Revolving Doors (19 page)

~*~*~

Ten minutes later when the doorbell rang, the rest of the crew appeared all at once, and I was ecstatic.

“
Right on time
!” I yelled out. “I’m famished!”

It hadn’t hit me until that moment that I hadn’t eaten the entire day.

I enjoyed looking around and seeing all the people I cared about in the same place. The only person missing from the celebratory occasion was Valentina.

I was basking in the glory of my golden path and the place my hard work had led me to. No matter the amount of work I had done on my own, in the grand scheme of things without the support of my core group, it might not have happened. 

As much as I hated to interrupt the flow of laughter, and conversation, there were some things I needed to say.

Tapping the side of my champagne-filled glass with my fingernail I yelled out, “Hey everybody! Can I have your attention, please?”

Everyone quieted, but not before my dad jumped in.

“Is it gonna be quick, baby? I really need to get to eatin’.”

Oh Lord
! We all laughed. My dad and his comedy. I eyed him sampling each of the Hors d'oeuvre and there was no telling what else he sneaked into when I wasn’t looking,
yet he was acting as though he had been starved.

“Ok, dad…I’ll try my best to make it fast.”

“I’m kidding baby,” he responded raising his glass to me. “Take all the time you need.”

“I just want you all to know how happy I am that you are all here…” I began. “I mean, really happy. I won’t cry because that seems like all I do lately. But if a tear does happen to escape during my speech, don’t judge me!”

I looked around the table and had already seen glossy sets of eyes on the women. The odds were stacked against me when I saw that.

“Mama and Daddy. Y’all are the reason I am who I am. Y’all are the reason I wanted to be the best I could be at whatever I chose to be. You gave me something to strive for. Watching you both work hard to make my life as wonderful as it has
always
been, meant – and
still means
– everything in the world to me and so do you.”

“Natalia, my sister, my best friend…you came all this way to be at the opening of my club. I can’t begin to tell you how much that means to me. We may not have the same blood running through our veins, but you are my family in every sense of the word. My sister from another mister and I love you!”

“Kelli, we met for a reason. You’ve been there for me more times than I can count and forever more I will reciprocate that.”

“Lady Di, you took me under your wing, mentored me and treated me with love from the day I met you. Thank you for your wisdom. I learned so much from you early on in my career, and it helped propel me to heights I didn’t know existed.”

All of a sudden, Di burst into tears and Joseph quickly rubbed her back to comfort her.

“Mom…come on now! Let her finish.” Kelli scolded.

“It’s okay, Kells,” I retorted.

“My baby’s a cry baby,” Joseph said as he continued consoling her.

When I peeked at Kelli, she was rolling her eyes with a slight smirk on her face.

“Stop it, Kelli
!” I mouthed to her.

“I didn’t mean to make you cry, Di. I’m sorry. You gotta stop though or you’ll get me started before I’ve had a chance to finish.”

“I’m good sweetie, go ahead. I promise no more interruptions.”

Offering her a smile, I continued.

“As I was saying…Had it not been for Romantica, I wouldn’t have met the plethora of women who provided the very reason I established Club Rendezvous. I never thought it would all end up here.”

“Joi…
my girl
, Joi. We’ve known each other since we were little girls. Amazing you and Natalia are meeting for the first time! There’s only a two-year period separating when the two of you entered my life. You have been a good friend and I appreciate all the time you’ve been there over the years when I needed someone to talk to – whether about boys and later men, school, work…whatever. Thank you.”

“I love and appreciate each and every one of you so much. This night is for you and my way of saying,
Thank You
.”

When they began applauding there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. That did it for me. The floodgates were opened.

“One final thing,” I said between the clapping and tears. “Ladies, I purchased day spa certificates for Rosewood Sand Hill in Menlo Park. Hopefully, we can all go together, but it’s not a package deal so you can go separately if the mood strikes you at different times.” 

“Natalia, since I didn’t know you’d be coming, we can
see about going to one a bit closer before you leave.”

“Daddy, since I knew you wouldn’t dare go to the spa, I got this is for you,” handing him an Apogee fountain pen and Franklin-Covey leather planner.

I knew he would enjoy that. His life was all about planning and meeting and meeting and planning. When I called his assistant to ask if he had one she let me know how worn his was.

“I love it, honey! Mine is weathered so this is perfect!”

“Really?” I feigned surprise. “I’m happy I could put one with life back into your life.”

I was amazed at my life.

I had always known that I wanted a good life – one that was comparable to what my parents provided for me – but to attain it on my own…meant so much more than I could every convey, even amongst my family and friends who sat before me that afternoon.  

I silently thanked God, in that moment.

~*~*~

Somewhere near the 1 AM hour everyone began filing out – even with my insistence they stay overnight. 

Joi, who had a little too much to drink, took me up on my offer, which meant that Natalia and I couldn’t talk the way we wanted to until after she’d left.

We didn’t mind. We knew we would have plenty of time to talk shop when we were alone.

I turned in and didn’t wake up until two in the afternoon, which was a first. Normally, no matter how late I stayed up, I was still early to rise.

It was all the activity I had been involved in that had me so beat.

Judging how rejuvenated I felt when I finally descended upon the afternoon, rest was begging to enter my realm, and I was happy that I had finally given in to it.

I headed to the peek in the guest rooms that Joi and Natalia had occupied, and neither were there, so I headed to the kitchen where I could hear water running.

The moment I entered
the doorway, there was Natalia cleaning remnants of the celebration in an oversized tee and flip flops.

“Boa tarde!” I went up behind her and hugged her around the waist. “I knew I would find you in here when your bed was empty.”

“I would have cleaned after everyone left if I knew my eyes would have stayed open,” she said.

“Well, I’m glad you couldn’t keep them open then because I would have been compelled to do the same and I wouldn’t be as well rested as I am right now!”

“I’m sure you needed every ounce of the rest you got.”

“
I did
, Talia…” pulling my arms up in a full stretch. “I wish you were staying,” I said with a kiddie frown on my face. “I need my sister here with me!”

“That would be fun, wouldn’t it?”
she sighed while continuing to make her way around the kitchen.

“Hey, where’s Joi? Has she been down already?” I asked.

“Oh yeah. I thought she went by your room, but maybe she didn’t want to wake you. She left a little while ago and said she would call you later.”

“So, it’s just us?” I exclaimed.

“Yes, it is…and I couldn’t be happier.”

“
Uh-oh
…who didn’t you like?”

She stalled in wiping the counter and gave me a,
do I really have to?
look.

“Come on, Talia!
Tell me
. Who rubbed you the wrong way? Did I miss something?”

“It’s not that I don’t like her. I just don’t care much for her, is all.”

“And who is that?” I asked pulling one of the barstools in front of the kitchen island out to sit comfortably.

I could tell she didn’t want to provide the information, that she was worried about how I would take it, but I needed to know.

Reluctantly, she stated, “It’s Joi.” Leaning into the other side of the island and resting on her elbows. “There’s just something about her that doesn’t ring genuine to me. I don’t get that she’s really happy for you. She seems…
envious
, almost.”

“Hmmm. I guess I haven’t detected that from her.”

I was trying to get a mental picture of how she appeared at the dinner, but it was lost on me.

“I watched her...” Natalia continued. “She said nothing while she was here and even at the end when we were all gushing over your accomplishments, she had a smirk on her face, but attempted a smile when she saw me looking.”

“Wow, I didn’t pay attention to that at all. But tell me this…What was the look on her face when I gifted her with that spa gift certificate?” I spat, as we fell into laughter. “Because
shit
, if she was mad then she shouldn’t have reached for hers. Now, I do remember her doing that!”

Because of my busy schedule, I hadn’t talked to Joi much, but we texted a lot. I made it a point to talk to her on a regular basis because I considered her a friend
, and it was what we had always done.

Real friendships are hard to come by, so the ones I had, I tried to preserve. 

I never got a negative read from her, but maybe I missed something. I decided I would pay more attention going forward. It couldn’t hurt.

The last thing I would have wanted was to have someone in my space harboring ill feelings toward me.

“I would just say to watch her, okay? Since I’m not always here to help keep watch, you have to get your character detector in working mode.”

“Aye Aye, Miss. Will do! Now…Put the cleaning on hold for a bit and let’s get out on the deck and chat it up!”

Natalia grabbed the towel hanging near the kitchen island, dried her hands and followed me outside.

CHAPTER
33

~*~*~

“So, what’s on your mind? Besides Joi? You’re up scrubbing down the kitchen when you should be relaxing…as the guest…
details, please?”

She turned to me and smiled. “You know me so well, don’t you?”

“Of course I do. So please tell.”

She stared off briefly, and then began fidgeting with the arm of the chair.

The suspense was killing me, but I didn’t want to rush her through. When a few minutes had passed by, she spoke.

“I’m thinking seriously about coming to live here in the States.”

“Really, Talia?”

“Yes. I’ve been thinking about it for quite some time. I mean, I love home, I’m just ready for something different.”

“I think it would be great if you were here! Of course you would live with me. There is plenty of room and no man, or kids to fill it – and there won’t be for quite some time.”

“So you’re not dating anyone?” Natalia asked, coyly.

“Not
seriously
dating. I can’t commit to that right now and I’m not interested in exclusivity at the time. I did meet someone recently though…very recent.”

“
Hmmm
…and you bedded him?” she asked.

“
Well, just jump right to the point, why don’t you!”

“So much for dodging the question! Did you or didn’t you?”

“I most certainly did and I rather enjoyed myself.
In fact
, while you were sleeping pretty at my parent’s, keeping the secret that you were in town, we went on a date and ended the night here where we shared a
few
erotic moments.”

“See!” she exclaimed. “Keeping secrets can be good sometimes.”

“I wouldn’t necessarily say that!” I laughed.

“You think you’ll see him again?”

“Yes, I
plan
to see him again,” I confessed. “He seems like a good guy and he has memorable moves in the bedroom. It would be nice to have someone around that I could call on when I need a filler-up,” I smiled.

“Gabriella, you crack me up! A
filler-up
? My god! What is this, a gas station?”

“Yep, and I would say that he’s Supreme Unleaded Plus!”

“You are something else,” she laughed. “And just how far do you think you’ll take things with him?”

“I have no idea. I haven’t thought about it in those terms. It’s not like I’m at Paraiso Belo and can have me a temporary live-in lover. There it’s just so easy. We know what we’re getting. We come in unattached and leave the same way. It’s the ease of it all. That’s the part I
love
. That’s the part I
prefer
.”

“I don’t know,” Natalia said. “Feelings creep up when you least expect them to. I have a regular that I am starting to have feelings for. I think he feels the same way too. There’s passion in the way he kisses me now, that didn’t exist before and he takes extra care when we’re intimate, where he didn’t before.”

“
Oh. Boy
. Have you discussed any of how you feel with Valentina? Is he married? What’s his relationship status?”

“As weird as it is, we haven’t discussed that. I’m afraid to ask for fear of the answer.”

“And he hasn’t offered the information up, either?”

“No. We don’t really talk shop, we just talk
us
.”

“
So what are you gonna do? It has to affect the way you are with your other guests?”

“I didn’t think so, but apparently it
has
on at least one occasion. I received my first complaint
ever
. He told Valentina that he didn’t feel as though he got his money’s worth. He told her that I was detached. I felt
so
bad. I left the resort early that week and Valentina got him a replacement hostess. I offered to make it up to him, but of course he declined.”

“You had to know that becoming emotionally attached would happen one day, Talia. You’ve been doing it for years and it’s not just your professional, but your personal life as well. You are probably trying to fill a void.”

“You’re right,” she sighed. “I have pretty much locked myself in and it isn’t a good feeling being somewhere because you
have to be there
.”

“Well, let’s get one part of that cleared up...you don’t
have
to be there.

We fell into a quiet place; all that could be heard in the background were birds chirping in nearby trees and the now and again rustle of the soft wind breezes.

When a pretty blue bird perched atop my redwood banister, she and Natalia seemed to be having a deep thought staring contest. As I watched the telepathic exchange, it took everything in me not to laugh aloud.

I broke the momentary silence.

“How did Valentina react when that situation happened? Was she upset with you?”

“She was fine. I lied and told her that I wasn’t feeling well, and that it was the reason I was distracted. I assured her it wouldn’t happen again and she trusts me on that. She’s been too good to me over the years for me to put her business in jeopardy.”

“Okay…so here’s my pep talk. Remember all those years ago when you lectured me on the whole Kenny situation?”

“I do…”

“Well, you told me something about not going off of what a person says, but their actions instead. I’m assuming you’re going off of this man’s actions and the passion-filled kisses and the careful pace when making love, but…has he voiced anything in words, about his feelings toward you? Has he taken action to make you his woman – away from the resort? I would say that if he hasn’t, it might be that he is making it a point to get you as close to wanting
only
him as possible. That’s self-gratification and unfair to you if that’s what his angle is.”

“Honestly…I will admit. I never gave it much thought. I really didn’t. I went with emotion. I just always felt I would know when the right one was there.”

“I want you happy, but I want you happy with someone worthy of you. He seems to be playing head games.”

“You think so?” she asked solemnly.

“I do. I have a suggestion…and I don’t know how difficult this would be for you, but maybe discuss with Valentina the possibility of pairing him with someone else for a while. If he has a problem with that and it leads to him professing some kind of love and backing it up with something more permanent between the two of you, then
maybe
. Until then, I’d say it is very necessary that you put some space between the two of you so you can reclaim your focus. He is getting a lot of your attention without having proved himself.”

She took a deep breath and looked at me brandishing a pretty smile.

“I guess what I needed was an honest perspective. He could very well be playing master manipulator and that puts a different spin on things. He’s going to be in for a rude awakening.”

I loved how much we’d grown over the years, how close we were, and how much candor and honesty we shared. True friendship and sisterhood was between us – even countries apart.

“And he will have brought that on himself,” I responded.

“Enough about that…” she shouted. “What’s up with Victor, your used-to-be-regular? Do you keep in touch outside the resort? The two of you seem cozy whenever you’re together?”

“We see each other for those two days when he comes and there is nothing beyond that. He broke me in nicely,” I commented.

“Gabriella, you are so freaky!” she laughed.

“I am! I’ve never denied that. It’s a good freaky though. And you say it like you’re not! Let’s not forget who turned me on to Paraiso Belo in the first place!”

“Okay, okay! You win!” she laughed. “Point taken.”

“I thought so!” I said reaching over to pinch her on the arm.

“What happened the time you told me Victor emailed and wanted to see you, did you decline the offer?”

“No,” I smiled. “I didn’t decline. Initially, I was going to. In the end, I went to meet him because we’ve established a friendship and I wanted him to know that his friendship meant something to me. We talked and had drinks, and talked some more, and oh yeah, and we
might
have had sex once…maybe twice, before I left him in his suite.”

“I can’t believe you’re
just now
telling me about this!” she yelled, leaning over to push my shoulder. “I can’t believe that the only reason you’re telling me now is because I asked!” she yelled with excitement. “You are so sly.”