by Alexia Praks
Alex opened her mouth in the form of an O, as if she was about to say something. But of course being shocked as she was right then she couldn’t think of what to say.
Oh My God! Jayden planned the party for her? What the heck for? And he never even bothered to mention it to her all those times they had chatted on Facebook?
She’d have to ask him when she saw him next. She didn’t like party – even normal, down to earth parties back home. Either it be the BBQ type that mainly involved families and close friends or the loud parties type some of her acquaintances had thrown. Often she was so shy and so tongue-tied she never really made good conversations with anyone – especially guys. If she got invited to a party she’d be there for at most half an hour, unless her family happened to be there, and then she’d be out the door before anyone caught her.
Kelly also said gown with the big ‘S’ at the end. What the? Gowns? Did she mean evening gowns? What for? Were there going to be like cocktail parties and the likes while she was here?
Uh-oh! This was going a bit too far. Here she had been thinking she’d only be here for a couple of weeks to satisfy their curiosity about her as Jay’s girlfriend, so he’d get off the hook from match-making and marriage. Talking about Jayden – she wondered who his boyfriend was. Another thing to ask him when she saw him.
“Whoa! This is very nice,” she said once they were inside Kelly’s huge, elegant bedroom.
“Thanks,” Kelly said, frowning slightly. At that moment she was thinking she really had to talk to Jayden about what his real relationship was with Alex. Who was she really? Where was she from? The last time she knew anything of Jay’s personal relationship with a woman was when he and Sarah had been dating. But since he had returned he had never once spoke of Sarah, as if he had cut her off from his life completely. Then there was this morning. She had thought Jay and Sarah were back together after their fight – but instead of seeing the demanding Sarah at the front door, she had seen Alex. How very confusing everything was. Although she couldn’t help but think how cute Jay and Alex were together. She knew Alex would never hurt Jay the way Sarah had done. That she even bet with her Louis Vuitton bag which cost her at least a grand. Alexandra was so sweet.
“Ok,’ Kelly said, strolling toward the walk-in-wardrobe. “Let’s see what I have that fits you.”
Alex clamped her lips together nervously as she followed Kelly. The first thing that came into her mind was that the wardrobe was as big as her bedroom back home, and only then did the Oh My God really kicked in.
Kelly had thousands of clothes – designer’s brands of course. She wouldn’t be surprised if those so called ‘fashion boutiques’ in Dunedin blushed in shame when compared with Kelly’s wardrobe.
Alex’s eyes were large with wonder as she touched and gazed at the beautiful clothes. She felt like she was a child walking into a candy store. She was rather excited.
Kelly went through the many dresses that were hung along one side of the wall. “Which one?” she muttered to herself as she expertly inspected each one in turn. “You’re smaller than I am, so I don’t know if there’s anything. But of course I do sometimes wear a size smaller than I am. Haha.”
Alex smiled as she was thinking – they do that? How could anyone wear clothing this was a size or two small than their body?
“What size are you anyway?” Kelly turned to look at her. “And don’t just stand there.” She laughed. “Come here and help me pick.”
Alex hesitated. She didn’t want to mess up Kelly’s perfectly ordered and expensive clothing, even though she really wanted to explore.
Kelly shook her head at Alex’s lack of response. She grabbed Alex by the wrist and said, “Where ever you’re from and what ever your relationship with my brother is, I don’t care. I’m gonna dress you up and that is that.”
Alex’s heart did a startled kick. “What do you mean?”
Kelly bit her lip for saying too much. Damn! “Nothing,” she replied. “If I guess rightly, you’re a size zero.”
“What?” Alex said in shock. “I’m not a size zero. I’m a size eight.”
“No you’re not. You’re a size zero.”
“Eight,” Alex said.
“Zero. Look at you. You’re so slim. You’re a zero.”
Alex was thinking – she? A size zero? That was truly ludicrous. Unless they have different size system here in America. That made sense then.
“Ok, I’m what ever size you’re saying,” she finally agreed.
Kelly nodded in satisfaction and turned to pick a green day dress. She brought it out and showed it to Alex.
“What do you think?”
Alex touched the silk fabric. It was smooth and soft under her fingers. She loved the tiny frills and the pleats that gathered to one side of the shoulder. It reminded her of a Greek Empire dress, only this one had less fabric, shorter, and in a pale-leaf green instead of pure white or gold. She was already falling in love with it. She could never afford anything this nice.
“I can tell you really like it,” Kelly said, winking.
Alex glanced at Kelly. “Are you sure you don’t mind? But what are you going to wear?”
Kelly laughed out loud at that remark. “You silly girl, I have hundreds of dresses I can wear. Now here. Try it on.”
“Now?”
“Of course now,” Kelly said, striding out the door. “Hurry up. We don’t have much time. We have to do your make-up as well.” That said she closed the wardrobe door.
Alex quickly undressed herself and put on the dress. Once done she hesitantly scrambled to the full length mirror and stared at herself.
“Oh My God,” she breathed as she stared at herself. This was her? She looked so different. So pretty. Gently she touched the frills on the dress and smiled.
“Are you ready yet?” Kelly burst in.
Alex quickly turned to look at the laughing intruder.
“Well, well,” Kelly said. “You know, I never look good in that dress. But on you, you’re a different story all together. Haha. Jay’s going to love this. I hope he knows how to breathe properly when he sees a pretty lady.”
“Why would he love this?” Alex asked naively.
Kelly laughed as she drags her back into the bedroom. “Time for your make-up.”
“Oh, right,” Alex responded as she was gently pushed into the seat in front of the mirror.
***
JAYDEN FELT GUILTY, and he felt bad for Alex. He had never thought Beth would interrogate her like she would, as though Alex was a suspect in a murder case, asking her so many questions which he was sure had made Alex terrified to her tiny toes. She had kept looking at him for guidance every time Beth had fired a question at her.
‘What does your dad do?’ ‘What does your mom do?’ ‘How many siblings do you have?’ ‘What’s your plan for the future?’ ‘Where is New Zealand?’ ‘What’s your financial status?’ ‘How many boyfriends have you had before you met Jay?’
As if any of that was important – Jay thought gloomily. He rested his head against the back of the sofa and closed his eyes. He could feel a headache coming.
Poor Alex. Why had he dragged her into his problems? What the hell was wrong with him?
“Heard your girlfriend has finally arrived,” a voice said at the door.
Jay flashed his eyes open to see his dad, Tom McCartney, standing there with his hands in the pockets of his trousers. Tall, brown hair and grey eyes, and right then dressed in a Zegna suit, he looked handsome and powerful. He must have just returned from the McCartney Grand Hotel.
“Hey, Dad,” he greeted. “Yeah, Alex’s here.”
Tom came to sit beside his son. “You don’t look too happy.”
Jay thought his dad could say that again. “Granny Beth,” was his reply.
“Ah, Beth,” Tom said, as if that explain everything. “Has she mention Britney yet?”
“Yeah. I hope she realizes it’s no where.”
“Don’t you mind Beth
. She’s only watching out for your future. A perfect granddaughter-in-law means everything to her. And you know how much she wants great grandchildren.”
“Yeah,” Jay replied. He suddenly felt guilt mounting in his chest. Beth wanted great grandchildren. It was his job to provide her some. He loved her despite her controlling ways, and he knew he’d give her great grandchildren. It would be a pleasure to do so.
“There you both are,” Gracie said from the door. “The two most important men in my life.” She waltzed into the room and kissed her husband smack on the lips. “I’ve missed you today.”
“I’ve missed you, too,” Tom replied.
“The guests are arriving,” she said.
“Already?” Jay muttered. He wondered if he should’ve cancelled the welcoming party instead. Shit! Double shit! He knew Alex was not prepared for this. After all, she had been hardly prepared for Granny Beth’s spiteful ways. He thanked God for Gracie’s understanding. She seemed to like Alex. And Kelly, too.
“Don’t worry, honey, everything is in order,” Gracie said. “Now come along.” She dragged Tom by the arm and led him to the door.
Jay groaned and stood up. He thought he’d better go up and see how Alex was getting on. She was probably so scared at the thought of meeting so many people she didn’t know – people who’d probably bombard her with inconvenient questions like Granny Beth had done – that she’d probably be hiding some where. The closet perhaps?
As he came out of the lounge he saw many guests mingling at the foyer. The men were dressed in suits and the women in their lovely, designer dresses. The hallway was in a chaotic state of guests greeting.
“Ah, Jayden, how are you?” Mrs. Greenwood said, a rather large woman with fiery red hair, large green eyes, and Irish skin that tend to get red at the slightest of irritation – emotional irritation. She strolled towards him elegantly, her red dress that didn’t quite suit her complexion flowing about her body. She grabbed his hands and smiled widely, showing her snow-white teeth that would have taken the dentist many times to get to perfection.
“Now where is this girlfriend of yours? I couldn’t believe she’s from New Zealand so your grandmother told me. Where is New Zealand anyway? A state in the US? I’ve never heard of it. Or is it some small town in the UK or France?”
Jay was thinking – really? He said, “How are you, Mrs. Greenwood? How is your husband fairing? And no, New Zealand is not a state in the US, nor is it a small town in the UK or France. New Zealand is a country of its own.”
“Really now? Why, your grandmother said it is such a ghastly place to have met a girl. A plain place for a plain girl. She wonders why you went there in the first place,” she said, chuckling away enthusiastically.
Jay simply nodded and said, “Excuse me.”
“Oh, all right, we’ll chat again at dinner, yes?”
“Of course,” Jay replied and then he found himself struggling his way through the throng of guests who one by one was stopping him with their polite greeting. When finally he had managed to reach his intended destination, which was the stairs, Granny Beth elegantly stepped in front of him with a big smile on her face.
“Jayden, you must come along and meet Britney,” she said, and without giving him any choice of the matter, led him towards the drawing room.
“You’ll love her, Jay. Britney is such a darling,” she said excitedly. “Britney darling, you remember Jayden, don’t you?”
Jayden noticed a slim woman in a sexy red, designer dress talking to a young man with light blonde hair and grey eyes. Ted Wilson was his name. His family was very well off. They had just moved into the neighbour hood of the Upper East Side a year ago.
Britney Marcelo turned slowly and smiled brightly at him, showing her perfect, white teeth – as though she had practised that bit of act many times to perfection. She had dark brown hair that were curled into loose waves about her shoulders, bright green eyes that Jay thought were rather sharp, and full ruby red lips that any man would want to kiss.
Whoa! Jay thought. Britney was one very hot chick. And from the look of adoration from young Ted standing next to her, she was one not to be missed.
Yes, Jayden found her hot and very attractive all right. But the dress, he thought, was showing a bit too much of her – especially her generous bosom that left little to the imagination.
“Jayden,” she said, her voice smooth and sweet like melting chocolate. She touched his arm and moved her face close to him, which caused Ted to glare at Jayden.
Jay could smell her strong perfume. A mixture of rose, vanilla, and some spices.
“Britney, long time no see,” he said, managing a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He saw Beth nodding her head furiously, her smile bright with glee. He knew she was up to her match-making tricks again. Some how he’d have to convince her that Alex was his girlfriend and that any other woman won’t do – for the moment anyway. When Alex was gone and his bachelor life returned to its normal routine, he’d start thinking about settling down with the woman he really loved – who ever she was.
Still dressed in his casual clothing, Jayden found himself being dragged along with Granny Beth and Britney to greet other guests that had just arrived. And before he knew what was going on, it was nearly dinner time.
Crap! He needed to find Alex and fast. He felt like a jerk, leaving her to her own device like that. He only hoped that Kelly was there with her – where ever she was.
They were just pasting the hallway into the dinning room, along with their fifty or so guests when Jayden saw Kelly descending the grand stairs. She was very fetching in her yellow sun dress. But he didn’t notice her for too long because he caught sight of someone directly behind her. Jay couldn’t make out who it was because it looked as though the woman was hiding and trying very hard not to draw attention to herself. He noticed that Kelly had a smirk on her face. He knew she was up to one of her mischievous plan again. He wondered what it was.
Then Kelly cleared her throat loudly so that everyone turned to look at her in some sort of expectation. Standing there a top the stairs she said, “Evening, everyone.”
“Kelly, darling,” Mrs. Greenwood said. “My, you do look radiant. Heard your fiancé is not here tonight. What a shame. Where is he, by the way? And who is that behind you?”
Kelly just grinned and said politely, “Yes, it is a shame that Sam is not here. He is in Hawaii, sorting out business there.” That out of the way she proceeded to smoothly move to one side. As she was doing so she said, “Why, Mrs. Greenwood, it’s Alexandra Stewart of course.”
As Kelly stepped aside, Jayden got a good look at Alex, and a huge silence fell in place.
All that Jayden could do was to stare at her, like he was in a trance, lost in another world. Alex looked enchanting in that emerald green dress, her long hair styled in a loose bun on her head with some strains on the side of her face like a Greek princess. He didn’t know that he was staring until Granny Beth nudged at him to stop and Britney commenting that the green dress was so last year.
Jay came to his senses then and just realised that his mouth was agape in marvel as he gazed off at his hired girlfriend. He cleared his throat, and it was only then that he saw the nervousness in Alex’s posture. He stepped up the stairs and reached one hand to her. Alex glanced hesitantly at his hands, smiled in relief at him and then placed her small, cold hand into his large, warm ones.
Kelly giggled and rushed down the stairs.
“So that’s Alexandra from the State of New Zealand,” Mrs. Greenwood said, laughing. “Such a pretty little thing. Not so plain at all.”
As Alex stepped down the stairs with Jay, she whispered, “Why did Kelly do that?”
Jay could hear the dread and embarrassment in her soft, gentle voice. He moved his lips to her ear and softly said, “She didn’t mean to embarrass you, darling. But I’m glad she did it.”
Alex felt his warm breath against her flesh and shivered deliciously. Her inside shud
dered with excitement. She said, “Jay, how could you?” And he just called her darling?
“How could I what, sweetheart?” This he said very loudly so that everyone could hear him, and then he kissed her cheek. Everyone was still watching them as if they were watching a very interesting movie.
Alex sucked in her breath as her heart did a big somersault. She turned to him, and he smiled and winked at her, then proceeded to lead her towards the guests.
Alex was dazed. Oh My God! Jay was so hot when he smiled and winked at her. ‘Ah! Stop it! Stop, Alex, Jay is gay – remember that!’
*****
CHAPTER 10
ALEX WAS EXHAUSTED. Her feet ached something sorely, and there was certain point when she thought she couldn’t handle it any longer. She just wanted to scream and kick the shoes off. She blamed the three inches high heels or stilletos or what ever they were called for this because she was unaccustomed to them. Sneakers and slippers were her best friends and when she had no one to talk to during their long dinner party she dreamt of her thick, fluffy Sylvester the cat slippers. She dreamt of how warm and cosy and soft they’d be on her feet.
Her eyes were also very irritated because of the dry weather. It was usually worse when she wore her contact lenses, like she was right now. She really wanted to take her contact lenses out and put on some eye-drops to relieve the irritation.
At least for the past two hours she had found the conversation with the handsome Tom McCartney really stimulating. They talked about politics, of which she knew nothing about. At least she had managed to tell him a little bit about John Key, the prime minister of New Zealand, and his change in tax law. She also felt quite good when she had happened to mention Obama and how smart he was.
Tom had a pleasant personality just like Jayden, and she felt a liking toward him immediately. She thought he felt the same way towards her. At least she hoped so. The longer she looked at Tom the more she was certain that Jay had inherited most of his father’s traits.