It's Always The Pretty Ones (3 page)

“Come on.
 
What could breakfast hurt?”
 
He walked over to her grabbing her purse off the chair.
 
“Hey, I’ll splurge and let you get extra bacon!”
 

Dazzy laughed as she pulled his face down and kissed him softly on his cheek.
 
“I had a wonderful time, okay?”

Anton smiled as he released her from his grip.
 
“Okay, but you don’t know what you’re missing.”
 
He held out his arms and took a slow turn, allowing her to see his Greek god-like physique.
 
“Will you at least let me take you home?”
 
He walked over to the door with her.

“No, I’m fine.
 
I actually don’t live far from here.
 
I’ll just grab a cab.”
 
She kissed him once more as he opened the door for her.
 

“Okay.”
 
He smiled, slightly disappointed as she stepped outside the door.
 
“Maybe we can hook up again soon?”

She tilted her head and smiled.
 
“Sure.”
 

He watched her as she walked down to the end of the hallway and gave him a wave before she turned the corner.
 

After showering and getting dressed, Anton met Romeo at a nearby IHOP for breakfast.
 
He and Romeo had been best friends for about 8 years now.
 
He met him the first day he arrived at the base from boot camp.
 
Romeo had already been stationed on the base for almost a year when he met him, so he pretty much had a feel for the city and how to get around.
 
Even from the first time they met, Romeo has always lived up to his namesake.
 
Anton would be baffled at how he was able to basically date two or three girls at once, and not even hide it!
 
He has even had dated where one would drop him off at the next girl’s house.
 
Now that’s pimpin’!

Anton arrived at IHOP to find that Romeo was already there and seated.
 
“Was’sup man.”
 
Anton said, as he sat down at the table and looked through the menu.
 
“What are you getting?”
 
He looked up after a minute when he noticed that Romeo wasn’t answering.
 
“Ahem…hello?”

“Oh, man I’m sorry.”
 
Romeo said as he took all of his attention off a woman at a table across the room from theirs.
 
“I’m just working my magic.”

Anton rolled his eyes in his head.
 
“Man, you start early, don’t you?”

“Oh, I never stop!
 
It’s my nature!”
 
Romeo laughed.
 
“So, how did it go last night?
 
Details!
 
Details!”

“Hey guys.”
 
Smiled the pretty slender shaped waitress.
 
“The usual?”

“Hey Krystal.”
 
Anton smiled.
 
“Yes, please.”
 

Romeo reached up and grabbed her hand.
 
“When are you going to let me take you out and spoil you rotten?”
 

“She slowly pulled her hand back.
 
“When you stop hoeing around.”

Romeo looked shocked.
 
“I wouldn’t call it ‘hoeing’ I’m just playing the field trying to find that special girl.”

She rolled her eyes.
 
“Well, it may be a little difficult to do that when you’re dating two or three at once.
 
I’m not trying to be one of your game pieces.
 
So, when you are serious about having an adult relationship, let me know.
 
Until then, the only thing you will be getting out of me is flapjacks and bacon
.

Anton chuckled at Romeo’s embarrassment.
 

“So, the usual for you too?”
 
Krystal asked Romeo with confident smile.
 

Romeo just smiled and nodded.
 

“Dang, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you speechless.”
 
Anton joked.

“Whatever.”
 
Romeo tried to hide his embarrassment under false confidence.
 
“Her loss.”
 
He scoffed.
 
“I have plenty of women that wanna ride this pony.”
 

“Riiight.”
 
Anton laughed.
 
“She carried you though.”

“If you say so.”
 
Romeo hunched his shoulders.
 
“So, back to last night.”

No, not back to last night.”
 
Anton poured him a hot cup of coffee from the carafe on the table.
 
“You know I don’t give details about the women I’m with.”

“Yes, but, you’re not ‘
with’
her.
 
She was just a fine, sexy-ass chick you met at the club last night.”
 
Romeo chuckled.

Anton smiled as he stirred his coffee.
 
“Maybe so, but I still make it a point to be respectful and not brag on it.”

Romeo just smirked and stared at him silently for a moment.
 
“You mamma would be so proud.”

“You’re crazy, man.”
 
Anton took a sip of his coffee and stood up from the table.
 
“I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.”
 
Romeo chuckled.
 
Just as he started to read an email on his Blackberry, Krystal sat a hot plate of food in front of him.
 
“Thanks.
 
What was that all about?”

She stood up straight, put her hand on her hip and cocked her head to the side.
 
“What are you talking about?”

“You outright dissed me a little while ago.
 
I thought ever since the other night we connected.”

“No, Romeo.
 
That was two people that had too much to drink and things went too far.”
 
She leaned in closer to him; her hazel grey eyes looking straight into his.
 
“Besides, you said you would keep it quiet.
 
I don’t want to be added to the list of skanks.”

“Damn!
 
I can’t be all that bad.
 
From what I remember you enjoyed yourself.”
 
He reached out and held her hand.

She pulled her hand back.
 
“Oh no, I’m not saying you don’t have skills, brother.
 
I’m just saying it won’t happen again.”
 
She added with a slight smile of defiance.

Romeo smiled as he sprinkled some salt on his eggs.
 
“We’ll see.”

“Romeo, are you harassing Krystal again?”
 
Anton said as he sat back down at the table.

Krystal smiled as she turned to walk away.
 
“No, trust me.
 
I can handle Romeo.”

“I think she has it a little for you more than she puts on.”
 
Anton joked.
 

Romeo shrugged his shoulders as his eyes caught Krystal’s as she walked past them to the kitchen.
 
“Oh, I know it!
 
She just doesn’t yet.”

Chapter 2

2 months later…

“
Like This and Like That
” by Monica played loudly from Anton’s bedroom as he stood in his bathroom checking himself out for the fifth time.
 
Today was his first official day as a civilian.
 
It was a little scary for him.
 

Anton came right into the Marine Corps after high school.
 
He grew up in a small town in Georgia and made a promise to himself that he would not get stuck in the town like a lot of his friends did.
 
He wanted more than what the town was offering.
 
His mom told him she always though he would be the one to expand his horizons and travel the world.
   

“Okay Ant, this is the day.
 
You ready?”
 
He asked himself in the mirror.
 
“We are going to go in that office and give your best.
 
You got that?”
 
He splashed some his favorite aftershave on his face and walked out of the bathroom.
 
He made sure to give himself another look over as he walked past the mirror on the wall by the door.
 

“Looking good.”
 
He said to himself as he adjusted his tie and walked out the door.
 

He already had his path to work all worked out.
 
He had researched the best and quickest ways to get to Dynex and had done trial runs of them all.
 
He wanted everything to be just right.
 
He turned on “The Tom Joyner Morning Show” as he merged into the morning traffic on the highway.
 
His favorite song, “
The River
” by Noel Gourdin, played as he sang along loudly as his car crept along.
 

Traffic was slightly heavy this morning, but he wasn’t worried because he set his clock so he could leave with plenty of time.
 
Just as the song was closing, his phone rang.
        
“Hello?”
 
He answered.

“Hi Anton, how are you?”
 
Said the nervous female voice on the other end.

He reached over and turned down the music so he could hear better.
 
“Hey.
 
Who is this?”

“This is Dazzy.
 
How are you?”

He was shocked to hear from her because he hadn’t spoken to her since their night together.
 
He had tried to hook up with her a few times after that night, but didn’t get a response.
 

“Hey!
 
I’m fine.
 
I’m surprised to hear from you.
 
I was starting feel a little used.”
 
He joked.
 

She chuckled slightly.
 
“I know.
 
I’m sorry.
 
I have been a little busy.”

“That’s cool.
 
So, when can we hook up again?”

Well, let me tell you why I called first.”
 
You could hear the nervousness rise in her voice.

“Okay, what’s up?”

Dazzy took a deep breath before she spoke.
 
“I’m pregnant.”

Anton slammed on the brakes before he ran into the back of the car in front of him at the stoplight.
 
“
What
?
 
Can you say that again?”

“I’m pregnant.”

“Umm…okay.
 
We used a condom, so it can’t be me.”
 
Anton shook his head.

“I know.
 
I don’t know how this happened.
 
You are the only one I have been with since my fiancé died.”

“Are you sure you’re pregnant?
 
When did you find out?”
 

“Anton, I know this is a lot to lay on you in the morning, but I didn’t know what else to do.”
 
Her voice quivered slightly.

“Look, don’t get upset.
 
I just don’t see how this happened.
 
The condom didn’t break.”
 
A faint thread of hysteria was at the back of his voice.
 
“Are you
sure
I was the only one you were with?”

“Are you calling me a ho?”

“No, I’m not.”
 
Anton answered.
 
“I’m just saying…”

Dazzy sighed.
 
“Look, I don’t know how this happened either, but I just felt I should tell you because I plan on keeping it.”

Anton was silent.
 
He didn’t know how to respond to all of this.
 
“But I used a condom!”
 
played over-and-over again in his head.