Remi-Blu

Standing next to Esteban, he doesn't even look my way. He knows I am beside him. I see the tick in his jaw.

The quiet is my invitation to apologize, but how? I have never apologized to anyone for anything. I never had to

"I haven't dated or slept with any other men" having to even say that has my throat tight and my eyes stinging with tears.

"Is that so?" he asked me, but it's not a question. It's disbelief

"No, Ria knows that I am married to her Daddy. What do I look like dating?"

My statement turns him around

I let out a sigh that came deep from my soul, shit, I am so tired of all this fuckery, but I created this.

"Let me finish, telling you the truth"

I am married but on paper, to protect myself and Ria. To the outside world, and people who know about Ria, I am married to Ria's father, who works out of the country, and lives between New York and Miami,

I continued to explain.

I made sure Ria had your last name with the help of one of my connections. I copied your signature from documents from the last parlay and signed Ria's birth certificate. Ria's birth certificate also indicates that we are married.

Esteban's eyebrow raised

If anyone inquired about my marriage, I explained that we were married in my family church in Portugal per my grandmother's wishes. I didn't want Ria or myself to appear as some statistic. Being married also protected me from being taken advantage of while I built my business.

So you see, I am married to you!"

Esteban is frozen, he doesn't move but I can tell he is trying to process what I just said.

"Say that again" he step towards me

Taking a deep breath I tell him again. "You are my husband."

"Then why do people think you are married to a Russian Commander?"

"Because they don't mind their business, why?" His look lets me know he is not for my shit right now

"He is one of the clients."

"And" Esteban gestures for me to continue with my explanation.

"Gavriil Antonov is one of my clients, I'm one of his Legal Consultants. When he is in town he is more comfortable if I attend certain events with him"

"And" Esteban wasn't satisfied with my explanation

"We are friends, I had strategically let some people know that I was married and others just assumed because I wasn't associated with anyone, Then Gav came into town, he was the first man people had ever saw me with and people assumed he was husband"

"So people saw you with someone and just assumed that was your husband"

"You saw me with Dante and assumed he was my "People", people think whatever they want."

"Okay full disclosure, our body language may have given couple vibes" I said hoping to leave it at that. But the way Esteban cocked his eyebrow I knew that wasn't the case.

"I attended a few events with him in New York and people there also assumed I was his girlfriend and he didn't correct it either, but the funny thing is Gav also thought I was married, so he only went so far" I laughed at how absurd all of this was, Esteban was clearly not amused

"Sorry, um it's funny to me, but you know people like what others have, and Gav thinks I'm married and -"

"Have you been with the Russian?" Esteban was standing right in front of me,

Stepping closer to him I took his hand and placed it inside of my robe, resting his hand on what he thought I shared with others "When you are in me does it feel like someone else has been there?"

Esteban stared into my eyes and I knew I better answer his question although he knew the answer his ego needed to hear it.

"I have never been intimate with Gav, never shared myself him or anyone else since before the day I first met you"

Esteban grabbed me between my legs where I placed his hand "I would advise it stays that way Wife."

I kissed him to let him know I would comply

Esteban

The dreams started about a month into my bid. The dreams were erotic and I chalked it up to missing being with a woman but I had that dream in some form every night. I could remember every detail except for what the woman looked like.

The morning after the Parlay, I awoke to Carlos shaking me awake, the woman I was with was still asleep, but her back was to me. There was a situation and we needed to move quickly. I didn't wake the woman. I dressed quickly and did what Remi said. I left money on the table.

I asked Carlos if he remembered or saw what she looked like, he said he just recalled Blu3 hair. What are the chances that My Beauty is the woman I dreamed about. It made me think

"So our meeting wasn't by chance?" I take Remi's hand and lead us to the coach to sit down.

"It was, I didn't know you were going to be at Aria's that night" Remi's response begged that I believe her.

"I want to explain myself" bringing her hand to my mouth I kiss it gently.

"I will be honest, I don't remember much from the parlay, but I remember the feeling of being with you. I know it may not make sense but it is true. When I was locked up I had a recurring dream of being with a woman and how passionate we were. And I wanted that level of passion, in real life. Not being able to confirm it was a dream or remembering a woman I had been with was God's way of punishing me for being unfaithful to my wife."

I know that I hurt her, unintentionally or not. Damage was done, damage caused by my selfish actions. I was the married one. I should not have approached her in the first place.

"Remi, I cheated all the time back then. Most of the women that slept with knew I was married and didn't care. Those women were impressed by my lifestyle. They didn't mind being a mistress, or one of many, if it meant access to my lifestyle and getting the material things they wanted."

" The game gets old after a while. Hooking up, then acting like there is enough interest to build a relationship, buying them shit to keep them happy and available, it gets old. I realized the game worked both ways; they expected gifts, so I started leaving money to prevent the drawn-out process of acting like it was something it wasn't."

I explained to Remi that usually, I would give the girls the money as a gift, telling them I wanted them to spend the day shopping or some shit. It made them feel like I was into them, and usually if I wanted to I would see them again.

"When I saw you in the club, I was drawn to you. I hadn't even seen your face, and then when you turned around, I knew you were it for me because I thought you were better than my dream girl." I looked at her to see if she understood and the glossiness of her eyes confirmed that she believed what I was saying

"I apologize for making you an accomplice to my deceitful ways," I pulled Remi into my lap, I needed to be closer to her.

"How are we going to do this? How do I know you love and want to be with me? How can we be together? How are we going to trust each other" I thought out loud as I held onto her.

Remi turned and looked me in my eyes "I love you, Esteban, not just because you are Ria's father, but because I loved you from the first time I saw you. You were the first man to hold my attention. My immaturity and fear made me want to hurt you, but I couldn't do it." She held my gaze and I knew she loved me.

Now I understand where the random tears come from; she tried to follow her plan but couldn't. She loves me.

"Who is Dominica?" I asked, remembering what Estefania told me.

"I am Dominica," she stated, like I should understand the rest. My look told her I needed more than that.

"My first name is Remi-Blu but I go by my middle name Dominica; growing up, I went by Dominica. My grandmother preferred it. Dominica was her sister's name. When I started my business I decided to go by first name. Remi-Blu.

"Where are you really from?" I asked her"

"The disappearing acts, what was that about?"

"I travel for my business."

"Your business?" I ask because what business her missing for days

"R.Blu Consulting, I provide legal consultation and business advice for certain businesses" I leaned back to look at her reading between lines. I had the idea that all the businesses may not be legitimate.

"So just work kept you away?" I asked

"Staying away It was a part of my plan but the night I was at your house, the girl called. What's her name, Corine? called you. It took everything in me to stay calm; I was angry and jealous. I knew then I wouldn't be able to follow through with my plan, and risk losing you to someone else." The emotion on her face gave my ego a boost.

"Well, you played that off cause you acted like you could give a fuck"

"Indifference is a necessary skill. I depend on being a female in my profession. I can't show any weakness." She wrapped her arms around my neck

"I stayed away because absence makes the heart grow fonder; what I didn't think through is it works both ways. I began to miss you so much when I was away" Remi said and then kissed my neck.

"Baby I really am sorry for hurting you, and I am so glad you decided to have our daughter" I wiped the tears from my eyes " And for giving her my name."

Remi moved off of my lap and reached for my hand, pulling me up. She walked us back to the bedroom, after undressing me, we got in bed.

"So who takes care of Estebana when you travel, and who has her now?

"Miko takes care of her when I travel and when I work, she is Ria's nanny but also a good friend of mine" I felt sad knowing I missed so much, I guess the sadness showed

"Come with me", Remi said as she jumped out of bed. She threw me a robe, a man's robe and my eyebrows raised.

"Don't look so surprised if you open that closet you will see a lot of things that belong to my husband" she said winking.

Tying my robe I followed Remy out of her room, down a hall and up a flight of stairs to a second floor. Remi walked down a hallway and opened the first door on her left.

Walking in the room behind her I looked around at all the pink, frilly baby girl things and realized we were in Ria's Room. One of the walls were covered with pictures of Remi and I and even some with all three of us,

Remi noticed I was confused and simply said. "Photoshop"

Remi moved further into the room and turned on a small lamp, and then I saw her. Estebana, my baby laying perfectly still in the middle of her pink canopy bed.

"Come see your daughter" Remi moved and I sat on the edge of Ria bed,

I knew it may wake her but I wanted to hold my baby, picking her up I held her close. She smelled so sweet. I kissed her forehead and her cheeks. Looking at her little hands. I was in awe, I helped make this little girl. She belongs to me no question. Remi wiped the tears from my face.

"Thank you, for having our baby" I watched as her eyes filled with tears.

I kissed my baby girl on her forehead again and she stirred.. Remi and I were looking at each other as unspoken promises passed between us when I felt a little hand touch my face.

"Daddy" Looking down I saw my precious baby girl smiling up at me with sleepy eyes.

"Hi baby" my daughter turned her little body and hugged me. She wasn't shy, it was as if she had grown up in my arms her whole little life.

"Daddy you back from work?" she pushed back and looked in my eyes.

"Yes, Baby Daddy is back from work"

"Good, Daddy you work all the time" Ria snuggled in my arms, her little hand gripped my shirt tight and she went back to sleep.

I held Ria for a while longer until Remi lay on the other side of the bed and told me to lay down too.

That is how we went to sleep with Ria in the middle of us, I don't how long I watched them both, still in disbelief.