C H A P T E R | SIXTEEN
SAMSONITE MAN
𝙲 𝙰 𝚁 𝚃 𝙴 𝚁 𝙼 𝙴 𝙺 𝙷 𝙸
HIS Italian leather lay still on the glass top of his desk while the room filled with his laughter. He was in the makings of closing another big deal with an international investor. This time, the grand prize was close to 4 million if he played his cards right and he had intended to use every bit of knowledge that Midknight gave him when he was just a little nigga in the game. So far so good. Carter had figured out how to weave the language and hustle of the streets into the hustle of the corporate world - - expertly.
Carter's tired eyes slowly glanced up at the knock on his door - - his assistant. He held up one finger and then smiled his bright toothed smile, gesturing that the client he was on the phone with wouldn't stop talking. Understanding, she smiled and nodded at the handsomeness that was he and waited patiently. A few seconds later he was off the phone and all ears.
"Just reminding you if you don't get a move on it you'll be late for your meeting with the Francois Company at 4," she said as she looked at his itinerary for the day.
"Fuck," he got up, reaching for the solid gold buttons of his checkered vest and swiped his tongue across his bottom lip, "I forgot about that."
"The Country Club," she reminded him, "You have a golf date with them. I went to Barney's and found you something suiting to wear and had Daniel bring up your golf clubs from storage."
"You're a life sava', really," Carter said laughing, "At 4 right?"
"4'oclock sharp," she smiled. Suddenly she heard a tapping behind her and turned around to see a smiling young woman standing in the doorway. Carter's eyes lit up when he saw her and the young woman's eyes followed suit, "I'm sorry, you're - -,"
"Babydoll!," Carter chimed and bit his bottom lip as he watched as she maneuvered past his assistant and like a child squealed, ran over, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's fine," Carter said to his assistant, "Give me ten minutes. I won't be late for the meeting I promise," ignoring the look she gave him he looked back down at Stoni and smiled.
"I was around doing Christmas shopping and I thought I should come and visit you," Stoni smiled as he squeezed her tighter toward him, "You know, see what you were up to."
"Hmmm, checking up on me, huh?" Said Carter as he laughed and sucked his bottom lip, "I see how it is."
"Noooooo - - okay, yessss but only to see if you're being a good boy like you promised me," Stoni said, "You know you like to be bad sometimes."
"Neva', ma," Carter replied confidently, "Come hea' gimme a kiss since you hea' and all." Stoni nuzzled her nose against his as he grabbed her chin and pulled it closer to him. The feeling of her soft lips and the lip gloss she wore played against his as he groaned and his hands slid down to her backside that he grabbed appreciatively. "Damn I missed that," he whispered in a low baritone octave, "You miss me?"
"Mhmm," she nodded, staring deep into his eyes - - she felt nothing but good as he held her in his strong arms, "You look so cute when you work," Stoni giggled, "All fancy." He was even more dressed up than usual - - she noticed he never wore jeans whenever she was around him - - always business casual but at work he was professionally dressed to a tee. "You look like the models at Macy's," laughing she tugged at the lapel of his three button Versace vest, "Papito you should be a model. You're tall and sexy like them."
"Really huh?" Carter snickered and licked his lips, "A model? Nah, shorty they'd prolly tell my ass to wear some gay ass tight pants and shit. Fuck if I go down anybody's runway lookin' like Peter Pan." She laughed and hit his shoulder, so tickled like a child by his humor, "I'm serious."
"You're horrible," her slender fingers crept up his hard chest and grabbed his lavender collar of his button down underneath his vest, "So horrible," she giggled again and kissed his lips. "Ohhhh, this is beautiful," the view of Manhattan took her breath and her attention immediately as she looked over his shoulder. Quickly, Stoni broke away from him and moved to the floor to ceiling windows of his larger than life office. She pressed her fingers against the glass and stared out at the city in amazement at how high up she was and what she saw.
"You like the view?" Carter smirked as he crept up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, "It's relaxing."
"It's amazing," she whispered, "It feels like I'm on top of the world - - on top of the Eiffel Tower or something! Oh it's beautiful."
"Eiffel Tower, huh? Like Paris?"
"Mhm, it's so tall - - have you seen that thing?!" She exclaimed laughing and looked out the windows with bright eyes, "I saw it on TV."
"Yeah I've seen it," he nodded and kissed her neck, "You wanna see it?"
"Huh?" Stoni grinned as his kisses trailed down her neck, "That tickles," she whispered as he kissed down to the small of her neck, moving her hair off of her neck to make way for him.
"You did something different with your hair," he whispered, making the hair on her body stand on end, "I like it," he kissed a random spot and slid his hands to her arms.
"I straightened it," she giggled, "I always wear it curly - - it makes me look kiddie," said Stoni, "I wanted to look my age for once."
"Your age?" He laughed, "You're hilarious."
"Answer my question," he whispered, so in love with her perfume and her soft skin, "You wanna see the Eiffel Tower in person? Someone's birthday is coming up ain't it," he kissed softly - - he knew just the right spots.
"Like go to Paris? For real?"
"Mhmm," he nodded, "Me and you. I think I can move some shit around - - we'll go on your birthday week."
"But that's so soon - - don't we have to buy plane tickets and get passports and - -,"
"Plane tickets?" He laughed, "I'on do public planes, ma. I got a private jet - - I can fly anywhere I wanna go any time of day or night. So - - we going to Paris or what? Say the word, babe."
"Yes! Oh my God, yes!" Stoni turned around and pressed her hands against his soft skin and kissed him, "Papito you so good to me," she whispered, "So so so good - - oh, I got you something."
"Me? What for?"
"It's Christmas Eve, silly," she rolled her eyes and laughed, "I got you a Christmas present."
"Oh excuse me," Carter said playfully, touching his chest, "How ignorant of me," he laughed and rubbed his cheek, "Well let's see this gift even though I told you not to get me anything."
"You can only see it on Christmas," she moved the box away from him, "You got a whole day left. You're spending Christmas with me, right?"
"Yeah," he fixed his cufflink, "About that baby doll," Carter leaned on the front of his desk, "I was gonna call you and tell you I couldn't."
"Can't?" Her face completely changed, "Papi why?"
"Cause, ma," he licked his lips and placed a hand on her cheek, "Des'll kill a nigga if I don't show up at Christmas. Plus, the girls need me there to open gifts and shit. I gotta spend Christmas with my family baby - - you understand, right?" Her eyes slowly lowered and so did her spirits. In the midst of things - - of this being his girl façade - - she had forgotten all about them - - his family. "Baby doll, you hear me?"
"Yeah," she said quietly, "I forgot," the prospect of spending Christmas alone again was disheartening, "I don't know what I was thinking."
"Don't do this to me - - you know I can't stand it when you're sad, ma - - don't pout your lips like that."
"I'm - - I'm not," she sniffed, "I'm not doin' nothing, Carter. I just forgot, that's all. I'll spend Christmas with Allison. It's fine."
"Come hea'," he stood up and held her in his arms again, "You know I wanna be there don't you," Carter whispered and placed his forehead against hers, "I wanna be there, baby doll I swea' it but Stoni I'm only one man. I can't be in two places at one time."
"I know," she said quietly, "Your family comes first."
"It ain't even just that. Cause I care about you more than I can say," and he did, "But I can't let my girls down either. I've been away from home a lot because of business. Christmas means a lot to them, you know?" She nodded, "But look - - maybe afterward I can stop by for a second, love? Okay?"
"Kay," she nodded again, "Only if you can - - try real hard."
"I will," he said, "Can I get a smile, now?" Reluctantly she smiled, "Betta'," Carter said and kissed her until he was interrupted by his assistant on the intercom, "Okay - - okay," he answered her. "I'm gonna be late for my meeting. I'm supposed to be playing golf with some big clients today." Quickly he maneuvered around his desk and checked his gold Rolex, "I completely forgot about it too."
"Golf? You play that?" She frowned, "That's such a weird sport."
"Well I don't really play competitively - - but I know how."
"Guess I'll let you get ready for your meeting," she took the present from her bag and left it on his desk, "Don't open it til' tomorrow," Stoni said, "In private," she grabbed his hand and smiled, "Then call me," a few seconds later her lips were pressed against his again - - she couldn't stop kissing him.
"You betta' get on outta' hea' ma," Carter said, giving her ass an appreciative smack, "Before you start up some shit you ain't ready to finish," giggling she looked back and blew him a kiss and then made her way to the door.
A few minutes later his assistant came back to his office door as he was leaving and handed him all the materials he'd need for his meeting, "Your wife was downstairs," she said, "But I told the guards to hold her up - - cutting it closer and closer Mr. Mekhi."
"Fuck, you for real?" She nodded, "Where is she now?"
"Carter," Destini stormed in angrily, "You betta' talk to your child," she said as she held Brooklyn's arm, "Tell him what you did today in school."
"Fuck - - Des right now?" He said irritated and rubbed his temples, "Destini I don't have time for - -,"
"Go ahead," she said to Brooklyn, "Joanna tell him."
"Mommy - -,"
"No, tell him." She folded her arms, insistent, "Tell him what you did."
"Today was show and tell," Brooklyn looked away, "A girl - - Becky Anderson - - brought her cat."
"And what?"
"And when it was my turn she was talkin' shit - -"
"Watch your damn mouth," Carter interjected, "She was talkin' shit - - and?"
"So I picked up her cat when she wasn't looking - - it was lunch time - - and I - - um - - I put it in the freezer."
"You did what?"
"She put the damn cat in the damn freezer until it was time to go home - - the damn cat almost froze to death, Carter. They're expelling her! She almost killed the fuckin' thing!"
"Tell me," he breathed and rubbed his temples, "Joanna tell me you didn't. After all that money I gave those people to keep you from getting expelled the first time they tried to put you out - - tell me you didn't."
"Daddy she's a bitch! She stole my boyfriend - - she called me names - - she - -,"
"Boyfriend? Woah - - hold on, where the hell you get a boyfriend?"
"Carter that is NOT the issue - - the issue is she's expelled from school! The boyfriend is the least of our worries," said Destini, "What are we gonna do with her? NOTHING gets through to this one."
"Yes the hell it does have something to do with it - - she's a CHILD what she need with a fuckin' boyfriend - -,"
"He's not my boyfriend anymore."
"Whateva the fuc - -," he took a deep breath, "Let me talk to the principle Des."
"That's not gonna work this time. She's out for good - - I'm telling you it's not gonna work."
"I'll throw them some more money. Whatever they want. Just - -," he rushed to the door, "I have a meeting and I'm already late - - we'll talk about it when I get home."
"Talk about it my ass. What she needs is - -," she paused when she saw a lip gloss smear on his cheek, "Brooklyn go get some water from the fountain."
"I ain't thirsty mommy - -,"
"Go get some damn water," she snapped and Brooklyn instantly knew what that meant. So quickly she rushed off to get water and left them alone, "Who the fuck you been kissing, Carter. Where's the bitch?"
"Huh? The fuck you talking about?" He busied himself looking over his paper work, "I ain't been kissin' no bitch."
"You're lying. You got lip gloss on your cheek." She stormed into his office, "Where the fuck is she? She's in here ain't she- - where's she hiding this time? I smell her - - I smell fuckin' perfume - - or is it her?" She said pointing outside, "You fuckin' that assistant?"
"No I'm not fuckin' her," he rolled his eyes, "Des you're being fuckin' crazy and I ain't got time."
"Where is she Carter!" Destini opened cabinets, pulled out books from the shelf, opened closets - - nothing.
"See? You happy now? I was eating lunch," he said, "And I wiped something off my mouth and here you come busting in," he pointed to food sitting on the table, "So now you look stupid and you should feel that shit too. You fuckin' with my money right now."
"Fuck you," she pointed her finger at him, "I know you been with someone."
"Prove that shit then," he leaned closer and licked his lips, "Until you can - - shut the fuck up about me fuckin' other bitches. Cause I ain't fuckin' nobody but you and we both know I'm barely doing that."
"And you ain't gon be fuckin' me period if you keep talkin' that slick shit out your mouth. Keep playing, Carter."
"Whateva. I'll see your ass when I get home." He headed for the door, "Brooklyn, we gon talk," he kissed her forehead, "I'mma go have a talk with Santa cause tomorrow you might not be getting shit if I can't get you back in school."
"No daddy please!"
"Yeah, we'll see." He said and grabbed his things, "We'll see."
● ● ●
After golf with the Francois Company, Carter knew his day was far from over. He still had one more business move to make before he called it a night - - he needed another investor to go in on the project with him and who better than Mr. Hamilton. So Carter thought that he'd pay a little visit to Aiko's crazy ass and get a nut out of it too.
"To what do I owe this visit?" Aiko said rudely as she opened the door wearing barely there shorts and a tank without a bra underneath. "What do you want, Carter?"
"Is that how you greet me now? Why you so angry?" He walked inside, "Oh never mind, I know how you get irritated after you finish throwing up your dinner." He didn't give a fuck about Aiko's feelings because he knew that regardless of how he acted she'd give him what he wanted and to him, that was pathetic. She still had some sense of pride no matter how weak and fake it was - - not to mention short lived.
"Fuck you, Carter," she said and closed the door rolling her eyes. "What do you want? I thought you said you were done with me. I thought your mama - - I mean your wife was most important to you cause you do every fuckin' thing she says like a lil bi - -"
"What I said was," he corrected, "When I was ready to speak to you, I'd hit you up. So, here I am." He licked his lips and stood in the middle of her posh Manhattan apartment, "You'on miss me?"
"I do but - - that doesn't matter to you does it."
"Sometimes - - when I want it to," he said truthfully, "Right now what matters is you bringin' yo ass over here. The fuck you all the way over there for."
"So you came here for some pussy?" She came over slowly, "Typical Carti."
"I came to talk to you," he said, "So we gon talk or what, ma? I ain't got all day - - it's Christmas Eve. I'm sure you got betta' places to be - - let's get this over with, huh?" He arched his eyebrow and his long tongue swiped his lips. He stood there irresistibly regal like the skyscrapers outside her window. "Stop actin' like you'on want the dick, bitch. You'on want it?"
"I do," she growled and pressed her body against his and slid her hands down to the zipper of his pants, "What you want?"
"You to do what you do best," he snickered and felt her hands stroking him through his boxer briefs, "We gon talk business as soon as you get me relaxed."
"Business huh?" She laughed, and slowly fell to her knees, "Always business with you - - business as usual."
"You right," he hissed as she pulled the length of him out and stroked him, "I need you to do somethin' for me," he anticipated her lips wrapped around him like she anticipated tasting him.
"What?" Were her last words before she took him inside - - he took a deep breath and found tranquility.
"I need you to talk your father into doing business with me again," he closed his eyes as her lips took him back deeper and further, "Fuck, ma," he groaned. Carter's most important reason of being there was because of business but he'd be lying if he said that Destini pissing him off wasn't affecting it either. She didn't even know it and he was doing exactly what she had expected. The feeling half pleased him because whenever she made him mad his band-aid was always Aiko.
Thirty minutes and a few busted nuts later she was cleaning herself up in the bathroom while Carter exited the bathroom intent on changing into a new set of clothes. "So where's my Christmas present?" She said from the bathroom as he got dressed, "What'd you get me? A new bag, new car - - some diamonds?"
"Bitch please," he laughed loudly, "You just got your gift. Besides, you'on want none of that shit you already got."
"How you know what I want? Did you ask me?" He didn't care what she wanted - - that much was clear, "Carter are you staying the night?"
"Come on Koko," she already knew the answer to that.
"Fuck the least you could do was spend some time with me - - I'm going back to Milan next week. I got a shoot coming up."
"We just spent time, Koko. I'm busy - - I'on got a lotta time and shit right now."
"You ain't shit."
"Why you fuck with me then?" He knew exactly why so he smirked and licked his lips and pulled his shirt over his head, "Just make sure you get your father to do what I said - - otherwise I'm comin' for your ass."
He couldn't help but laugh - - once a dumb bitch, always a dumb bitch, he thought. She reached for a kiss on the lips on his way out but he quickly avoided that and kissed her cheek, "Merry Christmas," he said as he saw the clock strike twelve A.M. over her shoulder. Now he was off to play Santa Claus to the girls - - Destini included. He knew how to make her forget all about that little episode she had today at the office.
● ● ●
The house was in complete disarray on Christmas morning. To Destini's surprise Carter had slipped into bed a little before one thirty last night and cozied himself up against her. Although she just knew something had gone on in his office today he was right - - she couldn't prove shit on him and she didn't feel like being difficult when he came home either. After hollering at Brooklyn for the entire ride to his office and home for getting kicked out of the Christian Academy she was tired and didn't have the energy - - for once - - to holler at Carter for doing shit that he shouldn't have been.
"I'm tellin' you Des - - you need to ask that nigga who she is." Destini's best friend Tanya had been trying to tell Destini to confront Carter about a few rumors she'd been hearing about back in New York but Destini didn't bother with it.
If they were true she'd kill Carter and if they weren't she would have started shit for no reason. She didn't know why she was protecting him when she and Tanya talked - - she didn't understand why she refused to check into things deeper knowing how Carter was. Maybe part of her just wanted to believe him. Whatever the case, Tanya had an advantage because she still lived in New York, whereas Carter had moved Destini and the kids out into New Jersey away from his escapades in New York City.
So Tanya saw things that Destini didn't and heard them too and Tanya was slowly becoming privy to some chick out of Harlem parading around with Carter like he was her man, but no one knew who she was. "They say she some little Spanish and black bitch - - Dominican or some shit prolly," Tanya said, "I don't know, but I keep tellin' you to leave that nigga - - son he disrespectin' you makin' you look stupid in New York."
"It's Christmas Tanya, I ain't tryna hear that shit," said Destini weakly as she ignored her intuiton.
"Well this ain't no fling - - cause she keeps poppin' up. Like who is this Mexican bitch, anyway? Lil wet back bitch - - yo, let's find where she stay and handle it."
"T, I'm a grown woman now we ain't lil' kids in Brooklyn no more - - I got a husband, kids, I just can't be poppin' off at some nothing ass bitches, man. They beneath me - - you don't even know if it's true."
"Yes you can if they disrespecting you, son," she laughed, "I ain't gotta know. I know it's Carti."
Carter sat on the couch while the girl's ravaged the tree and played with the piles of toys that Destini and Carter had purchased for them. Brooklyn was busy with her Barbie Spy Kit while Khloe was riding around the living room in the Barbie battery operated convertible that she'd gotten. Kayden on the other hand was a little too young to care about all the toys and clothes that she had gotten and opted to sit on the couch beside Carter who flipped through the channels on the television.
In the other room he could hear Tanya's loud ass mouth, which reminded him of why he hated Tanya so much. He didn't like her when he was dating Destini and he never stopped hating her because plain and simple Tanya wished she lived the life that Destini lived. Here it was years later and Tanya had nothing to show for herself and was still trapped in the hood with a ghetto mentality that surely wouldn't get her out. He knew how women could be and it was clear that Tanya was one of those envious bitches that pretended to be happy for her friend when really she just wanted to take her place.
"Khloe I'm gonna car jack you if you roll over my spy kit!" Brooklyn screamed as Khloe rode past in her convertible pretending to talk on the phone. Kayden just stared at them while resting in Carter's arms, "I'm gonna sell your car on ebay."
"You don't even know how to spell ebay - - you can't even use the computer so shut up," Khloe taunted and stuck out her tongue. "You're just jealous cause you didn't get a car for Christmas cause you're a baby and I'm older."
"Shut up!" Said Brooklyn, "Your car is stupid anyway."
"Maybe if you didn't act so bad in school - -," Brooklyn had had it. She stood up and grabbed the back of the convertible and started pulling off the stickers and pulled so hard that she took off the back right light. "Stop it! Brooklyn stop it! Dadddddyy!!!" Carter had perfected the art of tuning everything out while he watched the sports highlights on ESPN. He didn't realize what was going on until Kayden stood up on the couch and squeezed either side of his cheeks with her tiny fingers.
"Da-da," she said softly, barely able to talk. Meanwhile, the girls were steady trying to kill the other.
"Huh?" He maneuvered past Kayden's body and kept watching TV, "What's wrong junior," Carter always called Kayden junior because she was the most like him - - she didn't say much and she always chilled out and watched sports with him and she was barely one years old, "Yo, the Steelers was some shit last night, huh?"
"Da-da," she squished his cheeks again and pointed to the war going on in his living room between his two oldest.
"Carter!" Destini and Tanya came from the kitchen to break up the fight between Brooklyn and Khloe, "What were you doing?! Nigga, pay attention!"
"Relax," he said as he kissed Kayden's forehead and handed her to Destini, "Aye!" Carter stood up and ripped them apart from one another, "What the hell is going on?"
"She ruined my car!" Said Khloe.
"She was gettin' on my nerves!" Said Brooklyn.
"Brooklyn you're skatin' on thin ice - - FOR REAL," said Carter, "If I can't get you back in school Monday I'm takin ALL this shit back - - believe that. Cause you don't know how to act."
"You can't take it back," she said smartly, "Cause you ain't Santa and Santa bought me this."
"Lemme let you in on a little secret smarty pants," Carter leaned down, "Me and Santa got the same name. Let it marinate - - let it sink in. Hit someone else again and watch me make everything disappear." Then he looked at Khloe, "And you," he smoothed her disheveled hair down, "What you crying for? Stop letting Brooklyn bully you."
"Daddy it's broken," she cried and he wiped her tears with his thumb, "It's all messed up."
"It's not broken," he put her down and picked up the missing light on the convertible and then pushed it back in it's socket, "Look, see, stop crying," Carter showed her, "It's good as new, baby."
"But the stickers are torn," she pouted still, "You can't fix that."
"Watch this," he smiled and looked around for the extra stickers that he hadn't used when he was putting the car together. When he found them he came back over and put the extra stickers on top of the torn ones and there was no trace that anything had been torn or removed, "See, told you I could fix it."
Her smile brightened and she hugged his neck and kissed all over his face, "Daddy you know how to fix everything!"
"That ain't fair," Brooklyn mumbled under her breath as Khloe ran off and got back in her convertible.
"Aight," Carter bent down and reached in his pocket, "Now I know you're a reasonable person, Miss Mekhi," he said smirking knowing he couldn't have Brooklyn still upset at him, "So tell me how much it's gonna take to get you to not give me no grief for the rest of the day? 20? 30?"
"Oooooh, too low daddy, too low," said Brooklyn, "Don't be a cheap skate - - remember you told me that?" She smiled and looked at the crisp bills in his hands, "40."
"35." He said.
"45. Wanna keep going?" She said.
Laughing he pulled out more bills from his pocket and handed them to her, "Look that's 50 - -lil' hustler. I see daddy gonna have to leave the business to you cause you're cutthroat."
"That's what you taught me," Brooklyn said as she counted her money and walked off smiling.
"And you, you wanna make daddy broke too," he stood up to Destini and nuzzled Kayden's nose before giving her another kiss and making her smile. He saw the look in Destini's eyes, the happiness it brought her that he was home. He looked toward Destini and smiled and then kissed her lips softly while putting his middle finger up toward Tanya who was scoffing behind Destini. "I got somethin' for you ma," Carter whispered and stroked Destini's cheek, "It's in the garage." The child in her had her racing to the garage until he heard a loud scream.
Carter and Tanya hung back as they heard Destini screaming from down the hall, "I know what you're doin'," Tanya said to him, "Nigga I been hip to game."
"Hear that?" Carter said, "That's the scream you do when your man buys you a brand new Aston Martin," he laughed, "But you ain't got a man that can afford that so you wouldn't know - - matter fact, you ain't even got a man." He stepped closer, "Check this, keep snooping around in my business and fuckin' puttin' shit into my wife's head and I'll have your ass floatin' in the Hudson. It ain't no secret I hate your chicken head ass and you hate me, ma." He shrugged.
"I could give a fuck. But keep your fuckin' nose out my business and your comments to yourself. Unless you ready to die for what you believe to be true." His green eyes stared into hers and he licked his lips quickly and turned away to follow after Destini, "Baby!" He hollered down the hall, "Baby you like it!?"
● ● ●
"Jason tell aunt Stoni to come help us with the tree," Allison said to her son Jason as she stood on her tippy toes trying to put a bulb on the tree.
She couldn't have been happier now that her son was out of child protective services and back with her, especially on Christmas and it felt even better to Allison that she could actually support him now. After they raided their home and took Jason's father to jail, Allison's whole world came crashing down on her - - losing her son was the worst part of it all. She had to literally start all over from scratch and though working as a stripper wasn't her dream occupation, it made her enough money to support them now that Jason's father was doing hard time - - life for murder and narcotics charges.
"She said she doesn't wanna help," Jason said coming back to Allison with the news.
"Stoni if you don't bring your little ass out here!" Allison said laughing and handing Jason the box with ornaments. She was prepared to go in and get Stoni if she had to but seconds later Stoni came from the bedroom moping around as she had been all day.
"You're so backwards," Stoni said, "Why do you put your tree up on Christmas night?" She plopped down on the couch and watched as Jason finished hanging ornaments.
"That's just me and Jason's tradition," Allison shrugged and rubbed his head, "Why are you moping around? Stoni I warned you about this - -,"
"Ally, come on," she said sighing, "I feel bad enough."
"Fine," she dropped it, knowing that Stoni hated when she told her that what her and Carter were doing was wrong.
"I know it's wrong," she said as she held a present in her hands, "But I love him," her eyes teared up, "I love him so much and I can't stop - - he tells me he's going to leave her. He says he thinks about it a lot now - - about how it would be if it were just me and him, you know."
"Saying and doing are two different things. I mean, what if his wife finds out about you, Stoni? Then what? I know you well enough to know you don't wanna be a homewrecker."
"I don't," she sniffed and sighed, "But I just - - he's so good to me - - Ally he's so sweet. He's everything that a man should be - - he shows me all these new things - - he's so smart oh, he's so - - just everything."
"He's also married and you're his girlfriend," she said, "I love you but Stoni it's just not right. Look at you now, you're all sad because he's with them on Christmas - - why should you have to share your boyfriend with another woman, huh? You need a man that wants you and only you and he's not Carter - -," she was interrupted by the sound of someone knocking on the door.
"Who are you expecting?" Said Stoni.
"Well I invited Judas over after he came from his mother's but I wasn't sure if he was going to come."
"Judas? Carter's brother, Judas? How did that happen? Ya'll are dating?"
"We're not dating - - we're just friends," she laughed, "Good friends. I don't know we just hit it off," Stoni's face sunk even more.
"Great, now I'm really gonna be all alone on Christmas," she said as Allison went to the door and let Judas inside, "She didn't even tell me about him," Stoni mumbled and sighed. All she wanted to do was spend Christmas with Carter - - who knew that being his girl would be so hard and so emotionally taxing.
"Judas you remember, Stoni right?" Judas nodded hello and took a seat - - he never really said much anyways. For some reason Stoni always got this weird vibe from Judas - - she hadn't been around him a lot but whenever she was around him he always seemed to act as if he didn't like her.
"I'm gonna go take out the trash," Stoni said, "I need a little fresh air," sighing she gathered the bag and made her way to the front door, "I'll be right back." She quickly found her coat and lugged the trash bag out the door to take it around the building to dispose of. When she came back inside, her cheeks rosy red from the cold, she stripped off her coat and was preparing herself to mope all over again on Allison's couch while Allison enjoyed her Christmas with her son and Judas.
Instead what Stoni got was a pair of hands covering her eyes and the scent of Versace in her nostrils. "Guess who," she heard and her heart skipped a beat - - a couple. Instantly all the blood rushed through her and she felt goose bumps, "You not gon guess, ma?"
"Carter!" She squealed and turned around to jump in his arms, "How'd you know I was here? How'd you find me?"
"I came with Ju," he pointed to the kitchen, "I missed you - - told you I'd make it."
"Ayi dios mio, Papito," she gushed and kissed his lips passionately, "I was here crying cause I missed you too - - all I wanted for Christmas was to be with you."
"Well I ain't got the heart to let you down," he said against her lips, "Merry Christmas, baby doll." He was no fool but he couldn't bring himself to hurt Stoni - - not when he felt the way he did about her.
Still, every time he left one, he made the other cry.
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