"You and Noelle were born in wealth, but you girls are so different. You're more open to things."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm spoiled in my own way. But Noelle and I take people for who they are. Milandra is the one that took after Father all the way. He taught her to believe that love and wealth are one and the same, but she's finding out through you that it isn't true. She's fighting against herself. Please give her a chance. I know she loves you. I could see it when you ran out of here."

"I don't know." Nolan paused. "Maybe I should keep my distance."

"Do you think you're in love with my sister?"

"You're straightforward."

"You older people make love a big project. So do you love her?"

"I feel like I'm falling in love with her. I hoped she was feeling the same way, but 'just a friend'-now that's cold."

"Please, she feels more for you than just a friend. I should have videoed her after you left. All I can say is if you think you're falling in love with her, make her see that being with you, a man who has less, can be worth more than any other man with money."

Nolan said goodbye.

Milandra woke up the next day with a pounding headache. She decided to stay in bed.

Kenley came into her bedroom. "You're still in bed?"

"I don't feel good," she said with an ice pack on her head.

"You're in love."

"Nonsense!"

Noelle came over to the estate and made her way into the bedroom. She saw Milandra still in bed. "I heard you were sick. That was the talk of the day as I came in the house."

"I have a slight headache," Milandra said.

"She has a love ache. She ran Nolan away and now she hates that she did it," Kenley said.

"Hush your talk," Milandra said.

"You let Nolan go? Why?" Noelle asked as she took a seat on the side of the bed.

"He doesn't have wealth," Kenley answered.

"Sid doesn't have wealth, but he's a good man. I would never throw him away. Milandra, how could you do such thing?" Noelle asked.

"You would marry Sid?" Milandra asked amazed.

"Yes, we've talked about it," Noelle said.

"My head is pounding more," Milandra said.

"You can get well really fast by just calling Nolan back over," Kenley said.

"He doesn't want to be a friend, so we're finished," Milandra said.

"Let's forget about wealth. Let's talk about him," Noelle said, taking the role of a psychologist.

"There's nothing to speak of," Milandra said as she pulled the covers over her head.

"Oh, yes there is. I know you've kissed him, but what about s.e.x?" Noelle asked.

Kenley ran up to Milandra and pulled the covers off her face. "You had s.e.x with Nolan? Tell us how it was?"

"Kenley, get out of this room. I'm not discussing s.e.x with my sister who is barely sixteen," Milandra said.

"I can learn it from you or I can learn it on my own. Which would you rather I do?" Kenley giggled.

"Start talking, Milandra," Noelle said.

Milandra said, "I'm waiting to have s.e.x until I'm married. And I hope, Noelle, you'll wait until marriage also."

"Too late. Sid and I have made great love," Noelle bragged.

"Good for you, Noelle. When I'm old enough I'm going to be just like you. I'm not letting a man out of my sight who gives me great s.e.x," Kenley said.

Milandra sat up in the bed. "What have you become, Noelle? There's more to a relationship than s.e.x."

"Well, Sid treats me the best in and out of bed. Nolan treats you wonderfully, from what I see," Noelle said.

"Yes, he's a gentleman, I will admit," Milandra said. "But no wealth."

"Oh you're driving me bananas. Forget about the wealth. Love him for who he is. Have hot s.e.x, or I'll be pushing you around as an old lady in a wheelchair. You'll have to live with me. I'll feed you peanuts and crackers," Kenley teased.

Noelle giggled. "You better find a way to get Nolan back as soon as possible."

"I've messed up. I don't know what to do. He might never forgive me," Milandra said.

Kenley smiled as Nolan appeared in the room.

"Ladies, will you excuse Milandra and me?" he asked.

Noelle and Kenley left the room. Nolan closed the door behind them. He walked over to Milandra and took the ice pack out of her hand, placing it on the nightstand. He held her in his arms and looked directly into her eyes.

"You listen here. I'll be your friend for now or whatever you want to call it, but I'm going to work hard to build wealth because you'll be my wife one day. I love you, and I know you love me. We'll have to learn each other's lifestyles. Now get out of this bed and get dressed. We're going on a picnic."

Nolan walked over to the door and opened it. Instead of leaving, he turned and went back to her. He took her into his arms, kissing her pa.s.sionately. "No man can love you the way I love you." He walked away, but he made one last comment before he left the room: "I'll wait for you downstairs."

Her face puddled in tears, Milandra decided to get out of bed and join her man.

Chapter 34.

Kenley's sweet sixteen birthday party was one of the things that kept her from thinking of her parents' death. She gave out all twenty-five invitations-including one to Pete. She had convinced her sisters to have her entire party at their home instead of the yacht club. Her concern was who would be her date. She went to Milandra.

"My party is not going to be so good," she whined.

"You have all the tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs for it," Milandra said as she went over the party list.

"I have no date to walk me in." Kenley wept.

"Let's see if one of Father's colleagues' sons would like to escort you."

"A stranger. I don't want anyone to feel pity for me," Kenley wept.

"Well, do you have an idea?"

Kenley thought and whispered, "Pete."

"Who?" Milandra stopped writing and turned around to look at her.

"Pete."

"The help? I better pick out your date."

"I like Pete. He's fun and quite handsome. Please! He knows me."

"He better not know you too well."

"I'm just talking to him. I'm not mushy with him like you and Noelle are with your male friends."

"Hush your mouth!"

Although she wanted to say no to Kenley, Milandra didn't dare upset her sister. "Okay, it's your sweet sixteenth birthday. I'll grant it."

"Yippee," Kenley yelled and twirled around like a ballerina and ran to find her date.

Inside the kitchen, Pete was polishing a silver bowl. Kenley came up to him and tapped him on the shoulder.

He jumped. "You scared me."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to. But you must stop what you're doing."

"I have to finish polishing this bowl before Elsa comes back from shopping."

"I need to talk to you."

Kenley watched as he set the bowl down on the table. Pete turned and gave her his full attention.

"What you want to talk about?"

"I need you to come with me and buy a tuxedo."

"That's a funny name. What is it?"

Kenley laughed. "It's a fancy suit. You're going to be my escort for my party."

"Escort?" Pete said as he wondered what an escort does.

"You'll walk me into my party."

"Oh, I see, like a papa walks his daughter in for marriage."

"Yes, like that." Kenley giggled.

"How about your boyfriend?"

Kenley said sadly. "I have no boyfriend. Please escort me. If you don't, I won't have anyone."

Pete grinned. "For you, seorita, I do it. What about the pants and shirt I got from Elsa to wear to party?"

"Give them back to her," Kenley said. She abruptly kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for being my escort."

The touch of her lips turned his groin into a frozen Popsicle. Without any thought, he in return placed a peck on her cheek.

Her heart fluttered as she wished he had kissed her on the lips. "Let's go get you a tuxedo." Kenley smiled as she took him by the hand.

The afternoon was filled with shopping and grooming Pete for the party.

The servants decorated the estate with an arrangement of a.s.sorted flowers and balloons. A garland of pink roses adorned the staircase banister. Pete proudly stood in his tuxedo, not daring to sit down and mess it up. With the help of Elsa, his hair was slicked back, and the shirt he wore was white and crisp. The black c.u.mmerbund lay flat around his waist. His shoes dazzled like polished silver.

Pete kept looking up the stairs as he waited for Kenley to make her entrance; it wasn't long before she stood at the top of the stairs. She was dressed in a simple, pale-pink, low-cut, backless dress with sequins. Her hair was pulled back into a curly ponytail, and it showed off her mother's diamond stud earrings that sparkled in her ears. She strolled down the stairs on pink diamond stud high heels to match her dress. Her cheeks were rosy from pink blush and her lips glittered with pink lip gloss.

Pete held his head up high to show off the black bow tie as Kenley stepped down the last step to stand in front of him.

"Wow! You're the most beautiful black girl I've ever seen."

She smiled. "You're the best looking Mexican boy in a tuxedo."

"Black-Mexican," he corrected her. "But thanks." He smiled.

"Pictures," Noelle and Milandra called. They had already snapped several shots as Kenley came down the stairs, as if the occasion was a photo shoot.