AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What did your dad say when you told him?”
Mutual parental grumbles had always been Alice and Aaron’s home ground. Rowena drove Alice mad too, admittedly for very different reasons from Aaron’s dad.
Aaron shrugged. “He made the right noises, when he could finally be bothered to phone me back. Andrea would’ve had a word.”
“Have you told Oliver?”
“He phoned me on Monday. Full of fake congratulations.”
“Aaron. That’s mean. Oliver has always believed in you.”
“Oliver has always been a condescending arse.”
He dared to glance at her now, and she frowned and pushed out her lower lip. Alice thought his older brother was wonderful. But then, didn’t everyone? Including Oliver’s massive following on social media, who lapped up his blog posts, his YouTube videos and TED talks, and who were eagerly awaiting his new book on ethical investing for millennials.
Aaron gave himself a mental shake. God, what the hell was the matter with him? He should be happy, ecstatic. Was it anxiety about the evening ahead making him so grumpy? Or was it Alice? Sans spectacles. And practically gift-wrapped in her pretty new dress.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked faster.
They made rather awkward small talk until they found themselves outside Archie Bendt’s palatial home on the esplanade, directly facing the ocean.
“Thought as much,” Aaron said, with grudging admiration.
“Don’t worry,” Alice responded brightly. “You’ll own one just like it in a few years.”
Silently he had to agree with her. That was the game plan. He’d show Dad and Oliver what success really meant.
This was it. Time to start acting.
When he glanced down at Alice he saw she’d gone pale and was holding her handbag over her chest like it was shielding her from harmful gamma rays.
Sucking in a breath, he said, “Okay, let’s do this.”
She nodded, lips tight.
Another breath and he grabbed her hand. It was cool and a little clammy, but not unpleasantly so; he tucked it firmly in the crook of his arm and squeezed to reassure her.
Together they marched up to the gate. Aaron pressed the bell and they waited.
A second later a woman’s voice drifted over the intercom. “Yes?”
“Hi. Aaron Blake here, and Alice.”
“Our guests of honour. Welcome.” The voice warmed up a notch and the buzzer signalled the unlocking of the gate.
Aaron braced his shoulders, opened the gate, and strode up the path, almost pulling Alice with him. Before he had time to think anything more, the front door flung wide and an immaculately groomed woman with super-toned arms and legs stood beaming at them.
“Come in, come in, I’m Miranda Bendt.” A hand with a very large diamond ring squeezed his shoulder as she kissed the air close to each of his ears and then gave her full attention to Alice.
“And Alice, welcome to the firm.” She threw back her head and laughed, “Wow, that sounds like the mafia, doesn’t it, darling?” And with that she kissed the air on either side of Alice’s head too.
Alice returned a shy smile. “Wonderful to meet you, Mrs Bendt.”
“Oh, for goodness sake, not Mrs. That makes me sound ancient. Miranda, please. Now come, I can’t wait to introduce you to the other wives.”
Aaron’s blood ran cold. Heck, itwaslike the mafia, he thought as Alice cast him a look that seemed to contain the same element of alarm that he was feeling.
They followed in Miranda’s wake, towards the sound of voices and laughter. A vast hallway opened up into an even vaster room equipped with an uber-modern kitchen where a chef was arranging food onto serving platters. In the living area couches were placed strategically around artefacts and exotic plants in huge pots. While Aaron was taking it all in, Alice was whisked away in a flurry of feminine oohs and aahs.
