Party Favors
“Oh
the lovely couple finally decides to show up!” CASH sarcastically said as he
held open the door for the couple.
Oblivious
to his attitude, Bonnie ushered a slightly nervous Cameron into the foyer. It
was a lovely night, a full moon in fact. On the cusp of their wedding CASH,
Bonnie’s stepfather begrudgingly hosted the wedding party at his summer villa
bordering the lake.
Once
inside, countless people that Cameron had never met before shook his hand and
gave their congratulations. This didn’t make him uncomfortable though, he
always able to maintain his cool around strangers, after all that was the only
thing he had going for him. His cool and charming demeanor was to be kicked
into overtime to be able to get through this night and get away unnoticed with
his plan. Bonnie noticed the slight tenseness in her husband’s body as he held
her waist. Her response was to stick her tongue down his throat, it didn’t
matter that her dad was just two feet angrily watching them. Their love was
passionate and deep.
A
few drinks and charming party tricks later and the small crowd had fell in love
with Cameron’s charisma. Music vibed throughout the room causing everyone to
sway and grove with every note. Bonnie wondered if it was the drinks she
constantly poured for everyone or the pills she slipped into the drinks that
really caused everyone to smile and grin like dumb fools. The latter didn’t
matter because within Cameron’s second to last party trick, she was going to
sneak off to preform her own party trick. Something she liked to call The Great Escape.
For
months now her and Cameron had rehearsed and nitpicked over every detail. They
both were obsessive perfectionists, a match made in heaven Cameron often teased.
With scripts, reenactments and having planned plans B down to F, there was no
way their plot could fail. All Cameron had to do was accidently on purpose
spill champagne on Bonnie’s dress as he attempted to cut the top off with a
ninja knife and the ball would be in her court. This was what made Cam nervous,
never before had he pulled off a heist this big before and never before was it
all up to Bonnie. Cam was usually the culprit, Bonnie was just the beauty that
distracted people.
“And
with this next one I’m going to need a handkerchief.” Cam announced to the
small crowd consisting of a few of Bonnie’s friends and almost like relatives.
Not one person was present for Cameron at his own wedding party, CASH’s
distaste for him grew evermore.
“Ooh
ohh I got one!” CASH’s right hand, Tommy said as he pulled his pocket napkin
out. To give Cam the napkin he almost toppled over Sarah and Tara, Bonnie’s
childhood best friends. No doubt he was a victim of Bonnie’s famous punch.
Cameron
smiled with his lady killing eyes as his glance towards Bonnie confirmed that
this was it. He took the large knife off of the counter and took a few steps
back as he wrapped the napkin around the bottle. Everyone, except CASH that is,
watched on with anticipation.
“OK!
Uno! Dos! Tres!” Pop…Ooh…Ahh the small crowd watched as the
bubbly liquid gushed out of the bottle top and on to the lush carpet. The mess
was expected to happen, a nice distraction. But of course Cam made it seem like
all was pure accident as he rushed to get a rag to clean up the mess. He just
so happened to turned around, bump into Bonnie and let the rest of the oozing
bottle spill out on her silk Chanel dress.
“Oh
my love I am so sorry.” Cameron’s Latino accent rang out as he clumsily
attempted to wipe her dress off, only making it worst. Bonnie couldn’t help but
roll her eyes, his accent always came out when he lied.
With
the distraction of people cleaning the carpet and her dress, Bonnie was able to
sneak off in order to “clean herself off”. Wandering off in the villa, Bonnie
knew exactly where she was going as she walked past her old room that held
countless dresses she wore in high school that still fit six years later.
Continuing down the hall until she reached her father’s study. In the countless
summers she spent at that villa, Bonnie could count on one hand how many times
she stepped foot inside that room. Mainly because her time spent at the villa
were mainly focused on booze, drugs and sex but also because the room was held
shut via lock and key. Luckily tonight Bonnie was able to pick the keycard out
of CASH’s pocket when the whole champagne fiasco occurred.
Seven five eight two and swipe.
It
was that easy it was almost criminal. Well it was criminal and that’s what
Bonnie liked so much about her lifestyle. CASH was a drug dealer turned
business man that did anything for his little princess. It was said that CASH
married Bonnie’s mother, Belinda before Bonnie turned one. Not long after their
first year anniversary, Belinda fell ill and died from cancer. Leaving CASH and
baby Bonnie all alone to fend for themselves. With this loss CASH was compelled
to turn legal to ensure his ability to care for his daughter. Soon after
switching his accounts to that of his now multiple lucrative businesses, a huge
crackdown from the DEA resulted in the majority of CASH’s colleagues receiving
hefty amounts of time in federal prison. He could never thank Bonnie enough for
sparking the change in his life that ultimately saved him. And for that Bonnie
never had to ask for a thing, his princess could do no wrong.
However,
you can take the drug dealer out of the game but not the game out of the drug
dealer. And even thought the two weren’t blood related, Bonnie loved that shit,
crime was like second nature to her. Maybe that’s why she fell for Cameron so
hard, Bonnie thought as she surveyed the room. Not much had changed from the
few times she entered the room in the past except for the pallet that sat in
the middle of the room topped with a large amount of money and bags of drugs
that is. The study looked exactly like a normal one should; walls lined with
books, a few comfy chairs sat around the fire place and a regular desk with a
regular computer. Never mind the cocaine that stared Bonnie down, just calling
her name. She could not get distracted she thought, time was limited before the
mess was cleaned and people started to miss her. Not to mention she still had
to change but that wasn’t what she was worried about.
Crossing
the room, Bonnie made way towards the computer and files on the desk. Just as
she had hoped, CASH left all of his files on the desk just begging for her to
inspect them. My Love? Cameron’s
voice called out from the hallway signaling their crunch for time. Fuck! Bonnie cursed under her breath,
she didn’t even find the paper yet.
“Coming.”
She called out signaling for him to find a way to distract people from noticing
her absence. Taking deep breaths to calm the creeping anxiety, Bonnie rustled
through the papers trying to find the right one.
Knock Knock
“Bonnie? It’s Sarah,
let me in.” Bonnie could hear her faint knocks on her old bedroom door from
down the hall. The rush to find the paper continued, everything, literally
everything else was on that desk except the one piece of paper she needed to
finish all of this. Without it all of their hard planning and work would go to
waste.
Knock knock knock
“Bonnie
are you ok?” Sarah loudly slurred her words. Not wanting to lose this far down
the road, Bonnie persistently rummaged through the papers cross referencing the
multiple account numbers on the papers to the partial one she had written down
in her hand. She was relentless not caring of she made a noticeable mess
because Sarah’s annoying voice calling out her name would sure cause more
attention than her actual scheme in the study.
Just
as Bonnie’s edge cooled off once she heard Cam speaking to Sarah in the hallway
saying that she was just changing her dress, her heart dropped when she found a
particular document that contained her name and two very unfamiliar ones. Jonathan Cluter and Margo Patten were not the names of her supposed deceased parents
but somehow they were on her birth certificate. The only parent she knew was
CASH and he was enough for both a mother and a father, she folded the paper
into her clutch for future reference. One could never be too careful.
“Bonnie
sure is a lucky girl to have snagged you.” Sarah grinned as she brushed her bosom
on Cam’s arm. Cam couldn’t help but let the disgust show on his face. Typically
Cam wouldn’t think twice to flash his panty dropping smile but this was
Bonnie’s friend and they were at their wedding party, he at least had enough
sense to act right. Plus Sarah was a drunken hot mess, a nice target for Cam,
but Sarah was the ugly friend who had gained about twenty pounds since he first
met her, and not to mention her breath smelt like flaming hot shit. He only
smiled back to distract her from looking for Bonnie, his baby was in the other
room making him proud.
“You
know…” Trailing her fingers over Cam’s chiseled chest, she breathed right into
his face. “Sometimes I wonder if it was me at the bar, what would have
happened.” She laughed, engulfing Cam in a cloud of disgust.
“Umm…Bonnie
are you finished yet?” Was all he could say, for once the enigmatic man was at
a loss for words. With every step he took back, Sarah doubled.
“Yeah
I’m fine baby.” Bonnie said from behind Cameron. Sarah jumped back and tried
her best to act as if she wasn’t just hitting on her best friend’s husband.
Relived Cam turned around to see his new wife dressed in a dazzling yellow
dress with her hair pulled back and an accenting flower in her hair. She looked
amazing, and excited look in her eyes made her look even more attractive; she
had got the job done.
“Mi bonita, te amo mucho!” He picked his
wife up and twirled her in the air before giving her the biggest kiss right in
front of a jealous Sarah. The two giggled in their victory as Sarah stormed
off. The hardest part was over and now all they had to do was make their way
off to their new home, a surprise Cam had for Bonnie.
Ahem
Their
mini love fest abruptly ended as CASH cleared his throat to gain their attention.
He stood his usually domineering stance on the wall eyeing Cameron up and down.
He didn’t like the guy and never will. He was a lowlife and no good for his
daughter, the apple of his eye. All Cam could do for her was dim her shine and
take her down the road CASH had worked so hard to steer Bonnie from all her
life. The blood sucker had sunk his teeth in her though and now they were
together until death did them part. Death didn’t seem all that bad to CASH
though.
“May
I have a word with my princess.” He didn’t actually ask but demanded. Cameron
took the hint and backed out of the hallway but not before kissing Bonnie on
the forehead.
A
moment of silence waved passed them before CASH spoke the first word.
“You
look gorgeous sweetheart.” Bonnie nodded in thanks, she had nothing to say to
her stepfather and wanted to leave the party as soon as possible.
Usually
a man that was strong with his feelings and always knew what to say, CASH found
it particularly difficult to find the right words to speak to his baby girl.
“Umm…I
just wanted to say that I’m sorry for what I said earlier and that I’m not mad
at you. You’re my princess and I just want the best for you.”
Again
Bonnie remained silent but rolled her eyes. CASH meant every vile word he said
to her the last time they spoke. But he was guilty and felt the loneliness from
her distancing herself from him, Bonnie was the only family he had. He loved
her to the moon and back. Words couldn’t describe how upset he was that she
chose to follow her heart and marry the man that made it burst with every
touch. CASH would never understand and couldn’t see past Cam’s past into the
beautiful future the two had together. CASH had made a very bad move in
treating Bonnie the way that he did. After all he wasn’t losing a daughter but
gaining a son. The two had so much in common but CASH was too blinded by cash
to see that.
Not
wanting to spend another second in CASH’s presence Bonnie decided to speak up
and say the last words she ever wanted to say to her stepfather.
“But
daddy…” CASH looked up with hopeful eyes. Maybe throwing this party was all he
needed to get back in Bonnie’s good graces. Her puppy dog eyes said it all.
“…don’t you see? He treats your princess as a queen, he’s honestly the best
there is for me.”
CASH’s
mouth hung open as Bonnie gave him one last kiss on the cheek and left to join
the party.
Oooh…Ahh
The
small party, now significantly drunker than when Bonnie left out, marveled at
her change in outfit. Selfishly Bonnie ate the attention right up and became
drunk in cockiness. She had just pulled off the biggest stunt in her entire
life. With all that they gained, the two could live a nice quiet life off of
some coast without a care in the world. Cameron promised that if she pulled it
off then he would make love to her on all the beaches they could until they
were wrinkly old. Just the thought of that made her giggle in happiness. She enjoyed
the party so much that she ignored Cameron’s urges to make their exit. The
party was too much fun and what was the rush? No one would notice what she did
until the morning. The coke that she snuck off the pallet maybe clouded her
judgment just a tad.
Maybe
too much because she didn’t notice that CASH never returned to join the party
but retreated to his study. There he noticed the mess of papers on his desk and
the remaining lines of coke on the coffee table. Good thing he left his cell in
the living room next to the loud speakers so that he didn’t hear his accountant’s
multiple calls concerning a very large transaction that was just placed. Otherwise
Cam would have been driving to the hospital instead of the airport because CASH
sure would have drove a knife through his heart for dragging his baby girl in
this mess.
By
the time CASH made the connection and returned to the party to confront the
two, Cameron had carried Bonnie to the car as was doing a hundred on the small
winding roads leading out. Cameron was disappointed with Bonnie for using
again, he had done so much to get her clean, but he couldn’t be mad at her for
long. She did just make him ten million dollars richer in a matter of minutes. Revenge
was his finally after years of waiting. He always knew he’d marry a winner.
-Tiffany Li
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