CHAPTER 5: GOODBYE NEW YORK

OLIVIA’S P.O.V

After many hugs and tears, I kissed my father goodbye, took a deep breath and headed towards the door. I turned around one last time to see his watery eyes and a reassuring smile. I looked at our house for the last time, the memories of my childhood playing in my mind, so much laughter, so much joy, sooo many memories of my mother, father and I, all being left behind as I make this sacrifice to enter the next chapter of my life.

Outside awaited a Limo to pick me up, it was very similar to the one that my father and I often traveled in, but it was not. This was sent by Austin Hunter, he wanted to make sure that I don’t get lost on the way and waste his ‘precious’ time. I rolled my eyes thinking about how egotistically he spoke last night.

I felt stupid and weak, although I knew that the man is arrogant and too fond of himself for my liking…I was still head over heels about him. I know that I am going there as his employee but I can’t help to try and woo him, hence I am reapplying my lipstick for the third time, making sure that I look all pretty for him.

My eyes popped out as I froze, my paranoia and overthinking self,taking over. ‘What if he has a camera in the Limo and he can see everything that I am doing. What will he think of me? How embarrassing will that be?’ Looking around, I could scream inside my head as I spotted a camera focused right on me! Has this man not heard of privacy??? Well, there is a chance that he is not watching…I hope!!!

“So how long have you been working for the Hunters?” I asked the Limo driver…unable to sit still and keep quiet. “I was told not to talk to you, madam” he answered, leaving me surprised. “You were told not to talk to me? Huh? By who?” I asked, curious and amused but he didn’t answer. “Hellooooo?” I tried to get his attention thinking that he hasn’t heard me but after seeing him look at me from his review mirror, it was clear that he was ignoring me. I sat slouched and bored for the rest of the ride.

It wasn’t long before we arrived at the airport and the Limo driver drove us all the way to the back. “Do I not need to check-in?” I asked him, but my question was already answered when I saw the Hunter brothers waiting for me by a private black matte plane, their surname written in gold, bold cursive writing. It was impossible to miss and also impossible not to be admired.

I got nervous walking over to them, my suitcase rolling behind me. Did they have to watch me so intently? It would have been nerve-wracking for anyone and although I can be very talkative and a bit hyper at times, believe it or not, I am an introvert.

“Hi” I greeted them shyly. “Hey, how are you?” Keith asked while Austin laughed at me cynically and went inside the plane. “Don’t worry about him” Keith reassured me, reading my hurt expression. “Shall we?” he asked, leading me inside, I gave him a soft smile.

The plane was very luxurious inside, it smelt fresh, the seats were champagne gold and each one had an ‘H’ logo on it with some fancy symbol thing around it. It was a very intricate and eye-catching design, which I assume was specially made for the Hunters. It was extremely spacious with about 10 reclining seats. My nerves got to me again when I didn’t know what to do or where to sit…should I sit with them or is there some place less luxurious for employees to be seated at.

“Er…Where shall I…Where do I put this?” I asked about my suitcase, my confidence dropped rapidly in Austin’s presence but it was mostly due to his behavior. “Give that to me and you can take a seat there” Keith took my suitcase and put it away, gesturing for me to sit in the empty seat next to Austin. I was about to speak when another man entered the plane. He looked a little like Austin and Keith, he had Austin’s features but Keith’s brown hair and eyes.

“About time!” Austin said, he seemed annoyed with this guy. “Am I late brother?” he asked. Okay, so now it makes sense why he looks like them, he is their brother, I didn’t know that they had a third brother and neither did my father mention that to me. “You are calling me brother when you are like a little rug rat” Austin insulted him, I bit my tongue not to laugh.

Suddenly he focused his attention on me, I looked out the window hoping that he ignores me, my insecurity and ego were rock bottom.  These people were way richer than I have ever been and I wasn’t used to that, neither was I used to being the only girl surrounded by three attractive men, even though the only one I wanted was Austin. It wasn’t long before the plane gently took off and I heard a howl next to me, unable to ignore it I quickly turned my attention to the third brother who sat next to me. “You smell edible!” he said to me, my eyes widened and my cheeks turned crimson red. “And not in a pleasurable way,” he said, leaving me confused. I looked at Austin, who was looking at the view through the window, completely ignoring the entire situation. Then I turned my attention the Keith who was seated next to Austin. “Leave the girl alone” Keith warned, sensing how uncomfortable I was. “What? It’s not like I am doing anything wrong! I will share her!” he said, touching a strand of my hair. I gasped in shock and tried to sink more into my seat unable to really get away from him as I was seated in. “Does she smell edible to you?” Austin finally spoke. “Very much. Isn’t that why she is here?” he asked…making me wonder if he is really going to eat me and not in the sexual way that us millennium's know of now. “She smells like strawberries and cream to me,” Austin said, looking his brother in the eye, making him instantly back off.

“Wait! Are you serious?” he asked Austin. Why did he find it so hard to believe that I smell like strawberries and cream? What was wrong with this guy? “Yes,” Austin answered him plainly and went back at looking through the window. “I’m sorry bro…I didn’t know” he apologized to Austin who just shook his head, acknowledging his apology. “It must be my shower gel” I spoke for the first time since I’ve been seated. They all looked at me in shock and then burst out in laughter. “What? Why is that funny?” I asked, embarrassed. “Oh, you are so innocent,” Keith said, his words did not help clear up my confusion.  “So the three of you are brothers?” I built the courage to make small talk. “Yes, I’m Jake the second brother, Austin is the oldest and Keith is the youngest. And may I have the pleasure of knowing your lovely name?” the brother next to me finally stopped acting weird and introduced himself. “Olivia Nightingale, but you can call me Liv” I shook his hand. “Nightingale hey, so we are the Hunters and you are a sweet little Nightingale” he flirted. “Jake, are you hell-bent on getting on my nerves today?” Austin interrupted us, seeming quite irritated that Jake had been flirting with me but this made me happy because it meant that there is a slight bit possibility that he has feelings too. “And as for you, one more word out of your mouth and I would have you taped and cuffed on that seat” Austin scolded me, blowing off the romantic thoughts that were filling my head and instilled fear instead. “Whoa, slow down brother. We don’t have a bed on the plane so relax yourself” Jake teased… ‘Was he implying that Austin is actually attracted to me, in that way?’ I wondered to myself.

“You should get some sleep, we have 8 more hours to go before we land in Europe,” Keith said to me. “Sleep? Here?” I asked, feeling awkward. “Yes, why?” Austin answered instead of Keith. “Are you going to sleep too?” I asked. “No, we don’t need much sleep. Just a few hours” Jake said. “Well, then I am fine too,” I said, looking out the window. However, after a few minutes, my eyes grew heavy, looking at my phone I saw that it was already 11 in the night. Looking around me Jake was watching something on his phone, Keith was reading a Forbes magazine and Austin was writing in a journal. ‘Hmmm, how interesting, the rumored Mafia leader keeps a journal’ I thought to myself before drifting off into a deep and peaceful sleep.