“I did actually, I sent a thank you picture every year and your sixteenth gift was a Lego ranch and stable block, it took me weeks to do and swallowed up my red brick collection and the more I wrote to Lego for, they sent me loads of red bricks and it was on my biggest base board too. Can I admit, that I got a great euphoric feeling smashing it that night and scooping the pieces back in my tubs, I had at last got all my reds back, but the scooping up was done with plenty of tears.”
“I’m sorry, I was a bad friend and still it seems am. I never got any thank you pictures, but that’s not unusual, Dad had my mail screened, he probably kept them.”
“I suppose he could have. Still I want to get you something better than a yoyo. What did you get besides the photo frame?”
“A watch and Luis bought me a… Oh err crap he got me a full gold condom case, for use later, but it seems I won’t be taking him up on his offer.”
“Good you can never be too careful, safe sex is a must.” I know I gave her the look, because she blushed as she said it. “Not that I would know, it’s just what the girls tell me at school.”
“Good to hear it young lady, let’s take a walk in the garden and drink more water. Let’s tell your father where we are going.”
“Oh, do we have too I have Tanner, and she will tell security?”
“No, we need to tell him, you apparently like to give Tanner the slip, and didn’t the other day get a little heated?”
“A bit, but I’m not stupid, I know where it’s safe to do a runner and it wasn’t in a crowded mall.”
“True, your dad only worries about you.” We head towards Hugh who is speaking to Damien Eller.
“Hello, young lady you look very nice tonight.”
“Thank you, Mr Eller.”
“Christopher, nice to meet you again, it’s been quite a while.”
“It has Sir, I would like to offer you some help in getting your hotels re-financed, as it seems you’ve hit a sticky patch, or I could buy them from you if you’d prefer to sell?”
“I’m not selling to the Holland Group.”
“I would be buying them, I’m the CEO of a new hospitality group, adding to my own hotels, branded under the name Home Hotels, I’m thinking of branching into America and Australia, by adding to the small chains I have already in Mexico and Asia, branching out and diversifying? I am probably going to be angering my father, by just offering my help or asking you to sell them to me he has big plans to extend his Empire Hotels, which as it happens are next to yours.” Wow I think on my damned feet fast, it seems I am trying to impress Hugh and perhaps Bella? I was thinking Easy Hotels, but that is like a hookers hook up place, and Home Hotels sounds homey I guess? It seems I am going to war with Daddy then?
“Yes, I’d like to sell, as I’m all but done in with them. Can we speak in the morning?”
“Yes I can do that I hope we can both come out of this as winners?” He shakes my hand and I smile as he walks of like the weight of the world he carries has been lightened. “Hugh, I would love to take Bella to my ranch, if that’s at all possible? I can take Luis of course, as she has to choose her new pony. I have a few horses for her to see and I have to take care of some business there, would that be alright? We can take her security, though I do have my own team?”
“Great idea, she’s having horse withdrawal symptoms, for how long will you be gone for?”
“Two days, but as my jet is in Mexico, I will hire one.”
“Nonsense use mine, it’s here for a week, besides Bella is missing her horses. Luis may not want to go, as he has to be back in New York tomorrow. Take Tanner, she dislikes horses though, but I would feel better with her there too. I can have some quality time with Maria, and see a show or two, she’s been a little riled since the paparazzi thing, it has her all on edge for Bella’s safety, she will relax her being with you, and you can catch up with your twin too, it will do you both good.”
I told Hugh I had a headache and needed some air and Bella was joining me, he trusted me with his daughter, and I wasn’t about to mess that up, but we were closely followed by Tanner, as we went for a walk in the hotel gardens.
“Thanks for asking me first.”
“So, you don’t want to see my two new Aztec foals then?” She laughed.
“Oh, how can I resist that, really you don’t need to, I can hang around the hotel?”
“No, I want to show you my heart, literally I love the place.”
“Right, I guess it will be fine, do I have to pack anything?”
“Riding gear, I mean if you have it with you?” She laughed.
“I ride in jeans and tee shirts, denim jacket. My dressage stuff is too formal for a ranch.”
“You are into dressage? You are a dark horse Miss Humphries.”
“Not really, I am a girl of simple tastes and give me a horse and I’m a happy girl. It’s chilly out here, can we go back in?” I remove my jacket and place it around her shoulders.
“We can’t have the birthday girl getting a chill, can we?”
“Nope, but will the birthday boy be warm enough?”
“I will thank you. About tomorrow, I have a meeting with my old nanny and Glenda first thing and then the one with Damien, we could leave by two? It’s only two and a half hours’ flight time.”
“You don’t have to take me Chris, but I would like to see the place that makes you go as mushy as you were over Estella.”
“I do not do mushy. I’m twenty-five, not a teenager Bella. Please stop making me remember what a horse’s ass I am. This is to make up for ruining your last birthday party, this time no hookers, no brother falling in a cake and nothing but a great time enjoying the horses.”
“Deal, besides it was a rubbish party, Luis falling in the cake was better than the scary clown Mum hired or the fire eater, who burnt his tongue and ended up in accident and emergency, the antics you both pulled were the talking point for weeks amongst Dad’s friends, and it got me my second pony.”
“I don’t like clowns they frighten the life out of me.” I say as she speaks.
“You suffer from coulrophobia it’s a fear of clowns and it’s a very common phobia, right up there with spiders, flying and heights.”
“Really, so I’m not on my own, nice to know there are like minded coul-rop-h-obics out there?” As we entered the building again, she passed me my jacket and kissed the side of my face, I smirked as she did. Wow, I feel like a pervert, she is sweet, innocent and I have these strange feelings for her, strange awkward feelings and I’m putting myself in harm’s way with time at the ranch alone, so why did I suggest it? The thought popped into my head and once it did, there was no stopping its escape.
“I need to circulate and see to my guest. Will you be alright?”
“Thanks I will be fine, I’m having a drink, stick to water Bella please?”
“Yes Sir, you are so boring, but you are an old, old man, you need to get to bed, with your pipe and slippers and hot coco in your room.”
“Yeah, so old I will beat you in a ride out tomorrow.”
“Game on and challenge accepted old man.” I didn’t see much of Bella again that night, as she flitted between her guests and dancing with her cousins, I grabbed my presents and went to get my coco. I had to sort out the sleeping arrangements at the ranch with Amy, my housekeeper in Austin. A fought discussion with Australia went on into the early hours, so very little sleep was had, good job I can and do thrive on very little sleep, I always have.
I spent a tense couple of hours with Glenda, she was too tired for much more, but from the look of her and from how she spoke, she hadn’t much time left and as we said goodbye, she held me so tightly. I didn’t want to leave for fear of not seeing her again, I promised to visit again as soon as we got back from the ranch, looking back at the woman lay in her bed, I wondered would she be here when I did call?
My meeting with Damien Eller was interesting he was in a bad way financially and was accepting peanuts for his compa
ny, the only thing he asked of me, was that they were never to be sold to my father, a request I gladly agreed to. It seems I’m in the hotel business, good and proper! I then stop and wonder how mad Dad will be, and did I care, apparently no, because not one jot do I give. Packing for our trip to Austin and I wondered what lay ahead? My feelings for the precocious teenager, were like nothing I had ever felt before, those strange emotions were rife! Precocious was the right word for her too, mentally advanced for years, damn advanced and not just in her mental abilities either, that damn body of hers, was driving me to distraction, and a particular part of my body more than most, cold showers were had. I carefully packed my photograph frame and headed to their suite, knocking on their door I entered, why did it feel like I was going on a first date? I was greeted by Maria and given her warmest Mum Hug.
“Christopher, you’re here you look wonderful. Thank you for taking Bella to the ranch it’s all she and her cousins have spoken about all night.” Great I’m taking the cousins too. Damn it, it was at that moment I felt it, the need to be with her, and her alone, am I in trouble?
“I am looking forward to it. I’ll phone and get their rooms made up too, just the two of them?”
“No, no they aren’t going with you silly, they were talking about the party and your ranch. No, the girls left this morning, no its just Bella and Tanner.” Oh and another feeling of elation. It will take great restraint on my part to stay away from her, I just have to think of her as a friend, I can have friends, right? Yes, a girl who’s a friend, cute, stunning, beautiful and trouble, hell it’s going to be a hard couple of days.
“Bella, Christopher is here, are you packed?”
“Yes Mum, like I need a lot, overnight, it’s just two days, right? I have packed the essentials and got my toothbrush, so let’s get going then, where are we flying too?”
“We land on the ranch I have a runway on the property. You look very nice, is Hugh about, I need a quick word?”
“He’s in the study working. Go through.” I knock and go in.
“Hugh, I need some advice. I bought the hotels from Damien this morning, and I am closing them down one by one for a total refurbishment, I’m going to go with the cheap and cheerful European chain look, all the same, the Premier Inn type what do you think?”
“Excellent, though your father may not be happy, several of Damien’s hotels are next to his very expensive hotels?”
“I stopped caring what that man did when Sommer died, she was a sweet kid and he ruined them both her, and her mum. That’s why I was surprised they found he had a heart Hugh, damn surprised.”
“It was a shock, but well just be careful he can be a vengeful bastard and he employs thugs to do his dirty work Christopher.”
“I will be mindful. I know my father, and know there is nothing he won’t do to get his own way, and yes it turns out he is ruthless to get what he wants. My team found it was Dad blocking his attempts to get more money from the banks, poor Damien was so desperate that he went to money sharks, and all because Dad was forcing his hand, even selling me the hotels and land only brought him a few million in clear funds. Hugh, what does Dad get out of ruining lives? He is way above obsessive in getting what he wants these days and I don’t know why.” Hugh can offer no reasoning to my father’s destructive streak, only that perhaps he is disturbed? I agree. “I’ll tell him I bought them, and to keep his men away from ruining what’s mine or I will take him on and win. Damien is stopping on too he is just running them for me. I don’t yet know enough about hotels to run them and he does and he’s good at that part, just not the finances and that side is being covered by my accountants, so less worry for him too.”
“Well it seems you have it covered, they are in good locations Chris and will bring you a nice profit in, congratulations and welcome to the hotel world. Now the trip to the ranch, are there many young men there?” I laugh, as I know where he is going with this.
“Sir, Hugh I have fourteen fellas and the youngest is in his twenties, she will be quite safe from my employees advances, if they value their jobs and their lives, should they step outta line. Kenny, my head of ranch, runs a tight operation.”
“Good, good and she is going to be safe?”
“I have my head of security Henry and his team on it, along with Bedford of course and nobody knows we are going there. It’s pretty secure for a ranch, the only thing out there are the wild critters and her falling so in love with my ranch she never wants to leave. I know the Aztecs are going to be a great pull, and she may fall in love with the little white foal, my prized mare just had, so make room for another pony in her stable, if she asks you know I won’t be able to say no, I never could.”
“She has a way with her eyes and her please Daddy please thing she does, good luck she can be quite the madam when she wants something.” I smile and think, I bet.
“Right keep your ears to the ground about how badly Daddy takes the news that I helped Damien out? See you in a couple of days.”
We head to the waiting car and Tanner joins us with a curt nod of the head, as if I’m being warned, that look says I know your game mister. I smile this is going to be interesting…
CHAPTER FOUR:
Bella:
I wake with the larks and the girls are still sleeping, I am so happy because I’m spending time with Christopher and I can’t believe he suggested it, but I’m glad he did. I put away my ball gown and hug it. It had the desired effect, because I had him interested in me, now to let him fall in love with me. Yeah right, like that’s going to ever happen, he thinks of me as Little Bella, even though he is all gooey eyed for Estella, he loves my dad too much to fall for me and ruin what they have. I know who I want, and have done since I got the mad urge to bite the woman he left my party with, the leggy blonde and all the ones he gets photographed with all the time, I am nothing like them and I doubt I ever will be.
I am just going to have some fun before college and university and let loose a little there. Chances are it will be years before I see him again, though I can badger him with emails and texts about my horses. I have a way in, yeah for my little Aztec, which is why I had Dad buy her because he was photographed on his when he did an interview in a magazine about his new line of horses. That was the reason I got Chocolate, my cute little pony, could I possibly say cute more than I do? Note to Bella, stop saying cute, way too much time spent with the cousins.
I pack my new jeans, tee-shirts and add a couple of jumpers in, a new dress I bought and that underwear from Agent Provocateur. I wonder between negligee and pale mouse inspired lemon onesie, and opt for the later. I’m not playing the other card just yet. The girls are awake and packing their stuff.
“Oh, I wish we could come with you, but we have school, that guy Chris is so cute.” I sigh not in sorrow but in relief, as much as I love my cousins they go on and on about useless girl crap.
“Maybe next time, but you must learn to ride first it’s a horse ranch after all.”
“Rather not, those monsters you love look cutesy, but they are the spawn of the devil.” Carmen was hurt when we went for a ride and when she dug her heels in and said giddy up, and it startled Dilly, who promptly threw her off, I did tell her to do a clicking sound with her mouth, then give her a gentle tug of her reins, but no she went all Buffalo Bill and shouted yee-har, then almost immediately hit the ground hard. It was so funny, hell yeah, I smiled once we realised all that was hurt and bruised, was Carmen’s ego and Dilly got a polo mint for her trouble.
“Umm, if you had got back on Dilly when she threw you she would have known you were the boss, as it was she kicked your arse.”
“No she made my arse, leg and shoulder sore for weeks that motherfucking horse of yours is Satan’s helper.”
“Ouch watch the potty mouth, Dilly is a sweet young mare so shut up.” Well said Dora. Once my cousins had had breakfast, they were taken home by Bedford’s team, and once they had gone I realised just how much I liked having my peace and quie
t back. Once, maybe twice a year is more than enough with those two. The girls are both loud and ultra-lively and are super chatty and alike in almost everything they do, down to the screaming and ultra-fast talking. When they leave, I go shopping in the gift shop on the strip. Looking at the gift I’ve got for Christopher, it still seems cheap in comparison to the bracelet, but it’s practical and I bought one for myself too, though I didn’t think he’d appreciate my little jazzy pink girl one? I returned home and Mum was packing away the gifts from the party.
“I’m all packed Mum, and I am having something to eat, are you?”
“No, I’m not feeling all that great today, maybe I drank too much?” I laughed, because her and Daddy were still up dancing a four this morning. I heard them making out too I block that out all too quickly.
“Did you get Christopher his gift?”
“I did and its sort of practical, but what if he already has one? It’s not nearly as expensive as the gift he bought me. Look Mum isn’t it beautiful?” I show her my wrist and smile.
“It is yes so look after it, and no Bella, what the gift cost shouldn’t come into it, not if a gift is given from the heart.” Oh, should I give him the model stables I made him then, the gift I said I had broken? Nope, that would make him laugh at me again and that’s so not happening ever again.
“I guess so Mum. I have quite a few gifts unopened, what do I do with them all?”
“Open them, send a thank you card and if you don’t need them for whatever reason, gift them to the local hospital. I did notice there was a plethora of teddy bears and dolls. Did they even realise you were sixteen not six?”
We laugh and agree the hospital gets the gifted toys. The wait for him to arrive finally comes. Mum asks if I have packed, I answer yes to that again, I’m not telling her the underwear’s in there too, because as I look at him, looking at me I know there’s something there, with any luck I will wear it to seduce him and go all Lolita on him, yeah, that’s so not happening, but I can wish. He smiles and goes to speak to Dad. Dad will be laying down the law, as Bedford has had Tanner in his office all morning, surveying Google images of his ranch and the no go areas. Poor woman, I will make her job easier and stick to Christopher like glue, such a task.
Soul Mates. The Beginning. Page 8