Deadbeat Mother

The Trip

~Mia~

I’ve been running around trying to prepare everything for our San Francisco trip. It is going to be a busy trip, but Neela’s career will truly benefit from it. I’m so excited about going because I’ve never been out that way and heard a lot about it.

I haven’t seen too much of Neela these past couple of days. I was a bit worried, but I didn’t want to reach out to Steven. I can’t stand having to deal with him in any way. It sucks that he’s going on this trip with us. Usually, he would send Neela off and be there when she gets back. This time, he will be in San Francisco with us, leaving a day later.

My phone rings, and I quickly answer the call. The conversation is short, but it leaves me with a lot of questions. Neela is to have two personal bodyguards while she’s in San Francisco. They were just calling to give me the details so I knew who to look for. The strange part is that she’s never had to have personal bodyguards before. Of course, there’s always security when we get to the shows and the shoots, but that’s different. These men are meant to follow Neela anywhere and everywhere. I knew that Neela hadn’t been back home in years, but I didn’t think there was anything to it. With this development, it seems like there are dangers waiting for her back home, which worries me.

Neela has never told me about her past; I’ve always wanted to know. The one time I got too curious, Steven was quick to tell me to mind my business. I’ve always kept my curiosity to myself since then. I know that I could probably get my questions answered by Neela personally, but I don’t want to rock that boat. Steven is not someone to mess with; I don’t want to be on his bad side. Sometimes I wonder what their marriage is like behind closed doors, but I remind myself that it’s none of my business. Still, this mess with the bodyguards is causing me concern.

I consider calling Neela, but I decide to wait until I see her. The jet will transport us in a few hours, and we can talk on the plane. I go through my paperwork and emails, making sure everything is prepared for Neela.

I love working with her because she’s so easygoing as well as sweet. Neela never asked for the extraordinary when we had shows or flights. Neela rarely asks for anything special, to be honest. She is extremely easy to please, and that is a great difference from the people I’ve worked for in the past. It makes me want to go above and beyond for her and do so daily.

~Neela~

The soreness has gone away, and I can go back to my usual activities. I’ve been getting ready for this trip, and things have been tense at home. I’ve been making sure that I’m in bed early and out of the house as soon as possible. Any way I can avoid being around Steven, I take it. I can’t afford to have him completely blow up at me. I’ve made sure that I’ve stayed as quiet as possible the last few days, not wanting to stir his wrath.

I throw the last few of my items into my bag and zip it up. My bedroom door opens, and my breath catches in fear. “Mrs. Paxton?” I let my breath out, realizing it was the maid, not Steven. I turn to her and nod as she ushers Mia into the room.

“Hey, Neela. I was so worried about you. I hadn’t heard from you for a few days.” I inwardly cringe. Mia has no idea what my life is really like, and she can’t ever know. If anyone were to find out what happened to me…….

I shake my head a bit and smile at her. “Nothing to worry about, Mimi. I’m fine; I’ve just been getting ready for this trip. As excited as I am about working with Nokio, I’m nervous too.” Mia smiles at me and shakes her head.

“Nervous? That’s crazy. You are an amazing model and have nothing to be nervous about.” I smile at that. I continue to gather my things since the jet will be leaving soon. “Uh, Neela, I……uh……” I turn and look at Mia. She looks nervous and confused. I hope she hasn’t had any issues with Steven. I know she doesn’t do well with him, and he treats her like crap. I try to make sure I keep them separate from each other.

“Spill it, Mimi. You don’t have to be scared with me.” Mia visibly takes a deep breath.

“I got a call before I got here. You are to have two bodyguards with you while in San Francisco. I was just….well, I was wondering if everything was okay. Is there something you need to worry about back home?” The minute she said bodyguards, I knew what that was about. I have never had to have bodyguards before. There is no reason for me to have them now, no reason except for him. Steven wants to make sure to keep eyes on me and regulate everything I do and everyone I come in contact with. I don’t know why he’s bothering since he’s coming to San Francisco with me for that very reason.

I slowly turn to Mia. “I promise, there’s nothing to worry about. I think they just want to make sure none of Nokio’s work falls into anyone’s hands that it shouldn’t be in.” I quickly look away, not wanting to make it evident that I’m lying through my teeth. Mia knows nothing about my past or how I came to be here, and I want to keep it that way. I don’t want her involved.

“Uh….are you sure?” I take a deep breath and let it out before turning to her with a bright smile.

“Of course. Now we should get going. We have a flight to catch.”