It's Always The Pretty Ones Read online

  “I don’t know.” She said unsurely from behind the door.

  “You’re hungry, right?” He laughed. “I know after that workout, I am!”

  She opened the door and gave him a slightly uncomfortable smile. “It was a workout wasn’t it? I just don’t think breakfast is a good idea.” She walked past him pulling her hair into a ponytail as she walked.

  “Come on. What could breakfast hurt?” He walked over to her grabbing her purse off the chair. “Hey, I’ll splurge and let you get extra bacon!”

  Dazzy laughed as she pulled his face down and kissed him softly on his cheek. “I had a wonderful time, okay?”

  Anton smiled as he released her from his grip. “Okay, but you don’t know what you’re missing.” He held out his arms and took a slow turn, allowing her to see his Greek god-like physique. “Will you at least let me take you home?” He walked over to the door with her.

  “No, I’m fine. I actually don’t live far from here. I’ll just grab a cab.” She kissed him once more as he opened the door for her.

  “Okay.” He smiled, slightly disappointed as she stepped outside the door. “Maybe we can hook up again soon?”

  She tilted her head and smiled. “Sure.”

  He watched her as she walked down to the end of the hallway and gave him a wave before she turned the corner.

  After showering and getting dressed, Anton met Romeo at a nearby IHOP for breakfast. He and Romeo had been best friends for about 8 years now. He met him the first day he arrived at the base from boot camp. Romeo had already been stationed on the base for almost a year when he met him, so he pretty much had a feel for the city and how to get around. Even from the first time they met, Romeo has always lived up to his namesake. Anton would be baffled at how he was able to basically date two or three girls at once, and not even hide it! He has even had dated where one would drop him off at the next girl’s house. Now that’s pimpin’!

  Anton arrived at IHOP to find that Romeo was already there and seated. “Was’sup man.” Anton said, as he sat down at the table and looked through the menu. “What are you getting?” He looked up after a minute when he noticed that Romeo wasn’t answering. “Ahem…hello?”

  “Oh, man I’m sorry.” Romeo said as he took all of his attention off a woman at a table across the room from theirs. “I’m just working my magic.”

  Anton rolled his eyes in his head. “Man, you start early, don’t you?”

  “Oh, I never stop! It’s my nature!” Romeo laughed. “So, how did it go last night? Details! Details!”

  “Hey guys.” Smiled the pretty slender shaped waitress. “The usual?”

  “Hey Krystal.” Anton smiled. “Yes, please.”

  Romeo reached up and grabbed her hand. “When are you going to let me take you out and spoil you rotten?”

  “She slowly pulled her hand back. “When you stop hoeing around.”

  Romeo looked shocked. “I wouldn’t call it ‘hoeing’ I’m just playing the field trying to find that special girl.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Well, it may be a little difficult to do that when you’re dating two or three at once. I’m not trying to be one of your game pieces. So, when you are serious about having an adult relationship, let me know. Until then, the only thing you will be getting out of me is flapjacks and bacon.

  Anton chuckled at Romeo’s embarrassment.

  “So, the usual for you too?” Krystal asked Romeo with confident smile.

  Romeo just smiled and nodded.

  “Dang, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you speechless.” Anton joked.

  “Whatever.” Romeo tried to hide his embarrassment under false confidence. “Her loss.” He scoffed. “I have plenty of women that wanna ride this pony.”

  “Riiight.” Anton laughed. “She carried you though.”

  “If you say so.” Romeo hunched his shoulders. “So, back to last night.”

  No, not back to last night.” Anton poured him a hot cup of coffee from the carafe on the table. “You know I don’t give details about the women I’m with.”

  “Yes, but, you’re not ‘with’ her. She was just a fine, sexy-ass chick you met at the club last night.” Romeo chuckled.

  Anton smiled as he stirred his coffee. “Maybe so, but I still make it a point to be respectful and not brag on it.”

  Romeo just smirked and stared at him silently for a moment. “You mamma would be so proud.”

  “You’re crazy, man.” Anton took a sip of his coffee and stood up from the table. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Okay.” Romeo chuckled. Just as he started to read an email on his Blackberry, Krystal sat a hot plate of food in front of him. “Thanks. What was that all about?”

  She stood up straight, put her hand on her hip and cocked her head to the side. “What are you talking about?”

  “You outright dissed me a little while ago. I thought ever since the other night we connected.”

  “No, Romeo. That was two people that had too much to drink and things went too far.” She leaned in closer to him; her hazel grey eyes looking straight into his. “Besides, you said you would keep it quiet. I don’t want to be added to the list of skanks.”

  “Damn! I can’t be all that bad. From what I remember you enjoyed yourself.” He reached out and held her hand.

  She pulled her hand back. “Oh no, I’m not saying you don’t have skills, brother. I’m just saying it won’t happen again.” She added with a slight smile of defiance.

  Romeo smiled as he sprinkled some salt on his eggs. “We’ll see.”

  “Romeo, are you harassing Krystal again?” Anton said as he sat back down at the table.

  Krystal smiled as she turned to walk away. “No, trust me. I can handle Romeo.”

  “I think she has it a little for you more than she puts on.” Anton joked.

  Romeo shrugged his shoulders as his eyes caught Krystal’s as she walked past them to the kitchen. “Oh, I know it! She just doesn’t yet.”

  Chapter 2

  2 months later…

  “Like This and Like That” by Monica played loudly from Anton’s bedroom as he stood in his bathroom checking himself out for the fifth time. Today was his first official day as a civilian. It was a little scary for him.

  Anton came right into the Marine Corps after high school. He grew up in a small town in Georgia and made a promise to himself that he would not get stuck in the town like a lot of his friends did. He wanted more than what the town was offering. His mom told him she always though he would be the one to expand his horizons and travel the world.

  “Okay Ant, this is the day. You ready?” He asked himself in the mirror. “We are going to go in that office and give your best. You got that?” He splashed some his favorite aftershave on his face and walked out of the bathroom. He made sure to give himself another look over as he walked past the mirror on the wall by the door.

  “Looking good.” He said to himself as he adjusted his tie and walked out the door.

  He already had his path to work all worked out. He had researched the best and quickest ways to get to Dynex and had done trial runs of them all. He wanted everything to be just right. He turned on “The Tom Joyner Morning Show” as he merged into the morning traffic on the highway. His favorite song, “The River” by Noel Gourdin, played as he sang along loudly as his car crept along.

  Traffic was slightly heavy this morning, but he wasn’t worried because he set his clock so he could leave with plenty of time. Just as the song was closing, his phone rang. “Hello?” He answered.

  “Hi Anton, how are you?” Said the nervous female voice on the other end.

  He reached over and turned down the music so he could hear better. “Hey. Who is this?”

  “This is Dazzy. How are you?”

  He was shocked to hear from her because he hadn’t spoken to her since their night together. He had tried to hook up with her a few times after that night, but didn’t get a response.

  “Hey! I’m fine. I
’m surprised to hear from you. I was starting feel a little used.” He joked.

  She chuckled slightly. “I know. I’m sorry. I have been a little busy.”

  “That’s cool. So, when can we hook up again?”

  Well, let me tell you why I called first.” You could hear the nervousness rise in her voice.

  “Okay, what’s up?”

  Dazzy took a deep breath before she spoke. “I’m pregnant.”

  Anton slammed on the brakes before he ran into the back of the car in front of him at the stoplight. “What? Can you say that again?”

  “I’m pregnant.”

  “Umm…okay. We used a condom, so it can’t be me.” Anton shook his head.

  “I know. I don’t know how this happened. You are the only one I have been with since my fiancé died.”

  “Are you sure you’re pregnant? When did you find out?”

  “Anton, I know this is a lot to lay on you in the morning, but I didn’t know what else to do.” Her voice quivered slightly.

  “Look, don’t get upset. I just don’t see how this happened. The condom didn’t break.” A faint thread of hysteria was at the back of his voice. “Are you sure I was the only one you were with?”

  “Are you calling me a ho?”

  “No, I’m not.” Anton answered. “I’m just saying…”

  Dazzy sighed. “Look, I don’t know how this happened either, but I just felt I should tell you because I plan on keeping it.”

  Anton was silent. He didn’t know how to respond to all of this. “But I used a condom!” played over-and-over again in his head.

  “You there?” Dazzy asked.

  “Yeah, I’m here.” Anton quickly answered.

  “Look, I don’t expect you to be a part of this pregnancy at all. I have a good job and my own place so the baby and I will be fine. Goodbye.”

  “Wait!” Anton shouted. “I apologize for how I’m coming off; this is just all so crazy to me.”

  “How do you think I feel?”

  “Look,” He pulled into a spot of the parking garage at work, “Maybe we can hook up later so we can talk this out.”

  “I guess.” She said with slight hesitation.

  “I will call you once I get off work, okay?”

  “Sure. I look forward to it.” She said with an audible smile.

  Anton hung up his phone and sat in his car for a moment staring at the wall in front of him, trying to collect himself before he went inside.

  Romeo sat in the Dynex courtyard waiting for Anton to meet him for lunch, like they had planned earlier in the day. He made sure to check out every female ass that walked past him. Well…not all of them. He made it a point to only look at the ones that had shape and size to them. He would tell anyone around that he hated ‘pancake-ass’.

  He didn’t have a preference on color either. He once dated an Asian woman that he said had an ass the size of China. “It looked like two yellow moons” is what he told Anton. He says that now whenever he sees a full moon, he thinks about Mingmei, and out of respect, has to bow.

  He didn’t know what Anton was so nervous about when he told him to meet him; all he knew was that he told him he had some big, important news to tell him.

  “Hey Rome.” Anton said from behind Romeo sitting on the bench.

  “Hey, what’s up man? Why did you insist we sit out here in this hot-ass sun?” Romeo said as he took a sip of his soda.

  Anton let out a loud breath as he sat down beside him “Dude.”

  “What?” Romeo said with an anxious smile.

  “Do you remember that girl, Dazzy?”

  Romeo thought for a second. “Wasn’t that the chick you hit the sheets with a few months ago from the club? What…she back for more?” He laughed.

  “Nah man. She called me on the way to work this morning. She says she is pregnant.”

  Romeo’s mouth dropped open. “What?”

  Anton leaned back and raised his head up looking up at the perfectly blue sky. “I know. That is what I said. I don’t know how this happened.”

  “Well, we know how it happened.” Romeo answered. “Did you use a condom?”

  “Of course I did! She is the one that gave it to me! That is why I don’t get this!”

  Rome stood up abruptly. “Wait. She gave you the condom?”

  Anton squinted slightly from the sun in his eyes as he looked up at Romeo. “Yeah, so.”

  “So? Man, you always use your supply! You never use the chick’s! That thing was probably full of holes!”

  “No way man. It would have broken. Wouldn’t it?”

  “Hell nah!” Romeo spoke loudly. “Not if she’s a professional!”

  “I really don’t think that’s the case, man. She seemed just as shocked as I was.”

  “Of course she would! She just succeeded in snagging her a man with benefits!”

  Anton looked down as he bit his lip and let out a sigh. “I just don’t know what to do. If this kid is mine, I have to be there. I can’t let the kid grow up without a dad like I had to.”

  “That is noble of you man, but you can’t let this chick get you for your shit either. You need a DNA test!”

  “I can’t do that until the baby gets here.”

  Romeo shook his head. “No sir! You can get that shit done while the baby still in her belly. A partner of mine did that.”

  Anton sat back and raised an eyebrow. “I’m not sure about all that. Is that safe?”

  “I mean, there is some risk.”

  “No, I can’t do that, man!” Anton refused.

  Romeo sat back down on the bench beside Anton. “So what are you going to do; sit through her whole pregnancy and not even know if the baby is yours? I say you tell that chick to meet you at the paternity office when shortie is born.”

  Anton just closed his eyes and held his head back, allowing the warm summer breeze to sweep across his face. He had no idea what he was going to do. What if this was his baby? He had to be there. He made a promise to himself when he was 10 years old, that he would never be the type of dad he had. His father was “missing in action” all of his life.

  He watched his mom raise him and his sister all alone. She struggled for years to take care of them until she died right after his younger sister graduated from college. They found out from a family member that was sworn to absolute secrecy, that she had been diagnosed with cancer but refused treatment so that she could continue to put her kids through school. He noticed she was getting slower and skinnier, and even asked her about it. She told him it was because “she was working to hard and hasn’t been eating right”. He didn’t really believe her, but didn’t push the issue too much because she got angry when he did.

  That was one of the hardest things he had to do; watching his mom die. When staring into her eyes as she lay in her bed, all the life slowly leaving her, he always tried to remember her as the striking beauty she was. That’s still what he saw; her long brown hair, deep brown eyes, and a smile that could melt butter.

  He remembered dancing with his little sister and mom in their living room to Billie Holiday records. His favorite to hear her sing was “All of Me”. He remembered laying his head on her chest and listening to the sound of her heartbeat as she sang it to him for the last time before she died. To this day he can’t listen to that song without a knot building in his throat. He knew his mom would be extremely upset with him if he didn’t do the right thing if this was in fact his baby.

  “Hello?” Romeo asked waving his hand in front of Anton’s face.

  “I hear you man.” Anton said, his mind clouded with confusion.

  “What are you going to do? You can’t let this chick get you with this.” Romeo took another sip of his soda as his eyes locked in on an African beauty coming their way.

  “I have no earthly idea, man…none at all.” Anton sighed.

  Chapter 3

  Anton arrived at Mike’s, a small restaurant near his office to meet Dazzy. He wasn’t quite sure what he
was going to say to her; this was all so sudden. He still hadn’t quite processed it all. Talking to Romeo didn’t really help either. Anton knew he thought he was an idiot for even giving Dazzy the time of day, but he just couldn’t turn his back to this.

  Dazzy entered the restaurant just as he made himself comfortable at a table near the window. He watched her as she nervously strolled over to the table and gave him a small peck on the cheek.

  “How are you feeling?” Anton asked nervously as they both sat down.

  “Oh, I’m doing okay. I haven’t really been able to hold anything down lately.” Dazzy grimaced.

  Awkwardly, Anton cleared his throat. “Okay, let’s get right to this, okay? I don’t have any problem providing for this child if it’s mine, but…”

  “You just don’t think it is.” Dazzy interrupted.

  Anton silently looked out the window for a second “Frankly, no; we used a condom!”

  Dazzy lowered her head slightly. “I know. I was there, remember?”

  “Now, either I have the potency of a mule or…”

  “Or what?” Dazzy cocked her head to the side and put her

  hand on her hip. “I’m lying?”

  Anton raised his eyebrows as he sat back in his chair. “I’m not saying that. I mean, are you sure I was the only one?”

  “Is this what you invited me here for? So you could basically call me a scheming ho?”

  “You didn’t hear me say that.”

  “That is exactly what you are saying!” She shouted.

  Embarrassed by the stares they were getting Anton tried to calm her down. “Dazzy, let’s calm down and try to be adults about this.”

  “So, now I’m immature?” She reached beside her and grabbed her purse off the floor.

  “I didn’t say that.” He replied, spacing his words out evenly.

  “You might as well! I’m gone. Just like I said, you don’t have to do shit for me or this baby! I don’t have to sit here and deal with this!” She stood up and stormed out of the restaurant.

  Anton sat for a moment with conflicting feelings. He didn’t know whether to go after her or let her leave. He watched her through the window as she stood at the curb hailing a cab. He knew he was wrong for coming at her like that, but what was he supposed to do? She just called him out of the blue after he hadn’t seen or heard from her in 2 months and tells him she’s pregnant?