Chapter 398: Close to Home

Days later, Mina had finished packing for the three-day trip she promised she would go on. She was excited; it was the first overnight trip she had been invited to that she could afford. Camping was not an expensive ordeal, and Mina could afford everything she needed without feeling like she had overspent. She packed warm clothing, not needing too much else because Olivia had made all other arrangements for her without being asked.

Mina knew Olivia was feeling guilty for having had her dragged into a problem that could have been much more devastating if Cylus had not acted quickly, so she allowed her to do as she pleased. She had already convinced Cylus not to personally fetch her and 'her friend' because she had yet to tell Willow where exactly they were going.

Mina waited for Willow in front of the small courtyard that was sandwiched between the two buildings where the women stayed. She had already sent the driver away, telling him to keep circling the area until Willow arrived. She instructed the man not to say anything about CEO Rue, or where they were travelling and in truth, Mina also had no idea where she was going, but she trusted Cylus and the man he had sent had given the correct password.

In any other situation she would have felt guilty for trying to push Willow together with someone, but Mina liked Oric for Willow. He was a laid-back person, but most importantly he was romantic. Mina knew this because he had not stopped sending her flowers since she helped him, and according to his mother, he had stopped seeing other women altogether.

Although it was a point of worry for Mina, that was the kind of commitment she would appreciate from any man; if she were looking, and the fact that Oric had done those things with only a few text and phone conversations made a significant impact on Mina's opinion of him. Not to mention his patience with Terrence, who she knew was still 'studying' Oric.

Mina also knew that Willow had an unpleasant experience with dating in her youth, and she pushed men away because of it. She hoped that Willow and Oric could bond over their similar background stories, and she assumed that Oric was unable to appeal to Willow because of her fear of being hurt again.

Besides, if her friend denied the man, Mina would have no problem with taking her place, with permission or course. She had two months left to live and she wanted to experience what it felt like to date.

----

When Willow finally made her way toward the courtyard, she had more bags than Mina thought necessary. Mina looked down at her single luggage and back at the four her friend had brought with the help of two men who were dressed in security uniforms.

"Is all of that necessary for camping? I told you my friends made accommodations for us; our tent included." Willow tapped one of her bags with her foot.

"In here is a world-famous auto-tent with weather proofing. It has three bedrooms, complete with air mattresses, and a shower area that allows water to drain through the mesh bottom netting. There is also an attached area for a camping toilet. I see no need for us to sacrifice our comfort when I can afford to bring it with us." Mina found herself stifling a laugh.

"Should I tell you what you sound like right now?" She asked, and her friend wisely shook her head.

"Please don't; I was already embarrassed as I was speaking." Mina started to laugh, and Willow joined her. She then stopped, warning Mina that she was laughing a little too hard, which made Mina laugh harder. "You seem happy today." Mina nodded; she had been relieved by Cylus' decision to pursue a relationship with Vanya. It had taken pressure off of her that she had not known was there.

"I'm excited," Mina said. "This is the first trip I have ever gone on with friends and having you with me makes it even better." Willow's mouth curved down, not because she was saddened by Mina's words, but because she knew how hard Mina had worked in university, and she felt bad that the woman had never been able to just relax until now. Not wanting to dampen Mina's mood, Willow changed the topic.

"Any plans for your actual birthday? Not that life calendar crap. The real day you were born." Mina shook her head. She had almost forgotten that her real birthday was less than two weeks after Giving Day, she had never celebrated it growing up, and she had no plans to start.

"I would prefer to stick with what I am used to," Mina replied. There was no point in her starting a new trend when she did not plan to live that long. It would be better to celebrate in February, as a 'going away' party.

"Fair enough. That means I will return to The Four Cities the day after the reunion. I cannot bear to spend another minute with my uncle. He is worse than my father; do you know how many men he has introduced me to? He even called me old." Mina chuckled knowing that Willow was far from old. "He said we didn't invite the 'right' men to my coming out ceremony." Willow crossed her arms in annoyance and Mina patted her shoulder.

"The right man might be closer than you think," she said, and Willow stuck out her tongue.

A black luxury car stopped in front of the courtyard and Willow looked at Mina with narrowed eyes. She knew her friend was frugal and would not have called such a high-class transport, but she also knew Mina was hiding things from her. The chauffeur exited the vehicle and helped pack the women's things into the car. Willow's bags took up the entire trunk, so Mina's bag had the privilege of riding shotgun.

The ride was a long one, and Mina and Willow used the opportunity to chat about Wayvair. Willow reminded Mina that she had not had a coming out ceremony, and she encouraged the woman to hijack the event as her own by inviting eligible bachelors. Mina did not want to do that, but Willow insisted she made Wayvair pay for their treatment of her.

If Willow and Ash had not rallied behind Mina when her room and board was revoked, the girl would have been homeless. She demanded Mina's phone and she called Wayvair herself. She eventually got to the event organizer and she told the woman that Mina planned to invite fifty personal guests to the event.

"Why did you do that?" Mina asked. She did not try to stop Willow because she did not think the school would promptly agree, but she didn't even know fifty people. It was no secret that Mina was disliked in the university, and just like Willow, her friends back then were limited to two people; three if they included Paul.

"Now you can invite whoever you want without worry. Didn't you say you made new friends? You can even invite President Lee." Willow studied Mina's face to see what her reaction would be, and as she guessed, Mina was annoyed.

"I'm not inviting my employer," she replied. Mina looked away from Willow and out of the window. She sat straight up in her seat, recognizing the area as close to her family home, and even closer to the Lee facility.