Chapter 69: Chapter 69

I tried not to fuck up but it was hard when a new part of me yearning for freedom was now budding. I didn’t want to go through with the mission but as I stood there in the lobby that night after dinner, waiting for the girls I knew there was no way around it. I could run to the ends of the earth and Alex would find me and that is if poverty and loneliness didn’t find me first.

Even before the girls came down my heart was already racing with excitement and when they finally walked into the lobby I thought I was going to die.

Why does she have to be so pretty?!

Sure Siobhan was drop-dead gorgeous, her blue eyes were the most seductive and captivating things you will ever see, yet it was Bianca that made me stare like an idiot. Hopefully, I didn’t drool and completely embarrass myself.

Focus on the prize. Focus on the prize, I reminded myself. I smiled at Siobhan and her smile was flirtatious.

“Good evening ladies,” I said in my most formal tone, better to appear as unsuspicious as possible. “My name is Andre Rio, shall we begin our tour of Mainland’s Attraction?”

Almost immediately Siobhan held her hand to me and I took her arm as though we were in a formal event and I wasn’t just their tour guide. I tried to catch Bianca’s eye – note that this was before I knew her name at all – but she was too busy picking on something on her dress to notice that I was trying to make eye contact.

Doesn’t she remember me from that afternoon? If she did she wasn’t acting like it. She barely even glanced at me when I walked them to the cart.

“Oh, a cart! Exotic!” Siobhan said. As I helped her into it she turned to me batting her lashes – she’s gorgeous, she knows it and she knows how to use her good looks. “So what’s your name?”

“Andre Rios.”

I went around the cart to help Bianca but by the time I got there, she had already settled herself in the seat, shooting me a piercing glare. I couldn’t help but smile.

So she does remember me after all?

It pleased me to know that. I got in the front seat and started the cart. This is it! This is where I have to think of the best way to deliver Siobhan to Alex without alerting Bianca. How to go about that now?

“Andre Rios, uhn?" Siobhan asked. “That’s a nice name. Do you know any hot clubs around here?” her voice was soft and deceptively sweet.

But her question brought me up short. Clubs! Yes, that’s the best place to get the both of them apart and make it easier for me to hand her over to Alex, I may have to call him though.

Luckily, I do know a place where we can do a successful handover but I found myself thinking about the other girl with hazel eyes again. I looked at her through the mirror but she was looking out of the cart. What I was about to do tugged at my conscience. If I hand Siobhan over to Alex it would definitely harm Bianca to know that her friend has been abducted and by the guy that helped her fix her bikini no less.

The easy way out.

“There are many but won’t your friend tell on you? She does look like the killjoy type,” I said hoping that she would agree that clubbing at this time of the night was a bad idea but before she could speak Siobhan jumped in.

“Bianca? Nah Bianca would never do that. Actually, we are not kids just so you know, we are 18, high school seniors.”

That was the first time I heard her name and I thought it suited her well. Bianca, it was such a pretty delicate name for a girl who was obviously not delicate given how she handled our interaction earlier that day.

“So am I.” It was an attempt at small talk to get Bianca to join the conversation but she remained quiet only glaring in my direction once or twice. What does it take to get her to talk to me?

“So Bianca uh?” I tried again.

She still wouldn’t say anything but when she turned her gaze to me I suddenly felt Siobhan poke my shoulder discreetly. She slipped a piece of paper into my shirt pocket with a wink.

I returned her suggestive smile happy that things were going the way they should. Should it really be this easy to abduct someone? I thought as I continued to drive the cart.

“And what’s yours?”

“Siobhan Hayes,” she replied.

I guess she’s the kind of girl that loves to talk a lot about everything and my guess was proven right when she continued to get chatty.

Eventually when Bianca wouldn’t say anything I said, “I will take you to a club where a pal of mine works but I’m worried your friend here would ruin your night.”

It was hard not to smile when she shot me another dark gaze. If things were different, I wouldn’t have to flirt with her friend, I would flirt openly with her and tell her what I think about her and maybe even share a kiss. But the circumstances weren’t right so I just forced myself to drive to the club where we ordered drinks.

I know you must have read Bianca’s account of what happened and you may have been wondering, well if it’s Siobhan he is after why is he flirting with Bianca?

Truth is, I couldn’t help myself. Even my cringe line jokes didn’t sound so cringe when I said them to her and though she was rolling her eyes and grimacing, I could see in her eyes that she was enjoying our little banter. And right there and then I thought it was massively awesome if she was digging me too.

I thought Siobhan was into me too until she spotted someone on the dance floor and decided he would be her beau for the night.

I watched her go off to dance and suddenly I became aware of Bianca. She watched Siobhan go off to dance while she slipped her coke. Her perfect lips closed over her straw and I never knew I could be jealous of a straw until then. I just wanted to grab the glass out of her hand and capture her lips to see if they were as soft and succulent as they looked.

Although I think if I tried that she would snap my head off. I am simping really hard right now.

Even her makeup was perfectly done. Her lips were a shade of pink that made my imagination run wild.

God…”She’s pretty and bold,” I said out loud and realized belatedly.

Luckily she must have thought I was talking about Siobhan became she replied, “Yeah, she’s all of that.”

She stared for a second more and I thought I could just detect a faint bit of envy but then she noticed me staring and frowned. “Why are you staring? What are you in love with me?”

Yes. I am falling hard Bianca and I never want to stop. Who knew love could feel this way? Love at first sight…I always thought it was a joke but with her…it was real.

But I couldn’t let that cloud my thinking, not when I had an assignment to complete. As much as it hurt I put my selfish thoughts aside and pretended to be in love with Siobhan. I saw the hurt in her eyes, she tries unsuccessfully to hide it. It hurt me and I hated Alex for it.

She must have hurt so bad when I asked her to get Siobhan and me closer together, especially since I made it look like I was trying to blackmail her with the beach encounter – nothing ever hurt as bad as it did right then and there – because the next thing I knew she was stomping on the dance floor to grab and friend and leave the club. I couldn't go after them because I didn’t want to. My heart was breaking and I hated that I was caught up in this mess.

But Alex would not let me give up that easily. When he found out that the Hayes and Bianca would be leaving Mainland after two failed attempts at getting Siobhan Hayes, he decided we needed to take things up a notch.

“Just forget about Siobhan and let’s find someone else?” I argued.

“No! I cannot have a failure for a brother, it’s either Siobhan or nothing! She was right there? All you had to do was convince her to come over for a good make-out sess and bingo! Listen to me brother,” he was angry, I could tell. “You will find her and you will bring her here!”

I thought he was joking but I realized he wasn’t when he suddenly came one day at the end of summer vacation and announced that I would be enrolling in Edwin and Co’s. final year program.