Hard of Desire

A vast expanse of clouds can be seen from the window pane that a woman is climbing. She clasped her hands together as if she could hold the cloud. A glimmer of a smile rose from her tiny lips when a few hours later, she would arrive at her destination.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as we begin our descent, please ensure your seat backs and tray tables are fully upright. Also, ensure your seat belt is securely fastened and all carry-on luggage is stowed underneath the seat in front of you or the overhead bins. Thank you."

After the announcement was heard, all the passengers on the plane began to follow the instructions. The vibrations when the aircraft landed made the woman's heart beat fast, along with her enthusiasm when she finally arrived.

"On behalf of K Airlines and the entire crew, I'd like to thank you for joining us on this trip. We look forward to seeing you on board again soon. Have a nice day!"

The plane had landed, and all the passengers got out of the plane one by one, as well as the woman who was now tidying up her clothes and then wearing sunglasses to cover her eyes that looked sleep deprived. After tidying up her appearance, she walked out of the plane and mingled with the people on the same plane.

The woman walked out of the international arrivals. She took her cell phone from her bag and called someone.

"Hello," said the woman.

"Yes, Mrs. Alee." The woman heard a male voice on the other side.

"Where are you, Sir?" asked the woman called Alee while tracing the people waiting for their arrival.

"Front row on the left. Ah, I see you, Mrs."

Alee looked to the far left. "Oh yes, I saw you too."

"Let me help you carry it," said the man who worked as Alee's driver.

Alee gave her suitcase brought by her driver. She felt exhausted and needed to rest immediately. The journey from Indonesia to New York takes twenty hours and ten minutes. Just like the first time she set foot here, she felt jetlagged because she hadn't visited this city in a long time.

When the driver loaded her luggage into the trunk, Alee entered the car. After cleaning it up, the driver got into the car and started driving it through the streets of New York City.

Alee directed her gaze to the window and saw tall buildings on the left and right of the road. The driver turned on the radio which was playing a singer's song. She enjoyed the music as she stared at the scenery outside the window. Cars go fast as well as other vehicles indicating that this city is bustling.

A message entered her cell phone. Carlson is at my house. The contents of the text message made Alee sigh roughly.

The car Alee was riding in stopped waiting for the front gate to open fully. After fully opening, the car began to go inside. On the left and right sides of the road, the courtyard is filled with colorful flowers in harmony with the color of the mansion. After passing that sight, the car finally stopped in front of the estate. She got off first and immediately got inside while the driver unloaded her things.

The mansion is sprawling and grand, with crystal chandeliers hanging in the living room looks beautiful. The walls are soothing colors, and the furniture supports the space. About a year ago, Alee bought a mansion when she had a visit this area and fell in love at first sight when she saw this mansion. When she finished her visit, she immediately asked this mansion to one of the agents, and she immediately bought it.

Alee walked up the stairs to the room. Arriving at the room, she took off her coat and lay down on the bed, which was located in the middle of this spacious room. She closed her eyes for a moment, opened them again, then got up and walked to the bathroom to clean herself.

Alee heard a cell phone ringing while she was taking a bath, but the sound of the running water drowned out the ringing. A few minutes later, Alee came out of the bathroom wearing a towel on her body and a small towel in her hand to dry her wet hair. She walked towards the walk-in closet and immediately put on her pajamas. After she finished wearing her clothes, she took out her cell phone from her bag and saw someone calling earlier. She sat down on the dresser chair and pressed the call button on her cell phone.

"Hello, Mom," said Alee.

"Hello, you arrived, Lee?" asked Alee's mother on the other side.

"Yeah, just finished taking a shower," Alee replied. "Mom called me earlier. What's wrong?"

"No, I just want to ask if you have arrived yet."

"Oh, I see."

"Okay, you rest. It's night there. The day after tomorrow, you'll be at work."

"Yes, Mom, it's already late here. Then I'll hang up the phone."

"Yes, good night, My Princess."

"Good night too, Mom."

Alee put down her cell phone and then walked over to the suitcase that had been kept by the maid who was there. She took out a small bag that contained skincare and makeup, then sat back down on her dressing table chair.

As usual, Alee started her nightly ritual, taking twenty minutes to complete the routine. When she was done, she walked over to the bed and got ready to sleep. She looked at the clock above the nightstand. It was eight o'clock in the evening, even though it was too early for her to sleep, but feeling tired made her want to sleep soon. She turned off the light, left only the night light, and began closing her eyes.

Meanwhile, in a luxurious, elegant restaurant sat a man and a woman facing each other, enjoying dinner. The man was wearing a shirt and suit as if he had come home from work, and the woman was wearing a beautiful cream knee-length dress.

"Tomorrow, there is a fundraising event at Battery Park. Will you come?" asked the woman.

"I don't know. Maybe when I finish work, I will attend," the man replied.

The woman nodded in understanding. "I will be there during the event. I didn't expect you to come, Vale."

The man called Vale frowned. "If you want me there, you just have to talk, Lodie."

The woman blushed because Vale could correctly guess what she wanted. "But, if you can't come, that's fine too."

"I'll work on it."

Lodie smiled slightly.

Vale looked at the clock that circled on his hand. "It's late. Do you want me to accompany you?"

"No need. My driver is coming here, maybe in about ten minutes."

Vale nodded and drank a little of his champagne.

Lodie occasionally glanced at Vale. Her innocent and sweet looks made Vale allow himself to have dinner with that woman.

Ten minutes passed, and Lodie's driver finally arrived. Before standing up, she said goodbye first. "Until we meet again, Vale."

"Yes."

Lodie smiled and then walked out of the restaurant, leaving Vale still sitting holding his glass.

Vale took a deep breath. Lodie, or full name Lodie Camilla Boston is a woman close to him. The daughter of a company owner who is currently working with his company. They met when he and his parents were discussing work. Lodie very intensely approached Vale until he was completely tired of dealing with her.

After paying the bill, Vale got up from his seat and immediately left the restaurant to the car in the basement. Arriving at the basement, Vale got into the car and drove away.

Along the way, Vale listened to the music playing in his car. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel in time with the music. The road looked deserted, making Vale increase the speed of the vehicle. A few minutes later, his car entered the basement. Vale parked the car, then got out and walked towards the elevator. He pressed the elevator button on the top floor.

The elevator door opened, and Vale got out of the elevator and walked to the door right in front of him. He stuck the card into the scan tray next to the door, and there was a click as the door opened. Vale entered the penthouse, turned on, and was surprised to find his mother inside.

"Mom?"

"Where have you been, Vale?" asked his mother, Emma Wilmer, sitting on the couch with a magazine in her lap.

Vale came closer and sat beside his mother while taking off his tie. "After dinner with Lodie, Mom."

"Lodie is Dad's friend's daughter?" asked Emma interestedly.

"Yes, Mother."

"Then where is Lodie now?"

"Going home, the driver picked him up earlier," Vale answered lazily.

"Oh, Mom thought he'd come here." Emma turned her gaze back to the magazine she was reading earlier.

"It's late, Mom. Lodie is a nice woman anyway."

"Well, who knows." Emma shrugged.

"I'll go to the room first, okay?" Vale said as he got up from his seat.

"Hm. Mom will be home soon."

"Be careful on the way." Vale walked up the stairs to the top floor.

Vale entered the room. Dark blue shades and white and bright lights add a warm atmosphere to the room. The window that had not been closed by the curtains and the moonlight pouring through it made Vale come over to him. He pushed open the window and door and headed out onto the balcony.

Vale rolled his sleeves and partially unbuttoned the top to get more air into him. He looked up at the moon, which was shining very brightly. Today was the beginning of spring, and people were excited because they could see the flowers blooming as if they had forgotten the winter that had passed.

The skyscrapers and the twinkling streets below give the impression that this city never dies even though night has fallen. Vale picked up the phone that had been vibrating in his trouser pocket.

"Yes, hello."

"I have arranged your schedule for tomorrow, and you can attend the fundraising event," said a man, his secretary.

"Fine, thanks, Ace."

The connection was lost, and Vale put the phone back in his trouser pocket. He returned to his room and remembered to close the windows and curtains. He kept the coat he had been holding in his left hand on the couch. He kept watches worth hundreds of dollars on the desk, then sat down in a chair and opened the laptop. There is still a lot of work waiting for him to do as soon as possible, but before he can turn on the computer, someone from his past calls.