Katie was delighted; after so many years of unemployment, she had just received an email congratulating her for securing a managerial position with a top financial firm in the heart of newyork.

‘Congratulations Ms Katie Gooder, you have been employed for the role of Manager, Services department of Pioneer Financial Masters. See attached your letter of employment’.

Katie immediately called her friend

‘Hi Betty, guess what?’

‘Spill the beans Katie, I’m brainstorming for my project, can’t make any guesses’ Betty replied

‘Not even one guess?’ Said Katie

Betty got impatient and hung up the phone. ‘Call back when you’re ready’, she murmured

Betty’s phone beeped, it was a text message from Katie

‘I got the Job at Pioneer’ read Katie’s text.

Betty let out a sharp scream and immediately put her right palm over her mouth;

‘Sorry guys’ she apologised to the people around her. She went out to give Katie a call back, Katie didn’t pick up. Betty frowned, she knew her friend was trying to get even for hanging up on her; she was about to call Katie again when a text came in from Katie

‘Not brainstorming anymore? Air head!’

Betty laughed.

‘Coming to yours in three hours, bake some chicken, I’m bringing drinks’ Betty replied. ‘We got to celebrate’

‘Sure thing’ said Katie

Betty and Katie have been friends since they were toddlers. Somehow, in the goings of life they always found themselves in the same space at different phases of their lives. They pretty much liked the same things; they were birds of the same feather. Betty unlike her best friend had a more serious dispensation and outlook on life, she took everything seriously while Katie would very much squeeze in a laugh behind every thing she said or did; she was a Sagittarius after all, always flighty.

After the phone call with Katie ended, Betty called an Uber to take her home. Thank her stars she lived close to Katie because she had promised herself to do some laundry after her research at the city Center. She was taking a professional course on photography, and had a project to turn at the end of the semester; she had only four weeks left.

‘Bye guys’ she waved at her colleagues and was outside before they could blurt a reply. She was home in 20minutes. She got straight to her laundry, she was excited for Katie’s new job, it was like a dream come through; she thought of all the adventures they would have together with Katie’s paycheck. It was going to be remarkable. Her phone beeped again, it was Katie’s text; ‘grab something nice, we are going to be at that private yacht party’ Betty screamed in excitement. Katie was going all out to celebrate her new milestone.

Katie turned on some music to the highest volume, she was baking chicken and cleaning the house at the same time, tonite she will lose herself completely at the yacht party. There was only one thing on her mind, she was a manager at the prestigious Pioneer Financial Masters. She beamed a smile of satisfaction while she took out the chicken from the oven.

The door bell startled Katie, she had finished preparing a little early and had fell into a nap while waiting for Betty. She stayed a while on the couch, the bell went off again this time Betty got impatient and rang the bell continuously

‘Chiiilll’ Katie said as she opened the door to a beaming Betty; ‘Congratulations girl’ Betty said loudly. She handed Katie the drinks and gave her a hug; ‘Thanks Betty, I’m excited haha, we are going to have lots of fun now I got some money coming in’ Betty clapped her hands in agreement, she did a little dance and ran into the kitchen to grab a huge chunk of chicken. ‘So, tell me; how did you get those tickets to the yacht party on such short notice, I thought they were sold out’. Katie grinned mischievously ‘well I have my ways, I’m THE KATIE GOODER, remember? Life of the party’ Betty nodded in delight ‘Oh I remember’ they both let out a loud laugh and settled in the dining area, Betty opened the wine and poured a generous amount in two glasses; ‘Cheers to more wins and exciting adventures’ they hit their glasses together at the tip and took several gulps of wine. ‘This is the life!’ Katie exclaimed.

It oozed class and extravagance at the private party. Katie and Betty had arrived just when the yacht was about to set off on it's cruise. Betty squeezed her friend’s arm when they got in, they had never seen such luxury in their lives. Katie was fascinated, it was an all white party and everyone looked dazzling and very well groomed. Katie gave her friend a quick smirk to comport herself and fit into the crowd; ‘Betty, please do not disgrace me, you’re staring’. ‘I’m sorry’ Betty whispered. They made their way smiling through the crowd to get a comfortable spot where they could see everything going on. They didn’t know anybody there, Katie only happened to know a rep at the ticket sales company, so she got tickets for her and her friend, she had not even paid in full.

They had settled in for a couple of minutes when Katie noticed him. Tall, squared jaw and deep glass eyes stared relentlessly at her direction. She turned back to see if he was staring at someone behind her, she turned to look ahead of her and there he was still staring at her. Katie got uncomfortable and gulped her drink; she switched her focus on a couple to her left and yanked Betty’s dress. ‘Someone is staring at me’ Katie told her friend. ‘Stay put, don’t turn arou...’ it was too late Betty had turned wide eyed in the strangers direction. ‘I told you not to turn’ Katie scolded Betty, ‘He’s coming this way Katie’ Betty said. ‘What?’ Katie mouthed and held her breath. ‘I’m going to go somewhere else’ Betty was about to leave her friend when the stranger got to them. ‘Hello, I’m Prince, welcome to my party’ he held out his right hand to offer Katie a handshake. Katie didn’t speak; she was stunned, he was so handsome. She finally came back alive after a split second, ‘Hi, I’m Katie’ she said accepting his gesture.