He earned enough from the sale to take it easy, and you’d think he would do? There’s no chance of Chris Holland taking anything easy. He’s big in real estate all around Western Australia. Something he started doing when he opened the mines, and when he expanded the operation, he went into real estate, to support the economic growth of the area, in part brought by his mining operations. He saw the needs and filled the needs. He had to deal with housing, shops, schools and hospitals, you name it he’s had to build it and he did, and he got in at the ground level. He builds housing estates and shopping malls now, and he’s invested billions into real estate. I just wish Chris had set the record straight about the Russian. It did him no favours being linked to her and boy she wished she were Chris’s fiancée as do a lot of women. He only took her out three times, and two of them were to business deals with her father, the crooked bastard who was trying to sell Chris land he didn’t own, and was using his daughter to sweeten the deal, only she wasn’t his daughter she was his wife and well, she failed getting Chris into bed, the bouncy type and the business one, he just wasn’t interested.
However, being linked to Perth’s biggest real estate agent, added credence to their story, that Chris was interested in buying in on their non-existent land deal. The Russian, who wasn’t Russian at all, but a Romanian, managed to sell the fake land to not one, but three gullible building firms, who all thought they had got the jump on Chris and they all hoped they would make many more millions, than the ones they all paid the Romanians. The builders millions nor the con artist, Russian/Romanian has yet to resurface in Australia. They are thought to be back in their motherland. He has never discusses his private life with the tabloids, who print the crap they do, but he swore to me she was nothing more than a woman who sat at his dinner table, along with her father and Chris’s secretary Judy. She is the only woman he see’s daily, and is at least fifty and widowed Mum, so stop reading crap about Chris, he calls you enough, just ask him. He will tell you if you ask, because he will never lie to you.”
What the reports were all false, will wonders ever cease? She was the only one I ever saw him with and I believed they were an item. Oh… Oh hell no, Mum will have him here now, shit and how long has he been ringing my bloody family?
“I know, he’s a good boy, I always hoped he’d ask your father for Isabella’s hand in marriage.” I choked on my vodka and tonic, and spat it at my laptop. Sorry lap top screen, this will be interesting. “He always asks about Bella, always. He sees your father a lot they meet when he goes to Australia and he is always asking your father for advise on hotel business, he never asks his father.” I’m then left wondering just how long has his charm offence been going on?
“Mum I know, Chris and I talk a lot, we just don’t meet up as much as we did. Bella isn’t for settling down she wants to win the big design contract to do the library at Perth University. She is entered into the competition for all new architects, and hopefully is she wins that, it will be a stepping stone for her career. That’s all she wants, to settle into her design work. She took an emotional battering from the Gina thing and from something she and Chris had together, but please never say anything like that to her face Mum, about hoping to marry them off. I shouldn’t tell you this but they did have a thing you know? A kiss, nothing more and it sort of hurt her that he didn’t want to take I further. He messed up any chance he had when he went out with an old girlfriend, but Bella never talks about it anymore, and I know she stopped asking me about him ages ago, so I guess she’s over the infatuation she had with him.”
“Oh, I didn’t know, perhaps I shouldn’t ask him to come then?”
“No, that’s for the best, besides he never leaves his damned horse ranch these days, unless there’s a dire emergency. His Dad has had two more heart attacks and he never went rushing back, he phoned Jameson and asked his advice, he told him it was a ploy to get him back, and not to bother. So please Mum, if you want her to have a good time, don’t invite him, he will send her the usual jewellery, flowers and a bear thing, as he did for her nineteenth and twentieth.”
“Okay I won’t invite him, but I will be going to Australia to see Chris after Christmas, Dad is there for a few weeks, so I will talk to him then. My daughter is hiding a lot of heartbreak from her mother, but thank you for sharing Luis. Now are you seeing anyone?” I know I laugh because this is about to be the talk, it’s her broken record, its Mum’s weekly ‘I want grandchildren’ speech.
I breathed a sigh of relief, as she won’t be inviting him. I left the study and went to pack my bags for uni tomorrow. I had a week left in uni and then I was going on the now not so relaxing holiday with Luis. I couldn’t wait to go now, as I needed the rest and the sun, and I would be armed with a list of the sodding copious amounts of the cocktails that I wanted to try at the beech bar there. I had yet to get really shit faced drunk, so drunk I couldn’t remember getting home, that type of drunk, and I wanted to do it once in my twenty years on this planet, and this was the birthday to do it on. I had decided that this birthday I was going to have a hangover the day after, and with any luck, I would have had sex with a stranger, yeah like I’d got the guts to do that with anyone?
“Bella, Bella come down to the den please.” Oh hell here it comes, the party of the decade.
“What do you want Mum, Luis are you alright?” Luis looked like the puppy dog he was, he did everything Mum wanted, but then again so did we all. Luis rolled his eyes at me, his sort of an advanced apology.
“Mum wishes to throw you a party, not a ball a party, a family ‘small’ party on the beach whilst we are in St Bart’s.”
“Alright, fine let me know when, is that it? Only I have packing to do, the plane will be here soon, can you email me or text me the details, this is the last ever one Mum. Any bigger than forty people there and I won’t show up. Now I have to pack. See that was easy, so Luis when did she know we were going to St Bart’s because it was meant to be a secret?”
“She overheard me talking to Bedford about security for the trip and railroaded me, sorry.” I shrugged my shoulders.
“Never mind I knew she would get it out of someone, you were the most obvious choice you big Mummy’s Boy.”
“You at least don’t have to do the whole dressing up thing wearing a gown and mask ball thing you had last time.”
“No, but I want a fancy dress party, make it a jungle themed event, and yes I do want masks to be worn, you Luis I want in a penguin suit, serving Apple Sours and Jagger Bombs. You are going to be my cocktail penguin.”
“Really, fancy dress are you sure?” Yeah, I want them roasting in costumes.
“Positive, because I’m going as a sexy arsed zoo keeper, everyone else is in an animal costume. I should say no monkeys, but what’s a zoo without the monkeys?” Mum was clapping her hands, with my enthusiasm. What she didn’t know was I was going to make all the serving girls wear zoo keepers costumes too, so I could escape or blend, either or really, my plan was fool proof for escaping my security detail.
“Bella that’s a great idea, fancy dress, wait until I tell your father he will be shocked you agreed, and I can wear my peacock fancy dress, Dad has a panda suit. Oh it will be such fun.” Yeah, they will be sweating their bums off in fancy dress at a beach party luau, and I will be drunk as a skunk, but not dressed as one, oh hell yeah, my party, my theme and my rules. Oh hell, what had I done?
CHAPTER ELEVEN:
Chris:
I lazed in the swimming pool, after a good days work and I now had three more Aztecs and three more mustang foals, to add to my breeding stock. The foals are all wonderful. I loved my life here in the outback, and bringing the stock from the ranch in Texas was the best decision I ever made. As I watched the ranch from the pool, Amy brought out the cool beers. Asking Kenny and his family to move with them the next best thing I did. I got out of the pool after a hard day’s work.
“Thanks Amy, is Kenny about?”
“He’s gone into town with Tammy a
nd Henry to collect her folks, they are due here in about four hours, did you forget?”
“No, I just thought they were flying in?”
“No, Mrs Tanner doesn’t like the small plane, and so they have had to do the five hour ride out and the five hour ride back, that woman is a damn pain.”
“Umm good job they only come out once a year, are you minding the girls?”
“Yes and they are sleeping. They tired themselves out with James in the pool earlier. Tammy should be back soon to take over, she will be glad she’s not in the car in this heat.” We were highly honoured that Henry trusted us with caring for their twins, Megan and Georgia they were and are his pride and joy. They brought their parents and me endless amount of happiness, the two little elfin toddlers have wormed their way in to my ornery ole heart, and yeah, I loved them too, they were cute as buttons, and I spoilt them rotten. Tammy is having their baby brother, so I’m surprised she has gone on the bumpy ride there.
“Tammy didn’t go with them in the car?”
“Hell no, she flew down in the plane, she says she won’t be able to fly the plane much longer and is flying Lloyd and the luggage back, she likes the alone time with her Daddy. She’s leaving poor Henry to deal with her mother’s whines about going back to live in the states.” I roar with laughter.
“Hahahaha, poor Henry five hours with Marys moaning, he will be in sore need of a few ice cold tinnies Amy.”
“The fridge is full to bursting Chris.” I laugh as she hands me my dinner. “Here eat whilst it’s hot.”
“Chris, are you gonna reply to the messages your father has sent again, or are we deleting without reading again?” Judy walks out from the office.
“What was the first one about?”
“He wants to know if you’re home for your thirtieth birthday.”
“No, I have plans to spend it with a friend.”
“You had a missed call from Maria too, she says ring her back at lunch time, their time, if you’re up as she has news.” That peeks my interest, I’d had a missed call from Luis on my mobile too, whilst I was in the stables, had something happened? I then wondered, would Luis still be up and decide against it, I’d phone later when I was phoning the states. I think about this year’s gift to Bella her twenty first. So that’s like really important and so requires an extremely nice gift. What to send her this year in the kangaroos pouch? Last year earrings, the year before a tie pin for her dressage outfit, with the matching jewelled hair combs, this year has to be the wow gift.
I have missed her, and have given her the space she asked of me, and I’ve not contacted her, other than the birthday gifts. So, I think I have honoured my promise to give her the space she wanted, and in that time, I have kept myself free from temptation, and I have high hopes of getting her to talk to me again. Luis is planning to take her to a luxury hotel I own on the island of St Bart’s, for a week and I will be there too. I wonder if that’s what the phone call was for, damn it I can’t wait.
“Excuse me ladies, I have a few calls to make, see you in a while, Judy are you finished for the day?”
“Yeah if you don’t mind I’m wacked, that all-nighter has caught up with my weary old bones.”
“Sleep well, and see you tomorrow, don’t you rush to get in.” I laugh because she lives in a bungalow right next to the main house.
“Funny how that never gets any funnier no matter how many times you say it Chris.”
“I know I’m so much fun to work for, now away with you I have a horse to buy and three to sell.” I slink in my air conditioned office and dial Luis number. It rings and rings…
“H…Ell…O, speak I’m listening.”
“And that’s why they pay you the mega bucks to defend the rich European bad men.”
“Chris, so nice of you to returned my call just as I was getting downright dirty in the stables, and for your information I defend women too, and yeah they can be really bad.”
“Lucky stable girls…”
“Nah, Cappuccino is due to foal and Bella did the night shift last night I offered to do tonight. What can I do for you?”
“Umm you rang me Luis?”
“Oh I did, the party of the year is in nine days, can you still be there and get this, Bella okayed the party. I hate to break it to you but she doesn’t want you there Bro, she is over the crush on you I think? Though Mum’s still holding out for the same thing as you, so are you coming or what?”
“Coming, because she has to talk to me, she has too, I’m not getting any younger and I have done as she asked, shit Luis she has to speak to me she has to.”
“So I guess we will see you there then, oh and bring a fancy dress its, a jungle fancy dress and a mask or a full costume is to be worn. I’m a damn cocktail waiter dressed as a damn penguin.” Oh hell, this I have to see, I then wonder what she will be wearing.
“My sister will be a zoo keeper I can hear your mind ticking Chris.”
“I may go as a monkey, just to piss her off.”
“She got over that phobia and openly welcomes the monkeys to the party, so what are you coming as?”
“I don’t know, perhaps a kangaroo?”
“Too predictable, come as a wild boar.”
“I am a little bit of one at the moment, I don’t know? I have to be in Hong Kong for a few days, so I’ll pick something up there, does she really want fancy dress? If I get there and your joking, I will find the penguin and drown him.”
“I swim most excellently your lordship, and I want the best suite in the house for Mum and Dad too and a couple of suites for protection, is that alright?”
“Fine, the hotel is at your disposal, let them know how many rooms you will need. All the beach bungalows have already been booked out to me. I didn’t want them rented out to anyone else, so you and your guests can stop in the hotel, well away from them.”
“Oh great, that’s what like sixty rooms?”
“No more like eighty suites. My bungalow is tucked away in the hillside, but you have to pass the beach bungalows to get there, hence the need for them to be empty, so there will be nobody to hear her pleas to be let down. I intend to go all cave man, take Bella there lock the door and just talk.”
“So I will see you next week then, and I look forward to it, see you there Bro.”
“See you Luis, and Luis thanks I know what this could do if it all goes pear shaped and I ruin yet another bloody birthday.”
“I hear you, but that’s not happening not this time, see you and have a restless week worrying.” Gah, he’s not wrong it will be restless alright. I smile and grin like a fool. I go on-line to get the horses on the website. I am looking again for Bella’s stables. She doesn’t breed to sell anymore, so it’s hard as they are very wary about their privacy since the Gina thing. Luis will talk about her, but none of them will tell me where they are, but I do know they are in Europe. I have to trust it is to keep themselves safe. I guess if I really wanted to I could find them, but I gave my word I would make do with phone calls and web chats with Maria. It has been a busy three years and filling my life with the ranch, the twins and my businesses here has not been easy. I miss her so much that I often troll the web for people selling Aztecs and as yet have had no joy she mustn’t be selling them anymore. I could do lots of things to find her, bug Luis phone, have him followed, but I made a promise to Luis, that I wouldn’t try to find her. I read the book she gave me all the time and hope that the meaning behind giving it to me, was that she would come and find me when she is ready.
In the book, or rather, the book of the play, the king and his nobles swear to remain faithful to their ladies, but the ladies, unconvinced that their love is strong, declare that the men must wait a year and a day to prove what they say is true. The Princess and her ladies depart from the King's court to await their futures. I think the year and a day would have been better for me, but I’m willing to wait forever and a day if I have too, I hope this is why she gave me the book, perhaps it was given to
give me hope?
The last time Luis came to Australia, I broken down like a baby and told him everything, and he came up with this plan to get us together, saying we were both miserable apart, even he thought I was the right one for his beloved sister, to which I had to agree. I suggested the island and he did the rest, I actually had only booked out the beach bungalows, but now I have sent an email shutting the whole hotel for the week, it’s for family and friends only. I have also told them to get everything Maria wants and bill it to me. I can only hope this works…
I go and grab some sleep, Henry and Tammy will be busy with her parents and having some happy family time. This old man needs some sleep I am away tomorrow evening, and spent most of last night on the phone to America. I shower change, and climb into my bed and then look at the photos on my bedside table, why did she give me the photographs, if she didn’t want there to be something of her to remind me? Granted they were in the book, so perhaps they weren’t the part of the present, but the cufflinks were nice and the horses on them, she joked were what every cowboy should wear to a black tie affair, they were pretty nice too.
I wake early as usual, then grab my board shorts and swim a few laps of the pool before breakfast. The place is quietest at this time, with the crickets, the horses and the Kookaburras laughter in the wooded area to the rear of the property, the only sounds I hear, then the cockerels in the coup, cry their wake up calls. The gentle rushing of the breezes through the eucalyptus trees by my bedroom door is just as soothing too, but there are no Kolas in them today. I wonder if they are lending their cuteness to the trees outside Judy’s bungalow? I know she is feeding my little pair of bears, and when I find out what she is bribing them with, I will get them back, I found them, they are mine. I hear the stable phone ringing, and wonder who’s up at this time, as well as me? Give it a couple of hours and this place will be Bedlam.
Soul Mates. The Beginning. Page 23