by Vera Roberts
No, this was an issue he needed to privately deal with. He was going to see Elena for himself, spend some time with her, and make arrangements with Simone before he told Faith what was going on.
Faith. Eli’s chest tightened just thinking about his wife. She didn’t deserve this.
They made love again before he left. It was passionate and raw. They held hands, and encouraged each other’s orgasms with words, mouths, and hands. Nothing was sacred. Nothing was taboo. Neither held back.
Now Eli hoped his wife would still want him back after the latest and damning revelation. He’d successfully pushed Simone out of their life for good, only for her to come back in a huge and permanent way.
****
Simone couldn’t stop wrangling her hands. She’d cleaned her mansion several times over – all by herself because she didn’t want anyone to be around as she scrubbed the frustration out of her mind.
Eli was coming…back to her.
She’d never completely gotten over him, despite being with Darren and how wonderfully he’d treated her and Elena. Her soul burned with how badly Eli’d treated her in New York. Her heart was hopeful on his promise to take care of her and Elena. Maybe Simone’s eventual move back to New York would be good for everyone involved.
After several hours, Simone was finally done. Her house was spic and span. It was practically sterilized. She was going to pick up Elena from childcare and bring her home. Eli was going to be over later and the three of them were going to have a nice family time. He was going to see his daughter for the first time and hopefully bond with her.
Simone snickered. Faith got what she wanted by having Eli forever. Now Faith would have to deal with Simone forever. Po dat.
****
Eli drove up to Simone’s home and was impressed by what he saw. It was a huge brick home with at least two stories. A fresh, manicured lawn had a variety of toys on it.
He got out of the sedan and walked up the front door. Several flowerbeds greeted guests in the pathway leading up to the front door. Roses, peonies, and gerberas, alstroemerias, he’d recognized the flowers. It was a fleeting thought but Eli knew he’d influenced Simone’s flower choices.
He tightly gripped a plush teddy bear he picked up at the airport gift shop. He felt weird seeing a potential child of his for the first time and not bringing her a gift. He had three years of making up to do and hoped the teddy bear was small start.
He rang the doorbell and breathed out a harsh breath. His chest still felt constricted and an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. Maybe things wouldn’t be so bad once he saw Elena.
Simone opened the front door and a small wind blew her hair back. She looked like she stepped out of a photo shoot. Her face was completely done and a soft pink color covered her full lips. She wore jeans and a tank top that was completed with a conspicuous choice of high heels.
“Eliodoro,” Simone greeted her ex with a big hug and he simply patted her back, “come in, come in!”
Eli stepped inside the palatial home and was more impressed by the inside. Simone had done very well for herself and Elena. He wondered what role he would play in Elena’s life. “Wow, this is a very nice home, Moni.”
Simone’s heart leaped at Eli’s former pet name for her. It was clear she’d returned back to his good graces. It was a small victory. “Thank you. I purchased it years ago when I was pregnant and have been filling it up ever since. My mom and her husband lives here with me so it’s not just me and Elena.”
“That’s good to hear,” Eli held up the small teddy bear. “I bought something for her. I left Harlem without getting her something but I didn’t want to come here empty handed so here it is.” He felt embarrassed by the revelation. “I promise I’ll do better next time.”
“It’s fine, Eli. The fact you brought her something is huge,” Simone brought him to the backyard. “Well, there she is. Your baby girl.”
Eli swallowed hard as his heart pounded out of his skin. Sitting in the corner, Elena held a tea party for her stuffed animals and Barbies. She was a beautiful girl in the pictures Simone had shown him but they didn’t do her any justice. She was just gorgeous in person. His eyes bounced from her skin color to her curly ringlets. She looked just like Simone.
“Go on,” Simone encouraged, “go say hi to her. She’s waiting to see you.”
“Okay,” Eli pushed his pride aside and walked up to Elena. “Elena?”
The little girl looked up and shot out of her chair. “Daddy!” She wrapped her little arms around his legs.
Eli melted into a ball of puddy. He’d always wanted a daughter and Simone had fulfilled his wish. He picked up the young girl and smiled at her. She had his light eyes. “Hey there. I brought something for you.” He gave her the teddy bear.
“Yay!” Elena grabbed it and gave Eli a hug. “Want to have a tea party with me?”
“Sure!” He set her down and joined her at the table. “So what are we doing here?”
“We’re having tea time, Daddy!” Elena poured two cups of imaginary tea. “Now you sit in that chair right there!”
Eli glanced down at the chair. He was sure he was going to break it. “How about I sit on the ground? Daddy’s too big for the chair.”
“Okay!” Elena set plastic muffins on the plates. “Pinky’s up!”
“Pinky’s up!” Eli toasted as Simone walked out.
“Don’t mind me,” Simone walked out into the backyard. She changed into short shirts and a tank top. “I’ll just be working in the garden.”
Eli stared at his ex and her barely-there outfit. She had on a white tank top that clearly showed the red lacy bra underneath. She also wore the tightest and smallest jean shorts the appeared to be painted on. The garden was behind Elena but in direct eyesight of Eli.
The extra weight Simone’d gained from her pregnancy obviously did her some good. She was thicker and wielded her newfound sexuality like a sword. Her long, blonde mane swayed down her back in almost perfet timing with the swing of her hips. It seemed like her hips were beckoning him, ‘Come play with us again, Eli.’
“Daddy!” Elena yelled. “You need to eat your crumpet!”
“Oh yeah,” Eli refocused his attention back to his daughter. The Bible always pictured the Devil with red horns and a fiery desposition and Eli disagreed.
The Devil was clearly in front of him, bending over while wearing a pair of red bottoms.
****
“I need to head back to the hotel. I need to get some rest tonight before I leave for Harlem in the morning,” Eli made his way to the front door. He’d spent the entire day with Elena and Simone. He learned Elena loves salmon but hates carrots. Her favorite cartoons were Doc McStuffins, Super Why!, and Chuggington. She was practically glued to his side the entire day and Eli didn’t mind one bit. “I’ll see you later, Moni.”
“You know…” Simone lightly crossed her arms and briefly glanced down at the carpet before she met Eli’s eyes again. “…you could always spend the night here if you like.”
“Eli, please fuck me…please…I want to feel your cock inside me,” Simone begged as she writhed beneath him.
He’d tied her to the bed before he placed a vibrator on her cunt. He loved watching her squirm with pleasure beneath him. “You want Daddy to give it to you?”
“Give it to me, Daddy,” she cried.
Eli gathered Simone’s legs and slid inside her with a hard thrust. He pulled back, almost out, until he pushed hard into her again. She felt so hot around his cock as her pussy tightly contracted around him. He drove deeper inside her until he was completely buried to the hilt and his balls were kissed by her slickness.
She whimpered as she gasped for air. Suddenly, almost on cue, she shattered beneath him, calling his name as her pussy milked his cock. He soon followed behind her and collapsed on top of her.
After a few moments, Simone finally spoke. “So much for our innocent movie night.”
Eli chuckled. “I’
m sure Gran Torino is a great movie.”
“Eli?” Simone’s voice shook him from his memory and he came back to earth. “Are you okay? I said you could spend the night here.”
Every time he’d spent the night with Simone in the past, they ended up making love. Even if they had a fight, they somehow ended up in bed together before morning came. Multiple orgasms and small welts in his back from when she dug her nails into his flesh, their problems were long gone and they couldn’t remember whatever it was they were mad about to begin with.
That was then.
“No, I need to head back to the hotel.” Eli stated. “I’ll see you in the next trip.”
“When will that be?” Simone asked. “I know we haven’t talked about custody and all but I need to have an idea on when you’ll come back so I can prepare her for it.”
“Let’s say about three weeks,” Eli rattled off a figure. “I still need to talk to my family about this and let Faith know.”
“How is she?” Simone inquired. “I heard about your separation. I’m sorry to hear that.”
Eli smirked but remained silent. Simone feeling sorry for his separation? That was rich and full of shit. “We’re working things out.”
“Oh,” the enthusiasm in Simone’s faith disappeared and Eli noticed the change, “I see. That’s great to hear.”
Eli knew Simone wasn’t happy about it but he didn’t press the issue. “Yeah, it is.” Eli smiled. “I’m going to head out now. I’ll be back over tomorrow morning.”
"You know..." Simone lightly crossed her arms and briefly glanced down at the carpet before she met Eli's eyes again. "...You could always spend the night here if you like."
Eli sighed and pursed his lips. "You and I know that's a bad idea."
“I wasn’t thinking anything sexual, Eliodoro.” Simone purred. “I was thinking it would be easier for you to take Elena to preschool from here before you leave.”
Eli hated the way his name rolled off her tongue like molasses. Once again, his mind and his cock were in a fight, though his mind was delivering some lethal blows now. “The hotel isn’t that far from here. I’ll be here early.”
“Okay.” Simone walked to the door and smiled at her former lover. “So seven o’clock tomorrow?”
“Yes,” Eli nodded.
“And if I remember correctly, you liked bacon and eggs, right?” Simone asked. “Scrambled, correct? With a side of toast? Freshly squeezed orange and tangerine juice?”
“I can eat breakfast at the hotel, Simone,” Eli was deliberate to not call her by the nickname he had given her. “You don’t have to do that.”
“It’s not a big deal. We can have a nice family breakfast.” She smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Eliodoro. Sweet dreams.”
“Sweet dreams,” Eli waved back before he made it back to his rental car. He quickly left Simone’s home and headed back to the hotel. Once he entered inside his room, he shed his clothing and laid down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
He had a three-year-old daughter. A daughter! And Simone was her mother.
Eli regretted the affair with Simone but something beautiful came out of it. He could remember the giggles from Elena and how she placed her hand on Eli’s cheek as he read to her. She’d changed into several princess outfits throughout the day and told him what she wanted for Christmas.
He adored Elena and wanted to spend as much time as possible with her. Simone promised more trips to New York and Eli wondered if the trips had something to do with the engagement ring on her finger. Never once did she mention a fiancée nor was there evidence of one in her home.
He closed his eyes and said a small prayer before he went to sleep. Just as everything in his life was finally settling down, something else happened. He and Faith had to overcome a lot of things but even Eli wondered if they could work past this.
It was time to tell her.
Book III
One
Overjoyed. That’s the word she was looking for. She was overjoyed.
It wasn’t like they were trying. In fact, it wasn’t like that at all. Things just happened. It was when Faith realized that things happen in the way the Lord wants them to; not by what man desires.
As Faith stared down at the two pink lines on the pregnancy test, she thought about the many different ways she was going to tell Eli. She hoped he would be just as excited as she was.
She also hoped they would have a daughter this time.
****
“Guess who I saw?” Elena stated as she sat on Darren’s lap.
Darren thought long and hard. He arrived back in Houston after fulfilling some endorsement deals and obligations. While he loved making money and faux complaining about the laborious hours he spent doing ads and modeling, his heart was in Texas with Simone and Elena.
He never saw himself as the fatherly type and honestly didn’t think he would ever get married. He cleverly once told a magazine there would never be a woman who could make him settle down and reconsider because he was having the time of his life. (“Give up all of this!” He pointed the beach from his vacation rental in Guam. “No way!”)
Then one fateful trip he met Faith.
He was officially over her, though a part of him wondered how Nathan was doing. He could blame his bond with Nathan on helping hims solidify his desire to become a father – a need he never knew he had.
He also wondered if Eli was going to get his act together and do right by Simone or he would have to take harsher means in making sure he did so. “The Easter Bunny?”
“No!” Elena giggled.
“Santa Claus?” Darren asked.
“No!” She giggled again.
“Okay, who?”
“Daddy!” Elena smiled big. “My Daddy came to visit me!”
Darren’s chest pinched in anger. So Eli decided to grace Elena with a grand appearance like he’s Santa Claus; how sweet of the bastard. “Oh really?”
“Uh-huh!” She nodded. “I’m going to visit him soon!”
“Oh,” the revelation surprised Darren. He honestly wondered how Faith felt about it. He briefly thought about contacting her to see how she was holding up. “That should be fun.”
“I can’t wait!” Elena giggled.
“Yeah,” he agreed, “neither can I.” Simone joined the pair on the sofa and Darren put his arm around her. “So Elena had a visit from her dad.”
Simone softly bit her lip and lightly sighed. Oh yes, Eli came over. His visit was short yet memorable. She could still smell his woodsy cologne and hear his deep voice as he spoke to their daughter. She also remembered how cordial he was to her. No affection was present and there was a thick absence of love. She might as well been one of his business clients. On second thought, she wouldn’t have been. A business client would’ve received more affection from him. “It was a short visit.”
“How did it go?”
Not as well as Simone’d hoped but she wasn’t going to tell Darren that. The plan they’d come up with in testing Eli’s monogamy to Faith crashed and burned in spectacular fashion. While Simone was a little happy Eli didn’t make a move on her, she wondered what would’ve happened had he taken her up on the offer to bed her. “It was good. He played with her and they bonded. I’m going to take her to New York to see him and meet with an attorney to work out custody and child support.”
“Well, if he’s in New York and so am I, I say those are great reasons to finally move.” Darren hinted.
“My family and base is here, D.” Simone argued. “I can’t just uproot again. I did that before and it was fine when I was single but not so much when I’m a single mother.”
“Not for much longer,” he replied.
She smiled. “I would need to start afresh and I have a lot of clients based here in Houston who depend on me. I can’t just leave them.”
“You can be bicoastal,” Darren added. “You don’t have to stay in Houston for your business.”
“I’ll think abo
ut it,” she promised, “it’s not a yes.”
“But it’s not a no, neither,” he winked. “Besides, if you move to New York to be closer to Eli, you need backup from the D’Amatos. I can help.”
****
“So how was Houston?” Tony asked as he prepared Eli for a cut.
Eli wanted to say it was a great trip and honestly, it was. With Simone not-so low-key coming onto him, it was a rather difficult trip and he couldn’t get out of Texas fast enough. “It was nice.”
“Shit, it’s Texas. All they got is oil, cattle, and cowboys down there.” Tony turned on the clippers and began to touch up his brother. “Oh, and football and country music.”
“I can’t stand that shit,” Eli replied.
“My dog died, my wife left me, God bless ‘Murica, and death to anyone brown,” Tony surmised, “that’s pretty much every country music song there is.”
“Seriously, though.” Eli chuckled.
Tony picked up his brother’s quiet demeanor. Normally, Eli would be talking smack about the latest Knicks upset or bitching about some unreasonable client from Madre’s. He was suspiciously quiet. “What’s going on, bro? You normally can’t shut up and now you’re all quiet.”
“I didn’t go to Houston to check out flowers,” Eli admitted.
“Oh?” Tony continued to clip. “What is it, then?”
“Do me a favor, bro, and turn off the clippers because the last time I told you serious news, you ended up making me bald and shit,” Eli instructed, “so let’s not repeat that.”
“Hey, you have a nice bald head!” Tony defended as he turned off the clippers. He sat across from his brother. “Talk to me, bro.”
“I saw Simone,” Eli stated after a moment’s hesitation. Tony’s mouth dropped. “She has my kid.”
“What…the…fuck?” Tony yelled and he got out of his seat. “Dude, are you serious?”
“She claims it’s mine,” Eli shrugged. “So that’s why I went there.”
“Dude…” Tony shook his head. “This isn’t good.”