removed.
There’s a knock at the door.
I look at the doorknob.
Shit! There’s no lock.
“Is everything okay in there, Caroline?”
“Yes. I was just seeing how it looked and trying to zip up the back.”
“Oh, then come on out. I have a full length mirror, and I’m pretty good with zippers.”
Pretty good with zippers. Why does that comment send little zapping sensations up my inner thighs?
Focus, Miranda. You have a job to do.
I yank, rip, pull and grind my heel into the floor.
Finally, the tape comes off. I’m free!
Not exactly. There’s a major problem. All the tape is gone, every speck of it removed. What remains, however, is a fat red mark across my chest, stretching between my breasts. It will take hours to go away and all the aftershave and cold water in the world isn’t going to help.
Standing naked in the tiny bathroom with very little time to decide, I consider my options. I disconnect the mic, leaving the recorder taped to my thigh. There’s no reason to remove it now. I quickly try on the dress, but as I suspected, the mark still shows.
There’s really only one thing I can do. I throw my old clothes back on, stuff the mic in my back pocket, and step out of the bathroom.
Diego is standing next to a mirror he’s placed in the middle of the room.
“It fits great!” I say. “Even the length is about right. A little long, but I think with the right heels it will be perfect.”
Diego frowns. “I’m glad you like it.”
“Well, I guess I should get going. Maybe we can get together this weekend.”
“Not so fast. I must confess something. I did lie when I said the dress was free. There’s one small contingency.”
My heart flutters. “What is it?”
“You have to accompany on a date tonight. And you have to wear that dress.”
“A date? Where?”
“It’s a surprise.”
This isn’t good. Nick and José are out of reach and I won’t be able to record anything that Diego says. I need to get back to the hotel and reposition the mic and form a better plan for how Nick and José will stay within reach.
Maybe I can postpone this tryst until tomorrow night.
“I love surprises. However, I have to work tonight.”
“So quit. It’s not like cocktail waitressing is your career. You’re waitressing so you can have money to get back home, right? Look around. I think I can cover that. But first, you need to have a real vacation. You could use some fun, Caroline. You seem way too stressed.”
What can I say? If I was really waitressing because I was marooned in Cusco without means to get back to the States, I’d be crazy not to take Diego up on his offer.
“Fine. I guess you have a point. What time will you pick me up?”
Diego laughs. “Why would I pick you up? You’re already here. I just have some business to attend to this afternoon. By tonight, I’ll be ready.
“There’s plenty that you can do around here. There’s the library, an indoor pool that’s a few floors below with a gym and a sauna. You can even sit around and watch TV. I get satellite so I have all the American channels. It’s a lot better than spending your day at the Dragonfly or bumming around the tourist district. I’m sure you’re sick of the local sights by now.”
“Okay. I guess I can keep myself entertained. I would like to see the library. I’ve never seen a private collection that large.”
“Great. If you need anything, hit this call button and my butler, George, will come to wherever you’re at. While he’s officially the chef around here, George knows where everything is. He’s also a great tennis partner if you feel like getting outside and whacking some balls around.”
“I think the library will keep me entertained.”
He passes me the small remote with a fat red button in the center.
I shiver as I take hold of it. I can hear the ding of the alarm, the steady ring of the heart monitor and the shouting of nurses, shoving me out of the way and
There’s a knock at the door.
I look at the doorknob.
Shit! There’s no lock.
“Is everything okay in there, Caroline?”
“Yes. I was just seeing how it looked and trying to zip up the back.”
“Oh, then come on out. I have a full length mirror, and I’m pretty good with zippers.”
Pretty good with zippers. Why does that comment send little zapping sensations up my inner thighs?
Focus, Miranda. You have a job to do.
I yank, rip, pull and grind my heel into the floor.
Finally, the tape comes off. I’m free!
Not exactly. There’s a major problem. All the tape is gone, every speck of it removed. What remains, however, is a fat red mark across my chest, stretching between my breasts. It will take hours to go away and all the aftershave and cold water in the world isn’t going to help.
Standing naked in the tiny bathroom with very little time to decide, I consider my options. I disconnect the mic, leaving the recorder taped to my thigh. There’s no reason to remove it now. I quickly try on the dress, but as I suspected, the mark still shows.
There’s really only one thing I can do. I throw my old clothes back on, stuff the mic in my back pocket, and step out of the bathroom.
Diego is standing next to a mirror he’s placed in the middle of the room.
“It fits great!” I say. “Even the length is about right. A little long, but I think with the right heels it will be perfect.”
Diego frowns. “I’m glad you like it.”
“Well, I guess I should get going. Maybe we can get together this weekend.”
“Not so fast. I must confess something. I did lie when I said the dress was free. There’s one small contingency.”
My heart flutters. “What is it?”
“You have to accompany on a date tonight. And you have to wear that dress.”
“A date? Where?”
“It’s a surprise.”
This isn’t good. Nick and José are out of reach and I won’t be able to record anything that Diego says. I need to get back to the hotel and reposition the mic and form a better plan for how Nick and José will stay within reach.
Maybe I can postpone this tryst until tomorrow night.
“I love surprises. However, I have to work tonight.”
“So quit. It’s not like cocktail waitressing is your career. You’re waitressing so you can have money to get back home, right? Look around. I think I can cover that. But first, you need to have a real vacation. You could use some fun, Caroline. You seem way too stressed.”
What can I say? If I was really waitressing because I was marooned in Cusco without means to get back to the States, I’d be crazy not to take Diego up on his offer.
“Fine. I guess you have a point. What time will you pick me up?”
Diego laughs. “Why would I pick you up? You’re already here. I just have some business to attend to this afternoon. By tonight, I’ll be ready.
“There’s plenty that you can do around here. There’s the library, an indoor pool that’s a few floors below with a gym and a sauna. You can even sit around and watch TV. I get satellite so I have all the American channels. It’s a lot better than spending your day at the Dragonfly or bumming around the tourist district. I’m sure you’re sick of the local sights by now.”
“Okay. I guess I can keep myself entertained. I would like to see the library. I’ve never seen a private collection that large.”
“Great. If you need anything, hit this call button and my butler, George, will come to wherever you’re at. While he’s officially the chef around here, George knows where everything is. He’s also a great tennis partner if you feel like getting outside and whacking some balls around.”
“I think the library will keep me entertained.”
He passes me the small remote with a fat red button in the center.
I shiver as I take hold of it. I can hear the ding of the alarm, the steady ring of the heart monitor and the shouting of nurses, shoving me out of the way and
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