out to Times Square.” Meredith boasted. “I’m meeting your Aunt Sharon there and we’re just going to paint the town red!”
“Don’t get too crazy now,” Simone laughed. Her mother didn’t do loud and crazy but she was no Suzy Homemaker.
“Don’t worry about me, we’ll be fine.” Meredith paused for a moment before she continued. “I also wanted to see if you were going to contact Elena’s father since you’re in town?”
Simone dropped the crayon she held upon thinking of Eli. Fucking Alicia and her big-ass trap. “Great. Now everyone in the family knows.”
“Not everyone in the family know but quite a few, yes.” Meredith sat on the floor alongside her daughter and granddaughter. “Eli has a right to know about his child, katydid.”
“Mom, Darren doesn’t even know Eli is Elena’s father,” Simone admitted to her mother’s shock. “I just…I could never figure out a time when to tell him.”
“You need to,” Meredith pressed, “for everyone involved. If Eli wants to play absentee father, he can do that and sign over his rights. Elena’s formed a bond with Darren, anyway, and he loves her like she’s his own.”
Simone wasn’t sure if she wanted Eli to sign over his rights. She wanted Eli to accept responsbility and be a great father to their daughter. Their union may have been a mistake but Elena certainly was not. “I’ll contact Eli on my own terms,” she quietly replied.
“Well, you should do it soon.” Meredith began coloring with her granddaughter. “I heard some interesting news about him.”
“Oh?” Simone asked. “What’s happening?”
“I’m surprised you didn’t hear about it.” Meredith smiled. “He’s split from his wife.”
****
“The best thing you can do right now is keep your mouth shut and focused on your business,” Scott advised Eli as he met with the D’Amato family. “Do not mention your wife, and do not slick talk her in the press. Just don’t mention her at all. We’ll also advise any interviewers to not ask about her or your marriage.”
“Now what if she goes on the offensive?” Joey asked. “Then what?”
“Let her,” Scott replied. “If you remain silent, it’ll make her look foolish. After all, she’ll be the one going on and on about what you did or what you’re doing while you’re looking unbothered. The more unbothered you look, the more people will be on your side, despite it being your fault. It’s the power of the media. The more she talks about you in any negative capacity, you’re getting more support and fans. At the end of the day, people want to root for the lesser of two evils.”
Eli’s stomach dropped thinking how Faith would look evil in the press. Despite how much he was hurt by her, he still loved that woman something fierce and wanted to protect her. No matter what she’ll be to him, she’ll always be the mother of his boys. “What about the show?” He quietly asked.
“You’re in control of it. What gets on camera is up to you.” Scott advised. “They cannot film anything without your expressed permission. They won’t film her at all and they never really filmed your children so that’s a non-issue. She also can’t make them film her or them without your permission.”
“Alright,” Eli glanced down at his Giantto watch. He was already running late in preparing for a loft wedding ceremony. “I need to head out. My team is waiting for me. Thanks for the advice, Scott. We’ll be in touch.” He left.
“Is there anything else I can help with?” Scott asked around the room. “Okay, we’re done here, everyone. Thanks for meeting with me on such short notice.” He stayed behind with Nick as the other D’Amatos left. “So now that I handled your brother’s issue, what’s yours?”
Nick grinned as he played with a pencil. “Is it that obvious?”
“You normally don’t look down and play with your phone in a meeting so I figured something was up.” Scott leaned forward. “Everything okay?”
“How did you and Mari keep the fire going?”
“It’s hard. I work probably ten times more than I used to when it was just us dating. Nowadays, it’s difficult.” Scott admitted. “But we try. We do make an effort.” He read Nick’s face and knew it was more than just an intimacy talk at hand. “Everything okay with you and Z?”
“We separated a few months ago,” Nick revealed. “I didn’t tell anyone because Faith and Eli and the last thing my mother needs is to worry about two of her children and their marriages. I saw what she went through with Kieran’s first and I just don’t want to add to that.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, bro,” Scott felt for his best friend, “what happened?”
“Schedules,” Nick shrugged, “that’s all, really. No third party, no lying, cheating, or anything of that sort. Careers and Pietro took over. Last time we had sex was well over six months ago and we just quietly separated three months ago just to work on ourselves. She still lives with me but we no longer sleep in the same bedroom. We’re roommates and colleagues.”
“Sounds like you two need a weekend away,” Scott suggested.
“We don’t have time,” Nick countered.
“We both learned from the best,” Scott got up and started gathering his things, “if you really want something, you’ll do whatever you can to make sure it happens.”
“I guess so,” Nick conceded. “Know of a good place we can go to?”
“Kink in the Caribbean is coming up,” Scott suggested, “take her there.”
“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Ocean, sunshine, and kink.” Nick loved the idea more and more. “You and Mari going?”
“I hope so. I need to pry Olivia out of her hands for a while, though.” He referred to their infant daughter. “Mari doesn’t go anywhere without Livvie.”
“Well, you two wasted no time after the wedding, huh?” Nick smiled.
“I wanted to wait and well, life happens,” Scott shrugged, “it was a sad day, though. Turning the Purple Room into a nursery.”
“I feel you on that,” Nick agreed.
“You had to redo yours as well?” Scott asked.
“Hell, no.”
Seventeen
Eli normally didn’t work on Fridays. He usually reserved that time for his family and running errands throughout the city. Since the separation, however, Eli’d been picking up more Fridays to kill the time.
It had been several long months since the split and Eli kept busy and occupied. When he had the boys, he scaled back on his work commitments to devote all of his free time to them. When Faith had them, he made sure his schedule was jam-packed so he wouldn’t think about not seeing them. To ease tension between the two, the couple’s parents took care of drop-off and pick-up. The less the couple saw each other, the better.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way.
‘Til death do they part. Forever and ever. In sickness and in health. Faith showed him what it meant to have unconditional love. She also demonstrated what it meant to place conditions on such love. Maybe all of it was just a big fantasy, after all.
Eli sighed. He was going to see his boys tonight and have them for the rest of the weekend. He needed some alone time with his crew to take his mind off things. “Alrighty, guys. Let’s quickly deliver these flowers, do set up, and if we make good timing, we can leave early and enjoy our weekend!”
&nb
sp; “Got any plans this weekend?” A Madre’s worker, Mario, asked.
“Nada. Just me and the boys.” Eli commented. “That’s all I need, really.”
“You need to date, Boss.” Another worker, Enrique, added.
“I don’t need to do shit,” Eli chuckled. “I’m still very much married.”
“You’re still very much separated,” Mario chimed in. “It’s been several months since you two separated. I’m sure she’s moved on.”
Eli had no idea if Faith started dating again and didn’t even want to think about the possibility she was hooking up with Darren. “That’s all on her.”
“Dude, you need to do something,” Enrique unloaded some flowers. “I know it’s none of my business, Boss, but you can’t just stay at home while the wifey goes out and does whatever.”
“Man’s got a point.” Mario agreed.
“Just a date. Oh hell, just a fling! It don’t gotta be serious, bro!” Enrique lifted a vase and carried it towards the elevators. “Just think about it!”
Eli shook his head and smiled. His employees always looked out for him as he did with them. It was why Madre’s was more of a family unit than just a typical employer-employee company. People celebrated birthdays and weddings. They mourned divorces and deaths. Everyone was appreciated at Madre’s.
Maybe his employees were right. Maybe it was time for Eli to get out and at least go out on a date. It had been so long since he actually had a girlfriend, he didn’t know what the dating rules were anymore. He just recently found out Netflix and chill was an euphenism for sex. He honestly thought it was just two people enjoying a movie and eating pizza.
Eli had no clue where to start.
****
Simone took the elevator downstairs and immediately saw how crowded it was in the lobby. Flowers upon flowers were everywhere and seemed people were in a rush trying to get things set up. She recognized the set up as being a special event, possibly a wedding, and a smile appeared on her face. She loved weddings and special events, especially seeing the clients’ faces when they arrived to the venue. It’d always made her day.
