I am not the Queen!

Aubrianne Ivanov

"Really?" I rolled my eyes, then arched an eyebrow, and looking around again, it dawned on me. Did Mr. Thornton do all this for us? For me? Looking up and around, I saw so many cameras and thought, yes, he could be watching too.

"NO," shaking my head profusely, "like, for crying out loud, I have a Mercedes AMG-GT C Roadster at home sitting in my garage," I whispered to Daniel.

"I am sorry. I must apologize for the misunderstanding. I thought you already knew, and that's why you're here. I just got the order to see what you have chosen," Donna explained.

I shook my head in response. Now I am suddenly sad as I remember Jada's words, "Do you think he is your father?" Then my mind wandered back to last night when I returned and tried calling Jada.

She did not answer, and I have been trying her since. Weird, I thought. I made a mental note to contact Shawn.

Nevertheless, I imagined Mr. Thornton being my dad. If that's true, it meant that he didn't want me because, for the life of me, I cannot understand why he would wait an entire year to tell me, and, more importantly, Mr. Thornton finally has me here right now.

In Lotharios Transcendent and he is not even here.

My heart constricted at the thought. I don't even want to think about it, or else I might lose it. This could be my mind making things up, I convince myself because, on the other hand, I feel like I am desperate now, grasping at straws ever since Jada made her little comment and then left me high and dry.

I even suggested that maybe Mr. Thornton knew my dad, and my dad died, so that is why Mr. Thornton is being overly sweet.

Uhh, I let out a little noise of frustration and quickly shoveled those thoughts down.

Emotions are now all over the place. I turned to Donna and found words. "No, I didn't know anything, and I don't want anything."

Looking over at Daniel to save me, he stepped up and told Donna he was ready to get the paperwork started as he was settled on the Bugatti Divo. With that, Donna quickly sprang into action as she said, "come this way."

Shaking off my wayward thoughts and mood as best as possible but slightly failing, I step in line with Daniel trailing behind her as she leads us to her desk, then ushers us to have a seat while she gets the paperwork ready.

She began to rapidly punch the keyboard, and not long after, I heard the printer come to life... I zoned out. Jada, what is going on with you? At this point, I am genuinely concerned about her.

Though I said I would not look back, I knew Jada, and I would always be in touch. It may be less regular, but I figured we would still communicate occasionally until we're not.

It happens, or maybe it may not have happened to us at all, and we will always be in contact with each other.

Jada had left the conversation so abruptly yesterday, and since I am still waiting to hear from her or have her answer my calls.

I just couldn't go on another moment as this was now consuming my mind, what Jada said and why I could not get a hold of her.

Excusing myself, I got up and strolled back to where we came from, searching for my phone. Pulling it out, I called Shawn. It's evening now, and he is probably preparing the bar at the club or something.

"Hey baby girl, glad to hear from you. What's up?" Shawn answers the phone.

Cutting to the chase, "hey Shawn, have you heard from Jada? I have been trying to call her since yesterday, and she is not answering."

"Oh, beats me. Jada called yesterday around mid-day and told John she was heading back home. Something had come up, and it was important," he told me.

"Oh ok, I understand it must have been an emergency for her to leave abruptly like that," I said.

"Yeah, I guess. Jada also said she would be gone for two weeks."

Strange, I thought she usually visits home for a few days tops. "Ok, Shawn, so what have you been up to?" I asked, walking over to a vending machine I had spotted earlier. I am starting to feel hungry.

"Well, you know me, same ole same ole, right now I am at the bar ensuring things are prepared for tonight, he answers."

"I figured"...,

"What about you, baby girl? How have you been settling all the way over there?"

"Good...good, very good," I answered, trying to get a muffin out of the machine, then a soda out of the other while balancing my bag, money, and phone.

I then filled Shawn in on a bit of info, only some things, though. "Went on a tour yesterday, Shawn. This place is beautiful, the buildings, the scenery, the houses, this place I am in, Shawn, you would go crazy in a place like this, and I went on to tell him about this warehouse complex, just about the place and nothing else...."

Wrapping up our conversation, we bid each other farewell, and I quickly realized it was just in time.

Turning around, I saw Daniel making his way to me.

Sighing, he says, "I can never get over the dreary process of this."

Arching a brow, I just looked at him. "It's never as easy as they make it look in the movies where a rich guy walks in and pays for a vehicle in cash, and he drives out with the vehicle. No, it doesn't play off like that." He explains.

"So tell me, how does it work? From what I gather, you paid with cash, and I had already assumed as much "briefcase and all," I smiled, humoring him.

"Ok, so check this, even though the car was paid for in full, you will still need the certified copy of the vehicle registration in your name, which takes time since the dealerships don't print these all willy-nilly."

"Oh, I see..."

"Yeah, I mean they may have certain links to get things fast track. However, that takes time also, and as for me, I don't want no temporary $hit, oh and don't get me started on the paperwork," he exhales like the process totally drained him.

I chuckle lightly, "geez, that's a process! But you know, you sure don't like paperwork for an accountant."

He says, "numbers, baby numbers."

"Well, this is part numbers, plus accountants document everything in detail, so yea, plenty of paperwork too," I grin.

He laughs, "you know what? Sure right it is, lots of paperwork involved in accounting, and that car is expensive!" stressing the word "expensive."

Then it was like he had an idea "maybe I should have just chosen a vehicle ahead of time and made the arrangements a few days before."

"No way, there is no fun in that," I said, grinning.

Suddenly, I heard a squeal, craning to the side to look past Daniel, and he also heard it as he was turning. We saw Daniela skipping down the aisle.

"Oh.. yea.. she called while I was tending to the paperwork. That's what I came here to tell you, and that she will be here any minute now". Daniel told me.

"Oh great," I said. Then, for some reason, I mischievously thought, hey, why don't I buy Daniela a sweet ride and take Mr. Thornton up on his offer.

I giggled, but of course, I decided against it. I am no brat. Though I find Mr. Thornton to be going way overboard with no explanation yet, and I mean way, way overboard... I will not waste his money that way.

Instead, I chose to spread my arms for her to walk in for a hug. I said, "I hope you got dropped off so we can all roll in Daniels's sweet ride to the mall. But if not, we can just come back here to pick up your ride after."

I am now smiling from ear to ear as she reaches in, and we greet each other and kiss on the cheek.

"Of course I did. I got dropped off," Daniela says while she lets me go and reaches for her brother.

"Perfect," I said, clasping my hands.

Daniel then took us to another warehouse as we waited for everything to be prepared for him. We checked out a few of them, killing some more time. We are on our best behavior now... I was on my best behavior. I didn't want another section to close down because of me.

I am not the Queen!