A loud guttural growl emanated from the what seemed to be the depths of Tristan’s chest. “OUT Sophia!” Tristan barked. “Get the FUCK OUT!”
His words were as forceful as his hands, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards the door. Although her voice giggled, her eyes told a different story. They clouded over with anger as she glared at me. “I won’t forget you,” she threatened before he pushed her out the door and slammed it shut.
Turning back to look at me, he paused. “Adriana, I am so…”
But it was too late. My defenses were up as quickly as his previous touch had made them crumble. “Look, clearly you’re going to need to chit chat with your girlfriend and fix the mess you made…so, I’d better be going.”
“What?” His voice thundered for the second time in just a few minutes. As he stepped in front of the door to block my exit.
I stared him down.
“Move. Now. Before I call hotel security.”
His hands raised as stepped aside. “That was not what it looked like, I swear to you Adriana.”
The sound of my name on his lips made me falter. I had waited what seemed like a lifetime to hear it, and now the moment had come and gone and it had not been anything like I had imagined.
Tears were welling under my eyelids, so I needed to move quickly. “It doesn’t even matter.” I turned the handle and ran.
Avoiding the elevator, I ran for the emergency exit and bolted down the stairs slamming the door behind me.
Running down the fire escape was definitely not meant to be done in heels. After six floors, I collapsed onto the cold cement stairs, and with my head in my hands I released the waterfall of tension that I had been holding in.
Chapter 11
Tristano Ricci
Royal Park Hotel –Tokyo
FUCK! I screamed as I slammed my open palm into the back of the hotel door. What the hell just happened? Anger coursed through my veins making me feel like my head was going to explode. Catching a glimpse of myself in the full-length mirror, actually startled me as I paced across the suite. My face was red and a large thick vein was pulsating in my neck, fists and jawline clenched, my body posture was nothing short of being in attack mode. I stopped, taking in a full purposeful breath. Getting angry and breaking shit would definitely not help the situation. I needed to regain control of my emotions. When I had become so irrational anyway? The last thing I needed was to tarnish my perfectly clean pilot image with a destroyed hotel room.
What I did need to do was fix this shit with Adriana. Tonight could have been so different… maybe I should have gone after her? I wasn’t sure.
I sunk down into the side of the couch and ran my hands across my face and through my hair. For a guy that always had his shit together, how did everything get so complicated, so quickly? It was her. Adriana. I had her in my arms and my stupid escapade from earlier in the evening had ruined it all. Fucking Sophia. She seemed to enjoy that performance all too much. I’d have to deal with her before we got back to work, but for now my focus was on Adriana. The numbers on the clock flipped from 1:59 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. It was too late. Adriana was probably back in her room with the girls. And I needed to sleep off the effects of the alcohol and the drama. Shaking my head, visions of Adriana and the smell of her hair seemed to rush back from my memory, and assault my senses making my cock get hard again in an instant. Fuck, nothing had changed. I still had it bad for this girl, just the same as a decade ago.
A cold shower and a good sleep were exactly what I needed. I needed to freeze the desire for her out my body so that my head could think straight again. Time was ticking. I had to get Mr. Leahy back to San Francisco in less than twenty-four hours. I needed to get myself together– and I needed to do it fast.
Toeing off my loafers and unbuckling my pants quickly, I let them fall with a dull thud on the marble flooring. I unbuttoned my shirt as I stared back at my own reflection in the mirror. I looked like shit. Buzzed and confused. I stripped off the last of my clothing and stepped into the shower. Instead of cold, I let it run warm. The soothing sensation of the water had been meant to calm my torrid thoughts, but instead it only served to frustrate me further. Water cascaded over me as Adriana filled my mind. Her beauty, her scent, the way she had looked at me…it was all too much. As I finally allowed thoughts of her to invade the darkest corners of my mind, I began to caress my throbbing cock. Giving in to the desire that had been ignited long ago, I stroked myself moaning; thumbing over my pre-cum at the swollen tip. I spread it circling and vigorously started wanking myself in all my frustration; picturing Adriana’s perfect breasts bouncing free, as I suckled her perfectly hard nipples. Visions of her naked as I fucked her hard, made me cum in record time.
I stood in the shower, my forehead leaning on the cold tiles. A slight dizziness fogged my brain as I tried to regain my composure. Almost immediately, my inner narrative started up again. I was stressing over how to fix this, almost as quickly as it had left. I needed to sleep. Wash up and get out. Too long in here and you start to think again. Let’s keep it functional asshole. I nodded and followed my own directions.
After my shower, I chugged a glass of water and threw down a couple of Advils. I needed to sleep off this crazy night. Tomorrow was a new day. I’d deal with it all better in the morning.
***
I awoke to direct sunlight in my face and complete disorientation. The loud incessant ringing that had invaded my sleep was still going, and I needed to stop it. I slammed my hands down on the nightstand, pushing off my watch and the empty glass from the night before as I did. I heard them crash to the floor. Fuck! Try opening your eyes you idiot, my brain mocked. Finally, I found the source of the beeping and answered it.
“Hello?” I mumbled still half asleep.
“Captain Ricci?” Came the voice on the other end. “I’m sorry to disturb you, but it’s important that you know that Mr. Leahy’s business in Tokyo is taking longer than expected, and he will leaving later than was previously planned.”
It was Leahy’s perky personal assistant Vicki, who was also his on-and-off again love interest. Her words made me wonder if his business had more to do with him wanting another night with her, before returning home to his wife. Not that his wife would have cared. She was known for her close encounters with the pool boy.
I also knew Vicki intimately just as well as Leahy did. Long before she worked for him, she’d been in the accounting department at Air Freedom. After a few payroll issues that I had to sort out in person, Vicki had spent a week living at my apartment. The only way I was able to get rid of her was to recommend her to Leahy. Fortunately, he’d lost his previous PA, but soon hired Vicki upon my stellar recommendation. Vicki was more than happy to leave my bed for one with deeper pockets, and I was happy to move on. Funny how moving on to the next girl now didn’t seem so appealing since last night. Now for the first time, I actually wanted to go backwards in time; find her, and redo the night better.
“Thanks Vic,” I mumbled. “Message me the details when you have them.”
“You know it Tris,” she answered more casually this time.
Despite our past, Vicki wasn’t the kind of girl to get caught up in the details. She was much more focused on reaching her own goals. Most of which involved a large checking account. I might have been the youngest Captain around, but I was no CEO like Leahy.
In any case, now I had more time. Not that I could sleep any longer. Now that my eyes were open, there was only one thing on my mind. Adriana Acosta. She was somewhere in this building and I had to find her.
Chapter 12
Adriana Acosta
Royal Park Hotel –Tokyo
Last night had gone from perfect to bad, and then to worse, in a blink of an eye. Never for a second could I have imagined it would end like that. After all these years of pining away after a guy, it was all for nothing. I should have known better. I should have stuck to having fun and keeping things quick and meaningless.
&
nbsp; After last night’s debacle, I had come home to an empty room. Tanya and Krista were still out partying. I’d texted them to let them know I was back in the room, and although they had immediately volunteered to come back, I’d convinced them to stay out. I almost wanted to be alone before I had to relay the story to anyone– even to Tanya.
And even now, as I opened my eyes and stared over at my friends who were still sound asleep, I wondered if I really wanted to tell them the truth. The truth was feeling pretty awful this morning. I yawned and rolled over and slipped my feet out from beneath the covers as quietly as I could without disturbing Tanya who was sleeping next to me. Krista was on the pullout and could literally sleep through an earthquake, so I wasn’t worried about her.
“Adri?” Came a muffled voice from under the covers. Shit. No such luck avoiding anyone I guess.
“Shh…” I whispered to Tanya as I continued making my way to the bathroom. “Go back to sleep.” She mumbled something incoherent and rolled over.
Great. I had some time. Using it to my advantage, I quickly hopped in the shower in an attempt to wash off the embarrassment and confusion that still lingered from the night before.
Zoning out under the hot water was a good thing. It eased my mind and soothed my body, as it cascaded down my naked flesh. Leaning my head against the cold tile was refreshing but it didn’t completely cleanse me. There was still a dark cloud lingering in my head and in my chest.
The good thing was that I didn’t have to see him again. No matter what I had wanted at the beginning of the evening, now I knew that it was all just a fantasy. It was kind of cool that I had the opportunity to make out with the first guy that I’d ever lusted after, but honestly, I didn’t need to spend more time with a player like that. A man who brought back girl number two into his room, while girl number one was still in his suite less than twelve hours after their touchdown. This was not the kind of man I needed.
Lathering up my hair and inhaling the sweet scent of the cherry blossom shampoo, was healing. Yes, it had been fun– yes it could have been better; but hey it wasn’t, and that’s all there was to it.
Compartmentalizing was something I did really well. So well that I often had to stop and ask myself if indeed this was what I felt, or if I was simply acting out of a need to protect myself. I didn’t always know the answer. But what I did know was that I had dealt with it and I would now be able to tell my friends about it. Then move on, permanently.
I stepped out of the shower, wrapped my hair in a towel and slipped into the lush hotel bathrobe. It was thick, fluffy and seemed to absorb more than just water. I felt whole again. And hungry. I could smell food.
“Morning girls!” I called cheerily as I stepped out of the bathroom and inhaled the scent from the breakfast trays. Hotel staff had clearly just rolled in a cart filled with both traditional Japanese breakfast food consisting of sushi and broths, and American breakfast foods.
“I ordered a variety so we can go Tokyo style… or if any of you were really missing home, there’s always our usual yummies,” Krista said, as she rummaged through the options, her fingers picking off bits of food and she went.
“Coffee!” Tanya and I called at the same time. We looked and laughed. Her knowing smile and peering eyes already asking me more.
“Coffee then stories!” I chided her. “Besides I’m pretty damn sure you both have a few good ones from last night too. After all, I never even heard you come in last night.”
My friends both giggled in unison as I poured the coffee and took a seat on the bed. “Mmm okaay…so who goes first?” I asked. Hoping they would volunteer.
“Uhh… you do missy!” Tanya answered immediately. “You’re the one who just found her high school crush last night in a club halfway across the world!”
I smiled, it was a genuine smile that I could feel warming my insides. I quickly shook it off. My story had had a different ending last night.
“Well, after we left…” I began.
“No, no, no girl, start from what the hell happened when he pulled you outside!” They yelled at me.
“Oh well that, yeah, so… we made out on the side of the club.” I shrugged my shoulders and sipped my coffee.
“And??” They both screeched at me.
“It was hot, like really fucking hot.” I couldn’t deny it. It really had been.
“Just as hot as you had imagined?” Tanya asked.
I paused. “Better.”
As I sipped my coffee and relayed my story, I watched my friends’ eyes go from glazed over with the anticipation of juicy details, to shock, horror and finally, disgust. Watching my evening play back through their eyes was even more powerful than it had been the first time. Their reaction confirmed with what had transpired, that my reactions, were justified. Tristano Ricci may have held my heart for years, but now it was I who had to finally put him behind me.
Chapter 13
Tristano Ricci
Royal Park Hotel –Tokyo
Despite wanting to get up right after I’d heard from Vicki, I somehow lost a few more hours. Finally, my eyes opened on their own and I managed to crawl out of bed and get myself together. I took yet another shower and threw on some fresh clothes. I felt ready to look for Adriana. If… she was even still here. I knew she had mentioned her flight time, but for the life of me I couldn’t remember what she had said. Letting her run off last night was a mistake. I hadn’t really thought it through last night. I figured space was best, but now that my mind was clear of the alcoholic cobwebs, I realized that I had been wrong. I had no idea which flight she was on, or where she was headed next. I hadn’t even thought to ask which airline she worked for. I could definitely find all these things out but it was going to slow me down. Clearly, I’d never run after a girl before and it showed.
I dressed quickly in the only casual clothes I had. Jeans and grey t-shirt. I always brought one outfit with me just in case I ended up on a longer layover. Stopping in front of the hall mirror, I ran my hand through my hair one last time and shook it out. Sliding my Ray-Bans on to cover any evidence of the late night, I headed out. I wasn’t sure where but coffee would be my first pit stop. Fortunately, there was a Starbucks in the hotel lobby. After ordering my espresso, I settled into one of the Club’s chairs in the lounge.
Looking around, the lobby was bustling with people. The Royal Park was a hub for upscale tourists and business people alike. Everyone was rushing about, with their coffees in hand and Bluetooth headsets on, chatting away as if no one around them existed. I’m guilty of the same thing most days, but for once– for the first time in a long time, my schedule was clear.
Thoughts of last night’s mistakes came flooding back. Today could have been so different. I could have been spending it in bed with HER. Feeding her strawberries and champagne while drizzling melted chocolate down her naked body. Her sweet, luscious body. I had her in my hands and so stupidly had thrown it all away. Everything I had kept in the back of my mind for so long, was now at the forefront of my thoughts. Feelings I never even knew I had suddenly came flooding back to my mind. Anger at myself and the entire situation began to boil over inside me. I chugged my coffee feeling it burn my throat. My fingers wrapped tighter around the disposable cup, squeezing the life out it.
I needed answers. Before I had even made a decision about what to do next, I found myself marching towards the front desk. Slamming my hand down on the counter, inadvertently making the petite receptionist jump.
“I need to know which room Adriana Acosta is in,” I demanded watching as she fidgeted beneath my stare.
“I’m sorry Sir, but we cannot…” she began politely.
“I know that!” I growled back. “I just want to talk to her; can you call her room for me please?”
“If she is here then I can, just a minute Sir,” she answered bowing her head and running off to a back room.
I felt out of control, heated, as if I’d just finished a mad workout. Unable to think, my mind stil
l reeling from the memories and her scent. Both seemed to have stayed locked inside my head all night.
The girl behind the counter came back within minutes with what looked like her manager by her side. He began to repeat the same words she had, but I was no longer listening. His words were muffled by the sound of my own thoughts.
I didn’t wait for him to finish before walking away. Back to the lounge chair I went, and this time I pulled out my phone. If I wasn’t getting anywhere with the hotel staff, then I’d use my airline connections.
I spent the next two hours calling everyone I knew. Yet no one could help me. Where in this bloody hotel was Adriana? Had I fucking imagined her? Was I that drunk that I conjured up meeting her in my mind? No, I knew it wasn’t so. Yet still no answers. It was proving to be the most frustrating day so far.
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