Chapter 2

Desi awoke to the bright morning sunshine streaming through the thin cotton curtains of the window near her bed. She yawned then stretched before throwing back the covers and climbing out of bed. She reached for the phone to call room service and ordered her usual toast and coffee. “20 minutes? Thank you,“ Desi said. She hung up the phone, then walked over to her suitcase. She had several hours before the show, so there was plenty of time to figure out what the hell she was gonna wear.

Before reaching in to survey the clothing she’d packed, she reached for the remote and flicked on the TV. “Great, sweltering hot. Guess it’s a tank top and capri’s type of day today,“ she muttered as she tossed the remote onto the table.

She went back to the task at hand and pulled out several tops, jeans and capri’s as well as underwear to match. With a shake of her head, Desi smiled at the overabundance of clothing she packed for such a short trip.

After a few moments of indecision, she finally decided on a cream color tank top and a pair of khaki Marisa fit crop cargo pants, along with a cream color lace bra with matching underwear then placed the carefully selected outfit onto the back of the chair.

“Well that’s done,“ Desi murmured to herself as she at the clock. What in the hell was she gonna do with all her time before the show? She had hours yet before she had to meet up with the shuttle.

Her thoughts were disrupted with a slight knock at the door. “Room Service “ The person called out.

"Just a moment," Desi answered as she pad into the room and to the door. After a quick peek through the peephole she opened the door.

“Here you are Ma’am. Have a Nice Day,“ The man replied with a smile as he handed her the slip to sign.

“Thank you I will. “ Desi smiled back as she signed the slip then returned it to the man. She pushed the cart further into the room then turned back to shut the door.

Once she had the cart near the coffee table; she poured her everyday morning wake up call then took a sip before removing the lid of where the toast lay. She then sat down on the sofa with her coffee and toast and proceeded to watch TV.

After a few hours of mindless movie watching,Desi’s preshow excitement kicked into gear. She stood and made her way to the bathroom for a quick shower then the long daunting task of making herself look decent for round 1 at the New Meadowlands.

A few moments later, Desi turned off the shower, reached for a soft fluffy towel then wrapped it around her body and stepped out. Once out she grabbed another towel for her hair and gave it a nice brisk rub, then flipped it into a twist on top her head.

Desi traipsed back into her bedroom, patting herself dry with the fluffy hotel towel. Dropping it to the floor she slid on her on her bra and panties. Then she slid on her Capri's and tank to finish the look. Taking a quick look in the mirror, satisfied with her selection, she walked back into the bathroom to dry and fix her hair.

Once back in the the bathroom she dropped the towel that was wrapped around her head then turned on the dyer and flipped her long auburn hair upside down. After a few moments of the hot air blowing against her scalp she flipped it back up, giving a chuckle at her wild mane before turning off the dryer and reaching for her brush.

Brushing in long soft strokes, She watched the wild mane turn into silky smooth tresses framing her face. Sitting the brush down she contemplated what style would be appropriate on a hot, humid day. Best course of action she thought, was either a ponytail or braid. Soon she began the daunting task of french braiding her hair.

Moments later with her hair braided ,she would pulled a few strands of hair free to cover her forehead but not before adding what little makeup she planned on using. Chuckling to herself she murmured, “Ana would shit if she saw me.“ One thing about her friend, she didn’t care what the temperature was outside. She believed in getting all dolled up, no matter if it would disappear later on from sticky sweat. Her theory never know who might notice, “Well she isn’t here so I’m gonna be comfortable”

Satisfied with her appearance, she glanced at her watch. Even with watching TV few hours earlier she still had a few more to kill before showtime. She walked out of the bathroom towards the window. Pulling back the curtain she gazed out into the bright sunlight . Scrambled thoughts of uncertainty plagued her brain. She quickly shook them away. She was gonna have a great time tonight , she deserved it! There would be no negative thoughts, not tonight .

She walked away from the window, casting a quick glance at her phone. “Sarah said she was going so did Emily. Wonder if I should call them maybe we can meet up later,“ she mumbled to herself. Sitting herself back down on the couch, she strapped on her dreaded knee brace, making sure it was secure. God how she hated to wear it but if she didn’t...

Deciding she waited long enough, blazing oven or not outside, she was heading down to the stadium. Besides she didn’t know how long she would have to wait for the shuttle. She stood up, slipped on her tennis shoes, grabbed her key and ticket, shoving them in her purse, then pulled out her sunglasses sliding them on before she headed out the door.

Once in the lobby, the front desk told her that it would be about a 15 minute wait til the shuttle returned. So instead of waiting in the god-awful heat, Desi sat down in a chair near the door to wait. Maybe texting Sarah would be a good way to pass the time she thought to herself then pulled out her phone.

Desi was furiously texting, plans being made for during and after the show. She was so excited! It was beginning to really sink in now. She smiled and glanced around the lobby. The elevator doors dinged open and two men stepped out. One was tall, a bit lanky, clean cut and busily yakking on a cell phone. The otherwas a few inches shorter, dressed in relaxed jeans and an orange t-shirt with dark sunglasses and shaggy blond hair. Desi’s jaw slowly dropped as realization hit her. Matt and Jon??? As they passed by her chair, Jon glanced her way, slid his shades down his nose and spoke. “Hello.” He nodded, flashed a smile then slid his glasses back up his nose as he sauntered out the door and followed Matt into a waiting car.

Chapter 1

Desiree slid her key-card through the lock of her hotel room, opened the door, then reached for her carry-on bag, pulling it behind her as she walked in. She glanced around the room while dropping her purse and key-card on the oak dresser. The walls were a light tan, with oak furniture consisting of a couch in a darker shade of tan resting against the far wall, and coffee table sitting right in front of it. Further in was almost a full kitchen, and to the left was a bedroom.

After a small nod in approval of her residence for the next few days, she reached for her laptop case, then walked over to the couch, placing it on the table. She unzipped it and lifted the laptop out of the case, then booted it up.

While waiting for it to load, she stood then walked back to the dresser for her purse. Opening it up, she reached in for her cellphone and glanced at it. One missed call. She recognized the number: it was Ana, her best friend of 20-plus years. “Wish you were here, girl,“ she muttered to herself. She would call her back soon, but first she needed to get settled.

Setting her phone back down on the coffee table, she continued to rummage through her purse, pulling out her tickets and gazing over them. It had taken her a great deal to scrimp and save for all three shows, but she had done it. Then, when Ana couldn’t go, she’d almost put her tickets up for sale, but Ana had urged her to go. “If you don’t go, Desi, you’ll kick yourself. You always wanted to be that close, and in Jersey. Here’s your chance, take it.“ It just wasn’t the same without Ana, though.

Desi leaned her head back against the back of the sofa, propping her feet on the coffee table. Could she honestly do these concerts solo, she wondered? Seemed like she was doing everything solo these days, and it scared her to death. Not that she hadn’t been alone or done things alone before, but she wasn’t that “wanna have fun, don’t give a damn if I get hurt” girl anymore. The older, more cautious Desi was now present, and there were reasons for her concern. Ana had been her bodyguard, so to speak, over the years, protecting her from the shoving and craziness of the crowds. Now Desi would have to suck it up and do it on her own.

There were times she had wished she was like everyone else--maybe then her life would have turned out different--but safe to say, she never would be. She sighed and ran a hand over her knee. Even now it was throbbing. It never ends, does it? She sighed again, and silently thanked Ana for reminding her about her despised knee brace; she’d have been in a world of trouble without it.

She shook her head, trying to rid her mind of all her negative thoughts. That was one reason she needed Ana; ever since her divorce, Desi seemed to have slid into a backward spiral of negativity. “Maybe a hot bath might do the trick,” she muttered, then stood and started to walk to the bathroom when her phone trilled. Picking it up, she flipped it open and answered with a pleasant, “Hello?”

“Sure, Ana, I will call you the very moment I step into my room,“ Ana retorted.

Desi flopped back down on the couch and smiled. “I’m sorry, Ana. I was just trying to unwind after the flight.“

“Sure you were. You have a guy stashed in your room, don’tcha?“

Desi snorted. “Yeah right, what’ve you been smokin’? Certainly not your cigarettes.“

Ana let out a frustrated sigh. She loved her friend dearly, but some days her low self-esteem really bit her in the ass. “Desiree Marie, when the fuck are you gonna stop this shit?“

“Stop what? You know what I say is the truth. Who the fuck is gonna want me? Like this, anyway. Well, asshole did for about--what?--11 years, then it was sayonara,“ Desi argued.

Ana rolled her eyes, counted to 10, then spoke in a frustrated tone, “There is not a fucking thing wrong with you besides your mental state of: Fuck.“

“Yeah, I’m so America’s Next Top Model,“ Desi retorted.

“Well shit, girl, how many times do I have to beat it into your brain that you are fuckin’ gorgeous? So what if you got a few issues? If anyone’s got a problem with that, then screw them. Ain’t worth your time anyway.“

Desi laughed in spite of herself. That’s what she loved about her best friend; if anything, she was blunt. “If you say so.“

Ana growled, “Listen, if you think your pussy is golden, then so will guys. They won’t even fuckin’ pay attention to your flaws. Guys are just stupid that way.“

“Ana, sometimes, girl, I swear I think you’re a man-hater,“ Desi laughed.

“Not a man-hater, just been with enough to know they think with their head. And not the one on their shoulders, either,” Ana quipped.

Desi snorted. “So true, they do. When did we become so cynical anyhow?“

“When our fuckhead husbands decided they wanted 20-something college students instead of real women.“

A moment of silence passed over, the girls both recalling how their marriages had fallen apart, ironically at the same time.

“Wish you could be here, girlfriend; going to these shows just won’t be the same,“ Desi said, her voice tinged with a bit of sadness.

Ana’s tone softened just a little bit. “I know. Wish I could, too, but you can do this. I have faith in you.“

“Glad you do. What if I--“ Desi started to say when Ana interrupted.

“Don’t you fuckin’ think like that. Just watch what you’re doing, and if the crowd gets rough, step back a few. And call me afterwards. I would say during, but knowing you, you’ll be too excited to think straight.“

Desi sat up, propped the phone in her the crook of her neck, and reached down to take off her constricting knee brace, then slung her legs up on the couch and rested her head on the arm of the couch. “So what’s happening back home?“ Desi asked, changing the subject.

Ana shook her head and plopped herself belly-first on the bed. “I think Sandy called off on purpose; found out she wanted the same time off, and I got it, so she screwed me instead.“

“You’ve got to be freakin’ kidding me. Figures. I never liked the woman anyway,“ Desi responded with a bit of disgust in her voice. “Hell, you asked for this time off from the moment I was able to swing the tickets.“

“I know. Sucks ass, don’t it? Just wait ‘til she gets back to work. Just might spike her coffee,“ Ana joked. “So hows ‘our’ hotel room?“

Desi swung her legs off the couch, then gazed around. “It’s really nice. I can’t believe I’m staying at the Hilton, to be honest. I could so kiss my brother for this discount.“

Ana chuckled. “Yeah, good thing you know people in high places.“

“ Yea it does don’t it . It even has a shuttle, so I don’t have to worry getting my ass lost,“ Desi said, joining in her laughter.

“Hey now, can’t have you getting lost in Jersey. Or you saying you want to? After all, Jonny-boy is single too,“ Ana teased.

“Only in my dreams, maybe,“ Desi scoffed.

“Desi, I fuckin’ swear, girl! Why don’t you give yourself a bit of credit here? I bet he’ll spot you and fall madly in lust with you on the spot. You did pack what I said to pack, right?“ Ana asked.

Desi rolled her eyes as her friend spoke. She had always had self-doubt, but since her divorce, it had become much more prevalent, and she was scared to death to go out into the dating scene again. She’d never wanted pity, but lately that was all she’d been feeling for herself.

“Earth to Desi!“ Ana called out.

“What? Oh, yeah, I did.“

“Good. So get all dolled up. Whether it’s hot out or not, do it!“ Ana ordered.

“Yes, ma’am!“ Desi chuckled and saluted the phone.

“That’s more like it. Have I steered you wrong before?“ Ana paused. “Wait, don’t answer that one.“

Desi laughed. “Okay, I won’t. But hey, I think I’m gonna get off here and climb into the big tub that’s calling my name right now.“

“You sure it’s the bath tub, and not the shower-head?“ Ana teased.

“You’re so funny. But I ain’t tellin’ ya which it is now,“ Desi shot back teasingly.

“See how you are? Okay, go get that bath and relax. You’re gonna have a great time, and I wanna hear all the deets, you hear?“ Ana added.

“Promise. The moment I come in from the show, I’m dialing your number.“

“We shall see, girlfriend,“ Ana laughed. “Night! See you when you get home. Love ya!“

“Love you, too,“ Desi said, flipped her phone closed, then placed it on the coffee table.

Tomorrow was gonna be a long day, so: a nice soak in the tub, then hit the sheets early. That was the plan for tonight. She walked over to her bag, unzipped it, and pulled out her comfy clothes, which consisted of a tank top and boy shorts. Then she went into the bathroom and closed the door.

Yes, tomorrow was exactly what she needed.

Author's Note

This fiction has been brewing in my head for sometime now , I finally had the courage to write it. It's about a not so perfect girl who has been dealt a bad hand in life but learns to overcome thanks to good friends and love of a man.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I am having fun writing it