The Padded Party

VI

Less than a month later, Lauren was on a jet to Miami. She was excited for the trip, but nothing had seemed to turn out like she had imagined when Sofia had first told her and Emily about the party she was hosting. Emily had gotten sick a few days before they were scheduled to leave for Miami. She had been determined to push through the sickness, but she was unable to even get out of bed the day they were supposed to leave. She had been up the entire night before throwing up and had a raging fever. Lauren had debated staying home and skipping the trip, but Emily had insisted that she go, telling Lauren that it was up to her to make a good impression on Sofia and secure modeling contracts for both of them. Lauren had felt bad leaving her best friend behind, but she knew that it was the right choice. Emily had been in no condition to travel, and Lauren wasn't about to miss the opportunity of a lifetime. The girls were able to email Sofia explaining the situation, and she had been understanding, even offering to arrange travel to the party for Emily if she felt better before the party was over. Emily was disappointed, but she promised Sofia that she would email her as soon as she felt better.

So Lauren had packed her bags and boarded the airplane - alone. She was nervous to be traveling so far on her own, but she had always been good at making friends, and she knew that she would be able to get along with Sofia and all of her guests without too much effort. Once the airplane took off, Lauren's nervousness began to fade, and she soon found herself daydreaming about the ten-day party that she would be attending. It was almost too good to be true. She was scheduled to meet Sofia's personal Limousine driver at Miami International Airport. The driver would then take her to Sofia's personal yacht, where they would depart for Sofia's private island. 'A private island!' Lauren thought to herself, 'the rich really do live separate lives from the rest of us!' It was unbelievable.

Lauren wasn't very good at sitting still, nor was she a patient person, so the four-hour flight seemed to take all day. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief when she finally heard the pilot's announcement. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are beginning our final descent into Miami International Airport. Local time is approximately 6:45 pm. Please fasten your seatbelts, stow your carry-on baggage, and return your tray tables to their upright positions. We will be landing in approximately 20 minutes."

The plane landed and the passengers exited. Laren made her way to baggage claim, retrieved her luggage, and exited the airport to the arriving flights pickup area as instructed by Sofia. It didn't take her long to spot the large, muscular man in a limo-driver uniform holding the sign - "Guests of Sofia Ponomarenko." She smiled and waved at the man as she walked toward him. He returned the smile and walked toward her. "You must be Lauren," he said as he grabbed her bags, "welcome to Miami." Lauren shook the man's hand. "Thank you," she said, "and that's right - I'm Lauren." The man returned Lauren's hand shake warmly. "I'm Dominic," he said, "and it's very nice to meet you. Miss Ponomarenko is very excited that you could make it." He easily lifted the bags into the trunk of the waiting black Limousine and opened the passenger-side door, holding Lauren's hand as he helped her inside. "You're the first of this group to arrive," he said, leaning his head into the Limo's open door, "we are just waiting for two more and then it's a short drive to the marina. They should only be a few more minutes. In the meantime, the mini-fridge has sodas, snacks, and a selection of alcohol. Please help yourself." He then shut the door and stood beside the car, holding the welcome sign.

It didn't take long for another woman to approach the driver. Lauren watched as the driver greeted the woman, took her bags, and opened the door to the limousine, helping her inside. "Hello," the woman said, entering the limo and smiling and Lauren. "Hi" Lauren said back, returning the woman's smile and holding out her hand for a friendly handshake, "I'm Lauren." The other woman reached out, gently shaking Lauren's hand. "Jessica," she said, "nice to meet you. Hopefully I haven't kept you waiting too long."