“It’s happening.” He said, his smile growing. “Little Marcus. Little Marcus Romanovsky.”
Zoey couldn’t lie… it did have a nice ring to it.
***
Later that afternoon, after figuring out a game plan, Gary and Roman made their way up to the front desk of the Erin Matthews Fertility Center. The young receptionist looked bored to death, and when she realized someone was at her desk, she looked up from her phone call with impatient eyes. The moment she caught sight of Roman and Gary, her spine straightened, and she immediately reached up to check her hair before holding up her pointer finger with a sweet smile.
“One sec,” she mouthed, her smile growing.
Gary and Roman both smiled back, not surprised by her sudden change in attitude. They’d both grown used to the powerful affect they seemed to have on women somewhere around middle school.
The receptionist ended her call quickly, and Gary and Roman shared a conspiratorial look just as she spoke.
“Sorry about that.” She bent forward. “I’m still a little new, and the other med assist called in so… I’m kinda swamped.”
Gary and Roman smiled sweetly, again, while Roman leaned forward on the desk. “Don’t worry about that,” he said, gently. “I’m just here to get a copy of my records, if that’s okay.”
She sat up taller. “Of course.”
Roman’s blood began to pump so ferociously he was surprised he couldn’t see the veins moving under his skin. “Last name Romanovsky, first name Valentin.”
“May I see a picture ID please?”
Roman’s blue eyes bore into hers, and he saw the exact moment when she decided she would spread her legs for him if he asked her to. It was a gift he’d always possessed. No matter how seasoned or sly the girl, Roman always knew when he had them right where he wanted them. As he reached into his back pocket for his wallet, he squinted at her. “I’m sorry if this is forward of me but… you are so beautiful.” He pulled out his ID and handing it to her. “Are you Spanish?”
She took his ID and barely looked at it, too busy blushing and acting coy. She probably saw the name Romanovsky, and left well enough alone.
Roman took the ID as she handed it back to him, fighting not to smirk.
“Madrid,” she answered, smiling widely. “Born and bred.”
“I knew it,” Roman beamed, leaning forward on the desk as she typed a few more things into her keyboard. The printer behind her roared to life just as she began frowning at the screen.
“I’m sorry, you know what? I have two Romanovskys on file here. A Valentin Giovanni Romanovsky and a Tony Valentin Romanovsky…” she frowned at the screen. “Which one are you?”
Roman blinked.
So did Gary.
A long silence filled the room.
Tony Valentin Romanovsky?
Why would their father have anything on file with a fertility clinic?
“Oh wait, my mistake, you couldn’t possibly be Tony Valentin Romanovsky.” She looked up from the screen and smiled bashfully at Roman.
Gary cut her off. “That’s me, I’m Tony Romanovsky,” he said, suddenly. “I’d like my files, too.”
The receptionist looked to Gary, and for the first time the desire disappeared from her eyes.
“Oh, you’re Tony Romanovsky?” she asked.
Gary cleared his throat. “Yeah.”
“That’s funny, you don’t look like someone who was even alive in 1985, let alone someone who was old enough to freeze your sperm with our clinic in 1985.”
The silence was back. And not only was it back, but Gary and Roman both looked like they’d seen a ghost on top of it.
Frozen sperm?
Fertility?
1985?
The receptionist was now cutting her eyes. “I think you boys should leave.”
***
“I’m sure it’s a coincidence,” Gary said, clutching the “oh shit” bars from the passengers side of Roman’s car as he sped away from the clinic and through the streets like a maniac.
Gary understood that his brother was upset, and he couldn’t blame him, but he was honestly afraid for his life.
He was more afraid, however, of the look in Roman’s eyes. There was something that was slowly changing inside his kind blue orbs, and it had Gary’s stomach rolling in the worst way.
For their whole lives the family had always made fun of Roman’s blonde hair, his blue eyes, his pale skin, the fact that he was the black sheep, looks wise, of the Romanovskys in every possible way. Of course it had all been in jest. Biology and genetics were crazy things. Weirder things had certainly happened in the genetic world than a blonde kid showing up in a family full of brunettes.
So why was their father’s name on file at a fertility clinic? The same year Roman had been born?
As if Roman was asking himself the exact same questions, he pressed his foot on the pedal, much harder this time.
When Gary realized Roman was taking the highway to their parent’s house, he began to panic a little. “I say we make an agreement here, Rome. I say we give ourselves a few days to let this all simmer. I mean get a really good… warm… bubbly simmer going, before we say anything about this to anyone. Deal?” Gary held his fist up over the gearshift, watching as Roman’s eyes shifted ever so slightly from where they were trained on the road. His blue eyes were still on fire, rife with anger, but having a strong, silent older brother like Roman over the years had quickly taught Gary how to read his face. And he could see that Roman was hearing him.
“You gonna leave me hanging?” Gary asked, opting to press his fist gently against the side of Roman’s arm instead, before leaning back in his seat. “Come on, let’s go to your place instead. We’ll call the guys, and invite them over to watch the game on the plasma.”
Though his older brother had yet to say a word, Gary was sure he wouldn’t do anything rash before at least having a good night’s sleep.
When Roman made a U-turn, and began moving in the opposite direction of their parent’s house, Gary breathed a sigh of relief.
Nine
“Will you please try to relax?” Zoey looked over at Angie, who was fidgeting like a madwoman on the other side of the elevator, wondering if it had been the best idea to invite her friend. After getting a call from Gary about an impromptu Sunday night football get together at Roman’s, she’d immediately called Angie because she was sick and tired of hearing Roman’s name come out of her friend’s mouth. It was time to take some action.
Plus, it had been a few hours since she’d seen Val at breakfast, and she hadn’t stopped thinking about him for a moment. The sight of his head nestled between her legs that morning flashed through her mind, and her stomach curled in sweet knots that seemed to spread all across her body.
With a trembling breath, Zoey’s eyes scanned Angie as the elevator dinged its way to the top floor. Angie was wearing her nicest pair of khaki pants, a pretty white top and, to Zoey’s complete and utter shock, she was sure that Angie had even put on lip gloss. It was subtle, and just a touch, but the bright lights in the elevator confirmed it.
“Are you wearing make-up?” Zoey accused, with a smile.
Angie squinted an eye at her, but her red cheeks gave her away. “No,” she denied, a little too quickly.
“Where are you glasses?”
“At home.”
“You put on contacts?”
“Yes, sometimes I wear contacts, Zoey.”
“You never wear them for me.” Zoey locked her arm with her friend’s to show she was teasing. She smiled down at their arms, always loving how their vastly different skin tones complimented each other’s. As the elevator dinged onto Roman’s floor, the penthouse, she looked over at Angie, widening her brown eyes. She might have been even more excited about this than Angie was.
“Relax, Ang. Roman is seriously the nicest guy you’ll ever know. Just talk to him. And don’t be offended if he doesn’t talk back right away. He’s crazy quiet.”
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Angie nodded softly as they made their way up to the massive red door of Roman’s apartment, the only one on the entire floor.
Angie didn’t need Zoey to tell her what an angel Roman was, because she already knew that. She’d never forget one afternoon freshman year, when one of the many girls who tortured her had cruelly knocked Angie’s books out of her hands in the hallway. She’d bent down to pick them up, fighting tears and hating life, but a pair of strong hands had beat her to it, sweeping up all her textbooks with ease. When she’d looked up and found herself met with Roman’s beautiful face, which lit up with a kind smile the moment her eyes caught his, it had freaked her out so much that she’d snatched the books away from him without even saying thank you. She’d then proceeded to run—not walk—run away from him as quickly as her legs could manage.
Mortified, she’d beat herself up over that for the rest of the year. By the time she’d mustered up the nerve to finally thank him, it was sophomore year, and Roman had already gone off to college. Angie never forgot him, that sweet, beautiful boy with kind blue eyes who’d picked up her books. He’d never know it, but that simple act had dried Angie’s tears on many painful nights back in high school. That one act of kindness, one he probably hadn’t given another thought, had healed her in so many ways.
After learning about her pathetic crush on Roman, Zoey had offered to introduce them many times, but Angie always declined. She knew he was nice, but something about him scared her to death.
“I can’t believe his apartment takes up an entire floor, this is so crazy.” Angie was barely scraping by on her paltry private investigator salary, and this building was a far cry from the one she shared with two roommates in Washington Heights.
“One of the many perks of working for a madly successful real estate company.”
“Oh yeah? So where’s your penthouse?” Angie teased, nudging Zoey with her shoulder.
Zoey smiled proudly. “I could have one if I wanted, but I want to make my own way.”
Angie nodded, respecting that. Then, just like that, her eyes narrowed with uncertainty when Zoey knocked on the door.
“Just be yourself.”
Angie nodded just as the door swung open.
“Yo.” Gary’s eyes flew from Zoey to Angie. “Oh, you brought Angelica?” He asked, his voiced laced with distain.
Angie’s lip immediately curled at the sight of Gary.
“Yes, I brought Angie, Gary… she’s my best friend.” Zoey had never learned why Angie and Gary were completely incapable of getting along. They’d despised each other pretty much since the moment they’d met back in high school, and it distressed Zoey in ways they would never understand. They were her two best friends, and they hated being around each other. It made birthdays, holidays, any occasion really, so much more of a headache than they were worth. Zoey had tried everything to get those two on a friendly page, but Gary and Angie were simply yin and yang. Great in their own right, but never meant to mix.
“Does Angelica know that you call me your best friend when she’s not around? Does she know that?” He watched them as they walked in.
Angie rolled her eyes at Gary, immediately crossing her arms over her chest as she took in Roman’s massive apartment, her eyes zeroing in on the steel spiral staircase at the end of the room. It circled up three floors, gleaming next to the wall to wall windows that drowned the entire room in natural light. Modern furniture in dark blues and browns dotted the area, and she caught a quick glimpse of his king sized bed on the second floor, which was surrounded by a glass barrier that opened down into the rest of the space. The kitchen was to their left, and Angie was sure the refrigerator alone was worth more than three months rent in her Harlem apartment.
“This is unreal. This is astonishingly beautiful. I just got depressed.” Angie looked to Zoey in awe.
“Tell me about it,” Zoey said, as she accepted a hug from Gary. She pulled back and sent a fist flying into his arm, watching as he blocked his chest and reared away from the blow. “Hey!” Zoey beamed. “Did you hear that? It’s depressing for broke people like us to see beautiful apartments like this. Apartments that we know we will never fucking have. So please stop sending me ads for units in this building already.”
“It’s the best building in the city, Zo. And I already told you that I will buy you a place. How many times do I have to say it? You’re the only Romanovsky, outside of my parents, that doesn’t live in this building.”
“Well that’s perfect, then, since I’m not a Romanovsky.”
Gary was thrown by the words. She’d never said anything like that before.
“I know that,” he sputtered out, following her and Angie into the living room where Val, Roman and Leo were already watching the football game intensely. “I’m just saying…” his words slowed to a stop. He had no idea what he was saying. All he knew was that Zoey’s complete dismissal of the Romanovsky name had thrown him way off. It was so unlike her. For years she’d pushed so hard to feel like apart of their family. She’d never brushed off an inclusive statement like the one Gary made the way she had just now.
As she and Angie took a seat together on the chase side of the navy sectional, Zoey instantly locked eyes with Val. They smiled sweetly at each other, smiles that were laced with their dirty, orgasm laded secrets, and Val was the first to look down, smiling into his lap.
Gary didn’t miss that, either, as he took a slow, suspicious seat next to Leo.
“ ‘Sup Ang.” Leo nodded to Angie, before going back to the game.
Roman didn’t even look their way.
“Hi Roman!” Zoey called, waiting for his blue eyes to meet hers. She thought she saw something flash in them, something that made her stomach a little uneasy, but convinced herself she was imagining things as she motioned to Angie. “You remember my friend Angie, right? We were attached at the hip in high school. Oh hell, who am I kidding? We’re still attached at the hip.”
Leo shot Zoey a please shut the hell up, the game is on look, but he knew better than to say that out loud in front of Gary. He threw Val a look, knowing his twin brother would be on his side, and was surprised to find Val’s eyes trained to Zoey, with a smile on his face. A smile! Leo had never seen Val smile at Zoey. With his head cocked slightly back, not enjoying the Twilight Zone vibe he was getting, Leo put his attention back on the game, and left it there.
“I remember,” Roman said, letting his eyes go to Angie. “How are you, Angie? Long time.”
Angie took a heaving, audible breath. He said her name. He remembered her! How was that possible? She looked at Zoey, who nodded softly, before sputtering out, “I’m great, Roman. Great. I’m so great. Thank you so much for asking. Thank you. That was so polite of you.” Angie realized that the “thank you” she’d always regretted not giving Roman back in high school was now regurgitating out of her in the worst way, almost uncontrollably. “Thank you,” she said, again.
The edge of his pink lips lifted in a knowing smile. “I’m surprised we haven’t met by now. Zoey talks about you.” His smile grew. “A lot.”
Angie couldn’t tell Roman that they hadn’t met because she’d always made a concentrated effort to avoid him at all costs, because he terrified her. “Um, well… I…” She took a deep breath. “Thank you,” she mumbled.
Zoey nudged her friend softly, thankful when Angie finally stopped rambling and Roman looked away from them with a grin. “I said natural, Angie, not spastic,” Zoey grumbled, quietly. “You looked like you were having a seizure.”
“I’m just so nervous.”
“I know, but try not to be.” Roman rarely said more than two words when meeting people he didn’t know, but he’d engaged Angie, and Zoey hadn’t missed that. “We’re going to try again once the commercials come on. Just try to remember that you’re a brilliant, beautiful woman who reads seven books a week and is going to take over the world one day. Any guy would be lucky to get in them jeans.” She tucked her finger into the waistband
of Angie’s khakis and tugged softly, watching her friend smile into her lap.
“Okay,” Angie whispered.
“Kay,” Zoey said, rubbing her back just as her eyes went to Val.
He was watching her with a look that she’d learned to recognize very quickly in the time they’d been sleeping together. She could tell he was trying to smile at her, but couldn’t.
He was too taken by her. The inappropriate thoughts that were lacing his mind were present right there in his eyes. They gleamed with sex. The desire must have been eating him alive right where he sat. She was sure, if she took off her panties and climbed on his lap, he would fuck her right there. He was that gone.
“I um,” her eyes never left his as she stood from the couch, completely missing the panicked look in Angie’s eyes as she did. She hated to leave her friend alone, but the way Val was looking at her made it hard to care about anything else. “I’m going to the bathroom,” she announced, not missing the annoyed glare Leo shot at her. Gary waved a hand absently her way without tearing his eyes from the screen. Roman looked off vacantly.
Zoey frowned as she made her way to the bathroom, wondering what was wrong with Roman. Perhaps today hadn’t been the best day to introduce him to Angie. He’d been kind to Angie, but he was also distracted. Zoey could tell something was bothering him.
As she let herself into the bathroom, she only had a few minutes to check her reflection and fix her hair before the door opened.
A huge smile crossed her face as Val stepped in, caught her eyes, and closed the door.
“Did they notice you leave? Did they seem suspicious?”
“No. They’re too entranced by the game.” His arms went instantly around her waist and he covered her lips with his passionately, immediately pushing his tongue into her eager, waiting mouth while taking her plump ass in his hands, pulling her hips to his. His arousal pressed against her legs, hard as a rock.
“Just looking at you turns me on, Zo… god you look so beautiful.”
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