She thinks I can’t notice she’s hiding something. I looked at her again. Unnerving beauty, the best Project Monarch yet. Somehow she was on to us. She was planning to escape. She had something up her sleeve, I could feel it. She had asked to plan her own Lady in Red* party which, for someone who isn’t keen on parties, was very suspicious. Josh and I had let her do it, but we’d covered every possible escape route. There was no way she was ever going to leave.
As a precaution, I had accompanied her to the awards ceremony as her plus one. The ceremony was now over and people were leaving the hall at their pleasure. I turned and looked at her. She was lost in her thoughts. “Gee, Liya, would you smile at least, you’ve just won 9 awards; you’re supposed to be happy,” I said.
“I am happy, see,” she put on a convincing smile. “I’m just thinking of something.”
“Go on…”
“I know you’re supposed to be my boyfriend but you can cool it, you already got the girl.”
“I’m genuinely interested. I wouldn’t want people to think I’m not treating you right, you know, listening to you and all.”
“Ok then. I was just thinking about thin layer chromatography and its contribution to genetic engineering. Tell me, would you please, Jake, what do you think about thin layer chromatography?”
“Wipe that smirk off your face because I know what that is…okay, fine, I don’t, but I know other things,”
“Would the two of you quit yapping?” It was Emerald. She was standing right behind us. “Jake, fro-yo tomorrow? Liya…enjoy your trophies.” She turned to go before adding, “Call me.” I watched her leave the hall.
“So much for treating me right, you know ‘listening to me and all’. Can we leave now? Can’t be late for my own party, am I right or am I right?”
I helped her carry some of her trophies. We made our way to the hallway then to the red carpet. Paparazzi were everywhere. We both smiled and waved and answered all the questions the best way we know how – duck if a simple ‘no comment’ won’t suffice. Jodie came up to us. “Well, well well! Here’s the happy couple! You both look happy!” She said.
“We should be, I just won 9 awards, including Best Dressed! You’re such good karma Jodie, you said I’d win it,” said Liya.
“Well I did, didn’t I? I…”
Liya cut in before Jodie could go on. “Jodie, thanks so much,” she said as she gave Jodie a hug, “but we have to go now, duty calls. Gotta go have my party now…you should come! OK see you!” She pulled away from Jodie and got into the limo that had coincidentally just pulled up. “Sweetheart, could you please get my dress,” she said to me. I got her dress as the paparazzi swarmed to get a photo of the ‘lovely couple’. I smiled and waved then got into the limo and off we went.
“Nice work with Jodie back there,” I said as I patted her back.
“What can I say, you taught me well. For females, duck by complimenting, for males, duck by answering a question with a random question.”
The chauffeur drove us to the designated change-over spot where we switched cars to throw paparazzi off our tails. He then drove off alone into the night, leading the trail of cameras away from us. We waited for ten minutes before driving off in the opposite direction. We drove in silence for twenty minutes before any of us spoke.
“Jake, I need to pee.”
“What?”
“Stop the car, I need to pee.”
“Now? Can’t you hold it?”
“No, I can’t.”
“Are you lying? You’re lying!”
“Do I have to be lying? OK fine, maybe I am, but that’s because I don’t want to tell you about my lady business, you know, of the bloody kind,” she turned to look at me, “so unless you want to hear about that, stop the car, I need to pee. There’s a motel over there.”
I stopped the car at the motel and asked for the bathroom. Liya zoomed off to go ‘pee’. I followed her at a safe distance. She was up to something, I knew it. I checked my watch as I looked for a vantage point. She wouldn’t leave that bathroom without me noticing. A minute later I saw something move out the back. I ran towards it. It was her. I got a hold of her hand and led her back to the car. “Don’t you ever try that with me,” I said as I growled menacingly. “And just so you know, I know your lady business isn’t due until for another two weeks, so don’t think for a moment you were fooling anyone. We’re onto you.”
“Who’s we? Do you mean daddy dearest, to whom you answer like a faithful dog, barking bark at its owner every time the owner does so much as cough?”
I slapped her. The car swerved. I composed myself and regained control of the car. She rubbed her cheek. I swerved the car. Her side hit a sign post. She didn’t budge because she was strapped in. I swerved again. This time her side bumped against a car. Then I pressed the electroshock button. Her seat rocked. She screamed. Only for a few seconds. Her eyes turned bloodshot red. This is new. I had never seen that happen before. Some strength seemed to come over her. She forced the wheel out of my hands. MERDE! She unbuckled her seat belt. There was no telling what she was going to do. There was a murderous look in her eyes. I felt a shiver down my spine. She opened my door and kicked me out of the car. I fell onto the road. Bad landing. I watched as she drove off into the night.
As a precaution, I had accompanied her to the awards ceremony as her plus one. The ceremony was now over and people were leaving the hall at their pleasure. I turned and looked at her. She was lost in her thoughts. “Gee, Liya, would you smile at least, you’ve just won 9 awards; you’re supposed to be happy,” I said.
“I am happy, see,” she put on a convincing smile. “I’m just thinking of something.”
“Go on…”
“I know you’re supposed to be my boyfriend but you can cool it, you already got the girl.”
“I’m genuinely interested. I wouldn’t want people to think I’m not treating you right, you know, listening to you and all.”
“Ok then. I was just thinking about thin layer chromatography and its contribution to genetic engineering. Tell me, would you please, Jake, what do you think about thin layer chromatography?”
“Wipe that smirk off your face because I know what that is…okay, fine, I don’t, but I know other things,”
“Would the two of you quit yapping?” It was Emerald. She was standing right behind us. “Jake, fro-yo tomorrow? Liya…enjoy your trophies.” She turned to go before adding, “Call me.” I watched her leave the hall.
“So much for treating me right, you know ‘listening to me and all’. Can we leave now? Can’t be late for my own party, am I right or am I right?”
I helped her carry some of her trophies. We made our way to the hallway then to the red carpet. Paparazzi were everywhere. We both smiled and waved and answered all the questions the best way we know how – duck if a simple ‘no comment’ won’t suffice. Jodie came up to us. “Well, well well! Here’s the happy couple! You both look happy!” She said.
“We should be, I just won 9 awards, including Best Dressed! You’re such good karma Jodie, you said I’d win it,” said Liya.
“Well I did, didn’t I? I…”
Liya cut in before Jodie could go on. “Jodie, thanks so much,” she said as she gave Jodie a hug, “but we have to go now, duty calls. Gotta go have my party now…you should come! OK see you!” She pulled away from Jodie and got into the limo that had coincidentally just pulled up. “Sweetheart, could you please get my dress,” she said to me. I got her dress as the paparazzi swarmed to get a photo of the ‘lovely couple’. I smiled and waved then got into the limo and off we went.
“Nice work with Jodie back there,” I said as I patted her back.
“What can I say, you taught me well. For females, duck by complimenting, for males, duck by answering a question with a random question.”
The chauffeur drove us to the designated change-over spot where we switched cars to throw paparazzi off our tails. He then drove off alone into the night, leading the trail of cameras away from us. We waited for ten minutes before driving off in the opposite direction. We drove in silence for twenty minutes before any of us spoke.
“Jake, I need to pee.”
“What?”
“Stop the car, I need to pee.”
“Now? Can’t you hold it?”
“No, I can’t.”
“Are you lying? You’re lying!”
“Do I have to be lying? OK fine, maybe I am, but that’s because I don’t want to tell you about my lady business, you know, of the bloody kind,” she turned to look at me, “so unless you want to hear about that, stop the car, I need to pee. There’s a motel over there.”
I stopped the car at the motel and asked for the bathroom. Liya zoomed off to go ‘pee’. I followed her at a safe distance. She was up to something, I knew it. I checked my watch as I looked for a vantage point. She wouldn’t leave that bathroom without me noticing. A minute later I saw something move out the back. I ran towards it. It was her. I got a hold of her hand and led her back to the car. “Don’t you ever try that with me,” I said as I growled menacingly. “And just so you know, I know your lady business isn’t due until for another two weeks, so don’t think for a moment you were fooling anyone. We’re onto you.”
“Who’s we? Do you mean daddy dearest, to whom you answer like a faithful dog, barking bark at its owner every time the owner does so much as cough?”
I slapped her. The car swerved. I composed myself and regained control of the car. She rubbed her cheek. I swerved the car. Her side hit a sign post. She didn’t budge because she was strapped in. I swerved again. This time her side bumped against a car. Then I pressed the electroshock button. Her seat rocked. She screamed. Only for a few seconds. Her eyes turned bloodshot red. This is new. I had never seen that happen before. Some strength seemed to come over her. She forced the wheel out of my hands. MERDE! She unbuckled her seat belt. There was no telling what she was going to do. There was a murderous look in her eyes. I felt a shiver down my spine. She opened my door and kicked me out of the car. I fell onto the road. Bad landing. I watched as she drove off into the night.