The Princess of Beverly Hills

Chapter V

V

James’s idea was a confusing one for Mia; the young girl had never been obliged to run away from anything in her effortless life, except for the times when she used to rush through the garden because she was chasing the florid butterflies which were levitating above the aureate flowers. Just the sound of such a rebellious and disobedient sentence made her stomach sink to the bottom of the ocean and her heart push like a fractious running engine. James had turned from a perfect and beyond comparable man into a lawless and anarchic free spirit who was as defiant as a child who was compelled to finish a spoon of cod liver oil. In both the corners of their mouths a mischievous laugh formed and started to build up the elated thrill which ran by the name of adrenaline through both of their veins. The only feeling that Mia could refer to as a resemblance was the excitement that a person feels when he is waiting behind a dark edge to scare someone.    

‘’Run?’’ Mia asked with concern.

‘’Yes, without any hesitation’’

‘’Did you forget your wallet or something cau--’’

‘’No no’’ James quickly mingled between her sentence, ‘’we just have to escape’’

Mia uttered a stressful laugh.

‘’Escape from what James?’’

‘’Deception’’

She frowned.

‘’You’re so confusing’’ and the frown turned into an analytical look, ‘’yet I seem to understand everything you say’’

By now the Italian group of musicians had withdrawn to the kitchen and the only person left was the cook from whom it was unknown if he was watching the clock impatiently or the pinup girl right under the clock with revered awe.

‘’Okay here’s the plan’’ James took another peek over his shoulder, ‘’when the chef goes into the kitchen, we go out the bistro’’

She nodded and swallowed her nerves.

In the kitchen a little buzz alarmed the chef, he took a glance at his wristwatch, claiming the fact that he was staring at the pinup girl, and gone he was through the beaded curtain.

‘’Come!’’ James rose from his chair, almost knocking over the table by the speed of bottled up excitement, ‘’I’ll get your coat, run!’’

Mia took a similar leap of her chair and went out the door towards the car where she would continuously pull the handle of the door.

‘’Mia!’’ James called for her when he came out, ‘’leave the car behind, we’re going on foot!’’

The chef stormed out the door with kooky eyes and a furiously moving mustache which expressed perfectly with the words that he yelled.

‘’Bambini stupidi, si devono ancora pagare!’’

And the chef raised his spatula in the air like the people of Italy raised their weapons after the revolution against Mussolini.

‘’Here!’’ James yelled back and threw their coats in the chef’s face, ‘’give these to your wife’’

James and Mia ran together to the end of the street as their hands were engaged for eternity, knowing that they would never run alone without the presence of each other.

‘’Pfieuw!’’ he uttered a sigh of fatigue, ‘’that was close!’’

‘’That was exciting!’’ Mia added with a flame in her eyes which had turned from a low pilot to a roaring fire, ‘’do you think he’s following us?’’