A Perfect Business Arrangement
Title Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Ten
APPENDIX ONE:
APPENDIX TWO: PRENUP
APPENDIX THREE: SEX
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Epilogue
Gemma Arlington
A Perfect Business Arrangement
A Perfect Business Arrangement
Copyright
CRYSTAL PUBLISHING
Published by Crystal Publishing (Australia)
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental"
© 2015 Gemma Arlington
ISBN: 978-0-9942999-3-2
All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission from author Gemma Arlington herself.
Editor – Ashley Patterson
Cover photography - © George Mayer
A Perfect Business Arrangement
Gemma Arlington
Prelude
“Hello Stranger,” a voice rang out through the busy airport terminal. It had been what seemed like a lifetime since I’d last seen that beaming face.
“Lily,” I squealed, dropping my carry-on luggage and running toward her. I was stupid; dropping bags in a packed terminal was probably the last thing I should have done.
“Look at you Blake Wright, Skinny Minnie,” she remarked as she pulled back from our embrace and looked me up and down.
“Skinny, my ass,” I scoffed with a smile. She always knew how to compliment me, but the truth was I was still the same weight I’d been the last time she’d seen me.
“You’ve changed; there is something different about you,” she probed as she walked back to my dropped bags before bending down to collect one.
“What’s different?” I questioned, curious to see what she thought.
“Well, physically you have changed, but it’s not that, it’s your accent. I can tell you’re American, but wow, there is something else to it,” she smiled.
I laughed with her. “I’ve just spent the
last seven years in Australia. You would have thought the lingo and accent would rub off on me eventually.” I could never rip-off the accent; it was one of the hardest to emulate.
“I just can’t believe you’re back,” Lily declared. She seemed happy, a lot happier than the last few weeks’ worth of phone calls would suggest.
“I’m just hoping this new job was worth the move back here. Australia was so beautiful — hot, but damn beautiful. What can I say Lils? You have to visit to experience it for yourself,” I remarked.
She ignored my last comment about visiting Australia. It was no use — she hated planes. It’s why in my seven years away she never once visited me. I’d missed her. Lily and I had been the best of friends since the day we met in primary school. She was a bitch to me the first day; I remember her pulling my hair and teasing me about my pigtails, which my mom insisted I wear. “You look cute in pigtails, my dear,” she used to say.
Lily had realized quick-smart that if you wanted to be a bitch to me, I could bite back. I wasn’t going to take her bullshit, which forced her to back-off.
“When do you start work?” she asked, ripping me away from my trip down memory lane.
“Monday morning,” I replied, knowing all-too-well what she had planned for the weekend ahead.
“So you’re prepared to get hammered this weekend?” she asked, a grin splitting her face as we walked through the terminal toward the exit.
“You’re dying to let that party animal out of the bag, aren’t you?” I stated, shaking my head. She was like a child: excited and giddy with joy.
“Lily’s been locked up for far too long. Besides, there are some people who are dying to see you,” she replied, linking her arm with mine. The doors of America were once again open to me.
Chapter One
Blake
I was grateful for the respite from Lily. Don’t get me wrong — she’s a sweetheart and a hell of a lot of fun to hang out with, but she could talk your ear off. And the conversations she was having with me were all about her ex fuckwit of a boyfriend who had cheated on her.
I was happy when she told me she had things to sort out and wouldn’t be back till much later. I needed the time to settle into my new apartment on the upper-eastern side of Chicago.
I took the place without even seeing it in person. I didn’t have the time or the energy to go house-hunting; instead I sent my realtor to look at a few before reporting back. When I saw the pictures he had emailed me, I knew that this was the right apartment for me. Now that I looked around, I knew I was correct in my choice. I loved it. The view was stunning. The lack of homely touches I could deal with for now. I had the basics, as well as a full staff and one hell of a stocked kitchen, thanks to my new housekeeper.
I was accustomed to living like this: the maids, butlers, the personal drivers, you name it. Growing up in a family where money was never a problem was interesting to say the least. My parents, if you could call them that, never took much notice of my life. Instead, I was raised by the maid and driver that were assigned to me. My father, a wealthy oil man, and my mother, an even wealthier political figure, met in college. Their connection was instant, love at first sight… if you believe in that sort of rubbish. They have, however, remained happily married for many years. I couldn’t see that changing anytime soon.
Speak of the devil. “Hey Mom,” I said, answering my cell.
“Don’t ‘Hey Mom’ me. When were you going to tell us you were planning on returning to the States?” she shrieked. “We had to find out through the local gossip columns.”
I rolled my eyes, she was so dramatic. “I was just about to call you. Besides, Mother, I am twenty-seven. Last I checked I didn’t have to inform you of my every move,” I replied sternly, suddenly aware of my rising pitch. She could be an overpowering person. She meant well, but in all honesty, she just liked to know everything there was to know about everything.
It was a laughable concept with me since she didn’t care much when I was growing up, but when I grew boobs (more like paid to have
boobs) and became popular, that’s when she
decided having a say in my life was a priority.
“Don’t take a tone like that with me, young lady. I think a call to your dear old momma would have been appropriate.”
I sighed. There was probably no way I was ever going to win a conversation with Elena Wright. I decided to just go with the flow and apologize before setting her straight on a few things.
“Mom, I am sorry I didn’t inform you of my immediate return. In fact, it was quite unexpected. I haven’t even had time to unpack my luggage, let alone settle in,” I soothed, taking a deep breath.
“Where are you?” she asked.
“Chicago, Mom. I am nowhere near you or dad,” I replied.
“That’s not true; your fathe
r will be in Chicago next weekend. Maybe I could make the trip out with him and visit. It’s been such a long time since I last saw you,” she retorted.
I didn’t know what was wrong with her, but she seemed somewhat distressed. The problem was I knew better than to believe her act. Elena was a show-pony through and through; you could never tell when she was being genuine with her emotions. It had been a while, about three years since I last saw my parents. Dad rarely travelled to Australia for business and Mom, well, she rarely left the U.S.
“I would love to see you and Dad next weekend,” I relented, trying to sound pleased with the idea.
After hanging up, I collapsed into the couch, relieved that I had survived the call. Looking at the time on my phone, I had more than enough time to take a nap. Jet lag was a bitch and seemed to want to kick my butt. Promising to hit the town with Lils might have been a rash decision, but she needed it and since it had been several years since I last saw her, I think I owed her a night of getting hammered.
Chapter Two
Blake
Fresh from a two-hour nap and a shower, I headed into the very spacious walk-in closet — fully stocked, of course. I was lucky to have a stylist who knew exactly what I liked. This wardrobe was a woman’s dream closet and reminded me of Carrie’s wardrobe that Mr. Big built for her in Sex and the City, one of my all-time favorite shows.
I smiled to myself before browsing through the new items Fifi, my stylist, had purchased for me. There were many dresses, including the mandatory little-black-dress, of course, because let’s face it, no woman should be without one. There was business attire for my new job, which I was more than looking forward to starting. I had shoes for every occasion and it seemed Fi had even managed to go a little overboard in her duties and pick me up some lingerie too. Not that I needed it, but I was grateful.
My cell rang just as I was slipping onto
some lacy black panties. Scrambling up and almost falling-arse-over-tit, I managed to just hit the answer button before the caller hung up.
“OMG, you’re never going to believe who is coming out with us tonight,” Lily’s voice squealed over the phone. The excitement was too clear in her voice — she was ready for a good night.
“Who?” I asked, clipping my bra into place before putting the phone on loudspeaker and returning to the closet.
“Rubin, Rubin Davis,” Lils replied. Rubin was a guy she had a major crush on a few years back; it seemed she was still crushing on him.
“You realize you’re on the rebound?” I questioned, purely because of all the calls I had received the last three weeks of my stay in Oz. The heartache was evident in her voice when she called. She would be once again upset over that wanker of a man she thought she loved. It seemed she wasn’t thinking clearly about the whole rebound thing or maybe she was, but with her vagina instead of her head.
“I know, but a girl can have a little rebound fun, right?” she sighed, knowing that as her best friend, I would have to agree with her.
“Yes Lils, of course a rebound guy is exactly what you need, but keep in mind that you sometimes fall quickly for guys. And a lot of the time they turn out to be assholes,” I replied,
slipping into the tight-fitting dress I had picked
out to wear for dinner and drinks. We were going to Lumumba Bar and Grill for dinner before hitting the club scene of Chicago.
“What are you wearing?” she asked, trying to change the subject. She was clearly feeling a little uncomfortable with my opinion. I couldn’t blame her for wanting to direct the focus off her, but I didn’t need to be the one picking up the pieces from another fucked up relationship.
“A tight dress,” I grumbled. “I seem to be having a little trouble with zipping it up,” I whined, just managing to grab the zipper.
“Is that all you’re going to give me? Some crap information about a tight dress you can’t zip up?” she groaned.
“Someone’s a little crabby,” I joked. “Aren’t you in a cab on your way here now? So you will just see the dress when you arrive,” I added.
She laughed, “I’ll see you in ten; make sure reception knows I am coming.” She hung up and I quickly phoned down to the front desk and spoke to the clerk before contacting Percy, my now personal driver, thanks to my parents. They had lovingly provided him as a ‘welcome-back-to-the-states’ present.
Ten minutes later Lily came bouncing through my front door wearing a sexy off-the-shoulder dress that was far too short; her backside was practically on display.
She looked hot and if she felt confident in it, so who was I to judge? The dress was made of some sparkly silver material and her hair was down. It was much shorter than I had ever seen her wear it, but it worked for her. It was cut just below the shoulders and was streaked blond. I hadn’t seen it properly at the airport as she had worn it up, but down I could appreciate how it emphasized her features. I smiled, looking at the matching clutch and shoe combo she went with. The Gucci shoes and clutch were a gift I’d sent her last Christmas when I couldn’t make it back due to work.
“Wow, look at that dress! Are you trying to outdo me?” she teased. I shook my head and laughed as I headed back into my closet to pick out a pair of shoes. It had been a while since I went out drinking and dancing, and I was determined to at least enjoy this experience before I became swamped with work once again. I really was a workaholic, but I loved what I did for a living.
“Holy cow, this place is awesome. I can’t believe you live here.” Lils was wide-eyed as she stepped into my bedroom. “I thought my apartment view was stunning, but fuck me,” she swore. “Yours takes the cake.” She walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows, admiring the view.
“Glad you’re enjoying yourself. Think you could help me pick out a pair of shoes to match this dress?” I asked.
“You’re a bitch, that dress is no fair… with its lace and fuck-me look,” Lily groaned.
“Pardon?” Boy, could Lily swear. Our phone conversations were always full of drama, and in recent weeks she had started to ramble on more and more about that fucker she dated who thought it was the norm to fuck others while in a relationship. The curse words had become more and more creative.
“Every guy is going to want to get with you, with the see-through lace of that dress and the deep, dipping V in the back. Damn, you’re smoking and you know you’re out to kill it tonight,” she joked.
I laughed, “Lils, something tells me you might have already hit the booze before you arrived… would I be correct?”
She smiled, trying to act innocent but it didn’t work. “I might have had one or two shots, but I am not drunk. I just think whoever gets you tonight is one lucky guy.”
I shook my head. There was no room for a guy tonight, not when I had one almost-drunk Lily to look after.
Chapter Three
Blake
“So… how was Australia? I hear the men over there are a little wild?” Mira enquired as she sipped her cocktail. We were all sitting around a table at Lumumba waiting on our dinner to arrive. Rubin was happily flirting up a storm with Lily and as much as I worried about her — purely because she was on the rebound right now — it was nice to see her smile and laugh at his lame jokes.
“The men are wild, but then again they do everything differently in Australia to what they do here,” I replied, thinking of the first time I’d visited Sydney with my old boss. He had given me the weekend to explore as much of the city as I could. I was new to the country. I decided on that particular sunny Friday afternoon that I would travel to Bondi to soak up the sun and explore the iconic beach. I remember being drawn to the surfers, how they rode the waves back to shore; how they seemed to glide through the water effortlessly.
There was this one particular guy I took a liking to; he was stunning with his messy blond shoulder -length hair. It was the color of the sand on the beach, and it hung over his incredible steel-blue eyes. I smiled as I remembered the way his body moved, the way his muscles tensed t
o help him balance on the board. I got so distracted by him that I ended up bumping into an elderly gentleman. That encounter, however, seemed to draw the surfer in. I hadn’t noticed that he in turn had been watching me, and when I ran into the old man, the hottie surfer was suddenly right on the shore with me, offering assistance. I had to admit the weekend ended up being one of my favorites. Unfortunately, reality set in and I returned to the office in Melbourne. I was left with only my memories.
“Blake, are you in there?” Mira waved her hand in front of my face, tearing me away from my little trip down memory lane.
“Sorry,” I smiled, returning to the conversation.
“You were thinking about someone, weren’t you?” she asked with a big grin on her face that told me she was going to try and pry for information.
“Just someone who I enjoyed a weekend with when I visited somewhere, that’s all,” I replied, trying to brush off the conversation.
“That’s all?” she mumbled under her breath, eyeing me suspiciously. The truth was there was nothing really to tell, I spent one incredible weekend with a guy. It’s not like I skipped town to Vegas and got hitched.
I spent the majority of the dinner chatting with people I hadn’t seen in years. They all seemed a little too keen to know more about my seven years in Australia among the gum trees and koalas.
“Hello darling,” Lily said later, slurring her words. She was slightly tipsy, if not already drunk, and was pinching my butt as we waited at the curb for a taxi. We were headed to some swank new club that was having an opening tonight. It wasn’t my idea of fun. Lily seemed to be enjoying herself though. Rubin was hanging off her arm; she was right at home with him.
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