12

Andrea watched Chad play with his stuffed blue bunny in the garden area of the house. She sat with Eve on the bench swing. Her boss had been so understanding to let her take the day of for Chad, but with a promise to work on a double shift tomorrow. She had rolled her eyes, so much for a new loving employer. The garden was Andrea's favorite spot in the house, it was just nicely done. Eve drank from her glass of cocktail ...her second glass.

"My God, Andrea, I still can't believe you live in this paradise, I heard Sophie from work say you're a lucky bitch who just hit the right pot of gold," Eve said.

"I did not strike the pot of gold, and watch your language in front of my baby will you?" Andrea said.

"Sorry," Eve smiled and sipped from her cup of coffee. "But come on Andie, this guy is loaded, now that you've given the medallion back to him and he hasn't—" Eve made a throat slash sign. "Why don't you try to get to know him?"  Eve winked.

"Over my dead body Evelyn Theresa Chandler." Andrea said with disbelief. Selma was an angel, the woman was amazing with food, apparently she practically raised Brian and his siblings.

"I thought you said he warmed up to you last night?" Eve asked.

"Technically, it was this morning, apparently he's human after all, I don't want to be romantically involved with the man who kidnapped me," Andrea said.

"He's letting you live in his paradise. Look, it's not healthy for Chad to grow up seeing his parents act indifferently, you two need to work your relationship out."

"Ladies." Andrea heard Brian behind them, Andrea stood up, and turned to him.

"Brian, aren't you heading to the office today? It's almost noon." She said.

Today he wore a navy polo and slacks and dark loafers. His eyes

were green, just like Chad, she would never get used to it.

"I'm taking the day off." He walked to carry Chad in his arms.

"For Chad? That's unlike you." She folded her arms.

"Hi Brian." Eve grinned at him.

He rolled his eyes. "Evelyn,you're here."

Eve frowned then smiled. "Um, Fabiola's son Diego, his birthday party is this Saturday and he's inviting people over, well I know we're adults and he's fourteen, he doesn't really have friends and-"

"What's a teenager's party got to do with me? "Brian asked flatly.

"Well, Andie was just telling me, she'd ask you to go with her and Chad? " Eve said.

Andrea wanted the floor to open up and take her in. What was more embarrassing than Ever acting like a sixteen year old in front of her crush?

"Right Andie? " Even nudged her arm.

Chad was chewing on Brian's shirt.

"Well, yeah, if you would like to come." She said. Those eyes were so mesmerizing.

"I am the CEO of a multinational corporation, do you think I have the time to mess around with attending silly birthday parties?" he asked.

"It's just a party Brian, stop acting like you're above everything outside the scale of the one percent" She pursed her lips, Fabiola and her weren't even friends to begin with, the woman just wanted to rub shoulders with Brian. How many adults would be willing to crash a teenager's party?

"No,excuse me." He simply said and walked away with Chad in his arms.

Eve shrugged and looked at Andrea. "His loss, what about you? You need to show that woman that you are stinking rich now."

          * * * * * *

"This is unacceptable." Antonio said angrily in the board room of Brian's company. The August sun glared against the UV protected windows of the room, he hated the biweekly meetings with Antonio. His mother was present, technically she ran the casino in Vegas but she owned fifteen percent of the company's shares.

The leader of the Save The Trees movement, Sydney Larson, a twenty year old college student, she wore a green tacky, eco friendly 'Save Earth' shirt, she had short spiky blond hair, and brown eyes. She sipped her coffee nervously.

"We're just doing our jobs as humans, did you know that trees save—"

"Yes, and do well to spare us from the tree facts you got off the internet." Lorena said casually, some of the board members chuckled at that.

Sydney rolled her eyes. "We ain't going anywhere ma'am, till Mr Donnatelli signs a contract promising to build more trees, that way you'll save like twenty five percent of energy." Sydney said, while pushing a green folder towards Brian. He barely looked at it.

"This meeting is pointless Miss Larson, call off the protests, the human chains and we promise to provide a scholarship till you graduate, you wouldn't worry about those dreadful student loans for life," Brian snapped his fingers at his secretary, who frantically gave Sydney a blue folder, she opened it and giggled.

"What's so funny? You have any idea how much your pals would kill for the this?" Moretti said. Brian caught him winking at her.

How revolting.

"You can't just do whatever you want because you can sip a glass of champagne on your fancy yachts, I won't be silenced," Sydney gritted her teeth.

Brian thought about Andrea.

"stop acting like you're above everything."

Damn you Andrea.

"Apparently not, we can set up a scholarship scheme for your entire club," Lorena suggested.

Sydney looked like she might consider it.

"No offense, grandma—" Sydney Larson began.

"Excuse me?" Lorena said incredulously.

Sydney stood. "We're not gonna be bought over easily. You capitalists are what's wrong with this world."

With that, she stormed out of the board room and slammed the door.

Brian closed his eyes. So much for reason.

"Now, let's move on to the next agenda." He said.

         ★ ★ ★

She had him at her hip and held Diego's gift in her hand, she had snagged a leather jacket that was Diego's size in Brian's room, it wasn't stealing since he had over a hundred clothes in his expensive wardrobe. The rooftop had been decorated with chairs and tables, a table was filled with Mexican pastries and punch a few teenagers were laughing and dancing to Usher blaring from a stereo, this could be the only time of year Fabiola let her kids play obscene Hip Hop music.

She saw Eve dancing with a glass of apple juice in her hand.

Fabiola walked towards her, she wore a purple gown and black boots.

"Andrea, and my baby." Fabiola took Chad in her arms and made kissing noises as Chad giggled.

Diego sat at a table texting on his cellphone, he wore a red sweater over jeans and converse, it was like it wasn't his party at all.

She walked over to Eve.

"Hey Eve, didn't think they'd be more adults than kids." Andrea said.

"I know right? I heard some girl say this was the worst party she had been to." Eve shrugged.

"Diego's not even talking to anyone at all."

"I'm going to go talk to him." Andrea said as Eve scooted towards the snack table.

Andrea had a peek of Diego's phone, he was playing a car racing game.

"Feliz cumpleaños Diego." She said in her happiest voice. Happy birthday.

Silence.

She sat on a chair next to him.

"What's wrong, little man? Everyone seems to be having a good time except you."

"Good for them, I guess," He muttered.

She snatched his cellphone away.

"Hey, give that back." He protested.

"Not until you give me an answer."

"You think you can just tell me what to do because you have a rich fiancé? You're not my mom."

Diego scowled.

That actually stung.

Damn you Brian. "Yes, I have a super rich fiancé, but that doesn't mean I'll forget where I came from." She said sadly. She looked up as Fabiola's husband Manuel walked towards them.

"Look alive son, you're making everyone feel like they're intruders. Hola Andrea." Manuel said and kissed Diego's cheek much to Diego's dismay.

"You're embarrassing me, Dad." Diego said as he wiped his cheek.

"I'll go check on Camila, heard she wants to wear a princess costume." Manuel said and patted Diego's shoulder and walked towards their apartment.

"Your sister is such an angel." Andrea grinned.

"Whatever, my parents adore her because she's their baby." Diego absentmindedly reached for his phone, she slapped his hand away.

"I'd do anything to have a little sister or an older brother. " She said.

Diego rolled his eyes.

"Take it from someone who grew up in several foster homes, I had to live with being rejected."

Diego frowned. "I don't even know half of these people, mum wouldn't let me invite my real friends over, why should I pretend to love this?" Diego said.

She cringed, Diego's friends, Louis and Zeke were the average skateboard kids, they were so laid back and she guessed they had poor grades, which is why Fabiola took extreme measures to keep them away.