Caged in Paradise (2nd Draft)

A Taste of Corporate Life

In a rush, I dash down the stairs. The kitchen reveals my mom in a culinary chaos, tomato sauce splattered all over, her hair tied up in a messy bun. I quip, "Did a bomb explode in this kitchen?" Simultaneously, I work on fixing my annoyingly clumped eyelashes, scrutinizing myself in the mirror next to the dining table.

A smile creeps across my mother's face as she remarks, "You look... nice." I sense her caution trying to understand the mood I'm in, "It's just a business dinner, you know." Annoyed, I mutter, "The eyeshadow is too much." Heading back to the stairs, my mom intercepts, "No! No! You look great, honey!"

Approaching her in the kitchen, I offer a soft smile as she appraises my appearance. She casually fixes my hair, and she chuckles, "You look just like me back in the '70s! Different hair, of course."

"Anything I can do to help?" I scan the chaotic kitchen, ready to lend a hand before our guests come.

"You can wash some of the pans," she instructs, gesturing towards the sink while she tends to the chicken. Glancing my way, she casually asks, "So, you and Koa are school friends?" I turn around, shooting her a knowing look, fully aware of where the conversation is headed.

"Actually, I didn't know him before the party at Tengen's hotel." I shake my head, furrowing my brow, and start scrubbing the pan with dish soap. My mother, persistent as ever, comments, "Hm, you seemed to have some kind of history at the party."

This probing nature of hers is what annoys me the most. "I met him at the beach once, with Alani, but he's kinda weird," I casually mention, attempting to brush off any further questioning into my private life. I hope this puts an end to her curiosity.

"Lisa's talked about him; he's quite creative, actually," She says. I look up from the dishes, intrigued, "Lisa?"

"His mother, she told me he can draw," my mother continued, leaving me puzzled. "He might like your writing..."

I raise my eyebrows, looking at her. "Definitely out of the question. Why on earth would I let him read my writing? I don't even show Alani!" I laugh off the idea.

The doorbell rings.

My father is still fixing his tie as he dashes down the stairs to answer the door. Their greetings echo from afar. Glancing at my mom, I notice her hurrying to finish preparing the food. I playfully raise a finger at her, and she looks at me in surprise. "You're not going to play cupid tonight, right? It's just a simple business dinner, as you said yourself."

"Naturally, my lady," she dramatically whispers in a British accent, and right on cue, they walk into the kitchen. Lisa Makana, beautiful brown curly hair, blue eyes, holds a huge bouquet of flowers that I graciously take from her. "Oh, thank you so much. These will stand wonderfully by the living room table," my mother squeals as I receive the bouquet, feeling like it's bigger than my entire being.

I place the bouquet in a big vase, and my heart skips a beat as Koa strolls into the kitchen right behind his father, holding a bottle of expensive wine. Right before giving it to my father he makes eye contact with me and winks, my father thanks him for the wine and gives a strong handshake.

The doorbell rings again, and this time, my father signals for me to answer it. I exhale heavily as I quickly walk towards the door. When I open it I'm met with beautiful, bright blue eyes—Nick. "Hi, beautiful," he says. I widened my eyes in surprise for a moment. Maybe I should start asking my father to keep me updated on his business friends.

"Nick! Hi!" I greet him with a happy smile, pulling him into a hug. He smells like a forest... His father stands behind him, and while hugging Nick, he winks innocently at me. "It's good to see you, Maya. How's the top student?" Mr. Thurston laughs. "Oh you know, always busy, preparing for exams, applying to colleges," I reply, a bit too tired.