Free The Risk by Lauren Branford Page B

my pocket to see a message from Kim.
    Running late at a charity auction – sent a driver for you! XO
                  “A driver ?” I ask myself as I squint at the phone screen. Looking up, I see a tall man with dark skin and a smooth face. He is wearing a black suit and holding a sign that read: HAILEY BRIGGS .
                  I stare at the driver, long and hard. It can’t be for me . Sure, it says my name on it, and it feels just like the movies.
                  “Ms. Briggs?” asks the driver as I stare at his card.
                  “Yes?” I answer, still taken back.
                  “I’m here to take you to the estate.”
                  “Oh, okay,” I quietly comply. He takes my bags and escorts me to the back of the shiny, new town car. It’s black with white leather interior. Bottles of champagne await me from the backseat.
    As we drive away from the airport, I look around and pull the cork off a previously opened bottle. The bubbles energetically fizz from the opening. I want to take a sip, but I’m too scared. After all, I’m not legally allowed to yet. Still, every bursting bubble calls for me to drink from it. I don’t want anyone to know, so I duck down, glugging from the tip until the effervescence becomes too much, and I pull back.
    I giggle to myself as I carefully place the bottle back into the ice bucket, shoving the cork into the top. Sure, it wasn’t the classiest or even the raciest thing to do for most girls my age, but it’s a small reminder that I have free will away from the clutches of my overbearing parents.
    Thirty minutes later, we drive along a winding path that leads to the top of a mountain. Enormous houses line our way, but they aren’t the most spectacular part. In the distance, the blue ocean spreads out seemingly forever. I roll my window down, taking in the crisp ocean air.
    Finally, I feel relaxed. I’ve never seen the ocean before, and I can’t wait to dip my toes in the water. I make a pact with myself to do whatever it takes to stay with my Aunt for as long as she’ll have me. Hopefully, my cousin and I will hit it off. I get along with most girls, so this shouldn’t be an issue.
    At the top of the hill, near the edge of the cliff, is the largest house of them all. An enormous, white wall surrounds it, and the driver opens the gate, pulling us into the front yard. Bright green grass and a collection of trees sprinkle the front law. I look up at the mansion that’s unlike any home I’ve ever seen.
    The place is white with enormous glass panels. Sun rays shine brightly through the blue-tinted glass as the car comes to a stop. The driver comes around, pulling my bags out of the trunk and opening the door for me. Looking at the luxurious home, I suddenly feel underdressed. I’m wearing a long, yellow ten-dollar dress that I bought last summer. I thought it would be fitting for the ocean, but I feel under dressed to walk into a house as gorgeous as this one.
    “Welcome, Miss,” says the driver as I step onto the concrete.
    “Thank you,” I reply, softly, still in awe of my surroundings. Suddenly, I see a figure walking my direction. The driver gets back in the car and begins to pull away. I squint at the newcomer as he makes his way behind the tinted windows.
    It must be Kim’s new husband, I think. Perhaps his daughter will join us soon for a late lunch overlooking the ocean. I imagine anything that I can in order to calm my nerves. However, the person who steps out of the door is much younger. He appears just a few years older than me and wears a tight-fitted polo around his beefy arms. His short, brown hair is neatly combed on top of his round hair, with a tan complex, likely from sunbathing. His sunglasses are pitch black, blocking me from seeing his eyes. However, as soon as he catches sight of me, he fixates his gaze.
    “Hey,” he says.
    “Hi,” I quietly reply as he nears me.