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  In a shocking turn of events, I was able to snag a same-day appointment with Kierra for late afternoon. She gave me the last appointment of the day, no doubt so that she could talk my ear off. I was set to go in at 3:30, which meant that with any luck, I would be out of there about seven.

  After that was sealed, I was grateful that I had a little more time to lounge around.

  “Hey straaanger,” I said when my daughter, Skai, answered her phone.

  “Stranger?” she drawled. “Stop it, Ma.”

  “Well, that’s what it feels like. When did I talk to you last?”

  “Now, now, we texted, Miss Giselle.”

  “Well, text and live voices . . . or FaceTime are totally different things, Miss Skai. Texting, I’m getting a piece of you, a mood. Live, I can see that beautiful brown face with the little bitty freckles and those big brown eyes.”

  “Says the person that called . . . instead of FaceTime,” she laughed.

  “Yeah, that’s because your Mama’s looking a little rough.”

  “Oh wow. Did she finally have some company? Some male company?” my daughter asked, the tone of her pitch signaling excitement. “I’m all ears for this tea.”

  “Ain’t no tea to pour,” I lied.

  But for good reason. How much of a tramp would my daughter think I was if I told her I accepted a blind invitation from somebody, wore some freaky lingerie to a sex mixer, and had sex at said sex mixer?

  Oh my God! I did!

  “I really thought I was perking up for something exciting, Ma. Just sad.”

  “Not so fast, girly. I do have a little bit of excitement to share. Ready for it?”

  “Yes, please, and thank you.”

  “Okay, drumroll. Dun-dun-dun-dunnn! I’m going to get my hair done.”

  “What?! You did not just do that. That’s not even funny, Mama. That wasn’t even worth a share. More like an ‘I don’t care.’”

  “Well, okay. How about I got gifts. One of them being an all-expense paid stay at the Bellagio for a whole week. In a suite. With spa days, food and everything. It’s going to be a fun-cation.”

  “In Vegas,” my daughter stated dryly. “The place you already live. Ma, that’s not a vacation. Not by anybody’s standards. I can’t wait to get my bonus so that I can send you somewhere nice. Away from home and away from BeBe’s kids.”

  “Girl, watch your mouth talking about my babies. They are not bad. In fact, it was one of their parents that gifted me.”

  “As they should! If you ask me, all the parents should’ve chipped in and gotten you a Hawaiian trip or something. Coronado. Dana Point. Somewhere . . . else.”

  “Skaaai,” I whined. “It’s really nice and I can’t wait to go.”

  “Okay, okay, Ma. At least it’s the Bellagio. They have a club, a gang of restaurants, bars, and all that, so you have other things to get into. Take you some cute stuff to wear. Since it’s upscale, there’ll be worthy men there. And no young ones. You know you don’t look your age, so you’re a magnet for boys. Leave them where they’re at. Don’t even exchange glances with them.”

  “Okay, Mama!” I laughed out loud.

  “Really, though. And take a lot of selfies for the Gram. I’m stalking the page. As a matter of fact, tag me in the photos! When are you going?”

  “Probably next week. Not sure yet. Definitely before school starts back, which for me is in two short months.”

  “Well . . .” Skai said, smacking her lips. “Not that you asked me, but it makes total sense that since your hair is going to be all pretty, that you just go now. Tonight. Not that it’s not pretty anyway with those poppin’ curls, but freshly done. I’m just sayin’.”

  “We’ll see. I’m supposed to do a movie and dinner with Kameelah tomorrow.”

  “Oh Lord. That lady from down the street with the Amber Rose hair?”

  “Yep.”

  “Mmm, okay.”

  “What was that about? I heard that.”

  “Why her, Mama? She ain’t your type of friend. At least not the type I want you to have.”

  “Skai. Let that girl live.”

  Skai sighed. “Whatever. At least you won’t be in the house. Maybe you’ll even meet a man soon. Have real dates and not outings with your female neighbor.”

  “Who raised you, girl?” I chuckled. “So judgmental.”

  “No, I’m not. She’s just boring, and you need fun people to be around.”

  “Okay, little girl. I’m gonna let you go now. You’ve managed to shoot down everything I’ve brought up, in one fell swoop.”

  My daughter burst into hearty laughter. “I’m sorry, Ma. It does seem that way when I play it back in my head. My bad. You know I love you, right?”

  “I love you more.”

  “No, I love you more, and as soon as I get a break from school and work, I’m coming home to visit. Even if it’s just for a weekend.”

  “Now that is something to look forward to.”

  “Me too. Love you, Mama. Send me pix of your hair after Kierra slays it, and tell her I said, ‘Hey!’”

  “Okay, baby. I love you too.”

  -14-

  It was 12:02PM when Zane pressed the cool down button on his elliptical machine. Normally, he would’ve gotten up with the roosters and gone out to run a few miles, but since he actually got home somewhere near that time, he opted to stay inside to enjoy the view out of his 19th floor apartment window. The skylines of Vegas had to be some of the most mesmerizing, but the disrespectful hot air that came with them was brutal. Nothing like home, but it was a nice change.

  It wasn’t the only thing that was a nice change. Last night had been amazing, and one for the books. Initially, it pissed him off that she would escape into the morning without even the smallest explanation. When she first pulled that stunt, Zane thought her behavior lacked maturity. But after thinking about it further, he had forgiven her for her actions. It was too good of a time for him to hold a grudge. Besides, it wasn’t like he wasn’t warned. He had it on good word that she might not show up. That she was more on the reserved side. But boy, did she show up. Not just that, she gave a great show too. Even though her departure was abrupt, he would be lying if he said it wasn’t worth it.

  Zane flashed back on her running out of the room, and he couldn’t help but laugh to himself as he dismounted the machine. He grabbed his towel from the machine’s bar, and then stepped onto the balcony to get a little bit of the afternoon air before taking a long shower.

  Breaking into his thoughts was the satellite ringtone coming from inside. Zane did a final pat under his chin, then trotted toward the device. The number didn’t look familiar, but he answered anyway.

  “Zane here,” he stated firmly.

  “Good afternoon, Mr. Cabot. I’m glad I could catch you. How are you?”

  “Oh,” he stated, through a light chuckle. “Almost didn’t answer the call. I’m good. Better than good, actually. Thanks for asking. And, how are you?”

  “I’m doing great. And I’m glad to hear that you’re in good spirits. Means last night was a success. At least I hope it was.”

  Zane paused, contemplating on how he wanted to present his answer. “I think it was.”

  “So, was there an exchange of contact information? Will you be seeing each other again? Did she ask if you were her host?”

  Zane laughed out loud at the barrage of questions. “Actually, no exchange of information. Will I be seeing her again? I hope so, but that remains to be seen. And no. She didn’t ask. I kind of got the feeling that she wasn’t really concerned with that. Never even came up. She just kind of blended in.”

  “Really? So, no exchange of information? No asking if you were her host? Was . . . there intimacy?” the caller asked.

  Zane stalled. “I’m not really about kissing and telling, but for the sake of this exchange I’ll share. There was definitely intimacy. And I think we both enjoyed ourselves tremendously. There just wasn’t much after the uhhh . . . excha
nge.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Means she absconded from that place like she was Cinderella.” Zane broke into hearty laughter at the memory. It would probably be a while before the visual was out of his head. It was just something that had never happened to him. He did try to stop her, sensing that she was unnerved. But going after her wasn’t something he was willing to do. He didn’t have the energy to convince a grown-ass woman that she was well within her rights to fuck, and be fucked. “It was like the clock had struck midnight,” he continued, “and she had to get to an awaiting carriage or turn into a pumpkin or something.”

  “I really want to laugh, but . . . never mind.” A light, impatient sigh came through the receiver. “So, since we’re going with the Cinderella analogy . . . then what exactly is the prince prepared to do about it?”

  -15-

  The following week . . .

  I exited my uber early afternoon, stepped out onto a beautifully designed marble walkway that led to the chic lobby of the Bellagio. I was excited when one of the hotel’s concierge met me at the front desk, prepared to see me to my room. We exited the elevator on the 33rd floor, and my escort saw me in. He stood there politely, asked if I needed anything else, accepted a tip from me, then handed over my card key and was gone.

  Once I was alone, I proceeded through my new short-term residence in slow motion, savoring its beauty. It was all mine—for a whole seven days! I was trying to capture a mental picture of the whole thing, stitch for stitch. It wasn’t like I had never been in a luxury hotel before. It was just that this one far surpassed the one I stayed at. Not to take away from the Hilton chain of hotels, but they had absolutely nothing on the Bellagio. Further adding to the stunning appeal, I could already tell that once nighttime hit, it would turn into something even more magical. I could tell that by the view I had of the infamous Fountains. They stood so tall and so regal. So calm and innocent during the day, but so wickedly entertaining come night.

  I was about to take my phone out to make a recording to send Skai, but then thought to FaceTime her instead.

  “Hey beautiful!” I shrieked when my daughter’s pretty face came across my screen. “Guess where your Mama is!” I turned the phone toward the living room so that she could get a view, and when I heard her gasp, I exclaimed, “Right?!”

  “Mama, that’s nice!” she acknowledged.

  “Nice as hell, baby girl. They did ya Mama right,” I said, continuing through the living room taking her on the virtual tour.

  “That TV is humungous. Looks like about 60 inches or something.”

  “It’s fifty-five, I think. At least that’s what I think I remember it saying when I looked up the amenities. They said it’s called the Cypress suite. It’s thirty-three floors above ground.”

  “That’s dope, Ma. I guess I have to stand corrected. They hooked you up nice! Is that a king-sized bed?” she asked, when I made it into the bedroom.

  “Yep. Thing is really big. I’ll be all over that.”

  “Be nice if you had company in there, but I won’t go there.”

  “Please don’t. Those conversations I will not be having with someone I gave birth to. No thanks.”

  “Well, Mama, it’s way past the time for you to—”

  “Girl, you should see this bathroom!” I yelled out, deliberately cutting her off.

  “Oooh, that’s marble. White marble and a jacuzzi tub? I’m jealous. Sooo jealous. It’s gorgeous.”

  “Now, watch this,” I told her as I walked back into the living room and padded over to the velvet sky-blue chaise lounge near the window.

  “Oh my God! The Falls of Bellagio! I love that place!” Skai exclaimed. “Me, Tawanna and Shay used to go down there and watch the water show. It’s gonna be so pretty tonight, Mama. You should go out there to see it. Not that you don’t have a bomb view from your room. But it’s so pretty in person, and I’m sure it’ll be nice outside.”

  “I might.”

  “No, don’t might. Take a video and send it to me. And not a video from your window,” she ordered. “Just go out there, Ma. You might meet some nice people, and not that boring lady you insist on kickin’ it with.”

  “Stop that,” I scolded turning the camera back on my face.

  “Okay, I’m sorry. I won’t talk about your nice, fun friend Kameelah, anymore. Your hair is pretty.”

  “Thank you,” I said running my free hand over my soft curls. “I figured it was better to wear it in its natural state since more than likely, I’ll take advantage of the pool. I might get me a cabana and a book and just chill out there on one of these days that I’m here.”

  “Mama, if you go and get a cabana for just you, I might have to come and spank you. That’s not a good look.”

  “It’s a good look if it’s one I want to wear. I don’t care what it looks like to anybody else. I’m too grown to be worried about what somebody is thinking about me enjoying my own damn company.”

  Skai rolled her eyes and smacked her lips, looking just like me in that moment like she did so often. She had everything of me. The pecan skin tone, the brown hair and the tricky eyes that every now and then lightened, but for the most part were dark. The girl had my full lips, my curves and all. There were two differences: she had freckles, and I did not. And she was slim, where I was a bit thicker.

  “Okay, you win,” she surrendered. “But that’s because you’re pretty and I like your hair.”

  “So silly.”

  We started to laugh together for a few minutes. Her Sagittarius to my Scorpio were a combination, for sure.

  Some hours later, I woke up from a nap. The suite had me feeling so comfortable that I gave in to the relaxed state my mind had settled into. It was different from being at home. For some reason, at home, my mind was always going a thousand miles a millisecond. I constantly felt like there was something that I needed to do. A call I had to make. A bill I had to pay. A truly peaceful mind hadn’t been something that fell upon me often. So, after I hung up with my daughter and I felt my body and my mind checking out, I allowed the feeling to take over me.

  Now, after having slept for a while, the sun had already set, and the skies were clear but starting to darken. I slowly erected my posture and did a little stretch of my limbs. I felt surprisingly refreshed, and surprisingly energetic. A whole new feeling hit me. It felt good. Days of no responsibilities. No thinking about straightening up the kitchen, making up my bed, thinking about what I might cook for dinner. I was free of . . . adulting. Well, kind of. But it was freeing and that was the best part of it all.

  I hadn’t thought about how my life was flowing on autopilot, until the very moment that I picked up the phone to call Kameelah, and invite her down to the suite to hang out for a few hours. But it was on autopilot in a good way. I had engaged in something risqué that nobody knew about. Speaking of somebody, I still needed to know who the somebody was that put me on radar for an invite to that place. That might’ve been at the root of me feeling weird about it. It couldn’t have been the guy. I’m sure our encounter was sheer circumstance. But then that would mean that whoever did send me the invite, not only knew me, but knew what happened.

  Sigh…

  And there I was back in that place.

  No. You’re not. Let it go. What’s done is done.

  Live with it!

  Lettt ittt gooo, Giselle!

  -16-

  In the back of my mind, I heard Skai’s voice: “Take you some cute stuff to wear. Since it’s upscale, there will be worthy men there…” So, when I slid into a white cotton jumpsuit and a turquoise peep-toe heel, with all-silver accessories, I knew she would approve. It was summery, it fit really snug, emphasizing my shape, and it was comfortable; almost like a second skin.

  “You look cute, Kameelah,” I said of her bright pink maxi dress, matching wedge heel, and her short, blonde Amber Rose hairdo.

  “Thank you, boo. You look good yourself. Classy, sexy, and all that Jazz.”
r />   “On orders from the kid,” I said. “She told me to make sure I dressed cute while I was staying here because there might be options to choose from.”

  “And she’s right,” Kameelah cosigned. “You’re way too pretty to be man-less.”

  “Thanks, K. I think it might be because I’m too picky,” I added, with a touch of confession that I knew was wrapped in truth.

  But I deserved to be picky. Technically, I was entering the world for the first time as a single woman. The choices had to be right. Right?

  “Nothing wrong with picky!” Kameelah shouted. “Last thing you want is to come up on a scrub, disguised as a prize. Please.” She waved a hand in between us as if to get my attention, then leaned across the table like our conversation was top secret. “So, they just gifted you with a whole goddamn suite?” she asked, taking a drink of the CÎROC mixture we had ordered with our dinner. “And for a whole week. You sure you ain’t gave the daddy a taste?”

  I almost choke on the drink I had been sipping. “Wait…what now?! Not at all!” I guffawed.

  “I mean, I had to ask,” she said nonchalantly. “Hell, are you gonna give him—”

  “Okay, down chick. Not at all.”

  Kameelah leaned back into her seat, smiling big. “Maybe I need to go back and get me some teaching credentials so I can get me a few apples of appreciation. Let a daddy bring me a suite. His invitation to stay, will be offered!”

  “Lord!” I looked around knowing that we were being watched as loud as my laughter was. But not caring at the same time. “I’m tuning you out now,” I told her.

  “Nah, ‘cause girl, look. They don’t give a flying fuck about us in corporate.” She looked around at the many customers moving about the buffet then shook her head. “And here you are eating $44 dinners and living in the lap of luxury off of a gift. That’s the life.”