No Ordinary Love (27 page)

“He will never have any real feelings for you, Katrina,” Robert said. “He can never show you any empathy.”

“I’ve already seen different.” She put on some deodorant then picked out an orange and black flannel shirt. “He saw me rubbing my feet at the park and he bought me shoes. That’s empathy. He listens—”

“That isn’t true empathy,” Robert interrupted.

“Let me finish,” Trina said, buttoning up her shirt. “Unlike
you,
Tony listens to me and values what I have to say. That’s empathy.”

“That is not the definition of empathy, Katrina,” Robert said.

“Whatever, Robert.” She slid on some tan wool socks. “Tony has plenty of feelings for me, especially last night.”

“He is simple and genetically defective, Katrina,” Robert said.

“He’s simply wonderful and isn’t simply defective like you are.” She turned off her phone.
That felt good.
She put on her hiking boots, fluffed her hair once, and left the bedroom. “You okay, Tony?”

“Yes,” Tony said.

His eyes are still fused to that television.
“That was my ex-husband.”

“What a turd,” Tony said.

A normal man would ask why my ex called, but not Tony. “Live and let live” must be his motto. I like that kind of freedom.
“Are you ready to see the sights?”

Tony turned off the television and stood. “You are a sight.”

“Thank you.”

“I like your stomach,” Tony said. “It is flat and brown. You have a small belly button. It is pretty.”

He
did
see me. I wonder what else he saw while he was trying to be polite.
“You saw me?”

“I did not stare,” Tony said. “Staring is rude.”

“It’s okay to stare at someone you like,” Trina said. “Did you like what you saw?”

“Yes,” Tony said.

“What did you like?” Trina asked.

“I like your breasts. They are firm. Your nipples are brown. They are the size of dimes. Your nipples were sticking out. Your buttocks are firm. They have some freckles on them. Your legs are smooth and shiny. Your other thing is dark brown.”

My other thing?
“What other thing?”

“I am not allowed to say that word anymore,” Tony said.

“It’s okay,” Trina said. “I’m a nurse. I know all the parts of the body.”

“Angelo would be mad,” Tony said.

“I won’t be,” Trina said. “What’s my other thing?”

“Your vagina,” Tony said. “It is pretty. It is darker brown. It looks smooth and silky.”

This man has very fast eyes. When he looks as if he’s not looking at me, he really is. And all of this is exciting me.
“Thank you. No one has ever complimented me like that before.”
Should I return the favor and say he has a nice penis? I want to, but . . . no.

“I like your shirt,” Tony said. He reached out to put his right hand on her shoulder. “It is soft.”

“Because it’s threadbare and old,” Trina said.

“I like the colors. The colors have music.” Tony put his left hand on her other shoulder and squeezed gently with both hands. “You are symmetrical and strong. I want to touch your hair.”

Please.
“Go ahead.”

Tony smoothly ran his fingers through her hair. “Soft. Strong. Silky.”

I am getting excited. His fingers feel like feathers.

“It is not an Afro,” Tony said.

“I relax my hair.”

“It is relaxed,” Tony said.

I’m not! If he does this any longer, my hands will be feeling on his chest.
“What do you want to do today?”

Tony dropped his arms to his sides. “I want to feel your face.”

“I meant . . .”
A man wants to put his big old strong hands on my face. Who am I to deny him?
“Oh, go for it.”

Tony’s hands caressed her face tenderly. “Soft. Hot. Getting hotter.”

Because I’m getting even more excited!

Tony rubbed her lips with his fingers, tracing her smile. He ran his thumbs up and down her neck.

This is the best foreplay I have ever had, and I am fully clothed!

Tony pressed his fingers into her neck. “I feel your pulse. It is very fast.”

Because a man is touching me, a man is appreciating me, and a man is igniting my body. This man cares about me. . . .

And now I’m crying.

“You are crying,” Tony said. He dropped his hands to his sides.

How can I make him understand what makes absolutely no sense?
“You make me feel so good, Tony. I haven’t felt this good in a long time. I’m happy. I’m crying because I’m happy.”

Tony nodded. “When Angela touched my hand, I cried. I was happy, too.”

She put her hands on his face. “I’ve been touching on you since I met you, and you haven’t cried at all.”

“Your touch does not make me cry.” He reached up and touched her nose, ears, and chin with his fingertips. “I like touching you.”

She slid her hands down his face to his chest. “I like you touching me, Tony.”

“You are touchable.” He moved his hands to her shoulders and felt his way down her biceps and forearms. He squeezed her palms and each finger individually.

I’m about to have an orgasm fully clothed, and he hasn’t even touched anything erogenous!
Trina closed her eyes and moaned softly.

“You closed your eyes,” Tony said.

“Because your touch feels good,” Trina whispered.

“You feel good.”

Does he know what he’s doing to me? Should I care?
“When you touch me, I feel . . . happy inside.”
From my lips to my “other thing.”

She felt his hands moving from her fingers to her hips, to the tops of her buttocks, to her lower back, to her shoulder blades and shoulders. “You are hot.”

I am actually on fire.
“You’re making me hot.”

“You should wear a T-shirt,” Tony said.

“It’s only going to be fifty-five today,” Trina said.

“It is warm enough.”

Trina felt Tony’s hands massaging her buttocks.
I can’t believe I’m about to come. Geez!

“Round,” Tony said. “So round. And symmetrical. They are the same.”

I am so close to orgasm! I don’t want to scare him when I scream!
She opened her eyes. “Tony, that feels really good. Thank you for doing that.”

“Does it feel better when you close your eyes?” Tony asked.

“Yes,” Trina said, and she closed her eyes.

She felt Tony’s hands on her chest. “So round. And symmetrical. They are the same, too.”

I may have to change my underwear!

She then felt his hot hands moving down her stomach to her hips before running down the front and climbing up the back of her legs.

I shouldn’t have put on these boots. My feet could use a massage, too.

“I am touching an angel,” Tony said. “Thank you.”

Trina opened her eyes and hugged him tightly, resting her head on his chest. “For what?”

“For letting me see you,” Tony said.

She looked up into his eyes. “I didn’t think you noticed.”

“I did,” Tony said. “I want to touch you again. You make my fingers warm.”

His fingers make my entire body vibrate!
“I want you to touch me again.”
Any time, any place, twenty-four seven. I will, of course, be wearing fewer clothes, and so will you.

Tony placed his hands on her hips. “I like touching you, Trina.”

I want to kiss him so badly, but his face is still made of stone.
“Maybe we should go now.”
Before I drag you to my bed, rip off your clothes, and take complete and total advantage of you.

“I will go with you anywhere, Trina,” Tony said.

My bedroom is free, the sheets are extremely soft, and I am already wet.... No. Not yet.
“Would you like to ride the cable cars?”

“I have seen them,” Tony said. “I know where they go. I have the map in my head.”

She stepped back and held his hands. “Then let’s go.”

There was a loud knock at the door.

“Trina, it’s me, Angelo. Open up.”

Oh . . . shit.

“Angelo sounds angry,” Tony said.

Tony’s brother is here to collect him. How did he find us?

“He has come to take me back to Brooklyn,” Tony said.

He can’t go now! Not now!

“Don’t let him take me back to Brooklyn, Trina,” Tony said.

I don’t know what to do!

“Please, Trina.”

27

T
rina opened the door, and Angelo stormed inside.

“Hi,” she said to Angelo’s back.
That is one pissed-off yet handsome Italian man.
She smiled at a petite Japanese woman with long, dark hair and luminous eyes. “You must be Aika.”

“Hi, Trina,” Aika said, stepping inside.

Trina closed the door.
Wow, it’s crowded.
“Why don’t we, um, hmm.” She pointed to the couch. “I suppose you and I can sit on the couch, Aika.”

Aika hugged Tony before sitting on the couch.

Trina sat next to her.

Angelo faced Tony. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” Tony said. “I am fine, Angelo. Trina and I are riding the cable cars today.”

Angelo wheeled and stared at Trina. “You
said
you’d take him back to the hotel. That’s where we’ve been
not
finding him for the last two hours.”

Attitude, in my house? This has been an attitude-free zone since Robert left.
“I told Angela I’d
try.
It was Tony’s decision to stay here. How did you find us anyway?”

“You haven’t looked outside,” Angelo said.

“No,” Trina said. “Obviously.”

Angelo went to the window and opened the curtains. “Your apartment building is live on CNN. They have ‘Art E. Watch’ or some such nonsense on the screen.”

“Must be a slow news day,” Trina said.

Aika laughed. “That’s what I said.”

Angelo closed the curtains. “Do you know what you’ve done, Trina? You’ve exposed my brother to that
mess
out there. Do you know the damage all this could cause him?”

“Angelo, you
told
Tony to tell Trina who he is,” Aika said.

“Yeah, but she didn’t have to go blabbing it to the world the first time a camera was on her,” Angelo said. “Twenty-four years I have protected him, and with one answer to some no-name reporter, you destroyed all that.”

“Oh yes,” Aika said. “Tony certainly looks destroyed. Nice clothes, Tony.”

“Thank you, Aika,” Tony said.

“Tony always looks uninvolved that way,” Angelo said.

“I don’t know,” Aika said. “I think something’s changed.”

“Nothing has changed,” Angelo said. “He’s still the same old Tony. Come on, Tony. Let’s go home.”

“I am riding the cable cars with Trina,” Tony said.

“I
told
you something’s changed,” Aika said.

I’m in the middle of an argument in my own house, and I’m not saying a thing!
Trina thought.
And I think I’m winning the argument!

“No, you’re not riding any cable cars, Tony,” Angelo said. “You’re going home with us.”

“No,” Tony said. “I am staying here. I am riding the cable cars with Trina.”

“Tony, you can’t stay here,” Angelo said. “You’ve already stayed one night too many.”

“Yes, I can,” Tony said. “Trina invited me. Angela said if Trina invited me, I can stay.”

“Well, I’m saying you can’t,” Angelo said.

Tony shook his head. “I will stay.” He squeezed in between Aika and Trina on the couch.

Angelo sighed. “What, did you give him some, Trina?”

“Angelo!” Aika shouted.

Time to join the argument.
“I most certainly did
not
give him some. Tony slept right here on this couch. He was out like a light after his performance.”

“I was tired,” Tony said. “I wanted to sleep in Trina’s bed. She has soft sheets. I fell asleep on the couch. She put a blanket over me.”

“Apologize to Trina, Angelo,” Aika said.

“Why should I?” Angelo asked.

“Because what you said was uncalled for and rude,” Aika said.

Angelo pointed at Trina. “What
she’s
doing is uncalled for, too.”

“It is not polite to point,” Tony said.

Angelo withdrew his hand. “We’re going now, Tony.”

“No,” Tony said. “You said a change of scenery will do me good.”

Aika smiled. “That’s what you told him, Angelo, and this is definitely a change of scenery.” She patted Tony’s leg. “I wish I had your memory.”

“I know I told him that, but I didn’t expect him to get on a plane and fly across the country to get it,” Angelo said. “Tony, you’ve had your change of scenery, and now it’s time to go home.”

“No,” Tony said. “We are riding the cable cars.”

“No, you’re not,” Angelo said.

“You cannot make me go back to Brooklyn,” Tony said. “I will not go.”

Angelo gripped the back of the couch. “Tony, the whole television world is camped out there waiting to ruin your life some more.”

“I was on TV last night,” Tony said. “They asked me questions. They liked my songs.”

“And they made you look stupid, Tony,” Angelo said.

“I am not stupid,” Tony said. “They cannot make me look stupid.”

“I thought he did great with the reporters last night,” Aika said. “You were wonderful, Tony. I’m proud of you.” She squeezed his leg. “You’re a natural on camera.”

“I’m proud of you, too, Tony,
geez,
” Angelo said. “Can we go
home
now?”

“No,” Tony said. “You are not proud of me. You are angry I came here.”

“You left without telling me where you were going,” Angelo said. “Can you blame me for being angry?”

Tony nodded. “I can blame you for not liking Trina. I like Angela and you like Angela. I like Aika and you love Aika. I like Trina and you do not like Trina.”

“I just met her, Tony,” Angelo said. “I’m sure she’s a
wonderful
woman.”

“Quit being such a sarcastic ass, Angelo,” Aika said.