by Laura Conway
Andrea returned her smile. She could still remember when she realized that she could afford her own jet. She’d been flying private with friends and business partners, but she’d never considered having her own jet. For her, it wasn’t about the perception of having a plane. It was about making the most of her time. With this plane, she could get more done in a day than she ever could have if she was flying business class.
Andrea climbed the stairs and shook the pilot’s hand, asking him how he was. She’d had the same pilot for the last four years, and she liked knowing who was flying her around the world.
Andrea took a seat in one of the cream leather chairs beside the window and took her speech back out, putting it on the table in front of her. She watched Carley greet the pilot, introducing herself before she took a few steps toward the table where Andrea was sitting.
Carley took the seat across from her. “So, is your mother still joining us?”
Andrea checked her watch. “Yes. She likes to be fashionably late and since you can’t really do that at the airport, she’ll be here at the very last second.”
Carley nodded.
“Look, I like punctuality as much as you do,” Andrea said with a smile. Carley looked like she was trying to keep herself from saying something. “But that’s the way she’s always been... Speak of the devil.”
Chapter Eleven
The last few days had been some of the most draining of Carley’s life. It felt like every second of every day was accounted for. Between getting ahead of Andrea’s schedule and keeping up with all the phone calls and emails she received, Carley was busy.
Today was her first time traveling with Andrea, and it hadn’t really sunk in that she would be flying private until they pulled up in front of the jet and climbed the stairs. She sat down across from Andrea, gazing out the window at the bright blue sky and the mountains surrounding the airport.
“Speak of the devil,” Andrea said, and Carley turned in her chair, not quite sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t this.
“Sorry I’m late... Good to see you again Carley,” Vega Reyes said, sitting down in the seat beside her.
“You too,” Carley managed to say, reaching for the bottle of water in her bag.
Vega Reyes is Andrea’s mother... What??
Carley thought back to last week when she’d been trying to do some research on Andrea, but she couldn’t find anything except the names of some of her companies and a few of the golf courses and properties she owned. How had this not come up?
Carley met Andrea’s eyes, and she couldn’t quite decipher her expression. There was a hint of a smile on her lips, but she didn’t say anything and went back to reading her speech, which left Carley free to talk to Vega Reyes. The only problem was she didn’t know what to talk about.
“So how do you like being Andrea’s assistant?”
Carley met her eyes, searching for some resemblance that they were in fact mother and daughter, but they really didn’t look that much alike. Then she remembered meeting Andrea’s dad. She didn’t know Andrea at the time, but now that she had the full picture, she could see how much Andrea looked like her father. They had those same hazel-green eyes, dark hair, and tanned skin.
“It’s a bit hectic, but I’m enjoying it so far,” Carley said, aware that Andrea was sitting directly across from her. What she’d said was true, but she felt strange commenting about her job with Andrea right there. “I haven’t been to London before, really... I mean it was a stopover when I flew into Paris a few weeks ago, but I never left the airport.”
“I imagine you won’t have too much time to explore on this trip,” Vega said, giving her a warm smile, “But I’m sure there’ll be plenty more. Andrea likes to go home every few weeks even if it’s not for business.”
Carley nodded. She knew Andrea was English from her accent, but she didn’t know if Andrea considered it home. She didn’t even know how long Andrea had been living in Spain. Carley thought she’d get to know her better as they worked together, but so far, the majority of their conversations were about business or her schedule.
“Is this fundraiser on every year?” Carley asked, bringing her bottle of water to her lips and taking a long drink.
“Yes, although this is only my third time going. It’s like anything really in life... If it’s not relevant to you, it might not get your attention. It wasn’t until I was diagnosed with breast cancer that I started thinking about fundraising and finding a cure. I would have donated in the past of course, but it wasn’t my main focus. Now, it is.”
“But you’re okay now?”
Vega nodded, pushing a lock of her black hair behind her ear. “Thank God. Yes... I was given the all clear.”
Carley had no idea, but Vega hadn’t been in any movies in the last five years and that was probably why. She glanced out the window. They were in the middle of the runway now, ready for takeoff. Carley had to pinch herself. She was flying on a private jet to one of the biggest fundraisers for breast cancer in London, and she was sitting beside Vega Reyes. It was surreal.
Chapter Twelve
They parted ways with her mother when they got to the hotel. Carley had called ahead, so it only took her a minute to get them checked in. Their bags were already upstairs, and Carley stepped into the elevator behind her, pressing the button for their floor.
“You can have an hour or two to relax,” Andrea said as the doors opened again. “Before we go to lunch.”
“Okay. Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m just going to be reading over my speech and making a few phone calls.”
They made their way down the carpeted hallway until they reached their rooms. Andrea asked Carley to reserve a suite with an adjoining bedroom. She didn’t want Carley five floors away. They still had separate key cards, and Andrea could lock the door between their rooms, so they still had their privacy.
“I think it’s cute that you have a crush on my mother,” Andrea said as she took the key card from its paper sleeve.
Carley’s eyebrows rose. “I don’t!”
This was the most emotion she’d seen since they’d met, and Andrea couldn’t stop herself from smiling. “So, you’re not into older women then?”
“I didn’t say that... But as far as your mother goes, I’m just a fan. Of course, I can see that she’s beautiful, but I’m not actually attracted to her.”
“Okay... Because that would be weird.”
“I know it would,” Carley said, putting her key card in her door. “I’ve met your dad. I work for you... So, I’m really glad that I’m not crushing on her.”.
“If you say so,” Andrea said, smiling to herself as she went into her suite. She’d forgotten that Carley knew her dad. She’d only worked at the pub for a few days, but he’d taken a chance on her. And Jessica...
It still bothered her that she didn’t have any proof that Jessica was the one who stole two necklaces and several very expensive pairs of earrings. She hadn’t gone to the police, because if she couldn’t figure it out, they weren’t going to either. Her house was full of cameras, and no one got past her security gates without her permission. There was nothing suspicious on the cameras, but it would have been easy for Jessica to slip those pieces of jewelry into her handbag without anyone noticing.
Andrea took a bottle of water out of the mini fridge and sat down on the couch, kicking off her heels and stretching out as she read over her speech again, closing her eyes as she went over a few lines in her head before checking that she’d gotten them right. She was nearly there. She would probably have it off by heart before they even went to lunch.
Chapter Thirteen
Carley pulled out a chair and sat down across from Andrea. They had a table beside the window, overlooking the River Thames. When Carley had made the reservation, she checked out their menu online and nearly choked on her drink when she saw the prices. She’d have to start getting used to this lifestyle soon, or she’d end up making a fool of herself one of
these days.
She’d done her best to upgrade her wardrobe as best as she could with her limited budget. She’d left her jean shorts at home, tucked away in the bottom drawer of her dresser. She’d probably only be able to wear them if she had some time off.
Carley found the time to pick up a few pairs of slacks and black skinny jeans that looked a little dressier than denim jeans. She also picked up three blazers in navy, black, and white. She figured they would go with most things, and she decided she’d have to retire her flip-flops too, for the time being anyway. She found a cheap pair of black heels that would also go with just about anything. She was far from being a fashion icon, but she felt better about dining out at places like this now that she wasn’t dressed so casually.
“So, your mother isn’t joining us?” Carley asked when the waiter left them to get their drinks.
“No. She wanted to meet up with a friend while she was in town. Why? Do you miss her?” Andrea asked, giving her a wink.
Carley almost rolled her eyes. “I was just curious.”
“You can sit beside her at the fundraiser tonight... She thinks you’re great by the way.”
“Really?”
“She already likes you more than Jessica, and she’s very impressed with your Spanish.”
“She is?”
“Yes,” Andrea said as she read over the menu.
Their waiter returned with their drinks and took their order. Carley still couldn’t believe how much her lunch was going to cost.
“So, what was it like growing up?” Carley asked, not wanting to pass up the opportunity to get to know her better. “Did you have a normal childhood?”
“I left London when I was eight. I knew my mother wanted to go back to Spain. I spent a lot of time there growing up, so I didn’t mind. I feel like I had a normal upbringing... I got to hang out with my mother on set if she was filming nearby which she did a few times. I probably spent too much time with our nanny though. My mother was often away, between filming and promoting her movies, and my dad worked long hours at the pub. The same pub where you were working.”
“Wow. So, he made it work.”
“Yeah. The first few years were a struggle, but then things kind of took off, and he got the opportunity to buy the restaurant next door.”
“I can see where you get your business skills from,” Carley said, taking a sip of white wine.
Andrea smiled. “Well, we have different philosophies. If I’d listened to him, I’d probably own one investment property and maybe a restaurant. He always warned me against whatever I was trying to do. He wasn’t willing to take risks.”
“He was probably just looking out for you.”
“I know he meant well. I’m just glad I didn’t take his advice,” Andrea said as she reached for her wine. “I actually wanted to be an actress when I was a kid.”
“What changed?”
“I wasn’t very good at it,” Andrea said with a laugh. “My mother encouraged me, but I knew it wasn’t for me. I spent my teens helping out my Dad at the pub and drifted towards business. I think I just wanted what I thought acting would bring me: the freedom to travel, buy a nice house, a car, eat at fancy restaurants... When I figured out you didn’t need to be an actress to have any of that, I lost interest in it.”
The waiter brought over their starters, and they ended up talking about all the things that were happening tomorrow when they returned to Marbella. One of Andrea’s friends was having her fiftieth birthday party on her yacht tomorrow night. Carley wasn’t entirely sure if she was going to be joining Andrea or not. She didn’t mind either way, but the usual worries crept in. What would she wear if she was going? She wouldn’t have time to go shopping by the time they landed in Malaga in the afternoon.
She kind of hoped that she wouldn’t be going. She was nervous enough about wearing the dress that Andrea’s stylist had brought over. When she stood in front of the mirror last night, trying it out with her new black heels, she hardly recognized herself. She spent a while putting waves in her hair, and she decided that was how she’d wear her hair tonight. She thought she’d looked good, but she wasn’t sure about how she’d fit in, how she’d mingle with the other guests. They were probably all as wealthy as Andrea was, and Carley knew that even when she was dressed up, she still wasn’t one of them.
Chapter Fourteen
Andrea took a glass of champagne off the waiter’s tray as he weaved his way through the crowd. She needed a drink. She promised herself that after lunch, she wouldn’t have anything else to drink until she’d gotten up on stage and delivered her speech.
She wondered how Carley was getting on. She’d arrived here an hour or so before Andrea and her mother did. The speeches had dragged on, and Andrea felt like she was waiting backstage for hours for her turn. When she did stand in front of the podium, she left her notes behind and spoke from memory, adding in a few lines as they came to her.
The important thing was she didn’t cry. That was what she’d been worried about. She knew her mother was sitting at the table right beneath the stage, but Andrea had made eye contact with her several times as she spoke, and she managed to keep it together. She didn’t see Carley sitting beside her though.
Andrea found her mother among the crowd of people who had moved away from the tables and were hovering by the bar, talking in small circles, shaking hands and laughing. She liked this part of the night at these kinds of things. The hard work had been done, and everyone could relax and appreciate what they’d accomplished.
“That was a beautiful speech,” her mother said to her in Spanish, wrapping her arms around her. “I had to redo my makeup.”
Andrea smiled. When it was just the two of them, they spoke Spanish. It had always been that way. “I don’t know how I didn’t cry, but I do think we’re making progress. Tonight went well, and there’ll be plenty more nights like this. I’m just glad that you’re here.”
“Me too.”
“Was Carley with you at the table?” Andrea asked, her eyes scanning the room for her blond hair.
“She was for most of the night, but she got up to get a drink, and she never came back. She must have found someone more interesting to talk to,” her mother said, feigning jealousy.
“I doubt that. You know how much she respects you.”
“I enjoyed the night. She didn’t make me feel like an actress. We had a normal conversation... But she must have found someone else to talk to.”
Andrea searched the room again and spotted her by the bar. She almost didn’t recognize her. She hadn’t seen her since she left the suite while Andrea was getting her hair and makeup done.
“There she is,” her mother said a few seconds later.
“I think I’ll go see how she’s doing,” Andrea said, finishing her glass of champagne and leaving it on the table beside her. She made her way over to the bar, stopping a few times to shake someone’s hand or be introduced to another donor. Her eyes met Carley’s when she was a few feet away. She looked amazing in a black dress that hugged her figure, her blond hair cascading over her shoulders in loose curls, and Andrea felt the noise of the room drop away as she got closer.
Carley laughed at something the woman beside her had said, her bright blue eyes almost sparkling in the light of the chandeliers.
“Hey,” Andrea said as she joined them. Carley excused herself from the conversation she was having with an older woman she’d been talking to.
“Your speech was amazing,” Carley said. “I’m glad I was back here by the bar. I had to slip out to find the restroom and fix my makeup.”
Andrea returned her smile. “I might have improvised a little, and that’s when things got emotional... Did you have an okay night?” she asked, glancing at the woman that she’d been talking to.
“Yeah. I kind of lost track of time. I’ve been talking to that woman, Linda, for ages.”
“And you said you didn’t like older women,” Andrea said with a smirk, and Carley hit her li
ghtly on the arm.
“She might be a little too old...”
“Probably,” Andrea said, figuring that she was a few years older than her mother and at least forty years older than Carley.
“Am I keeping you from mingling with fellow donors?”
“No… I was thinking about getting some air though. Do you want to join me?”
“Sure.”
Andrea knew this hotel well and led them away from the ballroom and down the hall, finding the door on the other side of the building that would bring them up to the rooftop bar. Andrea held the door open for Carley, letting her climb the steps first.
It was surprisingly quiet with just a handful of people enjoying the view of London’s night sky. Andrea followed her over to a sofa where they both sat down. A waitress came over to take their order. She ordered a whiskey on the rocks and was surprised to her hear Carley ask for the same. She’d had a whiskey when they were sitting by her pool last week, but Andrea didn’t know if that was a once of or if it was her drink of choice.
A light breeze blew through Carley’s hair, and she tucked a stray piece behind her ear. Andrea looked away as a smile came to her lips. She knew it wasn’t the same, but Carley had gotten further than almost every woman she’d ever been with. She was living under her roof and had met both of her parents.
“Everything okay?” Carley asked her as their drinks arrived.
“Yeah,” she said, reaching for her tumbler. “I was just thinking how well you’re fitting in.”
“Really? I don’t feel like I do at all.”
“Tonight, you mean?”
“In general,” Carley said with a shrug. “This is just so different from what my life is normally like.”
“Well, I know private jets are hardly the norm, but you held your own tonight. My mother said she enjoyed talking with you... And you certainly look the part,” Andrea added. That had just slipped out of her mouth.