Maybe I can get some work done before I leave, Celeste thinks to herself. She then decides to take Thomas on his evening walk first. Celeste changes into a jogging outfit and adorns a pair of walking shoes. Thomas is happy as he joins her for their evening walk.
Arriving home, she checks her message machine and finds that she has no new calls, which doesn’t surprise her one bit. Most people are out with their significant others.
Celeste sets down at her desk and engulfs herself in work. When she looks up at the clock she notices that it is nearly midnight. Stretching her aching muscles, she rises from the chair and pads her way down the hall to her bedroom. After putting on her pajamas, Celeste calls Thomas to come to bed.
Celeste focuses her thoughts toward Heaven as she kneels in prayer beside her bed to pray:
Dear Lord,
I thank You for Your grace and mercies, which are new, every day. I pray that each day You bless me with, I walk in a way that is pleasing to You.
I have made a decision to go to Vegas tomorrow, and I pray that You will go with me every step of the way. Please send Your Holy Spirit to lead and guide me.
I hope that I don’t end up regretting this decision. If I have committed any sins against You, I pray that You would forgive me Lord and help me to please You.
Thank You so much for the blessings You have given me, especially my advancement at Vines and Robert’s. It is You all the way. No way could I be where I am except by Your grace. May I never forget to thank You for all that You have done for me.
In Jesus name I pray, Amen
Celeste is always glad when she talks to the Lord, and immensely grateful for the peace He gives her when she does so, peace that passes all understanding. Climbing into bed, she shuts off her bed table lamp and goes to sleep.
In the morning when she awakes, the birds’ song she hears from outside her window promises a most beautiful day ahead. Celeste climbs out of bed and proceeds to shower and dress. She puts on a pair of black denim jeans and a short sleeved, cream-colored blouse. The black leather ankle boots that she chooses goes nicely with her outfit.
Looking at herself in the mirror she decides to add a soft touch to her attire by putting on the thin gold chain that her mother bought her for Christmas a few years ago, with matching small gold loop earrings.
“Good morning, Buddy,” Celeste greets Thomas in the kitchen. “Is it time to eat?” Celeste dishes out his portion of dog food and places it on the floor next to his water bowl that she has cleaned and refilled. The time on the clock tells Celeste that she has half an hour before Jenny will be arriving to pick her up.
“We only have time for a short walk today, Thomas. I’m going out of town overnight, and I will be leaving in half an hour. Better eat up if you want to go for a walk.”
Thomas obliges and finishes his food within minutes. Celeste changes her mind and decided it will be better to go outside into the backyard and exercise Thomas rather than taking a walk. That way she doesn’t run the risk of losing track of time and not being ready to leave when Jenny arrives.
As Celeste opens the sliding glass door that leads to her private backyard, Thomas follows closely on her heals. She goes over to the corner of the yard where Thomas has left his bright yellow tennis ball and picks it up. Thomas knows what will follow.
Celeste throws the ball over and over, each time having it returned to her by her lovable furry pal Thomas. When the sound of her doorbell chiming breaks into the quiet time she has been having with Thomas, Celeste tells Thomas that this is the last one and throws the ball one last time.
Celeste proceeds to the front door after locking the back sliding glass door into place. “Now you be good and don’t give Helen a hard time when she comes to take care of you,” Celeste tells Thomas as she rubs his head and neck good-bye.
“Hi, Jen,” Celeste says upon opening the door. Celeste picks up her overnight bag from the floor and retrieves her purse and keys from their resting-place. Thomas takes his turn to greet Jenny. When Celeste moves to go out the front door, Thomas lies on the floor and looks pitifully up at Celeste.
“Don’t you start that. I’ll be home tomorrow evening. I love you.” Celeste says as her final good-bye before exiting the door.
“How is Thomas feeling about your trip?” Jenny asks, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.
“Think what you will, but Thomas understands far more than people give him credit.”
“I know, he’s some sort of wonder dog.”
Having rehashed this conversation with Jenny numerous times before, Celeste finds it best just to ignore Jenny. As much as Celeste loves Jenny, she also knows that there are some things that she and Jenny will never agree on one hundred percent.
Celeste drapes the shoulder strap of her overnight back across her shoulders and turns to lock the door behind her. Jenny takes the lead in escorting Celeste to the vehicle. A long white stretched limousine. The driver is standing at the rear door of the passenger side of the vehicle, where he has opened the door. At seeing Celeste and Jenny emerging from the walkway, the driver comes forward to relieve Celeste of her overnight bag, “Please allow me to carry that for you.”
“Good afternoon, Ms. Brooks,” he says as he relieves Celeste of her baggage. Once Jenny and Celeste are seated comfortably inside, the driver shuts the door and goes to the rear of the vehicle to place Celeste’s baggage into the trunk.
When the driver seats himself behind the steering wheel, the car is put into gear and Celeste feels herself floating away from the curbside. “Wow. This rides nice.”
“As if you’ve never rode in a limo before,” says Jenny.
“I haven’t,” confesses Celeste.
“Surely with all the events your job hosts, you’ve had to go to at least one of them in luxury.”
“No. I’ve always driven myself. That way I don’t need to stick around any longer than necessary. I can leave whenever I feel like it.”
Jenny quirks her mouth and tilts her head to the side before saying, “And knowing you, you probably leave at the first available opportunity.”
Feeling slightly rebuffed, Celeste decides not to comment but to relax and allow herself to enjoy her first limo ride in style. The supple leather interior, also pristine white, is so comfortable, Celeste feels as if she is floating on a cloud.
After a short while of riding in silence, Jenny turns to Celeste and says, “I can’t wait to see Mario again.”
“Have you talked to him much since you met him at the concert?”
“Only a couple of times. He called just to say ‘Hi,’ and we ended up talking on the phone for three hours. That’s when he invited me to come to Vegas. I couldn’t believe it.”
“What made you say yes?”
“Only the fact that he is the most handsome man I have ever seen in my entire life. And his eyes. A girl could get lost in eyes so deep and chocolaty.
Not knowing what to say, Celeste thinks long and hard before opening her mouth to ask, “Not that. I mean, how can you trust him?”
“How can I not? He hasn’t done anything to warrant me not trusting him.”
“Yeah, but...” Celeste fumbles for the right words but is cut short by Jenny.
“But what? Celeste, Hun… I say this with no ill intentions. Not everyone is like your father. And sooner or later, you are going to realize that. I just hope it isn’t before you’re too old and set in your ways to find someone that will marry you.”
After taking a few minutes to consider what Jenny has said, Celeste admits that Jenny is right.
Before she can acknowledge this realization, Jenny continues, “I, personally, am going to make sure that you let your hair down a bit this weekend. You are going to have fun even if it kills me.”
“It’s not you who I’m worried about,” Celeste mumbles. “You’re right. Jayla, also told me that I needed to let loose a little. I am going to try to have a good time. “
Feeling comfortable for the first
time about her decision to go to Vegas this weekend, Celeste says, “Maybe I’ll even start dating a little when we get back? What do you think?”
“What do you mean when we get back? What do you think this weekend is all about? It’s a long date.”
“Yeah, but Stephen’s not my type. I’d much rather a plain, average, ordinary Joe who comes home every night for dinner.”
“Well, you be sure to make that clear to Stephen. From my understanding, he’s got other ideas,” Jenny says with a knowing smile on her face. Before Celeste has a chance to question Jenny about what that comment meant, Jenny blurts out, “Look! We’re here.”
Celeste has been so engrossed in their conversation that the trip to the airport went by extremely fast. As Celeste watches the driver pull up to the departure place for the airline they are to fly on, Celeste notices that there are quite a few people at the airport, which shouldn’t surprise her considering it is Saturday morning, and a lot of people go out of town for the weekend.
Checking in their luggage with the skycap and receiving directions to their departure gate, Celeste and Jenny begin the walk to their departure terminal. Once they arrive, they hear their flight being announced for boarding.
Stowing hers and Jenny’s purses in the overhead compartment, Celeste then takes her seat beside an excited Jenny, who says, “I can’t believe I’m going to see Mario. I thought it would be months before we would see each other again.”
“You sound like you really like him, Jenny.”
“I do, that which I know about him. Do you believe in love at first sight, Celeste?”
“Hardly. I believe that is what people like to call it, but it is nothing short of unmitigated old-fashioned lust. I think that’s a term that people came up with to make it seem more fulfilling.”
“You haven’t a romantic bone in your body! Do you, Celeste?” Jenny exclaims.
Deciding it better not to answer the question and thereby avoiding another lecture, Celeste thinks it better to turn her attention to the view out the airplane window. The sun is shining brilliantly, and there are remarkably few clouds in the sky. Unlike a standard Los Angeles day, there is not a hint of smog in the air. Celeste can see far and wide through the airplane window.
It isn’t long before Celeste hears the Captain speaking over the airplane loud speaker, welcoming the passengers aboard the flight and offering such information as the time they expect to be arriving at their destination and the weather that is to be expected.
The actual flight is a short and uneventful one. Stepping through the arrival terminal with Jenny at her side, Celeste sees Stephen and Mario surrounded by quite a few fans, most of which are women, and signing autographs. It isn’t hard to spot them since they stand quite a few inches above the crowd and are the only ones with a crowd clamoring around them vying for their attention.
Feeling unsure about the decision she has made in taking this trip, Celeste hangs back not willing to rush the meeting that is now imminent. Stephen signs his last autograph for a teenage girl who is beaming at him from ear to ear. Placing the paper and pen back into the young ladies hands, he begins to take purposeful strides towards Celeste.
Stopping a foot in front of her, Stephen says, “Good to see you again, Celeste. How was your flight?”
“It was fast.”
“I’m glad you decided to come.”
Not sure that she can return the comment with honesty, Celeste shyly smiles up at Stephen.
“What do you say we go and get your bags?”
“OK.”
Jenny, hand in hand with Mario, takes up stride alongside Stephen and herself.
After retrieving the ladies’ luggage, the four of them exit the airport heading to the parking structure. Once arriving at the SUV rental, Stephen and Mario place Jenny and Celeste’s luggage in the rear of the vehicle.
Finding the doors unlocked since Stephen had disarmed the alarm in order to open the trunk, Celeste opens the rear passenger door and climbs into the vehicle. As she is climbing in, Stephen comes up behind her and places his hand at her elbow to assist her in her accent into the vehicle.
His touch, innocent as it is, causes sparks to fly through Celeste. Shocked and caught off guard with her inability to understand the feeling, she quickly situates herself in the SUV hoping that Stephen is unaware of what is going on within her.
Stephen goes around the rear of the vehicle to get into the driver’s seat. Glancing quickly at Mario, Stephen reads the question in Mario’s eyes, “Why’d she get in the back?”
With an answering hunch of one shoulder, Stephen responds that he is just as confused as Mario.
The drive to the hotel going down Las Vegas strip takes quite a while. But the time is filled up with Celeste taking in the many hotels that have been built since her last visit to the city many, many years ago.
Small talk is buzzing around the interior of the car and passes above Celeste’s head until a direct question is aimed at her. Stephen is speaking, “Have you been to Vegas before?”
“Yeah I have. It’s just been a very long time. I’ve been spending so much time on my career that I haven’t had time to relax and get out much.”
“Yeah. She’s a total workaholic to the core,” Jenny chimes in to tease Celeste.
“But I promised Jenny that I would try not to be so serious and relax a little bit more,” Celeste continues not quite sure why she is offering that piece of information.
Pulling into the drive up designated for MGM’s valet parking, Celeste realizes that she had never once pondered where they would be staying. “Is this our hotel?”
“Yes. This is where the tour manager has booked all the guys. We managed to get you a suite on the same floor.”
Jenny leans across the seat and nudges Celeste with her elbow while quirking her eyebrows to say, “See, the man’s got class.”
Stephen exits the vehicle and gives the keys to the valet before coming around to open Celeste’s door and assisting her with her exit from the vehicle by way of offering her his hand. Taking hold of Celeste’s hand, he tucks it in the crook of his elbow, keeping her close as they enter the hotel entrance.
They walk to the elevator door and Mario presses the button to call the lift. Celeste is so nervous, she feels as if her mouth is full of cotton. To her surprise her palms are slightly damp. Never in her life has anyone had the ability to cause her to feel so ill at ease. Not knowing what to say or do, Celeste figures it is best to keep quiet to avoid saying the wrong thing.
The elevator doors open and Celeste is ushered in by Stephen, who is followed by Jenny and Mario, engrossed in their own world.
Why is she so nervous, thinks Stephen to himself. One might think that she anticipates him to pounce on her the moment they get out of the line of sight of passerby’s.
Chancing a sideways glance at Celeste, Stephen notices that in spite of her nervousness, Celeste is handling herself like the classy lady that she is with her head held high. Man, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. Stephen wants Celeste to learn to trust him and grow to like and then eventually love him. Maybe, he thinks to himself, he is rushing things a bit. Having a woman on his arm that is practically scared to death is not a good way to create a relationship.
Stephen sets it in his mind that at the first opportunity, he will set Celeste’s mind at ease as best he can.
The lift stops at the floor that their suites are on and the doors open slowly. Exiting the mirrored interior of the elevator, Stephen ushers Celeste to the right, presumably the direction of their suites.
Having only a few suites on this higher level floor makes the corridor seem much longer. Stopping in front of the ladies’ suite, Stephen withdraws the credit card key that will open the ladies’ door.
Stephen places one in each of the ladies’ hands and says, “Here are the keys to your room. How about you get settled in and we can get together before we have to leave for our final sound check.”
Before
Celeste can speak, Jenny chimes in, “That will be great. About ten minutes?”
“We’ll be back for you then,” Mario answers.
Celeste turns to the door of her suite to let herself in. She is fuming with anger and trying as best she can to take control of herself. The weekend would turn out to be a lousy waste of time if she begins throwing temper tantrums like a spoiled child. Celeste knows there has to be a better way of expressing herself without sounding melodramatic, but she is darned if she is going to let these three control her entire weekend.
What about what she wants to do? What if she doesn’t want to “get together” with Stephen before his final sound check?
Well that would contradict the fact that she did agree to come to Vegas on account of seeing him this weekend. Nerves, Celeste chalks it up to. Just nerves.
But why? I’ll deal with it later, she thinks to herself, deciding that there are some things that she would rather not deal with just yet.
Chapter Ten
The room is elaborately furnished and decorated. The sofa and love seat, which sit in the living quarters, are wine with gold embellishments in the fabric. The rich walnut desk and coffee table are of the same wood as the walled entertainment unit that holds a large size television. Walking through to the rear of the suite, she sees that there are three open door ways.
Selecting the first door on her left, she reaches her hand through the door to feel along the wall for a light switch. Finding it, she turns on the overhead lighting to reveal an immaculate bathroom.
The Italian tiles that cover the floor are tan in color with flecks of deep maroon, mustard yellow and emerald green. The in bath shower is lined with white tiles, which run along to line the wall above the sink just below the wall length mirror.
All the fixtures of the bathroom are chrome with gold tips. The wallpaper which lines the other walls are textured with swirls in flecks mimicking the flecks of the floor tiles.
Shutting off the light, she decides to try the next door, which is also on her left. Finding the light switch, she illuminates the room in a soft glow. Celeste walks to the bed to deposit her overnight bag and her purse on the emerald green bedspread that covers the king size bed. The same carpeting from the living area covers the bedroom floor as well, solid tan. For a wardrobe, she finds the same wood that furnishes the living room. The wall unit houses two wardrobes on either side of the large television set, although not quite as large a television as the one in the living room. On either side of the bed are nightstands in the familiar walnut wood.
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