Educational Experience

Part III--Chapter 7

The New Year's Eve party is about to begin. But first...there are some surprises in store. And a "kiss" seen around the world-and may mean trouble in paradise...

Wyatt let out a horror movie scream.

I shot straight up in bed all squinty eyed and disoriented. And then I saw what had made her scream like that-I almost screamed, too.

There was this serious drone hovering just outside the glass wall of our bedroom like a ginormous dragonfly. I'm talking a big, black, NASA-looking thing with all kinds of propellers and a big old camera.

"What IS that?!" she yelled, shrinking back against me.

"It's a goddamned drone," I said. I got into my jeans right quick and ran over to get a better look.

Wyatt slid back down under the covers, like she was trying to hide.

"But what is it doing here?" she asked. "Is it a security thing or..."

"Nah. It's a media thing," I said. "No worries, though. It's one-way glass."

She sat up again, once I'd said that. But asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yep! You can set it to be see-through, but the default's one way."

I got out my cell to take pictures of the drone taking pictures of us. Or trying to.

And I said, "Even if it wasn't, all they'd have is pictures of the teacher who accompanied me to Vegas as a condition of probation."

"In your bed, wearing one of your t-shirts."

I went back over, took her in my arms and said, "It's okay, okay? I promise they can't see anything."

She looked up, smiled a little, and said, "I'd better shower. We'd better shower. They'll be coming for us soon."

"Best offer I've had all day," I told her. And even though she kept smiling, something in those eyes told me the nerves were kicking in.

The great room of my villa was like Grand Central or something, when we finally came out to get the low down. Everyone had chosen to crash at my place, trying to get some rest before the main event and after a long day of meetings and run throughs and final fittings.

Wyatt hung with me, but Amelie was with the girls again, laughing. Always laughing. But always an inch away from tears, too, I'd noticed. Jumbled up, emotionally, still. But mostly always laughing. She was all light, that woman. A little Sun in the middle of the room, shining on everybody.

"Did you see that drone?" I asked the girls.

"Honey, this fool was out there on the balcony jus' twerkin' it," Aisha said, nodding to Mike, who bent right over to give me a little demo.

I slapped that ass and said, "So you're the one got 'em tryin'a spy on people'n' shit!"

"This is our day," Mike said. "I'm gonna twerk it 'til it don't twerk no more, baby!"

"Had a head start, too," I said. I mean, she was definitely high already. What on, I wasn't sure.

But she took my face between her hands and kissed me and said, "You're not mad at me, Papi!"

I said, "Damned right I'm not! I'm proud of you, you lunatic!"

And Cat said, "Let's hope you stay that way," but she was only teasing. In fact, she kissed her, just to prove it. And everybody got a big laugh when Mike grabbed her and almost Frenched her to death.