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“Watch your mouth, Eliodoro.” Nicola warned.

“You’re telling me to watch my mouth after you confirmed your bed squeaks from sex?”

Eli turned to his mother. “What?”

“Besides I’m allowed to explore every part of being a woman.” Nicola sipped her wine.

“Zerrin’s been giving me tips.”

“Why did you drag me into this?” Zerrin asked as her mouth gaped open.

Nick turned to his girlfriend. “Tell me she’s lying,
tesero.
”

Zerrin read her boyfriend’s eyes. They were part-disgusted and part-confused. She briefly wondered what her punishment was going to be when they got home. He took it easy on her because of the pregnancy but it still didn’t mean she wasn’t going to be on her hands and knees, receiving a good flogging. “Um…”

“So Zerrin, how’s your pregnancy coming?” Faith asked her, deflecting from Nick’s

questioning.

“Oh, it’s coming along,” Zerrin leaned back into her chair and rubbed her growing tummy.

“I’m starting to get heartburn now so it’s like, ugh.”

“I recommend Tums. Two usually do the trick.” Faith suggested.

“Tums, huh? I’m going to look into that.” Zerrin nodded. “Because I only get the heartburn at night but not at any other time during the day. So annoying.”

“Have you looked into childbirth classes?” Nicola asked. “You should sign up for them now.”

“We’re starting to look into them,” Zerrin still felt Nick’s glare into her and ignored it,

“but we’re still weighing our options.”

“I highly recommend them,” Nicola added, “I wish I took them. Joey was such a big baby, they had to give me an episiotomy. That is the worst feeling…knowing your vagina is being cut up like celery.”

Joey put down his fork and pushed himself away from the table. “Thank you and good-

night!”

Seven

The green décor made it stand out, Kieran remembered. It was a lush, dark green, almost Victorian. He never thought about changing the color of the large estate. Somehow, it just fit. A gated estate with historical value, on the corner of a safe neighborhood. It was enormous – three stories tall and Kieran already knew what he wanted to do with the estate. The first floor was for toddlers. The second floor was for infants and those not yet walking. The top floor was strictly reserved for staff, no parents or children allowed. His staff needed a sanctuary from the chaos.

A large front yard was going to be full of jungle gyms in a grassy area, and a place to learn jump rope on the soft asphalt. Joey brokered the deal some six years ago. He took some classes in real estate and acted as Kieran’s agent so his brother wouldn’t get screwed by an overzealous agent, anxious to get their feet wet with a lucrative sale. Once Kieran graduated with a degree in business and child-care certifications, he brought in Eli to decorate the garden, knowing he had an eye for the romantic and dramatic.

His brother didn’t disappoint. The estate came with bricks implanted into the ground and Eli used that as the basis for his creation. He added more bricks along with several tables and benches. Azaleas, gardenias, and roses surrounded the tables and benches. A few fruit trees were planted for employees to use at their discretion. He envisioned the garden to romantic, summery, and dreamy for everyone to be at peace once they went there. Kieran saw the garden as the perfect place for parent conferences with tea and pastries usually served, an idea he borrowed from the family business.

Five years was the benchmark for success, a tip he borrowed from Joey. Getting the

mothers to be comfortable with a man running a day care was going to be the tricky part but once that was settled, Kieran knew there weren’t going to be that many hiccups. He was too anal-retentive with a touch of OCD to let anyone or anything destroy his dream.

Mothers trusting Kieran turned out to be the very least of his problems. His model looks along with his baritone voice made the mothers – single and married – flock to him like flies to honey. As always, he kept his professionalism. The last thing he wanted was to be accused of giving anyone preferential treatment.

“You act like you’re leaving your baby,” Zoe stood beside her boss outside the center.

Kieran slightly shrugged. “Well, I am. F&G is the first real “baby” I’ve had. It’s going to be a little tough being away from her for a bit.”

“Her?” Zoe kidded.

Kieran glanced over to Zoe, with a smile. “Her.”

“How long do you plan on taking off?”

“About a month. I needed some vacation and Tiana giving birth falls into that.” Kieran let out a quiet breath as he thought about the impending delivery. No matter how many childbirth classes and videos he had watched on the internet could prepare him for the real-life event. He just hoped he wouldn’t pass out. “When I come back, I’ll be heading to Staten Island to visit family and bring my mother back to help us out for a week or two. I also have a favor from you.”

“Oh?” Zoe was curious. “What is it?”

“I made a bet with my brothers and I lost,” Kieran tried to hide the smirk on his face. He didn’t want to reveal he intentionally lost the bet despite having a strong hand. “So I need to bring someone from F&G to New York to stay with a family for a week. I was wondering if you want to do it? All expenses are covered. All you have to do is watch the child or children for the week.”

“I would love to!” Zoe smiled. Her agreement had an ulterior motive. Being in New York would allow her to scope out some designers and possibly pick up some fabrics for a new line of children’s clothing she had in mind.

“So…” Kieran began walking around the yard with Zoe in tow. “…how’s that clothing line coming along?”

“It’s coming,” Zoe nodded. “I’ve been doing a few sketches here and there.” That was a white lie. Zoe had been working on her sketches every chance she got. “Nothing solid.”

“I see,” Kieran nodded. “You know, New York would be the perfect opportunity for you to meet with some people while you’re there. I could set it up for you.”

“No,” Zoe was firm. She was determined to be success on her own sweat and tears, not because of her rich friends and family and their connections. “Thank you but no thank you.”

Kieran sat down at a bench and Zoe sat next to him. “You know, it’s okay to ask for help, Z,” he said while looking out into the distance.

“There’s a difference between asking for help and asking for a
hook-up
,” she noted. “I need to pay my dues just like everyone else. I don’t want anyone accusing me of preferential treatment because of the D’Amato name.”

“Would it be preferential treatment if I was with you? You know Tee and I have been

talking about starting a children’s clothing line to coincide with the daycare and expand in superstores.” Kieran explained.

It was Zoe’s turn to have a slow smirk form on her face. She had always underestimated the power of Kieran’s charm, though she referred to it as just being plain ol’ sneakiness. “I like how you said that as if you’ve been talking to me about it and I somehow forgot.” She turned towards him. “You’re good, you know that?”

“It was the only way to get you to jump onboard with us without feeling you’re riding our coattails.” Kieran smiled. “Besides, I don’t know any other designers out there and Tiana has seen some of your work. She likes what you’re doing.”

“How has she seen my work?” Zoe inquired.

“Um…” Kieran pursed his lips together. “…I may or may not have showed her some

sketches one day.”

“You may or may not have?” Zoe grinned.

“They fell into my briefcase and I was like, ‘Oh no, Zoe’s sketches!’ and well, Tiana accidentally saw them…”

“Oh, she accidentally saw them…”

“Yep,” Kieran nodded with a twinkle in his eyes. “Just flat-out right there. Boom! She saw your sketches!”

Zoe chuckled and shook her head. “You’re so full of shit, K.”

“With the right intentions, always.” His eyes had a sparkle within them. “So, what do you say? Are you interested?”

Zoe wanted to say no. She wanted to do her fashion line on her own merits and no one else’s. She didn’t want to be known because she was attached to a certain name or brand. She wanted to branch out on her own and take the world by storm.

She also had to remember she spoken of being a fashion designer for the past few years and the only progress she’d made was having sharper designs. Each time she had an opportunity to go to Fashion Week in L.A., New York, or Paris, she had always chickened out. It finally dawned on Zoe what her issue was: she was afraid of success. She went to college and received her degree in communication and her early childhood development certification. A part of her didn’t think she would be able to stop the whispers among her extended family how she was still single at 29.

“What are the rules?” Zoe asked.

“Don’t embarrass us,” Kieran replied with an authoritative tone. “That’s all.”

Zoe’s nose scrunched up as the lines in her forehead creased. “That’s broad.”

“It’s to the point.” Kieran kept his gaze on the garden. “We have a lot riding on this so do you.”

“Money?” Zoe asked. “Do I have free range or am I on a real-life episode of
Project
Runway
?”

“Whatever you need. You know how Tiana is with money. She wants you to spend what

you need but not to be frivolous. Nothing cheap but nothing too expensive. She wants it where anyone could afford it if they go to their local superstore. If they want something a bit pricier, we can offer a designer line at the department stores.”

Zoe planted her bottom firmly in her seat to keep from bouncing. The opportunity was at her fingers and she knew it would be a long time before she would get another one. Still, she wanted to be humble about what was happening. “Thank you,” was all she managed to say.

Kieran smiled at her. “You’re welcome,” he replied before his phone rang, seeing Tiana was calling him. “Yeah,
bella
? Okay, I’ll be there now.” He hung up.

“Is it time?” Zoe asked.

“It is,” Kieran stood up and dusted off his jeans, “for both you and me.”

Eight

Time-poor, that’s what I am.

Joey studied the calendar on this phone, mid-shave. His day was so jam-packed, he briefly wondered if he would be able to use the bathroom.

There was a meeting with the contractors at ten. Lunch with the new vendors at 11:30.

Finalizing two weddings with different hotels at two and three-thirty, respectively. Gym at 4:30.

A quite bite to eat around six. Preparing for the next day at 6:30. Finally making it home around eight.

Joey was convinced his shared office was just for show. Neither he nor Eli utilized it very much.

There wasn’t going to be any time for him to see any of the girls that week, a fact he wasn’t that bothered by. Truth was, some of them were starting to work his good nerve. Some complained that Joey worked too much. The others complained he never took them out

anywhere anymore. Joey had seriously contemplated switching them out for better replacements.

He didn’t, simply for the fact he wasn’t sure the replacements would be better or if it would be the same story with different girls.

The only highlight of his day would be seeing Kieran while he was briefly in town. He was bringing his assistant with him and knowing Kieran, Joey already assumed what she looked like without asking: plain, dull, and probably ugly. No, ugly was a harsh word.

Unfortunate-looking
was more apt.

****

Zoe carefully packed her suitcase, making sure she did not leave anything out. She was sure she was forgetting something; it always happened. Each time she traveled somewhere, she forgot a toothbrush, toothpaste, contact solution…something important. Hopefully, she didn’t forget anything
too
important. Whatever she did forget, it would be easily replaced. The only thing that mattered was what she carried on her.

Her sketches.

She was up all night picking out the best ones, changing her mind several times over. For the past couple of months, that’s all she thought about. She’d created a fall/winter and spring/summer lines and only needed some real-life inspiration to start sewing. Did she think she would meet with a fashion house while she was in New York? No, but the
possibility
of meeting one didn’t escape her mind. Maybe she could stop by a fabric store and pick out some new patches, fleeces, and quilts. She had been in a bit of a creative funk lately and seeing some new fabrics might jump-start her creative juices.

Zoe collapsed on the sofa and stared at the smooth inclined ceiling in her living room. It seemed like it was just yesterday that she was playing with her Barbies and driving her mother insane over which outfit she wanted them to wear. Her Barbie collection must’ve had close to 50

different outfits – no, they were
ensembles
– and Zoe would spend hours mixing and matching, coming up with different clothing ideas.

When she became older, her enchantment with fashion grew, styling her mother and father to their high-society functions and personally picking out all of the bridesmaids dresses for London’s wedding. It wasn’t a doubt in Zoe’s mind that being a nanny paid the bills, but she had higher aspirations to climb.

Was she lonely? Maybe. She could admit that much. But her ambition wasn’t going to take a backseat to being someone’s girlfriend. If a man wanted her, he would respect what she wanted to do and Zoe found that particular pool of men not only shallow but sometimes nonexistent. She was hopeful, however, that she would find that mind-blowing, toe-curling love one day.

She just hoped her eggs weren’t dusty by the time that day came.

****

Catalina Stevens eyeballed Joey as he negotiated prices with her. As the owner of Dreams Unlimited, a premier event-planning service in Manhattan, she was determined to get the best deal possible for her and her clients. Catalina was nice and sweet in public, an image she worked very hard to portray and keep up. But to those who knew her, Catalina was a cold, calculating, and scheming woman, going as far as sabotaging another event planning company with false rumors about shoddy service and unhappy clients.