Revolving Doors (26 page)

CHAPTER
47

~*~*~

I had loved limousine rides since my very first one –
Robert’s prom night, 10 years earlier. There was something so leisurely about being able to relax, be hands-free and let another drive you to your destination.

Removed all pressures of the road.

That morning’s limo ride to San Francisco International Airport was pleasantly erotic. I was definitely relaxed. My hands were free…free to clutch the leather above my head as Robert gave me the ride of champions.

We were like magnets. As mad as we were days before, none of it seemed to matter, in the heated moment happening across the leather of the backseat.

With the stellar performance Robert engaged in, I was certain he would be a frequent thought as I played the nights away in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

Early in our relationship, I told Robert that one of my fantasies was to get fucked in a moving object…airplane, car, bus, train, as long as it was in transit. He obliged on a few occasions during our relationship, and it gave a whole new meaning to
riding in style.

Robert was far from being my first, but when he fulfilled that fantasy, he became a first to do so and it was phenomenal. It was a flight of the imagination I’d had since I began thinking about penis.

Always the pleaser, he certainly had consistency. I had yet to walk away dissatisfied from a session with that man.

I was thanking the gods for
Bay Bridge traffic!

Normally, I’d curse the road minions who seemed to think cruise control and the all too frequent use of brake lights were the way to drive. That morning however, there were no complaints from me. I was winning. No better preparation for a long flight than multiple orgasms…the ingredients,
relaxation
were made of.

The final thrust that pinned my clitoris firmly beneath its hood sent me shivering, weak-limbed, panting labored breaths and ready for a nap. 

He slowly withdrew from inside me while tracing my nipples with his tongue, then planting kisses in several places on my face, and neck.

“Thank you Robert,” I purred. “That was wonderful. You make such
magic
, baby.”

“And you make it easy,” he responded, zipping his pants. “I love fucking you.”

And there it was – mood assassination.

Thank you very much, Robert.

We pulled into a parking space behind a procession of cars as I fixed my clothes and re-applied my lip gloss. Rasheed, the driver, opened the door to allow me out, a knowing look on his face.

He was no dummy. Even with the music turned up and the privacy glass secured in place, he was well aware of what happened in that backseat. Smiles were exchanged between the two of us.

The bags unloaded, and excitement building in my belly, I turned to Robert to blow him a kiss. “Glad we were able to settle our differences, play date.”

“Me too…” he said.

Or at least I thought he did. I was already walking toward check-in.

~*~*~

A
New York layover and many hours later, sheer excitement set in when the blonde-haired stewardess stood at the front of first-class and announced over the intercom that we were descending over Rio.

“Thank you for flying United Airlines. Welcome to
Brazil, we hope you enjoyed your flight. The weather is beautiful and Carnival is in full swing! As you can imagine there will be lots of activity so be safe and enjoy. We hope to see you again soon.”

As a ritual, when I walked past the crew, I shook hands with the attendants and pilot. Safe flights and the ones, who got us there in a single piece, very much underrated and underappreciated.

“Thank you for a safe flight,” I announced to the staff.

“You’re so very welcome. Enjoy your time in
Brazil.”

“I intend to…”

Oh boy, did I.

CHAPTER
48

~*~*~

Paraiso Belo
never ceased to amaze me. Every time I pulled up to the massive, mansion-type compound, one word came to mind…
gorgeous
! Paraiso Belo was always beautiful, but the new and improved…amazing!

It boasted three floors of beautifully structured architecture; with 25 suites, spanned across several acres of land. It went unnoticed from a street perspective to maintain privacy and exclusivity.

There was an endless lap pool and an 18-hole golf course, with all the amenities of the office for the man that couldn’t leave the hustle behind.

Yes! The panoramic views...

The resort featured an open area of interconnected networks that included a horizontal pergola. It was a unique, one of a kind, structure.

Thirteen months went into the redesign and anyone could see that a lot of thought, and style was incorporated. I expected nothing less with Valentina’s knack for style, but it was nothing short of a masterpiece. 

On the inside, there were many luxuries: A restaurant that served Brazilian cuisine, and a full salon, to name a few. All geared toward keeping the visitors happy. All that anyone could need was onsite.

If that was the sole intent…mission accomplished.

~*~*~

After getting settled into my suite, I met Valentina and Natalia near the pool for a small lunch and catch up time.

Of course, screams and hugs were in abundance. While we were mostly caught up with current and personal affairs, there was never a shortage of girl talk. 

We covered it all: How was business? Had Robert become suspicious about my trips yet? Did I plan to settle down with him? Did I ever feel guilty about lying to him about my trips?  I answered: Wonderful!
Yes, No and Not at all
.

“
Awww
. I was rooting for you guys,” Natalia said.

“I know you were, and if it’s any consolation, he’s not
completely
out of the picture, though he might be by the end of this trip. I know that he wants something long term that will eventually lead to marriage, and I honestly don’t see that with him – or anyone right now.”

“Or ever,” Natalia spat.

I chose not to entertain with a verbal comment, but did manage to roll my eyes at her.

“It’s very big of you to not string him along,” Valentina complimented.

“
Thank you, Valentina
. I appreciate your support,” I said, looking Natalia’s way as I did so. “Robert is a sweet guy, successful, great in bed
and
beautiful to look at. He’s just not for me, unfortunately.”

“No guy is for you, Gabriella!” Natalia proclaimed sarcastically.

I understood where Natalia was coming from; we’d had the conversation time and time again. She wanted me happy and to embrace what a relationship might have to offer. However, I recognized that she was also transferring her own desires onto me.

She felt I had more freedom to venture into something intimate with a man, where she didn’t. She had pigeonholed herself and for some reason believed she was stuck there.

“That’s not true Talia,” I said responding to her comment.

“
Uh-huh
…if you say so.”

“I
do
say so. Not everyone is the hopeless romantic that you are. On your wedding day, I’ll be there with bells on, doing my Maid of Honor thing full of pride, probably shedding more tears than necessary, because I’ll be happy beyond measure for
you
. It just isn’t my turn.”

“It could be though…” she pressed.

Valentina interjected, “Alright Natalia, stop that. She’s here to enjoy herself, not feel guilty for not reciprocating his feelings.”

“Yeah, Natalia…I’m here to enjoy myself. How about we change the subject and you fill us in on the progress of you and Mr. Stanley Coxler?”

Her face turned three shades of cherry and when Valentina wasn’t looking, she stuck her tongue out at me, at which point I burst into laughter.

“Você pode repartir-lo, mas você não pode levá-lo.”

“You’re an evil person, Gabriella!”

“Whatever you say, Natalia!” I sang.

“Come on kiddies!” Valentina joked. “You crack me up! Tell me this…are you excited about tonight?” she asked.

“That
has
to be rhetorical,” I responded. “You know it sets all the good stuff in motion! It’s the beginning of the beginning, and something like the highlight for me.”

“
Yep
, what Gabriella said,” Natalia added.

With promises to catch up later, we finished lunch and headed off to get dressed for the night’s reception.

~*~*~

Back in my suite, I took a moment to check e-mail. After messaging my parents to let them know that I’d arrived safely, I returned to my inbox to read a message from Robert:

Hey Gabriella,

I just finished jacking off thinking about you…

What the hell? Who does that? Did he think that was a turn on? Who am I kidding? Of course he did. Newsflash, Robert…it’s far from sexy.

…and that ride to the airport. I missed your body so much. That night after dinner when I decided to leave instead of spend the night, I regretted it all the way home, but I couldn’t bring myself to come back. I was hurt. I’ll be handling things a lot better going forward. I miss you and can’t wait to see you when you get back…

Okay, he’d somewhat redeemed himself there, but geez! As explosive as our sex was, a girl liked to be sweet-talked. At least I did – some of the time, anyway.

…I was thinking that if you’re up to it when you get home, we can drive to Monterey for the weekend. I don’t know how cold it will be, with it being February and all, but there’s plenty to do indoors. Wink, wink. 

Let me know you made it safe.

After replying
made it,
” I logged off, and headed to the closet for the sexy royal blue, one-shoulder jumpsuit that I was dying to wear.  

When I saw the outfit in the store I knew immediately that I had to have it specifically for my trip. I knew it would look stunning with platinum link drop earrings, bangle bracelet, and red stilettos. “
Showtime,
” I sang aloud, smiling to myself.

~*~*~

Later that night we all gathered in the lounge and as always, I had the same enthusiasm running through me, as all the other times.

For some reason it always took me back to my first visit to Paraiso Belo and the beautiful memories of that time.

Once we are all in place, Valentina made her grand entrance for the introduction.

“Good evening, Gentlemen. I hope you’re feeling good tonight, that you had nice, comfortable flights in and have settled comfortably into your quarters…”

I never grew tired of hearing the opening speech for the reception. I got a rush seeing all the beauty and intrigue in one room, and knowing that each of us was planning escapes into unknown worlds for the duration of our stays.

I entered a trance-like state as I was caught up in the moment.   

As she concluded and I found my way back to the present, I caught, “…I don’t know how many of you have been to Brazil for Carnival before now, but there are many festivities taking place over the course of the next few weeks. Transportation is available to any of those activities – some of which, a few of the ladies, are participants. And
yes
, it is as stimulating as it sounds. But I’ll let you be the judge of that. Of course, you’re also welcome to remain indoors with your hostess and enjoy all that we have to offer inside.” She cleared her throat, before adding, “I’m sure the latter is what piques your interest the most.”

Chuckles, intermixed with applause, filled the room.

As a finale, Valentina invited questions from her guests. When there were none, she replaced the microphone on its base and a final applause erupted.

“Without further ado,
please allow me to introduce your beautiful hostesses: Gabriella, Lili, Natalia, Valéria, Eva, Bella and Marie. They are beauty, brains
and
talent and ready to meet all your needs.”

“Ladies please step forward and claim your men!” 

CHAPTER 49

~*~*~

Each of our names
were placed next to our guest’s table on a placard at a designated booth. As I passed each booth leading to mine, I made a point to acknowledge those in my path. It was common practice because one could never tell if a particular guest would be one of theirs on a future visit.

The booths were nicely adorned with scented decorative candles burning atop. The lights in the room were perfectly dimmed for a more intimate setting, and soft jazz was playing through the lounge’s sound system.

I moved toward the table with my name on it. I was told in advance that table 12, would be where my guest, Jacob, was waiting.

My focus hadn’t been on my table because it was so far at the end. I was anxious to see what my guest looked like, what his conversation would be like, to find out where he was from. I always enjoyed talking to them because just as in my regular life, conversation was important. I found it was equally vital in that world as well.

As I neared, I slowed my pace as to not appear overly eager, but for some reason, my heart’s beat was racing.

I spotted him standing next to our table and I could see that he was holding a single white rose in his hand.

With every step I took, my heart pounded.

Damn nerves!

I never asked the other girls, for fear that they would think I was silly, but there was always a little anxiety present during the initial meetings because, although Valentina was familiar with our guests, most of the time they were new to us.

My trained eye could assess Jacob’s credentials from a safe distance.

6’1. Fair-skinned. Athletic build. So far, so good. The one desire with these encounters was for the individual to be someone you wouldn’t mind spending time with. Someone you wouldn’t mind waking up next to. Someone easy on the eyes. Nicely packaged. He was all those things.

He took a few steps in my direction to meet me half way.

What a gentleman, I thought.

My chest was vibrating so hard, I became afraid. Something about him seemed familiar. I started saying over in my head,
Jacob…Jacob
…and trying to recall if I knew anyone by that name.

Maybe I had spotted him at the resort before with one of the other girls. That was always a possibility. Or, it may have been that he just had one of
those
faces.

Then the closer I got, I realized it was more than a familiar face.

I know him.

This can’t be.

Please help me.

I had to clutch my chest as I walked.

Not the time for The Pledge of Allegiance, Gabriella. Take your hand down. It’s all in your mind.

I could no longer hear the music playing or anything else in the room, for that matter. Everything was drowned out. The room even appeared darker than it was before.

I tried hard to regain my focus. I needed to pay attention to my every step so that I didn’t take an embarrassing fall.

What do I do?

No answers were coming to me. There was no way out. No turning back.

Just keep walking, Gabriella. Stay strong.

That smile greeted me and instinctively as if it were the final identifier I needed for him, I searched for signs of a bulge pressed against the front of his pants. It was there. Just the way I remembered.

The familiarity of it…of
him
sent chills through my body.

I took a deep breath, and hoped it went unnoticed, but somehow I didn’t think so.

I felt weak at the knees.

He looked right into my eyes, lifted the rose and leaned forward to deliver a light kiss on my cheek.

I was speechless.

What was happening?

I casually glanced around for Valentina, eyes begging for an explanation, or maybe Ashton Kutcher to come running from one of the many rooms, yelling out that I’d been
Punked,
the Brazilian edition!

Reciprocating the smile he wore, I managed to speak, my eyes dropping slowly escaping his stare. 

“Thank you for the rose…it’s very pretty.”

The moment was awkward. At least for me. I kept the smile even as he gestured for me to take my seat in the booth, with him claiming the one across from me.

Not really knowing what to do with my hands, I nervously placed the rose on the tabletop and quickly removed them from view to fidget with the bracelet around my left wrist.

“Valentina said I’d be pleased with the woman she chose for me,” he said giving intense direct eye contact, “…and she couldn’t have been more correct. You are
everything
I remember.”

My voice abandoned me, silence was sent in its place. 

I felt as though he was looking through me, and directly to my soul, as though trying to get a read on where my head was. Or, maybe it was me who was doing the reading. I couldn’t tell.

I was certain he could hear the thumping drum beat held hostage in my chest. 

A drink was in order. Something straight, I was thinking. No fruity shit would do.

My mind was in overdrive trying to make sense of the situation and why of all the places in the world, I would be there
with him
. I was baffled.

Whatever the case, he was now
my
client and I needed to kick into gear and out of discomfited silence. Business was business.

“So Gabriella,” he started. “Cat got your tongue?”

“Uhh…no, my tongue is just fine.”

A few minutes into making her rounds, I spotted Valentina approaching our table.

She had excitement all over her. She loved her work. It showed and who could blame her? Happy people, thriving business. There wasn’t much more she could ask for. 

She looked from me to my guest and with a smile introduced herself, “Hello, Mr. Augustine
---”

“Please, Valentina,” he interrupted. “I’m crashing
your
party…
Ken
is fine, or Jacob which is my middle name and the one I registered with. Either is fine. Besides, I think you know enough about my life, my business, to earn an honorary pass to first name basis.”

They fell into laughter, where mine was more like a nervous chuckle. It was all I could give without being detected, by what I hoped was an unsuspecting Valentina.

“You have a point,
Ken
. It’s nice to meet you in person. Thank you for joining us this year. So glad you made it in from New York.”

She gave me a look that let me know she read something…perhaps in my demeanor.

“You two look stunning together. A perfect match of beauty.”

“I couldn’t agree with you more,” he cosigned. “You said you’d make a choice I would be sure to love and I must say you were
absolutely
right.” He turned to me and with emphasis repeated, “
absolutely right
.”

Valentina was pleased that she’d made another successful match. She extended well wishes for the evening, blew me an air kiss and quickly departed. 

Memories were rushing through my mind at lightning speed. It felt like a million voices in a single room all trying to be heard at once.

Why here
?
Why now
? I didn’t know what to think or how to feel. The floating hostess arrived at our table just in time to provide me some relief.

“Boa noite, O que posso levá-lo a beber?”

“Boa noite, teremos dois, Think Green.”

“bem vindo!”

“What just happened?” he inquired, with a puzzled look on his face.

“She asked what we wanted to drink, and I took the liberty of ordering for both of us,” I said confidently. I had to remove some of the power he’d been holding over me.

“And you ordered
what
for us?”

“Don’t worry, you’ll like it. It’s a drink called,
Think Green
. It’s pretty popular.”

“Green, huh? Can’t say I’ve ever drank anything that was green. What’s in it?”

“A few things. Let’s see…you got, Bacardi, Lemon Grass, Midori, Champagne and pineapple juice. Yeah, that’s it. I think you’ll like it. If you don’t, I’ll drink them both,” I said playfully.

“Okay, I’ll hold you to that,” he said smiling maintaining an intense stare as he did.

I smiled, but then the awkward silence kicked in again once the words had stopped. It was hard for me to keep eye contact with him. I was looking at how mature he’d gotten. He had always been good looking, but now it was in a mature man kind of way. I figured I would see him again one day, but not there!

“So, Ken…” I began, just as the hostess delivered our drinks to the table.

“Yes, Gabriella…”

“I’m curious about something. Why didn’t you mention to Valentina that we know each other when she stopped by the table?”

I posed the question under the assumption and with the hope that she didn’t already know. 

“I could ask you the same thing,” he said taking a sip of his drink, “but I won’t. It’s probably best that we make
this
moment its own and separate from the past. Agreed?”

Reluctantly, I complied, “you’re right.”

I felt dismissed. I didn’t expect that he’d want to have a full-fledged conversation about the past, but I also didn’t expect that he would treat it with null value either. Maybe it was better he was showing no emotion because it would be easier for me to release the tension I felt.

“Can I just say that you are breathtaking?”

“Thank you, Kenny. You’re something like breathtaking yourself.”

“
Kenny
,” he echoed. “I haven’t heard that in a very long time.”

“I’m sorry…
Ken, or Jacob
.”

“No apologies necessary.”

All the memories were flooding back and causing a rush of unwelcomed anxiety.

“I love the haircut!” he
exclaimed. “When did you start wearing your hair short? It’s sexy. It fits. Puts a lot of emphasis on your facial features. You probably have men mesmerized everywhere you go, I’ll bet.”

“Nah, not
everywhere
,” I joked.

The conversation was flowing, which was a good thing, the fact that he hadn’t inquired about what I was doing
there,
made me think that he might have already passed judgment. I hoped not, but it was a very real possibility.

I would hope that before he did pass judgment, he would at least ask what I was doing at Paraiso Belo.
What led me there
?
How long
? He hadn’t asked anything. 

I couldn’t help but wonder if he was thinking how better off he was for walking away all those years ago. If he thought I wouldn’t amount to much so he was lucky to have gotten out when he did.

Fuck you, Kenny, or Jacob, or whatever you’re going by these days! My life is more than this! You can take your judgment and shove it up your ass. I’m here by choice! This is an activity I willingly participate in! I don’t need the money; it’s the freedom I love. 

I couldn’t help sitting before him in that moment, feeling like a low-class whore, when I was far from that.

I was in my own head, trying hard to shake the noise, but was unable to do so. Partnering with him might not be such a good idea, after all. Too much history. Too many memories.

Damn
. Something had to give. I wasn’t willing to allow that situation, with those thoughts take me out of my element of peace. I didn’t have to explain myself to anyone. I didn’t owe anybody that, so whatever Kenny thought, I couldn’t let it have that much power over me.

“So you like the haircut, huh?” I asked playfully turning my head side to side for a full view.

“Yeah, I sure do. It’s working for you. But truth be told, you would look good without a single strand of hair on your head.”

“Why thank you, I’ve only been wearing it short for a few days. I cut it not too long before I came here. It’s easy to manage, just the way I need it to be. On the go too much to have to deal with the task that long hair brings. I can run my fingers through it and be on my way.”

Although I said I wouldn’t, I was overcompensating by dropping innuendos about having a full life. I wanted to paint a picture that revealed a life so busy I needed simplicity and ease to navigate through. I needed the picture to be such that he would want to ask, “
What are you doing here, then
?” and I could load him up with my life’s details.

But he didn’t. He grew quiet, circling the rim of his Think Green-filled glass and without looking up from his glass, he asked me, “Is this at all awkward for you?”

Wow! Finally, an acknowledgement!

Pinching fingers together, to demonstrated, “A little, but not too much,” I lied. Dammit, why did you lie?! First you wonder why he doesn’t ask, but then you lie when he finally does! It was the perfect time to say, heck yeah, it’s uncomfortable as hell, and I lost the opportunity.