Money Trees

18 ✮ espion

What just happened?

Apollo rubbed his cheek angrily before chasing Tash, without so much as sparing Mai a glance.

  "Who the fuck was that?" Ivy asked confusedly.

  "That's Natasha Cress. Cress Pharmaceuticals. They're rich-rich," Yasmin explained, having already whipped out her phone to research the mystery girl.

"And how does Apollo know her?!" Ivy spat back.

Mai shook her head, still too stunned to speak.

"She's from Perth. Is Apollo Australian by any chance?"

Mai wanted to say no but it dawned on her that she couldn't even answer that simple question. She didn't know. She knew he was raised in New York and he had relatives in London but what if he was actually an Aussie? She was being irrational, right?

"Mai, babe, we have to get out of here. People are staring," Ivy asked.

Mai nodded, her mouth still ajar. She felt sick.

The girls guided her to land and made a beeline towards one of the waiting town cars.

"What just happened?" Ivy repeated herself.

Ivy hated not knowing what was going on. She always had to be in the loop. Unfortunately the only two people who knew 'what just happened' were away having a private conversation. The pair of then had looked angry but who knew? They might have been making out now for all she knew.

"I... I..."

"I can't believe he would do that!" Ivy exclaimed, as if it were her heart that was pounding achingly.

"Ivy-"

"How are you not more angry?! I knew it. I knew he was bad for you."

"Ivy, please shut up!" Mai snapped. "I can't handle this right now."

  Ivy sucked her teeth and stared Mai down. She opened her mouth to say something before stopping herself and staring ahead.

Yasmin looked between them and rolled her eyes. "Sometimes it's so difficult being friends with the two of you."

She hailed a car that she recognised as one of theirs. "Both of you get in the car now. We're going to go get ice cream and talk shit about Apollo. Okay?"

Mai fought back a smile. "Fine."

"Fine."

✮✮✮

Mai stared at her phone as it buzzed for the umpteenth time. Unfortunately none of the notifications were from the one person she needed to talk to. Although there were a few concerned texts from Oliver and Charlie, wondering what happened. Most people saw the scene unfold and, needless to say, everyone was curious.

Mai's head was rested on Ivy's shoulder, with Yasmin's legs planked across them. The two of them were snoring softly, having exhausted themselves with ice-cream and gossip. They spent a good majority of their night trying to find out who Natasha Cress was. Socialite, model, entrepreneur; Natasha Cress was everything. Mai wasn't jealous. She had no right to be jealous. But Natasha was only a year older than Mai and had accomplished so much already. No wonder Apollo had chosen her...