You'll stay with the Fiddell's

Chapter 3

The next morning, I jerked out of sleep. I had had a bad dream. In my dream, my father did introduce me to a strange woman as my mom, he acted as though it was his only wife, Julie Escobar, but it wasn't my mom, she had a different face, one I had never encountered.

I was perspiring heavily by the time I opened my eyes, muttering the word “Mother" continuously. I felt a hand wiping my forehead with a handkerchief, and holding me lovingly.

“I am here Nat, I am right here with you"

It was Maurice. He was at my bed side that early in the morning.

His spectacle was placed on the cabinet, and his eyes looked very dreamy. It was obvious he had lacked a good sleep, but his dreamy eyes made him appear even more attractive. They seem to be seducing me at the moment. I looked away.

“Good morning Maurice" I said.

“Good morning beautiful" He replied.

I went on to ask him the usual question about the whereabout of my father. He explained to me that he left before I had woken up, he never really told him where he was heading to.

“I brought you flowers Nat, the situation yesterday must have made me forgot about the flowers"

I grabbed the bouquet of flowers away from his hands.

“It is pretty, pretty flowers" I said with a smile, going on to inhale the scent of the bouquet of roses I held.

“Ofcourse it is, pretty, just the way you are" He stretched forth his hands to touch my cheek. It felt very tender.

“You are like a rose, far more prettier than a rose" He continued, ruffling my hair in affection and playing with my nose.

The sound of approaching footsteps made us disentangle. My father walked towards us with a tall doctor holding a stethoscope in his hand. My heart began to thump. ‘The test result!'

“Miss Natalie Escobar" The doctor said with a smile, feeling my pulse and temperature.

“Good morning doc., Is the test result ready now?"

The doctor and my father laughed.

“Yes it is ready, but hey... you don't need to worry about that"

“I just want to know if it is positive or negative doc."

“Dad, tell me it is not positive" I continued questioning, I was very worried.

The doctor spoke to save the situation. “We can move to my office if you want to know the content of your test results..."

I didn't wait for him to finish. “I want to hear it now doc., right here"

My dad released both hands he had held at his back all this while. He presented a brown envelope to me.

I tore it open in split seconds, I could hear the sound of my heart beat. My eyes roved about the paper. Maurice gaze was stuck to my face. He waited impatiently for the reaction I would burst forth with.

When I saw the final remark, I let out a loud scream that made my head hurt.

“Easy Nat..." Maurice intervened, his look showed that he was very keen on hearing the content of the result too.

“It is negative Maurice, it is negative!" I said hugging him tightly, I wondered if my father was surprised I did that, but I just did not care.

Few hours after I was discharged from Saint Morris Hospital, my father resolved to employ a team of security men to keep watch over our estate. That was the only way to keep his nineteen years old daughter safe for now. As an only child, my father seemed over protective most of the time.

I could remember the way he looked at Maurice while I appreciated him for all his efforts, and bade him goodbye. I was ready for all the questions my father would throw at me when we eventually got home and settled down.

Just as I had thought, he threw a question at me while I was rehydrating myself with a pack of orange juice.

“Who's Maurice and where did you get to meet him?"

“He dialed your cell phone countless number of times, I was left with no choice but to pick up, and relay the news and hospital address to him"

I swallowed the orange juice hard, almost choking on it because I knew my father might begin to dislike Maurice the moment I informed him of his identity. I often heard that billionaires wanted a rich man for a son - in - law, and my father might be no exception. Maurice didn't fit in.

‘Should I lie that Maurice's parents were wealthy and into oil and gas, or that he is a heir from an aristocrat family?'

‘That's a big lie!' I told myself.

I had met Maurice when I went shopping at The Belroot Shopping Arena. He seemed to be in great turmoil, and the cashier hurled livid insults at him. I literally saved Maurice the shame by offering to sort out his bills.

On our first date, I got to discover that Maurice's mom was an administrative officer in a small company, and his father made male foot wears and hats which had not been too successful in a couple of years.

Still, the gentility of Maurice's voice, his stature and his over caring nature was enough to make the hardest girl fall helplessly. He was such a sweet heart!.

My dad's phone buzzed just in time, the very moment I wanted to give a response to his question.

That was an opportunity to excuse myself, and avoid the question about Maurice's identity. It appeared to be a distress call because I heard my dad shriek ‘in two days time?!'

“What's wrong father?" I asked after he hung up.

“I don't think our plans to find some persons for security would work now Nat."

“Why? What happened?"

He sighed “A meeting would be held in two days time with very important business partners. I can't afford to miss that"

I was somewhat disappointed.

“And... That would last for how long?" I asked wide eyed.

“A few days or maybe a week"

I couldn't help but gasp.

“Look Nat, I can't just leave the rest of the staffs to handle it on their own, a very lucrative contract comes after and that means more money"

“I am really sorry, I would get the security as soon as I get back" he promised.

I continued to the room I had proceeded a while ago, shrugging my shoulders.

“You will stay with the Fidell's until my return, that's the only way I am guaranteed of your safety"