Page 11 of One More Chance
“I’m honest.” He corrected. “I say the things no one wants to. It’s my virtue and my vice.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that,” she walked over to the kitchen and briefly watched him. His attire of a white tank top and grey sweatpants did not to tame the uncontrollable lust within her. His body was chiseled, but not too much; a result from a personal trainer and keeping up with the fitness of his brothers.
She watched him clean a glass as he stared outside his window. She wondered if he was thinking about them, about her, or what she suspected – he was studying the stars. “Remember when you made me watchCosmoswith you, even though I hated science?” She joked.
“Hey, Neil deGrasse Tyson is that dude, yo!” Tony nodded. “He can break it down to the simplest of terms and everyone will get it. One day, I’ll introduce you to Carl Sagan.”
“And there you go again with your science and atoms and the universe…” Krista shook her head. Tony loved playing the goofball role but those who knew him, knew how intelligent he was. He graduated summa cum laude from New York University, with a degree in Business and minor in Communication. He often watched National Geographic just because.
Behind the Timbs, was a man who was a bonafide nerd.
He was happy with the role he played with his brothers and friends. If he wanted a lecture, there was Nick. If he wanted business tips, there was Joey. If he wanted romance advice, there was Eli. If he wanted relationship advice, there was Kieran.
Tony, whether he realized it, was a combination of all the brothers.
“Why not study the stars? It’s amazing what you can see out there,” he glanced out his kitchen window, “we’re so small in a world that that’s just so huge. But we never realize it because it’s just too big for our scope. You always hear people talk about how there are a billion or so people on Earth but we can’t fathom that because it’s just too big.”
“Tony D. the Science G.” Krista joked.
“There you go!” He laughed.
Krista watched Tony clean up his kitchen and felt her body respond with every movement he made. Strands of dark hair fell over his light brown eyes. His beard had a light scruff to it, as if he didn’t know if he wanted to grow it out or keep it trimmed.
His arms had tattoos on them but not enough to be considered sleeves. He once joked to her, ‘I’ve been tatted by the best tattoo artists in the world so when I get naked, I’m still wearing designer.’
They were just friends – if that – and there was a solid reason why Krista was in a guest room, despite what feelings it may have aroused inside her. “I’ve always liked your honesty, even if it annoyed me at times.”
“I never disrespected you, though.” His baritone voice boomed through the kitchen. He locked eyes with her again as he cleaned another glass. “You were too precious to me.”
His words were simple, yet heavy. Even when you knew everything about me?” She questioned. “My past isn’t pretty.”
“Shit, mine ain’t squeaky clean, neither but it’s not about the past but about the present and future,” he casually replied. “Why get hung up on the past when there’s so much beauty and wonder out there.”
Krista felt a sweeping emotion throughout her body. It felt like every cell was out of alignment within her body and the only organ that functioned was her heart.
It was typical Tony. Just when she thought she knew him and everything about him, he’d always surprised her. She’d gotten so used to his cornball humor and his ‘aw, shucks’ attitude, she forgot there was a sensual and romantic man inside him.
The last two years were hard on her. Krista didn’t realize how much she’d depended on Tony for emotional support when he cut her off. Occasionally he paid her bills and groceries, but he’d always been her anchor, her guide.
He would call her at six in the morning just so he was the first voice she heard that day. He would personally take her home and walk her to her apartment, doing a quick scan throughout to make sure it was safe.
Then she betrayed him.
She shouldn’t have gotten involved in whatever was going on between her best friend and his brother. Whatever was their business, was just that. But she did get involved and led the charge.
Now what?
They went out to dinner, she was spending the night in his home (albeit a guest room), and there was still no resolution between them. Krista could feel the small, but bubbling tension from Tony; as if he was waiting for her to make a stupid remark so he had a reason to kick her out.
With a heavy heart and nerves haywired, Krista took a deep breath and spoke. “I’m sorry, Tony. I’m sorry for everything.”
