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Hi, this is Tony Lothario, live from the former little suburban dump.
She got to me about that.
She got to me about that. Despite what my cousin Don thinks I've been doing (contemplating a broken tv set), I decided to tear the place apart and put it back together again. In my opinion, the dumpy stuff belonged to Eden anyway. There are no more flower paintings in my house. And there's a pool table where the master bedroom used to be -- I'm going to admit I spent more time that I should playing around with that. I built up, put in a pool since keeping the swingset didn't make any sense. The children I thought I'd have by this point weren't there.
Defensive, aren't I? Yeah, but not suicidal. Probably too much ego to take that dive. There's something in the Lothario line that prevents us from going in that direction. And my sister, who has about as much mother hen in her as a fox, had for all intents and purposes moved in on me to do whatever she thought she could do. For a long time I couldn't decide where to start on this piece. Don and Ellen had their baby -- I'm going to allow him to cover that. The only communication I've had from Eden was the divorce paperwork, mailed in from upscale Bay View. It had been about a year since the divorce. I wasn't actively looking, but the sharp edges of the pain were gone and I definitely wanted to find someone. I tried to avoid spending a lot of time at Don's house -- I'm uncomfortable around Ellen -- but after a while it seemed counterproductive. She's a decent cook, and I'm not much on that, and deliberately hurting their feelings isn't in my nature. So I'm going to proceed from one night when I had dinner over there. I'll let cousin D put in a few words before I take it back -- it'll be from his house.
I don't intend to get in front of the blog, but I am going to go record right now. I threw him across a room about ten years ago, when I was just a teenager, broke my mother's dining table, if I recall, and I can do it again. And I believe he knows it. "Hi, Don. I like the new trees. Must be twenty more behind the house now."
"Hey, Tony, have a seat. Yeah, that place behind us is rented out to someone different just about every month. They move in, move out. Junk cars there all the time. So I put up some trees. Ellen's got dinner started. You like spaghetti?
"Sure. How's Gabe?" Don got up. "He's great! Got a birthday in less than a week! Man, can that boy rock -- out there dancing on his little bottom all the time."
I remember telling him something like 'good job'. Something inane. "You've got it for a while, then, baby pics, whatever you want to put up." While Tony does the lady lounge thing on the chair, this is Don. And I know why he's mad. We'll get there. If I thought he'd be stretched out on that chair glaring at me, I'd wouldn't have bought the stupid chair. I'm going to go back in time a bit. People ask me if I told Ellen about what I did to even things out. Now, I'm not going to tell everything I did. But I sure didn't want to mess it up. It was for me, in my mind. You think I would mess this up? No how, no way.
My son Gabriel, Gabe, was born the day after I came back. He stuck around in momma about three weeks longer than he was supposed to. I got some luck finally! Wanted to be there when he came. All right, Tony, I'm not gonna show a lot of baby pics, but I'm putting in two of them. He's got my hair. Ellen's eyes and skin. Hard to tell what else, except he's a boy, so I've got that much in him.
Anyway, enough of the good stuff. I guess it must have been about 2 weeks before Gabe's birthday. Somebody finally bought that big place right across the street from us. I was glad at first. Maybe they'd mow the grass for a change. Ellen wanted me to go find out who they were. That was fine. I could do that.
I thought she'd go with me, but she'd been feeling bad, so she said to go without her. Big wierd place with windows that look like they're open all the time. Wouldn't want to be here after a few drinks and walk through one of them.
Nice guy, Italian, Mark Piacenza, kind of a plain looking wife, Caralina, little boy named Josh, who was at school. That was a good thing. Gabe could probably play with him soon. And his daughter from another marriage. Jennifer, Ginevra, something like that. Just got out of college, and hot, man she was hot. Sat and did the family thing, talked to Mark and Caralina, but I couldn't keep my eyes off the girl. "So, what're you doing now?" I asked her.
"Hanging out at the Oasis with a few friends most of the time," she said, laughing. "Playing pool. I really don't know what I'm going to do yet." She went on about the college, and the friends, and the club. I picked up some but didn't listen to most of it. I'd started to focus on her. Details -- skin, hair, eyes, really great mouth. I thought about Tony. Tony and his pool table. Then I stopped thinking about Tony.
Man, did I ever want to see what she'd do if I just pushed it a little. But her dad was standing right there, so I didn't. But it was still there in my head. I felt excited and lousy at the same time. Tony was over for dinner that night, and I had in my mind that Ginny would be perfect for him. Hot, smart, college grad, played pool, he couldn't stick his nose up at that.
But I couldn't get at it. I didn't want to put them together. I didn't want him to meet her. Kept thinking about her. I'm not such a bad guy that it didn't make me feel low, but I didn't say anything.
"Did you meet the people across the street?" Ellen asked me. "Yeah," I said. "Nice family. Got a boy Gabe can play with."
Everyone ate spaghetti. My big boy banged his feet on his highchair. "That's great," Ellen said. "There's a new place downtown with two or three pool tables. Want to get a sitter and go there for lunch tomorrow? The three of us?" "Tony," Ellen said, "can you go?"
Tony didn't usually agree to go anywhere with us, but he said, "Sure, thanks."
"Is there anyone you want to invite?" she asked him.
"No, I don't think so."
Big hole I could have filled. I didn't. After Tony left and Ellen was putting Gabe to bed, I lay on our bed and thought about it. Instead of shoving it aside, I let the old rush build. The girl was good looking. Could I take her? Maybe. Ellen came downstairs and lay down next to me. "You've been edgy all afternoon," she said. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," I said. "Gabe kept me up last night. I guess I'm tired." Ellen knows me better than anyone else ever has. She gave me a look. "After all this time, you still don't know anyone Tony would like?"
"No, I don't."
I'd taken the first step, and I knew it. "Ok," she said. "Then let's get some sleep while we can if you're so tired."
I felt kinda sick. What was I doing? Tell her about the girl so Tony can meet her. But I didn't. I love Ellen. Whatever I wanted from someone else, I wanted her. And the whole thing scared me.
"I don't want to sleep right now." I grabbed my pretty lady and kissed her. "Come on, doll, come to bed with me." Like normal, Gabe got us up before daylight. I sat there at the table but I couldn't really eat anything.
"Don," Ellen said, and she was pressing it now, "what is wrong with you?" "Nothing! I'm going to get the paper."
It had just started to get light outside. Good excuse to get away for a minute. I went outside and looked at the house across the street. Which bedroom did she have, I wondered. The one at the front of the house? What'd she wear to bed? I was worked up, big time, hot with it. I got dressed and walked into the living room. And there was my son, bouncing away on his little bottom like a rock star as long as anyone left the stereo running. What're you doing? I thought. I picked him up and held him, and some of the worst of the thoughts in my head eased off. Hard to do bad things in your mind when you're holding your kid, at least for me.
I think I kind of took a deep breath and figured I could deal with it. Go out, play some pool with Tony, let things settle down. This is Tony. I'm taking this back.
You know what, Don? It's possible to take the maxim "to thine ownself be true" too far. Particularly if the self is you. Ellen and Don sniped at each other from the time we arrived. He was in a foul mood, irritable, rude, full of nervous energy. That's not typical for Don. We hadn't even ordered lunch yet when I saw a woman come in and go towards one of the pool tables. I watched her for a couple of minutes while my cousin snapped at his wife. She was really good. "You know, " I said, "I'm not very hungry. I think I'll go play pool."
At that point, I'd have played pool with a monkey to get away from the two of them. When I got up, Don turned around in the booth and looked at the pool tables. The expression on his face changed from general irritable jerk to something hard. He muttered something under his breath.
"What is wrong with you?" Ellen practically came up out of her seat. "Is there some reason why Tony shouldn't go play pool? Who wants to sit here with you anyway? All you've done is sulk and mope since yesterday!"
"I'll just be over there," I told them carefully, sliding out of the booth. Behind me Ellen was still tearing into Don, who stared ahead at nothing and said nothing. I really enjoy playing pool, so I appreciate skill in someone else. When I approached her, she turned around and looked at me, and I saw her take a little breath, look me up and then down.
I'm not stupid. I know what I look like, and I've seen that reaction before. But she was a beautiful woman, and she probably saw a similar reaction from me. There was a little kick I hadn't felt in a long time, so I reached back somewhere and pulled out whatever charm I ever had.
"Hi," I said, "looks like you're pretty good." She lit up, laughed, and said, "You want to find out how good?"
"Only if you make it interesting."
"Yeah? How interesting?"
"If I win, I buy you a drink."
"Ok," she said, "but you're not going to win, so what do I get when I win?"
"You get to buy me a drink." She stood there for a moment, smiling at me. "Who are you? You look like something that fell off Mount Olympus."
"Tony. Tony Lothario." "Nice to meet you, Tony Lothario. I'm Ginny. You'll get the last name IF you win."
"Do I get a phone number along with it?"
"Maybe," she said, in a smooth, easy voice. "Depends on how well you play." "You got it. No one's been able to take me so far," I told her. I was intrigued.
Ginny leaned towards me and said, "Me neither, Apollo. Let's play." We'd only been playing for a couple of minutes when Don and Ellen walked up, both of them visibly tense. Ellen grabbed a pool cue as if it were a weapon.
"May I join you?" she asked.
That was awkward. Before I had a chance to come up with a tactful way to refuse, Don got right in my face and said, "We're leaving!" "What?" Ellen turned on both of us from behind him. "We just got here!"
"Come on, Tony," Don told me, "we're leaving."
Surprised, uneasy, I said in the calmest voice I could find, "Thanks for bringing me. I think I'll stick around. I'll find my own way back." I turned away from him to find Ginny, who was standing at a little distance with a puzzled look on her face, glancing from my cousin to me as if she wanted to say something, but she didn't.
Don literally turned on the heel of his boot and walked out the door.
"Just a second," I said to Ginny. I went to the window, watching them go to the car.
I'd never seen any sort of discord between Don and Ellen since the whole Eden/Ellen game revelation. But something was definitely up. I thought Ellen was going to refuse to get into the car. But she finally got in, and they drove away.
Something was wrong.
When I turned around, Ginny came up to me and said, "Are you related?"
"Am I what? Related? Yes, he's my cousin."
She glanced out the window, hesitated, then said, "That's odd. He came over yesterday and met my family. We just moved in across the street. Maybe he doesn't remember me, but he spent a lot of time talking to me. It's strange that he didn't say hello."
"You didn't meet his wife? The blonde who was with him right now?"
"No, he came over by himself. He said his wife wasn't feeling well."
I looked at her, thought about it. The problem is, I can't think like Don. I didn't get it. "They've been fighting all day. He's not usually rude, probably just distracted."
"Want to go somewhere for lunch instead of doing this?" I asked her. "I haven't eaten anything, and I don't much care for this place."
And she smiled, and said, "Sure. Let's do it." Since I didn't have a car, Ginny drove to a cafe I knew about, tables out on the deck, better food than you'd think looking at the place from outside. It's a beautiful setting, in the middle of several parks.
I was having a good time; frankly, I couldn't believe it. "Where did you go to school?" she asked me.
"State university. Last 2 years, anyway."
"And you're not married." I'd never thought about how I was going to explain about Eden, and decided on the spot that it was better not to try.
"I was, but it didn't work out."
She glanced at me, very beautiful eyes. "I'm sorry." "Don't be. I made a mistake, it's over."
She looked at me for a minute, than said, "Are you really that hungry? I'm not really hungry. Want to dance with me?" I'm not sure what I felt. I was certainly fascinated with her, attracted, interested. She caught me completely off guard.
"Sure, whatever you want." She stood up.
"Now, you have tell me," I said, "if you can actually dance before I do this in public with you." Ginny laughed. "Can you? From what I saw, you can use a pool cue. You're telling me you can dance, too?" "You want to make it interesting again?"
"You don't much left to bet with," she said. "No? You don't think I have much left to bet with? If you can dance, I'll take you out."
"And I suppose I get the same great offer I got before, if you can dance, I get to take you out."
"That's it, that's the deal." She smiled. "You're on. I'm going to take you in this like I would have at the pool table." She could dance, but, then, so can I. I think we spent at least an hour getting in the way of the poor waitress, dancing all over the deck. Stray dogs underfoot, some poor guy trying to make time with a woman while we pounded all around him.
Ginny was laughing so hard she was breathless. "Ok, I give up! You can dance!" "So what's your name?" I asked her.
She held out her hand. My pulse was running a lot faster at that point than it should have been; I'm in pretty good shape, a little dancing wouldn't bother me. I took her hand.
"Ginevra Piacenza. Ginevra means --"
"Juniper," I interrupted. I just smiled at her. "It's Italian for juniper. You're named after a shrub."
She laughed. "I expect a call, Apollo."
"You'll probably get one, Lady Juniper." She offered to give me a ride, but I wouldn't take it. I wasn't sure what I felt or what I wanted to do, and wasn't ready to have her at my house yet. I took a taxi back.
I went in the house, played a ferocious game of pool, played so hard I almost tore the felt. It got late; I was tired. But the scene in the restaurant between Don and Ellen, and Don's failure to acknowledge Ginny, bothered me. As far as I've ever been able to tell, I have no functional intuition, but I know my cousin.
I took a shower and then grabbed my cell and called him. "Hey Tony," he said. He sounded whipped.
"Don," I started, "you met Ginny Piacenza yesterday, didn't you?"
There was a long pause. "Yeah, maybe I did." "Was there some reason you didn't mention someone like her to me? Or recognize her today?"
"Maybe I didn't like her," he said in that same dead flat voice. "Maybe that's why. I don't know. You know, man, it's late. I'm tired." Flash point. He was lying. I knew he was lying.
I'd spent most of a great day, the only really good day I'd had in a long time, with someone my cousin had targeted.
"It wouldn't be just the opposite, would it, Don? You met a really beautiful woman living RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET from you. Now that wouldn't be tempting, would it? You didn't tell Ellen about her! You didn't tell me about her! You knew I'd like her! That's why you didn't want me playing pool with her! I'm your competition, aren't I?!"
There was a long pause. "Tony, you don't get it, you don't understand...."
I hung up on him. Oh yes, I do. I understand. I grew up with you. Maybe you're fighting it, I'll try to credit you with that, but I do know what you intend to do.
It's not going to go down like it did before, cousin D. I'm going to get in the way this time.
This is Tony Lothario, logging off. And yes, Don, it's SHORTER this time.
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28 Comment(s) posted so far
On Feb 19, 2007 maggiesmom1 wrote:
OMG, this is awesome. I got #1 on the redo of #2, and now I got it here on part three! Once again, I GOT FIRST POST, WHOOP WHOOP!! I GOT FIRST POST, WHOOP WHOOP!! DO THE FIRST POST DANCE WITH ME! WHOOP WHOOP!!
Once again, awesome, awesome, awesome story. You have a real gift, eshuff. I would rate this 5.0 if the ratings were up.
On Feb 19, 2007 bshfsmt wrote:
nice story, keep up the good work
On Feb 19, 2007 ILikeNickzButt wrote:
i loved it cant wait for more
On Feb 19, 2007 shamansky wrote:
On Feb 19, 2007 BLewis823 wrote:
On Feb 19, 2007 wrote:
Really nice!
When's the next part coming?
On Feb 19, 2007 gummypeaches wrote:
Great chapter to the sotry!! Keep up the good work
On Feb 19, 2007 maggiesmom1 wrote:
Okay, sorry, but Tony is HOT!!
On Feb 19, 2007 MissJay wrote:
Hope Tony gets a good woman this time!
On Feb 19, 2007 MoriaG wrote:
just like don to try to cheat on his wife, i thought maybe he would change but the first pretty face and now he is fighting with his wife. hope tony gets the girl
On Feb 20, 2007 EmJay1986 wrote:
OMG, I love this!! Ok, calm, down, mostly I feel really bad for Tony, but I like the way you kept Don in character. What a cad!
Please let Tony get someone nice this time!
On Feb 20, 2007 eshuff wrote:
Thank you, everyone! This has been so hard to put together, I really appreciate the support!
On Feb 20, 2007 EmJay1986 wrote:
Ha! Just noticed the post from maggiesmom 1! I admit I've looked at this a couple of times just to sigh over Tony!
HOT is right!
And it's an awesome, awesome, story, too!
On Feb 22, 2007 leifofdel wrote:
Your story is awesome can't wait to read more. Tony is so cute you should upload him so we can download him. Anyhow great work keep it up.
On Feb 22, 2007 eshuff wrote:
I'm sure I can't upload him since I used Seomi hair and one of Louis' beautiful skintones. Aren't there all kinds of rules about doing that?
Tony's modeled after someone I know really well, and it's a pretty good likeness, I think -- he's Italian, too. He's actually helped write some of this (he'd say more than 'helped', LOL).
On Feb 24, 2007 chardonnayonedge wrote:
On Feb 25, 2007 wrote:
I'm reading all of these in order for the first time, and I'm kinda blown away. You need to post them on the sims2 website where they'd get more exposure. They're really good!
On Feb 25, 2007 wrote:
yeah, I figured there was a guy writing some of this stuff. Whoever he is, give him my compliments. Really good, man. 5 points
On Feb 25, 2007 SimsBarbie wrote:
Dang! This episode was so good! LOL I love these Tony and Don stories. Drama for real! LOL
On Feb 27, 2007 wrote:
Fantastic series!
On Feb 28, 2007 Kismyname wrote:
Amazing!
On May 1, 2007 wrote:
good job, i hope Tony get's the girl
On May 18, 2007 Llyriel wrote:
On Jul 7, 2007 wrote:
Haha, I love Tony. This story is great!
On Nov 26, 2007 Zayury wrote:
On Feb 25, 2008 Kenvjo wrote:
Cool! Can't wait to read the next part
On May 31, 2008 Sarebear728 wrote:
Hi there. I just wanted to commend you on your writing ability. I just love how the story is developing and all of the personality that the characters bring to it. Great job, can't wait to read the rest.
On Mar 12, 2010 sbpettit wrote:
You were already so good at writing engaging, authentic dialogue and developing what Don is struggling with. The most poignant point to me was when he said, you can't think about doing bad things while holding your kid. It really showed the tension going on in his heart. But he seems like he doesn't have enough pulling him in that direction to keep him faithful. Go Tony!