Belonging Part III (6 page)

A
s an excited school kid, I set my alarm for six. How long are we staying there for? In his note, he said he was coming back on Friday. So, it means we’re only going to be away for one night. Maybe, he’ll extend and make it a weekend. I just don’t know how long to pack for. Shoot! I’ll just take a few things in case. I rummage through my new set of clothes and pick up a white trouser suit. I decide to go with sophistication to the airport.

After all, I am dating a billionaire and I need to look the part. Then again, I’m not Stephie or trying to take her place, so I quickly change my mind and wear a sea blue summer dress, short and fun with little flowers all over it. I’ll take the white suit too. I need to find a little suitcase or overnight bag to put them in and I’m all done and ready to go. Luckily he keeps a few in a side closet and I quickly find one that I can take and I put my things inside it.

I grab it quickly when Henry keeps buzzing for me to make my way to the car. I quickly stop by Betty’s room and wave her goodbye. She’s awake, which doesn’t surprise me. At times, I think she never sleeps. She wishes me a good trip and I shout out, “No, doubt about it. My first time in Paree”.

How romantic!

***

M
y excitement lasts all the way to Gatwick airport. I spend the car journey sending playful messages to Roy. I can see that he’s feeling just as excited as I am. Then again I’m acting like a big kid, it’s not hard.

Me: In the car :)

Roy: Should hope so :)

Me: I’m wearing something special!

Roy: Hopefully, nothing underneath?

Me: You are a bad boy!

Roy: Because, you make me one...

Me: We’re approaching Gatwick. Need to go.

Roy: Got your passport?

Me: Too late to be asking that.

Roy: Just checking, c u soon.

Me: See you sooner.

Henry parks the car and comes with me to check-in. I whisper, “It’s my first time on a plane.”

“Oh well, Miss Withers, you are not only going on a plane, but to one of the most romantic cities in the world,” he smiles. Well, I think he grins, his lips curled when he said the words.

My enthusiasm goes into overtime as I get the sense that even Henry’s animated about the trip. One of the most romantic cities in the world. Maybe things aren’t going to be so bad after all.

He helps check me in and I race to the first-class section to have a free coffee or tea that they talked about when I checked in. The stewardess mentioned that I had time and I could go and get a drink.

I have to get one and explore the lounge. I’m going all out with my first time flying abroad and I’m going in style! I laugh as I reach the lounge and she hands me a cup of coffee. My boarding pass slips through my fingers and lands on the floor.

“Here, you go.” A man stoops down in quick time to retrieve it from the floor and then passes it to me. I look into his eyes as he hands me my ticket unable to speak. Oh my, this man is fine. Don’t get me wrong, I’m crazy about Roy. This guy would be a strong contender if there were no Roy. Not only are his eyes mesmerizing, but he has on a brown suit and pinstripe white tie. He has an air of sophistication and class written all over him and his accent? He’s obviously not British, he must be American. Gosh, he smells so good too. Wow! Oh, Roy why aren’t you here to resist this temptation.

“Thank you, you’re not from here are you?” I blurt out, curiosity getting the better of me.

“Gatwick airport, no,” he laughs as he replies. Gosh, now he’s going to think I’m chatting him up. When, I’m clearly just being polite.

“That’s my flight. I need to go and by the way I’m half British and half American. Nice to meet you,” he says as he strokes my arm and makes his way out of the lounge. He’s hypnotising me with his good looks and charm, because it was only after they call out a second time that I realise they’re actually calling my flight. I quickly finish the coffee and dash out of the lounge while they announce the last call for my flight.

As I arrive at the gate, no one is there and I start to panic. The stewardess pops her head up and says, “You’re lucky, we were just about the close the gate.” I hand her my boarding pass and quickly make my way on to the plane. While I find my seat I find out I’m sitting next to the same suave guy I met in the lounge. I smirk at the coincidence.

“Hello again,” he smiles as I sit down.

“Miss Withers, let me take your bag and put it in the overhead compartment.” The pretty tall blonde air stewardess takes my bag and puts it in the overhead compartment. I look at the man sitting in the seat next to me. Oh my, if I wasn’t so into Roy then I’d be all over him. I’m getting goose bumps just looking at him. He doesn’t have the same emerald eyes as Roy, but with his dark features he is sexalicious.

The air stewardess asks him, “Mr Pierce, would you like a newspaper?”

Did she say Mr Pierce?

Now, I’m just being paranoid. I’m sure there are loads of men with the same surname. The only thing that would make it less of a coincidence is if his name is Hudson.

“No, thank you,” he shakes his head whilst smiling.

Then a ton of bricks drop out of his mouth as he says, “Sorry, how rude, my name is Hudson Pierce and yours?”

I can’t speak.

I want to get off the plane.

Now!

He repeats his question, but it sounds like a buzzing noise. The warning, the sirens going off inside my head.

“So, do you have a name?”

I’m so not in the mood for this. Luckily the air stewardess reminds us to buckle up because the plane is about to take off. I just want to get off. I can’t believe he tricked me like this and I fell for it again. A tear escapes trickling down my cheeks like a stream as I turn my head and face the window.

I don’t want to face Hudson.

I don’t want to go to Paris.

I want to go home, where I belong. Nowhere else.

They announce the safety rules and all the other information which is important, while the plane was taking off. My ears are blocked from the lies that Roy had told me. My eyes clouded from the tears that keep escaping from my eyes.

I want to rip my dress of my skin and go home. I wore this for him. I wanted to please him. Make him happy and he lied. I wasn’t sure how long I was arguing or trying to contain how I really feel inside, because the next thing I know Hudson hands me a handkerchief and smiles. His hand nudges my shoulder lightly while he brushes his hand against it.

I turn and take the handkerchief. I never thank him for it. Anything I say would be muffled, the only thing that I would welcome is a flight back home. At least I’d saved a bit of money before I left uni. I had enough to buy a ticket at least, surely? Okay, so it wouldn’t be first class, but at this rate I don’t care. The most important thing was to get as far away from Betty and Roy as possible.

I
fall asleep, exhausted from the turmoil that my mind and body has just been put through. Roy and I will never be. Gee, I thought one day I’d be the next Mrs Sparks. The idea felt crazy at first, but the time I’ve been spending with Roy, it felt like a possibility. Until now! He had used me for the very last time. When I was eighteen he had seduced me as a virgin to upset his wife Stephie, that was three years ago, you would’ve thought by now I would’ve learnt by my mistakes.

After Stephie and her son, Simon were killed, Roy appeared to mourn her death. Yet at the same time declared that he had never gotten me out of his mind. He claimed to have loved Stephie, but he could never deny what she was – a manipulative bitch that was incapable of love. He struggled to whole heartedly love her like he did me because he felt she was never true about her feelings.

Lies!

Never again! If I was that sort of girl I would make a play with Hudson to piss Roy off. The problem is it wouldn’t piss him off, he would probably be happy and then hound me for information about Hudson.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

That’s what I’ll do. Why did I not think about it before? I’ll fuck him up! That’s what I’ll do. I’ll play Roy at his own game. It must be all that fucking, all his conniving, lying and scheming genes seem to be rubbing off on me.

I open my eyes and we are still in the air. I turn and see Hudson is typing on his laptop. His lips part slightly when he catches me staring at him.

“So, do you not introduce yourself and then spy on me instead?” he questions with his eyebrow half-raised. This man is out of this world. Don’t get me wrong, Hudson’s totally different to Roy with his strong American accent, yet it’s completely softened by his tone. If I didn’t know better I’d think he was flirting with me.

“What you doing?”

He sighs as he gazes at me, consuming every part of me. The seats are quite small, so he’s close a bit too close for my liking.

“What’s your name?”

“Deborah Withers,” I blurt out with no hesitation. Keeping my composure and not falling for anything this man was about to throw my way. Once bitten, ten times shy.

“So, what makes you want to go to the city of love.”

I laugh cynically at his comment. If only he knew. I was going there to be with the man I love, now I feel like I’m going to be with the man I hate. No, I won’t allow Roy to talk his way out of this one. What could he say? By Chance? Never! I don’t believe in such things. Fate, sure!

“Oh, it’s like that. Sorry... I didn’t mean to pry.” He hands me another handkerchief as tears start pouring from my eyes. If only I can turn them off. Roy has hurt me so badly, but the thing that gets me the most is I allowed him to hurt me.

I shake my head and muffle, “I came here to meet the one I love. He lied, but it’s not the first time. I should’ve known better.”

He takes my hand. His fingers are like velvet as he slowly reaches for my fingers one by one.

“If I had someone as lovely as you, I’d never let you go. Let alone hurt you.”

I’ve heard that before. It falls on deaf ears. I screw my face into a strong frown and then I try to smile. I take my hand and turn my head. I’m not falling for that shit ever again, especially not from a billionaire.

A
s we land and I leave the plane. Hudson keeps his distance. I say goodbye and hurriedly leave my seat.  I don’t want his sexy charm or his dark eyes mesmerizing me. I spent eighteen years wanting one man to notice me. Now, I have three of them and two are not to be trusted and the other one, well the other one, I had to let Kevin go. It wasn’t fair on him. I was so caught up in my love for Roy that I never truly gave Kevin my heart.

Damn!

I keep replaying the old Cher song, ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’ as I make my way through the airport. I’m so confused about what I’ve done and worst of all everything being in French leads to further confusion and misunderstanding.

Shit! Why didn’t I pay better attention when I was studying it at school?

“The exit’s that way,” Hudson whispers in my ear as it’s clear I’m completely lost going up and the down the terminal in my ridiculous heels. My mind keeps changing regarding my next move, should I leave the airport or walk up to Roy and slap him across the face or should I just go to the cashier and book the next ticket out of here?

If I make my way out to the exit now I know Roy will be waiting for me. No matter what I do, he’ll manage to change my mind. So, I better try and change my money into Euros or sit down at a café or the bar and make sure I don’t turn my phone on.

He isn’t going to get to me. Not this time!

“I’m not looking for the exit,” I reply titling my head and smiling. Gosh, why am I flirting with this man? I know what he stands for, the same as Roy. He’s rich and thinks he can get whatever he wants. Well, not this girl.

“I get it,” he sighs as he draws closer toward me and bends down slightly. “Drink?” He raises an eyebrow.

I inhale as I try to take in his musk. It lingers in the air while he leaves me hanging like a piece of thread then he pulls out his elbow ready for me to take. It’s not a question, he never asked if I was going to have a drink with him.

He’s telling me.

As he leads me to the bar which is tucked at the side of the Charles De Gaulle International airport, I try to walk like a lady, the same way Betty had taught me how to compose myself. He releases my arm and holds out a chair for me. He nods toward it.

The waiter approaches and he orders for both of us. He treats me as if I’m his date and he knows exactly what I want and what I need. I feel that he’s just like Roy. He’s manipulating me by speaking French so fluently, knowing I’m oblivious to everything he’s saying, whether he’s ordering or simply paying a compliment about the airport because I don’t know.

Why do powerful men seem to want to influence me?

At first, it was flattering, now it’s just starting to piss me off.

A
fter a few glasses and being educated about French wine, Hudson’s company doesn’t feel so intimidating. In fact, I could get used to this type of flirting as long as it goes no further. I need to feel attractive, the sense that all men want to do is use me is sitting heavy on my heart right now.

“Do you know what power you have over men?” Hudson blurts out while he starts to pour me another glass of wine.
Shit, we’ve been talking for over an hour.  What am I doing? I should be booking my flight back home.

“No. Why do you say that?” I slur, knowing where the conversation is going, but enjoying the flattery.

“Because—” He holds out his hand motioning for me to take it. “Your skin is olive, your eyes are the colour of the earth and with that dress you appear as calm as the sea.”

Wow, he’s really taking my breath away!

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” I utter as I take back my hand and glance at my phone one more time.

He continues to stare at me, waiting for a response.  I ignore him. I’ve had enough of these games. I knew that he was playing me. What Hudson just said, confessed even, winds me up even more. He doesn’t know me, he has no right. I try and stand up but end up staggering, and like a gust of wind he’s by my side helping me to gain my stability. I brush him off because the last thing I want to do is be rescued by him or anyone else for that matter.