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“No, Brent,” his wife yelled, falling forward on her knees to wrap her arms around his legs and pull at his arms.
Desdemona turned and walked to the door when he helped his wife to her feet. “Maybe it’s a one-time slip and y’all can work your way through it, but the best way to do that is with the truth, and I just wanted to make sure you make the best decision possible for yourself, Mrs. Yarborough,” she said, opening the door and leaving without another look back at them.
In her suite, she undressed and showered, hating that she felt she had to be cleansed of Brent’s touch and his kisses. Of another bad decision. Bundled in the plush white robe offered by the hotel with her wet hair wrapped in a towel, Desdemona retrieved her iPhones from her clutch and made her way over to the chaise lounge sitting before the windows. She eyed the majesty of the Bellagio fountains. The movement of the water and the light display were simply beautiful. “Happy birthday to me,” she sang softly with a half smile as she raked her fingers through her wild mane of loose waves.
What a night.
She allowed herself just one brief moment to wonder what had become of the Yarboroughs after she left their suite before pushing thoughts of them away. She was a footnote in their life as far as she as concerned. Nothing more.
Picking up her prepaid iPhone, she checked in with her businesses. All of her courtesans were booked for the weekend except for Denzin, but she would compensate him for serving as her backup while she was out of town. No calls throughout the night alerting her to trouble. All was well.
Unlike her business phone, Desdemona had her personal phone on Do Not Disturb mode, silencing any calls or texts. She had just one notification. Just before midnight, Loren had texted her. She unlocked the phone and opened it.
THE_TUTOR: ONE LAST HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEFORE MIDNIGHT AND YOUR SPECIAL DAY ENDS.
She chuckled at the animated gif of exploding balloons revealing a dancing dog wearing a party hat and holding a birthday cake.
He really is a sweet kid.
DESI: In Vegas. It was memorable. Thank you for pushing me to celebrate.
She set the phone down on the chaise and lifted her legs atop it as she settled back and looked out the window at the strip.
Her minuet text tone played.
THE_TUTOR: I WISH I WAS THERE TO SKYDIVE. DID U?
Desdemona smirked. “Humph. Skydived into some bullshit,” she muttered as she typed with her thumbs.
DESI: Definitely not!
THE_TUTOR: DON’T YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO FLY?
THE_TUTOR: LIVE LIFE WITH NO REGRETS. FLY!
Desdemona tapped the edge of the phone against her chin and looked up at the night sky.
“No regrets,” Desdemona said the next morning on the airplane, attached to the harness of a tall and lean skydiving instructor.
She was moments from a tandem jump, at the edge of the open doorway of the plane thousands of feet above the ground with nothing but blues skies in her view. Her heart pounded wildly. Her knees quivered a bit, and she felt anxious beyond belief. Her adrenaline was in overdrive. She felt trapped somewhere between terror and euphoria.
She did as instructed, and within moments they were leaning forward and jumping from the plane. “No regrets!” she yelled, forcing her eyes open to take it all in as they free fell through the air.
Chapter Seven
Monday, November 19, 2018
Holidays are the worst. Now is the time for family, and I have none . . .
The heels of Desdemona’s shoes clicked against the polished tiled floor as she made her way to her showroom. She pointedly ignored the tasteful Christmas décor in the halls as she unlocked the glass door and entered. She paused in the doorway at the sight of a huge Christmas tree near the large wooden desk serving as the checkout counter. “Patrice,” she said, with a twist of her lips in annoyance.
She turned on the lights of the showroom and unplugged the lights on the tree with a rough jerk before flinging the cord away. Thanksgiving was in a few days, bringing on constant conversations about turkeys, traveling, and quality family time. Desdemona couldn’t care less about all three.
Turkey was dry.
Traveling during the holidays was hell.
Family was nonexistent.
