"How many people now?" Ariel asked, twisting her hands together as they drove. It was just her, and Malachi driving. His father was going to be arriving with Michael seeing as he was still lead of the Vento fortune and holdings. He was in more need of guard.
"You don't need to worry about the number." He said looking at her and her obvious agitation. It was starting to mount and he could feel it starting to affect him.
"It's not until tomorrow anyways."
"Yes, but you said I'd probably have to talk to people today."
"Yeah, so talk to them like you would a person on the phone." Ariel gave a sigh. This was her worst nightmare come true. Malachi was clearly trying to be nice about it, but still irritated. Ariel wanted to bolt back home. She was starting to feel sick.
"Okay." She said, staring out the window. Ariel felt that Natasha had done this on purpose, not because she had forgotten. One she didn't really want to go to and have to play nice with others. It was boring to her without an actual party. Number two she was happy to get Ariel out of the way and not feel obligated to invite her to her party because she was standing up.
Which was fine with Ariel. She could have told her to stay home and she would have. However she had a feeling that she wanted a weekend without Malachi as well. She'd heard Natasha say that after she was married she'd be much more tied up. Feel obligated to not flirt so much.
Ariel wanted to roll her eyes. She just wanted to probably fool around with Nick again and this Sean she had met. Nick seemed to be losing her interest as of late. Ariel wondered if Malachi knew. It wasn't like Natasha did it often, but she did it. After all, in a month they would be getting married. Did Malachi have the same view as Natasha?
She'd never seen him go out with others, except Cameron and Sally. He had danced with a few others but she'd never seen him do anything else nor lead anyone on. She was a bit worried, simply because she saw how annoyed Malachi got and the change in his tone. Would it make him a bit darker, more unhappy? She hoped not, she liked him the way he was. She hated the thought that her sister might ruin another person's life.
"Where is this event?" She asked. She'd been more focused on the fact she had to talk with a ton of people she didn't know.
"Como city." That would make sense she guessed. It was the largest city with the biggest ports on the planet. Along with the only real settlement near the coast. This was where a lot of products were manufactured. Where it was more like a metropolis than anything else. A lot of creature comforts and what not.
"Oh, I've never been there." She said, and it was at least a six hour drive. She kind of wished that they could fly. She'd never flown before and that was how Lord Vento was arriving. She knew that they didn't want to put all their eggs in one basket. Not with the luck they had been having lately.
"It's your sister's kind of place. Hence why I'm even more surprised she'd turn it down so fast."
"Because this party doesn't have a ton of booze and overly loud music to dance obscenely too." Ariel's tone was dry and Malachi laughed.
"That sounds about right." Ariel gave him a smile and went back to looking out the window. They were nearly there and had left about midday. It was getting darker now.
"So we'll get there and just check in to the hotel right? Do we have to go and be seen if we are going to see them tomorrow?" She asked in a rather irritated tone that kept the smile on his face. She was cute when she was flustered. Her haughty tone came out then.
"It's not like you have to give them your life story you know. But yes, check in and go down and pretend like we care that others are arriving. That we wanted to see them." That made Ariel feel a bit better, clearly he wasn't looking forward to this either.
"I hope Sally is there, and Cameron. At least I can talk normally to them."
"You and me both." Malachi mumbled. He'd go crazy if he had to stand there and talk all diplomatic for the whole freaking weekend.
Ariel watched the buildings starting to grow and how tall they suddenly became. The number of people that were here now. They all looked busy, and absorbed in their own world. Talking on phones and holding PDA's and what not.
"Do you like the cities?" She asked. She was always amazed by them, but she was happier with a green landscape and no neighbors.
"Not really. Too many smells, not enough space to run."
"Ah yes." She said still watching the buildings. "Me too, they are something to look at. Yet at the end of the day I'll take a wide open space to metal and cement." She gave a sigh taking in the sights.
Malachi studied her for a second as they were stopped at the moment. He seemed to like her more and more every time he talked with her. He faced forward as the light turned green and then drove on. He knew where he was going. They were driving a rather nice sleek silver car. Seeing that they were going to a gathering of rich well to do people. Everyone liked to one up the rest. If you didn't look the part, some would definitely snub you. Stupid, but you might need one of those connections.
"Oh wow." Ariel said looking up at the building that had a good amount of space and a garden area around it. It was a modern building and large. Not the tallest but big and had a good number of floors. This was the building that Malachi pulled up to and stopped by the door. Before Ariel could reach for the handle the door was opened for her and a hand extended.
She took it, getting out slowly with the high heels that she wore. She made sure that the skirt of the dress she wore behaved itself. She gave the young man a smile, and he was dressed in a black suit and had white gloves. He looked very fancy, and at her smile he returned it. A kind of light to his eyes.
"Madame." He said and she'd just gave him a head nod. Moving around the car as Malachi gave the other man keys, tossing them to him lightly.
"Lucky bastard. They always have such hot chicks." She barely heard the whisper that the one attendant who'd helped her out of the car said.
"At least you got to help her out." The other young man commented. Ariel was confused yet felt an odd blush.
"You already have admirers." Malachi said looking down at her. He heard the commnet. She looked a bit uncomfortable. She composed herself and moved into the entryway with him.
"To bad you aren't as lucky as they seem to think." He just smiled down at her as they moved through the lobby toward the front desk. The lobby was massive with a large sitting area that had a couple Tvs and sofas. It was a black and white design with black tiles and white rugs. She just looked around at it and could see areas beyond through some doors with windows.
"Ah Mr. Vento, and Miss Standish." A man said who gave them a head bow. "Here you are, on the fifth floor and room keys as well. Let us know if there is anything we can do for either of you." Ariel was completely shocked that they didn't have to do anything. That their rooms were ready and they were going up without even pausing.
"Will do." Malachi said and Ariel looked at him as they went to the elevators.
"Mr. Vento. It does make you sound old."
"You're hilarious." He stated to her and she tried to stifle the laugh but failed.
"Here." He said handing her a set of key cards.
"I get my own room?" She said surprised.
"You always get your own room. Why do you always seem so shocked?" He asked her as the elevator slowed and the doors slid open. She gave a shrug and they moved down the hallway. They came to room 525 which was Ariel's key card. He had 526 which was right across from her.
Ariel slid the card in the slot and it opened. She went in and the room had enough space for a party of twenty. There was one bed that was large with decorative pillows on it. A sliver and black color. There was a comfortable sitting area there as well with two white couches and two black high backed chairs. There was a writing desk, a window seat, a full walk-in closet which had her dress for tomorrow hanging up and her suitcase in there as well.
Damn these people were good. She moved around the bed that had two bedside stands with sliver lamps on them and went into the bathroom. There was a stand up shower that could fit four, and a sunken tub that could easily fit three.
"I like the color in your room better. Not sure I enjoy the red of our room." Ariel turned to find Cameron standing there. Malachi walked past him giving him a slight shove in the arm. Malachi was the one who opened her door. He had the spare key. Cameron turned from the bathroom and went after Malachi. Sally was there a second later and hugging her.
"We just came up in the elevator when he said that he scented the two of you. Gotta love that nose sometimes. We've been here for probably four hours now, and I was getting impatient."
"Not all of us got to fly in luxury." Came Malachi's voice.
"Ah you wanted to drive that car anyways. Bet you sped the entire time."
"That he did." Ariel supplied coming out of the bathroom with Sally. Cameron was laying across the bed and Malachi was looking out the window holding back a drape.
"No one's going to pull me over and give me a ticket." Malachi said confidently and let the drape fall back.
"Doesn't mean you have to drive like an a-hole." Sally injected and he just gave her a smile.
"Well down we go. If we're lucky we just have to stand there for five minutes and then can leave." Malachi said to Ariel and she held back a moan.
"Come on, let's go watch them be fake and stupid." Sally commented.
"We were just down there." Cameron whined.
"Yeah, and were going down again." Sally said following Ariel and Malachi out of the room with Cameron in tow. "So what are you wearing?" Sally asked. "I didn't get to see your dress before we left. mMine's this sheer black with a purple below it. With one strap that goes over my left shoulder."
"Oh uh, mine's blue…"
"She doesn't have a dress." Malachi said suddenly.
"I don't?" Ariel asked eyeing him. "I saw it in the closet and Natasha…"
"Exactly, it's Natasha's choice. Not even your dress." He retorted moving to get on the elevator and they followed. "You should go and get one that you want to wear. Not what she said." The way he spoke clearly said that he wasn't kidding. He was clearly angered at Natasha for this.
"I think it's fine."
"I didn't say it was bad, but if Natasha wasn't good enough to be here. Then neither is her dress."
"He has a point." Cameron agreed. "I mean what's wrong with her? Not even showing up here with her fiancé? Does she think this was our ideal weekend?"
"But there's such little time and where am I going to get a dress?" Ariel asked.
"I'll help you!" Sally said excitedly. "Oh we could go out right now and look."
"Good, I'll even buy it for you. As long as it's not the one you brought. I'll be happy." Clearly he was very pissed at Natasha. More than Ariel had realized at first to feel that way.
"I can buy myself a dress." Ariel said with a roll of her eyes.
"Actually it'll be a gift for helping me with work." He responded.
"That's okay." Ariel told him as the doors started to open.
"Sally, you'll make sure she does what I said. Doesn't matter the cost, or place, whatever." Malachi stated because he didn't want anything that reminded him of Natasha at the moment. If Ariel got anything that remotely looked like what she'd picked for her, he'd be more than unhappy. Actually he would make her return it.
"I will." Sally said with a salute as they came out on the main floor. They moved out toward a large room with many people milling around talking. Ariel leaned to Sally as they had dropped back a bit and whispered to her. Her gaze on the back of Malachi's head as he talked with Cameron.
"I will buy my own dress. Don't you let him give you anything. They have given me enough with a place to live and food to eat. I mean I have money. I feel bad, like I'm living off of them."
"Oh Ariel, only you would complain about free things." Sally said with a laugh and smile. "But worry not, I'll be firm." She assured her smiling and they moved over to where Lord Vento was standing with Michael and Tessa. They were talking with an older couple that Ariel didn't know.
"Ah here he is." Lord Vento said gesturing to Malachi. He gave the couple a pleasant smile and held out a hand to the woman first. She took it and he gave a brief kiss to her hand. She fanned herself and laughed.
"Mrs. Kernuo." He greeted and then took her husband's hand in a firm grip. Ariel recognized the name once he said it.
"It has been a while since we saw you last, you look good. Sturdy and strong, confident as well. That's good, always glad to see the colonies that we had invested in have strong leaders. Soon this will be considered a civilization planet rather than colony and farming. Industrialized as the old world like to say." To those here though it was easy to forget so much more was going out out there in the stars. They didn't leave their home planet much at all.
"So long as we can keep up with the growing number. The land is hard to work and importing expensive." Malachi informed them and they both nodded their agreement. Mrs. Kernuo looked at Ariel with a bright smile.
"Who is this lovely young lady? Is this Natasha, we have heard of your engagement."
"Unfortunately Natasha was unable to come. This is her sister Ariel Standish. She's definitely gifted at running a business and the holdings that she and her sister take care of." Malachi said and Ariel offered her hand to them with a smile. That was nice of him to say.
"Pleased to meet you." She said politely.
"Ah, a woman after my own heart. Glad to see that you have stepped up to take over what your parents have left you. At such a young age too. I'm sorry dear to hear about your parents. It must have been hard." Mrs. Kernuo said and Ariel nodded.
"Thank you." She replied. "I heard that the two of you are now grandparents. I guess congratulations are in order." She hadn't recognized them by sight, but the name she knew. She remembered reading about them. They were benefactors after all. Mrs. Kernuo was practically beaming at these words and promptly pulled out a thin sleek device.
"Oh yes! You must see him, I'm so proud!" Mr. Kernuo gave a shake of his head but was clearly just as happy. He started to talk to Vento while the Mrs. Kernuo showed Ariel pictures of the small baby smiling at the camera.
"Parker is his name."
"Oh he's adorable!" Sally said as the three of them circled the camera.
"He has such big eyes, and such a happy smile." Ariel observed and she thought that Mrs. Kernuo might start crying with her happiness about her grandson. Clearly she loved children.
"I know!" She said finishing flipping through the pictures and put the camera back.
"So Miss Standish. Is it so that you and your sister are looking to acquire the land to the south?" Mr. Kernuo asked.
"Yes, we have been trying to put our finances in order to make sure we could support it. It does have the river delta in it which would be rich farm land to develop. Also access to the forest there. It's hard to maintain right now what is being taken out of there. We'd like to monitor that. We need to keep it sustainable." Ariel hoped that she wasn't talking to fast. She did that when she got nervous. At least she hadn't stammered.
"Well you should keep me informed. Always happy to help with settlement causes. We after all require more food sources to other settlements on harsher planets. I'm sure that we could work something out." Ariel gave him a nod and a smile.
"I believe it would."
"Well we must move on." Mr. Kernuo said. "To many to talk with an very little time." The two left their little group.
"See and you were worried." Cameron said.
"A natural, five minutes and she had Mrs. Kernuo practically in love with her." Malachi said.
"Just keep doing that and you'll do perfectly." Lord Vento said and a few others came up to them. Ariel was sucked into talking with a few others, many asking if she was Natasha. Which got really old after a while.
Ariel managed to pull herself away from a middle aged man that seemed very smitten to talk with her about anything and everything. She moved from him saying that she had to go to the bathroom. As she moved away she spotted Malachi who pulled a phone away from his ear and was looking at Sally with Cameron standing a hand around her waist.
Malachi said something to Sally and she just smiled and nodded while Cameron gave a rather hearty laugh and then spotted Ariel giving her a wave. She raised an eyebrow a bit. She had a feeling that they were up to something, but she ignored it for now.
"Hey, I see you managed to get away from Kent Leewater." He said as she approached. "He seems to have a thing for you." Ariel just made a face. They all laughed a bit.
"Well we are leaving, I'm guess you want to go as well." Malachi inferred from her look and she perked up.
"Yes, oh please yes." The others smiled and laughed at her energetic answer. Ah to be an introvert, these three didn't get it.
"Well, you two can go do whatever manly thing you want. Me and Ariel have some shopping to do." Sally stated moving from Cameron and linking her arm with Ariel's.
"Do you need a car?" Malachi asked unsure of just where they were going, Sally had told him her choice with what was close by. Where she thought Ariel could get a dress quickly. He didn't think they should have to walk nor ride in a cab or something.
"Nope, it's right across the street actually. She's in luck." Sally said leading Ariel away and toward the doors to leave. They hit the night air and Ariel pulled a good breath into her lungs happy to be away from people.