sighed. “Okay.”
“What does that mean?”
“I agree to your terms.” He grabbed my face to kiss me but I pulled away. “Fine. I guess it will have to wait.”
“Goodnight, Tony.”
“Do you want to do it together?”
I nodded.
“Tomorrow, then.”
“Okay.”
8
Tony came over the next evening.
When I opened the door, I didn’t have a smile on my face like I usually did.
He embraced me but I pulled away. “Why are you acting like this?” he asked.
I grabbed my purse and kept my gaze averted.
“Look at me,” she snapped.
I met his gaze.
“We’re telling her the truth. I want you to kiss me and I want you to hug me when I walk through that door.”
“We haven’t told her yet.”
“I said I would.”
“You might change your mind.”
He grabbed my arm and came closer to me. “You gave me an ultimatum. If I don’t tell my sister, I lose you. That’s something I can’t afford to lose. I gamble all the time, but I never gamble more than I can afford. I can’t lose you. I can’t.”
I walked to the door and turned around.
Tony remained glued to the spot, breathing through his frustration. He came back to me a moment later. We left the building and went to Scott’s apartment on the other side of town. Tony tried to hold my hand in the cab but I pulled it away.
When we reached their door, I looked at him. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“I don’t want you to lose you, Cassie.”
“Why would you?”
He sighed. “I’m afraid of what my sister is going to say. It’s not about taking our relationship public. It’s about how it might affect us.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know…”
“Yes, you do.”
“I’m not a noble person. I made my money doing illegal things. She might tell you to ditch me because I’m not good enough for you.”
“Tony, do you kill people? ”
“No,” he said quickly.
“Then I don’t care what illegal things you did.”
He sighed. “My sister doesn’t feel the same way.”
“Well, I don’t care.”
“That gives me some relief.”
“Let’s get this over with.”
He knocked on the door.
Scott answered it. “Hey,” he said when he saw Tony. When he looked at me said, “Oh.”
Tony nodded. “Janet here?”
“Yeah, come in.”
We walked inside and stood a few feet apart.
Janet came into the living room. “What are you guys doing here?”
Tony cleared his throat. “We just came by to visit.”
She eyed him suspiciously. “You already see Scott all the time. Do you really need to be with him 24/7?”
Tony ignored the comment. “Let’s sit down.”
“Okay…”
We went into the living room and took our places. When Tony sat next to me, he kept his hands to himself. I didn’t show any affection either.
Janet eyed us. “Why are both of you here?”
I said nothing, letting Tony do all the talking.
Tony looked at his sister. “I want to talk to you about something.”
“What?” she asked. “What’s wrong?”
“There’s nothing wrong,” he said. “In fact, I have good news. Basically, Janet and I have been dating for a month. She and I really hit it off and we enjoy being together. The longer this has gone on, the more serious it has become. We just wanted to come clean about it.”
Janet stared at him for a long time but said nothing. Then she looked at me. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I asked her not to,” Tony said.
“Why?” she asked.
“Because I know how protective you are. And I also know that you intentionally didn’t introduce me to your friends. I’m not sure why but I’m sure there’s a reason.”
Janet looked at Scott. “Did you know about this?”
“No,” Tony answered. “I didn’t tell him.”
Scott looked relieved.
“And nothing you say will change our relationship,” Tony said. “All Cassie and I are asking for is your acceptance. She and I are ready to be serious and public. We don’t want to hide it anymore.”
Janet crossed her legs then
“What does that mean?”
“I agree to your terms.” He grabbed my face to kiss me but I pulled away. “Fine. I guess it will have to wait.”
“Goodnight, Tony.”
“Do you want to do it together?”
I nodded.
“Tomorrow, then.”
“Okay.”
8
Tony came over the next evening.
When I opened the door, I didn’t have a smile on my face like I usually did.
He embraced me but I pulled away. “Why are you acting like this?” he asked.
I grabbed my purse and kept my gaze averted.
“Look at me,” she snapped.
I met his gaze.
“We’re telling her the truth. I want you to kiss me and I want you to hug me when I walk through that door.”
“We haven’t told her yet.”
“I said I would.”
“You might change your mind.”
He grabbed my arm and came closer to me. “You gave me an ultimatum. If I don’t tell my sister, I lose you. That’s something I can’t afford to lose. I gamble all the time, but I never gamble more than I can afford. I can’t lose you. I can’t.”
I walked to the door and turned around.
Tony remained glued to the spot, breathing through his frustration. He came back to me a moment later. We left the building and went to Scott’s apartment on the other side of town. Tony tried to hold my hand in the cab but I pulled it away.
When we reached their door, I looked at him. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“I don’t want you to lose you, Cassie.”
“Why would you?”
He sighed. “I’m afraid of what my sister is going to say. It’s not about taking our relationship public. It’s about how it might affect us.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know…”
“Yes, you do.”
“I’m not a noble person. I made my money doing illegal things. She might tell you to ditch me because I’m not good enough for you.”
“Tony, do you kill people? ”
“No,” he said quickly.
“Then I don’t care what illegal things you did.”
He sighed. “My sister doesn’t feel the same way.”
“Well, I don’t care.”
“That gives me some relief.”
“Let’s get this over with.”
He knocked on the door.
Scott answered it. “Hey,” he said when he saw Tony. When he looked at me said, “Oh.”
Tony nodded. “Janet here?”
“Yeah, come in.”
We walked inside and stood a few feet apart.
Janet came into the living room. “What are you guys doing here?”
Tony cleared his throat. “We just came by to visit.”
She eyed him suspiciously. “You already see Scott all the time. Do you really need to be with him 24/7?”
Tony ignored the comment. “Let’s sit down.”
“Okay…”
We went into the living room and took our places. When Tony sat next to me, he kept his hands to himself. I didn’t show any affection either.
Janet eyed us. “Why are both of you here?”
I said nothing, letting Tony do all the talking.
Tony looked at his sister. “I want to talk to you about something.”
“What?” she asked. “What’s wrong?”
“There’s nothing wrong,” he said. “In fact, I have good news. Basically, Janet and I have been dating for a month. She and I really hit it off and we enjoy being together. The longer this has gone on, the more serious it has become. We just wanted to come clean about it.”
Janet stared at him for a long time but said nothing. Then she looked at me. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I asked her not to,” Tony said.
“Why?” she asked.
“Because I know how protective you are. And I also know that you intentionally didn’t introduce me to your friends. I’m not sure why but I’m sure there’s a reason.”
Janet looked at Scott. “Did you know about this?”
“No,” Tony answered. “I didn’t tell him.”
Scott looked relieved.
“And nothing you say will change our relationship,” Tony said. “All Cassie and I are asking for is your acceptance. She and I are ready to be serious and public. We don’t want to hide it anymore.”
Janet crossed her legs then
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