Page 10 of One More Chance
Five
She almost forgotten how nice his home was.
Tony inherited the family home from his mother and poured a lot of money into renovating it. If Krista didn’t know better, she thought it was just a brand-new home. Instead, it underwent a massive renovation from top to bottom.
Hardwood floors led guests to carpeted rooms. His home boasted of five bedrooms, six bathrooms, two kitchens, a basketball court, swimming pool, and cul-de-sac parking. A spiraling staircase inside led to the upstairs quarters and enormous balcony that overlooked the parking.
A crystal chandelier greeted guests in the foyer and led to an oversized family room with a monstrous TV. Next to the family room was an indoor swimming pool with clear walls.
The front yard that was once full of weeds now boasted of plush, green grass with a garden of roses straight from Madre’s. The backyard was a miniature playground just for the numerous children shared between the brothers and a gaming room inside just for the brothers.
Tony’s bedroom had a fireplace, a study nook, two separate bathrooms and closets. A four-poster bed was centered in the room and overlooked the New York skyline.
Tony had no reason to ever leave his family home and with the amount of money he’d spent, it was clear he wasn’t. “Your home is gorgeous, Tony.”
“Thank you,” he held Krista’s bag as they walked inside the home. “I’ll lead you to your room,” he closed the door behind them and led her upstairs to where three bedrooms and three bathrooms were. He opened up a room and turned on the light. “This is your room tonight.”
Krista stepped inside the guest room. It was one of the few that had a queen sized bed in them. Tony purposely had twin beds in a few of the other guest rooms so no one got comfortable staying at his home for too long.
The room was simple but not basic. It had a flatscreen TV, blu-ray player, and had a door that led to the balcony. A large floor-to-ceiling mirror covered an entire wall, while family pictures outlined the other two. Tony purposely called it the princess room because it had a four-poster canopy inside it.
“You know what I always wanted as a little girl and never received?” She revealed over too-hot pepperoni pizza.
Tony came over to Krista’s apartment for movie night, a weekly tradition they’d started as friends and continued as a couple. “What’s that, bellissima?” He asked.
“A four-poster bed with a canopy!” Krista’s eyes lit up. “I always wished I had one just like the Disney movies.”
“Beauty and the Beast?” Tony asked and Krista nodded.
“My favorite movie!” Krista beamed. “I’m going to save up enough money to make sure I have one.”
“You know I can just buy one for you,” he replied.
“Thank you but I can afford this on my own, Tony.” She said. “This is something I want for myself and I’m determined to get it.”
“Okay,” he shrugged. He loved how much of a go-getter his crush was. “But if you need help, just ask.”
Being in that particular room wasn’t lost on Krista. Tony deliberately put her in there and she briefly wondered if there were any other surprises that night.
“And look who’s here!” Tony brought in Pam and Gina to Krista. They immediately jumped on her and began kissing her, causing Krista to laugh.
“And how are my babies?” Krista talked in a baby voice. “How is Daddy treating my girls, huh?”
Tony ignored the swelling of his heart as he watched Krista interact with the puppies again. No, he wasn’t going to get caught up again. Not after what she did to him. Not after what she did to his family.
He was going to ignore the painful heart tugs and go about his business.
~~~~~
“I cannot believe you made me sit through a season of that,” Krista got up and stretched as Tony headed to the kitchen.
“What? You didn’t think it was funny?” He put away the large bowls that once held chips and popcorn.
“It was but it wasn’t my cup of tea,” Krista admitted, “but I’m not knocking that you like it.”
“Hey, if it makes me laugh, I like it.” Tony shrugged. “Hell, I’d laugh at an old man falling down a flight of stairs if it’s done right.”
“You’re awful,” Krista chuckled.
