“I told you it would be quite a sight!” Natalie admired her room as soon as she arrived while Penelope screamed so loudly her ears almost burst.
“Geez, I knew I did the right thing by joining you on this vacation!” Penelope kicked off her slippers, raced past her to get to her bed, and began to jump on the bouncy bed.
“Don’t forget me!” Natalie let go of her luggage and joined her friend to bounce on the bed until the both of them were tired out of their minds.
Exhausted, both young women stared up at the ceiling, a smile lingering at the corner of her lips.
Suddenly, Penelope turned to her, grinning, “I have to say, you’re quite smart.”
“Haven’t you heard, Mama says I’m as cunning as a fox,” Natalie laughed, meaning that as a joke.
The vacation was a family trip planned outside the country and though it was Natalie’s idea, what her family didn’t know was that she had an ulterior motive behind it. It was all a plan she made to see her boyfriend she had made over the internet.
Edward.
.....
That was his name.
And though Penelope thought it was unrealistic to fall in love with a guy she hasn’t seen face to face, Natalie knew otherwise. No one understood her like Edward, definitely not her father who was usually away, planning his campaign for his second tenure as governor, and her mother, of course, helping him out.
Of course, Natalie understood how much her father’s political aspirations meant to him, and she was not going to stand in the way of his dreams, but that was all they ever talked about these days and she had never felt neglected, especially with her elder sister joining her father’s office as well.
Her sister Lyka had never wanted anything to do with politics and wanted to be an artist, but papa would never hear of that and offered her a more “responsible” job in the government house – where he could have his eyes on her. Also, mama said, her sister would help papa with his campaigns as well, and having family members in various positions of power would help in the long run. Mama’s words, not hers.
Unfortunately, while her elder sister, Lyka was the obedient daughter, Natalie was the black sheep of the family. After her mother’s failed attempt to make her prim and proper, she gave up on her, leaving everything else on fate. But Natalie knew her mother was simply waiting for her youngest sister to grow up, so she could suffocate her with her aristocratic nonsense. It was quite sad that her younger sister Dorcas is a tomboy and she wished their momma all the luck.
“What if he’s after your money? Everyone knows your father’s face, Natalie, ” Penelope argued, while she unpacked and at the same time, sorted out the clothes she would wear for the date later in the day.
Penelope was here as an escort and she would help convince, more like, lie to her mother that they were going for a tour when in reality, it was a date. Natalie already informed Edward that they were in the city and he was making all necessary arrangements to meet them.
Natalie sighed, “He’s not after my money, Penelope, because he has his. Edward is from a rich family. Also, people know my father’s face only back in the country, we’re in a new place now, chill your ass, bestie. ”
But Penelope was too concerned for her own good and even though Natalie was older by two years, she always acted like the oldest.
“That’s what he told you, Natalie! You don’t even know whether it’s true or false. Moreover, he’s five years older than you, would you imagine what your parents would say if they heard that?”
“My parents wouldn’t hear that because they won’t find out and you would keep your mouth shut else you’d stop being my best friend. Also, who says I’m going to see Edward blindly? I might be in love, but I’m not stupid,” Natalie says, lifting a pepper spray in her right and a taser in her left hand.
“If my one true love doesn’t turn out to be who I make him to be, then I’d zap his ass. At the moment, what we have to do is find out how to see Edward without a bodyguard following us.”
Of course, the girls had a plan for that.
As expected, the moment they brought up the issue of touring the city to her mother, she assigned a bodyguard to them instantly.
According to her mother, she quotes, “We might not be in the country, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be too careful. You girls can’t cause any scandal that affects your father’s election.”
Of course, cross my heart, Natalie had promised her mother before she and Penelope returned to their room to get ready to leave. They were familiar with the bodyguard their mother assigned to them and just as they were about to step into the car, Natalie made the sign to Penelope and the girl suddenly bent over in pain.
“Aww, my stomach,”
The bodyguard stepped out of the driver’s seat at once. Penelope was just from a middle-class family but both families were friends, hence the guards treated her with respect, extending their protection to her too.
Hence, while the bodyguard was busy with Penelope whose acting was so real, Natalie had already slipped into the driver’s seat.
“I’m sorry,” Penelope suddenly said, confusing the guard.
“What?”
She kicked him in the place where the sun never shines, although not too hard, so she doesn’t destroy his chance of procreation – and because he didn’t deserve it – but by the time he was able to recover, the girls were long gone and there was nothing he could do about it.
This was not the first time the girls escaped without guards by their side, he was just stupid not to see through their plans. Now, he only prayed they knew what they were doing and returned safely.