My Little Step Secret

Pick up time

"You are late." A stunning blonde sat on her large pink suitcase. The mid-morning sun hits the suitcase, creating rainbows on the metallic surface. Beside her stood a man leaning against a pillar, his matching metallic blue suitcase by his side. Brittany Archer and Liam Whittaker. These two people had been Frankie's saving grace at college and quickly became her best friends. Frankie met Brittany first. It was clear she came from money. She was always dressed fabulously, and her skincare regime gave her flawless skin, but she still covered it daily with six layers of makeup - at least. She was naturally a few inches taller than Frankie, and that would have been fine if she didn't insist on wearing heels every chance she got. The woman was like a supermodel, with legs for days, and today was no exception. She looked like she was dressed for the runway, a mini Burberry shift dress, huge sunny glasses, and knee-high leather boots. She could make a black bag look good. Liam, on the other hand, was well off enough, not wealthy by Brittany's standards, but this didn't seem to bother either of them. The assumption was made early on in their friendship that Brittany was the wealthiest of the three, and although Frankie knew that was not the case, she made no attempts to correct her.

"I am so sorry, I know I know I'm late. I just got the message less than an hour ago. The s**t hit the fan last night and, to be honest, I was planning to leave." Frankie tried to explain.

"You can tell us all about it when we get settled..." Brittany gave a sympathetic look "...now tell us, did you drive or bring a cab?"

Frankie deliberated but decided to say it casually as if it were no big deal. "My driver brought me. Come on he's waiting just outside." Brittany and Liam pulled a face at one another. Frankie knew what they were thinking - how could the girl from college have a personal driver? God, she should have warned them. What was she thinking of inviting them here? Liam looked at Frankie, his face decided he was just going to go with it. Rubbing her upper arm as a welcome gesture, "It's good to see you Fee" With those few words, Frankie felt less anxious.

"Don't worry Liam, I will just manage, will I?" Brittany yelled as he walked off without helping her with her suitcase. Liam was a feminist and, as he would remind her, she was more than capable of doing anything - even pulling her own suitcase. Frankie kept in her chuckle, "Do you need a hand Brit?" She asked her friend, she was a bit of a pampered princess and she had become used to people who loved to fill the role and take care of her. This was something Brittany thrived on. "No, no, I can manage." She said it in a sarky way to prove a point to Liam, the anti-helper.

Adam was ready to assist as they left the airport terminal. "Can I help you with your luggage, sir, madam?" Liam's jaw dropped dramatically, looking over at Frankie. The way he was looking at her made Frankie want to crawl under a rock. She didn't want their opinions on her to change based on the lifestyle she had, she wanted to be judged on who she was. "Frankie darling, you didn't need to do this?" Brittany chimed in, looking alarmed.

"Sorry, do what?" Frankie asked.

"All this, I assure you we are more than happy to take a cab. You needn't spend money on chauffeurs and limousines for us." Brittany was imploring Frankie to see reason. Frankie knew it was coming from a good place. After all, she had intentionally kept her life here private while at college, but the insinuation that Frankie couldn't afford this was somewhat insulting. Biting her lip, she nodded, cursing herself for having this idea in the first place. "Yes please Adam, if you don't mind sorting out their luggage, thank you." Frankie stepped into the limo first, Liam close behind. "Please tell me how much we owe you, I would like to cover the cost of this." The sound of Brittany's purse unzipping as she spoke to Adam. "Miss, I assure you. Your money is no good here. Please get in." He kept his tone formal. Frankie had known Adam her whole life. He came across as nothing more than professional, but she could tell he also felt the insult for her. "Can we drink this?" Liam was like a kid in a candy shop holding up a bottle of Vintage 2010 Dom Perignon. Silent smiling at her friend, she just nodded excitedly, laughing as he made her grab the flutes as he popped the bottle. Brittany slid into the limo last, her face filled with confusion which quickly shifted to panic when faced with her friends popping champagne inside. "OMG Liam, do you have any idea how much that bottle costs?" He was oblivious to her horror, stuffing his mouth full of snacks on offer. "What?"

Frankie burst out laughing, passing Brittany a glass. "Relax, Brit. Drink up, you're a bit tense."

Giving up, completely confused, she accepted the glass, taking a big gulp "Cheers?"