"I'm bored" Tina said while laying on the sunbed next to me.

I lowered my sunglasses to give her a good look. She was stretching her long legs like her life was depending on it. I let a loud sigh.

"More booze?" I asked her snapping my fingers so the waiter will see me.

"Dude, no. let's do something. I feel like fried chicken. We've been here for hours." She sounded annoyed, sitting up and looking at me intensely as she removed her sunglasses.

I let out a chuckle and I noticed the waiter with our cocktails in hand standing next to me.

"Ah, thank you so much Miguel," I said and took the drinks from his hands offering one to Tina.

She scoffed but grabbed the drink anyway.

I took a long sip from my drink savoring the taste of passion fruit with alcohol. Or was it mango? Who can tell? I didn't care any way. As long it was sweet and strong I was okay with it.

"So.." I set the drink on the side table and removed my sunglasses to take a good look at my best friend who, like always, was bitching again. "What do you wanna do?"

"I don't know. Something! Let's go out. Find a party to crash." She threw her hands in the air frustrated. "Anything but seating by the pool all day."

"It's the middle of the day. No one is having parties at noon," I straightened out the top half of my bikini so i wouldn't flash anybody accidentally.

"Okay," she said with a deadpan expression "Let's go out to lunch, or shopping. Please? We've been here for a week. I need to interact with people you know." A mischievous grin spread across her face. "Preferably hot guys."

I placed my hand over my heart pretending to be hurt.

"Are you saying I'm not enough?" I smirked.

"I love you, you know that but I need to get laid. I won't do you!" she laughed as she pushed back her ebony hair from her face.

I huffed, put on my sunglasses, and laid back in my sunbed.

"I could've had you if I wanted to," Not a hint of doubt in my voice.

"Oh, please. I'm way out of your league." She laughed and I laughed along with her. "Come on, get up!"

I groaned as she started pulling me up.

"You are a pain in the ass."

The moment I stood, she hooked her arm with mine, something we did since we were kids, and started walking toward my house.

I loved this house.

I loved the view in the ocean, I loved the huge pool, I loved the neatly arranged flower garden. I loved all of it.

I loved my life.

I could sit all day long and then party all night. I felt so carefree, no worry in sight like the sun was shining all the damn time in my land. Or as Tina was saying my Rachelland.

That's right I had a land and I was the queen doing whatever I wanted there.

"When is your dad coming back?" Tina asked as we walked in the house.

I removed my sunglasses and threw them on the coffee table.

"I don't know. He said he hasn't finish with his meetings just yet. There was a problem with one of the ships. I didn't understand exactly what, but ,you know, somethin' somethin'." I spoke with the indifference crossing the living room to reach the marble stairs which led to my room to get changed.

"Do you realize that once you're through with college you'll have to be at all those meetings and shit?" she said as we climbed the stairs, shock written all over her face.

I sighed again. Of course I knew. I knew my days of freedom were numbered and that's why I tried to live them to the fullest. Next year, I'll be Corporate Rachel, daughter of the owner of Brody Lines.

That's where the pool and this mansion came from - our ships. Dad worked hard to grow the business Granddad left him, when he passed away, and the truth is my dad did a great job. That's why it's a worldwide success.

I wish I could be like him, but I'm not. I've always been spoiled, which let's be honest is mainly Dad's fault, but I know that once I step my foot into those offices he's not going to go easy on me. I will no longer be his little girl.

I know that, because he told me it the moment I discussed with him my decision to study shipping management. His words echoed in my head ever since.

"I will not treat you differently from any other employ. I will no longer be your dad so you can't come crying to me to fix your problems. I'll be your boss. You'll have to prove yourself to me or else I'm gonna have to let you go. And Rachel, I will do it. I love you my darling girl so, so much but I will not jeopardize the company's future by pampering you. Do you understand?"

And I do. I don't like it but I understand it. I see it as a challenge and believe me I'm in need for one. Lately everything has been really easy. Money, school, boys. I don't even try that hard. It's like I'm a magnet pulling everything in my direction. Where is the fun in that?

"I know. Who knows, might be fun." I shrugged as we got inside my room.

She snorted out loud.

"Doubt it." she walked to my en suite bathroom to get changed.

I stepped inside my walk-in closet and caught my reflection at the full-size mirror.

I stopped and took a good look at myself.

I looked good.

Fate was generous with me giving me such good looks.

My ashy blond hair was shiny and long, reaching just below my chest, and my skin was dark and glowing from all the tanning, making my gray eyes shine brighter.

I may not be very tall but my body was looking good, too, with my curves in all the right places and a flat stomach I worked my ass off to keep in shape. Happy with my appearance,I brushed a few stay hair off my face and turned my gaze to the neatly hung clothes that were before me.

"So, lunch?" I yelled to Tina, and I heard her yell back an uh-ha.

Welcome to Rachelland!

#

"Take the top down." Tina said "Let the wind blow our hair to feel like we're models." Tina pushed back her hair, her caramel eyes shining with humor.

"Yeah, that's what you need to look like a model, the wind." I said sarcastically. "I mean, have you seen you?" I pointed at her. She was really beautiful, tall and thin with her floral designer sundress clinging to her long body like a glove, perfectly manicured nails and shiny, sleek and straighter than spaghetti, ebony hair. If I didn't look good myself I would've slapped her.

"Whatever you say, your majesty." She made a small bow, which made me laugh.

I fished my key fob from my purse and opened the car to take the top down.

As we were about to get in, I heard another car approaching us in the driveway.

"Hey bug," I heard my brother say as he parked next to me.

"Hey Danny. Done for the day?"

Danny was already working with Dad and now that he was away, Danny had to take care of everything in the downtown office, which usually meant late nights working.

He got out of the car, straightened his suit looking exhausted but his gray eyes appeared playful.

"Nah, I'll be working some more from here."

I don't understand my brother. No matter how difficult stuff can get, he looked like nothing could affect him. He never lost his humor, never got angry or felt frustrated. Or at least how he looks on the outside. I envy him. I'm an open book. I wear my emotions on my sleeve. That's why I suck at poker. I don't have the face for it.

"You girls going out?"

"Just lunch. Pinhead over here, got bored while laying in the pool. You know how rough it can be." The minute I said it Tina slapped my hand with force pouting. Danny on the other hand laughed out loud throwing his head back.

"Ha-ha," Tina said in a humorless voice. "Do you wanna join us?" she asked, smiling sweetly.

Danny pushed back his brown hair awkwardly, looking at her.

"Thank you, but I have work to do." He cleared his throat "Well, I'll see you guys later. Hopefully we can do something together then." And with that he nodded at us and headed toward the house.

I got in my car but Tina was still standing there, staring at my brother's back.

"Damn your brother. How hotter can he be? I mean... wow." There was longing in her voice.

"Ew, no! Don't say that." I cringed.

She got in the car her mouth still slightly open.

"But did you see him though? He's like a walking sex bomb."

I covered my ears in disgust.

"Dude! That's my brother you're talking about. Stop it."

"Oh come on. You know he's hot I'm not telling you something new. But the way he looked in that suit, reminded me of Mr. Grey, you know full of sex tricks up his sleeve..."

"I'm gonna stop you right there because I feel like gagging. You just compared my brother to a masochist so you lost your talking privileges for at least half an hour." I raised my hand in front of her face to make her stop.

She scoffed as she fastened her seatbelt next to me.

"Like that could ever happen."

"Maybe you can't do it but loud music will muffle your voice." I started the car and turned up the radio. She laughed beside me, and I sped up the moment I pasted the gate, making our hair whirl in the wind, just like she wanted.

Eventually the music caught up with us and we started singing out loud at the top of our voices, laughing when we didn't get the lyrics correct.

We were about to get on the seaside highway when I saw it.

A car was coming right at us from my side.

I tried to avoid the collision but I was too late.

A loud bang sounded as the cars smashed into each other.

I kept my hands on the wheel and tried to stop the car, afraid we may start spinning.

Tina looked terrified and tried to hold on to something.

The car eventually stopped, and even though the radio was still on, I couldn't hear a thing beside the pump of blood in my ears and my heart pounding like crazy. I turned off the radio and looked at Tina to make sure she was okay. She looked shocked but other than that I didn't see any injuries.

"You okay?" panting, I turned to her. She nodded and I exhaled relieved. She looked unbelievably pale, but she was okay.

That's when I saw the other driver getting out of his car, slamming his door with too much force for my liking.

He was tall with a well-built body. I could tell even though he tried to hide that fact with the hideous clothes he wore.

A washed-out baggy pair of jeans with a black dorky T-shirt with some superheroes on it.

His glasses hung low on his nose and he raised them to see examine the damage to his car, better.

Then he pushed back his dark hair, seemingly frustrated.