by Andromeda -
He didn’t care about money, to be honest, all he wanted was to see Diamond and Dalila smile.
When Diamond pulled back those plump lips, he felt a fluttering in his chest that refused to go away. He wanted her so badly. Normally, he could handle it, but one time, she and Dalila were heading out for a day at the park. He saw her walking around in a loose, off-the-shoulder t-shirt and pants that showed off her perfect ass and hips. The moment they left, he grabbed a bottle of lotion and locked himself in the bathroom, relieving himself of the feeling. But it was getting worse and worse as time went on. Cold showers could only help so much.
He needed time alone with Diamond, but he knew that wouldn’t be possible if Dalila was constantly around.
There were several schools around here for her age. At six, she should be in primary school, though he believed Americans called it Pre-K. As he got the paperwork for their new apartment, he gathered information about the different schools to present them to Diamond once they were settled.
As he loaded the last box into his truck, he looked over at Diamond, who was buckling Dalila in her car seat in the car they had bought her. Diamond saw him looking at her and she flushed and winked at him before turning back to Dalila, who smiled at him and waved happily.
It wasn’t a long ride to their new place, and Jonathan did most of the heavy lifting in putting the things up. By that evening, almost everything was unpacked. Dalila was overjoyed in having her own room and quickly began to decorate it the way she wanted. Yet, he could tell Diamond was a bit withdrawn.
"She hasn't slept alone before," she explained to him when he asked what the matter was. "Not even when we were with Alfonzo.”
"She has to grow up sometime," he said gently. “And it seems you are the one who is more reserved than she is.”
"I know," she sighed, "but I didn't expect it so soon."
"Speaking of which, I want to talk to you about something," he said.
Taking her hand, he led her outside to the balcony and held up a folder. "I've been doing some research, and please forgive me if I seem too bold, but I believe Dalila should be enrolled in school."
She looked at him and tears began to well in her eyes. "What?"
"I've found some of the best schools I could think of," he explained, giving her the folder. "All of which I'm sure she'd love, but you have the final say so. Once again, forgive me if I seem out of line."
"No," she said, shaking her head, a smile on her lips. "No, no it's OK. I know you have a kind heart and that you only want the best. Honestly, I agree with you. I want her to go to school. Alfonzo always said, 'What can she learn in a classroom that she can't learn on the streets'?"
He frowned deeply at that. I swear if I see that son of a bitch again…
"I will look over this," she said. "And thank you again, Jonathan, for all you've done for us."
"I'll do anything for you," he whispered, cupping her cheek. “Anything…”
Chapter Fourteen: Many Kinds of First
"Come here, sweetheart, let me look at you," Diamond called to her daughter.
Dalila trotted over, her face beaming with happiness as she knew what today was. It was to be the day she began her first day of St. Anne's School of the Gifted. Out of all the schools Jonathan presented to her, Diamond picked them because of two factors: their curriculum impressed her and their location. It wasn't far from the apartment, and Diamond would, of course, have Dalila’s teacher's number on speed dial always.
When they went together to the open house not long ago, Jonathan included, Diamond was shocked at what she saw. Dalila let go of her hand immediately and ran to play with the other children, ignoring her mother completely.
“Look,” Jonathan said with a smile, “she’s enjoying herself.”
When they got home that night, Dalila begged her mother to enroll her, and Diamond, never able to refuse her daughter anything, agreed. The price of tuition was a pretty penny, yet somehow, Jonathan could get it waived for them.
As Dalila stood in front of her mother in her uniform, Diamond couldn’t help but be proud of her daughter in ways she never felt before. Her little girl was finally going to school, her life-long dream and wish. She could finally have and do all that Diamond herself couldn’t do at her age.
Diamond straightened her hair bows and smoothed down her jumper before nodding with approval. "Beautiful like always.”
"Thank you, Mommy," Dalila said, as she clapped her hands with joy.
"I could say the same thing," Jonathan said, as he came into the room.
"Thank you, Jonny," Dalila said proudly, her chest puffing out with pride at all the attention.
He knew the exact words to say that made Dalila fall more and more in love with him, and the same thing went for her. Every day Diamond felt herself slowly falling more and more in love with the man, and try as she could to fight it, she couldn’t. He was there for her, he helped her, he worshiped her; no matter what, he was there.
"You are welcome, Dalila," Jonathan said, a warm smile upon his lips as he then turned to her mother. "I have to go to the office, but we are still on for tonight?"
Diamond nodded. "Y-yeah, we are. Why don't you tell me where we are going?"
"Because it's going to be a surprise!" he chuckled. "And I don't want to tell you."
Diamond’s lips puffed up in a pout, a thing she could normally use to get her way. But this time, he was not falling for it. Walking over, he kissed them both gently on the foreheads before leaving.
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As they walked through the front doors of St. Anne's, the tall stone columns always reminded Diamond of an ancient cathedral or castle. Dalila was jumping with joy, tugging at her mother’s hand to pull away and join her friends. Her main teacher, a woman named Joan, smiled as she waited for the duo in front of the classroom.
"Hello again, Ms. Williams," she said. "Hello, Dalila."
"Hiya, Ms. Joannie!" Dalila said, her hand waving.
"Hello, sweet one, ready for your first day of school?" Ms. Joan asked.
"Yes, I am!" Dalila said happily. "I'm a fast learner. Aren't I, Mommy?"
"Yes, you are, baby," Diamond said with a smile before she turned to Joan. “Pick up is still at the normal time?”
"That’s right,” Joan said, nodding. “Three-thirty. Though if you wish to pick her up sooner…”
Diamond shook her head. "No, I shall let her stay the complete day." Kneeling, she looked in Dalila’s eyes. "Mommy loves you, you know that, right?"
"I know, Mommy," Dalila said, nodding her head.
Smiling, Diamond wrapped her arms around Dalila’s shoulders and pulled her daughter close for a hug before letting her go. She watched as the little one rushed off, and quickly disappeared into the school with her teacher.
Diamond was now alone.
Jonathan is at work, and Dalila is at school. What do I do now? She stood up and began the walk back to her car. She climbed in, though she was unsure of what to do now. Maybe go to the library?
It wasn’t far from the school, and as she walked through the doors, she was at a loss again at what to do. She couldn’t go to school; she was twenty-six years old. Frowning, she sat down in a chair that was in a private corner and gazed out the window. As she sat down, she saw a magazine with an article on the back.
Do you love to write? Do you wish to get your work out into the world? Want some exposure? Submit a short story, no more than two thousand words, to the New Haven Writers Magazine Contest. Who knows, you could become the next big thing!
Diamond blinked, and then a smile split her. She’d always loved to write; it was always a favorite pastime of hers. When she was in Las Vegas, she would have a notebook where she would write down the stories that would come to her mind.
Digging around in her bag, she took out her laptop and found the website for the New Haven Writers Magazine. After reading the rules, she got to work, settling on a fantasy story.
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"And then after that, Mary showed me how to jump rope," Dalila said later that night as her mother brushed her hair and they sat on the bed. "I taught her how to play double Dutch."
"That is wonderful," Diamond said, smiling, finishing her hair and beginning to braid. "Now, listen, sweet one, Mommy and Jonathan are going out tonight. Your babysitter is waiting downstairs. You are going to be a good girl, right?"
"Yes, Mommy," Dalila said with an obedient nod. "I will be a good girl."
Smiling, Diamond took her hand and they both began the walk down the stairs. Her babysitter, a twenty-year-old girl named Harriet, waited for them and smiled when she saw Dalila. Harriet had come highly recommended from the school since she worked as a teachers aid.
"Hello again, Dilli," Harriet said, smiling.
Dalila grinned at her nickname. "Hiya, Harri!"
"Ready to have a good time?" Harriet asked.
"Of course!" Dalila said as she let go of her mother’s hand.
Diamond looked to Harriet. "You can order out if you wish. The money is on the counter, as is your pay. Keep any change that is left over."
"Thank you," she said, smiling. "Have a good night!”
"You too!” Diamond called over her shoulder.
At the door, Jonathan waited for her. When he saw her, he held out his hands and when she took them, he raised them to his lips. "You look beautiful."
Diamond smiled shyly. "Thank you. So, will you now tell me where we are going?"
"To a club," he said, as he led her outside.
She blinked. "A club?"
"Trust me, you'll like this club," he said, as he opened the door for her to get into the car.
He was right, she did like this club. It wasn't the kind of club Diamond thought they would be going to. It was a poetry club, with soft jazz music playing in the background.
"This is amazing," she whispered in awe, as they stepped inside.
He smiled at her. "Thought you'd like it. Come on, let's take our seats."
He got them the best seats in the house, close to the stage, but not too close, and under the fan so they would be cool from the heat of the lights. It was perfect. A waitress appeared after they were seated and asked what they wished to eat. Jonathan ordered the steak, while Diamond ordered mini hamburger sliders with French fries. The poetry was beautiful from free verse to sonnets, to some with music and others without. Diamond loved everything about it and then some.
"And now," the Master of Ceremonies said, "we have a new poet who wishes to share his love in words. Please welcome Jonathan Somerset."
Diamond’s eyes turned to look to Jonathan, who smiled at her. Getting up from the table, he walked to the mic and tapped it. "This poem is for the woman who holds my heart…"
Most look at me, and see a lumbering ox,
Though when I look into your eyes, it makes me wish to come outside my box.
Your laugh is the music of my heart,
How I never want us to be apart
I am your sun, and you are my moon,
Darkness, cannot come too soon.
The time when I shall take you in my arms, and hold you right;
And make love to you, all throughout the night…
His eyes never left hers, never looking right nor left as he spoke. Yet, at that moment, Diamond knew then she would love him and only him for the rest of her life.
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Later that night, they walked down by the lake that was close to their new apartment. Hand in hand, Diamond blushed as Jonathan held her close and rubbed her shoulder affectionately. The full moon was the only light in the sky, but it was so bright and clear they could see everything.
“You like the poem I wrote?” he asked as they walked.
“Liked it?” Diamond repeated. “I loved it. It was so sweet.”
“Good,” he said, his chest puffing out with pride.
She laughed and playfully poked his stomach, which made him geeze. He chuckled as he rubbed his stomach before pulling her close again. Standing under a tree, he cupped her cheek and pressed his lips to hers, as they began to kiss under the moonlight.
They didn’t know they were being watched.
A man stood in the trees, watching them and snapping pictures with a camera. He then ran as fast as he could to his car and emailed the pictures to his employer. Alfonzo looked at his phone, and when he saw the pictures, his blood boiled with rage.
He had found her.
He knew it was good business to hire a private investigator, the best one in Las Vegas. He had given the man Diamond’s picture, her known family members, her friends, and then set him off to work. At first, he had heard nothing from the man, but he knew he wasn’t paying him almost five thousand dollars a month to just do nothing.
Now, he saw that he was worth the money.
Alfonzo didn’t know what made him angrier: the fact that she was alive…or the fact she was kissing some other guy. It was definitely her kissing this other guy, and then it infuriated him when he saw the man was white.
She’s screwing a white boy? he grumbled in his mind as he looked through the pictures and saw them together in several locations. I’m not good enough for her?
Alfonzo quickly dialed his private investigator’s number and told him to give him their location. He didn’t care where they were; he was going to go there and get both Diamond and his daughter back. Then, he was going to teach her a lesson she would never forget.
A light beating was too good for her, he figured. Diamond deserved something much, much worse.
Chapter Fifteen: Violets
“Jon…Jon…JON!” a voice yelled in Jonathan’s ears.
Jonathan snapped awake, rubbing his sleep-glazed eyes as he looked up into the eyes of his friend. “Huh?”
"Damn, mate, you that sleepy?" he asked.
Jonathan rubbed his eyes again and yawned. "A little bit. I was up all night with Dia."
A leering grin split his friend’s face and he nudged him. "Oh, I see, the new girl that wild?”
Jonathan rolled his eyes. "Not that kind of staying up all night. We just…talked."
The grin left his face as he looked at Jonathan. "Just talking? Are you kidding? You've been with this girl almost six months, and you haven't slept with her yet?"
Has it really been six months since I first met Diamond? Wow, time has flown, though as I count the time from when I first met her to now, in late November, I do indeed see that it's been almost six months.
He then frowned when he heard his friend speak so cheaply of her. "She isn't like most girls," he said tightly.
"Apparently so," his friend grumbled. "A normal girl would have given it up by now.”
"Can we change the subject?" Jonathan snapped irritably. "The topic is annoying me."
"All right, geez," his friend said, rolling his eyes. "I'm sorry. Just never thought you'd get so worked up over some pu—"
Before Jonathan knew what he was doing, he leapt to his feet. His large hands wrapped around his friend’s throat and squeezed. His eyes blazed with fury, and his voice was dangerously low. “Don't you ever say that again. If I ever hear you say that, I’ll make sure you’ll regret it.”
He grabbed his briefcase and stuffed his notes into it before storming away. Things between Diamond and he had been wonderful. They enjoyed romantic dates, her helping him with some of his case work, and going shopping. What he loved the most was the cuddling they did.
While they hadn’t slept together officially, that didn’t stop them from doing a lot of other things. She tasted as sweet as honey. It didn’t take him long to figure out her favorite spot and what she liked and didn’t like. She practically melted when he nibbled on her ear lobe.
Beauty and brains.
She had a plan in mind and was very talented in writing. Over the last couple of weeks, she had won several small writing contests and even told him that several publishers were asking about her work.
"Why don't you find an online writing community to help you further your exposure?" he had said to her.
She quickly took his advice and began searching on the web for just the right fit. Jonathan even bought her a new laptop for her to further her goals, and after some hard searching, she found a place called Wattpad that she believed would help.
As for Jonathan, however, keeping his big secret was becoming harder and harder to manage. Diamond sometimes asked about his family, and he told her about them with non-descriptive answers. They weren’t exactly lies, but at the same time, it wasn’t the whole truth either. As for his friends, he didn’t really bring them around her unless he had an extensive one-on-one conversation with them, as to tell them not to reveal anything about his past.
He hated not being able to tell her the complete truth, even though she told him everything about herself. She told him about her hopes and dreams, her fears and nightmares. At night, she sometimes still had them, and Jonathan would crawl into her bed with Dalila, and they would all just hold each other until they went away. She had borne her very soul to him, and he wasn’t even close to baring his own.
When his phone suddenly rang, he looked at the caller ID and when he saw it was his father, a frown crossed his lips. This day cannot get any worse, he thought to himself, as he answered the call.
"Hello?”
"Hello, son," his father said in his normal stiff manner. "How is your firm?"
"It’s going well, high marks like always," Jonathan answered. The other line was quiet, and Jonathan cleared his throat. His father never just called him; he always had a motive. "What is it that you called for?"
"I am calling to remind you that Violet is thinking of taking a trip to see you," his father said.