I looked to the floor, rubbed my hand over my face and groaned. I hated suits with a passion and some people in the building still seemed surprised to see me in my regular uniform of jeans, boots and t-shirts. It was a hard habit to break, but it was so much more comfortable, and more importantly, it was me. Occasionally, I’d come in donning a suit, usually if I had a meeting with some bigwig investor or a client. Then I needed to conform to the norm, otherwise, the casual look would do just fine.
“Suits are stuffy and uncomfortable. End of story.”
“Aw, come on mate, you can’t tell me this doesn’t look good.” Mike stood up abruptly and gestured to the simple grey suit he was sporting. “A good suit elongates the male physique and makes a handsome guy like me, look all the more dashing. It probably wouldn’t work on you,” he laughed.
“What are you elongating? The extra bits below your man boobs?” I pointed at his mid-section.
“Arse! I’ll have you know that most women I go out with, happen to like the man boobs. Gives them ample cushion to lay there pretty little heads on,” he sniffed, chin in the air. The smile on his face was mischievous and I didn’t believe a word he’d said.
“Oh really? And which women would they be? I think we’re using the term ‘women’ in its loosest sense here because I swear, that last bird you picked up from the kebab shop had longer sideburns than me,” I laughed.
“Fuck off! None of your business, you big ponce and she was from Greece, if you must know and a very nice lady, too. That’s how they are out there.” His voice shook as he laughed along with me. “And by the way, Mr. Giggles, may I remind you that I’m not the one stuck to one vagina for the rest of my natural life, if you’ll excuse the expression.”
I burst out laughing again, “One vagina that knows what it’s doing is better than ten that just lay there.”
“I don’t…” Mike stopped as if thinking about it. “No, you got me there. Totally correct, mate.”
The sounds of our laughter probably clued the rest of the office in to the fact that we weren’t getting any work done, yet, I couldn’t have cared less. Life was too damn short.
Chapter 4 — Ginny
“Remind me again to tell your husband how much I love him for this!” Kari gushed again as the plane took off. With everything that’d happened in LA, Brad’s threats and the police’s subsequent involvement, I was ecstatic to be getting away from there. I’d followed Kari’s advice and kept everything a secret from Tristan, though it hadn’t been easy. I knew I’d been a little distant from him on Skype. I hadn’t initiated any online sex since I ran into Brad at the mall and thankfully, Tristan took my lead and kept our chats on safe topics, such as our impending nuptials. He hadn’t mentioned anything about a prenup since the last time he’d brought it up, and I wondered if the topic was gone for good, or if it would be sprung on me again. We were already married so I didn’t think it mattered, still, the idea that I only wanted Tristan for his money was laughable. If anything, I wanted him more for his bedroom skills and that amazing cock.
“This is so incredible!”
Normally, I can deal with Kari’s over-exuberant personality; it’s part of what I love about her, but her high-pitched squeals over every little thing were becoming a bit annoying. I think the stress of keeping things from not only Tristan, but also his mother, was finally taking its toll on me.
I leaned my head back against the soft cushion and resolved to stop worrying so much about things I couldn’t change. Kari was right. The police could handle Brad, or at least, I hoped they would. No way did I want to see my labia on various internet porn sites. I hadn’t even shaved that day!
“Are you worrying again over there?”
“Huh?” I turned to see Kari giving me a blatantly annoyed look.
“Stop worrying, it’ll give you wrinkles. And wrinkles in wedding pictures is a big time no-no.”
I smiled and tried to relax. I could tell from her attitude that not being as excited as she was about it all was throwing her off. It was her first time flying legit, first class in an Airbus and I’m sure it would take some getting used to.
“Mind if we ask Tristan to book us plane tickets anytime we go anywhere?” Kari fiddled with one of the buttons and gasped as the bed lay down. “I am in heaven! Oh, if only Tristan had a brother I would be set for life.”
A flight attendant came by before I had a chance to answer and stood in the aisle between our suites. “What can I get for you, madam?”
Kari opened her mouth to speak, but looked over at me before any sound came out. “We are allowed to order whatever we want, yes? Because I don’t see any prices and I doubt that I could afford any of this food otherwise.”
I chuckled, “Yeah. It is included in the ticket, silly! This is first class, so order whatever you want, Bear.”
“Perfect! I’ll have the lobster tail with a side of…”
As Kari’s voice faded into the background, my thoughts once again turned to the wedding and Tristan’s mom. My parents were flying over to see Tristan and me get married, and I just wanted everything to run smoothly over the next few weeks. As time passed by, it had gotten harder and harder to keep our Vegas marriage a secret. I knew Kari and Mike knew, and I hadn’t told my parents, but I wasn’t sure who else might know. It also seemed very coincidental for Brad to suddenly pop up with outrageous demands for money. Why would he do that, knowing I didn’t have anywhere near that much? He must’ve known something to come up with his bullshit.
“What?” I focused back on Kari and the flight attendant to find them both looking at me.
“Would you like to order anything as well, Mrs. Armstrong?”
Being referred to as Mrs. Armstrong made me pause, but I focused on giving her my order. “I’ll just take a chef salad with the dressing on the side.” I still hadn’t recovered from my surprise by the time she’d turned away. “Mrs. Armstrong…”
“Well, yeah. You kind of are, hon.” Kari rustled around in the cabinet next to her recliner. “Oh my God! These blankets are like Egyptian cotton or something! I feel like I’m in some fancy hotel. I could so get used to this. Adopt me, Gin.” She smiled, cuddling the blanket up next to her cheek and in baby talk she added, “I’ll be your best friend.”
“You are my best friend and too old to be adopted. What would the neighbors think?” I laughed out loud.
I peered out of the sliding door and noticed some of the other first class passengers were staring in our direction and I could feel my face flush with embarrassment. We probably shouldn’t have had those drinks while we waited for the plane.
“Kari, shh... I think we’re disturbing the other passengers.”
“Seriously? They can’t even hear us. These suites are probably like soundproof or something.” Her voice sounded garbled and I knew that getting her to quiet down was not going to happen. Maybe I’d have to get her wasted, so she’d hopefully, fall asleep.
I tried shushing her as quietly as I could. “Seriously, girl, shut up! We have a really long flight with these people.”
“Oh right, right. Roger that. I’ll just have another drink and enjoy a movie—” The flight attendant returned with our trays. The smell of Kari’s lobster was mouth-watering and I regretted not going for it. “—and inhale this tasty looking lobster. Man, Virginia P, you seriously won the husband lottery! Sexy, smart and loaded. The guy’s a total catch!”
I silently agreed with Kari. Tristan was definitely a catch for all of those reasons and more. I smiled wide before taking a cue from her and digging into my salad. It wasn’t as good as lobster, but it was still a five-star meal. Something I’d have to get used to in the near future. Hashtag first world problems.
I wasn’t quite sure when I’d fallen asleep, but when I woke up, we only had about an hour left of our flight and I felt loads more rested than I had in days. It was as if crossing the dreaded Atlantic had taken a huge weight off my shoulders. I wasn’t worried about Brad…that much. It was s
till in the back of my mind, but I could push the thought away easily, knowing that Chuck was taking care of it. “Dude, I think I drank way too much, way too fast,” Kari groaned from where she was still lying in her bed. I peered over and took in the paleness of her face with a little smirk. “Don’t. I swear I will end you if you so much as let out one chuckle at my expense.”
“You do it to me all the time,” I retorted.
She sniffed. “Yeah well that’s different. I do it out of love.”
“Oh? And what do I do it out of then?”
“Revenge.”
“I don’t—” Kari looked at me with her eyebrow cocked. “Fine. But not always! Just when you’re really being a pain in the ass.”
Kari shook her head and then groaned at the movement. “Maybe I should page the flight attendant and see if I can get some aspirin. I refuse to get to England only to pass out from a pounding headache.”
Both of us were quiet and wrapped up in our own thoughts while we waited for the flight attendant to return with some aspirin. Kari knocked them back, grimacing at their chalky texture and then dropped her head back down on the bed. Though I wasn’t as overwhelmed by the luxury as Kari was, I took the time to really soak in my surroundings.
The first class section was divided into one-person suites and each had a reclining chair that stretched out into a comfortable bed as well as a sort of nightstand on the side, and a vanity with a tray near the foot. You could close the door of your suite to allow for more privacy, but Kari and I had left ours open since we were sitting across from one another. The sheets were white and wonderfully soft and the nightstand was filled with an assortment of snacks and drinks.
Apparently, Tristan couldn’t send the company plane for us because it was in for a maintenance check, so he’d paid for the best of everything. I’d felt a little apprehensive when he told me that part, but then again, I had to get used to the fact that I was married to a gazillionaire.
“Tris, you don’t have to. Kari and I can totally fly coach.”
“Baby, I know you can fly coach, but I don’t want you to. You’re my wife and you girls will have the best flying experience possible. It’s a long flight. I want both of you to be comfortable.”
“Be honest…you’re trying to suck up to Kari aren’t you?”
“…no?”
His hesitant no had been the push I needed to accept riding in first class, especially because my wonderful rich husband took care of everything, even my parents’ flights. It sucked that they couldn’t get on the same flight as us, but they were only coming for a few days, so I wouldn’t even see them till right before the wedding.
I wondered if this was how life was for Tristan all of the time. No wonder he thought I was interesting. Even Mike was probably used to this treatment just by association. He’d never seemed surprised by the opulence around him, still treating Tristan and his parents as normal-ish people.
Maybe it was time for me to start doing the same. I’d been trying so hard to ignore the fact that my husband was rich, but maybe I needed to just accept it and treat it like it was normal. It was definitely a life changer. And truthfully, it made things much easier, especially travelling back and forth between continents. Not many people I knew could’ve afforded two separate weddings in two different countries.
“Thank God for pain meds,” Kari groaned, massaging her temples.
I smiled across at her, “Feeling better?”
“Yeah, the aspirin is definitely helping. I wonder if rich people aspirin is stronger than what us commoners get.”
I laughed as the pilot’s voice came over the intercom announcing our descent. “I don’t think the aspirin is any different Kari, though you could probably ask for something more narcotic in nature.”
“Narcotic? What do you know about narcotics? Please don’t tell me you’re going to turn into a pill popper now that you’ve come into money.” I looked over at Kari like she’d lost her mind. She was hiding her smile behind her hand.
“You’re so ridiculous,” I giggled, and that set us both off. I think the reality of the situation, our impending arrival and my ‘official’ wedding had finally hit us. It felt good to know that Kari could just roll with it; that she wouldn’t just abandon me because my marital status had changed.
Our cheerful attitudes stayed with us while we got off the plane and walked to the baggage claim. Hearing the British accents filled me with even more longing for Tristan and I was steadily counting down the minutes until I’d be wrapped up in his arms again. He’d wanted to come pick us up, but he had to take care of business, meeting a very important client before he took a few days off, so he’d sent us a car.
Baggage claim was a breeze to get through, thanks to our first class status. In no time at all, the first class passenger concierge had two porters collect our bags and we were on our way out the door. With everyone making a fuss over us, I felt like a celebrity.
“Oh my GOD! Is that chauffeur for us? Is there a friggin’ limo waiting outside?” Kari’s screech made heads swivel in our direction and my dreamy thoughts of celebrity status went straight down the toilet. I could feel my cheeks redden with embarrassment. The man holding the sign with our names chuckled, but was smart enough not to say anything. The porters took our luggage and loaded it into the trunk as we climbed into the back of the limo. “Seriously Gin, the man is a saint! Maybe we should really see if he has an illegitimate brother hiding around somewhere.”
“Kari!”
“Or even a sister! I could probably be persuaded to switch teams if this was the end result,” she said with a smile. All I could do was giggle and shake my head in amusement. I had to remind myself that this was Kari’s first time seeing Tristan’s lifestyle up close and personal and I needed to be a little more understanding of her enthusiasm. Anyway, it would be fun exploring London with my best friend and introducing her to the affluent life that was about to be my reality.
Chapter 5 — Kari
It started with sitting in first class on our flight to London. I couldn’t understand Ginny’s blasé attitude about the amazing perks of having a rich husband. She could be a little frustrating sometimes. I chalked it up to her being nervous about the countdown until her wedding, even though they were already married. At least now, she could be Mrs. Tristan Armstrong. I never could figure out why that was so secret, but to each his own.
I’d talked to my friend Chuck, before we’d left LA. The investigation into the videos and blackmail was ongoing, but he seemed sure that he could charge Brad with a felony and have things ready to go before we even returned from London. I’d hoped so because looking over my shoulder every time I wanted to take a piss was pretty annoying.
“Tell Ginny not to worry. We’ll have that asshole charged and locked up for sure.”
I’d told Ginny before we left and it seemed as if it had finally sunk into her brain, or maybe she was just getting better at hiding her thoughts from me. Either way, I just hoped she remembered not to bring it up with Tristan. No need to have him confronting Brad again, especially now that he and Ginny were actually married. With the amount of money he had at his disposal, Brad’s body might never be found.
Then again, maybe we should tell him.
“I can’t wait to take you to the pub near Tristan’s place. It has the most amazing fish and chips and the beer is really good too,” Ginny said after a lengthy pause. We were in the limo on the way to the Armstrong mansion where they both lived. I thought it was a bit strange that Mum Armstrong wanted to stay in such a large place when she was all alone, but maybe that’s what rich British people did. At least we had a great place to stay and I wouldn’t have to worry about hearing Ginny and Tristan having sex. Sleeping with headphones on to block out the various oohs and aahs got really annoying after a while.
“So what are the plans for our trip?” I asked, while staring out the window. Mentally, I was cataloging all of the places that looked interesting enough to warrant a visit and
I hoped that we’d have time. I didn’t want to spend the next two weeks doing nothing but wedding stuff. I mean, don’t rich people hire out for that?
“Well, we’re meeting at Tristan’s mom’s house—”
I snorted, “Castle, you mean.”
“—and then the rest of the day is just whatever we want to do. Tomorrow we have dress fittings, and since you are my maid of honor, you’ll have to hang out at the dress shop as well. But it’s in the morning, so after that we’re free to do whatever.”
“Oh, thank God. No offense, Gin, but I didn’t want to spend all day doing wedding stuff. It is my first time across the pond. Although, if there’s a cake tasting thrown in there, I’m all for it!”
We settled into silence, both of us content to look out the window. I wondered what Ginny was thinking and if she was nervous about getting married in front of so many people.
“So are you and Tristan ever going to tell his mom about getting married in Vegas?” I asked nonchalantly.
“Absolutely not,” she hissed. I was actually taken aback by how stern she was about it. “Seriously Kari, do not mention that at all while you’re here. Tristan’s mom is still pressuring him about getting me to sign that freaking prenup and if she finds out we’re already married, she’ll be furious.”
“Oh, why didn’t you guys just tell her? Won’t she find out eventually?” I didn’t understand why they were torturing themselves like this. What was the big deal anyway? It wasn’t like Ginny was after Tristan for his money. She was too good of a person for that. Me on the other hand…
“Maybe she will, and maybe she won’t. But for now, just stay quiet about it. Please,” she pleaded with me, her expression earnest and almost desperate.
“Dang, girl. Chill out. Of course I won’t say anything. I promise.”
I didn’t want to stress her out anymore than she already was, so we both resumed quietly staring out the windows until the limo pulled to a stop.
“Are we here?” I asked trying to look out and get an idea of what filthy rich looked like before I stepped into it. I could see a few pubs and shops around and wondered if Tristan lived in the city. I knew he’d sold his apartment, but here we were, in the city.
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