by Vera Roberts
“Faith, your salon’s revenue has increased ten-fold since the show. Trust me, whatever this woman is doing will only benefit her knowing she’s somehow connected with the D’Amatos.” Amy replied. “What bothers you more about this – a possible outside child by Eli or Simone is the mother?”
“I found out about the child after our reconciliation. Now after we get back together and everything is solid with a new baby, I find out about this.” Faith stared out into an empty space. “I don’t know, Mom.”
“What is your heart telling you?” Amy asked. “Be real with me now.”
“Honestly?” Faith asked and her mother nodded. “I’m trying to keep it cute and mute and I really don’t want to beat a bitch’s ass, but she’s really testing my Proverbs 31 patience!”
Amy chuckled. “I can never say you weren’t honest.”
“I’m sorry for my foul language, Mother.” Faith apologized. “I just don’t know what I should do. I can forgive my husband for making a mistake. I’m just not sure if I can forgive him for being constantly reminded of that mistake in the form of a child.”
“You know your Bible,” Amy replied, “Mark 10:6-9.”
“Mother, I really don’t know my Bible that well,” Faith admitted and Amy narrowed her eyes, “I’m sorry! There’s a lot to memorize!”
Amy pulled out her tablet. “All of this technology is good for something,” she pressed the Bible app and began reading the verse. “But at the beginning of creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” She closed the app and turned to her daughter. “As long as you two are committed and faithful to each other in every aspect, you’ll get through this.”
“You always know what to say to me, Mommy.” Faith wiped a tear from her cheek.
“It took years of being stupid to become wise,” Amy revealed, “but enough sorrow for now. We need to go baby shopping and you’re going to help me beat the brakes off Sister Hawkins and her horrible wigs!”
Four
“I don’t think I could ever get used to being here,” Simone glanced down from the penthouse suite that was Darren’s apartment. Spread over two floors and a private elevator that went directly to his floor, Darren’s apartment was recently featured in Architectural Digest. It boasted of floor-to-wall windows, plush carpeting, and an open kitchen decorated in sterling silver and marble.
Containing seven bathrooms and equally numbered bedrooms, his apartment also had a rooftop garden. The master bathroom had a large Jacuzzi and open shower. His master bedroom contained a fireplace, private balcony, and a very spacious walk-in closet.
“It’s yours,” Darren replied as he walked over to his fiancée. He snaked his arms around her waist and kissed the nape of her neck. “This house is just as much yours as it is mine.”
“Two homes?” Simone’s eyes widened. “I never owned two homes.”
“Well, now you do.” His lips feathered against her earlobe. “And you’ll own more eventually.”
Darren was every fantasy coming true. It took Simone a while to realize that the feelings she had for Eli was not leftover love but unresolved lust. Darren was her partner in crime and the keeper of her heart. Why did she ever think she could settle for a boy like Eli when there was a man like Darren for her?
“It’ll be weird, just the two of us this weekend.” Simone still felt uneasy leaving Elena alone with Eli but Elena needed to get to know her siblings. Simone especially didn’t care for Elena being around Faith and wondered if Elena would be subjected to Faith’s nasty attitude. “I wonder if she’s okay?”
“I’m sure she’s fine. She’s in good hands. Faith’s a great mother and she won’t do anything to put Elena in harm’s way.” Darren reassured.
“Sometimes when people don’t like a parent, that feeling will transfer onto the child,” Simone remembered her parents’ acrimonious divorce. Her father was in and out of their lives during their teen years. Once the child support checks stopped, so did his interest. She was lucky if she’d received a Christmas card from him. “I don’t want to subject my daughter to that. I know it won’t always be rainbows and puppies but I don’t want her to experience hate from within the family, neither.”
“She has family, baby,” Darren turned her around, “she has you for a great mother, she has a great grandmother in Meredith, and she has me, step-daddy to be.” Simone smiled. “She’ll be in great hands.”
Simone stood on her tiptoes and kissed her fiancée. “You always know what to say to make me feel better.”
“Sometimes it’s a mixed bag,” he shrugged, “but I do try.”
“Mmm, I love it when you try.” She stepped back and peeled off her tank top. Her tight jeans soon followed and Simone was standing in her lacy bra and panties before her fiancée. “Since the season is over, I hope I won’t be a distraction.”
Darren felt his cock twitch and a wave of heat rushed through his body. His fiancée was a walking, breathing, fantasy in action. He shed his clothing and walked to Simone. “You could never distract me in a bad way.” He picked her up and laid her down on the chaise lounge. He laid on top of her and was immediately comforted by the warmth and softness of her body. The fullness of her breasts. Her taut stomach. Her slick and wet heat that welcomed his hardened shaft.
Their kisses were slow and deliberate, exploring each other’s mouths. No words were needed as they finally gave into each other. Arousal covered them both like a warm blanket and they increasingly became heated with each moment.
Darren slid down Simone’s body and explored every crevice. His mouth covered a breast while a free hand played with her slick wetness. He teased her, as if he were summoning a genie from a lamp. She mewled softly, like a kitten, as he played with her.
“Open for me, baby,” he softly demanded.
It was the restraint Darren mentioned but never spoken about. The residual feelings – or what Simone thought they were – for Eli. They held her back from being with Darren fully and completely. He was patient with her and got involved with her dealings with Eli.
Not anymore.
She fully opened her legs, widening them within the small space on the sofa. Darren shifted his body so that his hardened cock teased her entrance. She felt raw, vulnerable, and exposed. She felt empowered, fearless, and bold. She’d fully surrendered to that man, their love, and their future. With Darren, Simone felt she could take on anyone and anything and had no fear. The fear of the D’Amatos was definitely gone.
His fingers caressed her swollen clit, played with her slick folds, as his mouth suckled on her breast, before he moved up to her neck.
“Look at me.” It wasn’t a request.
Simone forced her eyes open and locked them with her fiancée. He pushed into her and she audibly gasped. He felt so thick, so wonderful, so…freeing. Darren moved slowly inside her first, gauging her reaction, before he increased his tempo. He gathered her thighs, pressed them against his chest, and drove deeper inside her.
Simone screamed and writhed beneath him; the sound of her moans surprising her. They alternated from deep, guttural to soft, and shallow as her emotions completely took over. She was finally free from everything and everyone.
They were one in the universe.
Darren leaned down and greedily kissed her as he continued to thrust inside her. When he felt her let go, it was an immediate shift in her body and their love. Nothing and no one could come between them now. Not then. Not ever.
Simone’s moans softened to quiet murmurs and he heard her mumble something along the lines of ‘I’m about to come.’ He sped up his pace and felt her shatter beneath him. Her pussy contracted around his cock, pushing Darren to his own release.
It was them against the world.
It was going to be them against the D’Amatos.
/> Five
Scott Reed was used to putting out fires by the truckload. It fueled him and made him sharper, more attentive, and at the top of his game in the advertising world.
The D’Amato family drama, however, he wasn’t sure if this was a fire he could handle.
It was tricky territory. Despite how liberal many people can be, ultimately, conservative values won over all. Monogamy, two-parent homes, and living the right way proved to be a favorable course of life. People would look down on celebrities, athletes, and politicians having affairs but would watch movies and TV shows encouraging the same actions. People would love to claim they’re not petty or messy, but will click on the latest gossip news about someone who is.
It was comical, Scott snickered, how everyone truly contradicted themselves on a regular basis and did it just as easily as breathing. “I have to fly out to New York tomorrow and be out there for a few days to do a favor for a friend. PR emergency.”
“What’s going on?” Mariana turned to him. “It sounds serious.”
“It is serious,” Scott quietly replied.
“I hope everything is okay.” Mariana was concerned. Scott typically didn’t travel unless it was imperative he had to and even then, his trips were short and sweet.
“You heard of Madre’s, right?”
“Yeah, the reality show!” Mariana nodded. “They did our wedding flowers!”
“Yeah, that’s them. My friend’s brother did something years ago and it’s coming back to haunt him. We need to contain it before it becomes an international story.”
“Oh wow. What did he do?”
Scott contemplated if Mariana should know the details. He’s never lied to his wife but he didn’t feel this was something to be completely honest with. “An outside child.” He made it as brief as possible.
Mariana’s eyes widened. “That’s pretty big.”
“It’s very damaging.” Scott shook his head. “So I’ll be gone for a couple of days to see how things are and then I’ll come straight back here.”
“I’ll be okay, honey.” Mariana smiled, “I don’t want you to worry about me.”
“And you see when you say things like that, it makes me worried.”
Mariana grabbed Scott’s hand and kissed it. “I promise I won’t go into labor when you’re gone.”
“You made that promise last time and you broke it.”
****
“Thanks for meeting with me on short notice, Bash,” Eli met his attorney at a nearby coffee shop. “I wanted to talk about the custody arrangements with Simone.”
“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that.” Sebastian sipped his cappuncino. “Are we certain this is your child? First and foremost, we need to get that out of the way.”
Eli shrugged. He’d recently spent more time with Elena and a nagging feeling inside him told him it wasn’t his child. Guilt about how he treated Simone and a silent promise to himself that he would never become the man his father was, made him step up. He took Elena out shopping, for ice cream, and to the park. “I don’t know.”
“Well, we need to get a DNA test first before any custody agreements can be made.” Sebastian pulled out his notes and looked them over. “Speaking of which, there is a roadblock.”
“A roadblock?” Eli questioned. “What roadblock?”
“It seems Ms. Harris has been watching your show and followed your lifestyle. She’s being unreasonable in her monetary demands and we need to put a stop to this before it gets out of hand.”
“What is she asking for?”
“I don’t know what to tell you, kid. We offered her fifteen and she rejected it. We offered her twenty and she rejected. Your monthly support to Faith during your separation was twenty thousand and you both had two children. We sent Ms. Harris a final offer of twenty-five and she rejected it! Twenty-five thousand! I don’t even make twenty-five thousand in a month and she rejected the offer!” Sebastian shook his head. “I don’t know what you want me to tell you, kid. I don’t know what she wants.”
Eli sat back in his chair, as he turned to look at the street. Spring had begun and the weather was goregous. Just the right amount of warmth and sunshine. It was everything he was not currently feeling.
Simone had originally promised no drama and no bull, and he bought into it, hoping they both could put their differences aside for what’s best for Elena. Now it appeared Simone was passive-aggressively playing hardball with the intention it was going to disrupt Eli’s marriage.
Her plan was working.
Tension and stress had been at an all-time high between him and Faith and it was just getting worse with Simone’s interference.
“Kid?” Sebastian repeated again, this time getting Eli’s attention. “Help me out here. Do you know what we can do to get through to her? I have no idea what she wants.”
“I know what she wants,” Eli softly spoke.
“Oh?” Sebastian raised a brow. “Do you mind sharing with the class?”
“It’s easy,” Eli finally turned to face his attorney. “She wants Daddy. She wants me.”
****
Faith’s cheeks hurt from smiling so much. She never knew the concept of a plastic smile until she had to put one to use.
With Essence and People magazines covering her baby shower, Faith had to put on the best face for the entire world to see. She had her makeup professionally done and Cameron did her hair. Krista chose a light pink chiffon dress for her. The theme was Lion King, after one of Faith’s favorite movies. The baby shower was being held at the world-famous Waldorf Astoria hotel.
The baby shower was a far cry from the ones she had with Nathan and E.J. One of their celebrity friends – a world-renown singer – threw the baby shower. There were production cameras from Madre’s. The luncheon menu consisted of smoked salmon, hand-carved meat, seafood, and a three-tier cake with german chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry fillings. There were numerous photographers from both publications.
All eyes were on Faith.
When news broke about the reconcilation and surprise baby, many were overjoyed. Faith didn’t have to purchase a single item of baby clothing since she’d received so many from fans of the show. People online and in the street commented on how happy they were she was finally giving Eli a girl.
If only they knew the truth.
Ever since news of Elena broke, Faith decided to keep quiet about it. It was hard when both families knew but everyone was respectful in not bringing it up. What could they say? What would she respond with? Eli had a permanent reminder of his affair.
When Elena visited their home the other day, Faith kept her best to keep her composure. The little girl was beautiful and had a sweet demeanor. Eli’s reaction to Elena, however, was suspect. It appeared to Faith that Eli showed a bit more favortism to the little girl than his sons. Faith wondered if it had something to do with Elena having more Italian features than Black ones like his sons.
Faith was angry. Elena had no business whatsoever being in her home and Faith shuddered to think Simone dropped her off. She’d later found out it was Simone’s mother, Meredith, who made the drop-off and pick up and Faith breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t want to face Simone for a long time until she was able to deal with her as an adult.
If only I found out about this when we were broken up.
The thought crossed her mind more than she wanted it to. She knew she would’ve divorced him if they knew about Elena back then. Or maybe. Truth was, she missed Eli more than ever during their legal separation. Their prior history of breakups told her they never separted for very long. They met and married young, as well as having three children before 30. They were meant to be.
And now Simone made three.
Faith decided to push all thoughts about Simone and Elena aside. She wasn’t going to ruin the great makeup job from the people at Sephora. She was going to enjoy her day, lavish in the attention, and be sure to smile a lot for the cameras.
She would h
ave to deal with everything else later.
****
“I don’t think I ever smiled as much as I could possibly smile today,” Zoe pouted. “All of those damn cameras. How many were there? At least ten?”
“Everyone needed their own video and shot,” Tiana shrugged as she helped put things away in the nursery. “It’s a part of celebrity life.”
“I ain’t no celebrity,” Faith chuckled. “I may be married to one but I’m not one.”
“But this is the life you wanted,” Zerrin chimed in. “You wanted Eli to do the show and this is it.”
“It’s nice, I’ll admit it. I mean, we have a few more celebrity friends now than we have before. Eli can get us any table at a fancy restaurant here or anywhere else, for that matter. We have enough money to make sure our kids’ lives and their kids’ lives are set.” Faith was truly blessed. “I mean, yeah, the cameras are always in our faces but this show won’t last forever, though.”
“That’s good.” Tiana put away the last package and joined her sisters. “But for real, how are you holding up? You’re awfully quiet about everything.”
Faith shrugged. She knew what her sister was referring to and kept silent. “It is what it is.”
“It is what it is?” Zoe repeated. “What kind of answer is that?”
“It is what it is!” Faith answered back. “I mean, what do you want me to say? He has a kid by her and that’s that.”
“That’s that?” Zoe repeated. “Girl, this isn’t like Eli brought home a dog and you had no choice but to adopt it. This is a living, breathing, child. His child. Nathan, E.J., and future baby you’re carrying will have another sibling who has a different mother. What are your feelings about this?”
“Faye, this isn’t one of those things you can just turn a blind eye to and settle for the fact that you’ve tried.” Tiana replied.
“You’re holding it all in, Faye,” Zerrin pressed, “that’s not good for anybody.”
