Race 24
As soon as I woke up, I heard my phone ringing. I assumed that Easton had already gotten up to make breakfast. I reached over to my bedside table to grab my phone. It was Danny calling, so I answered the call in a sleepy voice.
"Hello, Danny?" I answered the call.
"Red, where are you?!" he exclaimed. "You're late for your photo shoot, and the director has been looking for you. You have only 30 minutes before it starts."
I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead in frustration. Suddenly, I cursed under my breath as I realized I had forgotten about my scheduled photo shoot.
"What time is it, Danny?"
"It's nine-thirty, Red!" he replied, feeling uneasy about the situation.
"Okay, I understand. I will get dressed and head there." I stand up from the bed and proceed to my closet.
"Hurry up, it's embarrassing. You're always late, Red. Please be quick!" I roll my eyes and begin to search for something to wear.
"Here you go, Danny. I am getting dressed."
"Don't take a shower and skip the make-up."
I just wore black skinny jeans and a white T-shirt.
"Danny, you're being way too loud. Call you back when I arrive," I asserted firmly and hung up before he could respond.
I tied my hair in a bun left the room and went downstairs, Fortunately, everything I needed for my shoots was always ready and stored in my car.
I immediately headed to the kitchen, searching for Easton. However, I didn't find him. Instead, I stumbled upon a wrapped ham sandwich lying on the counter, which he must have left behind. It looks like he left early while I was still asleep. Without hesitation, I grabbed the sandwich he had prepared and noticed a note attached to it.
'I apologize, but this is all I could manage for breakfast. I have to leave early for a business trip to Italy. I'll contact you once I'm there. Take care and I love you.'
That's what was written on the notepad.
With a smile on my face, I confidently placed the sandwich in my bag and proceeded to make my way to the ground floor.
As soon as I reached the venue, I gave Danny a call and he promptly made his way out of the building upon my arrival and proper parking of my car.
"Sorry Danny, I forgot about the shoot today." As I stepped out of the car.
He went to the front of my car to retrieve the items needed for my photoshoot.
"Oh, Red. What did you do last night why are you late today?"
I forced a smile, feeling quite unsure of what to say to him. "Easton and I bonded last night just before he left for Italy," I stated firmly, masking my lie with a confident tone.
My reasoning prevailed, so we swiftly made our way into the venue to get me ready for the photo shoot. Luckily, the director was in a great mood and granted me ample time to dress up and prepare.
After finishing the shoot, I immediately texted Easton to update him. However, I haven't received any text or call back from him yet. Maybe he's still traveling.
Danny efficiently helped me organize my belongings and promptly returned to my car.
"Are you sure you won't join them for lunch?" Danny asked me while placing a duffel bag on the hood of my car.
"I have to go to the mall to find something to wear for our family dinner later, and I plan on having lunch there too. If you want, you can join them as my proxy, Danny." I explained.
Danny confidently made a statement that caught my attention. "I like that. Your partner's model from earlier was handsome," he said with a matter-of-fact tone as if he had insider information on the subject. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his impeccable gaydar, which always seemed to be spot on.
"I hope your eyes are satisfied, Danny. Whatever. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go." And got into my car.
"Make a call if I have another photo shoot tomorrow," I added before starting the engine.
"Understood, please make sure to arrive on time next time," he said.
I made a thumbs up and bid goodbye to him.
Upon my arrival at the mall, I noticed that it was not too crowded, perhaps due to it being a weekday. I headed straight to the boutique where I frequently purchase clothes. The staff recognized me and promptly attended to me in their VIP room.
The saleswoman introduced me to the boutique's latest collection.
It was a black underwired detail draped midi dress.
I loved the clothes I picked and went straight to the counter to pay for them. Once I got home, I rested for a while, but I dozed off and woke up around four in the afternoon. I took a quick shower to freshen up before heading out for dinner. I put on the clothes I purchased, applied a natural-looking make-up, and let my wavy hair down.
I took a taxi to the restaurant where Brother Randy texted me. As soon as I arrived, he called me.
"I'm outside the restaurant and about to enter," I stated firmly when he asked where I was.
"Good. Come here. Mom and Dad have been waiting for you," he responded after taking a deep breath.
"Okay, I'm on my way, brother," I said assertively before hanging up.
I took a deep breath and adjusted my posture before confidently striding into the restaurant. A staff member greeted me and led me to the table where my parents were waiting for me.
As I walked in, my mom stood up and her eyes gleamed with delight upon seeing me. She swiftly came over and embraced me tightly.
"Raniyah, I apologize for not disclosing everything," she uttered with tears in her eyes.
She pulled away from our embrace and cupped my cheeks, her teary eyes locked onto mine. I gently wiped away the tears that streamed down her face.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, my own eyes filling with tears. "I should have listened to your side of the story."
Her head shook and her soft smile faded into a stern expression as she spoke to me. "You don't need to apologize to us," she firmly stated. "It's our fault that we hid the truth from you and we need to own up to that."
Daddy approached and placed a hand on my shoulder. Tears welled up in his eyes as he spoke with conviction. I met his gaze.
"Red, you have been a wonderful daughter to us. We couldn't have asked for more. You have been our shining light during our darkest days. When we felt hopeless, you brought us a miracle. We are sorry that we kept this a secret from you. It should have been a part of your life. Your mother and I were afraid that if we told you that you were not biologically related to us, you might distance yourself from us and lose your love for us."
I shook my head in response, assuring them that I could never do such a thing. They are my parents, and I love them deeply.
"No matter what, I could never stay away from you or lose my love for you. You are my parents, and I love you with all my heart."
"They hugged me, and I couldn't stop sobbing on their shoulders. After our ordeal, we had a delightful dinner. My brother is very pleased because we have reunited as a family.
He asked me how my vacation went and mentioned Easton. Our parents stopped eating when they heard that. Dad gave me a suspicious look, but he immediately took it back. It just seemed strange."
My brother discussed with our dad about his proposals. During the conversation, he asked for my opinion regarding his proposal. As a professional car racer, I provided my opinions and suggestions on what was necessary.
I suggested that the suite needed improvement because the safety of car racers depended on it, especially in case of fire. After reviewing my brother's proposal, he agreed with my opinion.
Our dinner took longer, our dessert was served. Brother and Daddy are still discussing business while Mommy is scrolling on her phone. Maybe checking an update about the fashion week where will it be held.
After I excused myself from the table to visit the washroom, I reached for my purse. As I lifted it from the table, I felt its weight and heard the jingling of my belongings inside. Just as I took a step away from the table, my phone rang, and I quickly searched for it inside my purse.
Suddenly, I collided with someone, causing my purse to slip out of my hand and its contents to scatter all over the floor. In frustration, the person I bumped into exclaimed, "What the hell! Are you blind?!"
Feeling embarrassed and flustered, I hurriedly picked up my belongings from the floor. But as I looked down at my phone, my heart sank as I saw its screen had shattered upon impact.
"Hello? Can't you see me? You stupid b*tch!"
I stood up and picked up my belongings from the floor. I turned to see a woman who appeared to be angry with me.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you," I said, apologizing for my mistake.
I noticed that her wine glass was empty and that her clothes were damp.
"Oh..." I reached into my purse and grabbed a few paper napkins, handing them over to her. However, she quickly patted my hand, causing the napkins to scatter to the floor.
"Are you stupid or something?!" she exclaimed, her narrow eyes glaring at me as she looked me up and down.
I noticed that we were both wearing the same clothes. She scoffed and couldn't believe it. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail and her dress style was very different from mine. She gave off a "bad bitch" vibe. Then, she rolled her eyes at me.
"Get out of my way, your face is an eyesore," she said.
It felt like an insult to me. She bumped my shoulder as she left the restaurant. The other diners were staring at us, and I felt ashamed of what had just happened.
Today, I came across a person who had an extremely unpleasant attitude towards me. Their rude and snobbish behavior caught me off-guard, and I found it hard to deal with them. My mother noticed that something was wrong and asked me if I was okay. I just nodded in response, but my mind was still preoccupied with the girl's face. I tried to recall where I had seen her before, but my memory failed me. Despite this, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I knew her from somewhere.