Down on the dance floor, they excused their way to the middle. Their hips were swaying and arms making shapes in the smoky atmosphere. Alex felt awkward. She hadn’t been clubbing for so long; she could barely remember any moves! Her gaze fell on Isabella, who seemed frozen in place.
“Oh, gosh,” Isabella said.
“Hey, what’s wrong, Isa?” Ruby shouted. “You okay?”
“Eric’s here,” Isa whispered.
Ruby glanced at Alex, but she only shook her head. “What?” Ruby shouted.
“Eric’s here!” Isa pointed her finger toward the end of the bar where a group of young medical students were ordering drinks. Isa’s crush, Eric, was with them.
“Go say hi.” Nikita nudged her.
Isa shook her head. “No! Don’t be silly, Nik.”
“Hey, what’s the harm? He used to be our high school classmate.”
Isa shook her head again. Nikita was about to drag Isa toward where Eric was when a troop of new arrivals bowled past them.
“Hey!” Nikita shouted in annoyance, but her voice was lost in the music. Then more people came in, shoving through and separating them.
Alex found herself in a dark corner. She had no idea where her friends were. She stood on tiptoe, but all she could see were the shadows of wide shoulders and heads. She wished she were taller. Not to mention her eyes were getting worse by the second.
Moving around the corner, she exited the dance floor and entered a quiet, dimly lit corridor. With the insistent boom-boom-boom of the music rattling the walls, she paid attention to her eyes. She blinked and rubbed a finger across the lids.
“Fudge!” she swore as the contact lens flicked out of her right eye. In a panic, she blinked harder and groped around on the floor. Then the other one did the same. “Oh, for God’s sake!” Now she couldn’t see anything. She was reaching into her handbag for her glasses when a hand grabbed her upper arm and pulled her around.
Though she couldn’t see the man properly, she knew instantly she was in trouble. She tried to shift away, to avoid him. He caught her other arm and pulled her closer. The odor of sour alcohol washed over her face, and she wanted to gag.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he breathed.
“Let go.” She shoved at his arm. He caught her again, his fingers digging painfully into her flesh.
“Come with me,” his voice slurred.
“Leave me alone,” she snapped, shoving ineffectually at his chest. “Get lost!”
“What’s that sweet—sweetheart? Co—come with me. Ya know ya wanna.”
“Get lost!” she shouted, her heart beating faster, a cold sweat beading her skin. She was frightened of what was going to happen. She was scared of what he was going to do to her. She felt trapped. “Ruby? Nik? Isa? Where are you guys?” Her eyes darted around, hoping to see her friends—or anyone, for that matter.
She was pushed against the wall as his face loomed closer to hers. Holy Crap! Alex didn’t want to be kissed by a drunken man she didn’t know. She felt his other hand fumbling at her belt. A sickening feeling rose in her stomach. Her head started to swim. She struggled one hand free and slapped him in the face. He didn’t let her go. He didn’t even flinch. A scream was building inside her when suddenly the man was yanked from behind and a fist crashed against the side of his face, cannoning him into a corner. His body crunched against the wall and slid to the floor, blood welling from his nose and lips.
“Leave her alone!” The voice was icy, hard, and commanding.
Stunned and shaking, Alex looked up at her rescuer. She could only make out a silhouette—a strong and powerful shape. The drunk man in the corner muttered something, but nobody was listening.
The newcomer gently pulled her to his side. The gesture was almost feral—she’s mine. It signaled not just sexually, but personally. His stance and the way he angled his body indicated his readiness and willingness to pursue more violent action. Alex could feel his strength radiating over her.
The drunk’s eyes widened. He held up his hands, realizing his mistake.
“No worries, bro. Thought she was free,” he mumbled as he pushed by them.
Alex squinted at her rescuer, but without her contacts or glasses, she couldn’t see any detail, even this close. She glanced down at the hand that still held her wrist. Odd that only moments before she felt frightened when she was alone with the drunken man, but now alone with this man, she felt safe.
She offered him a tentative smile. “Thanks.”
“Why are you here alone?”
There was that voice again! She could barely understand what he was saying. There was a hint of an American accent, familiar somehow, but the connection eluded her.
“I don't know—the loud music—the crowd,” she said. “And my contacts. I’ve lost my contacts. I can’t see properly.” She tilted her head. She couldn’t see his features. “I didn’t see that guy coming, that’s for sure.”
“Where are your friends?”
“My friends?” She touched her forehead hesitantly. “I’m not sure. I’ve lost them.” She shook her head a little. “I’m fine.” She lied, wanting to go home. She felt tired. There was still work tomorrow and then the meeting with Peter. A sigh escaped. “Can you help me find them?”
“Yeah, sure. Come on.”
Her hand was neatly enveloped by his as he led her toward the door. Ruby came rushing through, the music swirling around her. “Alex? Alex! There you are. Are you okay?”
Nikita and Isa were just a step behind.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Can we go now?’
Nikita gave her a look. “Yeah. I’ve had enough. Too many people here. No fun being shoved around.”
Isa looked at the rescuer and grinned. “Thanks for helping Alex find us. So you know each other?”
He nodded unseen in the darkness as Alex interrupted. “No, we don’t know each other. Now can we go?”
“Yeah,” Ruby said. “Let’s get out of here.”
As they made their way toward the stairs, Alex turned. “Thanks for everything.”
At that moment, Jayden wanted to pull her into his arms and comfort her, but he damn well couldn’t do that, could he? He was a stranger to her. She would think he was no better than that bastard he pulled off her. Why he felt this way toward her he didn’t know, except she was Peter’s friend—and possibly his future fake girlfriend.
He made sure Alex and her friends were safely out of the bar before he returned to Peter, Mary, and some of Mary’s friends sitting in the corner.
Peter asked, “Long line?”
“Yeah,” said Jay, not willing to tell the whole story. He picked up his BlackBerry and saw a message. It was from David Peterson, his executive officer from the head office in New York for his real estate company the J.M. McCartney Group.
Hey, boss, contract ready for you. Documents all sorted.
Need you to check and sign. Check your e-mail.
How’s the vacation? Hope to see you soon.
He leaned across to Peter. “Hey, I think I’m gonna call it a night.”
Disappointment flashed across Mary’s face, a slight blush reddening her neck.
“You all enjoy yourself. Bye, everyone. Nice to meet you all,” he said as he headed for the stairs.
Peter hid a smile at Mary’s discomfort. “See you guys at work,” he said, following Jayden out.
* * * * *
Chapter 3
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 sess
ions.
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 ab
out 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.”
Kiwi Bride: Volume 1 (Kiwi Bride Series Book 3) Page 3
