The petite woman, with a complexion of dark chocolate, had a long depressed expression as she set the large dining table for two. Upon finishing, she called to her husband of seventeen years.
"Lester, dinner's ready."
At the age of twenty-three, him being twenty-six, Shyanne and Lester welcomed their youngest of two girls, Nesca, into the world and were happy about it. Two years later, the week before Nesca's birthday, they decided to be wed.
Everything went on happy from then, of course, not until the last day that she saw Nesca and was afraid she would never see her again.
"I'm coming, honey." Lester replied as his average sized, caramel skin toned figure came down the steps of their vacation townhome.
When he sat at the table, he felt her mood change. For months, he noticed her depression ever since seeing Nesca at the hospital and tried to make her feel better about the situation. Nesca was fine and living her life, but all she wanted was her baby girl.
"Shy, she'll be alright. She can take care of herself." He said as he took a bite of the lemon chicken.
"That shouldn't be coming from you since you were the one who made Ness leave."
"I gave her a choice, Shyanne." He said firmly. "She was working there and coming back here. Do you think that would've been a great idea? It would have made more complications on top of the ones we already have."
"Lester Bosami Omorose, you are not telling me that this little business is more important than my children's lives."
"Shy, you didn't make them alone. They're my children too, I think of their safety all the time but, I can't let anything go wrong while this feud is going on. If I did, things would be a disaster and she would be caught in the middle." He said as he pulled his wife to sit on his lap. "You know we can't have that."
"I know. I worry about her. Denise says she recovered perfectly, but I want her here in New York." She said as he wrapped her arm around his neck, "I heard Ness has a little boyfriend now."
"Yeah I know. I checked with the guys down at the Grand Hall in Florida, and I think it's one of Giovanni's boys."
"Giovanni," She said as she concentrated on the name. "You mean Priscilla and Vincent Giovanni, the ones that watched after our girls while we were overseas?"
"Yes."
"So do any of their children actually know about their business here other than Italy?"
"I don't think so," He said then went back to the subject at hand, "But I hope the one with kids keeps to himself."
"I know those boys are too old for my baby girl." Shyanne said in a bothered tone.
"Well, she is old enough, Shy." Lester admitted.
"She's still a baby Les."
"Shyanne, Nesca is about to be twenty-one in two months. The same age you were when you had Denise."
"And it's going to be our nineteenth anniversary too." She said then kissed him then gave a stern look.
"Still, that does not mean she needs to go out with someone who is well over ten years older than her. Anyway, I just want to see my baby girl for her special day. Last time I saw her she was unconscious on a hospital bed. That nearly killed me.
"Okay. My baby asks, so it shall be." He said as he guided her to stand. "But I need some more love instead of all of the sadness you've been giving me."
Shyanne smiled then laughed as she ran up the stairs to their bedroom, with Lester not too far behind.
*****
"I'll be right back." Nesca said as Johnny's black Chevy Camaro with tinted windows pulled into a parking space of the drug store.
"Are you sure you want to go in alone? I can get whatever you need." He offered as he tried to get out when Nesca got out.
"That's alright babe. I'll be quick." She said then shut the car door and quickly went into the store.
Johnny waited patiently in the car, flipping through the stations, and then saw her come out a couple minutes later.
"Only water?" he asked when she got in the car.
Nesca looked at him and felt a little guilt but, she stayed expressionless. "Yeah, I was really thirsty." He looked at her sternly, trying to contain the anger that rose in him.
"Nesca, I'm not an idiot. I'm more offended that you actually take me as a fool to not realize that you came here for one reason." He pointed to the store.
"What? I needed water." She said simply then looked away.
"Are you kidding me?" He grunted in frustration then calmed his voice when he took noticed to his own tone.
"Do you know how many places we passed on our way, which you could've gotten water from? All of a sudden, you need "something" when you see a drug store." He finished then drove out of the lot.
"Yeah, so, what's your point?" She questioned curtly, reaching for the seatbelt.
"What's my point...? You went in there for about five minutes and came out with only a bottle of water, and expect me to believe that." He turned to her as he stopped to a red light.
"You drank the day after pill in there, didn't you?"
"Morning after." She corrected, hesitantly.
"Really," Johnny glared at her with a tensed look in his eyes then back at the road as he heard honking from behind. "I thought I told you nothing irrational, Nesca." He plainly added.
"Drinking the pill wasn't irrational." She said simply as she pulled the visor down and looked in the mirror to fix her hair with her good hand. "What wasn't fair was that you decided to fuck without a condom, alone."
"Yeah, well that didn't stop you this morning in the shower." He said still looking at the road.
"You're acting childish... Plus, you started that shit with your fucking pleasure weekend stuff." She said angrily.
"Can you watch your mouth, Nesca?"
She pushed the visor up then stared at him as his jaw got tighter. She chuckled then continued. "Anyway, I had to get some stronger pills for my wrist."
"What is up with you?" He questioned angrily.
"What is up with ME? Probably, the fact that I'm about to turn twenty-one in two months and our ten year age gap doesn't make the situation any better. Oh, and let's not forget the fact that you are a fucking bachelor, who wants to have a freaking baby... by me!"
"Oh my—you're driving me nuts with this bachelor shit. But since you're so headstrong about it, let's talk everything out."
"Fine," she agreed calmly.
"Alright then, let's talk." He pulled into an empty parking lot, so he wouldn't cause any more traffic or an accident, and parked the car.
Johnny knew that Nesca was someone he wanted to be with since the day he laid eyes on her and even more sure at this moment. It was time for complete honesty and he hoped she was ready.
"I was doing the bachelor thing for, years. I've had many pregnancy scares with many women."
"Really?" She turned away disgusted by his bluntness. "You're an ass."
He continued anyway. "I've never had unprotected sex, nor had the condom popped with almost all of them who claimed so."
"Almost?" Nesca questioned, she looked at him over her shoulder with furrowed brows. "Yeah that's the perfect thing to tell your girlfriend."
"But still, every woman for years told me that they wouldn't want to have a baby for a disgusting scheming sicko asshole like me... I was enjoying my lifestyle too much to give it up. I guess I gave up the lifestyle without really noticing it. Still, I would never encourage abortion as a solution."
Johnny watched the rise and falls of her body of her steady breathing and felt the rhythm of his heart speed up as his palms clammed up. He rarely got nervous but clearly his words meant a lot.
"When I saw you come into my class, your beauty... womanly curves... and even with your bashfulness, your whole aura just drew me in."
Nesca turned to Johnny and looked him in the eyes, "And you decide to trap me. What an amazing gentleman you've been."
He grunted noticing her smile. "That's what I'm talking about, Nesca. You see that I'm casting out all of my feelings, ones I have yet to admit out loud, and you begin to defend yourself from them with sarcasm."
"Okay, Johnny. You want everything laid out, fine." She finished with a smile.
"About two years ago, I was given an ultimatum by my father: working for a low life scum or a stable place to stay in his home. Well, work was more important than a stable place to stay because everything the low life put up was paid for, even the condo."
But, then the whole incident with the guy that I told you about, happened.
I was on top of scum with a letter opener at his throat because he damn near drunk raped me and told me that his wife wouldn't mind. Funny thing, I didn't even know he had a wife." She sniffled as she fought back her tears held in her anger.
"I stayed with my sister for a couple days. Then, Jerome came into money and put me in an apartment of my own. And a week later I was in the hospital getting two blood transfusions, and put on watch for my suicidal actions for a couple more weeks."
"You can see why I'm defensive with my feelings; I don't trust anyone with them. For you to think I would carry a child in this state is impetuous and asinine. I don't believe in getting abortions but, what if the suicidal situation was to happen while I was pregnant?"
Johnny pulled her in and hugged her. She really has been through a lot. He already knew what he felt for her at the moment wasn't sorrow, but something greater.
"Nesca, I know you're under pressure with all that's going on in your life right now. I know that I can't say I understand where you're coming from, and I do apologize for putting you this position. But, the difference now is that I'm here for you. Just promise me that if anything signs of pregnancy show up, you'll let me know."
"As long as we use condoms, we won't have that problem." She agreed in a way. "Just take me home so I can get my things."
"Still willing to come back to my place?" He questioned hopeful, pulling out the empty lot.
"If a professor is offering help with ten pages of homework, I'll take it."
***
After their weekend of 'protected' pleasure, Johnny brought Nesca back to her apartment. Even though his hands were full with her things, due to her fresh cast, Johnny could not keep his lips and hands off of her.
"I can't wait a whole other day to see you again, babe." He admitted when her door was opened.
Her wrist was worse than they thought when they saw her x-ray, to which Johnny gave her a stern look during the review in the examination room. But still, she wasn't ready to spill, which led to a small argument but ended in a hot and steamy session. To which he left it alone.
"I know, but someone kept me so busy, I could barely get my work done." She grinned as she watched his strong arms flex when he put her suitcase from the weekend next to the TV and her bag on the chair.
"Thanks for tutoring with my other homework. I'm sure my professor would appreciate your hard work."
"I do... like... helping... with your... needs." He said between every kiss on her face.
"My lips are here." She said then pulled him in for a deep kiss.
