Crazy, that's what.

10

"That man in the middle," I repeated for the second time, "is my father."

"He is?"

Aaron squinted to get a better view of his face. "Oh God yes. I see it." He was full on grinning. "You're his exact female carbon copy! Come, let's go meet him."

"No!" I screamed before he had a chance to move. "We cannot do that."

He was confused. "Why not? He's your dad."

"Exactly! If he sees me, I can kiss the earth good bye." At his still confused stare, I explained further. "I travelled here without his consent. Basically I do everything without his consent, because he never lets me do anything!"

"Right." He said. For some reason, his eyes darkened, his voice low. "I know exactly what you mean. Let's leave now that he hasn't seen you so he won't."

"No!" I screamed again, earning an eye roll from him. "What if he does? What if he turns the exact moment I try to walk past him? He's seated at the bloody entrance for Pete's sake. If there is no way to make my dad be focused on something long enough for me to make a run for it, I am not risking my life by leaving this place."

He was annoyed. "Are you serious? Fine." He pursed his lips in thought. "We need a diversion. What makes your dad angry?"

"Angry? Well ..."

He blinked after a long moment had passed and I had said nothing. "Wow. I've never met a business man who isn't easily angered."

"Actually I'm thinking of things that doesn't make him angry, and frankly, it's quite hard."

"Sarah, really, there is no time for this. Is your dad helpful?"

"Helpful?" I repeated dumbly. "Well he did marry a medical practitioner who travels to give free medication to poor or less privileged people. Does that count?"

"No Sarah. No it doesn't. You're not helping me help you at all." His eyes searched the restaurant. "Distraction, distraction, distraction, distraction, yes." A grin climbed into his face. He scrambled to his feet. "Back in a jiff."

He walked past me. I wanted to see what he was doing but I couldn't turn around for fear that my father would see me.

What were the odds of us ending up in the same bloody hotel?

Aaron came back, the shit eating grin still prominent on his face. As I was about to ask him what he'd done, he gestured for me to turn and see for myself which I did, shielding my face with the chair so nothing but my eyes were visible.

Of course it was a woman.

She was tall, her heels were very long, her dress was very short, her hair was very curled and her makeup was very heavy. Yet, she was very beautiful with more than moderate assets and she surely gained the attention of the men when she stopped in front of them. They were far so I couldn't hear what was said but with the way she was posing seductively and twisting her hair, she appeared to be flirting with them, and with the smiles on their faces, they were flirting back.

Including my father.

Frankly, I wasn't too surprised. The woman was more than lush.

And then, two seconds later, the world froze.

One second the woman was twirling a glass of wine she'd picked from the table, the next she was spilling the contents all over my father's dress shirt.

I sat, frozen in horror with my mouth wide open, the expression on my face the exact one my father had on his. The veins lines were already showing on his forehead and I knew he was about five seconds away from exploding.