“These are nice!”
Aphrodite’s voice held the same note of wonder in it that it had the last few times she’d picked up something this jeweler had displayed.
I was more than impressed by the red carpet that had been laid out for all theDesperadosplayers’ partners. I wasn’t expecting to walk into this luncheon and get thousands of dollars to spend and despite my misgivings I was starting to relax and enjoy myself.
I looked at the watch she was holding up and I had to admit it was beautiful. The watch was large and covered with diamonds. Iwas sure they just had this out here for shits and giggles but they didn’t understand that the women here had money, too. Some deeper than the men they emotionally supported. Just looking around at the women that we’d been sitting with, Billy could match her man dollar for dollar if you didn’t count his family’s money. And at least two of us out-earned our partners.
Damn, did I have a partner? This is so surreal.
“That is nice. You’re thinking of getting it for Ant?” I looked it over quickly noting that the price was actually good for the number of carats in the bezel. I’d worn a black linen sleeveless dress and flat sandals. It was easier to maneuver with Ami with this outfit but it was nice enough for this occasion especially since she fell asleep in her carrier. Aphrodite was wearing a floral cropped bandeau top with a matching kimono and wide-leg linen pants. She looked so good and I wondered if she’d given any thoughts to her clothing for the season. I could already see different ways to integrate her style with some of the ideas I had for games. Since my sewing machine had arrived I’d gotten back in the feel of being creative and it helped pass the time with Aldrich being gone.
The way her eyes sparkled as she looked at the watch I knew she wasn’t leaving without this watch. “Yeah. He’s always so uptight about stuff he never treats himself to anything. I think I’m going to get it for him and have someone gift it to him when I’m in New York. I went back to the shop and had some items custom ordered for him too. They won’t be delivered until later on but I wasn’t about to have him being cheap with himself.” She rolled her eyes looking completely frustrated with his purchasing and I had to laugh. One thing Aldrich Dinero was going to do was to spend his hard-earned money. He felt like he invested enough to take care of himself once whatever illness might strike him because of the sport he played so he was damnsure going to enjoy his money while he was of sound mind and body.
“He hates to spend money?” I wasn’t being judgmental; I was happy to see an athlete who was smart about his money. Aldrich told me he didn’t spend any of his salary and lived off of his endorsement money and interest. His ass still lived life to the fullest though.
Aphrodite rolled her eyes and shook her head and I knew this was something they’d probably argued over just by looking at her body language. “On him. He does too much for me. Stuff that I’m used to doing for myself.”
“Maybe that’s why he does it.” I looked at the diamond necklace I’d been eyeing for Ami but I knew I could have it made in the diamond district for a better price. There was no rush for me to get it for her so I put it back down.
She looked up from the watch puzzled and I knew what she was going to ask. “What do you mean?”
“Because he knows that you’ve never really had it before and he’s trying to show you that you can let him have that part of your burden. You’ve always been focussed on money and making sure you had enough because you had so many people trying to get a piece. But instead of taking from you, he wants to show you that he’s got you.”
Aphrodite was quiet for a few seconds like she allowed my words to soak in. “That sounds right. He does so much for me that I don’t even think about things half the time. It’s kinda crazy.”
This girl acted like that was a normal situation for a man even though I knew she had a shitty ex. It was beautiful that Anthony had normalized her being treated right to the point where it was her norm.
“Umm that’s how he’s supposed to act, Aphrodite. It’s his job if he wants to be in your life like that. With the number ofpassion marks I’ve seen on your neck, I know you're giving that man something more than companionship so, yeah, reciprocity and all that.” She playfully bumped me with her hip before looking at the other pieces they’d laid out as she put the watch back in the leather storage box.
“Well, I’m definitely buying this.” She handed it back to the salesperson, who seemed shocked when she asked her to wrap it up. The girl’s eyes lit up and I knew it was from the idea of the commission she was going to get. Aphrodite requested something to be engraved inside and they said they’d be happy to deliver the watch to her when it was done. “You don’t see anything here for Aldrich?”
I rolled my eyes because buying something for Aldrich was pointless. He would have an inkling to spend money and it was already getting moved out of his account. That man had no issue with spoiling himself or anyone around him.
“It’s impossible to do that. I’d rather buy something for her than for him, but again, even that’s impossible.”
“Things are better?”
She asked with the type of careful concern I expected from Aphrodite. We’d talked about our families and I knew she didn’t want me to think she was prying but this was what friends shared with each other. I’d told her that there had been attachment issues with Aldrich and Ami. But she’d already guessed it by the way she was conceived and then basically thrown into full-time parenthood when that crazy bitch died.
“You’d never know she wasn’t a daddy’s girl from conception. He does too much. She literally has grow with me diamond studs.”
“How does that happen?” She looked as confused as I was when he said it because it didn’t make any sense.
“He purchased them now because he said they would only get more expensive as time went on. She’s even got a pair of earrings he wants her to wear on her wedding day.”
Her mouth dropped open before she looked like Aldrich was the most precious thing in the world. And honestly, it’s the same way I’d been when he showed me what he’d gotten.
“Smart, but I guess I shouldn’t expect him to get the girl labs.”
“He might choke on something if he ever thought of buying something that wasn’trealfor his baby. Like lab diamonds aren’t exactly the same thing.” I’d grown up with people who were snobs about stuff like that, but if it came down to it, give me the lab diamond and throw the rest in an investment account.”
“I wouldn’t care. There’s only so much jewelry I can wear at one time and it’s all the same. I know it would be important to Anthony because he feels like it’s a representation of how much he loves me, but I get shown that every day. The ring is for everyone else and I have long since stopped caring about what other people think.” Her words made sense because the scrutiny she’d been under for so long meant that she’d had to build a thick skin. Not worrying about Anthony’s money had more to do with the type of woman she was than the fact that she had so much of it herself.
“Damn, that’s a really good way to put it. I know women who have major issues if they don’t get a ring of a certain quality just because they know their circle will talk shit. Whole time their man has been cheating but somehow the ring is supposed to be a big deal. It’s actually pathetic. But the way you look at things is…refreshing.” The more I spoke with Aphrodite the more she solidified that she was the type of person I wanted to have in my life. These were the types of women that could support the both of us with everything that would come our way.
Even if I didn’t know where I stood exactly.
She chuckled as she handed her card over for the watch to be wrapped up. “I thought you were going to say broke for a second.”
