Hostage

Kimberly's POV I was awe struck! I had never seen anything like this before. The huge white hall, Gold chandeliers, the beautiful chocolate fountain in the center of the hall, the-all-you-can-eat-buffet, masked men and women dressed in fancy designer dresses...It was all I ever wanted, all I ever dreamed of. I inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh scent of roses that surrounded the hall. I couldn't stop smiling... I just couldn't. It all felt so unreal. I had no idea how or why mum had brought me here, but knowing the kind of person she was, it hadn't come to me as a surprise when she told me she had an invitation to the "Monroe's party". I was sure she had conned her way into it. But it was all I ever wanted. This was an opportunity I couldn't turn down. I let go of a breath I didn't even know I was holding in when I climbed down the last stair. I looked around. In a movie, this would be the part where they'd all turn and stare at me, awestruck. But this wasn't a movie. And no one turned. Bummer. I grabbed a glass of champagne from a waiter as I stopped to examine a painting that hung on the wall, few metres away from the buffet. It was...... "Its a beautiful painting." I jumped a bit and then exhaled. A person... Obviously. I chuckled. "Duo stulti." He continued. I took sometime to examine the man beside me. He looked about six feet three. He had a good body build, deep brown eyes, and boy did he stink of class. I let my eyes move from his perfectly carved hair, really classy suit to his expensive leather shoes. He smelt expensive. Literally. Even his wristwatch had to be at least five thousand grand. He just might be my knight in shining armour. "Two fools." I turned back to the painting. "You speak Latin?" he sounded surprised. And Dutch, and Spanish, and French.... I smiled "A little." I held my breath. Now I was just being modest. He was staring at me like he expected me to say more. I turned back to the painting. "Two men on their way to paradise." I continued. "One has a bad leg and a pair of shoes, the other man is healthy and.. Barefooted. They can help each other out but, 'as long as he doesn't have what I have, I have the advantage.' " I rolled my eyes. "Human nature." Silence "I'm-" I paused. "I'm sorry if I said too much, I tend to-" "Mr. Monroe!" I whirled around quickly. I knew that voice.... Too well. I watched as an older woman approached us. Gloria Hastings. My mother... "Thank goodness. I've been looking all over for you." Damn! She was loud. I turned red immediately. People were starting to stare. "Mum-" She walked past me, giving me a moment to inhale the strong trail of alcohol she had left behind. I sniffed. To think it had been such a fine night. "Miss Hastings." He didn't sound pleased. So they did know each other. "I told you I would be wearing a blue suit and a volto." He continued. "You should have asked if I knew what a volto was first." And then she was laughing so hard, demanding more attention. I was red with embarrassment. "Mum." I said more firmly now, grabbing her arm. "We should go." "Kimmy!" She grinned widely as though she was just seeing me for the first time in years. "You're here." she squeezed my cheek. Kill me already "We should go." " A minute-" she pulled her hand from my grip "Mr. Monroe and I have something very important to talk about." Her words slurred as she spoke. Mr. Monroe? He was a Monroe? I looked at him. That explained everything. "I - " He paused. " We-" He paused again. "She'd be right back" He walked away. Mum ran after him. I sighed and then raked my hand through my long, black silky hair. I tried to imagine the look on his face when mum had walked up to him. Disgust? Anger? I bit my lip and then took a long sip from my champagne and then exhaled. His mask had hidden... Everything. Who was he? What did he look like? And why on earth was did he want to talk to my mother? All my answers lay beneath that mask.....