Confess To Be Mine

by Suzie Nelson

  “Oh, wow, that is amazing. What a superwoman.” Danica folded over the top of her case and started to zip the edges with difficulty. She pushed down with both hands but it was clear that the bulging case wasn’t going to close so easily.

  Shelby smiled and then moved over beside Danica. “Looks like you could do with some superpower too. Here, let me help you with that.” Shelby dragged the case down onto the floor and then looked at Danica. One of them was going to have to sit on top of the case while the other zipped the edges and as Shelby took in Danica’s slight frame it was obvious who would have to sit on the case. “I’m going to push on the case and then you should be able to close it. Okay?”

  Danica looked impressed at Shelby’s plan and as Shelby sat down on top of the bursting case, Danica started to giggle. “You would think I would be able to pack my own case by now but I never know what to bring, so I just take everything.” Danica got down on all fours and started to zip around the Louis Vuitton case while Shelby tried to move her legs.

  “I bet you won’t even wear any of this stuff with all the outfits you’ll be given when you get there.” Shelby’s tough exterior started to melt as she saw how ridiculous they looked closing the case together.

  “Push down, it’s just a little tight here.” Danica pulled as hard as she could and just as the zip closed shut, the entire center seam burst open. Shelby and Danica looked at each other in shock that the case had given way under their pressure. “I wasn’t expecting that!” Danica smiled and the two women burst out into laughter.

  ***

  “Bienvenido! Welcome!” Shelby stepped off the plane and out into the midday heat where several stewardesses stood welcoming the arrivals. She was finally home. After a few uncomfortable hours traveling in the air, Shelby could finally breathe out and take in the fragrant Mexican air.

  She filtered through the tourists and made her way to the conveyor belt where she collected her luggage and made her way through customs without difficulty. She had traveled to and from the same airport before so she was easily able to navigate through it and out to where the taxi’s and chauffer’s where waiting. Shelby had assumed that she would jump in a taxi and make her way to the hotel where she was to meet up with Danica and Jordan but before she could wave her hand at a driver, she felt a large hand grab her arm.

  “Shelby.”

  She turned to find Blake standing beside her with another large man dressed all in black.

  “Blake? What are you doing here?” He looked a little offended at her question but tried to ignore her apparent displeasure at seeing him.

  “I’ve come to pick you up obviously. Our car is just over there.” Blake pointed toward a blacked out SUV a few feet from them as he picked up her case.

  “And who is this?” Shelby studied that tall, thick-necked white man that was by Blake’s side dressed in a tight black T-shirt and a bulletproof vest.

  “Oh, this is Hank, my bodyguard. I mean ours... Jordan arranged for all of us to have some security while we are here, just as a precaution.” Blake’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he realized that Shelby would not be amused by what he believed to be unnecessary measures.

  “I didn’t realize that we were so important.” Shelby walked alongside them as they made their way to the car but she wasn’t happy about being with Blake and his muscle-clad bodyguard.

  “Here ma’am, let me get that for you.” Hank opened the door and tried to take Shelby’s hand to help her into the SUV.

  “There is no ma’am here, thank you, and I’m perfectly capable of getting in by myself.” Shelby hadn’t meant to be so rude but the exhaustion from the journey mixed with the annoyance of Blake made her irritable. Both Blake and Shelby sat in the back of the SUV as Hank took his seat in the front, next to the driver. Shelby had seen decked out SUVs like this before as in Mexico it was very common for privileged people to have protection but she had never thought of herself as one of those people. She would have been perfectly happy and safe getting a taxi but everything had been organized for her by the Ramseys.

  “Do we really need all of this, Blake?” The car made its way onto the busy highway as Shelby looked at Blake in frustration.

  “I know it might seem like it’s over the top but Jordan thinks it’s best. Although we are here for the youth center, we are still the Ramseys and that name carries some meaning, even in Mexico. I would too rather prefer this as a low key event but considering the current affairs, it’s better to be safe than sorry.” Blake was trying hard not to say anything wrong. He had been relieved when Danica had managed to convince Shelby to come along, even if it had come with the condition that they didn’t work together.

  “Well, I’m not a Ramsey. I don’t want to spend all of my time hiding behind a bodyguard or being driven around in an SUV.” What Shelby really meant was that she didn’t want to spend all of her time with Blake. Every time she looked at him her heart ached because she wanted to hold him or kiss him but she was still infuriated by his treatment of her.

  “It won’t be all the time. But we should be careful, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if something happened to you.” For the first time, Blake had shown some sort of vulnerability toward Shelby and he had wanted to say much more but couldn’t.

  Shelby could tell that he was serious about his concern. For a moment, they just sat in awkward silence as neither one knew what to say next. A few minutes later, the car pulled up into their compound and a huge metal gate was opened. The SUV drove through a circular driveway that was lined with trees and all sorts of flourishing flowers. This was not the hotel that Shelby had in mind when she had briefly gone over their plans with Danica.

  “This isn’t the hotel. Where are we?” Shelby continued to gaze out of the window as the large three-storey building came into sight with its balconies and large open windows.

  “I assumed that Danica told you? We are all staying together in this compound rather than at the hotel. Jordan talked it over with his security people and they decided that it would be safer this way. You still have your own room and we have staff here to do the catering.” Blake could see from Shelby’s expression that she had not been informed about any of the changes which made the tension between them worse. “It’s really very nice. I can show you around if you want.”

  Shelby didn’t answer and instead opened her door and got out. Hank appeared at her side and walked through into the main lobby with her.

  The entrance hall was a big open space with a tiled floor and several couches and chairs dotted around the large room. On either side of the hall were large marble staircases that led up to the numerous rooms and balconies above, and at the back, Shelby could see open patio doors that stretched out to an outdoor pool. Everything was beautiful and luxurious; from the fabric on the couches to the drapes that decorated the windows. It was certainly not the type of home she had seen during her time in Mexico.

  The driver appeared with Shelby’s case which he rolled over to the left staircase as Blake walked up behind her. “See, it’s got a lot of space. We should all be very comfortable.” He wanted her to warm up to him again and let down her guard as he couldn’t bear this discord between them. For months, they had been the closest of friends but since the press conference, things had changed. Blake knew that he had given Shelby the wrong understanding of why he had wanted her to come to Mexico but she was unwilling to give him the opportunity to explain.

  “Yes, this mansion will certainly be enough for four people. When are Jordan and Danica arriving?” Shelby was surprised that they had not met her at the airport with Blake and she couldn’t see any sign of them in the house either.

  Blake looked down at the ground and dreaded having another awkward conversation which he tried to put off. “They should be here later.” He tried to mask his obvious nervousness and conceal his eyes from Shelby. “Hank will show you to your room if you want to freshen up. I have arranged for us to have dinner out by the po
ol if you want to join me in an hour.”

  Shelby was starving and didn’t know if she could wait that long to eat but she was also a guest and couldn’t really do anything else apart from going with the flow. “Sure, I’ll be out once I’ve put my things away.” Without offering Blake another glance, she followed Hank up the staircase and down to her room.

  Her room was everything she would expect it to be from a hired mansion with a huge four-poster bed draped in fine white linens, an antique vanity and a huge ornate mirror hanging next to the wall that opened up onto the balcony. Shelby pushed the glass doors opened and stepped out into the cool evening air where she could see the blue watery pool below.

  A body moved beneath the still water and she found herself unintentionally watching Blake as he glided up and down the length of the pool with ease. His broad shoulders narrowed down to a slim waist covered by a pair of red shorts. His legs kicked away making a small splash. Each time he came up for air, Shelby’s heart jumped wondering if he would look up and see her spying on him but she couldn’t move away from his image.

  He finally came up and pulled himself out at one side of the pool and Shelby dived behind her door hoping that he hadn’t noticed her. From the safe vicinity of her room, she watched as the water trickled down his defined abs and he towel-dried his thick dark hair. She was still mad at him but she couldn’t deny that he was one of the most attractive men she had ever seen. As he walked around in his soaked shorts she wondered what it would be like to touch his wet skin and to have his toned arms embrace her.

  Just off to the side, Shelby noticed that the catering staff was preparing a table for two so she flung open her case and hunted for her blue maxi-dress. Within moments, she was walking outside toward the table where Blake sat in a simple white linen shirt and jeans. His hair was still wet and he looked completely at home in his surroundings. He smiled at her and stood up as she pulled out her seat and sat down.

  “That is a lovely dress you are wearing. Is it one of your designs?” Blake genuinely thought that Shelby looked gorgeous but he was also hoping to win back her favor.

  “Oh, this? No, it’s just something I picked up somewhere.” Shelby wanted to keep things light hearted and friendly as her mind was still thinking about Blake in his shorts.

  “Well, it’s very nice.” Blake reached for the open wine bottle and leaned in for Shelby’s glass. “Would you like some wine?”

  “Yes, thank you.” Everything was still difficult between them but Shelby wasn’t ready to let her grudge drop. “I see it’s just you and me for dinner tonight. Are Danica and Jordan busy?”

  Blake poured himself a glass and then put the bottle down. He had been waiting for this inevitable question and had no idea how Shelby was going to react to his news. “They are busy and they won’t be joining us tonight.” His answer was intentionally vague as he was still hoping that he wouldn’t have to say anything else.

  Shelby wrinkled her brow with confusion. “Will they be around in the morning? I have something that I need to discuss with Danica.”

  Blake cleared his throat and knew that he would have to answer truthfully. “No. They won’t be around in the morning either. In fact, they won’t be able to make it here for a couple of days.” Blake lifted his eyes up to Shelby waiting for her response.

  “What? What do you mean they won’t be here? They were meant to arrive today.” Shelby herself didn’t know how to process the unexpected news that she would be alone with Blake for a couple of days when she had wanted to avoid him as much as possible.

  “It’s completely unexpected but they had their passports stolen while they were in London. Their safe at the hotel was broken into and their passports along with some jewelry and cash were taken. Jordan thinks it was one of the hotel staff but the manager has done everything he can to sort it out. Anyway, they can’t travel for a couple of days while the embassy is making them new passports and the police are handling the investigation.” Blake had rambled a little with his explanation but he couldn’t control his nerves.

  Shelby looked at him with her fiery brown eyes and he could see that she was annoyed but still thinking about what he had just said. It wasn’t what she wanted to hear but there was no one to blame for the unexpected turn of events. For a second, she thought about packing her stuff and getting the first flight out but it was just a childish impulse that wanted to avoid dealing with Blake. Besides, she was still excited to see her grandmother.

  Shelby took a deep breath in and reached for her wine glass. “Well, that is really unfortunate. I hope they can make it in time for the opening.” She sipped her crisp white wine and did everything she could to just remain calm.

  Chapter 5

  The following morning, Shelby and Blake sat down for an early breakfast. “Did you sleep well?” Blake had not managed to get back into Shelby’s good graces and he was starting to tire of the unnecessary awkward tension between them.

  “Yes.” Shelby buttered her toast as one of the house staff poured her a steaming cup of black coffee. After their quiet dinner last night, Shelby had spent the remaining evening hours in her room wondering how she was going to get through the next few days alone with Blake. She had decided that all she could do was protect herself and her heart. It was clear from Blake’s non-invitation to Mexico that he didn’t see her purpose within the project and they were nothing more than friends that shared an interest in music and fashion.

  She was disheartened that their friendship would never be anything more but at the same time, she knew that she could only be with someone who wanted to be in a relationship with her and who cared about her feelings.

  With this decision settled within her mind, Shelby knew that she had to try and keep her distance from Blake so that she could not be charmed by his appearance or manners again.

  “Did you?” She asked the same question back simply out of politeness as she mustered up the courage to look him in the face. Blake looked back at her with a warm glow in his dark amber eyes and she could tell that he wasn’t amused by her short responses.

  “Not really. I never sleep well when I’m not in my own bed.” He took a gulp of his orange juice and then prodded the pieces of fruit that were on his plate. Shelby knew exactly what he meant because she herself had been up all night tossing and turning although she had lied to Blake.

  “Well, we have a busy morning ahead of us. I thought that we could start by going over to the youth center. I will show you around and introduce you to some of the staff.” Without waiting for her agreement, Blake got up from the table and headed for the front door. “I’ll meet you in the car.” He carried on walking straight out to one of the black SUVs where Hank was waiting for him.

  Shelby didn’t like the change in Blake’s attitude and it unsettled her that the roles had changed. She had been annoyed with him but for some reason, he was now also being short and disagreeable with her. Part of her wanted to slowly finish her breakfast and make him wait but she couldn’t bear the thought of him thinking badly about her, so she swallowed a mouthful of coffee and followed him out while still munching on a piece of toast.

  They sat side by side in the cream leather seats of SUV with Hank and the driver sitting in the front compartment and another car full of more bodyguards following behind. Shelby tried to quietly eat the single piece of toast that she had taken with her as Blake seemed to ignore her and look out onto the crowded sun-kissed roads. Everything was a blur of traffic, street vendors, and sporadic colorful murals or graffiti, with the occasional bulletproof SUV with blacked out windows passing by. The streets were full of cars, bumper to bumper and the pavements lined with people walking about their business. Everything looked, smelled and felt different from New York and even though it was a busy city, Mexico City felt more populated and crowded than the Manhattan life Blake was used to. He had been out to visit the youth center on several occasions and although he considered himself an alien in these parts, he had an unex
plainable love for Mexico City that made him feel at home.

  As the cars turned off the highway and went down several streets, Shelby started to recognize the area as they were not far from where her parents had grown up. Memories started to flood her mind of all the family visits when she was a little girl and how she had spent her summer holidays running around similar streets with her wild cousins. As she thought about her grandmother’s smiling face, the SUVs pulled up in front of a large cream building that had no signs marking it.

  “This is it.” A flourish of excitement came over Blake as he opened the door and jumped out. Shelby followed behind and took in the huge building which was at least five storeys high.

  “This whole building is just for the youth center?” Shelby had envisioned a small corner building that just had a few large rooms and maybe a single bathroom, not a huge complex with floors and its own car park.