Page 1 of Nothing Even Matters
It’s Like That
It was him, his notepad and pen, and The Emotions.
Eli D’Amato focused on his goals for the upcoming year as he listed as many things possible. He always made a rule – list goals he knows he should attain, the goals he will attain, and the ones that are impossible. It was a guarantee he was going to complete at least one from each category.
“What Do The Lonely Do at Christmas” blared in his corner office at Madre’s Manhattan headquarters while a steaming cup of hot cocoa was carefully placed on a corner of his desk. After a holiday gathering for the Madre’s employees, it was just Eli alone in the shop.
Gain ten pounds of muscle.
Eli knew he probably didn’t need to gain anymore weight. After working out for years, he was finally happy with his physique – not too bulky, but not too skinny. He kept his muscular build rather streamlined and was happy with the results. Still, it didn’t hurt him to become a bit more in shape. With his mother’s famous cuisine, Eli needed all the help he could get.
Start saying no.
That was always a stickler for Eli. While Joey had no problem turning down requests, Eli always wanted to accommodate people, even against his better judgment. Was he really going to say no to Girl Scouts of America? Was he really going to say no to Make-A-Wish Foundation? Was he going to turn down a grieving widower who wanted last minute flowers for his wife’s grave?
It was why Madre’s the primer floral shop in all of New York. It was why the eponymous reality show was a smash hit, averaging 15 million viewers every week. It was why the D’Amato family was wealthier, and Eli’s fortune grew from $25 million to well over $300 million in just a few years.
Of course, the money wasn’t all Eli’s. Whatever he had, so did his four brothers and mother. They were all wealthy on their own but Eli wanted a fair playing field between them. His fame was theirs. His money was theirs. Everyone loved how Eli was so personable despite his wealth and fame.
He made a correction:Start saying no. Start trying to say no.
He took a sip of the peppermint hot chocolate and thought about his next goal. It was disconcerting how easily it came to his head and the thought made the soothing beverage taste suddenly chalky. He put down the cup and began writing again.
Start dating again.
The thought made him feel uncomfortable. Only 33, Eli was certainly young enough to entertain a girlfriend or two (or five). While he’d briefly dated – and got his face plastered in the gossip blogs because of it – Eli wasn’t sure if settling down was a goal he wanted to attain. He was still reeling from his divorce and the hefty child support payments were a reminder why maybe he should stay single for the rest of the his life.
While he had no shortage of action – his bed was never empty and his dick stayed wet – having a girlfriend meant a commitment he didn’t want to give to anyone. God was his first love, followed by his children, brothers and mother, then Madre’s. He simply didn’t have time for any woman in that.
“I thought you would’ve been long gone by now,” Joseph “Joey” D’Amato entered the shared office with his brother. President and COO of Madre’s, Joey was the brains behind the business. Their mother, Nicola, was the face, while Eli was the talent behind the designs. Joey also acted as Eli’s manager, brokering million-dollar deals for his younger sibling.
“Doing my goals for next year,” Eli replied. “I’ll be out of here soon, though.”
“That was nice what you did for the employees,” Joey added, “I know those bonuses are going to come in handy for a lot of families.”
“Not everyone is like us and I remember how we each didn’t get a lot of gifts growing up.” Eli replied. His family grew up poor when their father left at a young age, leaving Nicola to raise five sons on her own. “If I can just help one family, I did God’s work.”
“The main man.” Joey replied. “Well, I’m about to get out of here. Zoe’s cooking up some Chinese soul food shit and I just pray to God I don’t get food poisoning. You’re welcome to join us if you like?”
“Okay, what you just said?” Eli softly gesticulated. “No.”
Joey laughed. “If I have to suffer, so do you, bro.”
“I’ll take a rain check. I’ll see you on Sunday,” Eli noted. Their mother was having a big Italian feast on Christmas and all of the brothers and their families were invited (read: show up or I’ll hound you forever).
“See you Sunday!” Joey left the office.
Eli continued to work on his goals until he had a nice, long list. Even if he only completed three goals, he had something to work towards and keep him motivated throughout the year.
The Pandora station switched to Luther Vandross’s “At Christmas Time,” and it was a sobering reminder why Eli put dating as a goal of his. He suddenly remembered when he came home and saw his wife baking cookies in a naughty Santa outfit she’d picked up from Frederick’s of Hollywood. Eli chuckled as he thought about Faith almost burned her nipples when she pulled out the cookies from the oven because the apron barely covered her lace teddy.
“You think it’s so funny, don’t you?” She chided as Eli kept laughing. “I hope you’re laughing when I have to go to the ER.”
“You’re not burned, Faye,” Eli went to the freezer and pulled out an ice cube. He removed his wife’s apron and traced the cube over her breasts. “But I know just the thing to cool you off.”
Faith bit her lip and tried to keep still. “You’ve been watching too much Do The Right Thing.”
Eli lifted Faith’s gaze to his and brushed his lips across hers. “You can be Tina to my Mookie.” He picked her up and carried her to the living room.
“And what are you doing?” She asked.
Eli climbed on top of his wife. “Everything, I hope.”
“Eli,” the security guard, Tyrell, interrupted Eli’s memory and he was grateful for the interruption. “You have a visitor.”
“I do?” Eli glanced at his Cartier watch. It was nine o’clock at night and Madre’s typically closed for business at seven. “Who?”
“She says she’s Amy Sheppard,” Tyrell shrugged, “do you know her?”
“Yes.” It was Faith’s mother. Amy didn’t typically visit Madre’s or Eli for that matter. For her to make a special guest appearance, something was wrong. “I’ll be down in a minute.”
