“Shhh…”
Valerie placed her index finger in between her lips, and Audrey stared at her strangely.
“Why is that, Miss old-fashioned? Isn't it nice to go on a date with Uncle Hat? He's nice, right?”
Taking a deep breath, Valerie sat right beside her, and patted her shoulder, then said. “Audrey, you're still very little. You shouldn't be talking about stuff like that. Besides, Uncle Hat and I aren't going on a date. I'm only going to visit him, and to take a tour around the orphanage.”
“Isn't that what it means to be on a date? My best friend Priscilla told me that when a man and woman go out together, then they're going on a date. They're one step away from marriage” Audrey pouted her mouth.
Valerie couldn't hold in the laughter anymore. She burst into laughter on hearing what Audrey had said. Audrey glared at her, and folded her arms.
“Miss old-fashioned, why are you making a mockery of me?” She cried.
Holding her hand, Valerie smiled. “Of course not, my angel. I'll never make a mockery of you, and you know that. I'm always on your side, but you just cracked me up.”
Audrey blinked her eyes rapidly. “Isn't it that you like Uncle Hat? If you don't, why would you go on a date with him and…”
“Audrey! Keep your voice down. You don't want me to get into trouble, do you?” Valerie cried out.
Hearing that, Audrey covered her mouth with her palms. “Sorry, Miss old-fashioned”
“You mustn't tell anyone that I'm going to see Uncle Hat.”
“Why not? I can tell Priscilla, right?” Audrey asked sharply.
Lowering her voice, Valerie replied. “Audrey, I don't want anyone to hear about this. Just be a good girl, and don't tell anyone. Do you understand me?”
After a few minutes of hesitation, Audrey slowly nodded her head in agreement. “Good girl. Here's your orange squash. It's freshly made” Valerie handed the glass to her.
“Thank you, Miss old-fashioned.” Audrey chuckled.
….
Rebecca took several drags of the lighted cigarette stick she was holding. She grabbed the glass of liquor, and gulped it down. It was obvious that she was fuming in annoyance. The loud music and dimmed light confirmed that she was actually in a clubhouse. A few minutes later, she brought out her cell phone from her purse, and stared at the screen.
“Where the f*** Is that damn girlfriend of mine now that I need her the most? That bi**h!” She cursed bitterly.
She was still sulking, smoking and drinking when a young lady who was dressed in jeans short and a black singlet, matching her black knee boots. “Hey! Becca. What the hell? You look like a mess.”
With that, she sat beside her. Raising her head, Rebecca glared at her. “Where were you, Zora? I've been waiting for you right here for the past hour. How dare you… how dare you keep me waiting?”
Zora shook her head. “Traffic! Traffic was horrible. What's up, babes? Are we here for the wedding preparations?”
“What are you talking about?” Rebecca snapped.
She gulped. “Didn't you come back from abroad to get married to your Prince charming, Ethan? Isn't that why you're here?”
Rebecca felt her heartbreaking into tiny pieces. Damn! Her best friend Zora was actually supposed to be consoling her, but hell no! She was adding salt to the injury. To think that she was losing Ethan to a mere nanny made her feel worthless. “Shut it, Zora. If you're here to mock me, then you're really getting to it.”
“What are you talking about, Rebecca? Will you stop drinking already? You're dead drunk, you @sshole.”
Without hesitation, Zora snatched the glass and bottle of liquor from her. “What is wrong with you, Zora? I called you here to drink with me.”
“Tell me, what's going on?”
“That bastard! Ethan chose someone else. And he's ready to defend her with everything he has. I hate them all.” Rebecca cried out, and started throwing tantrums.
Zora grabbed her, and headed out of the clubhouse. “What's wrong with you, girl?”
“He picked a nanny over me. A nanny, Zora. An f****** nanny, you get that?”
“What the… He really did that? I thought you guys were beginning to fall for each other?” Zora bit her lips.
“I thought so, too.”
Zora tuts with a shrug. “Is this the best way you can think of to get your man back? By drinking yourself to stupor?”
Rebecca held her hand, and groaned in pain. She had a headache. “What else can I do?”
“How about you turn the nanny into his enemy?” Zora smirked maliciously.
Swiftly, Rebecca turned to her with puckered brows. “How?”
“What is that one thing that Ethan loves so much?” Zora asked.
Rebecca smiled. “His daughter, Audrey.”
“You know what to do, don't you?”
At Davison's villa, President Ethan was having lunch with his daughter. Valerie, on the other hand, was preparing some dessert for her little girl.
“Miss old-fashioned, don't you want some fish sauce? You've always told me that it's your favorite. It's my favorite too” Audrey chuckled.
“I'll get mine after you finish yours. You shouldn't talk while eating, baby” Valerie mumbled. She was doing everything possible not to get any eye contact with the President.
After a few minutes of silence between them, the President cleared his throat and said. “Baby, haven't you always wanted to go swimming? I've decided to enroll you into a swimming class, you'll be going on Saturday with your nanny to get enrolled.”
“Really, Dad?” Audrey gasped.
“Yes, baby.”
Suddenly, she bowed her head sadly, getting her father worried. “Are you okay, Audrey? You look sad. Don't you want to learn how to swim anymore?”
“I do, but Miss old-fashioned can't come with me on Saturday. She's going on a date with Uncle Hat” Audrey didn't even realize she had spilled it.
President Ethan freaked out, and turned to Valerie. “What?”