Beau

There! She had done it. Mission accomplished. She had set her goal and followed through it. With flying colors. Several times.

Wincing at the soreness she felt in between her raw thighs, every muscle in her body protesting, she tiptoed out of the suite, carrying her Manolos.

It was six in the morning, the sun has not come out to kiss the horizon, yet she was sneaking out of a man's room like a burglar. Why couldn't she be like any normal girl? A rhetorical question.

She could have woken up beside the guy she had sex with the whole night and maybe enjoyed breakfast with him. She was escaping instead.

-You know why.-

-But the guy is just so yummy!-

-Then that is a hell of a reason to move your ass out there.-

-You are right.-

Shit! Why was she having a debate with her conscience? That, she knew the answer.

Beau was sparing herself from the humiliation she would surely feel when he kicked her out of his room. That was why. One-night stands had not changed their meaning. It was fuck. And go. No clingy goodbyes. No promises.

Plus, she had other more important reasons.

She grimaced. It was virtually impossible to get out of his arms. He fell on top of her after the umpteenth time of sex, both of them drained, unable to move. She had nearly fallen asleep, thanked God she didn't succumb to exhaustion. She realized it was dawn and she needed to hightail it before he woke up.

With a heavy heart and after gazing at his perfectly carved physique to store in her memories for those lonely nights, she donned her wrinkled dress, sans the underwear. She didn't even know where it was and she had resigned to go commando for the time being.

She leaned to kiss his cheek softly. Thanking him for the most wonderful evening of her life. He stirred a bit but didn't wake up. He hugged the pillow that has her scent on it. She smiled, wistful. Wishing she could stay. But no. She wouldn't. Life was already so much complicated as it was. She does not need to add him to the mix.

The elevator ride she took to bring her down to the first floor of the hotel made her jittery. Aching to go back to him. She sniffed. She wasn't even aware she was crying.

Her bare feet didn't make a sound on the sheening marble tiles at the elegant lobby. She must really look a sight with her disheveled hair, swollen lips, and state of dress. Blushing scarlet, trying to pat her hair to tame it. She must have had a fucked-all-night-look because the employees were staring at her in shock.

Exiting the five-star hotel, her heart grew heavier. She didn't know why but her feet were trying to drag her back inside. She can't. Knew well of the rules. One-night stand. No strings attached. Besides, men like him had girlfriends and mistresses in abundance. He may even be married.

Feeling her eyes filled with tears, she took a deep breath. How could she be so stupid? She had resigned herself that she could be pregnant. She had wanted it. However, having sex with a married man should have been out of the question.

-He doesn't have a wedding band, Beau.-

She squinted her eyes, trying to think. Yeah. He didn't have one. She relaxed a bit. Nevertheless, she wouldn't go back no matter how much she wanted him inside her again. Besides, he was a foreigner. A Russian. She was sure he will be gone in a few days. And she would never see him again. The thought dampened her mood even further.

***

She just couldn't believe she cried all the way from the hotel. Now, her eyes were swollen and she was breathing through her mouth. Perfect!

She sank deeper in her tub, savoring the warm water and she felt her sore muscles relax. The soreness in her genitals was still a bit uncomfortable. A reminder of him. She sighed. He will always be but a distant memory. If she got pregnant then she would be the happiest woman in the world.

Beau's eyes felt heavy. Feeling the exhaustion from the strenuous activities last night and the early hours of the morning. She lost count on how many times they did it.

She had better take a much-needed nap and later talked to Lily.

The familiar ringtone blasting at a distance --probably from her living room-- jerked her awake from her sleep. She glowered in annoyance. The water was cold and she was all wrinkly. The stopper was removed to drain the tub before she wore her cozy bathrobe.

She reached for the Bluetooth device, which was connected to her secure server that also had her cell phone attached to it.

"Hello, Beauty Grace, " she rolled her eyes, however, she couldn't help but smile at her friend's British robotic accent.

"It's Beau."

"Heavy sigh."

"What is new, Lil?"

"The Marcelinos wants your expertise again. Looking for the file."

"They are boring, Lil. Anybody else?"

"Another heavy sigh." Beau grinned. " The Marcelinos are willing to pay double. I suggest you take it, Beauty Grace."

"Ok. I'll take it. I must warn you though I will be done in a day or two so you must find me another one."

"Grinning at my best friend. I will. This time I will make it more complicated. Oh and, one of the clients wants to meet B. G. Anderson."

"Not a good idea, Lil. I don't want conflict. And they don't know who I really am. I want it that way."

"I agree with you, Beauty Grace. Take care. Sending the file to a secure server. Dropping call."

That went well. Usually, Lily will torture her with an endless sermon about the merits of life. It was Beau's turn to exhale heavily when the call ended.

A bad omen.