The aroma of coffee greeted Alex the moment she stepped through the door of SAN Restaurant. It was toasty warm inside compared to the sharp, cold air outside. She headed to the counter and ordered herself the hot chocolate she had been craving since Friday. Then she took a seat facing the door to make sure Peter would be able to spot her.
Alex glanced about her surroundings, noting the busy staff, the happy customers, and cozy decor of the restaurant.
SAN made the best hot chocolate in town, not to mention Cambodian food. She and her friends had always met here for their hot-choc sessions.
She took off her blue coat nervously. In fact, her insides were shuddering with anxiety as she waited for Peter and his friend, whoever he was, to show up.
Peter had called her late last night. After he sang her a happy birthday song loudly, he told her she shouldn’t be nervous meeting his friend, supposedly a nice person. She trusted Peter. He would never introduce her to anyone who had a questionable character, except for that one time with Andrew.
Peter said his name was Jayden, and Jay could help her with her problem. Peter hinted it was about her dad. Again, that anticipation rose in her chest.
A pretty waitress arrived and placed the tall cup of hot chocolate on her table.
“Thanks.” Alex nodded her head at the waitress in appreciation.
“No worries. Enjoy,” the young woman said sweetly and then went away.
Alone, Alex grinned and inhaled the steamy liquid, her nose almost touching the thick, brown, chocolaty foam. She picked up one pink marshmallow and dropped it into the hot liquid and then picked the white one and popped that into her mouth. She smiled as the light, sugary goodness melted on her tongue. She lifted the cup and took a sip, the warmth and sweetness of the liquid soothing the coldness in her body.
Who could Jayden be? And how can he help me and Dad?
She glanced outside through the cafe’s window and saw it was raining again. She watched as people wearing thick jackets with scarves wrapped around their necks rush back and forth in a hurry, even though it was a Sunday. She supposed they wanted to get away from the cold wind and rain.
She glanced at the entrance again. A part of her wanted to see Peter coming through that door, but the other part didn’t. She picked up her cell phone to check the time. It said 2:30 p.m. exactly. The tightness in her stomach intensified. Then she felt a breeze of cold air. She glanced up and saw Peter. Her heart skipped a beat. She straightened herself and stood up just a bit to get his attention. That was when she saw him.
Her heart did a triple skip.
It’s him. It’s Mr. Hot-Choc! So he’s Jayden?
Gosh, he looked so—non-Kiwi. Not that she was a full Kiwi herself. She was half-Cambodian. Her mom was a refugee Cambodian who migrated to New Zealand years ago just after the Pol Pot regime. Then her mom married her dad, a real Kiwi bloke to boot, who was one of the many refugees’ supporters along with Peter’s mom and dad.
Peter saw her after a quick scan around the cafe.
“Hey, Alex,” he said as he and Jayden advanced toward her. “How are you?”
“Fine, thank you.” She couldn’t help noticing her voice was shaking just a bit from nervousness.
“Alex, this is Jayden McCartney,” Peter said, nodding his head toward the handsome man.
“Hi.” Alex stood slightly, giving him a fleeting smile, avoiding his eyes.
“Hey,” Jay said, offering his hand.
Alex looked at it as though she had just seen a pig fly. Hesitantly, she put her hand into his. They shook.
Jayden thought her hand was cold, and it was so small it disappeared into his. She was also too thin. She still looked plain, wearing those skinny jeans and purple jersey. She must be cold because she still had her pink scarf wrapped around her neck even in this cozy cafe.
As they took their seats, he noted her snuggling her chin deeper into the thick scarf.
“Did it come off?” she asked, her voice low, her eyes watching him through her glasses.
Jayden had just noticed she was wearing a pair of glasses. He didn’t remember her wearing them on Friday or last night.
He glanced at Peter and saw his friend eyeing him quizzically. He said, “It did,” not bothering to enlighten his friend of what did come off.
“Oh, good. I was so worried it wouldn’t.”
“Don’t worry.” He didn’t know how because he hadn’t been the one who did the cleaning. The washing machine did, and Peter’s mom, Mrs. Thompson, the High Court justice.
“So, Alex, how’s Mom and Dad?” Peter asked.
“They’re okay,” she replied, avoiding his eyes and fiddling with the cup of her hot chocolate. “Hey, don’t you want anything to drink?”
Jay could tell she didn’t like talking about her family. He wondered why. He thought he sensed a hint of pain, sadness, and frustration in her soft, husky voice. Not a singing voice—just a plain, simple voice—like the rest of her.
“Yeah,” Peter said, getting up. “What do you want, Jay?”
“A flat white, thanks,” Jayden replied.
Peter nodded and walked off to the counter to order. Only he wasn’t the first in line because there was a bunch of Uni students before him.
Alex picked up her cup and nervously sipped the hot chocolate again.
Jay watched. He wondered if she was embarrassed about last night. But then again, she said she lost her contacts, and she didn’t see the drunken man coming. That meant she wouldn’t have been able to see him properly either. The look she gave him in that dim corridor said so.
Alex swallowed the warm liquid hard. It nearly choked her. She tried not to make a scene. He isn’t going to eat you, you ninny, she told herself. Just as that thought popped up in her head, she glanced at him and saw him smiling at her, a very sultry smile that sent her insides shuddering with excitement.
She lowered her cup and cleared her throat. “Sorry about that tea stain. I promise it won’t happen again.”
“Can you guarantee it?” Jay asked playfully, his eyes twinkling.
She blinked at him. “Say what?”
“Is it a guarantee?”
“You mean me promising not to spill tea on you?”
“Yup.”
“I don’t know. It’s human nature,” she said, not sure where this was going. Of course she would never spill tea on him again. She was never going to see him again anyway.
It was such an odd conversation to have with a man. She was sure when a girl was with a guy like Jay, she’d talk about something else. She wasn’t sure what, but she was sure it wasn’t about spilling tea.
“Human nature and therefore not one hundred percent guaranteed,” Jay said, nodding his head and folding his arms across his chest. “Which means there must be some type of compensation.”
“Compensation?”
“Yup,” he said, leaning toward her, his elbow touching hers.
Alex tried not to notice just how good-looking he was and the fact that he was sitting beside her, very close to her, his elbow touching hers.
“What do you think?”
“All right,” she said, glancing at him. “I’ll wash the shirt for you if I were to spill tea on you again.”
Jayden chuckled. “You mean with your hands?”
Alex loved the sound of his laughter. She flashed him a smile. “What about using a washing machine?”
Jay’s face became serious. He simply stared at her. He realized right then that her eyes just kind of lit up when she smiled. He cleared his throat and said, “What if the washing machine destroys my shirt?”
“Well, I’ll just have to buy you another one. But I can’t guarantee it’ll be the same one. Maybe similar but cheaper.”
Jay threw back his head and laughed. Alex couldn’t help but smile back.
“That sounds fine by me.”
“Sorry, guys,” Peter said, taking his seat. “Apparently, it’s rather busy. It’s going to be a little wait.”
Alex nodded. Luckily she came in early because there weren’t a lot of people half an hour before. But now, however, the place was almost full, and there was a long line of people at the counter waiting for their turn to order. The town was always busy on a Sunday, even in winter. The three young women and two men at the counter looked hectic rushing back and forth, taking orders, and making drinks. She’d hate to see what it was like in the kitchen.
“So, Pete, how’s your holiday so far? Did you enjoy Sydney and Queenstown?” Alex asked.
“Yeah. What about you, missy? Isn’t it about time you get yourself a holiday?”
“I have been warned.” She shrugged. “I have too many annual leaves left.”
“Sounds like a holiday around the corner,” Peter commented. “Ah, our coffees.”
The waitress placed two small white cups in front of them.
“Didn’t take long at all.” Peter handed one to Jay. “Thanks,” he said to the waitress.
The young woman nodded. Before she left, she winked at Jay, who grinned back at her. Jay lifted the small cup to his lips and took a sip. He smiled in satisfaction and relaxed back in his chair. He straightened his long legs and accidentally kicked Alex’s. “Oh, sorry about that.”
“That’s okay,” Alex said, shifting back. “Pete? Can we, like, talk?”
“Hmm,” Peter began. “Let’s get on with it, then.”
“Wait,” Jay said to Pete. “I’ll do this.” He turned to Alex.
Alex glanced from one man to the other, wondering what was going on.
“Alex… May I call you Alex?” he asked.
Alex nodded, her eyes on him.
“Alex, I have a proposal for you. Just think of it like a business arrangement. It’s like I’m hiring you,” he said, watching her carefully.
Alex blinked as she listened, not knowing where this was going. “The problem is I already have a job.”
“Yeah, well, I know that. But this isn’t like a real job. I need your help.”
“What kind of help?”
“It’s kind of personal.” He repeated, leaning toward her. Looking deep into her eyes, he asked, “Can you pretend to be my girlfriend?”
Alex just stared at him. She got the word girlfriend, and that was about it. She blinked. “Sorry? I don’t get it. I’m lost.”
Jay glanced at Peter for help. Pete leaned toward Alex. “Look, Alex, Jay’s having a hard time at the moment. His parents—well, more like his mum and nana—are demanding he bring home a girlfriend or they’ll start matchmaking him again.”
“So?”
“So? Alex, it’s a big deal. I’m simply sick of them trying to sort out my life. I’m thirty.” That last bit he said with an exaggerated frown and a shrug of his powerful shoulders, which told Alex how annoyed he was. “I know we’ve just met, but—”
Alex looked down at her empty cup. Slowly, she began to understand everything. “But what about your real girlfriend?” She didn’t dare look at him when she asked him that question.
“We broke up.”
She studied him then, her eyes questioning.
Jay understood her quizzical gaze. “It’s personal.” When he saw her hesitation, he said, “Look, I’ll pay you. Like I said, you’re like my employee. I’m hiring you to do this. You just name the price. A hundred thousand?”
Alex nearly choked. She blinked. Money! The dollar sign suddenly appeared before her eyes along with the ding, ding, ding that sounds like Scrooge McDuck. She didn’t even buy a lotto ticket, and she was about to get a hundred thousand bucks just like that? Was Jay rich? Well, she didn’t need to ask him that question. She could tell by his expensive clothing and his powerful aura. He walked and acted as though he owned the world. Well, maybe he did, parts of it, anyway.
Suddenly, her dad’s heart transplant didn’t seem so out of reach after all. Maybe she could also use the money to pay off the mortgage, and her mum wouldn’t need to work so hard.
Okay. So what if she agreed? She licked her lips nervously.
“So, um, what do I have to do to pretend to be your girlfriend? Hypothetically, that is, if I were to agree with this, um, proposal of yours?”
Peter and Jay glanced at each other.
Jay said, “You know, the usual girlfriend stuff. I’ll take you back to New York and introduce you to my family. It’s my sister’s wedding. It’ll only be two weeks max. I promise.”
“All the way to New York, huh?’ she murmured, her eyes large behind her glasses. Okay. Girlfriend stuff. Intimate stuff like going out—movies, dinners, and picnics—stuff she wasn’t familiar with. Well, considering the fact she had never dated or had a boyfriend, she shouldn’t blame herself for being so ignorant about this boyfriend-girlfriend stuff. But what if she really fell for him when they were fake dating? And then his ex-girlfriend decided to come back into his life?
She glanced at Jay, who was watching her, waiting for her answer. No, it wouldn’t be hard to fall in love with him. She thought she was actually starting to do that right now. Oh, God, she didn’t want to get hurt. Yeah, Alex might be a romantic, always dreaming about some hot guy like Jay coming into her life and making a difference, but she was also a realist. Nothing like that ever happened in real life.
She pushed her cup away and put on her jacket.
Jay and Peter both watched her. Jay thought she was getting colder. Peter, however, knew differently. He knew she was backing out, and there was nothing he could do right now.
She picked up her satchel and said, “I’m sorry, Jay. I don’t think I can help you.” She got up and rushed to the door.
Jay shot up. He was about to go after her when Peter stopped him.
“What the hell happened?” he asked, confused. The girl was truly odd. One minute she was sitting there, listening and questioning them, and then the next—poof! She was gone.
“She needs time to think. The offer is too much for her.”
“Ludicrous, more like it. I think she thinks I’m nuts,” Jayden said, lifting his coffee cup to his lips.
“Maybe.”
“So tell me about her,” Jay began, setting down his cup. “What is she like?”
“Sweet, innocent, and loyal,” Peter said. “There, I’ve summed it all up for you.”
Jay narrowed his eyes. “Very funny, Pete. Has she had any boyfriends before?”
“Nope. Zippo.”
Jay cocked his head to one side. “Maybe that’s why she’s scared.”
“What?”
“She’s afraid of men. That explains her nerves around me. She’s probably afraid I might hurt her. That explains why she never has a boyfriend. Tell me, has she been abused?” He was actually thinking about last night. Perhaps that kind of things was common in her life.
Peter had to try hard not to laugh in front of his friend’s face. As far as he knew, Alex had a loving family. Jacob was the best. He loved his wife and children to bits.
“No, at least I don’t think so.”
“You have to convince her to help me, Pete.”
“Me?”
“You’re close to her. She’d probably run away again if I approached her.”
“You’re right.” Peter agreed.
“Do something. Anything.”
“Anything, huh?” Peter said, nodding his head. He knew just how to go about it. Oh boy, this is going to be fun.
Alexandra was going nuts! She couldn’t concentrate or do anything right after that damn hot-choc with Peter and Jayden. Once home and alone in her bedroom, she threw her satchel on the floor and collapsed on the bed.“You’ve sent me the wrong man,” she muttered under her breath, looking heavenward at the white ceiling. She sighed and rolled over to lie on her stomach. “He’s not even interested in me. He’s interested because I can help him.” She pouted her lips. “His girlfriend must be very hot.” Then she thought to add, “And very stupid.”She rested her chin on her palm as she stared at her pink netbook screen. Well, you better stop thinking about him and start paying bills, Alex, she told herself.Nodding her head and determined not to think about Jayden, she logged into her internet banking and started paying her electricity and phone bills. The balance in her bank account after that made her feel terribly depressed. She sighed. Oh, well, at least next Wednesday would be payday. Her
Margaret Thompson glanced at Peter and Jayden from where she stood in the kitchen, armed with a knife and chopping board. She wondered what they were doing, sitting there for almost an hour now, staring at the BlackBerry that was on the coffee table. It looked as though they were daring it to ring, so intense they were at their task. The air was thick with tension and anticipation. The telephone on the side table beside Peter shrilled out, causing the two men to jump. They glanced at each other. Peter ignored the ringing phone beside him that seriously demanded his attention and leaned closer to his BlackBerry. A second later, the continuous buzzing was starting to annoy the men. They both frowned at the damn thing and demanded it to shut up. Peter said, “Mum, aren’t you going to get that?” Margaret looked up, her green eyes peering above her spectacles at Peter, her red hair bright and glowing under the light. “I’m busy, Peter. Aren’t you going to pick it up?” “I’m waiting for an
Jayden wandered along the hallway, cursing himself. What the hell was wrong with him? Why was he showing so much interest toward Alex? And why did he have to stand so close to her just then? No, wait. Pause right there, hot shot! He knew why. It was because she smelled great, like spring or something. He wasn’t able to help himself because he wanted to smell her again after she had squeezed past him through the entrance door into the hallway. It wasn’t a strong, perfumery smell like most of the women used back in New York, but rather a subtle scent, just a hint of lovely floral that pricked his interest, just a hint that made him want to inhale more. He reached the bathroom door, put one hand on the knob, and knocked lightly a couple of times with the other. When he didn’t hear any reply, he opened the door slightly and popped his head in. He saw her busy cleaning herself with some Kleenex. She had her jersey off, which was lying on the floor. She was wearing only her white single
In the dimly lit dining room, Jayden watched Alex from across the table. She had on his dark-grey jumper. It was way too big for her person, but she managed to make it look as though it fit her perfectly, with the sleeves rolled up to her slim forearms. “So how’s the house renovation going, Pete?” Alex asked, glancing up from her plate of roasted pork and various veggies. “Not too well,” Peter said. “Did I tell you about that mold?” Alex shook her head as she popped some pork into her mouth. “We have to take down the walls. God, more labor costs and more materials needed now,” he mumbled. “And Tracy is not very happy.” “I’m sure I wouldn’t be happy either,” Alex commented, thinking about the amount of money needed for a house renovation. “So, Alex,” Mr. Thompson said from across the table, sipping his glass of white wine. Alex looked over at Dr. Mark Thompson, who had only arrived five minutes before dinner. He had been busy at the Dunedin Public Hospital and at the lab. Well, a
Eight Weeks Later NEW YORK CITY, USA Alex was tired and frustrated. Finally, she thought with some small triumph, she had arrived in New York City. Now standing there in the lobby of LaGuardia Airport, she just wanted to collapse on the floor and rest. Where was Jayden anyway? Oh, God! What if he forgot to come and get her? Well, she couldn’t blame him if he had because she was late. She was supposed to arrive yesterday afternoon. But being the clumsy, inexperienced traveler she was, she managed to miss the flight from Sydney to Los Angeles and then the rest was history. She was still upset she missed that flight. It was first class. Now she would never know what it was like sitting in that luxurious, comfy seat with the airhostess serving her every need. Damn! Turning her attention back to her dilemma, she thought if she didn’t see Jay within the next five minutes, she’d take a taxi and check into the nearest hotel. Then she’d give him a ring to tell him where she was. She dragged
Alexandra had the most horrible headache ever. She flashed her eyes open and rubbed her temple, swearing silently. The bright sunlight didn’t help either. She squinted and gritted her teeth. “Good afternoon, sleepy head.” She snapped her eyes open, wondering who was in the room with her. She licked her lips and turned to look behind her. Jayden was standing just at the end of the bed, hands in the pockets of his trousers. His white shirt was unbuttoned halfway, showing off his muscular chest. Oh my God! He was so handsome—just like a devilishly hot Calvin Klein model. She had no doubt he was wearing Calvin Klein anyway. Then she wondered why Jay asked her to be his fake girlfriend when he could have chosen someone prettier—someone like Mary St. Clair. But then again, Jay was gay. Because he wasn’t interested in women, he wouldn’t know which was hot, which was pretty, and which was plain like her. That explained why he wasn’t affected by Mary’s famous charm. God made him a perfect cr
How does one work this blasted thing? Alex wondered as she stared at her BlackBerry. She searched through the menu, found the call section, and started dialing. She brought the BlackBerry to her ear and waited as the ringing noise continued. A moment later, she heard her brother’s voice saying, “Hello, Tim speaking.” “Hey, Tim, it’s me.” “Alex?” He chuckled. “Man, you sound weird and so far away.” “Of course I’m far away. I’m in America.” “You got there all right, huh?” “Yeah, I’m here safe and sound.” “Cool.” “Hey, how’s Mum and Dad?” she asked, wondering if her dad was taking things easy or was he up to his old, stubborn self again and working hard. “Dad is taking things easy. Mum makes sure of that.” Alex sighed with relief. “That’s good. Is Mum there?” “Yeah. Hold on a sec.” A few seconds later, Alex heard her mum’s voice through the phone. “Hey, sweetheart. Glad to hear your voice. I’m worried, you know. I know you’re a big girl now. Your dad’s doing well. I make sure
Jayden never thought Beth would interrogate Alex as though she were a suspect in a murder case. Alex kept looking at him for guidance every time Beth fired a question at her. As if any of that were important, Jay thought gloomily. He rested his head against the back of the sofa and closed his eyes. He could feel a headache coming. “Heard your girlfriend has finally arrived,” a voice said at the door. Jay flashed his eyes open to see his dad, Tom McCartney, standing there with his hands in the pockets of his trousers. Tall, brown hair, and grey eyes—and right then dressed in a Zegna suit—he looked handsome and powerful. He must have just returned from the McCartney Hotel. “Hey, Dad,” he greeted. “Yeah, Alex is here.” Tom came to sit beside his son. “You don’t look too happy.” Jay thought his dad could say that again. “Beth.” “Ah, Beth,” Tom said as if that explained everything. “Has she mentioned Britney yet?” “Yeah. I hope she realizes it’s not going to happen.” “Don’t you mind
One Month LaterNEW YORK CITY, USA“Oh my gosh!” Emma shrieked as she ran from the luxurious sitting room into the large Ambassador Suite bedroom. “I can’t believe I’m actually in New York City! I’m actually in a hotel!” she shouted, racing about Gracie, who simply laughed and shook her head. Emma jumped onto the king-size four-poster bed and collapsed in a fit of giggling.“Emma, darling, please calm down,” Mali chuckled. The two ladies met eyes and laughed.“I can’t wait to go sightseeing. Did I tell you you’re the best sister, Alex? And that you are extraordinarily beautiful today?”Alex laughed. “Yeah. You keep saying that, missy.” Then she turned to look at herself in the full-length mirror. She still couldn’t believe it. She had to say she looked stunning in this A-line princess dress. It was made out of white silk taffeta with a one-shoulder neckline combined with pleats and roses to the side, and it fit her perfectly. Her hair was in soft curls and a loose bun, with a white li
NEW YORK CITY, USAIn the study, Jay raked his hand through his blond hair in relief. He felt as though finally the world had decided to go his way.He looked up from the computer screen to his family, who were watching and listening to his conversation with Alex’s parents. Beth, Gracie, and Stephanie squeezed in the small sofa. His father, Tom, sat on the other side with Kelly and Sam. Near the side table, Maggie popped the champagne and everyone cheered.As Maggie poured wine into glasses, Tom went round to the computer screen and introduced himself to the Stewarts. “Hello, I’m Tom McCartney, Jayden’s father.”On the other side, Gracie came around and hugged Jayden. “I’m so proud of you.”Jay chuckled. “Thanks.”“And you’ll make her happy?”“I will.”“Champagne, everyone,” Maggie said, going around and giving one to everyone.***Two Weeks LaterDUNEDIN, NEW ZEALANDLife for Alex was colorless and meaningless. She wasn’t interested in reading books, food just didn’t taste good, work
NEW YORK, USAThe penthouse, spacious and luxurious, overlooked Central Park and New York City below. It was dark, and all Jayden could see were dots of tiny lights across the city. He felt alone, as though he were missing half of himself. How he missed Alex. How he wanted to hug her and kiss her and do so much more to her. Just hold on, Jayden, he told himself. Soon, you will have her again.His BlackBerry rang. He glanced over his shoulder and reluctantly picked it up. “Jayden speaking.”“What the hell did you do to her?”Jayden frowned in confusion, and then he realized who it was. “Peter!”“Yeah, it’s me. So tell me, old friend, what the hell did you do to Alex?”“I’m sorry, Pete, I—”“Explain yourself. I told you Alex is like a sister to me. I told you not to hurt her in any way. So what happened? I’m giving you a chance to explain before I terminate our friendship.”Jay raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. “I’m willing to explain everything. I—Pete?”“Yeah?”“I lov
DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALANDThere was only one thing Alex was sure of in her life once the plane landed in Dunedin Airport, and it was that she was not the same person she was two weeks ago. She wondered what her family would think of her once they had seen the changes in her, not only in her physical appearance, but in her character, too.Her whole family met her at the airport. Her mum, brother, and sister rushed to hug her. Her dad, however, stood back. She could sense the stiffness in his posture as though he were holding back and didn’t know who she was anymore. She felt her heart constrict. It hurt to know her father assumed her to be the type of person she was not.“Sweetheart, so glad you’re back,” Mali murmured, hugging her tight.“Me, too,” Alex replied.“I missed you, sis. I admit I missed you teasing me,” Emma chimed in.“Me too, Emma.” Alex chuckled. “I miss teasing you too.”Her father refused to hug her. In fact, he refused to say a word to her, not even a “welcome back” or “h
Will Miss Alexandra Stewart please make her way to gate nine for boarding? Will Miss Alexandra Stewart please make her way to gate nine for boarding? The voice on the intercom called her name, and Alex felt dread rushing up in the pit of her stomach. She ignored the call and lingered there, staring at the entrance, hoping to see Jayden hurry in to see her one last time.Will Miss Alexandra Stewart please make her way to gate nine for boarding? Will Miss Alexandra Stewart please make her way to gate nine for boarding?Knowing she couldn’t hold up the plane any longer, she moved to hug Gracie.“I’m sorry I have to leave early,” she said.“Oh, sweetheart,” Gracie said, hugging her hard. “I know you’ll be back very soon.”“Yes. Yes.” Beth butted in and pulled Alex into her arms. “You look after yourself, young woman.”Alex had to laugh at that. She simply couldn’t believe Beth was so nice to her. Then she wondered what their reactions would be once they found out the truth, that she wasn’
The house was so quiet Alex could hear her own heart beating in her chest as she lay there in bed. She thought a good shower would help clear her head and calm her anger and frustration, but she was wrong. Now more than ever, she was upset with herself. She simply couldn’t believe Jayden betrayed her trust. Everything was a lie. She punched the pillow a couple of times before snuggling her face against it.An hour later, her BlackBerry rang. Who could it be? Jayden? Is he calling to apologize? She picked it up and noted it was from New Zealand.“Hello?”“Alex, it’s Dad.”Alex felt the knot in the pit of her stomach. “Hi, Dad. How’s things? Are you all right?”There was a long, intense pause. “Alex, I know what’s going on. I know you’re not in New York for a conference.”Alex felt as though her heart dropped down to her shoes. “Wh—wh—what?”“I know you’re with a man.” Another pause. “I’m very disappointed in you, Alex.”“But, Dad, I—” She knew when her dad said he was disappointed in
Jayden glanced down at the note he received from a pretty receptionist only a few minutes ago.What is Sarah doing here in the hotel? Why does she want to see me?He came to stand in front of room 879 and then hesitantly knocked on the door. A few seconds later, it flung open, and Sarah stood there, extraordinarily beautiful and sexy in a short, flimsy nightdress.“Jayden, you came,” she said, smiling, her eyes shining. “I was beginning to think you had backed out. That you wouldn’t come after—” She broke off dramatically. Her face appeared to have gone terribly sad. “But please do come in.”The living area was elegant and comfortable, and Jayden noted Sarah had her back to him as she poured two glasses of wine. Of course, he didn’t see that Sarah had dropped a small tablet into one of the glasses. She swirled it about until the tablet dissolved entirely.“A drink?” she asked softly as she turned around, holding up the glasses.“No, thanks. Why did you want to see me?”“Jayden,” Sarah
Alex glanced up at the chandeliers and the ornate ceiling above her as she sipped her red wine. The wedding reception, being held in one of the main halls at the McCartney’s Hotel, of which Jayden proudly told her he owned half the shares, was truly beautiful and elegant. She couldn’t believe she was there, attending one of the biggest weddings in New York, sitting in a five-star hotel, and enjoying a high-class meal. She was stoked and thoroughly enjoying herself.She glanced at the man beside her, the man who made it all possible for her.Jayden leaned to her and whispered, “Aren’t you going to go up?”Alex was confused. “Why?”“Don’t you want the bouquet?”“Is Kelly going to throw it now?”Jayden nodded. “Go on.”“I don’t think—”She was interrupted by Stephanie, who was pulling her by the arm to her feet and then dragging her toward the area near the stage. “This is exciting.”“Yeah,” Alex responded, trying to keep up with Stephanie’s fast pace.They begged their way through the g
It was a beautiful summer day in New York, perfect for a wedding. In a mansion on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, there was a hype of activities. Champagne was poured into glasses, the bride and bridesmaids were busy having their hair and makeup done. Relatives and close friends came and went to congratulate the bride. All this Alex watched in awe, wishing one day it would be her turn. The thought brought a nice feeling to her body, and her eyes searched for Jayden. She found him among his three cousins: two male and a young female. They were much younger than he was, and they seemed to worship him like he was some kind of god. He caught her watching him and gave her a smile. She blushed and grinned back.“Alex.” Gracie’s voice snapped her mind back to the present. “You should be getting changed.”Alex turned to look at Gracie. “Oh, right,” she said, nodding her head. “I suppose I should.”“Yes, yes. It’s nearly time to go.” Gracie nudged her toward the door.Alex chuckled and said,