The background roar of the plane's engines filters through my dreams. I am lying in my first-class bed with my eyes closed, contemplating the last ten days. In such a short space of time, Alex has turned my world upside down. Once the agreement was signed, he insisted I give notice on my flat, as well as my supplementary jobs, and move into his townhouse in Chelsea. I managed to stall—though in hindsight I really wonder why—so now my meagre possessions are being moved by his housekeeper while I am flying and I feel guilty that someone is being forced to deal with my mess.
My boss, Charles, was delighted with the manuscript, though I never let him know what lengths it took to get it for him. He wouldn't have been interested anyway! Instead, I requested the holiday leave I am entitled to and let him know that I would be coming back from Australia married. I almost laughed at the look of surprise on his face when I told him, but managed to stay cool and professional.
I keep my eyes closed and continue to pretend that I am asleep. I can hear the soft tapping as Alex continues to work on his laptop, something he has done non-stop since we boarded the plane in Singapore. We have barely spoken, beyond the arrangements to get us to Australia, and even then most of that was done through his secretary. I made the first leg of the journey alone as Alex had already flown out to do business in Singapore. I had never flown long distance before and was like a kid in a candy store being in first class, though some of the novelty had worn off by the time I met Alex in the departure lounge for our second flight.
It is not long before people start moving around more and I realise that we will be coming in to land soon. I crack open my eyes and am startled to find Alex staring directly at me, with an expression that I can't fathom across his face. "Sorry, was I snoring?" I ask, surreptitiously wiping my chin in case any drool escaped.
"No, you are all good," Alex says, letting out a dry laugh. "Sleep well?"
I nod as I stretch my arms above my head. Seriously, I am not sure if I could ever fly economy again if this is what it's like in first class. The aroma of freshly baked rolls wafts through the cabin and my stomach growls embarrassingly. My body clock is all over the place and my stomach doesn't know whether it wants breakfast, lunch or dinner, but at least I have managed to get a decent sleep. I am just hoping that the jet lag is not going to be too bad. I glance at my watch, which I seem to have reset several times already, and it tells me that it is 7 a.m. Okay, that means breakfast. I can deal with that.
I grab my bag and head into a toilet cubicle to freshen up, glad that I brought a change of clothes with me. I wash my face and then slip into a pale yellow sundress, brushing the tangles out of my choppy dark brown bob. I add a final slick of lip gloss and then make my way back to my seat to find my breakfast tray waiting for me. Yum.
"I ordered you a tea. I hope that's okay?" Alex asks, looking at me expectantly.
"Fab, thanks, Alex," I mumble through a bite of freshly baked croissant. Really, I need to get some manners so that I don't just dive into my food, I think to myself. Alex attacks his breakfast with equal gusto, sipping on a cup of strong coffee. I love the aroma of freshly brewed coffee—just a shame the taste doesn't measure up. I'll stick to my tea, thank you very much.
Once our trays are cleared away, I settle back and stare out the window at the beautiful blue sky. I am nervous and find myself twisting my fingers in agitation. I fiddle with the large diamond currently nestling on my ring finger, unused to its new weight. "Are you okay, Olivia?" Alex asks softly, breaking through my reverie.
I offer a small smile in response. "Just a bit nervous about meeting your family. I don't want to let you down, Alex. I know you have a lot riding on this. I have done my best to memorise all the info you sent across, but I am just worried that I will slip up at some point. I am just about the world's worst liar."
"Don't worry about it, Olivia. They are going to love you. Look, we have a couple of days before the big meet-and-greet, so I will talk to my mum first about stuff, though they know about you already, and you can relax and soak up some sun. We'll work out the details of the ceremony and stuff this week and go from there. You don't have to worry about organising a thing." Alex's tone is soothing, and all at once I feel calmer. I still don't know what superpower he seems to possess that instantly makes me feel all Zen-like.
"Okay, thanks, Alex. This is not your everyday kind of situation and I really don't want to mess it up. You have been so good to me, sorting my mother out and everything, and now it's my turn to step up to the plate."
"Stop worrying. Let me take care of everything, okay?" says Alex, his voice and expression firm.
"Okey-dokes," I answer knowing that, despite its futility, I will continue to worry regardless.
We chat a bit further as I probe Alex about our destination. I had never even really heard of Perth before Alex told me that he was born there. Since then, I had bought a Lonely Planet guide and marked up the pages of things I wanted to do and see, but I have no real idea on the distances between stuff. All I really want to do is see a kangaroo…God, I am such a child, I think to myself.
Before I know it, the seatbelt sign blinks on, and we start our descent. It is not long before we have landed and been whisked through passport control, and then we are walking through the doors into the arrivals hall. I can see Alex scanning the people waiting and I feel myself getting a lump in my throat as I watch people greeting each other, often with tears in their eyes. Alex clears his throat and indicates towards a tall, well-built guy with a shaved head dressed in a driver's uniform, holding a smart placard stating Davenport. Sliding his hand through mine, Alex murmurs, "Remember, you are my blushing bride-to-be." I find myself blushing at his words, and satisfied that I am behaving suitably fiancée-like, we walk across to greet the man.
"Alex," he cries when he notices us.
"All right, Shane?" Alex responds and I notice his accent becoming a little stronger. "Shane, this is Olivia, my fiancée." Alex introduces me, and I shake Shane's proffered hand.
"Hi," I say shyly, feeling instantly intimidated by the tall guy in front of me. He is tanned and gorgeous with striking blue eyes, everything I would normally be attracted to, but today I feel nothing.
"Well, she's a beaut," Shane says, smirking at me.
"Enough, she's mine. Hands off, dude," says Alex smoothly, before engaging Shane in conversation. From what I can gather, they are old friends and soon they are in a heated discussion about some sports team called the Dockers. Men.
I follow them out of the door and am stunned by the wall of heat I walk into as we step outside. Alex had warned me that Perth was hot in November, but this is like an oven. I am grateful when we finally arrive at the car and I can slide into the air-conditioned coolness. Both men pretty much ignore me as they catch up, which suits me fine, as it gives me a chance to take in the world around me. The landscape is so different from what I am used to, and I kind of feel like it is all a bit surreal. The bush is so brown compared with the green fields of England and I can see the heat shimmering off the tar road. The buildings are completely at odds with what I am used to, but I drink it all in as we get on the highway.
"So how come you guys are staying at the Crown Perth?" Shane asks, breaking me out of my musings.
"Didn't think it would be fair to Olivia to meet the folks the minute she stepped off the plane," Alex responds with a laugh that tells me that Shane must know the family well.
"Nice," Shane says with a smirk.
Minutes later we are pulling up under a canopy at the entrance to the most luxurious hotel I have ever seen. As we drove up to the building, it glowed like a giant white pyramid and I wondered if we had been transported to another planet, the structure so alien compared with everything around it. But now all I can think about is not tripping up and embarrassing myself. As I climb out of the car, I am once again assaulted by the hot, arid air. I head around to grab my small case, but before I have a chance, a bellhop is loading all the bags onto a trolley and whisking them away. I squeak in protest, but Alex assures me that they will be taken straight up to the suite. Suite? Like, not just a room?
With a fond farewell to Shane and the promise of beers on the beach, Alex takes my arm and steers me to the reception desk. We are swiftly checked in and I can't help but notice the girl blatantly checking Alex out. I have to hide my inward smirk as I place my hand, complete with the giant diamond engagement ring that Alex presented me with on the plane, on his arm and smile sweetly across at her. I feel Alex shaking slightly and I realise he is laughing silently at the scene unfolding. I look up into his grey eyes and see mirth shining out and I give him a genuine smile, probably one of my first since this whole thing started, in return. The receptionist takes this all in and I can see a faint blush under her makeup; she has obviously got the message. Ours may be a marriage of convenience, but if I am playing the role of a blushing bride, I am not going to have some random girl undermining our façade.
The receptionist, whose name tag reads Janie, hands over the key cards and then wishes us a pleasant stay. Alex puts an arm around me and guides me back towards the lifts, murmuring into my ear, "Well played, Olivia." I smile and shiver slightly, despite the heat radiating off Alex's solid frame.
"You can call me Liv if you want. That's what my friends call me," I murmur back.
"Liv. Hmm, I like it. Suits you." Alex responds, his hot breath in my ear making my knees feel weak. I sternly remind myself that this is an act, this is not real, and this is not about romance or even sex. At last, we reach the suite, and when Alex opens the door, I actually gasp as I take in my surroundings. The décor is plush and modern, but what really grabs me when we walk into the living area is the stunning view of the city across the river beyond the windows.
"You take the master," Alex instructs, and when I go to refuse the look that he gives me brooks no argument.
"Wow, Alex, seriously, this is amazing. That view…" I trail off.
"Yeah, it is pretty awesome. That's why I chose the suite. Can't get much better than that," Alex says softly. I am guessing that this view is familiar to him as he seems to know his way around the suite, but even so, he seems as enamoured by it as I am. I see the doors leading onto the balcony and step out, despite the heat, to get a better look.
I am not sure how long I stand there taking in the sights and smells, but I am startled back to reality when Alex walks through the doors in long board shorts and a T-shirt, his hair still damp from the shower he must have just had. "You should put some cream on," Alex states. "You'll burn to a crisp otherwise." I glance down at my shoulders and see that my normally milky-white skin is already turning pink.
"Definitely, the last thing I want is to get sunburnt on the first day here." I laugh. I head back indoors and make my way to my room. Really, this is all too much. I am not used to this kind of luxury and it kind of freaks me out a bit. But as I eye the bed I can't help but fling myself down onto it, enjoying the crispness of the sheets against my overheated skin. Despite the sleep I managed to get on the plane, it is only moments before I find myself dozing off.