CHRISTMAS WITH THE BILLIONAIRE

WELCOME TO SAN FRANCISCO

I held my breath praying she wouldn't see me. She walked past me towards the trash can to dispose of a bag of waste. I waited till she went back into the house before I made a quick escape. I locked the rear exit securely and took to my heels, running towards the main road with my heavy backpack while trying to stay away from streetlights to avoid her seeing me through a window.

I flagged down a taxi and quickly made my escape. My heart ached for the exorbitant fare I will have to pay for the ride, but I can't afford going to the bus stop. Mom can easily race after me with her car if she notices I'm not in my room. I can't afford that right now, after all my meticulous plans. I can only be reassured once I'm safely in San Francisco, without being dragged back by the ear.

*****

SAN FRANCISCO, 12TH DECEMBER 2023.

I stood before the resort gate with a huge smile on my face; it was already morning.

A huge smile was on my face as I turned on my phone to call my friend who connected me to the resort.

"Are you there now?" She asked, unable to keep the excitement from her voice.

"Yeah. I finally sneaked out. I'm in front of the resort."

I heard her happy scream and quickly cut the call, just as the sound of her running footsteps filtered into my ears through the phone.

Almost immediately, mom's call came in.

I took a deep breath and picked it up.

"Where the hell are you? How dare you do that to me?" She yelled, nearly bursting my ear drums.

I quickly removed the phone from my ears. My ears were ringing and vibrating from the unwanted sound waves.

"I'm in San Francisco mom. I love you. Stay safe and happy. I will come back soon. You need to let go and let me live my life, you can't shield me forever. I love you mom, I will come back for you soon. I want to become rich and powerful and give you the luxurious life you deserve." I whispered, clenching my fist while telling myself not to feel guilty. I did it to procure a better future for the both of us. I won't let her guilt trip me, no matter what she says.

"I don't want a luxurious life, I only want you. Which part of San Francisco are you in? I will join you.” she whispered tearfully, sniffing over the phone.

"I love you mom, bye" I answered and quickly cut the call.

What a joke! No way in hell will I tell her my location. She will come here to create a ruckus and take me home, leaving a mighty drama in her wake.

I stared at the gigantic resort before me. There were high walls surrounding it for miles on end. It was painted white and gold. There was a tower with a shining star placed on top of it and a plaque at the gate which read 'the star'. The gates soon opened and my friend, Claire, rushed outside.

She was wearing a crop top and mini pants which left most of her thighs exposed. She rushed outside and hugged me, making me smile. I was extremely happy to see her too.

"Glad you could make it. I didn't know your mom would allow you to come. I almost gave up hope!" She exclaimed, dragging me inside.

My heart skipped a beat at the sight before me. Three armed security officers were guarding the gate. Also, there were other fully armed guards with guns and daggers patrolling the gate, making the environment look scary.

I clutched her hand tightly as I looked around.

"What's this place? A mafia club?" I whispered fearfully.

"No, this is the resting spot for some top billionaires and influential figures in America, they are all public figures, so they need maximum security around them. Ignore them. There's never any danger around, except extremely handsome men of course." she said, giggling.

I looked at the mighty edifice all around me. There were pools, fountains, gardens, parks, some unknown buildings and several residential quarters. There was also a heart shaped tower right in the middle of it all, making it look like a paradise of some sorts. She led me to a buggy and began to drive to her division.

"There are malls, casinos, six star restaurants of various nationalities. Then, there are special retreat cabins containing lakes or pools in the woods, and eight mansions, each with its own infinity pool, jacuzzi, massage parlor, garden and theater. Then the main hotel is in the middle. There are only twenty members in this resort. The mansions belong to the richest amongst them. However, most people prefer to stay in the main hotel or retreat cabins, or the beach cabins to avoid being lonely in a huge mansion, all by themselves. There's also a beach towards the south. Then there's the workers' apartment in the main hotel. There are clubs, performance arenas and whatnot. This is a world of its own. Their salary is really good, that was why I wanted you to replace me as I would be going home next week. It is mainly peaceful and uneventful. However, I heard the place is always hot during christmas. Lots of public figures sneak in with their lovers, too bad I will not be here then to witness the sight." she whispered, with a satisfied smile on her face.

Claire stopped before a small building behind the heart shaped tower and we got down. I was led to a big room which had a huge foam, sofa, desk, wardrobe and cabinets. It looked luxurious, unlike what you would normally expect from a staff quarters.

"This will be your room. There's nothing much to do. You will rest for today and have a good sleep. You look like a mess. They will feed you three times daily with whatever available meals. By that, I mean food from five star rated chefs; you will eat what the patrons are eating. I mean, look at me. I already look so fresh by eating food meant for the filthy rich for a month." she said, giggling as she fell on the bed, now my bed.

"So this is basically a paradise where you work, get paid with cool cash, eat and drink whatever you please, while getting generous tips?" I asked happily.

"No, it's hell. There's normally no problem, but if you get entangled with one of the patrons or offend any of them, you might lose your life. There's one important rule which you must adhere to if you want to leave this place peacefully, and unscathed." she whispered, making me pull closer to her.

"What's that?" I whispered back, the serious look on her face made me frown.