chapter 46

Alicia stood before the standing mirror and checked herself out. She was alone so she blew her trumpet: she looked stunning in a simple but expensive red dress. Satisfied, she picked her bag as her phone rang.

" Hey, baby." Alicia said.

" Where the hell are you?" Kim said from the other end.

" Just getting set to come."

" Roll your a** up here, pronto! And make sure my baby is here."

" I will, ma'am." 

"Good girl. It's gonna be fun tonight"

" I know right.”

" See ya."

Immediately she ended the call her father came in.

" You look beautiful, my angel."

"Thank you dad."

At a point, she thought her feelings towards them was going to change but nothing changed. She still felt that bond between a child and parents. She had always been attracted to Jeff. She never felt he was not her biological brother. So the happiness in the family continued and she pushed everything behind. 

" I don't mean to interfere in your relationship but Steve came here in your absence. He could not reach you on your cell phone and he needed to see you." He said.

"What a pity." She said.

" I am surprised he did not know you were going to Fort Lauderdale. I was more surprised it was not him you spent the weekend with." 

" I never said it was him."

"But I don't get it, honey. Steve has been there right from the start. You guys have been together since childhood. Why are you cheating on him? "

She was smugly infuriated because she did not cheat on him.

" Dad, I spent just one night at the villa and I did not cheat on anyone. Why do you and mum think a boy and a girl can't be together without-without ...."

" Sex?"

" Oh dad, I hate discussing this with you."

" But we have to. I don't want any opportunist taking advantage of you. I know you are an adult but you are still a teenager and there is that tendency for youthful exuberance."

" I will be fine and if you and mum think I went to have whatever in the villa, you are wrong. And for Steve, nothing has changed. He is still what he was to me. I just did not tell him because he would not understand and I did not expect him to."

Mr Grant shrugged lightly.

" You sound convincing and I trust my baby. If you don't mind, I will like to meet this new friend of yours."

" Sure, dad." She said and gave him a peck. " I need to get going." 

" Okay, honey." He said, " do not get drunk and do not drive when you drink."

" I love you, dad. I wonder what I would have been without you."

" And we wonder how life would have been without you."

She almost cried when he said that.

" Hey, don't . If you cry, I won't buy the 2017 Mazzanti Evantra Millecavalli I intend to buy for you this week."

" Oh my God!" She exclaimed. " Oh my God! My dream car."

She hugged him. He laughed softly. 

" No crying, ever. I am going to keep smiling and laughing from now till December."

"Good girl, now get going .Your friends are waiting."

Immediately She drove out of the estate, she went towards Downtown. She had to pick Damon. She felt bad about him. After the incidence in Fort Lauderdale, they both agreed that the mission was now dangerous and it was not worth it. 

She did not care to know about her real parents any longer. They were dead and it was good she never knew them. So, it was like everything was over between she and Damon. She felt bad because she left Damon with nothing good. He refused to  collect money from her. He said he was not a private detective. But she left him without a home because he moved out of Fahad's house. She did not blame him. He felt he was endangering Fahad but that was not the main cause. He never knew Fahad had secret CCTV cameras around and he felt the trust was not there. 

Fahad said he did it just to protect them and it played out to be useful but Damon would not take that. He said at least he should have known. Damon left and no one knew where he moved to. Alicia called him and invited him for tonight's outing. Unknown to him, she also invited Fahad and  was going to do all she could to reconcile them. She felt it was all her fault. 

Poor Damon. She could talk to Steve to get him a better job. Giving a job was different from giving cash. He should accept that. Oh, Damon. He could be stubborn. Getting him to accept the invitation was not a doddle. 

She pulled up before a red bricked shop, trying to assure herself it was the place and then he appeared. This guy was charismatic, handsome and appealing. He moved his body with confidence and royal-like grace. He looked sweet in his white immaculate clean shirt and black jeans. He gave her an infectious smile, so radiant and exhilarating. She was glad to see him and hoped her mission was going to be successful.

" Hey." He said as he opened the passenger's door and slid in.

" Hey." Alicia smiled at him.

" You look good."

" Thank you and you....you look sweet." He showed a short reaction which portrayed surprise, like he did not expect the comment. Yes, it was the first time she was complimenting him.

She started the car engine and climbed the main road. She did not ask him where he was staying or talk about Fahad. They arrived the venue twenty minutes later.

 They were allowed in by the stern looking security guards who recognised Alicia at once. They  could hear music blaring as she pulled up in the parking lot. The place was well secured as usual and there was a fleet of exotic cars parked in the parking lots. She caught sight of Fahad's Buick and knew he was around. She went in and immediately they got in, there was an unexpected cheers. What was going on? 

Alicia had told Damon  it was a friend's birthday party. He did not want to attend but she was persuasive. He did not need to be told it was a party for the rich. There were over two hundred boys and girls, all expensively dressed. He saw Fahad standing with a girl.

Immediately they got in, Kim, dressed in white body clinging dress quickly walked to them, grabbed Damon’s arm and thanked Alicia for keeping to her promise. Promise? Was that the reason for bringing him here? Still pondering over that, he realised that the cheers was for Alicia. She was a special awaited guest. A young man, looking twenty or twenty-one came to her. He was handsome, wearing his white hair in a posh style, with a majestic and flamboyant personality. He seemed to be the cock of the walk.

Damon looked at his shoes, wristwatch, jeans and felt intimidated. This guy was hot and he knew it. He came to Alicia, gave Damon a glance, shook his hand and said, " thank you for bringing my queen to me on this special day."

His cronies cheered. " I am Steve Barcovy."

" Damon Simon. Happy birthday."

"Thank you. Just a moment. I know you are in able hands." He said and winked at Kim who was smiling. Damon guessed what was on his face could be called a smile. Steve grabbed Alicia by the waist possessively and walked her away as his cronies clapped. 

" Just a few moments ago, I said something was missing in my life and I felt dead even when I am adding a year today. " Steve began, "I never knew you guys understood the quiddity because I did not say why. But as this queen comes in, you smart as*** got the wind and cheered. Now, I am a year older because the one who holds the key to my life just opened it." 

They clapped, and three servants pushed in a gargantuan cake. Damon had forgotten that Kim was holding him. He felt numb and lassitude. Could he ever forgive Alicia for this? Why bring him to torment? Why not leave him in his ghetto and come play love with her billionaire handsome boy? What offence did he commit to deserve this? He tried to be good to her, lost his friendship with Fahad because of her. Why?

The cake was cut, lots to eat and drink, jokes shared, dance and a lot of fun activities. Damon did not cross parts with Fahad as he seemed to be catching fun. At a point, Steve, Alicia and three other couples joined Damon and Kim. He was trying not to be rude so he played along with Kim without committing himself.

" Damon Simon, right." Steve asked again, holding a glass of champagne. Damon saw Alicia gestured at Fahad who joined them with his girl.

" Which of the Simons? Simon Macrae, Simon McLeish or Simon Smith?"

Damn! Damon exclaimed in his mind. To Steve, only three Simons existed and the three he just mentioned were billionaires.

" None. Its Simon Hamilton and don't bother to ask which because you have probably never heard of him."

"Huh," Steve sipped his champagne. They all had drinks in Their hands . They kept chatting until one of them said, "who remembers the Campty Camp song?"

Campty Camp! That was a summer camp organised for the rich kids below the age of ten. Damon had never been there because he never qualified. Fahad, who had been living in USA on and off all his life had gone for the camp thrice. He fitted into this group and had things to contribute. They began to sing the song and others joined. Damon could see them having real fun. Everyone sang, everyone…..except him. He did not know the song. He was probably taking care of his siblings while his mother was babysitting for money then. He felt out of place, humiliated, ostracised. No one was really paying attention to him. The song brought sweet childhood memories, those sweet old days they shared, Alicia was singing joyfully, standing close to Steve, even Kim who seemed obsessed with him was facing a fat rich boy who was very vocal and audible. 

Damon gestured to Kim to excuse him, she did not seem to hear or see him. He quietly walked out of the hall, and went outside. He walked as fast as he could, leaving that environment was all he needed then. He did not blame himself. He did not bring himself here. It was a waylay, a final brush-off  called coup de grace. He began to run, hoping he would find a cab. He did not find any but couldn't wait. He kept walking down the boulevard until a car pulled up in front of him. Two policemen alighted. 

" It’s him." One of them said, flashing Damon’s face with a flashlight.

" Hey, what’s going on?" Damon demanded 

" You are Mr Damon simon, sir?"

"Yes, sir."

"You are under arrest for trespassing and being  in possession of government property. You have the right to remain....." Damon did not hear the rest of the words as the second cop hit him at the back of his head. What offence did he commit? Where did he trespass? He was hit again with a heavy object and he fell down and  everything went blank.

*****

Damon's disappearance nudged Alicia’s brain suddenly. She thought she saw him go out. Thought? She was sure saw him go out alone while they were singing. Where was he? She quickly walked to Kim who was drinking wine.

" Hey, Where is Damon?"

" Oops ! He said...." She raised her eyebrow, " he was trying to tell me something. He went out. I am such an assho**."

Alicia dashed outside at once. She remembered seeing him mute while they sang and he seemed not to join in the fun. Oh my God! He never attended Campty camp and did not know the song. He must have felt left out. Did he leave or just excused himself to get some fresh air?

" Hey." Steve called . She gave him a smile and said, "Just a moment."

She looked round the parking lots. She could see some boys and girls already getting dirty outside. She did not see any sign of him. She dialled his number, it rang but he did not pick the call. She asked a security man if he had seen a guy dressed in white and black. 

" Sure ma'am. He went down the road."

She went after him. Why did he leave the scene without informing her? Did Kim hurt him? She invited him and he was her responsibility. He couldn't leave, she had to reconcile him and Fahad. 

She had to make things right. She was almost running.  Poor Damon. It was almost impossible to get a cab here and he was going to find it hard to get a lift. Oh, what's happening over there? I can sight policemen. Oh no! They are hitting someone. Was that not brutal and abusive? But that looks like Damon. Damon? It is him.

" Hey!" She screamed but they seemed not to hear . She felt something swirling in her head, a piercing pain savaging her heart as she broke into a run but it seemed too late. They bundled him roughly into their car and sped off. 

She tried to run after the car but someone grabbed her hand. It was Steve. His hold was so firm that she felt pains. 

" What the hell is going on?" He asked.

" They took him away. Why?"

" I need you to calm down."

" I invited him. They hit him, how can I calm down?"

Kim and two other guys joined them.

" What's going on?" Kim demanded.

" The cops arrested that guy you were flirting with and Alicia is going crazy." Steve said.

" Oh my God!" Kim exclaimed. "We must do something…and don’t use the word  flirting  again"

Steve looked at Alicia for a while, anger on his face.

" Why are you so agitated over him? I have never heard you mention him and I have known you all my life. I know all of your friends. We barely know him and we can't trust him. Let the law do their work. If he is innocent, he will get freed."

“Don’t be a jerk, Steve!" Kim said angrily. " He is my friend and I care what happens to him."

"Good, then go after him." Said Steve sarcastically. He pulled Alicia and they began to walk back.

Kim looked at them astonishingly.

" I can't believe you are leaving Licia." She said.

Alicia said nothing.