Riding the Friendly Skies
Lesley E. Hal
I stood before the mirror admiring myself. I loved the way my curves accentuated the Roberto Cavalli dress I wore. I teased my hair and the body curls fell just right. My makeup was flawless on my bronzed skin and I was glowing. I was always being mistaken for a younger Vanessa Williams, and tonight I would not disappoint.
I sat on my sofa, enjoying a glass of wine, waiting on the man I should’ve married years ago. Now here I was settling for a role I never thought I would play in a million years: his sideline ho, while another woman enjoyed the benefits of being Mrs. Tony Lambert.
I was too impatient, always shooting down his ideas. I told him countless times that his dreams of owning the first internet café wouldn’t pan out. Boy, was I wrong! Not only did his dreams pan out, that little dream exploded into chains of internet cafés across the globe! My mother didn’t raise me to take care of a man, so I was determined not to pour my youth into some man’s pipe dream. What she should’ve taught me was how to look for the potential in a man and to stand by his side while he achieved his dreams. She always said a man was supposed to take care of a woman, otherwise do it for herself, and that’s exactly what I did. Look where that got me!
I even told him not to waste money on buying stock in Google, but he went ahead with his gut and look at Google now! Had he listened to me, that gem would’ve slipped right through his hands. I’ve made one stupid mistake after another my entire life, and letting Tony Lambert, number seven on the Forbes list, go was my biggest.
I’d been wallowing in self-pity, agonizing over the decision I’d made. After his proposal, I had broken it off with him and had never looked back until now. I realized what a fool I’d been the day I heard he got married. I wasn’t the type to bust into a wedding and shout for him to marry me instead. That was so cliché and beneath me. I’d finally worked up the courage to call him after five years of absence. To my surprise he was happy to hear from me. And that’s all that mattered.
Just as I was about to take another sip of wine, the doorbell rang. I gave myself a once-over before sashaying to get the door.
“Bianca, you look…wow…gorgeous!” Tony was not only tongue-tied but also mesmerized. The electricity was still there between us after all this time. My thong instantly became moist.
I took in all of his sexiness. Six feet two inches of chocolate muscle stood before me. His deep dimples were begging me to poke a finger in one of them like I used to. I loved the way his hazel eyes undressed me from head to toe as he licked his luscious lips.
“Turn around,” he requested.
I did, and slowly, so he could see what he’d been missing. We embraced each other and our lips connected. It was everything that I’d remembered.
He moaned and placed a blindfold on me. “Hmmm.”
“You better hope this doesn’t mess up my makeup and lashes,” I threatened with no sincerity at all. Hell, for all I cared, he could’ve yanked the lashes out and smeared my makeup all over my damned face.
“That’s like trying to finish the Mona Lisa. Why mess with what’s already perfect?”
Tony took my purse and keys out of my hand before ushering me out the door, but not before caressing my ass.
“Tony!” I slapped his hand away. “Where are we going, anyway?” I laughed as Tony led me blindfolded to his limo.
“That’s for me to know and you to find out. But trust me, Bianca, you’re going to love every minute of what I have in store for you.”
Tony held me close and I was enjoying it.
Once he had me seated in the limo, I heard the cork pop off a bottle. Tony caressed my face and poured champagne. I felt a tickling sensation of the wet bubbles on my nose as Tony held the glass of bubbly in front of me.
“Um, that’s delicious…Veuve Clicquot?” I marveled as I took a sip of the chilled champagne.
“Yes, your favorite, but it’s not as delicious as I remember you to be.” Tony leaned in for a kiss and I obliged.
I smiled after our kiss. “Umm, you’re going to make us miss our plans if you keep this up.”
“They can’t start without us.” His hand brushed across my erect nipple. “Oh, yes, I can definitely wait. It’s been so long since I’ve held you. You don’t realize what it’s been like, wondering what you were doing and who you were doing it with.” Tony sighed as he pulled me into his arms.
I instantly felt even worse for the decision I’d made. But this was my chance to try
to make things right. “Umm, flattery will get you everything and then some.” I snuggled closer to him as we continued our ride to wherever.
The car stopped after what seemed like at least thirty minutes. The atmosphere was noisy and airy. It sounded like we were at an airport, but I couldn’t be sure. I didn’t hear any voices besides Tony’s, his driver’s. Then I heard two others distinctly, male and female. I was filled with nervous anxiety.
I wanted to take the blindfold off but Tony held me close. “Ah, Tony…baby…ah, what’s going on?”
“Relax, baby. Everything is going to be fine,” Tony coaxed me. All of a sudden I was being led up some stairs. I was certain it was a plane.
“Tony, I know we’re not boarding a plane?”