A short distance away, Pauline Baptiste grabbed a glass of wine off of a passing tray. She was just going to lift the glass to her lips when her eyes caught sight of the young woman approaching her.
“Ming…Ming Mondragon. It is so good to see you again,” Pauline Baptiste cried out pulling her warmly into an embrace. “How’s my favorite Mondragon?”
“Oh Pauline, it’s so good to see you too. I’m just fine,” Ming smiled tenderly. Pauline Baptiste was like a second mother to her. “I see the Baptiste family is out tonight. And just look at Katrina. She looks so elegant. I know she’ll win the Royal Queen competition tonight.”
“Goodness I hope so,” Pauline shrugged. “I just wish she’d listened to me and let me change the color of her hair. A few honey amber highlights would have given her extra points with the male judges. I’m sure of it,” she smiled. “Men love that sort of thing.”
“Yes, but Pauline, not many women can wear honey blond hair like you. You are the only woman I know who can wear blond streaked hair and make it look classic and elegant with no black roots.”
Pauline laughed. “Me? With black roots? I wouldn’t allow the undertaker to bury me if I had black roots.”
Both ladies laughed simultaneously.
Pauline threw her head back. Her laughter died as she stared back with a pure expression of shock registering on her face.
Ming’s eyes looked in the direction of her gaze. She looked up intently as the buxom woman walked into the open foyer.
“Damn,” Pauline’s voice held a note of steel as she shot Ming a warning look. “Don’t look now, but competition for our husband’s affections has arrived.
Ming stared critically in the direction of Pauline’s gaze. “Who is that?”
Pauline shook her head with a sigh. “You’ve heard of that bible story about that Delilah creature? You know the one who seduced Samson.”
Ming nodded, but kept her eyes on Delilah as she breezed across the room.
Pauline gave her a sincere matronly stare. “Well consider Delilah Deauville as a real life version of the bible’s original Delilah,” she paused. “Only be careful. This one not only seduces men, she also enjoys seducing women.”
Ming’s jaw tensed as she stared dumbfounded back at Pauline. Her eyes held complete wonder. A second later she tilted her head and stole another gaze at Delilah Deauville.
Pauline noticed Ming gazing. “Yes Ming, there are women that are into that sought of thing and Delilah Deauville is definitely one. Don’t become too chummy with her. You have a tendency to be too trusting of people,” she warned her.
The music picked up a beat, a modern guitar rhythm, morphing a throbbing melody that sent an electrifying energy into the air.
Pauline took Ming by the arm and led her over to other guests and quickly made introductions.
Ming and Pauline never saw the scene unraveling behind them.
Boldly, Delilah Deauville strode confidently around the huge foyer. She oozed a sensual aura that appealed to the male sex.
A man walked up to her. He was square jawed handsome. He wore his wavy black hair pulled back in a pony tail. He had a commanding aggressive power about him. Raw sexual energy poured out of him.
All at once Delilah threw back her head laughing with the familiar man.
Delilah Deauville looked sexy, seductive, elegant and regal, in a red sequined evening dress with a chiffon scarf that draped like a sari around her. Her evening gown gracefully exposed her full bosom superbly.
It was evident in her assured manner that Delilah knew she was the envy of every woman present.
Finally, Delilah kissed the man on the cheek. She left him and floated over to greet someone else she knew.
All at once Delilah waived her arms in a grand sweeping gesture as she recognized her.
“Pauline Baptiste, is that you? It’s wonderful to see you again,” Delilah said as her hand reached out to clasp her in a hug. Her long fingers slowly caressed down Pauline’s arms.
“Delilah, it’s so good to see you too,” Pauline said leaning over to exchange air kisses on either side of her cheeks.
“Who is this?” Delilah said shooting a gaze at Ming.
“This is Ming Mondragon, Delilah. She is the wife of Conrad Mondragon. They’ve been happily married a very long time. A very long time,” Pauline emphasized.
As Pauline made introductions, Delilah’s gaze shifted between Ming’s face and across the room where Conrad was standing. Her eyes quickly shot back to Ming. She let her gaze slowly take her in. She leaned in close and tilted her head. “You look gorgeous in that dress Ming,” she said as she quickly licked her lips. It was evident that Delilah was more than interested in Ming.
The gesture was so quick and subtle Ming was sure Pauline didn’t notice it.
Delilah was caught up in her thoughts and didn’t hear Pauline. “What did you say cousin?”
“Cousin?” Ming inquired.
Delilah softly laughed. “Yes.”
Pauline cleared her throat. “Yes, didn’t I tell you Ming? Delilah Deauville is a relation of mine, who prefers to call me cousin. Why do you think I know her so well?” she cleared her throat. “Why do you think I told you about Delilah’s…ah...Little likings?”
“Cousin, there is no need to provide so much information,” Delilah said shaking her head.
Pauline gave a tiny shrug. “We are only related by marriage,” she said tersely.
The moment was awkward.
“Oh Ming, it looks like Conrad is eying his favorite and only wife,” Pauline said breaking the ice. “I think you should go and visit with your husband. It looks like he misses you.”
From a short distance away Conrad stood in conversation with Jean Baptiste. He looked up and waived his hand in greeting to Pauline. Instantly his eyes shifted their gaze and locked with Ming’s.
Pauline waived back to him. “Conrad, Ming needs you,” her voice delicately sliced the air.
“Well I guess I’ll get going. It seems my cousin wants to be rude,” Delilah said abruptly not waiting for Conrad to make his way over.
“Ming, we need to talk privately,” Pauline said reaching out to squeeze Ming’s hand. “I’ll meet you at the Junior Royal Court, back stage when you drop the girls off,” she murmured low. “If I miss you there, I’ll wait for you in the lobby by the bell captain’s desk.”
Ming nodded.
Pauline gave Ming a push in Conrad’s direction.
“Delilah,” Pauline’s voice was tight as she turned and closed the distance between them. She hooked her arm in hers. “I’m sure your cousin Jean will be glad to see you have arrived. I’m sure he needs to have that talk with you about being on your best behavior tonight,” she said quickly clasping Delilah’s arm and pulling her away. They took a walk across the ballroom.
Ming joined Conrad across the room.
“Who were you and Pauline talking with?” Conrad asked curiously.
“That was Delilah Deauville. Isn’t she beautiful,” Ming said without a thought. “There was something curious and beautiful about her. I think it was her eyes.”
Conrad shook out his thoughts. “Huh, oh yeah she is. But she is not as beautiful as my wife.”
Conrad Mondragon leaned over close. His eyes took in the gracefully attractive woman standing across from him. His wife Ming Jefferson-Mondragon was the piece in the puzzle that kept him human. He smiled remembering. Ming had been a beauty queen, Miss Oakland California. He’d been so proud when he watched her receive her crown.
The two of them had grown up together, off of 105th Avenue in the Durant Manor Area of Oakland California. Ming Jefferson was the girl next door. They mixed well. Conrad was half Black and half Spanish with a little German thrown in. He got his last name Mondragon from his Spanish side.
Ming was half Black and half Asian. Growing up, he and Ming stuck together a lot. Kind of like a mixed-race kids support team.
Conrad’s eyes lingered on Ming’s ex
pressive brown eyes. She radiated beauty from deep within her. To everyone who looked at Ming, he was sure they just saw a chic thin looking woman with a shapely, well proportioned derrière. Her butt was what he’d loved about her most.
Ming’s eyes challenged his as if she knew his thoughts. She moved in closer. “Conrad my husband, it looks like I did not quench your thirst this afternoon,” she said taking his hand and casually letting it rest on her well proportioned derrière.
Conrad smiled and focused his gaze on her. Ming’s directness was what he loved about her. He squeezed her flesh between his fingers. “Perhaps we can go up to our suite soon. Maybe for a quickie?”
“Husband, you know you only want a blow job and you are lucky it won’t mess up my hair. We’ll sneak away soon. I promise,” she smiled knowingly.
“When?” Conrad gave her butt another squeeze.
“Oh Conrad, you are so naughty,” Ming playfully giggled. “Just as soon as I check Mimi and Lucy in at Junior Court. After that we can go and play. I’m sure Mother Kahina Laveau will watch the girls for me for the rest of the evening.”
Music blared out.
“Whew! They’re playing our song Conrad!”
Conrad smiled and nodded. The song held deep meaning for him. “I’d like to feel the passion to the point of no return,” he sang the words of the song and then pulled Ming into his arms. “Wife, I must have this dance with you,” he said leading her to the dance floor in the Regency ballroom.
Chapter 4
Spoiling the Evening ….The Nasty People
Hidden amid a forest of potted plants Monty Wildfire watched the couple on the garden room dance floor. His eyes glistened over with jealousy and envy.
“Monty, what are you doing hiding behind that fern?” Celica Baptiste curiously asked.
He had been fearful that someone might come along and catch him watching the couple on the dance floor. He’d held his cell phone in his hand just in case they did. He pretended to check his messages.
Celica Baptiste wasn’t stupid. She was well educated. She glanced across the dance floor. She saw the object Monty had really been looking at earlier.
He stared back at her. “What do you want Celica?” He demanded, not masking his deep annoyance for being interrupted.
Celica recoiled from Monty’s sharp words. The smile on her face faded. She recovered quickly. “I was only joking Monty. I guess I forgot you don’t like to be teased. Here, I brought you that champagne you wanted.”
He took the glass from her hand and put it down. “Please leave Celica,” he scolded.
“You’re not going to have a drink with me?” she asked.
“No, I’m busy Celica.”
Celica started to protest but she knew it was useless. For the last year she’d been trying to get Monty’s attention. It had only been two months since she got him interested in her. Her face flushed embarrassed, thinking about how she brought that about. Her thoughts raced as she remembered. She had stayed late one night after their board meeting ended. She and Monty had been alone when she brushed real close to him. The next thing she remembered, she tried something she’d seen in the movies. She cupped her hand around his penis and told him she wanted to feel him in side of her.
Just thinking about it made her embarrassed. She’d gotten to get Monty inside of her alright. But it wasn’t the way she had wanted. Instead, he had her give him a blow job. She shook herself, thinking how stupid she had been. But then she’d finally figured out how to endear herself to him. The way to get to most men’s hearts was to cook for him and feed him. The way to get to Monty’s heart was by using money; Monty loved making money. “But you don’t know what I did for you…,” she hesitated. She smiled and blurted “I’ve got the opportunity you’ve been wanting.”
Monty lost track of the couple on the dance floor. He lifted a large leaf of the fern and eyed his prey. “Oh really,” he said ignoring her.
Annoyed, he turned and glanced back at her. Celica was starting to get on his last nerve. He quickly felt he made a hasty decision agreeing to say she was his date for the evening. As usual, he was sure she hadn’t been paying attention to him when he laid down the rule that under no circumstance was she to smother him.
Her eyes widened as she gazed back at him.“You said that if I made things happen for you Monty, we could be something special to each other,” she paused. “You know Monty, I consider myself as an obstacles eliminator.”
Monty’s attention was elsewhere. “Yeah baby, whatever we discussed is fine with me,” he mumbled, shifted and turned back around.
Celica’s thoughts raced as she thought of what to say to hold his interest. “You know, I’ve arranged for you to meet him. We can make a lot of money and be something special to each other, just like we said.”
His ears perked up at the word money. “Don’t play games with me about money Celica. What are you talking about?”
Celica’s eyes flashed, realizing Monty’s attention was elsewhere. “Nate Trent is here tonight and he wants to meet with you…..I mean us, privately, about working a deal.”
Nate Trent was on the board of directors at one of Silicon Valley’s oldest Foundations. He was good for working a deal. A deal that didn’t involve playing by the books. A deal that could make a lot of money.
Monty’s face relaxed. He softly smiled. “Where is Nate?”
“What about our being something special to each other Monty?”
“Yeah baby, not to worry. But let’s first get the deal going. I want to meet with Nate. Where is he?”
“I’m not sure. I saw him speaking with a woman, earlier in the lobby. I haven’t seen him since. But he insisted he will meet with us, here tonight.”
What happened next was unexpected.
“Monty, I was hoping to see you,” Nate’s voice sliced the air.
Nate Trent moved in closer and wedged himself between the two. He stuck out his hand. “Well, how could I refuse to meet with you? Not after your assistant, Celica, brought three bottles of your signature champagne up to my suite,” he nodded. “By the way, the bottle I drank was exquisite.”
Monty shook his hand enthusiastically. “Well, if you need more, don’t hesitate to ask. I have plenty in my suite,” his eyes darted back at Celica knowingly.
Celica took the hint. She knew the idea was hers. But she kept quiet.
Nate turned and studied the woman next to him. “Hi Celica, nice turnout tonight. Great event, don’t you think?”
“Yes, it is Mr. Trent.”
Nate’s eyes looked Celica over from head to toe. “You’re having a love affair with hot pink I see. The dress looks good on you. You know, not many women can wear the color.”
Celica smiled. “Why thank you.”
Nate shoved his hands in his pockets. “Well Celica, how about you run along and get me a drink? It’ll give me a moment to talk to Monty privately,” he shrugged. “Don’t worry, if we set up a meeting date you’ll be the first to know.”
Celica looked apprehensive. She felt insulted after all her hard work bringing the two men together. But she knew when to ignore rude behaviour. “Oh, why yes of course.” Her eyes darted back to Monty’s before she turned to walk away.
“Oh huh, I’ll have bourbon on the rocks,” Nate called after her. He watched until she was out of earshot.
Nate shot a glance at Monty.
A look of amusement passed between the two men.
Nate leaned in close to Monty and chuckled softly. “What’s going on with you and that bitch in hot pink? You do know she doesn’t look good in pink. But she does give a mean blow job.”
Monty chuckled. “So we’re finally going to have that meeting Nate?”
“You really want to do business with me don’t you Monty?” Nate asked. “So tell me how much is it worth to you?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Monty replied, not willing to degrade himself.
“I mean I’ve watched you Monty. I know what is
of interest to you. What you love,” he paused his tone was business like.
Nervously Monty rubbed his chin.
Nate chuckled. “I’m talking about your love affair with money; it’s the same as my own. I wouldn’t think of trying to put together anything that’s less than a quarter of a million. What do you think of that?” he asked.
Monty rubbed his chin. “On that we agree,” he assured him.
Nate adjusted his tie. He ran his hand down the front of his Armani tuxedo. “I can tell a man with tastes the same as my own. That Rolex Daytona you’re wearing is rare and beautiful. It’s a classic,” Nate said admiringly.
Monty smiled. “That it is. You have a great eye.”
“I have an excellent eye. You love women and you love making love to women. I can tell,” he said as his eyes darted toward the dance floor. “You might be wise to place you eyes and lust elsewhere.” He nodded in the direction of Pearl and Louis dancing. “That one is loyal to Louis La Cour. I can tell you that much. And believe me, I’ve tried.”
“Oh?” Monty paused with his thoughts. He felt a surge of anger knowing that Nate had lusted after Pearl La Cour. In the back of his mind he felt like punching him in the face. His jaw tightened as he masked his feelings superbly.
“Not in the way you think. I just tried to be a good friend. Get close to her. Be nice, but she wasn’t having any part of it. Pearl La Cour has got values. Morals,” he paused. “Anyway it’s best to work on a woman with no moral values. They are the easy ones to get in bed.”
Monty sighed softly, realizing it hadn’t been what he thought. “I know what you mean.”
“Anyway, we will meet soon to discuss details Monty. But not tonight,” Nate said confidently. “After talking about giving a mean blow job I’m in need of one now. And there is a woman here tonight that’s willing. It doesn’t hurt that she’s in the business of giving pleasure.”
The two men chuckled.
“Sounds like definitely an easy prey,” Monty said.
Nate chuckled softly and then stopped abruptly. “Oh, and by the way, we will conduct our meeting privately, without the hot pink wonder. No need to split our profit into thirds, when we could both have a half.”
Grand Hotel (A Geek An Angel) Page 3