Simone
Over the next three months, Nicolo and I got to know each other better. I went to work for his firm after giving my notice at Billingsley Firm. They were sad to see me leave, but when I told them I was going to be a partner at my future husband’s firm, they were happy for me. It would have taken me years to become a partner there. Nicolo was offering it right off the bat.
Even though we were both from what the alphabet agencies would consider crime families, Nicolo ran his firm by the letter of the law. The leaders of the companies that we worked to merge may have ties to the underworld, but the money was clean. It was our job to make sure of that.
Nicolo surprised me on our days off, which he conveniently scheduled at the same time. He was way more romantic than I would have ever guessed. Looking at the man, you’d think he was a woman beater. He always had a scowl on his face, and his eyes bore into you when he was angry. However, when he was alone with me, he laughed, joked, and had plain old fun.
“Pack your bags, woman. I’m taking you on a trip.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. If there was one thing I loved, it was a surprise. The fact that it involved travel made me salivate. No questions asked, I ran to the bedroom and quickly packed a bag with everything I could think of for a weekend adventure. I had jeans, shorts, dresses, heels, sneakers, and flip flops. No matter what Nicolo had in mind, I would be ready.
“I’m ready!” I chimed as I ran back into the living room.
Nicolo burst into laughter as he took the bag from my hands.
“You’re not even going to ask me where we’re going?”
“Nope! It doesn’t matter where you take me. I am ready.”
He smiled down at me before dropping my bag on the floor and grabbing me. Nicolo pulled me in for a passionate kiss that curled my toes and left me needing a change of underwear. The way he looked at me made me want to forget the damn trip and pull him into the bedroom. I composed myself, trying desperately not to live up to the little nickname he had bestowed upon me. I just couldn’t help myself. The man was rugged and sexy; the perfect combination for me.
“Mmm, Nico. Don’t get me started, baby.”
“It doesn’t take much to get you started, babe. Come on, let’s go.”
A little over three and a half hours later we pulled up in front of the Georgia Aquarium. I squealed like a little kid going to Disney for the first time. I had told Nicolo in passing that I wanted to go to the aquarium and then forgot about it. It meant the world to know that he was listening to me and made it happen for me.
“Oh my god, Nicolo! I can’t believe you did this. I am so happy right now.”
He said nothing, but the look on his face was priceless. I couldn’t contain my excitement, jumping out of the car before he could come around and open the door for me. Grabbing him by the hand, I pulled him to the line to wait to purchase tickets.
“Brazen, one thing you’ll learn about me is, I don’t do lines. Come with me.”
Nicolo took my hand and walked me to an entrance that I didn’t know was there. He provided his name to an associate, and the next thing I knew, we were being whisked away to a VIP area of the aquarium. He had arranged a private tour that included up close and personal access to several animals. My favorite part was when we got to feed a baby otter with a bottle.
“This little baby was found in Florida. Its mom had been killed by a boat. Luckily some people rescued him, and eventually, we received the call to see if we could house him. He is bottle fed three times per day. We named him Snuggie because that’s what he loves to do.”
“He’s so fluffy! I love him,” I exclaimed as Nicolo looked on.
To my surprise, he reached out and took the baby from me and held him close. When he took the bottle and fed the baby, I just about melted into the floor. My ovaries almost exploded. There is nothing sexier than a hot guy bottle feeding a baby otter. Trust me on that.
The aquarium was awesome, and Nicolo was even better. We spent most of the weekend exploring the city and sampling the cuisine. It turned out that Nicolo was quite the foodie. I even convinced him to stand in line for a little over thirty minutes so I could get ‘Sluttified’ at the Slutty Vegan restaurant. The food was famous for having the best vegan burgers in the south. I had the One Night Stand and true to his personality, Nicolo had the Sloppy Toppy.
My mother would have a fit if she knew I was hanging out all weekend eating burgers and fries. It wouldn’t matter to her that they were vegan. She would be all in my face talking about how my wedding dress wasn’t going to fit me. I, on the other hand, couldn’t care less. I had no say in my wedding whatsoever. She and Mrs. DeLuca had planned the entire thing from the engagement party to the actual wedding.
I wasn’t complaining because I wasn’t the wedding type of chick. When I was little, I fantasized about the guy, not the dress. I wanted to elope with the love of my life and go to far off lands, exploring the world. I didn’t give two shits if people gathered in a church and watched me say vows. All I needed was a man who looked at me like I was the only woman in the world.
So, when my mom came knocking on my door Monday morning, long before the rooster crowed, I was a bit annoyed. What the hell was she doing here? I had to get up in a few hours to go to work and had just laid down to sleep. Nicolo had kept me up until 3AM giving me orgasms until I couldn’t see straight. He was lying next to me calling hogs while my mom was knocking on my door. Fuck my life.
Crawling out of bed, I threw on a robe and tied it at the waist. I was sure my mom would see him in the bed if I left the bedroom door open, so I closed it and went to answer the door.
“Simone, girl, wake up and open this door.”
“Mama, it is 6AM! What are you doing here?”
“Good morning to you, too.”
She brushed by me like she owned the place, dropped the bag she was carrying, and then and headed straight to the kitchen, where she proceeded to make coffee. I wasn’t a big coffee drinker, but I purchased the machine because Nicolo was. I prayed the smell wouldn’t awaken him. It usually brought him out of a dead sleep, so I was a bit worried. If my mom caught him in my apartment this early in the morning, I would never hear the end of it. Hell, the delusional woman still thought I was a virgin.