CHAPTER 22

"Mum, why are people watching me?"

We had gotten out the car (yes, the damn car had finally been fixed) outside Mr. Henriquez's home, after having to chauffeur my lovely family because the driver's seat was the only space big enough to accommodate my ridiculously gorgeous, extravagant Mexican dress. Anyways, we were in the driveway, which was decked out with like millions of cars, and heading up the steps to the main entrance when I noticed, well I thought I noticed, people staring at me.

"How do you know they're not watching me?"

My mum could be a little conceited at times and my dad was the driving force, for example, after hearing what she said, my dad unexpectedly wrapped his arm around her waist possessively and said, "They can watch all they like but I'm the only one that can touch all I like."

I didn't miss the fact that my dad was smiling down at my mum's rather generous bosoms and his hands had slipped down to gently grasp her butt as he added, "Cos this is all mine."

It'd be hard to believe that before we had left the house, the two were arguing for about half an hour over something which I couldn't even remember.

Leaving the lovers behind, I had grabbed my little brother with me climbing up the rest of the steps because I couldn't stand around in the frosty weather with my killer six inch heels to watch the parents make love faces. Jealous? Pshtt, not even a bit.

I could hear the loud, deafening music and if it weren't because the doors to the mansion were already open, I was pretty sure the sound waves would have been strong enough to bust open the door. Without exaggerating, anyone at a 50-mile radius would have known a Spanish New Year's Party was going down.

I really should have brought ear plugs.

The Christmas party was child's play compared to how the whole place had been transformed. Everyone was everywhere, I couldn't really concentrate on a singular person, people kept swarming in and out the doors and for the brief seconds that I was standing there like I was some sort of statue a terrifying thought occurred to me.

One of the jobs that Angelo had me running off to do was to sort out the catering arrangement. I had told Mr. Santos that he should make food enough for a hundred and fifty people, problem was that there were definitely more than two hundred people in the place.

Guests were going to starve if I didn't do something about it.

Nerves running high, I grasped Bobby's hands tighter, warning him not to let go of my hand because knowing him he'd probably run off in search of his dear friend Robinho. I would have let him do that but there were far too many strangers around and I didn't have the time to go looking for a lost child.

Ignoring the scowl I received from my brother after telling him that, I sandwiched my small purse between my armpits and lifted up the bottom half of my dress with the other hand, because it was slowing down my pace. I walked in the direction of the kitchen vaguely remembering where it was, from my morning visit with Mr. Santos so he could plan out where he was going to set out the food.

After like over a hundred 'excuse me's' and a near face plant to the ground caused by the life-threatening heels Sara had forced me to purchase (well with her money), I was finally able locate Mr. Santos in the kitchen busy ordering his workers to be faster with the minor food preparations.

The temptation to sneak a bite of the beautifully arranged pieces of some delicious looking cake neglected on the table was strong. Unfortunately, I couldn't because I was only just about managing to breathe in the dress as I had the misfortune of finding out yesterday that I was a tad bit too big for it. There was no way the flabs would be making an appearance.

Walking quickly towards the chef before I gave in to temptation I tapped him on the shoulder on his white chef jacket. "Mr Santos?"

At the mention of his name, he twisted his neck to look at me or more like gawk at me and in the process he dropped the wooden spoon he was holding in his hand. I became uncomfortable by the continuous stare that I eventually broke eye contact.

"Mr. Santos!"

Bobby's shouting did the trick, even he could pick up on my uneasiness.

"Y-yes?"

"Mr. Santos", I repeated, "I need to talk to you."

"I hope no one is complaining about the food", he asked his face turned completely serious as he bent down to pick up the wooden spoon.

"Actually that is what I wanted to talk to you about."

An alarmed look flashed on the aged man's face as I told him that.

"No one is complaining about the food... yet" I joked but it didn't seem that way for the chef as his face only looked more tense. "I'm only joking, from what I've seen so far everything you've made will exceed everyone's standards but I have a major concern that the food will not be sufficient for everyone present. There seems to be more than a hundred and fifty guests."

With the little boost of confidence that I had given Mr. Santos, the relief was clear on his face and he even started chuckling. Chefs and their ego - God forbid anyone coming between them.

"Don't worry Miss. Carter, everything's sorted. Mr. Henriquez told me yesterday to prepare for at least seventy five extra guests. My team and I have everything sorted out, you just go and enjoy the party."

I wondered for a brief moment if it was Angelo or his uncle who had told him that, but then again I didn't really care. All I cared was that guests weren't going to party with empty stomachs.

"Can I go find Rob now?" asked my brother as we left the kitchen area trying not to get jam packed with all the multitudes of bodies around.

"Ay mami! Mi Dios chica, is that really you?"

Jumping out of shock, I turned to my side to see whose piercing shriek and thick Spanish accent had nearly caused my heart attack - lo and behold it was the one and only Sara Henriquez with Robinho in tow. She was still at a distance, hands on hips looking me up and down admiringly before eventually walking over to me.

"You look exquisite chica. I wish I could talk to you more, but I really have to attend to other guests", lifting up a perfectly threaded eyebrow suggestively she said, "oh, my son is going to be chasing a lot of men away from you."

Rolling my eyes at the Henriquez woman, I replied, "If you say so."

"I do say so", she stated confidently, "just remember you are part of the family now, so make yourself comfortable here and we'll meet later for the New Year countdown!"

And with that she disappeared into the crowds of people. I wasn't surprised that when I looked at my side Bobby wasn't there after seeing Robinho.

I was left alone and that gave me time to linger around hoping that a certain someone would notice me. Ever since the car ride he'd really been a Mr. Grumpy but I'd hoped we'd get a chance to talk. Yes, I'd finally grown some woman ballsies to entertain having an adult conversation.

About Three Hours later...

I was at the New Years Party and I was pissed. Not as in, 'Oh my gosh, I've intoxicated my body with so much alcohol, I think I'm just going to talk some shit and then pass out'. No. As in I was at the New Years Party and I was pissed off.

I must have had a sign written on my forehead that said, 'Babysitter for the Night' or something because I didn't understand why random mothers and fathers would hand me their baby to carry whilst they wandered off to talk to their friends, laughing merrily and happy at the festivities whilst I handled their responsibility.

I'd lost count on the amount of times taken other people's children to the bathroom because they needed to do a caca or pipi. No matter where I tried to hide, someone would find me and ask for a favour regarding their child. I couldn't help but suspect that that Butt of a Bag, secretly appointed me out as some sort of nanny for the night as an evil ploy of his, which I didn't put past him with the amount of shit his wanted me to handle for his ass in the week.

I know Sara said I was part of the family, but damn, I didn't want to be that familiar to all those babies.

My feet felt like they were burning in the furious fires of hell. The dress, I didn't even know how I still managed to inhale oxygen and my cramps...I wasn't even going to go there. And because I didn't want him to see me all bloated and bleurgh I'd gone on a hunger strike the whole day. And all the sacrifice and pain for what really? To somehow win the fantasized undivided, loving attention of Buttbag.

I could've just slapped him. No actually, I wanted to kill his eyes, because he clearly didn't need them if he wasn't using them.

I sounded so ridiculous to myself, but I didn't care. I was in a very hormonal, emotional state and in my head, it gave me permission to say exactly how I felt. I couldn't believe how gullible I was to believe Sara, that someone like her son could like someone like me.

I knew for sure that he saw me because those times when I wasn't busy feeding strangers babies, I made sure that I was at a seeing distance from him. I even contemplated flirting with the rather cute waiters but then I just thought that would be even more pathetic and desperate than anything that I'd done up until that point. All the while he was there he was chatting happily with his disciples (others may refer as his 'friends'), who were on hand and foot to stretch that stupid ego of his.

Having finally gotten through the throngs of people to get into the kitchen I went to the sink and put a kitchen towel under the running cold tap water in an attempt to wipe off the huge splatter of milk across my chest area where the last baby I fed had vomited on. As I said, pissed off.

It wasn't too long before someone else found me, the someone turning out to be mother dearest.

"Luciana, I need you to go get the Aloe Vera cream I bought for Sara for the burns on her hands."

"Okay, mum."

Giving up on trying to remove the stubborn white stain, I closed the tap water, grabbing my purse on the side of the sink I walked through the sweaty, dancing bodies to get outside onto the fresh freezing air.

Making my way over to the car, I could hardly walk properly as the shooting pains going up and down my leg was nearly all I could think about apart from how pissed off I was. "How could he even not say shit to me, not even a hi, nothing. I nearly broke my leg for that bastard wearing these stupid heels. Oh my gosh I'm so stupid, I'm talking to myself. Urgh, I hate myself. I can't believe I actually made myself believe that after one kiss he was going to fall in love with me. I must think this is some Cinderella fairytale shit, how could I even compare myself to Cinderella, I'm like a fat mushroom. I hate Angelo's ass so damn much."

"Hate is a strong word."

Even though I knew who that husky voice belonged to before seeing the face, I screamed out loud because it was so unexpected. My voice echoing throughout the driveway, my heart thundering out my chest I pivoted around swiftly ready to attack but instead he attacked me first with his cold eyes.

His face had no obvious expression written on it, but his eyes that had turned the colour of the bleak, night sky were powerful enough to still me. He looked so beautiful and unpredictable all at the same time. It was unnerving.

"I-I-I was just erm, l-looking for the car keys", I stuttered out stupidly my hands blindly searching for the keys in my bag as I backed up into the side of the car hoping that the doors would magically open so I could escape.

"Would those belong to you?" He asked his void of emotion as he nodded towards the ground.

Shaken and confused, I hadn't remembered when I dropped my purse and all its contents had come out, the car keys been one of them - but I knew for damn sure that's not what he was asking about.

His eyes were fixated on the contraceptive rubber that I had taken out its wrapper from my personal sex ed. earlier in the week. One look at his face and I knew what he was thinking.

"Answer me Luciana."

Even though it was none of his damn business, I felt compelled to answer him because this side of him made him look so... unlike him and I was shook.

"Yes they do."

"Esther your mum said that she-What's going on here?"

I think I was the closest to have a heart attack when I heard the booming voice of my dad out of nowhere, but there was no time for that as my inner ninja took over and I quickly pressed my heels on the unmentionable.

Forcing a quick smile on my face, I replied, "Nothing daddy."

"Move."

The strained smile on my face was instantly wiped off as I realised that my dad was going to see, but I still tried to stall some time.

"What?"

"I said, move. Now. Luciana."

My dad had called me Luciana and at that moment I knew he was extremely serious, playing games would've just angered him even more.

I slowly stepped aside, revealing the thing that I had tried so hard to hide all week. I had managed to find the perfect hiding place for the contraceptive pills and unopened condoms and planned to throw the condom I had opened in a public bin, but I forgot to because of how busy I had gotten.

My head hung low, not wanting to see the furious gaze my dad would surely bestow on me as he thought the worst.

"You have ten seconds to explain."

If I thought Angelo's gaze was scary, my dad's was petrifying. His looks could definitely kill - and they were about ready to murder Angelo any second. I had to own up.

"It's mine, I dropped it."

Gasping in silence, I twisted around to face Angelo, who submitted that fat lie to my dad, staring at me daring me to contradict him.

"Luciana, go inside. Mr. Henriquez and I need to talk."

I couldn't leave these two outside alone, my dad was going to murder tonight.

"But dad-"

"I SAID GO INSIDE!"

Tears formed in my eyes at hearing my dad yell at me for the first time in my life and quickly surrendering, I ran away into the house leaving the two...alone.

"In our Spanish tradition, at the strike of the clock we eat twelve grapes for good luck and prosperity for the New Year. Has everyone got their grapes and glasses of cava?"

Unanimous murmurs of yeses rung through the hordes of people as they held their bowls of grapes and wine glasses, their attention focused on the small platform stage erected in the large hall that stood Mr. Henriquez.

Looking at the large clock, everyone started counting down and I couldn't help but keep praying and wishing that my dad was not murdering Angelo.

"Feliz Año Nuevo a todos!"

In three goes, I had cleared my bowl of any grapes as I tried so desperately to keep my emotions in check. Too grief-stricken by the potential murder of his Mr. Henriquez's nephew I couldn't find it in my heart to join in with well-wishing from the guests as I continued to scan around everywhere for the missing two.

They had been out for at least ten minutes and I still could not see any sight of them. I couldn't believe Angelo had covered for me, I just didn't understand why he had to get himself involved.

I think my heart stopped for a moment as I caught my dad and Angelo slip into the crowds of people. Double checking for any bloodied knuckles, marks, bruises, anything, I found nothing. A long whoosh of breath left me.

Now who said wishes don't come true?