What do you get the man who has everything? Mark has a good idea…
Excerpt
She looked out the window at the passing trees and picturesque houses as the car sped down the road. She wondered how her life had come down to this. Was it boredom or was it something else? She knew that she was putting everything that she had worked for at risk with this venture. Was her life really missing something so important that she felt the urge to do something this stupid? Only it didn’t seem stupid at the time. It seemed like a grand adventure. It was the sort of adventure that only came along once in a lifetime.
“Mark, tell me about your brother.” She said without looking at the driver. She had never bothered to ask anything about the man she was getting ready to meet.
Mark sighed. “He’s practically a recluse. I know, you are wondering how such a popular performer can be a recluse. If he isn’t out touring or recording he is holed up in that house of his and refuses to leave. Granted, his past dealings with the media had a lot to do with that. He wasn’t always a hermit.” Mark paused, it was better not to go there. “He had the house built where he would have everything he wanted or needed right there. He has everything else delivered where he doesn’t have to leave the house. I personally think that fame and fortune has spoilt him. He gets everything he wants. You are proof of that.”
Did he have to remind her of that? She was having second thoughts and it was too late to turn back now. She sighed. “But what is he like?”
Mark glanced over at her. “You mean, will he like you?” He was trying to hold back the sarcasm. He better like her, she was the best that money could buy.
“That isn’t what I asked.” She snapped. “Forget it.”
Mark was quiet a moment and contemplated her attitude. It was almost as if she were regretting her decision. Candice had promised him that she was the girl for the job; that she would personally train her and that she would be ready. He considered his words this time. “My brother is my brother. He is has his faults and we don’t always see eye to eye. He is very stubborn and is difficult to get along with at best. Give him a chance and I am sure you will come to love him as everyone that he surrounds himself with does.”
“That doesn’t do much to make me feel any better about all this.” She muttered. Mark could barely hear her. So, she was having second thoughts. If she changed her mind now it would put him in an interesting position.
“If you have changed your mind and want out of the contract you will have to pay back everything.” He reminded her.
“Yes, I know. I don’t plan on backing out. I said I would do this and I will. What is three months out of my life? I just don’t know what to expect.” Her voice trembled. No one else in their right mind would agree to this. “I don’t know your brother and yet…” Her voice trailed off.
Mark said nothing more as he pulled the car into the long driveway that signaled the end of her life as she knew it. She took a deep breath and prepared herself for the worst.
She didn’t know what she was expecting, but this was not it. The house was much bigger than she imagined it would be. A Mediterranean style house planted on a never ending yard was not something that she had envisioned the nights she had lost sleep worrying about what was to come. It was as if someone had taken a picture out of a travel brochure and built it just for him. Mark was right, his brother had only the best that money could buy.
The front door opened as if on cue to Mark closing the drivers side door. His brother did not look happy to see him. There was no warm greeting, just an exchange of looks before Mark opened her door for her.
“Who’s the girl?” His voice was quite and almost cold. It was rare these days that his brothers presence didn’t annoy him.
“I brought her for you.” Mark told him. “She’s yours for the next three months. After that it’s up to you if you want to keep her.”
“What are you talking about?” He raised his voice startling her. She never considered for the first time that he might not know about the arrangement and wouldn’t approve.
Mark smiled. He was either very proud of himself or very arrogant. “She’s your birthday present. Remember, you described your ideal woman to me several months ago. I went through a lot of trouble and expense, but I am pretty sure that I have found her.”
He was on the verge of yelling. “You can’t be serious. I was drunk! Do you act on everything someone says when they are drunk?” He paused for a moment. “What do you mean, expense? Is this another one of your crazy call girl ideas? I seriously doubt that you walked up to ever blond that you came across and asked them a serious of questions starting with are you a virgin.”
Mark laughed. “My dear brother, a high priced call girl would have been easier to pull off than this. You didn’t have an easy order to fill.”
“I can’t believe that you did this.” He shook his head. “This isn’t right. I can’t do this. She can’t do this. Take her back to where ever it was you found her.” Even if his brother didn’t believe it, he did have morals, and this went against every one of them. Then there was the problem of the negative publicity this could cause. He loved his brother, but Mark could be a total idiot.
“I will not.” Mark stared at his brother. “You could at least be grateful instead of insulting to both her and me. It’s not every man that would go out of his way to find his brother the woman of his dreams.”
“This is wrong.” He was still protesting.
“Julian, give her a chance. I promise I was discrete. The people involved were paid well enough to keep their mouths shut.” He smiled at Raelin. “Don’t mind him, birthdays always make him grumpy.” Mark walked to the trunk and retrieved her suitcases. There were only two; she packed as if she were going on a weekend vacation, not what amounted to a three month sabbatical. Walking past his brother he took her luggage into the house and disappeared. She was left in the most awkward situation. They hadn’t even been introduced; not that she wasn’t aware of who he was.
This was Julian Reid, lead singer of Danger Zone. He was gorgeous. Women all over the world dreamed of spending just one night with him and she was to be his for the next three months. He pushed his jet black hair out of his face revealing dark eyes that didn’t give a hint of anything he was feeling or thinking. All she could do was stand there awkwardly and stare at him.
Julian stared back doing his best not to let her know that his curiosity was getting the best of him. He was sizing her up to see how well his brother actually did. Not that he had ever expected Mark to do something this outrageous. She was at least six inches shorter than he was, long blonde hair, perfect figure. Physically she was everything he looked for, but what about the other things? He quietly looked away pretending to watch the plane that was passing overhead. What was he even doing entertaining such ideas? There was no way he could go along with this. He let out a loud sigh of disgust. “Your name?” He sounded so formal and commanding when he said it, even though his voice was soft. It was hard to believe that this was the same man that belted out angry lyrics at the top of his lungs to entertain millions.
“Raelin. Raelin Walker.” Her voice trembled when she answered.
“Well Raelin, why are you doing this?” It was more of a demand than a question. “What’s in it for you?”
She felt like a deer caught in headlights. “I don’t know.” She answered. “I don’t know.” How could she tell him? She didn’t even know him. Not even Candice knew the real reason she was doing this, and it was Candice who got her into this.
Julian laughed. He was becoming more and more intrigued by the situation his brother orchestrated. “You don’t know? I find that hard to believe. You have to have a reason.”
She was more humiliated and embarrassed than she had ever been in her life. “Maybe I do, but it’s not one that I am going to share with you.” She snapped.
He was mocking her, “Let me tell you what I think it is. I think you are like every other woman I have come across and would just jump at the chance to fuck Julian Reid and you were offered the opportunity and just couldn’t say no.”
“You think an awful lot of yourself don’t you?” She stared him in the eyes defiantly challenging his arrogance.
Julian was used to women throwing themselves at his feet. When the mood struck he was used to having any woman he wanted. It was one of the benefits of fame. He found it hard to believe that his brother found the one woman in the world that wasn’t looking forward to being bedded by him.
Mark finally reappeared. She felt somewhat relieved that she wasn’t alone with Julian anymore. Mark looked between the two of them and addressed his brother. “Well?”
Julian didn’t take his eyes off her but addressed his brother with distaste. “Against my better judgment she can stay but don’t expect things to turn out how you have in mind. Oh, and if anything goes wrong, I am holding you responsible.”
Mark smiled. “Good. I knew you would like her.”
“I didn’t say I liked her. Let’s just say I am intrigued for the moment and could use a distraction.” Julian retorted.
Mark ignored him. “The caterers should be here soon. I only invited 50 people to the party. I know how you hate large crowds.”
Julian’s head snapped around and he focused on his brother. “Party? What party?”
“Do you honestly think that I would bring you such a wonderful birthday present and not throw you a party?” Mark looked as amused as Julian looked pissed. Raelin was sure that Mark went through great pains to torment his brother and took perverse pleasure in it.
Julian looked as if he were going to come unhinged at any moment. “What in the hell are you thinking?”
“I am thinking it’s your birthday and I am going to help you celebrate.” Mark paused a moment and added, “Don’t worry, I don’t expect you to unwrap your present in front of everyone. Well, unless you want to.”
Copyright 2008 Georga Hackworth. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
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