The Modern Princess

CHAPTER FOUR

After a week of staying in Lexumbia I head back to Manila. It was around six thirty in the morning when I arrived. I missed the heat, though I always complain it’s hot, the ambiance, the culture, food and I can say I am way too different here than I am in Lexumbia. This is where I have to be, this is me, and this is where I belong.

“Ma’am Kathy please follow me” she smiled. She’s taller than me, with almond eyes, perfect white teeth and wearing a stewardess’ uniform.

“Why?” But before she can give me an answer my phone vibrated, it’s my brother, Karl.

“Hey, Karl where are you?”

“Hey Kathy, you cannot take the usual exit, there are lots of media people out there, I talked to the management of Philippine Air Lines and you have follow their employee so that you can escape”

I hung up with him. I never thought of this. Well, I had a little idea but I never thought that it would become this big. Everybody’s after my every move, but I’m a little bit comfortable here than in there. I know I can somehow handle this people. I have some friends from different television networks due to my company’s connections so I can somehow restrain them.

I followed the PAL employee and she left me in a vacant office, it was tinted but you can see what they’re doing outside. I was sitting on one side and she was working with all the papers that I have to do and just after a few minutes she went back to me.

“All set ma’am you may now leave the airport”

“Thank you”

“Ma’am one last thing, can the crew and I have a photo with you?” So I am an instant celebrity when I head back to my domicile.

“Sure” I smiled at her, I don’t know if this is enough to cover what she has done for me. It is not easy to escape really.

After the snapshots I have seen my brother waiting for me. He was beside his new silver Camry, which was my parent’s gift for him. He’s giving someone a call, a new girlfriend perhaps.

“Hey womanizer, let’s head back home” I said and I rolled my baggage until I reach the back of his car.

“Okay, I’ll call you later, love you”

“Love you?! Isn’t she allergic to lies?” I said and I push up the compartment door.

“Your royal highness please give me your luggage. You shall not be holding them; surely you are damn too tired.” He said, with European accent.

“Royal highness your face” I hand him my other luggage. He definitely knows how to tease me.

He put my luggage inside the car and I walk towards the passenger seat. It was seven o’clock in the morning, checking out from the airport lasted for only about thirty minutes. How cool was that?

“Let’s head to my office” I said, he had just sat on the driver’s side.

“But, you just have arrived. You don’t want to go home?”

“No, I want to go to my office. I missed a lot” I commanded.

“Yes, your majesty” he smirked and I give him a cat eye, startling him.

“You’ve catch everybody’s attention there didn’t you? You’ve been the cover of different newspapers for a while, from stumbling on your first date until you leave Lexumbia, everybody’s eyeing on you” he laughed.

“You find that cool?”

“Yes, your majesty”

“Leave your car there and get my car in my unit”

“Hey Kathy I was just kidding”

“I am not kidding, if you will not get my car then ride on a cab all day and I’ll drive your car”

“Hey, you can’t accept a joke, can you? Yes I will get your car then”

“Stop pissing me off then”

“Fine, I’ll zip my mouth”

“By the way I bought you a watch and a perfume”

“Yes! I know you wouldn’t forget your homecoming treat for me"

“But since you pissed me off you’ll just get their boxes and the watch and perfume will be given to my employees”

“Hey Kathy, look I’m sorry I was just trying to make you laugh, I did not intend to…”

“Stop it. I just want to see you beg. Go out of the car now. Bring my car here or else” I warned, unfastened my seatbelt and went out of his car.

I walk in the elevator, when I checked on my clock it was past eight, all were shocked to see me, I told them that I’ll be back tomorrow, when the elevator reached the eleventh floor, I have seen Lisa.

“Lisa what is my schedule for today? “I asked as I walk towards my office. She’s been with me ever since I entered this company. The President gave me freedom to hire my own secretary. Among those who applied for the position, I liked Lisa the most. She answers directly to the point, she’s good and she proved that she’s worth it.

“Miss Kathy, I thought you will go back to work by tomorrow?”

“I changed my mind. Schedule please?” and she looked at her folder, she’s always ready.

“Mrs. Daniels asked for appointment and I will set it at ten and a meeting with the staff after lunch and there are papers for you approval”

“Here’s the key to my car, open the compartment and get the box there I’ve got something for all of you; there is one bag there that has your name on it, that’s for you. Make sure to lock my car. Go now” That’s how I instruct her, straight to the point.

“Thank you ma’am” and she gave me a wide smile that reaches her eyes.

“Another thing ma’am the media was asking if they can have an interview with you”

“Tell them I don’t want to; never set an interview with them, I really mean by no means, on any account, not at all and in no way, you understand?”

“Yes ma’am”

I was about to sit but before I can sit I received a call from my best friend, Sophia. “Miss Katherine Humphrey”

“Sophia” I sit on my chair trying to relax a little bit before she starts her interrogation.

“You owe me a lot of explanation, what the hell is happening? You never told us about that you were shagging a royal prince” I rolled my eyes

“Sophia, I’ll give you an explanation but not now. I just came back from Lexumbia, I’m still having a jet lag, and I have lots of things to do, so please not now Sophia.”

“Let’s have a dinner at your place”

“I have no time to prepare” I rolled my eyes, she’s persuasive.

“I will prepare for our dinner, leave your key to the lobby assistant”

And she hung up on me. I was about to tell her not to meet me today but I can’t do anything. She’s hard headed; no wonder why she became my best friend. I started organizing everything I need for the turnover of my position. I haven’t told any of my staff that I’m leaving; I’m planning to tell them next week after we’ve settled everything. I only have two weeks to stay here and I have to head back in Lexumbia to arrange and take part of our wedding, well that’s if it will push through, after what happened, I doubt about it. I have sent my resignation letter through e-mail to Mr. Richard, the owner of Ace Incorporated, if the wedding will not push through then I can continue my plans of studying overseas. As of the moment I am not certain if he had read it, if I receive no response until tomorrow I will personally talk to him.

I just finished my meeting with my employees; they told me they like my present. I really intended to buy them something so that they will remember me. They even asked for a picture with me just like the employees in the airlines. I am proofreading the papers before I sign when Lisa came in.

“Ma’am, Mr. Richard is there on his office, he said he wants to talk to you”

“I’ll be there in a bit” Now, I’m certain that he received my e-mail. I go to his office and he was talking to someone over the phone. He’s at his fifties and has two daughters one into business and the other is studying abroad. He’s wearing a gray long-sleeved polo and a black necktie.

“Have a seat Miss. Humphrey” giving me a warm smile, he’s my mentor and my mistake finder. He praises me of my works but at the same time he criticizes them.

“Thank you Mr. Richard”

“I have read your resignation letter. Why do you want to resign? You have any problems with my company?” he gets straight to the point; this is how we really talk. Yes, I don’t want commercials when I talk, this is business, every minute is precious.

“No, you know you have a great company, but I’d rather spend time in Lexumbia with my man” Okay, that sounds sweet and convincing. Surely, a little more workshop and I can be an actress.

He nodded “With the prince of Lexumbia, Prince Jeanne. Yes, I heard about that. Well, I think I cannot do anything to change your mind and I can say that I am really happy for you Kathy and if you again need a job you can still go back. The company needs you and you know that. We can’t afford other companies to have you”

“Thank you Mr. Richard, I will miss this corporation and thank you for understanding” I stand up and shook hands with him “I’m happy for you Kathy, always remember, my company’s always here to accept you” I smiled.

I walked out of his room and headed to my office to get my things and meet with my best friends. I surely owe a lot of explanation with them. There’s no point in lying. I will tell them what really is going on.

I drive my way home and parked my car soon after I arrive in the building, the two girls are here now. I went up to my unit and knock on my door. I believe I’m the only person who knocks on my own door.

“Hey sis” Tessa opens the door and kisses my cheeks, she’s wearing a gray coat, a black sleeveless shirt and a pencil cut skirt, she’s surely just from work.

“Hi, you’re done in cooking?”

“Nearly”

I sat down on my dining chair and I see Sophia wearing an apron, hair pony-tailed, wearing a green V-cut shirt and a short skirt, she’s a mom of one, isn’t it obvious?

“Hey Sophie”

“Hey Kathy, this is almost done go get the plates and we will now eat.” Since I do not have maids around I do what she commanded.

I place the placemats and plates on the table, while Sophie is cleaning the pans she used and Tessa is opening Moët & Chandon brut imperial champagne. The three of us don’t mind barging in each other’s place, well Sophia’s an exception now, I mean, we cannot barge in her house today just like before when she was still single.

“Cheers for Kathy who owes a lot of explanation” Sophie said pouring the champagne in our glasses which complements the T-bone steak with mashed potato that Sophia cooked. Sophia’s a great cook, actually she became better in everything since she became a wife and a mom.

“Cheers” “Do you want to tell us what’s happening?” Sophia grumble.

“Tell us how exactly did you meet this prince? We’ve never known that you two are hooking up!” I rolled my eyes.

“Our best friend’s dating a hot bachelor!” Tessa added. So they are starting the teasing before the interrogation. No matter how many times I roll my eyes and startle at them I can never use my intimidating looks and voice with them, they know me a lot, they know the real me, they know me even before I became like this.

“Well… I’ll go straight to the point. Jeanne and I aren’t in love. We’ve just met a week before we had our first public appearance and we are getting married”

“So you’re pregnant?” Sophia blurted out. “Did you got pregnant when you went to Europe last month?”

“Hell no” I rolled my eyes on her. “That is ridiculous Sophia” I added. How exactly can I get pregnant if I just knew him days before?

“Then what?”

I sighed. I continued slicing the beef. “It was a fixed marriage” I whispered, looked at them, unsurprisingly they were both shocked and I told them the story.

“So you mean you didn’t go out to show the world that you are together but rather to prepare for your wedding?”

“Yes”

“That’s even stupid than I thought Katherine” Sophia tapped the table. Who do I expect to argue with? Surely it will not be Tessa.

“Sophia” Teresa warned, she’s our mediator when we clash.

“You sure about this thing? What did auntie and uncle told you?” Now Sophia’s voice is serious, we rarely talk this serious.

“I am.” I answered “Mom doesn’t want me to but she was relieved by the fact that I am marrying a prince. I guess she now somehow affirm to this. While I haven’t had a one on one conversation with dad yet”

“Kathy, can you hear yourself? You are marrying a man that you do not love. Yes I know, you maybe attracted to that man, but marriage? It’s a different thing” Teresa sounds so concerned, unlike Sophia, she can talk with grace.

“Love can be learned.”

“That’s what you’ve learned after Zach…”

“Sophia, save it.” I said and I don’t this argument to go elsewhere.

“Kathy, why are you doing this?” she asked.

“No, Sophia, it’s not because of him it’s been three years, let’s not talk about that”

“But are a lawyer, actually you do not have to be a lawyer to decide on this but you know that this contract is invalid and though it is valid it cannot be enforced since it was done hundred f*****g years ago.”

“I don’t see anything wrong with this Sophia.”

“Are you blind or something? Katherine you are smart, you know what you want, and this thing? This is bullshit”

“Enough for that Sophia.” Tessa said, trying to lighten the tension between us.

“I guess this is not about money? Is it?”

“Of course not, that’s more than a s**t Sophia” I rolled my eyes on her.

“I’m sorry, I know it’s not, it’s just that it’s pissing me off so much Katherine, he’s a great man but love is a “must” in marriage”

“I’m old enough to do my decisions, this is better than seeing me alone isn’t it?” She raised a brow. “Look I like you two to be there on my wedding day. I’ll be as mad as hell if you will not go” I smiled, but it didn’t reach my eyes.

“Did you tell him about it?” Sophia asked.

I paused. “Yes.” “I e-mailed him”

Sophia tilted her head. “He’ll surely not like this”

“Sophia please” Tessa said.

Teressa stood up and hugged me. “We will be there, we will support you with what you want but please think of it over and over and over again” Tessa said, she’s the kindest among the three of us, she’s always the mediocre whenever we have discussions.

Sophia sighed, stood up and hugged us. “We love you Kathy, we want what’s best for you. All we can give you are advices but the final decision? It will always be yours” Sophia and Tessa walks towards me and hugs me.

“I love you both” I said, I find comfort in their hands, these two woman who loves me so much, they do everything for me.

“So finally Kiel will have a new playmate” Sophia teased.

“Sophia” I rolled my eyes on her.

“What? That’s normal”

“I know you are just teasing”

“That will really happen”

“You do not need to really talk about that do you?”

“I need to tease you, it’s a must”