Richfield & Rivers Mystery Series 2 - Stellium in Scorpio Read Online Free

someone after so many
years of determining not to. Our romance, which lasted only a few weeks, was
erotic but erratic, certainly not the traditional gay relationship to which I
was accustomed. This one was different, but then Callie Rivers was completely
different from anyone I'd ever known. She had an assuredness about her that emanated
from her total belief in spirituality and the cosmos and a vulnerability about
her that sprang from a childlike innocence.
    I don't want to admit it, but I 'm, well, might be,
at least I could see myself—definitely with her, I thought, confusing even
myself.
    "There's
a possibility that we won't even connect like we did in L.A.," I said to
Elmo. "That happens, you know. If that's the case, well then, you and I will
just go home." Elmo let out a long, loud sob.
    "That's
right, and cry!" I laughed at his vocalizing. "Don't worry. Deep
down, I know that you and I and Callie Rivers belong together," I said to
reassure myself.
    Winding
down the avenue, past the Tropicana and the MGM Grand, alongside the gargantuan
statues in front of Caesar's Palace, and beyond the hoopla of Circus Circus, I
inched my way through bumper-to-bumper traffic until I eased into the valet
parking circle in front of the Desert Star. A valet parker wearing a large
purple turban and billowing knee-high pants swept open my car door with a bow
and tried to usher me out onto the pavement. I took the parking stub and
insisted on parking my own car. I found a parking space in the shade about a
hundred feet from the hotel, fluffed up the pillow I'd brought Elmo, gave him a
dog bone, and cracked the windows.
    "You're
safe here. I'm paying the guy in the weird hat to keep an eye on the car, and
if anyone does try to open the door, you have my permission to bite him. I'll
be back for you in a little while. Wish me luck, buddy." I gave him a kiss
on his head. I could feel his soft brown eyes on me as I crossed the parking
lot to the hotel entrance, where another turbaned employee ushered me through
the large gold and glass hotel doors. A blast of cold air hit me along with the
sounds of slot machines and happy revelers creating a comforting background
walla that beckoned me to forget my other life.
    I
scanned the horizon: Million Dollar Slots, Star Roulette, Keno Desert Star
Style, Free Buffet, Star Poker, Blackjack, and Craps. I was looking for
something a little more mundane, like the ladies' room and a bar girl. I found
the former and ducked inside to freshen up, staring at my ashen face in the
mirror. I definitely needed a break. Fatigue and no rouge are a bad
combination, I thought. I dipped my fingertips under the faucet and flipped
the droplets vertically through my punked auburn hair with its newly
highlighted blond streaks and commanded the spikes to stand at attention. I
washed my hands, took out my sage eyeliner, and gave my green eyes a little
color, adding mascara to my already long eyelashes. My eyes were one of my best
features. I knew that because people constantly complimented me on them. The glint
of gold was back in them now. After all, they were about to see my future.
Finally, I put on lip liner, lipstick, and a touch of rouge, noted that my
jeans had a chocolate stain on one leg and that my white shirt looked a bit
used from lifting Elmo in and out of the car, but after all, I'd been
traveling. I flipped the shirt collar up slightly and noted that I was looking
taller than my 5'7" only because I'd lost ten pounds, thanks again to
Callie Rivers. Here goes, I thought and headed back out into the hubbub
in search of the lounge. A friendly change girl pointed the way.
    The
lounge was nestled back in the far corner of the hotel. I spotted Callie seated
across the room on a red velvet-tufted ottoman and wearing what looked like a
white Chanel suit. I had to remind myself to breathe. She was literally
breathtaking. I was certain it was no accident that she'd picked a location
where the overhead lights would bounce