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Chapter 53: Round two

The first thing I saw in Dubai was the inside of an air-conditioned car. And it was great.

Water bottles were handed out to us as we piled in. The heat crept into the car with us and lingered for a few seconds before the air con came on.

I was momentarily overwhelmed: disoriented, exhausted, excited and... shy. I felt out of my element here. If we're being honest, I feel out of my element every day. But this was a whole other level.

I've never been on a group vacation before, let alone one that included Luke Dawson, Austin Taylor and... Chad.

Everyone in the car was talking, laughing, joking but then Luke connected his phone to the speakers and turned the music way up. The energy in the car turned up with it and the bass vibrated my seat. I was happy I packed my ear plugs.

I tried to subtly put them on, without anyone noticing.

**

~Chad's villa~

Chad lowered the volume as we entered a gated community and the car rolled slowly down the private road.

I stared out at the sandy colored villas. Palm trees dotted the street and dusk cast a cooler spell over our surroundings. Only one other car passed by.

I stared up at the multi floor villa sitting on a green lawn. Giant arch windows reflected like mirrors. Balcony rails lined the second and third floors and I wondered what the view looked like from up there.

"Wow," I exhaled to myself.

I don't know why but I felt an urge to clean my shoes before stepping foot inside.

I was the last one to get out. I gathered my backpack and hopped out. It was evening and the heat was still present. I wondered what it was like during summer. I waited by the car.

Luke turned around when he realized I wasn't with the others, "Millie, what are you waiting for? They'll bring our bags."

"They?" I asked, "Who's they, Luke?"

He laughed and slowed down, letting the others walk up ahead.

I caught up to him, still blabbering away, "We don't talk like that. You know I don't speak Chad."

"You will after this week," Luke answered.

He walked alongside me up to the house. The doors opened to show a cool marble floor and wide-open space with fancy décor. Random objects were stylishly positioned around the house.

The light fixture in the living room looked like it belonged in a museum. Giant LED circular lights rotated overhead.

I never understood why these interior design people like to put random vases and empty bowls everywhere. Or those pretty books stacked artistically that no one has read. They'll stick a feather on a stand and charge $1000 for it.

But I'm told I don't have an eye for design.

And then I found the motherload.

Something so absurd that it made me stop in my tracks:

It was a giant portrait of Roland Chadwick II staring down at me.

"Oh my...."

"I can't get it out of my head either," Oma said, pushing open the glass door and stepping into the living room from the pool outside, "You should check out your room. It's your first time here, right?"

"Isn't it yours?" I asked back.

"We came here for Luke's birthday last year. It was a surprise trip."

"Is that what friends do for each other?" I asked and clapped my hand over my mouth.

She didn't take it personally and disappeared into the back garden. Do they even call it a back garden in a villa? It was more like a back paradise.

That reminds me, I really need to pluck those weeds out of my backyard when I get home.

**

I explored upstairs, with no clue which room was mine. There were so many rooms and most had balconies.

"Psst," Cearra whispered, calling me into hers.

I found her suitcases already open on the floor and clothes spilled out in a colorful mess.

Cearra was so excited that she was talking at 2x human speed again. "Remember when I asked you if you were sharing a room with Luke because then I'd have to share a room with the devil wears prada?"

"Yes."

"It turns out none of us are sharing! We all get our own fricking personal private individual rooms!" she squealed, throwing her hands in the air.

"I can't believe this all worked out," she exclaimed, "We're in Dubai and I have to call my mom in thirty minutes for our first daily check-in. I can't believe you didn't accept my offer on clothes by the way."

"What offer was that again?" I asked, trying to remember.

"The LUKY girls offered up their wardrobes to us," she said, "They said we could choose fresh outfits for new years'."

"Oh, did they?" I considered it, "Yeah, I remember you mentioned that, but then I thought of all the million things I'd rather do and one of them is die."

"Well I took up the offer," she said, "I won't say no to a bomb free outfit. They're sucking up to join our crew now. Funny how the turns have tabled."

I added, "Funny how LUCKY rhymes with YUCKY. I didn't notice that until now."

**

~Three hours later~

Everyone was in their rooms, sleeping. I had changed into comfy PJs, eaten dinner and was now more than ready to sleep.

I opened the door to Luke's room and stepped inside. He was sleeping, his head resting peacefully on the pillow. He had his clothes still on.

It warmed my heart to see him like that as I walked towards the bed to join him. I pulled the covers over me and turned towards Luke, curling my body to mirror his.

My eyes drooped shut and I found sleep easily, the feel of his warm skin under my arm.

...

BANG

The doors flung open and Austin came bursting in. "2 MINUTES DAWSON! Oh, hi Millie."

Austin nervously tried to back out of the room. 

Luke groaned in bed and raised his hand to his head, almost hitting me in the process, and twisting his head towards me in surprise. "Minnie, when did you get here?"

Did we really have to do this in front of Austin?

Austin looked away and quietly whistled.

Then Luke looked at Austin, "Why are you here?"

"You're late. Everyone's downstairs," he stared at us both like we missed the memo.

I sniffed the air, "Is that cologne?"

"Yes." Austin didn't hesitate to admit it. He smelled himself, "Earthy."

"What's the time?" Luke sighed, reaching out for his phone on the bedside table.

"Time to go," Chad said, barging into the room behind Austin, "Oh, hi Millie."

I sunk further into the covers.

"Get out," Luke told the guys, "We need a minute. Knock next time."

After the guys left, Luke peered at me, hiding under the covers.

"I thought everyone went to sleep," I complained from under the covers.

"We were taking a nap before going out."

I poked my head out from under the covers, "But it's 10PM. That's sleep time."

"That's going out time," Luke mirrored my childish voice and wrapped his arms around me. He felt the soft fabric of my PJs and said, "Aw, you even changed."

**

~10.05 PM~

We haven't slept in two days. We need more than a nap. We need coffee.

I entered the living room and saw everyone dressed up in front of me. Bianca and Oma were wearing stunning, fashionable summer outfits. The boys had all dressed up and Austin's cologne dominated the room.

"Millie," Cearra came up to me with a look of concern on her face, "What are you wearing?"

I looked down at myself. "A t-shirt and jeans."

"There's a cartoon on your shirt," Cearra pointed out.

"Yes," I accepted that fact.

"You really should've accepted LUKY's offer to lend you clothes," Cearra told me, "You can't go out like that."

"I'm tired. I want to be in bed," I told her, "And I have nicer clothes for the other nights."

"MILLAY!" Austin called out to me from the bar area, "Let's get you feeling happy!"

"PS," Cearra whispered, "Chad pranked Austin into spraying half a bottle of cologne on him so he reeks."

Chad and Luke were by the speakers, discussing logistics for tonight. Bianca took her opportunity to pass by and greet me.

"The boys had a stern word with me because of you," she whispered, her fingernails gripping onto my arm.

I stared into her eyes. Her eye make-up was on point with a nice fade and long lashes. Her cheekbones were accentuated with highlighter and I had to admit she looked good.

"Sounds like they really convinced you to be nice," I said sarcastically, removing her fingers from my arm, one finger at a time.

She pulled her hand away, "Watch out. If Luke's head is turned, he won't be in your corner anymore."

"Are you OK?" I asked, "Serious question, because you have me confused with someone else. I'm not going to fight over a boy."

"You-"

I interrupted her, "I'm not going to fight over a boy, I don't need a boy in my corner, but I will protect him. What happened to loyalty between girls?"

I don't need to spend more time engaging with that creature.

**

Our dinner reservation was at 10.30pm and Chad directed us out of the house like an orchestra conductor.

When he laid eyes on my outfit, he looked at me, "Why don't you try?"

Luke slapped him on the back of the head as he walked by.

"Hey!" Chad rubbed his head and stared at the back of Luke's, "You bring extra cash to get her into the club then!"

Luke had continued walking and just raised the middle finger back. I heard Bianca's rotten laugh behind me.

**

And if I felt self-conscious before, it's nothing like how I felt when I got there. 

A waiter guided us to our table in the center of the restaurant. It was a long black table with gold plates and gold flowers. We sat at high chairs, in front of lots of silverware.

Everyone at the restaurant was dressed up like it was a world of fashion designers and their new collections. That's not to say that everyone looked good, but they definitely looked ready.

"Austin!" I called out to him under the deafening music. He was sitting on the other side of the table.

He leaned back so he could see me, "Yeah?"

I raised two fingers, "Round two?"

Austin grinned. Tonight was just beginning.

"Bartender!"

A/N: The news is so turbulent and I'm hoping that everyone is safe and well.  

<3 Natalie
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