Chapter 2
Shopping. What girl doesn’t love shopping? If you find one that doesn’t I seriously think you need to put that poor girl out of her misery.
Anyway, us Mob women (a name we had so “cutely” been given by the newspapers) decided to go and shop. The twins stayed with Justin while he did some Mafia paper work. It even bothered me that the twins were with him while he was doing that but I had no other choice.
I needed a break too, and again, I don’t trust Nannies, although sometimes I really have to get over that and leave the kids with them.
The three of us, Hope, Savannah and I sat at a small café, with bags from Prada, Gucci, Via Spiga and Chanel piled around us.
“I have a question…” I looked at my two best friends and sighed. “Do you guys ever regret this life…?”
“What do you mean…?” Savannah looked at me curiously. She and JC still weren’t married but were engaged. It seemed like JC was putting it off until as long as possible.
“Do you guys think it would have been better if we would have never got involved with the guys?”
“Sometimes yes… sometimes no…” Savannah replied.
“Same…” Hope bit her lip. “Nat, do you regret marrying Justin?”
“Sometimes I do… because I don’t want my kids to grow up like this…and it hurts that he lied to me. But I just keep my mouth shut about it. Sometimes it feels like I’m just gonna explode cause I can’t hold it all in.”
“It sounds like you guys need to sit down and talk.” Hope stated and put her hand on my shoulder. “But whatever decision you make I’m behind you one hundred percent. You need to be happy.”
“I agree.” Savannah said and smiled. “Your happiness is all that matters.”
“Thanks…” I smiled at my two friends and sighed in relief. “But I think things will be okay…”
So maybe I was lying? Maybe things really were never gonna be okay for me and Justin but did that matter? My kids mattered and there happiness. They were living the good life and I wasn’t going to take their father and financial security away from them.
“Did you guys meet the two new guys that are working for the guys now?” Hope asked.
“No… but do tell. They hot?” Savannah said. I just giggled.
“VERY!! One is JC’s stepbrother, Lance and the other is this guy, Martin. They’re pretty cute, especially Lance.” Hope stated with a smirk.
“Cuuuuutttee.” I responded, Hope immediately giggled at the thought of Mr.Maywell, the crazy but cool guy who managed Angel’s Diner.
“Well too bad we can only look and not touch.” Hope said and sipped her glass of water.
“Oh well. We have hot men of our own so it’s no big deal.” Savannah beamed.
“Speaking of our hot men… have you and JC set a date for the wedding yet?” I inquired.
“No…he said we should wait a little longer…” Savannah looked down when she said this.
My heart truly broke for her because I knew she loved him and this was hurting her so badly. Savannah loved JC and wanted to be married? I mean I could understand that he was nervous but goddamn they weren’t getting any younger, what was the big deal?
Marriage isn’t THAT scary. I mean it’s a big step and whatever but it’s not something that you dread. It’s a happy occasion. JC loves Savannah too, its so fucking obvious, so why didn’t he want to marry her?
I just think all men are pussy.
“Excuse me… Miss?”
Distracted from the conversation, I looked up and came face to face with a gorgeous man who was looking right at me.
“Hi… uhm… Can I help you?”
“I just wanted to tell you that you are the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
I raised my eyebrow, nice pick up line. Insert much sarcasm.
“Thank you…”
This man was too hot. He was very tall, about 6’5”, with brown spiked hair, brown eyes and this amazing body. He was broad and muscular.
“My name’s David…David Boreanaz… and you are?”
“Natalia Timberlake.”
“As in the wife of Justin Timberlake… the Mob Lord?”
“In the flesh…” I laughed nervously and glanced at Savannah and Hope who were staring at this guy the same way I was. “Uhm… let me introduce you to my friends… This is Hope Ryan, and Savannah Carmichael.”
“Nice to meet you ladies… I’m sorry to interrupt your lunch… so lets call it even… it’s on me.” David smiled warmly at us and I could feel myself melt. God, he was so hot and sweet.
“You really don’t have to…” Hope spoke up, her voice almost shaking.
“No I insist… please…” He pulled up a chair and sat between Savannah and me. Oh God, I wished at that moment I wasn’t married.
“Thank you, David.” Savannah smiled at him.
GOD!! He was hot!!!
“You don’t mind if I sit here do you? I hate sitting alone.”
Aww how fucking cute!!
“Go ahead. I know that feeling.” I said.
By the end of the lunch, it felt like I knew David all my life. He was such a great guy and so intelligent. Savannah and Hope were walking ahead of us to the cars, while David and I lagged behind, chatting away about everything.
“I know your married… but can I have your number… things will be strictly as friends. I know better than to cheat with a Mafia guy’s wife. Even though I’m very attracted to that wife.” David said and looked straight into my eyes.
“Alright…” I half smiled and looked down, I grabbed a pen and wrote my cell phone number down on his hand. “Give me a call sometime.”
“I definitely will. It was great to meet you, Natalia.”
“You too David.”
**
One thing I missed about New York was having Ricky around all the time. At a moment like this, I definitely needed my best friend the most too.
I dialed his number into the portable phone and walked into my closet and sat on the floor. It was like the only place I could get privacy to talk. The twins were napping too so it would be the best time.
“Hello?”
“Ricky, my love!”
“Natalia! Hey girl. How are you?”
“Missing you so much.” I sighed into the phone. “Damn Tommy Hilfiger for not letting you live here.”
“I know… I wish things could be like before.” He sighed and I could picture him running his hand through his hair.
“How’s Louis?”
“He’s great… living together is really great… but I really do wanna get married.”
“AWWWWWWW!” I screamed.
“But we have to do a Civil Union or whatever. Same thing but I’m calling it a marriage, I don’t care what any stupid homophobe wants to call it.”
“Have you asked him yet?”
“No… but I will.”
I grinned to myself, loving that my best friend was so happy. It’s so crazy to see that we’re both (soon) married. I mean not even 5 years ago we were bitching about being single.
Things change in the blink of an eye.
Ricky knew about the problems with Justin, and how I felt and he encouraged me to talk to him about it, just as Savannah and Hope had. But I guess I was scared.
“Why are things crazy? Like why do things have to change? Why do people have to change?”
“I don’t know… I guess without change we’d all be dull and predictable.”
“I’m gonna talk to him today…” I sighed.
“Are you gonna be okay?” Ricky asked me, obviously worried.
I loved that about him, he was always thinking of others before himself.
“Yeah, I’m just worried. I mean I don’t want him to be a dick about things and as hurt as I am, I don’t want to end things with him. I love him.”
“I know you do… I’ve known that you loved him since day one.”
Hearing Ricky say that made me smile. I loved that he had faith in me and Justin, even though I didn’t at all.
“Thank you… I needed to hear that.”
“Hear what… that you love him?”
“No, I needed to hear that someone else sees it.” I scratched my forehead and leaned my head back against the wall.
“Listen sweetie, just relax and go talk to him… tell me what happens… okay?”
“I will… I love you Rick. Bye.”
“Love you too, Nat.”
We hung up and I was left listening to the dial tone. It was now or never.
