*****
Four Hours Later
I turned the corner. The way ahead was clear.
The hotel was decent enough, but I hated it. Desirée deserved only the best and yet the best came with uplinked video surveillance and easily bribed or misled security personnel. Establishments like this were far less likely to be part of the system of surveillance that seemed to have infiltrated so much of society.
Making my way down the hall I located the room and slid the room card through the door lock key swipe. It clicked and flashed green and I opened the door.
I only let Desirée enter after a long silence filled perusal of the darkened room. “Okay.” I said, even as I distastefully took in the aroma of hotel room.
On her way past Desirée patted me on the forearm. Glancing to her I saw her reading me like an open book.
Feeling compelled to speak I said, “I wish it were better.”
She turned her head to the side and eyed me up speculatively before posing a question I was ill-equipped to handle, “And what to you Victor is better?”
Wordlessly I stared at her.
Her questioning smile deepened and she asked jokingly, “Aren’t you going to answer my question?”
I had an answer, but not one I wanted to share. However I relinquished enough of my reserve to say, “Warm.”
She arched an eyebrow at me and continued on past. Over her shoulder she asked, “I never imagined you liking to be somewhere in the tropics.”
“I didn’t say anything about wanting to be in the tropics.”
“But you said that you wanted to be warm.”
“There are different kinds of warmth.”
She didn’t say anymore even though I knew she wanted to keep asking questions. It seemed whenever I released something of my personal likes and dislikes she became watchfully quiet in hopes that I would divulge more and I usually did.
Fallen Ambitions Page 27
