Sonja lead us into the lobby, which was also a separate building. "Hiya! I'm Sonja Sontin, and I have with me the Style Squad girls and their families! We have rooms reserved, I'm sure?"
The girl behind the counter smiled and nodded. She handed us our room keys and showed us (on a map!) where the building our rooms were in, where the restaurants were, and she gave us a list of hotel activities.
"It's Elisa's birthday in two days!" Joey said to the lady.
She grinned at the three year old, then looked at me. "Happy birthday!"
I smiled softly and followed Sonja to our rooms.
***
"Oh. My. Gosh!" Lexi exclaimed when we went into the room. I'll admit, it was the fanciest hotel room I've been in, ever. It was a suite, with a full kitchen and living room, two bathrooms, two bedrooms (four beds in all), and the most luxurious balcony ever! It was huge, overlooking the beach and pool areas. Vera found out that there was a full Starbucks downstairs too!
I walked into the living room, looking around in wonder. "This is where we're living for the next four days!" I said, sitting on one of the two sofas in the living room.
Vera sat next to me. "This is gonna be the best few days ever!"
Lexi giggled. "Totally! You're gonna have a great birthday, Elisa!"
Desperate to turn the conversation away from me, I started talking about Vera and Sandra's birthdays instead. "I feel like we'll all get away for you guy's' birthdays too. Sandra and Vera, your birthdays are four days apart!"
Sandra blushed and nodded. "I'm December 2nd."
"And I'm the 8th!" Vera added.
"And I'm January 30th," Lexi said.
And we started talking about our birthdays and what Sonja could possibly have planned for us.
***
I ended up sharing a room with Lexi. We basically spent our whole first day in Key Largo roaming around and exploring the resort.
Here's what happened today:
So, after we got settled in our rooms (our families, too) we went down to the pool area. I was wearing a light pink bikini, with matching sunglasses. I didn't make this at Style Squad, obviously. We haven't started selling swimwear yet. We talked to Mr. Crimson, and he said we'll start selling them during Spring Break.
So, we're putting on sunscreen down at the pool. And suddenly, a group of squealing girls run over to us.
"OMG! You're Style Squad!"
"I saw you guys is Fashion Forward Magazine!"
"I memorized your Starbucks orders!"
"You guys are my favorite celebrities!"
"Elisa, you're prettier than Marcella Diamond!"
That last comment shocked me. There's no way I'm prettier than Marcella.
We took photos and signed autographs. I felt so... popular. That's something I've never really felt.
We hung out by the pol for a bit before we noticed them.
Paparazzi.
A mob of them, cameras and all.
Sandra whispered to me. "We're not even real celebrities. Why are we signing autographs and being stalked by paparazzi?"
I shrugged. "I don't know."
The paparazzi spotted us and shouted. "They're over there!"
And they started running towards us, cameras flashing.
Our first reaction?
Run.
It was just like the movies, when the paparazzi chase the pop stars.
However, instead of hiding in an alley, we ran into the children's splash pad. And, again, like the movies, the paparazzi ran right past us.
And we were all wet.
"Ugh!" I exclaimed. My sun hat was soaked. I took it off of my head and wrung it out. Lexi, Sandra, and Vera came and joined me.
Via, Sam, and Joey came running over to us. "What happened, Vera?" Via asked.
Lexi picked up Joey while Vera explained.
"...and now we're here," Vera concluded, tucking a strand of wet hair behind her ear.
Just then, one of the hotel employees came running over to us. "We're so sorry about that, girls! The paparazzi have been kicked off of the premises," she said, giving us towels. "How about we make this vacation the best one ever?" She asked.
I looked at her name tag. Melissa.
"Um, thanks, Melissa!" I said.
"You're welcome! How about you girls go freshen up? The owner of this hotel, Mr. Owen King, wants to meet with you girls. Come to the lobby whenever you're ready! Take your time!" Melissa winked at us and walked away.
Sandra looked at me, puzzled. "He wants to meet us? Why?"
"I don't know, but I just got nervous." Lexi gave Joey a kiss on the forehead and set him down on the ground.
***
We went back to the suite. A note was taped to the door. Please wear something semi-dressy for your meeting with Mr. King. -Melissa
Huh? Weird.
We took quick showers, put on some makeup, and put on our best dresses. I wore a long, tribal print maxi dress with a slit in the front. The slit only went up to my knee.
I styled my hair with plenty of mousse. The end result was my dark curls flowing to my shoulders. They looked soft, but were crunchy to the touch.
The four of us walked out of the suite and towards the elevator. Melissa had talked to us about an hour ago.
Sandra presses the button to open the elevator doors. When they open, all four of our mothers step out.
I gasp and look away awkwardly.
My mom crosses her arms. "Where are you going, Elisa?"
"Umm..." I mumble.
"The owner of the hotel wants to meet us!" Vera spills.
Mrs. Jones cocks an eyebrow. "Is that so? Who told you to go there?"
"When we were running from the paparazzi, a worker named Mel—"
Lexi was cut off by her mother. "Wait, paparazzi?!" Mrs. Mezen exclaimed.
I nodded. "They saw us, and—"
"Why didn't I know about this earlier?!" Mami freaks.
"Mrs. Lopez, it's not our fault!" Sandra speaks up.
"Sandra, stop." Mrs. Sawdon whispers to the other members of Mom Squad.
After a second, my mother sighs. "Go ahead, Elisa. Be back by nine. We'll be checking on you then."
***
"That was strange," Lexi said when we got in the elevator. I nodded.
With a flip of her ever-present braid, Sandra said, "Well, at least we got our way in the end."
Vera's eyes widened. "What? You're not usually that... sassy, Sandra!"
Sandra bit her lower lip. "Sorry."
The elevator door opened and we walked out of our building.
A few minutes later, we arrive at the lobby. We see Melissa behind the desk, talking on the phone. "Sir, I don't know where they are! Hold on— wait! Please calm down, Sir! You told them to take their time! Sir— oh! Here they are!"
Melissa's face brightens up as we approach her. "You girls go ahead through that door," she said, pointing behind us.
We turn around and see one of those staircases with two curving flights of stairs. A single door is at the top.
"That's Mr. King's office," Melissa says, urging us on.
Lexi looks at me, cocking an eyebrow. I shrug.
In the end, we climb one of the flights of stairs to the office. I knocked on the door, and a man's voice answered. "Come in."
And we went in.
As soon as we set foot in the office, I was knocked over by a little girl. "Elisa Elisa Elisa! I love you!"
"Whoa, Larissa, calm down!" A boy comes over and picks up the girl. He sets her down and offers me his hand so I could get up.
And I accepted his hand.
He had to be fourteen, like I'll be tomorrow. He had shiny blond hair and toffee brown eyes, with a apricot skin tone to match. He gave me a crooked smile as he helped me to my feet.
I hate myself for saying this.
He was cute.
Cuter than Damian.
"I'm Liam," he says. It felt like he was standing a little too close. "Liam King." He offered me his hand again, but this time, for a friendly handshake.
"I'm Larissa!" The little girl says. She has the same blonde hair, but blue eyes. She runs over to us, giving us each tight hugs.
"And I'm Mr. Owen King, the owner of this hotel and the father of these two." I hadn't even noticed the man. He was tall, with that blond hair. He has brown eyes, too.
"Hello, sir!" Sandra says.
"Hello, Ms Sawdon. As to you, Ms Lopez, Ms Jones, and Ms Mezen. How has your stay been so far?"
"Oh, it's been wonderful so far!" Lexi exclaims. Larissa runs to her father and plops herself on his lap. I took my time to look around the office. It was beautiful, with rich colors and dark wood. There was a large window that overlooked a mini jungle of palm trees and flowers.
"We have had many celebrities stay at this hotel, but you girls are by far the youngest," Mr. King says.
"But we're not even considered celebrities!" Vera exclaimed.
"You are! You are!" Larissa exclaimed.
"You girls are the biggest thing in the fashion world right now," Mr. King said. "And I hear it's your birthday tomorrow, right, Elisa?"
I give a shy smile. "Um, yes."
"Well, we have something epic planned for you girls. You just wait!"
Mr. King stands up and gives us his hand to shake. We shake his hand, one by one.
"I'm guessing you girls are hungry? It's about dinner time right now," Liam says. He was addressing all of us, but he was only looking at me.
Lexi nudges me with her elbow. I look at her. Her eyes are gleaming, and she's smirking. I playfully roll my eyes. Lexi giggles and says, "Yeah, I'm famished! You want to join us, Liam?"
I feel my cheeks turn red. Stop, Lexi! I think, shooting her a glance.
Vera seems to have a moment of realization. She plays along. "Yeah, Liam! You should totally come with!"
Sandra giggles. "I'm sure Elisa would like it!"
I stare at Sandra. Why?!
Her eyes seem to say, haha, sorry!
Liam looks confused. After a second, he says, "Sure, why not! It's about 7 o'clock now. I know where we should go!" He takes Larissa's hand and walks out of the office. We say goodbye to Mr. King and leave.
***
"Eliiiiiiiiisa!" Lexi whisper-squeals after we descend the stairs. I blush and look up ahead. Liam is very good with Larissa, who's about seven or eight years old. Sometimes I wish I had a little sister. I didn't choose the Only Child life. The Only Child life chose me.
"Ooh, you like him!" Sandra says, giving me a side hug. I bite my lip and look at the ground.
We're on a pretty grey cobblestone walkway surrounded by palm trees and bright flowers. The sun is starting to set, turning the sky an orangey pink color. The ocean reflected the colors beautifully. Tall palm trees were silhouetted against the vibrant sky. The rich, perfumed smell of flowers mingled with the salty air and the smell of a bonfire. I heard the waves crash against the shore, the crackle of that bonfire, and the warm chatter of other people. I took a moment to drink it all in.
"Yo, Elisa! You in there?" Lexi asks, nudging me again.
I blink. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"She didn't ask if you were okay, Elisa!" Vera said. I blushed again.
"And I said that you like Liam!" Sandra giggled.
I mumbled. "Well, he is pretty cute..."
"He's totally into you, too!" Vera said, flipping her glowing golden brown hair over her shoulder.
"This could be your first romance, E!" Sandra chirped.
I gasped. She was right.
"We're here!" Liam called. I hadn't realized that we had fallen a bit behind. Larissa skipped over to us. "I wanna sit next to Liam and Vera!"
Vera laughed. "Whatever you'd like, Larissa."
Liam looked at me again. His caramel brown eyes looked me over. I blushed yet again.
"Can I sit next to you? It's okay if you don't want to."
My eyes widened. My heart was saying, yes! Yes! Yes!
I agreed with my heart and nodded, smiling.
Liam had taken us to a small tiki hut restaurant. The actual kitchen was the hut, and a few tables dotted the patio area. We sat at a table for six. Larissa was at the head of the table. Vera was next to her, and Sandra had sat next to Vera. Lexi was opposite to Larissa. I was next to Lexi, across from Sandra. Lastly, Liam was next to me and Larissa.
A waiter brought out the menus. Upon seeing Liam and Larissa, he said, "Oh! Mr. King and Ms King! You do not have to pay for your meals." The waiter looked at me, Sandra, Lexi, and Vera. "However, they do."
"No, they don't." Liam crosses his arms and eyes the waiter.
"Okay, whatever you say, sir!" The waiter stammered. He gave us the menus, took our drink orders, and left.
I read over the menu. Eventually, I decided on the shrimp tacos.
"Really?" Liam asked.
I nodded. "I love shrimp!"
"The shrimp tacos are my favorite!" Liam gushed.
I smiled.
***
After dinner, Larissa wanted to run around and play for a bit. There was a grass patch near the restaurant. Lexi, Vera, and Sandra took of their shoes and ran around with Larissa.
I was about to unzip my gladiator sandals when I felt Liam's hand on my shoulder. "Wanna take a walk? I know a place."
I felt the blood rise in my cheeks again. "Yes. Yes, I'd like that."
"Come on!" He took my hand and lead me away from the patch. I looked back and saw Lexi. She was jumping up and down and laughing. I felt all warm inside.
After a few minutes, Liam and I arrived at a small bench on a tiny grass patch. I gasped when I saw that this area had been built on a man made cliff over looking the beautiful water. Palm trees glowing with fairy lights surrounded us. Colorful flowers decorated the area. A small metal fence prevented people from falling over the edge of the cliff. Liam turned around and closed the gate, then motioned for me to sit on the bench.
I checked my phone. It was 8:30.
Liam sat next to me. "So, uh, hey."
"Hi," I said softly.
We looked over the water. The sun had set a while ago. After a minute, Liam broke the silence.
"So, um, what's up?"
"Nothing much, you?"
He bit his lip.
"I'm sorry. I'm so awkward around pretty girls."
Oh.
Oh!
"You think I'm pretty?" I said in a small, cute voice.
He laughed. He has a nice laugh. The kind that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. I grinned.
Liam looked at me, that same crooked smile on his face. His eyes sparkled in the lights.
"Yeah. Yeah, I think you're pretty." He looked at the ground, obviously embarrassed.
I scooted a little closer to him. "Does it help if I think you're cute?"
Oh my gosh, I'm super flirtatious.
He looked up again, shocked. "You do?! I mean, you do?"
I nodded, beaming.
We looked at each other. I slowly slipped my hand into his.
And he kissed me on the cheek.
It was... strange.
But I liked it.
It was a soft kiss, very short. His lips just brushed against my skin.
Immediately, my free hand reached up to touch the spot where he kissed me. I sighed and blushed yet again. Liam blushed too.
And bam.
I kissed him back.
On the lips.
It seemed like a long kiss. It was the perfect moment.
Afterwards, I put my head on his shoulder. We were still holding hands. We just looked at the water moving slowly, the reflection of the moon rippling in the waves.
"Liam, why do you like me?" I asked, suddenly realizing that I just had my first kiss. "With your money and looks, girls must me drooling all over you! How come you chose me, someone who's basically a stranger to you, over one of the other girls?"
He looked over the horizon. The sun had set, and a large, yellow moon was soaring over us. After a second, he looked at me. "Because I feel like you're different than other girls.
I bit my lip. "But why?"
He shrugged. "How about I tell you about how I came to get to know about you?"
I smiled shyly. "Sure. I'd like that."
And he told me. Larissa had just gotten her monthly subscription of Fashion Forward Magazine on her iPad. Apparently, if you subscribe online, you get the issue two weeks early. This was the magazine we were featured in. Larissa was looking through the magazine when she came across the picture of us. Style Squad. "Liam! Look how pretty they are!" Larissa said. He came over, and the first person he saw was me. And then, he became a creepy stalker.
I laughed loudly. "For real?"
He blushed wildly. "Yeah. Let me finish my story!"
"Okay." Liam picked a flower off of a tree next to us and tucked it behind my ear. Then he continued.
She looked me up on Instagram and Twitter and followed me. The more he learned about me, he said, the more he liked me. When his father told him that we were staying here, he was excited.
I blushed. "That's sweet."
And he kissed me again.
That was when I felt my phone buzzing in my purse.
Fifteen missed calls from Mami.
Thirty texts from Mami.
Seven texts from Vera.
Two missed FaceTime calls from Sandra.
Thirteen texts from Daddy.
And three missed calls from Lexi.
Lexi was calling me again right now. "Hold on, Liam."
I quickly picked up, my heart pounding in my chest. "Hello?!"
"Elisa! Where are you? We already dropped Larissa off in the lobby! Mr. King was asking for Liam too! Are you okay? Where are you?! Your parents were asking for you when we went back to the suite! Elisa!"
She sounded panicked.
That's not normal for Lexi. She's usually the boss, taking charge of every situation maturely. But now? She sounded desperate. Scared, even.
"Sorry Lexi, I'm coming back now!"
"You better hurry, E. It's nine thirty!"
"I'm sorry, Liam! I... I gotta go!"
And I ran away from the secret bench.