Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 28244 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 141(@200wpm)___ 113(@250wpm)___ 94(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28244 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 141(@200wpm)___ 113(@250wpm)___ 94(@300wpm)
Adrian wanted me to come with him to The Aurelia. Practically begged. At one point, I thought he might throw me over his shoulder and steal me away—I think I would have liked that option.
But then my rambunctious group came out and I was absorbed back into the chaos. Dad complained about the service on the plane and my mom was appalled that Leah threw up all over the bathroom and she had to clean it with Jennifer.
I lost sight of Adrian as we went through customs and I never saw him again. Maybe he got stopped? I looked for him everywhere, but I couldn’t find him. He exited my life as quickly as he entered it.
My whole body gets numb and heavy knowing I’ll probably never see him again. I’m not ready to come to terms with that just yet.
I open my book and take out his business card—all I have left of him. I rub my fingers on the rough surface as I read his name in glossy black ink. Adrian Drake. It makes me feel a little better knowing that I have a piece of him, even if it is just a fancy business card. At least, I know he was real and not just a dream.
I slink into my seat and pull out my phone to do some research as the bus rolls down the road. I google Adrian and feel my whole chest light up when I see tons of articles, interviews, and photos of him with important people. Wow. He’s everywhere. Award ceremonies, keynote speaking at huge conferences, and there’s even a photo of him at the Super Bowl in a private box.
I click on the top article and suck in a breath when I read the title.
Adrian Drake the tech billionaire taking the world by storm.
Billionaire?
I’m not surprised. I could tell he was genius-level smart. There was something behind those dark eyes. A gifted brilliance. A way of processing the world that was entirely unique.
I google a few more things. Mainly, Adrian Drake wife and Adrian Drake girlfriend.
Nothing comes up. I take a breath of relief now that I know there’s not some hot model girlfriend draped in Gucci waiting in a mansion back home.
But does it really matter anyway? I’m not going to start dating a billionaire. Not when my life looks like this.
“Drink up, fuckers!” Leah shouts as she stands up on the bus seat in the front and chugs a beer. “I’m getting married!”
“I’m getting a migraine,” Dad says and I snort out a laugh.
Everyone is cheering, except for us and the bus driver who’s giving the bride shit and asking her to sit down. Leah just ignores him and then falls into the aisle like a sack of potatoes when he takes a turn a little sharper than necessary.
We arrive to more chaos at the resort. There’s an unruly crowd of cranky tourists trying to check-in with only two overwhelmed workers at the reception desk to do it. Our group just adds to the pandemonium.
“Bride coming through,” Leah shouts, wobbly on her feet as she pushes and elbows her way up to the front.
Some people already in line take issue with that and they start going at it with Leah, mouthing off to each other. Taint tries to hold Leah back when it looks like it’s going to get violent and that really sets Leah off, and the bride and groom have a shouting match in front of everyone.
The whole thing is a disaster. It takes us over an hour and a half to get our room cards and everyone is starving and in a foul mood by the time we do.
Dad asks where to get a bellboy and of course, there aren’t any. We lug our bags over to our room, passing the massive pool on the way.
The music is ear-piercingly loud and the DJ keeps shouting unintelligible things into the microphone, making it even worse. All the chairs are taken and there are wet towels laid out on every inch of available concrete. There are towers of empty cups stacked everywhere and cigarette butts litter the inside of the plants and flower boxes. I look in the pool and cringe when I see a bandaid floating in the water.
It’s horrible. Worse than we thought.
“I guess this is what $449 gets you,” Dad says, looking ready to leave.
I’m sharing a room with Aunt Jennifer and it’s as disappointing as you could imagine. My view is a brick wall and the bed is as hard as a rock, the stained sheets like sandpaper. I don’t even want to unpack and have my stuff touching anything in here, so I just leave it all in my suitcase and meet my parents in the hallway so we can go get something to eat at the buffet.