by Unknown
“Hmm, my bella donna, you are beautiful.”
“Stop your flattery,” I scold him, “I look awful when I first wake up.”
“Never, my grande bella ragazza, you are always beautiful to me. Now you shower and dress and I will make you a good Italian breakfast, yes?”
“Yes,” I reply, “I’m absolutely famished.”
I shower and dress and join Antonio on the porch outside. It’s a beautiful day, the sea is shimmering and a few people are walking on the beach. As promised, Antonio has put together a breakfast of pastries and hot coffee. It smells delicious and I tuck in, the pastries are warm and flaky and full of warm chocolate, and the coffee is good and strong.
“Where’s Dante?” I ask, between mouthfuls of food.
“He sends his apologies that he could not be here when you awoke, but he had to got to work early,” he tells me.
“Aw, poor Dante,” I reply, “having to work on such a beautiful day.”
I finish off my breakfast while Antonia chats to me, he really is a fun guy and has me laughing on many occasions as he recounts his relationship with Dante, these guys really are very close.
Breakfast finished and it’s time for me to go. The girls will be wondering where I am and I’m sure Antonio has other things to do.
“Before you go,” Antonio says to me, “there is something I must speak to you about.”
His face has a serious solemn look and I wonder what the problem is.”
I nod my head, urging him to continue.
“Ideally, I would have preferred to speak with you whilst Dante was still here, but I cannot wait, my feelings are too strong.”
I’m intrigued, he clearly has something on his mind and I can see it’s causing him some anguish, but what he says to me hits me like a bombshell.
“We would like you to stay here with us, Nessy, with Dante and me, living together.”
I am dumbstruck, and at first I wondered if he was playing some cruel joke on me, but one look at his face dispelled that notion.
“Me, and Dante,” he continues, “are passionate about our love making, and you are bubbly, and big, and beautiful, everything we look for in a woman. I know we have only known each other for a few days, but we have both fallen madly in love with you. Now, you tell me, Nessy, will you stay with us?”
I cannot believe what I’m hearing. This handsome hunk, well two hunks really, are asking me to live with them, be a part of their lives.
“I can’t,” I manage to say.
His face is crestfallen.
“You see, Nessy, when we made love to you, it was on the hope that you would stay with us. When you made love with us, you knew that you would be leaving us.”
I am stunned and speechless. He’s right, I had used them for my own needs and they had been so loving towards me.
“I can’t just leave my life behind,” I say to him.
He shrugs at me, a look of disappointment on his face.
“What is there at home to keep you, Nessy? What is it you do for a living in your home country?”
“I’m a window dresser, why do you ask?”
“Why can you not be a window dresser here?”
“It’s not just my job, Dante,” I stutter out, “It’s the people in my life, I can’t just up and leave them.”
“We will be the people in your life, are we not enough?”
“Antonio, I’ve known you guys less than a week, how can you ask such a thing?”
“I am trying to explain to you how much you mean to us. In that short time we have come to love you, but you have not come to love us, not in the real meaning of love.”
“I’m so confused,” I tell him. “I have to go.”
“Look,” he says, “just wait a while. I am in work at the hotel soon, I will take you back, okay?”
I nod my agreement and Antonio smiles as he goes off to change for work.
I sit there watching the waves gently lapping at the shore, wondering if I could really live here with these two, in this paradise.
Soon Antonio is ready and we are riding through the streets on his scooter, with me on the back, my arms firmly clasped around this handsome hunk of a man.
Chapter 7 All Good Things Must Come to an End
I told my girlfriends the whole tale and they did everything they could to cheer me up. We went out on the town shopping, buying expensive Italian designer clothing. Eating at the finest restaurants in town, as I tried to drown my sorrows in alcohol.
“You’re seriously not considering staying, are you Nessy?” Hannah asked, with a genuinely sad look on her face. “Nessy, we’re a team, you can’t break us up for some... some Italian gigolo,” she finishes, realizing she’s insulted my two Italian friends.
I don’t respond to the insult, I know she didn’t mean it.
“Yeah, Nessy, you’ve only just met these guys. How could they say such things out of the blue, like that?” Lin also pleads with me.
“I don’t believe you two,” I say, holding up my palms to silence them both. “I’ve had a fantastic romantic holiday, but that’s all it was. You know what Italians are like, they’re passionate and alway over exaggerating everything,” I assure them.
Inside of myself, in my dream world, I would love to stay. However, it is just that, a dream. I love my home, my job, my parents and family and most of all I love my friends.
I sip at my drink and I’m about to take a bite from my comforting chocolate doughnut, when I notice both my friends faces take on a serious look.
“Hey, I meant it,” I say, putting down the doughnut, “I’m not staying.”
“You break our hearts, Nessy,” a voice behind me says.
My two lovers have arrived, they pull up chairs to our table and sit with us, Antonio looks sad, but resigned.
“We were hoping you would stay with use, Nessy,” Dante says. “We could truly make you happy here, with us, and we would be happy with you,” he takes one of my hands in his.
“But, it is clear to us that you have others who love you also, and would miss you if your stayed,” he nods his head in the direction of my friends. “We would not want to take you from that, it would make you miserable and we would never want you to be unhappy.”
“The invitation is now closed,” Dante finishes.
“We would like to treat you girls to a last day together, if we may?” Antonio asks us.
We look at each other, puzzled.
“It’s entirely up to you?” Hannah says to me.
“Then I say, yes,” I decide.
We have a wonderful time, the boys know their town inside out, and backward ways around, and they show us everything. The girls love it too, and when some of Antonio’s friends join us, we finish off at the beach house, continuing the party well into the night.
That was the last I ever saw of my lovers. The remaining holiday was spent without them and just with my friends, and whilst I had a great time, my mind was always wandering to them. Everyday I looked out for Antonio in the dining room, but I never saw him again. That was probably for the best, because although I had decided not to stay, I wasn’t certain that my resolve was that firm, being around those two hunky guys might well have changed my mind.
THE END
Players Gonna Play
Karen looked at the tickets in her hand. She couldn’t believe it; she got the best tickets in the house for a local hockey game that was happening. Karen never thought that she would get to go to something as amazing as this, but lo and behold, she was the correct caller on some radio show a few weeks ago. She won the tickets, and she even had an extra to spare. Karen knew she would take her friend Stephanie for a night together. It was something that they needed to do anyways.
Karen dialed her number, and after a couple of rings, the familiar sound of Stephanie was on the other line.
“Hello? “She asked.
“Hey there girl, it’s Karen. Listen, I have some pretty amazing news,” Karen said. She knew this
would pique Stephanie’s interest.
Sure enough, Stephanie paused, taking in a deep breath before speaking to her friend.
“What is it?” she replied.
‘Well, remember when I called that radio show that one time in hopes of maybe getting some tickets to the championship game for the local hockey team? And you thought that I was crazy for doing so? Well, it turns out that I won them! I have two free tickets to a hockey game this Friday, and I would love to take you,” Karen replied. Karen didn’t have anyone else to go with, and she knew that Stephanie liked hockey enough to join her.
There was a slight pause on the other side of the line before Stephanie started to speak.
“That sounds amazing! I would love to go. Do you know when the game is?” she asked.
“Seven that night. I’ll pick you up if you want me to,” Karen said. She loved to help out her friend, especially since Stephanie had been there for her through thick and thin.
There was a pause once again, but then Stephanie spoke.
“That’s good with me. Let’s make it a date!” she said in an enthusiastic manner. Karen chuckled at the excitement seemed to be pouring from her lips as she talked to her friend.
“Awesome! I’ll see you than,” Karen replied. Karen hung up the phone, smiling to herself. She was excited for the game, and she knew that her friend was as well. There was also a feeling of nervousness and excitement too, and Karen knew that whatever this feeling was would reveal itself soon enough.
The game came around like a flash, and for the first time ever Karen felt like she didn’t have to watch the seconds roll by for something big to happen. Karen was ready for that night, and she knew it would be a great one. Karen grabbed her belongings, ready for whatever the night had to offer.
The drive to Stephanie’s house was fast, and soon she was there. When she got there, she knocked on the door, her friend rushing to the door at a face pace. When Stephanie opened up, the two of them looked at one another with a smile.
“You ready to go to the game?” Karen asked.
“Definitely. I can’t wait to see what happens,” Stephanie replied.
They both got into Karen’s car, heading downtown. The drive was fast, and soon they were there. When they got there, they were able to find a killer parking spot by chance, and Karen already knew it was going to be a great night.
They didn’t have to wait in line either. Karen was able to cash in the tickets, and they were led to seats that were right next to the ice. Below them was the bench where the players were, and Karen already felt a surge of excitement.
“Wow, these seats are amazing,” Karen said.
“They are. Wow, I’ve never been this close up. The closest I’ve ever been has been a few rows back,” Stephanie remarked.
Karen agreed; normally she was at the back row or in the nosebleed seats at best. Already, she felt like a celebrity when she was in this VIP area, mainly because she knew that she would get the service she wanted as well.
Sure enough, there were vendors coming to them almost immediately. They served them both each a cup of beer, and Karen sipped it, loving the frothy drink in her mouth. Stephanie was happy as well, and they both sat as they watched the ice get cleaned up. It was only a half hour until game time, and Karen was excited.
“So Karen, have you been looking for anyone special recently? I’m shocked you didn’t ask a guy to go with you,” Stephanie remarked.
Karen shook her head. “Nope. All the guys I keep running into are nothing but losers. I can’t tolerate their bullshit either. I want to find someone real, someone who actually knows what they’re doing and doesn’t have their head up their ass,” Karen remarked.
Karen had terrible luck with men. Since her last relationship, which ended in disaster, Karen attempted to find other men to go out with. She tried online dating, and she even tried a couple of guys based off of recommendations from friends, but none of them seemed to click. It sucked, but that was life.
It wasn’t because of how she looked either. Karen had long, brown hair that cascaded down her body, big blue eyes that radiated when she looked at people, a thin face that looked tempting, and a great body that she worked to keep in shape. Karen was toned, and she had a decent pair of breasts as well. Her butt was plump too, and Stephanie looked at her with envy at times. Karen had the perfect body, but she had a hard time finding guys who could relate to her. Most of them were too busy checking out her ass than to have a meaningful conversation with her.
Stephanie on the other hand, was average at best, but she had a bubbly personality that attracted men like flies. She loved to hang out with guys, but most of them weren’t her type. She wanted a down-to-earth guy who was able to deal with her humor and political incorrectness. Karen liked that about her, especially since most people hated women who spoke their mind instead of shutting up and pretending like they didn’t exist.
“Maybe I’ll find someone soon,” Karen said.
‘Well, who knows you might find someone right around the corner. It happens like that. I dumped Brad because he didn’t seem to understand why I got mad when he tried to cheat on me and I caught him. He was an idiot, but there are other guys out there,” Stephanie remarked.
Karen understood that. Most of the guys she was with had a problem with being faithful too. She wanted to stay single for a while, just so that she didn’t get hurt again.
The game was about to begin, and Stephanie looked at the seat next to her. It was empty, which seemed weird since these were sold-out seats.
“Guess someone got sick?” Karen remarked. She knew that had to be the only reason there wasn’t a person sitting next to them.
Before the game started though, a hunky man appeared. He had a beer in his hands, but he had a radiant smile. He was staring at Stephanie, who gave him a flirtatious look.
“Excuse me,” he said.
Karen and Stephanie made room for him, and he sat down next to Stephanie. The rouge on Stephanie’s face was obvious, and Karen couldn’t help but smirk at the sight.
“It’s all right. I was wondering when the person next to me would show up,” Stephanie remarked.
“What, did you miss me that badly?” he joked.
Karen liked this guy already. She didn’t find him very attractive, but Stephanie was floored by him.
“Nah, we just wondered when your pretty face would show up,” Stephanie replied. It was obvious that she was flirting with him. Needless to say, the man flirted with her back.
“Well I’m glad I finally get to go to a game where I get to sit next to a pretty girl like you,” the man replied.
Stephanie was on cloud nine, and Karen couldn’t help but smile at her friend. It was kind of cute how Stephanie was flirting with the guy, and she had to admit, she was happy for her friend. What she didn’t really like though, was that she immediately felt like she was a third wheel even though she was the one who invited Stephanie out.
“So what’s your name cutie?” the man asked.
“Stephanie. You?” she replied.
“I’m Patrick. Patrick Henderson. I’m the brother of Cody Henderson,” he said.
Karen looked at him, almost dropping her beer on her lap. This man was the brother of one of the players she had a massive crush on. Normally Karen tried to quell her little fantasies, but this seemed to be something bigger than she ever imagined.
“Wait, really?” Karen said.
“Yep. Cody is my little shithead of a brother. He begged me to come to one of his games. I enjoy them, but normally I stay up in the private box seats. But, Cody insisted that I sit in the front row. He told me it was going to be quite the spectacle tonight,” Patrick replied.
“Wow, that’s amazing,” Stephanie, said.
“Sure is,” Karen remarked. Karen could already feel the knots in her stomach start to twist. She couldn’t believe that she got so lucky. Being next to this guy automatically made her feel like an even more important person than she normall
y was.
Stephanie and Patrick continued to flirt with one another, and it was obvious that they liked one another. Stephanie found out that Patrick was an accountant, and he was proud of his brother, even though it was a stupid career path. Stephanie turned on her bubbly personality and charm, and it reeled this guy in. Karen tried to hold back the jealousy that started to course through her body. She wished she could at least talk to a hot guy. The only thing next to her was some stairs, which wasn’t something to talk to.
The game started, and Stephanie and Patrick were still talking. Thankfully though, this gave Karen a chance to watch the game to get her mind off of things. Already, their team scored one goal within the first five minutes, all thanks to Cody’s insane offensive strategies. Karen watched the game, almost mesmerized by Cody. But there was another guy that he was working with as well, a guy on the team who immediately got her attention as well.
“Who’s that guy on the team that Cody is talking to?” Karen asked in an innocent voice. S surely Patrick would know who he is.
“That’s Derek. He’s a cool guy. Those two have been best friends for years, and I’m shocked that they’re able to still maintain a great friendship while on the ice,” Patrick replied.
Karen nodded, checking out the two of them. They seemed close, and Karen wondered if there was potentially something more than just a friendship there. She highly doubted it, after all guys weren’t into that sort of thing with other guys. They probably just had a great relationship like how she and Stephanie were. It’s platonic at best.
The game continued, and Karen could still hear Stephanie and Patrick flirting. It was becoming much more awkward, and Karen hoped that the game would be over soon. However, it was only halftime, and Karen could already feel the disdain present on her face when she had to turn to her left. She saw Stephanie and Patrick almost necking at one point, causing Karen to roll her eyes.
However, as soon as the halftime buzzer rang, Patrick got up. He moved out of their row and turned to Stephanie with a wink.
“I’m going to go check on my brother. You two hang tight, okay?” he asked.