"SAINT MORITZ, SWITZERLAND, FOR OUR MATERNAL grandpa and grandma. While our paternal grandma is more into Kitzbuhel, in Austria. Both German-speaking countries." Luke said unbothered. "You know Graham's already?"
A nod. "Yes. He told me yesterday when we met in the restaurant." I changed the song to The Curse by Agnes Obel. As another red light came into view, I stopped and opened the notes in my phone. "Bali, Indonesia, for Graham and Emma. Sicily, Italy, for Amber and Conrad. Santorini, Greece, for Ethan and Bradley. Ibiza, Spain, for Luke and Nithya. Moritz, Switzerland, for Colleen and Owen. Lastly, Kitzbuhel, Austria, for Katherine. Got it," then I put my phone down again and got back to driving as the light turned green.
"Why though?" Bradley asked.
"I'm organizing the presents to give to you all on Christmas," after two turns, we stopped on the last red light.
"Wait," she gasped. "You intend to give all of us a free pass in your hotels and resorts for the cities we most want to visit?"
"Yes," I said unbothered. "Don't worry, it won't really cost me much. Besides, I have friends in the airlines of each Country I have properties on, and I always get free tickets for who I want, as long as I give them a free pass on the resort and hotel they wish for. Helps a lot." It isn't necessarily legal, though.
"Are you serious? Isn't that a big present to give to someone?" Ethan gasped. "Are you for real?"
"Ethan, I own more hotels and resorts I can count, in lots of different countries. Doing this isn't really a problem to me. So, there's no need to overthink it. I'm the owner, I can do whatever I want with it. Besides, it's not like I'm spending millions of dollars. It's my field of work. But don't say a word about this to your brother!"
"Why not?" It was Luke this time.
"Because he doesn't want me to give you presents. Especially not the one I'm intending to," then we finally arrived and I parked my car on the parking lot of the supermarket. "He thinks that might be too much for me, since I give this to each member of my family four times a year. Which… well, does seem like a lot."
"Damn, your family must really use you!"
Ethan's isn't wrong, nor is he right. "Not all of them use me. Besides, I do this because I want to. None of them force me," although Amalia and Paolo kind of do. "So, keep it quiet." I jumped down my car and with my bag, phone and the keys, and they all got out and closed their door.
After locking the car, we went to the carts and I took a big one, then we got inside and they followed me as I went to the pasta section, and I proceeded to put around 9 different types in the cart.
"Damn, you really are Italian," Ethan gasped.
I chuckled, "Well, we have the costume to have a separated place just for pasta in the kitchen, and as I love cooking, it isn't different for me." I also took about five packs of flour, sugar, salt, dry beans, and some bottles of oil.
"What are you going to give to Aaron, Thays?" Luke asked curiously, as we entered the section of cookies and chocolate.
"That's a secret. And he told me none of you are good at keeping secrets, so, nope. Secret," then I took some lemon cookies and turned to them. "As you are still all kids," I grinned, "you can take whatever you want." Then I took three big pots of Nutella and put down on the cart.
"Will you eat all of this chocolate?" She gasped.
"Yes. I love chocolate. Especially, Nutella! Come on, don't be shy. Chose what ever you want. There some good candies in this supermarket, that's why I'm always here," on my toes, I tried to get the Ferrero truffles that was way too above for me to get it.
Luke came closer grinning and took it for me, "Here, beautiful. You are too short for that even with those shoes," and he winked.
I growled, "Give me that!"
"Don't worry, honey," Nithya began with a honey voice and circled my waist with her hands, "I'll get it for you," and she did it. Way too close.
My face burned and I made a distasted sound, "I wish I could break your legs to make you shorter. You all are too annoying because of that," I muttered and took the chocolate from their hands, annoyed.
The couple seemed amused by my reaction, and the other two seemed to be enjoying the show. "You really have a temper, hm?"
I glared at Luke and his grin got wider. "Stop."
"What are we doing?" Nithya asked feigning innocence and caressed my cheeks, making me blush harder. "We are just giving you a warm welcome to the family, Manu."
"Ugh," I stepped away from them and took the heed of my cart, going to the tampons section and taking seven boxes of the intern ones.
"I find the intern uncomfy," Nithya exclaimed behind me. "Can I ask you a personal question?"
"I'm all ears."
"When did you lose your virginity? Where? With who? Was it with your ex-boyfriend?"
"That's a total of 4 questions," I mocked. "But fine. I have no problem on answering that. Thankfully it wasn't with my ex. It was with a French guy, called Matthias Arsenault. I was a week from turning 16, he was a 19-year-old Electric Engineering student also from Harvard. Tall, brunette, and hot. I met him on a party, his intelligence attracted me plus his body, and it happened on his apartment near the campus."
Luke seemed surprised, "Does A knows that?"
"No. He never asked," I rolled my shoulders.
"Why didn't you date him?" Bradley asked.
I grinned, "He freaked out when he learned my age," then I put seven bottle of vodka on the cart, and seven of whiskey. "When he stopped avoiding me and we met again, it was seven months later. I was already with my ex. But we became friends and he began to date my best friend," until Sarah and Felix cheated on us both together.
"Did it work? Her and him?" Nithya asked.
I scoffed bitterly, "No. It did not. But it doesn't matter anymore. Matthias founded a tech company in France, it all worked well and successfully, and he must be happy now."
"You don't have contact anymore?"
My eyes went to Ethan, "No. I don't have contact with many of my old… friends… since I came to New Zealand. That's one of the reasons I came here. Too much pressure on my shoulders. Another reason why I kept my identity a secret, which is the motive why most have no idea who the CEO and founder of my company actually is."
"Just like Ella Sasso!"
Of course, she would say that. I burst out laughing. "Nithya, I'm not Ella Sasso, okay?! It's really not me. I'm not a model. Although her name is Italian, it's not me." Not anymore. "It's like asking if the actresses Nina Dobrev and Victoria Justice are the same person just because they look like doppelgangers. Or Zooey Deschanel and Katy Perry, if you may."
"You really don't have a twin?" She instead.
"No. I don't have a twin!" Then I began to pick the legumes I wanted and put on the cart. "And none of my sisters are identical to me. The only person who's really my look-alike in my family, is my mom. And she definitely isn't a model."
"She's a doctor, right?" Ethan asked.
I nodded. "Yes. Have you chosen everything you wanted?" I asked while looking at the beers, white chocolate bars, vegemite, coffee candies, and the two bottles of gin. As they agreed, I went to pay it. "Go to the other say and pack the things you chose for you, not to mix with mine!" I ordered and thankfully they obeyed me. "Good afternoon, Liz," I said to the girl, who always attend me when I come here. "How are you, kid?" And she's 22.
"I'm great, Thay," she never says the S. Never. "I see that you came with more people this time. Usually you come here alone."
"Yeah. Those are my siblings-in-law. How is your family doing? Is Miles okay?" Her younger brother who's 9.