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Although her nickname was Cat, it had a double-meaning as well: sneaky, underhanded, and stealth just like the feline. It didn’t help that she looked like a black panther with her long, dark mane and hazel eyes complimenting her Sicilian heritage.

Catalina knew of Joey’s reputation around New York. Love ‘em and leave ‘em. The

forever bachelor. He was highlighted as one of New York’s most eligible bachelors in the Post and it seemed each time he was featured, it made the frenzy surrounding Joey that much higher.

It might have been his dashing good looks. It might have been the D’Amato name. It might have been his eight-figure net worth that seemed to grow each year with a flurry of smart investments.

Whatever it was, many women were determined to be
the one
that would make Joey settle down, though he made it very clear he was content being single, which was fine by Catalina. She was content with him being single.

For the time being.

Catalina had known Joey for several years, going back to their undergrad days in NYU. He was always business-like back then and it was a quality Catalina found attractive. It was a shame that Joey was more caught up in books than her, otherwise she would’ve given him a reason to not study so hard.

She could remember the beat-up Mercedes he drove around, proud of the vehicle despite the obvious wear and tear of it.
Who else do you know has a whip like this?
she could recall him boasting. Even when Nicola won the lottery, Joey merely upgraded his Mercedes to a newer version and drove it for years before finally trading it in for the BMW.

A smart man who’s even smarter with his money.

She’d heard of Joey’s sexual reputation through the gossip mill, bringing each of his conquests to multiple orgasms and daring to be a bit kinky with light BDSM play. His fingers and tongue made a woman’s body sing while his cock pistoned in and out with wanton need and abandon. His reputation as a voracious lover with an insatiable appetite only made Joey that much more desirable. It was as if he fulfilled every woman’s fantasy and all he did was blink.

“So are we done here?” Joey quickly glanced down at his watch. If he hurried, he would be able to hit the gym just before the after-work crowd rushed in.

“Yes,” Catalina closed her folder and watched Joey put away his notes.

“Cool. All right, Cat, we’ll be in touch. Just let me know…”

“Why is it that we never dated?” Her eyes danced at him.

Joey paused for a moment, trying to figure out where on earth Catalina’s sudden question came from. “What?”

“We’ve known each other for what…fifteen years, give or take?” She prodded.

“That sounds about right,” Joey agreed.

“And yet, we’d never dated. Why is that?”

Oh, there were plenty of reasons why the pair never dated, unbeknownst to Cat. For one, Joey thought she was just
a little
too much like him. He loved name-brand and designer things just as much as the next person, but it always seemed Cat was a walking advertisement for Saks Fifth Avenue. Secondly, their mothers were great friends, which gave Joey more the reason not to hook up with her. If they broke up, he could only imagine the ripple effect he’d feel from his mother. Lastly, there was something about Cat that he just didn’t like.

Oh yes,
that
reason. Cat, simply put, was a bitch. Joey loved assertive women. He loved aggressive women. He did not, however, love bitches. Cold, heartless, ruthless were just her
nice
qualities. If she didn’t see the purpose of someone in her life, they were out with quickness.

“We didn’t date because you didn’t want to date me,” Joey replied, matter-of-factly.

“That’s pretty much it.”

“I was young and naïve back then,” Cat shrugged, “I didn’t know a good thing when I saw it.”

“That’s one way of putting it,” Joey smirked.

Cat glanced over at her longtime friend with a twinge of a smirk forming on her lips. “I probably shouldn’t entertain you but exactly what did you mean by that dig?”

“You wanted to sleep with my brother,” Joey didn’t bother to meet Cat’s gaze. It wouldn’t have been a big deal if it was just one brother; it was just plain insulting that it was all four.

“I didn’t,” Cat replied.

That’s one way of putting it.
By the time Catalina expressed any interest in Joey, it was because she was shot down cold by Nick and Kieran. Eli was already engaged to Faith and Tony had a steady girlfriend at that point. “Not by choice,” Joey countered as he got up and began to gather his items.

“You can be a bully when you want to be,” Cat said.

“If you think this is me being a bully, you really don’t know me that well.” Joey finally looked back at her. “Are we done reminiscing on why I didn’t play Hop on the Catalina?”

“Fuck you, Joey,” she shook her head.

“You wish you could.”

****

She had light eyes like her father. Soft and curly hair like her mother. Her skin tone was the perfect shade of café au lait, a mixture of both of them. She was always so happy and smiled often, though he wondered if some of that was gas.

Simply put, Kieran was madly in love with his two-month-old daughter, Gianna. He hated the fact he had to make a special trip to Staten Island without his family in tow, but they would make an appearance together soon enough. For now, he had a very important business deal to handle. He was making good on his lost bet to Joey for some child-care services for one of the Madre’s patrons.

Although he was a skilled poker player, courtesy of studying Nick throughout the years, Kieran always intentionally lost his bets. If he could get the word out about Fits and Giggles in Staten Island, he could possibly expand there. It was something he and Tiana had talked about.

They recently started outlining some ideas for a children’s clothing line and were going to meet with a designer soon.

“So I finally get to meet all of the D’Amato Brothers, huh?” Zoe Mitchell yawned in the passenger seat. “This should be a fun trip.”

“My brothers are crazy,” Kieran admitted to his assistant. “They’re a great group of guys, though. Their hearts are in the right places.”

“Cool. I look forward to it.” Zoe looked out the window and saw the leaves on the ground.

She particularly loved how New York fall was definitely
fall
—a much bigger difference than in Southern California, where the only two seasons it had was hot and cold. “I’m staying with your mother, right?”

“That’s right. You can come and go as you need to and you’ll have a key. She just asks you respect the house and eat her cooking.” Kieran smiled.

“Well, that shouldn’t be a problem,” Zoe shrugged, “your mother is obviously a nice lady since she’s raised you and your brothers and—”

“No, not that,” Kieran shook his head as he navigated down the streets in St. George, “her cooking. You need to finish your plate.”

Zoe had heard from Tiana about the infamous big meals Nicola had made for her family.

She truly thought Tiana was just exaggerating. “That much food?”

“That much food.” He repeated. They pulled up to his mother’s home and Kieran parked the rental truck. “All right, we’re here. Let’s go.”

They got out of the car and walked up to the home. “Hey, ma! I’m here with Zoe.” Kieran called out.

Nicola rushed downstairs and Joey was behind her. “Well, hello, Zoe! I’m glad you’re here! I’m Nicola and the mother of all these boys. You’ll be staying with me and you will have full access to the house and whatever you need,” Nicola introduced herself.

“Thank you so much, Nicola,” Zoe smiled, “I feel at home already.”

While Zoe and Nicola made small talk, Joey couldn’t help admiring the lithe beauty before him. She had light almond skin that seemed to be smooth like butter. She was much thinner than past girlfriends but he was willing to make an exception just for her. Her ebony bob-cut slightly bounced with her movements and whenever she smiled, her eyes danced. He was already in love with her. “Hi, I’m Joey.” He interrupted the ladies.

“Hi, Joey. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Zoe lightly crossed her arms.

“Good things, I hope?” Joey smiled.

“No, not really.” Zoe shook her head.

“Well, I need to head back to the shop.” Kieran grabbed his keys. “Zoe, did you need me to drop you off at the customer’s?”

“That would be great! I have my day cut out for me!” Zoe began to pick up her bag when another hand grabbed her handbag.

“Allow me,” Joey met eyes with Zoe. They were the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen.

They were slanted, a sign of her Asian heritage, and hypnotizing. “Kieran, I can drop Zoe off.

Don’t worry about it. You head over to the shop.”

Nine

“So is this your first trip to New York?” Joey started conversation as he navigated down the street.

The sun was starting to set and a beautiful orange-tangerine haze overlooked the city. The autumn air was brisk and made Zoe bundle up a bit more. The New York air smelled crisp, causing Zoe to inadvertently inhale several times over.

The weather was cooler, different colored leaves were on the ground; a sign of the

changing season and temperature. It seemed every woman was wearing some variation of knee-high boots, jeans, and a sweater. Some were dressed out of the runway while others created their own funky and creative style.

New York. It was completely different than L.A. It was almost exactly like L.A. The hub-bub of Times Square reminded Zoe of Hollywood. The Concrete Jungle. Everyone was in a hurry to get someplace; the sense of urgency was ever-present, a direct contradiction of the laid-back feel of Los Angeles.

Zoe stared out the window, admiring what New York had to offer. She had many

opportunities to travel to New York, either by herself or with friends, but always shied away from the state. It didn’t stop her from traveling and experiencing the world, but New York somehow put the fear of God into Zoe. Too many horror stories of people being mean and downright nasty. The media reported violent crimes that were sure to deter even the bravest person. Surprisingly, she wasn’t concerned about the cost of going to New York, though she knew it was going to be very expensive.

She knew the real reason for never traveling to New York. It was the same one why she never traveled to Paris. The overwhelming fear of rejection by the fashion industry. She currently felt silly for thinking so.

She felt home in New York. It felt like New York was where she belonged. “It is,” she finally answered, “it’s really nice here.”

“There’s so much to do here. The city never sleeps,” Joey replied back. “And if you’re hungry and you don’t want to go out, you can always order from a delivery service.”

“Sounds great but I think your mother wants me to eat her food,” Zoe glanced at Joey. “I was given strict orders to finish my plate.”

“You will never find a better Italian meal from anyone or anywhere else,” Joey

championed for his mother, “okay, maybe my brother Nicky’s lasagna is better and maybe my fried eggplants can hold their own. But other than those two dishes, you can’t get any better than my ma’s homecooking.”

“Fried eggplant, huh?” Zoe’s eyes did a quick sweep over Joey’s frame. For someone who just admitted diving into fried dishes, he most certainly didn’t look the part. She could tell he was hiding a muscular and toned build underneath his clothing and swore her uterus did a few backflips just thinking about him. “I would’ve never guessed you eat fried food.”

“Not always,” he shrugged as he turned a corner, “but I cook the eggplant in olive oil so it’s a little healthier than others.”

“Oh, you cook?” Zoe asked. “What’s your specialty?”

“Prawns marinara.” Joey stated proudly. “With a small Caesar salad on the side, and

freshly baked bread. I also make dessert.”

“Oh, really?” Zoe was impressed. “And what would be for dessert?”

“Well, it depends on what you like,” Joey winked at Zoe.

“Ah, I see what you did there.” Zoe chuckled.

“Did you like that?”

“That was quite impressive, yes,” Zoe nodded, “quite impressive, Mr. D’Amato.”

“I’m in the business of impressing people, Ms…”

“Mitchell.” Zoe corrected. “Zoe Mitchell.”

Joey scrunched his nose a little. “Pardon me for sounding ignorant but I wouldn’t guess your last name was Mitchell.”

“Most people wouldn’t. Black father, Chinese mother.” She gave a slight nod towards him.

“My parents deliberately gave my sister and I Americanized names so we wouldn’t have too much hardship growing up. My real name is actually Zoe Xin Qian but I go by Zoe.” Zoe wouldn’t dare to bring up the real reason why her parents named her.

“How was it like growing up?” Joey followed the GPS map and turned a corner. “Was it cool having the best of both worlds or awkward?”

“Both.” Zoe admitted. Her light skin tone made her fodder for female bullies who didn’t like her, both Asian and Black. She went through a very awkward stage in high school, still shedding her baby fat and not wanting to spend every weekend in a drunken and high stupor to impress people she probably wouldn’t care about once she left for college. She also didn’t want to be the whore who slept with the football team or any other sport. She was content being in the background. It wasn’t until Zoe left her parents’ home, found her true identity and began to explore who she was.

Chunky glasses were replaced by contacts. Sweats were replaced with snug jeans and tops that showcased her newly-toned midriff. She even experimented with her hair, varying the styles from long braids to cornrows to an afro. She was an active participant in both the Black Students Union and the Asian Coalition on campus – both groups showing her overwhelming love.

“I had to find myself first before I could ask for acceptance,” she further explained, “once I did that, it was easy-breezy.”

“Smart,” Joey nodded, “I wish I did that. Sometimes it feels like I’m still trying to find myself.”

“I say you’re doing an impressive job.” Zoe glanced around the BMW Joey was