Starlet woke up earlier than she usually did and went downstairs. She found her husband in the breakfast room. He was finishing the last of his French toast and dressed in his signature black suit and white shirt. Her handsome man.
He looked up at her and smiled.
"Good morning," he greeted as he picked up a napkin.
"Good morning," Starlet responded as she watched him pat his mouth and put the napkin down.
"What are your plans today?" he asked her.
Starlet was caught off guard. Why was he asking her this? He'd never been interested in what she did before. Was he asking to be polite or did he truly want to know? If he wanted to know, what was the reason?
"I don't have any set plans," she informed him her gaze showing her curiosity.
"If you want you can come with me," Lucien said cautiously.
"Where?" he had her full attention now.
He named an island known for its luxurious vacation packages. She raised an eyebrow at him.
"That idiot Tristian is stuck in South Africa," Lucien explained, "We need to acquire property from this man but he won't talk to anyone he feels is not in charge. It's either I go, or Tristian goes and Tristian's plane is having maintenance issues."
Starlet studied her husband wondering why he wanted to go with her. Then she wondered why she was wasting time thinking about irrelevant things instead of just saying yes to going with him.
"Okay," she said and then realised she was in her pyjamas "When do we have to leave?" she needed to know how much time she had to get ready and use it accordingly.
"You can come to my office in two hours and we'll leave from there," Lucien said as he checked his watch.
"Okay!" Starlet said as she rushed back to her room. Two hours at the office meant an hour and thirty minutes to get ready. She would not squander it by standing around.
"Pack a swimsuit, a change of clothes and comfortable shoes!" Lucien shouted after her in amusement.
***
Starlet walked into her husband's office dressed in white slacks and a peach-coloured cashmere sweater. Her white ankle boots clicked on the marble floor with each step she took. She had an overnight bag and a purse in her hands.
Lucien was leaning on his desk and leisurely scrolling on his phone. He looked up and smiled at her. That smile said he was happy to see her. His whole face lit up and his eyes sparkled. Star forgot she needed to breathe for a second. This man was gorgeous.
"Are you set?" he asked her as he tucked his phone away in his pocket. Starlet and in a breath of air nodded.
He walked towards her and took her overnight bag from her hands then put her hand in his. He guided her out of his office and to the elevator. They ignored the elevators and took the emergency exit door. They climbed up a floor and were on the roof. Starlet realised that they were taking the helicopter.
"Where are your things?" She asked her husband as she realised, he had nothing on him other than her overnight bag.
"I sent it here ahead of time and waited for you." He told her with a smile.
"Sir, ma'am." The pilot acknowledged them as they got close. He opened the door for them and they sat themselves in the back. And then he shut it behind them. Lucien's assistant, Jillian was already sitting in the front seat.
"Hello Jillian," Starlet said cheerily as she strapped herself in.
"Good morning, Mrs Blade," the woman responded formally.
The pilot got into his seat and put on his headset. Star was startled by Lucien placing a headset over her ears. He adjusted the mouthpiece and when he was satisfied, he turned to his own headset and easily placed it over his ears. Fidgeted with the mouthpiece and when he was happy with its position, he took her hand and held it in his bigger one, over his lap. Star comically looked from their hands to his face and back her jaw slightly slack. He had been nicer to her since the apology lunch but this was new.
The main rotor blades of the helicopter began to rotate and Starlet was distracted again. The little aircraft began to lift and soon they were over the city. Lucien was playing with his wife's hand and Star's mind stayed there until he pointed out something in the sea to her and she had to peer over his form to see what it was. Marvelled when she realised what it was.
"A whale!" she said in wonder.
"It looks more like an orca," Lucien said amusedly.
"Those are just killer whales," Star told him not taking her eyes from the creature.
"More like large dolphins," Lucien couldn't resist telling her.
"Whale," Star said stubbornly.
"Let's agree to disagree," Lucien said diplomatically.
They watched the creature until it disappeared from their view and the island that was their destination appeared. It took a few minutes for them to get there and the helicopter landed smoothly on a helipad placed conveniently on the roof of one of the airport buildings.
The pilot shut down the aircraft and helped open the door for his passengers.
Lucien got out first and took the overnight bags and his laptop bags with him. He deposited them onto the ground and helped Star get out.
They were guided off the roof by the men from customs and then they made to exit the building. When they got out, they were received by a limo that drove the three of them to the hotel. A big man with a booming voice greeted them at the entrance.
"Mr Blade," he said cheerily his voice loud enough to turn heads. His outfit of a tropical print dress shirt inside a suit custom made to fit his wide form. The shirt was buttoned down to show off some of the hairs on his chest and three glittering golden chains.
"How are you, Evans?" Lucien said flatly his tone all business.
"Who are the lovely ladies?" Evans asked and Lucien drew his wife closer to him.
"This is my wife, Star." He introduced and Star gave the man her hand and he bent over it and kissed it. He straightened and kept her hand in his grip. Star had to wrestle it free and resisted the urge to wipe it at the back of her pants.
Lucien should have told her to pack sanitiser instead of a swimsuit.
"That there is my PA, Jillian," Lucien said and Star noticed Jillian just nodded at the man but did not offer her hand. Someone should have warned her.
"Are our suits ready?" Lucien asked and the man enthusiastically told them it was. They told a bell boy to show them and told Lucien he'd be ready for their meeting in twenty minutes.
Lucien and Star had a single bedroom suite but that wasn't a problem as they were not planning to spend the night. They would be here for the afternoon and leave in the evening.
Lucien dropped Starlet off in the room and told Star she could go exploring and he'd go to her once the meeting was over.
Starlet changed into her swimsuit and put on a summer dress over it. she had flip-flops on her feet and a pair of butterfly sunglasses over her eyes. She admired herself in the mirror and set off to explore the local shops. She started off with a little local trinket shop that was certainly there for the tourists. She picked up little figurines that she was sure her mother-in-law would adore. From the trinket shop, she went into a little jewellery shop and bought a shell anklet which she was assured brought good luck. She haggled with a store owner for a wide-brimmed sun hat when she realised, she didn't pack one and the sun was beginning to get to her then she brought a hot dog and ate it as she walked towards the beach. She sat at the beach bar and ordered an iced orange juice then began people watching.
She was smiling at a group of two adults and a teenager who were racing to catch up with a toddler who was weaving around obstacles and giggling at the distance he got away from them. A red rose suddenly appeared in front of her. Star looked up to discover a young man smiling at her interest gleaming in his eyes. He a pair of low-riding cargo shorts and an open shirt over his rather masculine torso. Starlet suspected his outfit was deliberate. If she wasn't married to a man, she loved maybe she'd have considered him and his intentions.
Star shook her head at the man and he said something in the local dialect she couldn't translate. He sounded like he was pleading. Starlet shook her head at him again. He tried again this time with some English pleading words and a lot of "Pretty lady" inserted in there. She waved her hands in rejection and leaned away from him. She realised that her security detail had not flown with them and she was alone. A cold chill ran down her spine but she reasoned it away. There were people around and he could not do anything to her.
He sprouted into more frantic talk and she raised her hand and showed him her wedding band. He apparently didn't care because he kept shoving the flower in front of her urging her to take it. A shadow fell on Star from behind and she looked up to find her husband. A wave of relief washed over her as he said something to the man in the local dialect and the man scurried away.
Lucien took a chair and scooted close to his wife. He studied her intently.
"Are you okay?" he asked as his eyes roamed over her searching.
Star nodded her head. She was a little shaken by the whole incident but she would not let that show. She was stronger than that.
"I'm fine," she told her husband. She was proud her voice was calm and steady.
Lucien put an arm around her and looked around for the bartender. He couldn't see him. Starlet took the chance and leaned her head against Lucien's shoulder. This man was her rock. She had never been happier since she had married him.
She leaned back and looked at him as a thought suddenly ran into her mind.
"How did the meeting go?" she asked. After all, they were here for a reason.
"It went well. We got an agreement," he told her with pride. "The lawyers will handle the rest from this point forth."
"Does that you're off duty, right now?" Starlet asked him.
"Yes," he responded with a grin. The bartender came back and Lucien ordered them some coconut juice.
They drank them in silence and watched the people on the beach together.
Starlet wondered where Jillian, Lucien's assistant was and he told her she was using the opportunity to do some shopping and other tourist things as she too was now off duty.
The pair sat like that for a while talking. Lucien's arm around his wife and Starlet's head leaning over his shoulder. To onlookers, they looked like the perfect couple. The way they would look into each other's eyes and point out things and people at the beach. The easy, relaxed way they spoke to each other. Maybe this was the way their marriage was supposed to always be. Both noticed the easy atmosphere and went with it. They both wanted the easy mood to last longer. They both hoped that this meant something to the other.