Roberto Part 7
"Well good job, Marika!" Roberto praised me. "You have finally paid off the lawsuit." he smiled happily.
"Yeah! No lawsuit is going to stop this gal!" I shouted fisting the air and then proceeded to punch the air like a boxer. Roberto laughed at me while I was letting out all my energy. 'I'm free! Yes, I'm so free!'
"So what are you going to do now?" Roberto asked sounding a little down.
"Waste the last of summer here of course." I smiled, making Roberto's eye glitter. "You did invite us here so why not spend it for real this time." It took like the whole month to pay off this lawsuit and now there's only one month until summer ends.
"I'm glad you'll be staying here for the rest of the summer." he gave a heartfelt smile.
"Did you think I was leaving right after? Roberto, I ain't got anything else to do when I get back but work. The kids will be by themselves and I'll get in trouble. I can't lose them, not now, not ever." I said in a serious tone. I'm keeping my promise. I won't leave them.
Ever.
"So what are you going to do now?" Roberto asked, changing the subject after a moment of silence.
"The beach maybe? I don't know, there is a lot of things to do with the kids. It's our first vacation since…" I stopped myself from finishing that sentence. The first vacation without Oscar around.
"Then let's go." Roberto said, taking my hand. "Let's go to the beach." He gently rubs his thumb on the back off my hand. I nodded and squeezed his hand back.
…
"Wow! Look how blue the ocean is!" Haruka said in awe, looking at the horizon.
"Well oceans are supposed to be blue. If they weren't, then we all would have a problem." Naruki smirked. Haru gently pushed Naru and then he pushed her right back. Then they started to chase each other into the ocean.
"Wait for me!" Kai called out and followed them.
"Don't go out to far!" I warned them.
"I'll get our spot ready, Your Highness, Marika." Al bowed and started to set up the umbrella. When he finished the three of us sat down and watched the children play in the water.
"Aunt Mari! Look I found this large shell!" Kai ran up to me and hand it to me.
"Oh, this kind of shell, when you raise it to your ear you can hear the ocean." I said raising it to his ear.
"I hear it!" Kai smiles from ear to ear, amazed. "Can we take this home with us?" He asked shyly.
"Of course we can. I'll keep right here! Now, go play with your siblings. Make sure they don't get into a real fight." Kai has always been the peacemaker. He can calm them down way faster than I can.
"Okay!" he smiled and then ran back to Haru and Naru.
"He's talking…" Al said in awe. "How cute." he smiled gently.
"Yeah." I smile too. He hasn't talked since Oscar's death. He shut his voice away and I never heard it again until a month ago. Since then he has been talking like he's been never silent. It's a good thing, but I still have to a talk with him. I already had a talk with Naru and Haru but not with Kai since he locked his voice away.
"I'm going to go join them!" Roberto said and then rans to the kids. He picks up Kai and spins him around.
"Are you going to join them, Marika?" Al asked.
"No, I tan way to easily so I'm just going to read." I said opening my book. "You can join them if you want. I know you really want to."
"You can read me like a book, can you?" he chuckled.
"Go. I'll watch everything. Go play!" I said to him. Quick as lightning he was putting Haru on his shoulders. Haru is small for her age so she's a perfect fit and weight to be on his shoulders. Then I looked down and read my book.
"Hey, pretty lady." a tall man leaned under the umbrella. He had brown shoulder length hair with a ugly fedora and a matching red swimming trunks. "Why aren't you enjoying the beach? I bet you look really beautiful in a bikini, so don't be so shy?" he smirked at me. I stared at him, irritated that someone has bothers me during a good part of the book. He seemed a little conflicted from my stare and how quiet I was when I wasn't responding to him. "Are you okay, pretty lady?"
"I was until you bothered me." I said bluntly to him, preparing to hit him with my book if he got closer to me. "If you excuse me, I would like to go back to reading without any interruptions that come out of your mouth. You're irritating me."
"My, you have a mouth on you." He kept his composure. "You kind of remind me of someone."
"Do I have to call a lifeguard to get rid of you, old man?" I said, shutting the book loudly.
"Don't worry, don't worry, I'll go. It's nice meeting you." he grabbed my hand for a kiss. I slapped his hand away and opened to where I left off, ignoring the man completely. When he left, I shut the book in total distress. That guy totally brought me out of the zone. I'm angry now. Why do I attract flirtatious men?
"Aunty, I found something but I can't get it out of the sand. Can you help me?" Haru asked.
"Where's Al, Roberto, Kai, and Naru?" I asked her.
"They went to the bathroom. Come on, hurry!" she pulled me away and towards their ocean.
"Where's the thing?" I asked, turning around. Haru disappeared. Haru? Haru? This isn't funny, Haru. Haruka!" I started to panic. Suddenly I was pushed into the ocean. When stood up, I was drenched in ocean water and multiple people were laughing at me.
"Scared you good, huh!" laughed Naru.
"You're soaking wet!" Haru followed. Kai snickered behind his sister.
"Roberto said that you were board so he told us to get you to come out." Kai explained. I looked up and glared at Al and Roberto.
"Had fun?" Roberto asked. Then I took him by the hand and then pulled him into the ocean.
"Hey! That's not fair!" he shouted and splashed me. I splashed back and then suddenly we all started to splash each other. I haven't felt this happy in a long time. I spent the time swimming with everyone and laughing, wishing it could go on for a little longer, but sadly it was time to go.
On the way back the kids fell asleep. I leaned against the door looking out the window.
"Beautiful view." Roberto says in awe, looking out the same window.
"Yeah, it is." I responded not taking my eyes off the sunset. They way the sun lightly touches the water is gorgeous.
"Did you have fun today?" he asked taking my hand and rubs the back of my hand.
"Of course." I said smiling.
"That guy didn't hurt you, did he?" he asked.
"What guy?" I asked.
"The one in the fedora. He grabbed your hand pretty roughly." he said squeezing my hand.
"It's all good, Roberto. I showed him who's boss!" I laughed.
"That's not the point." he said changing his tone. I stopped and looked at him with worry.
"Is everything alright?"
"No, it's not. You're too pretty. All the guys like you...it displeases me." he said. Then I felt something soft on my lips. When I came to realize what it was he pulled away. When he realized what he did, he pulled his whole being away and stuffs himself on the other side of the limo. 'What was that?' I felt my lips and felt a burning sensation.
When he got back, I pushed the kids out and up the stairs. I avoided and ignored Al's calls as I pushed everyone up.
"Marika!" Roberto called out.
"I'm sorry, I'm tired, goodnight!" I rushed and finally got away. I put the kids in their room and ordered them to shower and head to bed. When I got my room, I slammed it shut and leaned against the door with hands in my hair. 'What happened? What was that? Was that...a kiss?' I thought to myself. I've been kissed before but this is a first. I have never such a sensation before. That only happened in soap operas when the two main characters kiss. They called it love. Love? Love!? 'No, no, no! This is not love! It's….' I tried to find out a different term but to no avail.
So this is love?
….
It was two days after that and I've been avoiding Roberto ever since. I don't look at him, talk to him, or anything else in between. After realizing my feelings for him I've been a mess. I don't want to be in love with a prince. It can't work. I'm a single, woman raising three kids with three jobs to support them. He is a prince of a whole country with responsibilities, complete power, and he is a womanizer! Two different worlds can't become one. It's just not possible.
In the afternoon Cynthia came by. She was as cheerful as ever and she brought a lot clothes for me to test.
"Wow, you look good in any color!" Cynthia complimented me after trying on the hundredth dress. "I'm jealous!"
"It's just my skin complexion." I joked.
"Well, having a fun summer?" she asked propping her head up curiously with a smile.
"I guess." I looked down.
"Come sit and tell me what is bothering you." she motioned me over. I did what she asked and started to talk slowly. I told her what happened between Roberto and I and my wavering feelings towards him.
"I don't know how to deal with this." I sighed heavily.
"Well I had the same problem with my fiance." said Cynthia. "I was so scared about my feelings too. He's a famous model and I'm just some underpaid intern; we can't be. But somehow, fate brought us together one night when it was raining hard. I didn't bring an umbrella. He did and we shared it. I tripped, he caught me, and BAM! We were together!"
"How is this helping?"
"What I'm saying is, is that you don't know until you try. Yeah, you two are different in personality and class, but if it is love then you two are supposed to be together." she patted my back. Then she picked up her stuff and left. I groaned in confusion while still keeping what Cynthia said in mind.
…..
I went into my room and found it covered in expensive dresses. I gawked at the sight of it. It was like a forest of dresses. As I swivel through I found Al in the corner, ordering a maid for more dresses.
"Am, what's happening?" I asked.
"O, Marika you're here!" he smiled. He snapped his fingers and two maid dragged me into the middle of the room and made me try on multiple dresses. When we were done they pushed me to the front door entrance. Waiting there was the kids and Roberto all dressed up.
"Roberto! Kids! What is going on?" I asked in distress.
"A party!" Kai cheered.
"What?" I groaned as I was pushed into a limo.
