Chapter 14 #2
“I don’t like surprises.”
“You’re just going to have to cope.”
“Is it—”
“Don’t try to guess.”
We ended up at North Las Vegas Airport a smaller airport reserved for helicopters and private planes. “It’s a helicopter ride isn’t it?”
“You’re warm but still cold.”
The car pulled alongside a jet parked on the runway with the passenger door open and boarding stairs in place.
On the tarmac everything moved very fast, the driver transported our bags to the plane.
A flight attendant greeted us at the bottom of the stairs.
“Welcome to Zeppelin Air Mr. Mosley, once you are settled onboard, we can prepare for takeoff.”
“We’re flying?”
“Yes.” He placed his hand on my back guiding me up the stairs.
Onboard my head was on a pivot. I’d never been on a jet before. It was spacious and we were the only two passengers. “Who else is joining us?”
“No one. Small and intimate, remember?”
“We can’t just do this. Hop a plane to God knows where.”
“Mexico.”
“Mexico,” I gushed. “No one knows where I’m at.”
“That’s what makes it exciting.”
“I’m supposed to have brunch with Anika tomorrow.”
“She’ll understand.”
“Aldridge?”
“Are you going to hem and haw the entire flight?” He dropped into the roomy leather seat.
“No.”
“Great, buckle up, buttercup.”
This wasn’t my life, flying in private jets to beach front resorts.
Shit, I hadn’t packed a swimsuit, the thought of us leaving Vegas never crossed my mind, but thankfully I always kept my passport on me.
I could be spontaneous given time to plan.
Buckling my seatbelt, I leaned into the seat taking a few deep breaths.
This was fine. This was perfectly fine. It would allow Aldridge and I a chance to spend uninterrupted time together.
Just him, me, and his cognac eyes that could access my soul.
“Can I get you something to drink?” the flight attendant asked.
“Champagne? Is that possible?”
“This is a non-alcohol flight but I can prepare a delicious mocktail.”
“That would be lovely. Thank you.” Wow, Aldridge really took the no alcohol thing seriously. I’d heard of athletes with strict diets and exercise regimes. I guess this was just part of his conditioning.
I turned to Aldridge and demanded answers. “Are you going to tell me how you pulled this all off?”
“When you went home to go change, I made good use of my free time.”
“You did all this?”
“Keep in mind I also have an amazing assistant who knows how to get shit done.”
“Aldi?” My eyes probably took up half my face.
When I went home to shower and change it took me an hour, maybe an hour and a half tops, and in that time he’d hired a private jet, secured a place for our stay and no doubt had other surprises in store.
Anika was right, wealthy men did give better gifts.
“I know it’s not much, if I had more time, I could’ve flown us to Italy or something.”
I pressed my hand to his chest. “It’s perfect, no notes.”
On the ground in Mexico, we were met by another private car that escorted us to a house so impressive I had to pinch myself to confirm I wasn’t dreaming.
“Welcome to Luna Del Pacifico. My name is Marisol, I will be your valet for the duration of your stay. We have you reserved for one night. How was your flight?”
“Like a hop, skip, and a jump,” Aldridge said.
“That’s what we like to hear. Follow me.”
This was the type of place from an architectural magazine.
Open spaces, that still managed to feel intimate.
A kitchen with a walk-in fridge any chef would swoon over.
The pantry was stocked with snacks and beverages and there were five bedrooms, two of which were primary.
Both spacious with jaw dropping views and a bathroom I was going to enjoy getting ready in later tonight.
“For madam this will be your room. Feel free to settle in, I will be returning with refreshments shortly. Mr. Mosley please follow me.”
This room was bananas. There was luxury and then there was whatever the fuck this was.
Plenty of men had offered to fly me out to Paris or Bali and each time I declined.
But this was something a girl could get used to.
With the stunning views it felt like a nature retreat surrounded by trees.
The ocean, which I could see from my window, sang a calming song.
I was going to sleep like a baby tonight.
If I told Aldridge this was too much, and I’d have been cool with pizza and cold beer, he would brush my objections aside. He said we should celebrate, and this was definitely the better way to do it. A knock at my door pulled me from my thoughts.
“Ingresar,” I called out.
Aldridge opened the door and was already in his swim trucks and nothing else.
His thick muscular thighs were obscene. I’m talking explicit content.
His shorts were well above his knees, showcasing his strong legs and from the waist up it was just sculpted muscle starting with the deep-set grooves just under his abs.
I found myself zoning in on the tattoo of my name on his chest. He’d gotten it claiming he wanted me close even when we were apart.
Why he hadn’t covered it up years ago with a lion’s head or the Liberty Bell was beyond me.
If the roles were reversed, I wouldn’t want a reminder of the person who broke my heart.
“I thought we could go swimming. We can walk to the beach or hit up the pool.”
I sucked in air, cringing. “I didn’t pack any swimsuits I thought we were going to a casino.”
“It’s all good. If you want to swim in your birthday suit, I wouldn’t object, but there’s brand-new swimsuits in the dresser. Just take your pick.”
“You thought of everything.”
“Meet me outside when you’re ready. No rush.”
It would appear Aldridge had settled on the pool. There were tapas and a pitcher of tamarind pineapple quencher. Marisol had already brought a glass to my room while I was changing.
“I can’t believe we were in Vegas just a few hours ago,” I said.
Aldridge pulled his attention from the ocean in front of us to look at me and performed a double take.
Friends didn’t look at each other the way he was staring at me.
His eyes tripping over my body like he was taking inventory or a mental picture to be called up at a later date.
The swimsuit options were plentiful and for my part, I chose the tiniest one.
My cups runneth over and my ass was on display.
“A place like this can really shift your perspective.”
“Have you been here before?” I dropped into the queen-sized lounger next to him.
“Yeah, I came here for a few days before I landed in Vegas. Just needed to get my mind right, you know.”
“I imagine this place tunes you right up.” His lips twitched with a ghost of a smile. “What?”
“This is just nice. You, me, paradise.”
“I can’t thank you enough for this.”
“Stop, you deserve to be celebrated.”
“You could’ve just gotten me a cake.”
“There’s cake.” I returned his goofy smile. “So just sit back, relax, and have a good time.”
“Done and done.” Putting on my sunglasses, I melted into the cushion.
I’d been on edge all morning over that email, so to finally be able to breathe and have it be in a practical nature preserve was very satisfying.
A random thought popped into my head and I needed confirmation. “Did your moving truck ever show up?”
“Yeah, it came just like you said.”
“Great, I was just wondering because I never got a thank you card.”
Aldridge chuckled. “You want a thank you card?”
“It’s usually customary when someone does you a solid.”
“Okay, here’s your thank you card.” He flipped me the finger.
“Wow, who raised you?”
“Katherine Mosley from Northeast Philadelphia and she ain’t spending five dollars on a funky thank you card.”
“We used to be a society. When I scratched your back, you returned the favor with a card and money inside.”
“You sound like Jemini.”
“I’m offended and gravely injured.” Waving my hand over the space I continued. “I’ll just consider this the thank you note.”
Aldridge returned to his phone checking out SportsCenter’s newsfeed, so I decided to check my missed messages.
Nothing out of the ordinary, final closing documents, clients with questions, and a text from some guy I didn’t remember giving my number to asking me on a date. Ignoring all of that I texted Anika.
Danessa: Guess where I’m at?
Anika: Three guesses, the gym, Trader Joes, or that Thai place we love.
Danessa: Nope. Mexico.
Anika: Excuse me?
I loved it when I could shock my sister, it was usually the other way around.
Danessa: Aldridge took me. A quick overnight trip.
Anika: What happened to being just friends?
Danessa: We still are.
Anika: So are you going to fuck him in Mexico?
Danessa: What? No.
Anika: A man. A fine ass man takes you out of the country for a spontaneous trip and you’re not giving up the head.
The thought hadn’t crossed my mind.
Danessa: Is that customary?
Anika: I’ve been flown out both domestically and internationally and each time I showed up and showed out.
Danessa: You sound like an escort.
Anika: And you sound like a prude. Girl, stop playing dumb and fuck that man. You know you want to.
I one hundred percent did. But if he brought me out here because he thought I’d feel the need to reciprocate he was dead wrong.
Danessa: We’re just enjoying each other’s company.
Anika: You can do that with his dick in your mouth.
I glanced at Aldridge to make sure he hadn’t noticed the blush taking over my face.
Danessa: I can’t.
Anika: Good girls have the worst stories in the nursing home. No one wants to hear about Patricia who married her high school sweetheart after he returned from the war. Now Bessie who was busting it open for Billy Dee Williams or Nat King Cole. That’s a story I’d pay to hear.
Fuck I didn’t have any stories. My whole life had been PG-13.
Danessa: What if he’s not interested?
Anika: It’s Aldridge we’re talking about, he’s interested.
Danessa: What do I say?
Anika: Tell him you haven’t been stretched out in a while and ask him if he could help. You say that and Aldi will do the rest. You’ll come back from Mexico with a limp and a concussion from him fucking you through the headboard.
I dropped my phone releasing a nervous chuckle. “I’m hot I’m gonna go for a swim.” Not waiting for his response, I jumped into the pool.
When I finally came up for air Aldridge was wading into the water. “This water is perfect.”
“Uh-huh.”
He floated over to me. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m great.”
“Have you been to the Greek islands yet?”
“No.”
“Is it still one of your dream destinations?”
“Yes.”
“What do you say we make a plan to visit this summer?”
Making plans would mean spending more time together and that was proving more difficult than I first assumed. Plus, a trip to Greece would probably require back door action or pissing on him, both of which I wasn’t up for. “I can’t plan that far out. I have work and now school.”
“I can plan it, you just have to show up.”
“And when you end up with a girlfriend in three months what is she going to think about your vacation with your ex?”
“I’m gonna have a girlfriend in three months?”
“Probably sooner. Women in Vegas love men like you.”
“Rich?”
“Don’t sell yourself short. Rich, tall, handsome, Black.” I whispered the last word like it was taboo. But sometimes it seemed like dating Black was trendy and one of those nursing home stories Anika talked about. They could tell all the old bitties about their summer fling with a Black dude.
“She’ll just have to be cool with it.”
“I don’t know any person who’d be okay with you cozying up to an ex.”
“See that’s the difference between you and me. I’m not a jealous person.”
“Bullshit, you practically curb stomped Dante over words.”
“It was the principle not jealousy.” He flashed me a smile before plunging his head under the water.
Maybe it was the balmy weather or sweet drinks, but I was going to fold like a cheap card table.
It was getting harder and harder to pretend I wasn’t feeling Aldridge.
And my thoughts of him were damn near pornographic, Deborah Cox was right, we couldn’t be friends because I wanted to fuck him.
You know what they say, if you give a bitch some dick, she is going to want to suck it before bedtime.
And if you let her suck it before bedtime, she might slip it inside and cream on it.
And if she creamed on it, she’d have to put it back in her mouth to lick it clean. It was a vicious cycle.
When Aldridge popped back up to the surface, I blurted out. “Anika said I have to sleep with you?”
He sputtered out a cough. “Excuse me?”
“She said it was like a silent quid pro quo.”
“Exchange for what exactly?”
“For this, bringing me here. And that in turn I should thank you with my vagina.”
“Do you wanna sleep with me?”
“No … no because … we’re friends.”
Aldridge giggled far too long, and I hated I wasn’t in on the joke. “Danessa, I expect absolutely nothing. I just wanna be here with you.”
An unexpected release of tension lightened my shoulders. “I am really appreciative.”
“I know you are, and you don’t have to pop pussy for it.”
“Whew.” I pretended to wipe my forehead.
“I’m gonna get another drink.” Well, that was a relief, I swam to the stairs climbing out.
There would be no exchange of goods or services.
Wait, he asked if I wanted to sleep with him, but the real question was did he want to sleep with me.
Turning, I stared at him in the pool. Aldridge waved and winked before swimming away.