26-year-old Cleo Mitchell was always given everything she wanted. She wanted a new car, it was handed to her. She wanted to go to Paris, her dad personally flew her there. Cleo has gotten accustomed to her luxurious lifestyle. Unfortunately, a few w...
"At the next light, turn left. The destination will be on your right.", Siri told me.
The car was silent aside from Siri giving me directions to where Cleo lived. I glanced over and caught a glimpse of her brushing her curly hair behind her ears. She had a nervous look on her face. She absentmindedly twisted the rings that were on her fingers repeatedly.
I made a left turn at the light and looked for an apartment building of some sort, but didn't see one.
"It's right there.", she pointed at the small hotel on the right.
She lives in a hotel? Why would she live here of all places?
I pulled into the hotel to see a few people with cameras standing near the entrance. Cleo sighed and placed her head in her hands.
"I'm sorry. Can you please pull in the back?"
I drove to the back of the hotel and it was no better. Instead of seedy paparazzi, there was a large group of dirty men. They were smoking and laughing right next to the entrance. I saw Cleo reach into her purse and grab what looked like a mini canister of mace.
"Thanks for the ride. I'll see you tomorrow.", she thanked me before getting out of the car.
I watched as one of the large men stepped in front of her, blocking the door. He smirked and said something to her. Judging by the annoyed look on her face, I believe he was trying to flirt with her. She responded and motioned for him to move out of her way. Instead of doing so, he grabbed her shoulder. I got out of my car, but before I could even get my door closed, she had already sprayed him with mace. His friends just started laughing at him. I walked over to her and ushered her inside.
"Are you okay?", I asked. "I'm fine. Sorry, you had to get out of your car." "I'll walk you to your room."
She simply just nodded and we walked to the elevator.
"May I ask you something?", I asked.
She looked at me and nodded.
"Why do you live here? Doesn't your family have millions?"
She looked down at her shoes before looking back at me.
"When my father found out he was going to be arrested for embezzlement, he tried to get ahead of it. He paid back all the money he stole from the company and his employees, which pretty much left us with nothing. Then he was arrested and my mom died, I had to sell everything I had left, just to bury her. The bank took the house and all of his cars, so I moved in here for the time being."
All this time, I thought Ms. Sil- Cleo was still living in her Manhattan mansion. I thought she was only working to prove something to her dad, not that she actually needed the money.
I just nodded and soon we were on her floor. She led the way down the hall and stopped at room 417.
"Thanks for walking me to my room."
I nodded before turning away.
Cleo Mitchell July🌞 NY📍
I watched as the confusing man walked away before walking into my room. The first thing I did was sit at the small mahogany desk and open my sketchbook. I looked down at the newest illustration I've been working on.
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About an hour later, as I was completing the finishing touches, my phone began ringing.
Please, don't be Dad again. I thought as I picked up the phone. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw that it was just Auri.
"Cleo!", I heard her shout as soon as I answered. "What's wrong, Auri?" "I accidentally grabbed your sketchbook and Leo saw the logo that you made and he wants us to use it!", she said excitedly in all one breath. "He liked my design? He brought me home. Why didn't he say anything?", I asked genuinely baffled. "I may have had to do a little convincing." "Did you two see anything else?", I asked, curious if they looked at everything in this book. "No, just a few sketches. They are really good. How come you haven't done anything with art before?"
I smiled and looked down at the drawing in front of me.
"I never desired to do anything, but be a good daughter and live my best life with as little effort as possible. I do art because it makes me happy. It calms my mind. It helps me focus." "What is it that you desire now?", she asked.
"My old life where my mom was alive and I still believed my father was a good man." "Do you think that if they were both still here you wouldn't go and do something with your art or get a job before you were forced to?"
I thought back on how my life used to be where the only thing I worried about was when Bocnyc was going to close. These last two weeks have been the first time in my life that anything has been expected of me. I don't know whether or not I would've done any of this if my life had not been flipped upside down.
"I don't know. Maybe." "I do wish it were under different circumstances, but I'm glad you came to Brad. It's been really nice to have a friend. I'm glad you came." "Me too."
