Alarmingly on Autopilot
Where Sakura rides her private jet and Sasuke gets to drive it. Love is in the air. Literally.
CHAPTER ONE
Birthday Blast
.o.O.o.
Every magazine, every newspaper, and every TV show actively waits for this one time of the year when the modern day princess, a.k.a. heiress of the very great Haruno fortune, celebrates her birthday.
Surprisingly, the craze brought about by the 28th day of March is only partly about the grand and ridiculously costly, highly exclusive celebrations her parents prepare for their only child. In truth, the obsession on the girl's birthday is actually more about the rare opportunity the people get to take a peek at the glamour, charm, and the irresistible appeal of royalty all personified in one Haruno Sakura—young, rich, beautiful, sexy, intelligent, and just totally delicious.
This year, the princess is turning 22 and the paparazzi are even more restless than they were when she turned eighteen. This time, the unrest is caused by the buzzing anticipation for the release of the April issue of the number one men's magazine Cup C.
It had been almost four years since the magazine started wooing the sexy heiress to be their cover model. She was everything they were looking for, after all. She's beautiful and exotic with her long pink hair, sultry eyes, and inviting lips. More importantly, she's endowed with the right curves at the right places. The editors also know that she has probably been the star of men's dreams ever since she started wearing a bra and it will do them extremely well if they could get her to pose for them. The only problem was that they could never get her to agree. That discouraged the wooers but it certainly did not stop them. And then, to everyone's surprise, when 2013 rolled in, the princess gave the men a confident and promising "yes, I'll do it when I turn 22". And with just eight words, everybody got their minds blown and their eyes fixated on that day when they finally get to see another side of the illusive Haruno Sakura.
By the time March—and hence the shoot for the magazine—started, the editor in chief of Cup C kept himself awake thinking about all the money the April issue would rake in. This would probably be the gate pass to his much desired raise and promotion. That girl would be his rainmaker. The EIC smirked to himself and reclined on his seat to continue his musings. People think that what makes Sakura so interesting was her beauty and status but the editor couldn't agree less. "What makes her so interesting" he thought, "was the mystery. It had always been the quiet mystery that graced her smile."
True enough, it had always been that muted promise: I am worth the wait that made people all hyped and waiting. Waiting and spending he smiled to himself as he finally signed the paper approving the price hike of their Spring Edition. If they want her then they'd have to buy her.
Oh he's going to be rich.
.
March 27, 2013
8:30 AM
.
.
Haruno Sakura is definitely not having the time of her life. Today is the day before her birthday and she was hoping that this day would not, simply put, suck. But no, the universe simply hated her guts. "Thanks, mother earth, for simply handing me the crappiest birthdays possible," she murmured and huffed. She should be lounging on their private jet heading to their private island resort for her weeklong birthday celebration by now. But where is she instead? On her father's office, shut up and completely immobile while her father continued to spout "words of wisdom" regarding virtue, self-respect, shame, and reputation. Apparently, her father has finally gotten wind of the news that the Haruno princess posed for, as her father puts it "not a business magazine, not a science magazine, not a women's magazine, not even a lifestyle magazine, but for a paper porn for teenage boys and old perverts who spend their time playing with themselves than actually working for a bright future."
Sakura smiled despite the old man's sermon. He's fifty three and he still cannot say the m-word.
.
"Why are you smiling like that? You should be openly weeping and apologizing to me and your angel of a mother!" The man crossed his arms and looked away.
.
"I'm sorry, daddy," she bit her lip, "I am smiling because…" she paused. She couldn't exactly tell him about the real reason, could she? Her mind kicked into overdrive and formulated the most believable lies.
.
"I am smiling because I am just so touched, knowing that you're concerned for me."
.
The Haruno patriarch continued to sulk but Sakura knew her father more than anyone. He can't really stay mad at her even if he tried. She watched the frown dissolve and the tensed posture relax; she knew that he's already starting to forgive her. So she decided to put the icing on the cake.
"Thank you for loving me, daddy." She stood and embraced the old man. "I love you." And she kissed his cheek.
Daddy cleared his throat and removed Sakura's arms around him. "Make sure the pilot is not drunk when he drives you." He grabbed a pen and ignored her.
And with that, Sakura knew she's won.
.
The silver 918 Spyder rolled onto the curved path towards a reserved parking space on the local airport. Its powerful engine hummed for a few more seconds before the front-end lights dimmed and the engine died. There was a clicking sound and the driver's door opened. Sakura got out of the car feeling excited. Around her was the familiar sight of the private section of the airport.
Finally she thought as she slid her Maui Jim shades up to her head like a headband. Her birthday was starting to go the way she wants it to. Sakura checked her watch. The hands pointed at 10:05. If her friends are sober enough, they would probably make it before the jet leaves at half past ten. They'd have a two hour flight to Isle Chiharu, the island her father bought as a gift to her mom when Sakura was born. After landing, they'd follow through the rest of the itinerary she'd prepared for them.
Sakura grabbed her satchel and watched the staff as they hurried to load her luggage into the private jet. Private jet. She suddenly remembered her father's mandate: make sure the pilot is sober. Come to think of it, it would really be in her best interest if she obeyed that. She wouldn't want a drunken pilot to crash their plane on her birthday, would she? The heiress briefly recalled where the pilots' lounge was and started to walk to that direction when an onyx Hennessey Venom cut her off. It drifted to a half circle before it finally parked on the reserved parking for the Haruno's pilot.
.
What the hell. Sakura blanched. She straightened her back, clenched her fists, and sexy-marched towards the car. Her reaction was quick. No matter how gorgeous that car may be, it cut her off and she was nearly hit! The driver deserved to have a piece of her mind, she decided.
She stopped a few feet away from the car and waited for the bastard pilot to reveal himself. She was still rehearsing her speech in her mind when she saw the driver's door open. Her deadly glare matched the ugly frown on her face.
.
"Are you drunk?!" She stomped her foot to emphasize her unhappiness. "You nearly—" and the driver got out and faced her.
.
Black hair. Onyx eyes. Thin, absolutely kissable lips. And that damnable smirk.
The rest of her speech died on her lips. Oh.
.
.
"Hello, Sakura."
.
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Tbc.
A/n: I SWEAR I HAVE THIS STORY WELL-THOUGHT OUT UNTIL ITS CONCLUSION! I know have this tendency to discontinue my stories due to ehem, "writer's" block but I really mean to see this story through to the end. Please stay with me?
And for those who are following A Fabians Policy, I'm rewriting the entire thing. The plot is pretty much the same but the drama will be less intense and easier to write.
Comments? Suggestions? Violent reactions? Please leave a review :)
OH AND I DESPERATELY NEED A GREAT BETA-READER.