I turned away from him, eyes pinned on my escape. Once I was outside somehow, I knew I’d figure something out. Stick my thumb out and hitch-hike to the city and go from there, I just had to get outside first. The exit wasn’t far. But with all the commuters, holiday goers, and waiting greeters the process was slower than it should’ve been. It was like suddenly everyone wanted to get in my way. As if I was being kept inside the airport by an unknown force.
I wanted to scream and yell at them to move but kept my temper under lock and key.
Suddenly a man stepped in my path and I was just about to open my mouth to tell him to get out of my way, but he pinned me with a crystal-blue-eyed stare. My breath hitched in my throat.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked with a low timbre as he cocked an eyebrow.
Five
Sebastian
It wasn’t hard to spot her. She practically stood out like a beacon. Glowing like a Christmas tree as she stood completely oblivious to the people around her, passengers having to skirt around her. I took a quick glance at the picture I’d saved to my phone just to make absolutely sure, but I knew the blonde with the tight, hip-hugging jeans and shapeless baggy top that somehow did more to show off her curves than anything else could, was her: Anna. My mail-order bride.
God, she was beautiful.
Her photo didn’t do her justice, and I was thrown a little by it if I was honest. Stunned.
Holding the coffees, I’d grabbed in preparation for her arrival, from across the arrival terminal I watched her for a second, indulging in knowing that she’d come all this way for me, to be my wife. Even though it was all a complete hoax. One day Josephine would pay for her involvement in this mess. But right then a small part of me wondered what it would be like to take her back to my apartment and go along with it all. The whole shebang. Take a wife, to have and to hold. Apparently, if Gerard was to be considered an expert on the subject, it was the thing to do nowadays. Settling down, growing up. But that wasn’t me, no matter how hot Anna the mail-order bride was.
Was it?
Anna stepped forward, her courage seemed to be building as she scanned the area looking for me. A frown appeared on her sweet pale face. Confusion setting in as she turned and studied a man over to her right. I followed her gaze to where it landed. Big Jim, my driver, as he liked to be called, stood feet apart, belly protruding with a sign he’d made up from a stash he kept in his professional driver’s kit. I didn’t know such a thing existed, but it seemed like a good idea, and I’d provided Anna’s name so he could write it down and use it for this very occasion.
The emotions Anna’s face went through were a sight to see. And I had to admit the way she pursed her lips—a long stare hardening the blues of her eyes—was my favorite. She looked positively furious.
Then it dawned on me, and I let out a chuckle, startling an old lady waiting by a pillar with a trolley piled high with suitcases.
Did Anna think Big Jim was me? The fury seemed to drive her forward. She took a step toward him. If Big Jim wasn’t careful it looked like any moment she was going to launch herself over there. A feisty one, I thought.
At the last minute, she shook her head and turned in the opposite direction away from Big Jim, toward me, and the exit.
Holy shit! She was going to leg it. The little minx. Obviously, she wasn’t keen on the idea of Big Jim being her husband.
I sprang into action. I couldn’t let her get away. I still had Gerard to think about, the bloody wedding, and his Bridezilla’s need to have seven perfect bridesmaids to go along with the groomsmen. And Anna was indeed the ideal candidate to fit the role and my only hope after Sarah had taken it upon herself to spread those rumors about me. Josephine had at least not let me down on that score. Anna would be a knockout on my arm going down the aisle.
Taking care not to spill the coffees and scald myself, I tracked Anna’s movements toward the exit and put myself on a trajectory course to meet her. My heart was thumping like a motherfucker, a piece of construction machinery gone wild, and I hadn’t even met her yet. Jesus… this woman was going to be the death of me. Or get me fired as Josephine had threatened.
I came to a sudden halt inches away from her; she was about to change course and try and go around me, but I stepped to the side blocking her path again. Anna scowled.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Her mouth popped open, her eyes flying wide open as we made eye contact. I didn’t give her a chance to give me any excuses.
“Anna? It is Anna, isn’t it? Or should I call you Anastasia?” I said thinking of her full Russian name detailed on the correspondence Josephine had shown me.
She shrugged still gazing up at me. Maybe she was just as stunned by me as I had been with her when I first laid eyes on her. Then I remembered what my secretary had said.
“Oh, that’s right. You don’t speak English, do you? Well, we’ll figure something out. Maybe you could learn? Good thing I caught you before you made it outside, I could’ve lost you,” I said not knowing quite what my mouth was playing at, rambling like a fool. I could’ve lost her? Pull yourself together. And yet I continued, still not knowing if she could understand me. “My driver’s just over here. Come on. Or do you have bags that we need to pick up?”
Sensing her hesitation and noticing the worry in her green eyes I smiled at her. “It’s okay. My name is Sebastian. You’re here to meet me, right?” I said each word super slowly, because of course that always worked. Thankfully though, she nodded and I gave a sigh of relief. “So you do understand English?”
Visibly Anna swallowed then nibbled on her lip. “A little,” she managed to reply, her voice so quiet I could barely hear her amongst all the noise of the busy airport and the morning rush. Her accent was cute too… maybe I could get used to having her around for a while.
“Bags?” I asked again, miming and pointing, wanting to make sure we didn’t leave anything behind.
“This. No bags.” Anna clutched her rucksack, hands tight around the shoulder straps, indicating that was all she had. I hid my surprise well, I hoped. She’d come all this way with literally only the things on her back. She was a brave one.
We stared at each for another long moment. I couldn’t quite make my feet move or create sounds with my mouth. The urge to wrap this small creature in my arms was beyond anything I could’ve expected. How dire had life been back in Russia for her to answer a mail-order ad? I couldn’t imagine. But she’s here now… mine to protect, I caught myself thinking.
The spell was only broken when a man in his mid-forties accidentally bumped into my arm, almost knocking the coffee out of my hand. He apologized and quickly moved on.
“Oh, right, yes. This is for you. A small welcome to America. Don’t worry, though, we’ll go for something more substantial if you want. Some breakfast, if you’re hungry?” I handed her the cup, and she took it, our fingers passing alongside each other for a split second. I took a deep breath as a shudder went through me. God, I wanted her.
Anna took a sip and smiled at me from above the rim of the cup. “Mmm,” she said pleasingly, but then was rudely interrupted by her growling stomach. Her hand flew to her belly, and the blush that crept upon her cheeks was a delight to witness.
“I take that as a yes then. Let’s get you fed, come on.” I waved over to Big Jim, got his attention, and led the way, glancing back every microsecond to see if she was still following me. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. Surprisingly she followed.
“Here let me take that,” I said and reached for her bag. She slipped it off willingly and rewarded me with another tiny but cock-hardening smile. Too cute.
“Sebastian?” a female voice cut through the crowd. On instinct, I turned toward the sound, then cursed myself as I realized who it was. “Sebastian, it is you!”
“Shit, shit, shit,” I muttered under my breath. What the hell was she doing here? And at the worst possible moment too. No one could know about Anna,
or more precisely, her original origins. If it got out that I’d ordered a mail-order bride all the way from Russia—even if it wasn’t technically my doing—I would be made into a laughing stock and Sarah or any other woman would never want anything to do with me ever again.
“I thought that was you,” Sarah said as she got closer. “What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same question,” I ground out, attempting to shield Anna from Sarah seeing her.
“I’m here on business, of course. You know fine well that I always grab the early morning flight back to Boston from New York office. And if I didn’t know any better I would think you were here following me. Waiting for me to arrive. Stalking is not romantic, Sebastian. We’re over. I thought I made that clear?”
“I’m not stalking you! Jesus, Sarah. I get it. There’s nothing I can do to win you back. But I’m not following you. I’m not here for you.”
“Mmmhmm, funny way of showing it. Why are you here then and who’s this?”
“Who?”
Sarah rolled her eyes and pointed to Anna who peered around my arm. From the way Sarah was giving her the evil eye I could’ve sworn there was a hint of jealously there. Did I dare pull on that thread?
A sudden and utterly stupid idea entered my head. I tugged Anna beside me and slipped my hand into hers. “You want proof I’m not stalking you, well here she is. This is Anna. She’s my fiancée.”
Sarah’s mouth dropped open as if a screw in her jaw had been taken out, the hinge free to move. “Your…”
I nodded and stood taller. Trying not to pay attention to how perfectly Anna’s hand fit into mine. How right it felt.
“That’s right. My fiancée. We’re getting married soon.”
Sarah shook her head, her eyes narrowing. “I don’t understand. When did this happen? There’s been no time… Is she another one of your bits on the side? Were you sleeping with her when you were still with me? “
“No! Of course not.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“There’s been plenty of time since you ended it between us and broke my heart, Sarah.”
“Oh please.” She looked from me to Anna then back again, searching for the truth. “You’re such a fucking liar, Sebastian. I don’t know what I ever saw in you. Besides she doesn’t even have a ring.”
“So?” I sputtered trying to come up with an excuse quickly. “We wanted to pick out one together.”
“This is crazy. I don’t have time for this, I have deadlines to meet.” Sarah looked at her watch. “Whatever he’s promised you, honey, don’t fall for it. And he’s definitely not worth it.”
Anna’s eyes narrowed, then like a trooper, she shrugged her shoulders. She squeezed my hand pulling me closer, and rose on tiptoes as she leaned into me, kissing me right on the mouth.
From that moment, everything faded away. All the passengers around us disappeared, Sarah melted amongst the crowd, forgotten. The whole airport could’ve been transported to another dimension and I wouldn’t have noticed.
I deepened the kiss, feeling the urge to pull Anna closer to me. A moan escaped her as I sank my tongue into her mouth, never wanting this moment to stop.
Six
Anna
I was either jetlagged or I had lost my mind. Either way, I had no idea what came over me. A combination of his mesmerizing eyes, hurt by his ex’s words, and the way his warm hand for some reason made me feel so safe, had made me want to do something, anything, to make the tongue-lashing she was giving him stop.
I couldn’t tell her to mind her own business without blowing my cover and my feeble attempt at a Russian accent, but I wouldn’t allow her to have a go at my savior. He had, after all, got me home, so he apparently wasn’t all bad. And once I’d gotten over my shock that the man holding my name wasn’t Sebastian, and met the real man I was supposedly due to marry, my legs had turned to jelly.
And then there was a tongue-lashing of whole other kind.
My arms wrapped around his neck, melting into the kiss further, as he pressed me against his body. He molded me to him like I’d belonged there all along. Like this was meant to be, fate pushing us together.
Breathless, we pulled apart, our eyes locked. The rush of sound from our surroundings came flooding back, like a wave that had been held back.
What was I thinking? This wasn’t meant to be, no matter how yummy he looked… or tasted. I was only doing this for one reason: Gran. I wasn’t here to fall in love and get married.
Silently I followed him and his driver, Big Jim, to the town car at the curb. Every time I looked up, Sebastian’s gaze was on me, as if he was worried I was going to bolt like some timid creature. And I supposed he had a right to be concerned, that had been my exact thought only minutes earlier. I gave him a weak smile to reassure him that things had changed, that I was staying—seeing this through—and he opened the car door for me.
Cradling my now-lukewarm coffee, I glanced around the interior, the smell of leather intense, noticing the plush fittings. This guy had to have some money to be able to afford a driver. Maybe this would work out for the best. There was a promise of an allowance, which I could use for Gran’s care. He wouldn’t miss it.
Sebastian slid in beside me. “Drop us off at the diner on South Street, will you, Big Jim?”
“Sounds good,” the driver said from the front, then the privacy partition slid upward.
I swallowed another sip of coffee, anything to make my nerves go away… something to cling on to. I still couldn’t believe I was doing this, lying my ass off, and deceiving this sweet guy.
Both of us kept quiet for the short drive into the city and soon Big Jim was helping me out of the car. Sebastian, with a hand on my lower back, steered us into the busy diner and we were seated almost immediately, even though there’d been a waiting queue of hungry people.
“So what will you have?” Sebastian finally said after we’d picked up our menus.
I hid behind mine, giving me some much-needed time to figure out how I could play this. I’d acted in high school, but this, pretending to be a Russian woman who barely spoke—yet understood some written and spoken—English was a different kind of challenge.
Before I could answer, our waitress had arrived filling our coffee cups.
“Maybe for your first day, I should order for you? Give you a taste of a real American breakfast? Tanya, give us both the works will you?”
The waitress nodded and scribbled fast on her notepad. “You got it, sweetie. I’ll be right back.”
Tanya was true to her word, in what seemed like mere seconds she was back with plates brimming with pancakes, bacon, waffles. It was a mountain of food and my eyes bulged as my mouth watered. It had been months since I’d seen so much food, I almost drooled with my saliva glands working overtime.
Sebastian chuckled as I didn’t wait on ceremony and dug in, attacking the feast with my knife and folk, wielding them like weapons.
As soon as the fluffy pancakes touched my tongue I moaned and rolled my eyes. It was so good to be home.
“Whoa there, don’t they feed you in Russia?” Sebastian said, a smile on his lips as he watched me demolish the stack. In comparison, his plate was practically untouched and I mischievously snagged a piece of his bacon.
“So good,” I said with a mouthful of food, hoping my fake accent was still intact through the mumbling.
“You’ll have to ease up there if you want to fit into the dress for the wedding,” Sebastian said, an easy smile on his face.
I suddenly stopped chewing. This was actually happening. He was serious. There was going to be a wedding, a dress, probably a church. And now that I’d kissed him, willingly, he probably thought I was eager as a puppy to head down the aisle. I nodded and washed the sticky remnants down with strong, hot coffee.
We finished our meal, my eyes starting to droop from all the traveling and the hearty food.
“I know this isn’t ideal, especially since it’s y
our first day in a strange country,” Sebastian said as we walked back to the car, “but I need to go into work today. So I’ll show you around the apartment, but then I have to go. Is that all right? Tomorrow I promise I’ll figure out a way to take some time off, to show you around the city. Get you settled in properly.”
That sounded like heaven to me. All I wanted to do was crash and have some time with my thoughts without the danger of accidentally blurting something out in my regular and very American voice. Acting was hard!
I wasn’t expecting riches or anything fancy, but his apartment a few blocks down from the diner was the prettiest building I’d ever seen. We rode the elevator up to the thirty-fifth floor and from the well-maintained hallways and public spaces I presumed the same would continue into his apartment. But then he opened the door.
“Here’s home,” he said having the good grace to wince and look slightly ashamed. “I’m sorry it’s such a mess… I didn’t have the chance to tidy up before you arrived. I’m barely here if I’m honest.”
Standing stock-still I stared into the apartment. Holy crap, did this man-child not have any pride? And yet considering his appearance and slick, expensive suits, this was the last thing I thought he’d be. He was an utter slob. He gestured for me to enter further. I stepped over discarded tennis shoes, then a trail of running gear that stank of old sweat, as I made my way down the hallway and into an open kitchen and living room. The same kind of mess continued. A few stacks of pizza boxes lay on the kitchen counter, clothes were everywhere, not to mention all the empty glasses on every surface around the place.
Mail Order Bridesmaid Page 5
