A Wife for Stephen (10 page)

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.

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.