Diary of a Mistress Read Free Page A

Merlot.
    The ambulance arrived shortly thereafter. After gathering brief information about Angela from Ashley and the apartment’s manager, the EMT workers put Angela on a stretcher. Ashley walked behind, watching her sister closely, as the EMTs carried Angela out of the building. The sight of her sister’s unstable mental state saddened Ashley. She got in her car and followed the emergency response unit to Frankford Hospital.
     
    As is typical for late August, the air was humid. The sun burst through the early noon clouds with power. The Philadelphia International Airport was the last place Monica thought she would end up, but when her husband pleaded with her to leave all the household chores alone and meet him there for lunch, she couldn’t resist.
    “Now, park the car and meet me at Terminal D. Follow the signs to Delta Airlines,” Carlos instructed his wife over his cell phone.
    “Okay,” Monica said. “This better be a good lunch. Do you know what all I could have gotten done at the house on my day off?”
    “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just park the car and meet me over here. I never heard a woman complain so much about getting a break,” Carlos teased.
    “I’m parking now. I’ll see you in a sec.”
    “Hurry up,” Carlos said, then ended the call.
    He was standing on the pavement near curbside check-in when his wife crept up beside him.
    “You’re right on time,” Carlos said as he greeted Monica with a kiss on the lips.
    Suspiciously, she shied away from the kiss, unsure just what her husband was up to. Monica noticed he couldn’t stop smiling. He was even glowing. But before she could say a word, he led her into the airport. People were everywhere, mostly returning home from their summer vacations.
    “This way,” Carlos said as he led his wife through the crowds of passengers. Monica held on to Carlos’s hand as he briskly weaved through the swarms of people.
    “Why are you walking so fast? Are we late for a reservation? And what restaurant in the airport requires reservations anyway? Where are you taking me? Carlos, where are we going? We’re not boarding any flights, are we?” she rambled on as she noticed they were heading toward the gates.
    “Woman, please, shut your mouth. Just follow me. You’ll see where we’re going when we get there,” Carlos said as he pulled two boarding passes from his denim shorts pocket and handed them to the airline employee at the gate.
    The tall slender woman glanced at the boarding passes and then at the two passports that were with them. She looked up at Carlos and Monica, then gave them their passports and their portions of their boarding passes. Smiling, she said, “Enjoy your flight,” and extended her arm in the direction of the aircraft.
    Carlos and Monica walked down the hall to board their flight. Monica was still confused, expecting that at any minute Carlos would say, “Sike,” and turn back around. But he never did. Instead, they took their seats on the plane. And not just any seats either; they were in first class.
    “Oh my God, Carlos! You’re lying! This is a setup! What about my clothes? What about the kids? Who’s going to pick them up from camp? What about the house? How long are we going to be gone for?” Monica’s excitement turned into panic as she questioned Carlos’s head off.
    “Don’t worry, don’t worry,” Carlos said. “I took care of everything. Your mom has the boys. They didn’t go to camp today. And your clothes are in your luggage under the plane. And Mrs. Janice agreed to keep an eye on the house. She’s going to get the mail and everything,” Carlos said nonchalantly.
    “You’re crazy,” Monica said joyously as she playfully hit her husband on the arm. “I don’t believe you. You planned all this by yourself? Um, um, um, I knew you had something up your sleeve, but I did not think it was anything like this. Oh my God. You got me good. I was wondering why you wanted to eat all the way at the airport, and I