Easter's Lilly by Judy Serrano Read Free Book Online Page B

her to me.”
    “ I had nowhere else to go mom. Don’t let me down.” He gave her a serious look and then he winked. She smiled.
    “ Lilly, this is Cammy, my mom.” She smiled a very pleasing smile at me.
    Just then a handsome, Hispanic man, maybe about thirty years old, walked in. Johnny was definitely upset with the expression on my face. I tried not to stare but… wow! He was dark skinned with bright green eyes. His body was solid and he stood about six foot tall. It was all I could do to take my eyes off of him. “What are you doing here?” Johnny asked, obviously not pleased to see him.
    “ It’s just as big a surprise to me, John, as it is to you,” Cammy acknowledged. “Diego got transferred here last night.”
    “ Really ?” Johnny asked. “What a coincidence.” Diego walked over to me and took my hand. Johnny pushed him back and stood in front of me.
    “ Boys…” Cammy pleaded. “Play nice, there’s a lady present.” Diego shoved Johnny away and grabbed my hand again.
    “ Forgive him for his rudeness,” he said. He had a thick, and very sexy, Spanish accent. “I am Diego.” I was almost sweating from the steam coming off of his body.
    “ It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I replied.
    “ The pleasure is all mine.” He kissed my hand never disconnecting his eyes from my gaze.
    “ Get off of her,” Johnny responded. He pulled me away from him. “ I can’t believe you’re here.”
    “ I’ve missed you too, John,” he answered. The two of them bickered back and forth until Cammy assigned me an apartment number and then they fought over who got to take me there. She finally intervened. “Johnny, apartment 346. Just take her.” Diego gave her a very unfriendly look. She turned her eyes away and handed Johnny the keys. As we left, I saw in the reflection of the window, Diego grab her arm and the two struggle a bit.
    “ Do we need to worry about her?” I asked.
    “ If there’s one thing I can tell you about Cammy, it’s that she can definitely take care of herself.” We walked into the modestly furnished room and I began to unpack my bags. I didn’t like the moldy smell or the hotel-like appearance of the room. “I don’t know, Johnny,” I said. “Can you stay with me tonight?” I was a little afraid to be alone.
    “ No,” he answered. “I need to get going.”
    “ Why?” I asked. “Just one more night… please… please John.”
    “ Well…” He paused. “Rudy was right about one thing.” He put his arms around my waist. “You do make me weak.” He laid me down on the bed and we made love. When I awoke and found him gone; I was devastated.
     
    —
     
    I walked into the leasing office, just to discover white lilies all over the room. “What’s wrong?” Cammy asked. “I’m guessing these are for you. You should be smiling.” She pointed towards all the flowers that were everywhere around the room.
    “ I woke up and he was gone without a trace,” I answered. “I don’t know, I felt kind of abandoned.” I had to fight back to urge to cry but my voice was cracking and I’m sure she could hear it.
    “ Johnny does that ‘disappearing without a trace’ thing, well,” she admitted. I looked down, trying to hide my face. “He left a note.” She handed me a card that was stuck to one of the flower arrangements. I took it out of the envelope and read it. You’ll always be my Easter Lilly. I’ll be back for you . I put it back in the envelope and I cried a little more. Cammy hugged me until we saw Diego walk into the office with a grim expression on his face. Cammy seemed to be analyzing his look and then out of nowhere cried, “Oh no! Do not tell me what I think you’re gonna tell me.”
    He came over to me and said, “I need you ladies to go into the back office with me for a minute.”
    “ NO!” Cammy shouted. “NO! You didn’t!” He looked at her a little surprised.
    I followed him into the office and Cammy followed behind. “Johnny was in an