His Hired Girlfriend

by Alexia Praks

  “Do you need help?” he asked again. “Come on then. I’ll help you change.” That said, he put his hand to the hem of sweater and started to pull it up.

  “Jayden!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing?” She was really breathless what with his arms around her now.

  He laughed. “I’m helping you change.” Then he started pulling her shirt again.

  “Don’t be silly!” she snapped. “I can change myself.”

  He relaxed. “So you’ll try it on?”

  Alex was about to say no when she saw the glint in his eyes. She knew then that he’d make her try the dress on no matter what. She sighed. “Yes, I’ll try the damn dress on,” she muttered and put her hands on his chest and shoved him back.

  Jay let her go, a smirk on his lips. Alex poked her tongue at him in annoyance. He laughed. He said as he left, “Don’t forget to come out and let me have a look, my sweet. You know the shop owner do have keys.”

  In response to his request, she shoved him out and slammed the door on his smirking face.

  Alone, she silently seethed and undressed. About ten minutes later, she unlocked the door and poked her head out. She saw him leaning against the wall, waiting too patiently for her liking.

  “So you wanna see or not?” she asked in aspiration.

  He straightened up as he said, “Of course,” with much too much enthusiasm.

  Alex readied herself for his criticism as he approached. She waited as he inspected her, her heart thundering loudly in her chest.

  “Well?” she asked finally after a long silent.

  Jay smiled at her. “You look good,” he said.

  “Yeah right,” she responded. “I think it shows too much skin.”

  Jay moved closer to her, his nose just above her head. He could smell that lovely floral scent of hers again, which was pulling him in. “That’s not such a bad thing, is it?” As he said that, his mind was else where. He was gazing at her smooth skin. His finger automatically came up and started stroking her arm.

  Alex felt that wonderful soothing sensation within her. She tilted her head back and gazed up at him. Jay moved his head towards her. Alex could feel her senses swirling around her, sucking her in like a whirlpool. She wanted to feel his lips on hers. She could feel his warm breath against her face.

  Jayden moved his head slowly towards to hers, his lips now inches from touching hers.

  “Jay? Alex?”

  Alex blinked. She suddenly realised that this was wrong. She had almost kissed Jay. What had she been thinking? What was she doing? Jayden was gay for God’s sake!

  She took a step back – her knees weak and her breath shaky.

  The door opened. “Oh there you two are,” Stephanie said with a bright smile. “You should come and see Kelly. Aw, she is so beautiful.”

  Alex pulled away uncomfortably as Stephanie was eyeing them too keenly. Jayden, however, didn’t seem to mind nor did he sympathise with her that she was embarrassed. He was actually pulling her closer, his hands about her waist and his nose and lips now touching her bare shoulder. She could feel the heat from him on her. It was like he was kissing her shoulder. Holy snap!

  *****

  CHAPTER 13

  ALEXANDRA DIDN’T QUITE comprehend what was going on except for the fact that Jayden was leading her by the arm out from the changing room – with Stephanie smirking knowingly behind them. There was a sort of excitement on her pretty face that led Alex to wonder what the cause was. She glanced back at the red-headed woman and saw her winking. That was when it hit her in between the eyes.

  Oh My God! Stephanie must have thought that she and Jayden had been making out. Oh no, no, no. She’d have to explain to the woman that nothing of the sort had happened. That it was all a misunderstanding. Gosh, she thought, how a mucked up this all was!

  “There you two are,” Kelly announced. “What do you think?” She pointed to her dress.

  Alex came to a sudden stop and the thought of explaining to Stephanie about her and Jayden making out was completely wiped out of her mind once she had seen Kelly. My God! The young woman was truly beautiful in that wedding gown.

  It was a dress like Alex had never seen before in real life – the type of dress she had only seen in high fashion magazines. The gown was an ivory white strapless with a full A-line and a natural waist. There was a bow of golden silk on the side, and the skirt itself was asymmetrically draped with a bias tiered origami shape.

  “Wow!” she exclaimed.

  Kelly smiled. “I know, right?” Then she touched the material of the skirt.

  “It’s a one of a kind piece,” Victoria, the shop owner said, who was standing just behind Kelly.

  The shop assistant who was standing on the other side of Kelly said, “A lot of brides want this dress, but unfortunately most brides can’t afford it.” She touched the fabric on the side of Kelly’s skirt and spread it out to show off the pieces.

  “I’m so happy. I love it! Sam will love it!” Kelly announced.

  “Of course he will,” Beth said, smiling. “Now come here and give your grandmother a kiss.”

  Kelly laughed as she put her arms around her grandmother. Then she kissed the woman on both cheeks.

  “That’s my girl,” Beth said. “You’re beautiful, just like me when I was your age.”

  A loud cheer went up then. The room echoed with their laughter. Kelly couldn’t help beaming from ear to ear.

  When the cheer died down a voice said, “Yes, I do agree it is rather a beautiful dress.”

  Alex glanced to her right and saw there sitting on the sofa was Britney – dressed in a mini, sexy black dress and her long, slender legs crossed elegantly. When had the woman turned up? And who had invited her? She wasn’t family, after all.

  ‘Oh stop it, Alex!’ She snapped at herself. ‘You’re not family either.’ But then again she was supposed to be Jayden’s girlfriend, and girlfriends count as a member of the family.

  “If I were to get married,” Britney continued as she stood up. Then she sexily tossed her long hair behind her bare shoulders, similar to the action in a hair commercial. She came to stand beside Kelly and said, “I’d wear a gown that’s a bit more extravagant than this one.” She fingered the fabric of the skirt in distaste, which caused the shop assistant to frown darkly. “The skirt a bit fuller than this one. One with a long train – like the one Princess Diana wore on her wedding day. There’d be some red mixed with the boring white colour. Gold doesn’t really go with white, don’t you think?

  There was an uncomfortable silence. Victoria and her shop assistant glanced at each other.

  “But I like gold with white,” Kelly said. “I don’t care for red and white.”

  “I agree,” Stephanie announced. “Gold and white goes well with your complexion, Kelly. It makes you look sweet and seductive at the same time.” She turned to Britney. “I’m sure you’ll look smashing when you wear a white and red wedding gown if you are a bride, Britney,” she said sarcastically.

  Britney narrowed her eyes dangerously at Stephanie but didn’t reply. Kelly and Stephanie grinned at each other. Even Victoria and her shop assistant hid a satisfied smile.

  “Oh my, where did you find that gown, Alex?” Gracie asked suddenly. Everyone’s attention was turned to Alex then, whose cheeks turned almost the same colour as the gown she had on.

  “Oh, um, I kind of found it at the back,” Alex said.

  “That’s a Chandra evening gown, love,” Victoria said. “It’s a new designer’s gown. Quite tasteful. And it fits you perfectly.”

  “It is very nice on you,” Gracie commented.

  “I agree,” Kelly said. “Perfect for the wedding.”

  “Yes, it is rather, isn’t it?” Jayden said.

  Alex glimpsed him eyeing her and thought that there was way too much interest there. She casted her eyes downward shyly for receiving so much attention. She thought about running back into the dressing room and change, but knew it was rude to do so w
hen everyone was still watching her as though she was on a stage show – the one that she had mucked up.

  Britney did a cat walk over to Jayden and linked her hands about his arm. She said, “Jayden darling, Daddy wanted you to join us for lunch today. I know it is rather short notice, but Daddy insisted you must come. Mr. McCartney will be there as well, of course. I think he wants to talk business with you.”

  Jayden was speechless. A business lunch with Mr. Marcelo? Who would have thought? And his dad would be there as well? Something big was definitely on the menu here.

  “Jayden, I think you should buy that dress for Alex,” Kelly cut in from the distance, her voice high and intended to interrupt the rude Britney.

  On cue Jay turned to Alex and said, “Well? Do you like it?”

  Alex didn’t know how to reply to that. Wasn’t he supposed to be responding to Britney’s query first about that short notice business lunch date? She cleared her throat nervously because she knew Britney was now glaring at her and perhaps wanted to murder her right there and then for stealing Jayden’s attention from her. “Well... Yes, but...”

  Jay chuckled. “That settles it then.”

  Britney switched her glare into a lovely smile then – at Jayden of course. “So you’ll come to lunch?”

  Jay turned to Victoria. “Could you please deliver that dress along with my sister’s wedding gown to the address noted?”

  Victoria smiled brightly. “Of course.”

  “But I don’t want it,” Alex put in quickly.

  “Why not?” Kelly asked.

  “It’s too much for me,” Alex said.

  Frowning darkly, Britney said sharply, “Yes, it rather is. It’s too expensive and too beautiful for someone as plain as you. I mean you’re vertically challenged. Look at you, the skirt is sweeping all over the floor. Your skin tone is rather dull. Your make up is just too boring. And your hair – dear Lord may I use this phrase?” she chuckled as she looked up to the heavens. Looking straight into Alex’s eyes, she said with a mark of exaggeration, “Your hair is positively medieval.”

  Alex felt like she had just been slapped in the face and drowned into the depth of the cold ocean and left there to die. She had never been so humiliated in all her life. And then she realised that Britney was a bitch.

  “I think I better go and change,” she murmured under her breath. Refusing to make eye contact with anyone, she quickly made her way back to the dressing room. She could feel everyone’s eyes on her as she left.

  Once she was in the comfort and safety of the changing room she sighed and gently touched the dress, her heart quivering with a sickening feeling.

  ‘Yes, Britney was an absolute bitch. Don’t you listen to her, Alex,’ she told herself. ‘Don’t you listen to that woman.’ But even as she told herself so, she couldn’t help but agree with Britney that she was very plain, that the dress was too beautiful and expensive for her, and yes, her hair was positively medieval – just like what Caroline Bingley had said to Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice.

  God it hurt when the truth had spoken out loud, even worse to such a big audience. She turned her attention to the gown, admiring it on her. “It’s not meant to be. You’re beautiful, even on such a plain girl like me, but...” She shook her head and unzipped the back. She told herself not to feel attach to a simple thing as a gown.

  Once she had the dress off, she stood there in front of the mirror and touching the material and staring into space.

  The door flew opened and then— “Alex?”

  Alex gasped, too shocked to do anything else when she saw Jayden standing there. She thought she had locked the door. Then she suddenly realised that she was half naked with only her underwear on when she had seen him starring at her bizarrely again. She quickly covered herself with her hands.

  “Jayden, I’m naked here,” she snapped.

  Jay shook his head. “I’m sorry, Alex. I was just, umm, wondering if you’re all right.”

  Alex saw that he had lapsed into some sort of a fixed trance again, gazing at her – especially at her chest that she could barely cover with her hands.

  “Jayden,” she said. “I’m fine.”

  He blinked. “Really?” he asked, looking at her now as though he hadn’t a clue as to what she was talking about.

  “Yes, I’m fine. What are you doing here?”

  Jayden cleared his throat. “Just want to make sure you’re okay.” He came closer despite the fact that she showed him clearly she wanted him to leave so she could get dressed.

  “You’re not hurt? I mean what Britney said back there was mean.” Then he touched her bare shoulders, his hands sending warm sensations down her body. She wanted to melt in his arms. She wanted him to hold her and tell her that what Britney had said was not true, that in actual fact Britney was jealous and that she, Alex, was pretty and very desirable – especially in that gown.

  She, however, managed to kill that longing and said instead, “Yes, it is hurtful. But I’m fine. What she said is right anyway.” Her eyes started brewing with emotional tears.

  “Poor Alex,” Jay said, stroking her hair gently. “Don’t you listen to her.”

  “I’m not,” Alex sniffed, tears rolled out of her eyes.

  Or at least she tried telling herself so anyway. She felt the wet tear rolling down her cheeks and bent down to wipe it away. “Stupid contacts,” she muttered, wanting him to think that it was her lenses that were causing her to cry and not the fact that he had reminded her about what Britney had said about her appearance.

  Jayden chuckled. “Maybe it’s past its use by date.”

  Alex looked up, her eyes large and questioning. “Huh?”

  “Is it sore?”

  “Nope, not really,” she responded.

  “Let me have a look,” he demanded.

  “You can’t. It’s in my eyes.”

  “Let me look anyway,” he said and proceeded to closely study her eyes. As he was doing so, he was pushing her back against the wall, their body in intimate contact.

  “I can’t see anything,” he announced.

  “You’re not supposed to see anything. It’s in my eyes,” she muttered with a frown.

  “Quit your frowning and open your eyes,” he chuckled.

  “Jayden!” Alex snapped, pushing at his chest so that he’d step back and go.

  Jayden could suddenly feel her bare breasts against his shirt. He glanced down.

  He slowly looked back up to her face. He stared at her luscious lips. He suddenly wanted to kiss her again, and against his better judgement, he moved his head towards her.

  He could feel her beautiful warm heat against him intensifying. His hand automatically moved to cup her face, his fingers digging into the thickness of her hair. He felt so right being there with her, being so close to her, touching her. He could feel the hot, electrifying heat from within.

  Yes, he was going to kiss her, his lips nearly touching hers. He knew she was ready for him, waiting for him.

  “Oh my! Excuse me!”

  Jayden twirled his head around to look behind him and saw Victoria standing there.

  “I beg your pardon, Mr. McCartney, but I was here to get the gown to pack...”

  Jayden wanted to kick the damn door shut – on Victoria’s face of course –shutting him and Alex in so that he could kiss her until she was breathless and maybe more. But he was a gentleman, and gentlemen don’t kick doors shut on a woman’s face.

  He relaxed and even managed a handsome grin as he said, “Yes, of course.” Then he turned back to look at Alex who was bright red and staring at her bare feet in mortification. He wondered what he should say to her. Obviously she didn’t want to hear anything from him for the situation he had caused her in. He had thoroughly embarrassed her all right. He had very nearly kissed her twice already in an hour. It was enough for her, he supposed.

  He sighed and walked out. He went to sit down on the sofa near the window, waiting while the women were finali
sing every minor detail of the dresses with Victoria and her shop assistant who was jotting notes down furiously, determined to not miss anything important. Then his cell rang. He flipped it on and saw that it was his father.

  “Dad?”

  “Jayden, look I know it’s short notice but come to lunch. I’m meeting Michael at The Marcelo Hotel restaurant at twelve.”

  “Business, huh?” Jay asked, eyeing Kelly with interest who looked as thought she was about to approach him.

  “Yes. Michael is interested in selling you one of his islands. Thought you’d be interested. Sounds like a great deal.”

  Jayden thought about this for a moment. Any chances in purchasing a property he’d take it with a both his hands – especially ones that was an island. And as he had already found out great deals could be made in just five minutes – anytime, anywhere. He didn’t want to miss out on the chance.

  “All right,” he said, seeing Kelly purposefully striding toward him. “I’ll see you soon.” Then he flipped his cell shut.

  Kelly came to a stop in front of him and put her palm out as though she had expected a gift from him. Jay raised his brows and said, “You don’t expect me to pay for your wedding dress too, do you?” Then he chuckled.

  “Of course not,” Kelly snapped. “Come off with it, Jay. Your credit card. We need to pay for Alex’s gown, among other things.”

  Jay reached for his black checkered Louis Vuitton wallet in his back pocket as he said, “What other things?” He handed over his black American Express credit card to his sister.

  Kelly pinched it from his hand and said, “Many other things for Alex. You do realise she needs a complete make over and a whole new wardrobe, right?”

  Jay didn’t really know what to say to that. He thought Alex looked pretty as she was. She needn’t change anything. She was kind of perfect.

  With Jayden’s blank look, Kelly frowned and snapped, “Oh come on, Jay. Didn’t you hear what that...” She wanted to use the word bitch but caught herself just in time. She said, “Britney said to Alex?”