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Putting her shades on and pulling her baseball cap down over her face in a vain attempt to disguise her appearance - which was difficult bearing in mind her figure and her generally elegant way of moving - she passed through passport checks and picked up her bags. Going through customs, she paused before going out into the arrivals hall, bracing herself for the inevitable throng of photographers and autograph hunters. They were always there, someone always tipped them off. It was one of the downsides of being famous. Victoria took a deep breath and walked out, holding her head down, but after a few paces noticed there were no camera flashes, nor any screaming of her name. Thinking for the first time ever, that her disguise had somehow miraculously worked, she kept mentally willing everyone there to not recognize her.
“Hey! Victoria!” She heard a voice cry out.
“Damn!” She thought, “busted!”
Looking up though, she realized it was Cindy, waving at her frantically from behind the barrier. Victoria had always envied Cindy for the fact that she was successful in her career, but not so successful that she had to hide her face everywhere she went. Whenever Victoria needed someone to do something privately, she could always rely on Cindy being discreet, because although beautiful, she was anonymous. Victoria always paid Cindy back in kind, by making sure Cindy got into all the best places, and met all the right people. It worked for both of them.
“Is it just you?” Asked Victoria, looking around nervously, “Where are all the photographers?”
“Ya, I've been wondering that too since I got here.” Cindy said, taking one of Victoria's bags for her.
Walking away from the crowds of people waiting for their loved ones, a tall man wearing black suddenly approached the pair.
“Victoria... ” Began the man,
“I'm sorry, I don't have a pen with me and we're really in a rush.” Victoria quickly said, thinking the man was trying to get her autograph, and hoping to get away quick.
“Sorry, you misunderstand, I'm here to take you directly to Claringdale mansion, under direct orders from Lord Claringdale.”
Victoria was taken-aback, and realized this wasn't something Cindy should be hearing. Telling a confused looking Cindy to wait there, Victoria pulled the man to the side.
“What are you talking about? I can't go, I've already arranged to stay with my friend.”
The truth was, Victoria wanted to go, but “screw him!” One month and no contact, well he could damn well wait, she decided.
“Lord Claringdale will be most displeased if I do not come back with you.” The driver said, his brow furrowed.
“I don't care if he's displeased. You can tell him from me I'm also displeased. With him!” Victoria told him firmly, but tried to keep her voice down lest she attract attention to herself. But she was angry, angry at Philip Claringdale for thinking he could just pick up where he left off, after having neglected her for so long. Walking away from the man, leaving him standing there, Victoria returned to Cindy and latched onto her arm and dragged her off to pick up Cindy's car.
Victoria had been silent on the drive to Knightsbridge. But Cindy was curious, and several times tried asking Victoria what it was all about, and “who is Lord Claringdale?” But Victoria was tight lipped, and Cindy knew her friend better than to push it. Victoria always knew a lot of influential people anyway, it was nothing new, thought Cindy, and she just put it down to one of Victoria's many admirers being overly persistent. Victoria knew she couldn't tell Cindy about Philip, much less that she had signed a contract to be his submissive sex slave. Cindy would have blown a gasket if she knew that. Victoria also instinctively knew that letting other people know about their 'arrangement' wouldn't be what Lord Claringdale wanted, bearing in mind his close connection to the royal family. That kind of scandal could destroy him, her, and the career she'd built from scratch. She saw a picture in her mind of the front page of one of the English tabloids with the headline: 'Supermodel Shocker: Billionaire Lord Makes Supermodel His Sex Slave Plaything!'
Although she trusted Cindy, there was no point in tempting fate. The fewer people that knew about it, the better, she convinced herself. At Cindy's flat, Victoria found herself feeling relieved. Relieved that Philip hadn't forgotten her after all. She smiled inwardly, and wondered when he would contact her again. “That'll teach him.” She said to herself, imagining the look on Lord Claringdale's face when the man who had come to pick her up told him later what she'd said.
Cindy made Victoria a coffee, and told her about the new guy she was dating. Although Cindy was happy, Victoria knew by the sound of him, that he was just another ordinary guy, the same type she had been dating for so long. But not now. Now she was dating a Lord, but she'd be damned if she was going to be told what to do all the time. She was, after all, still a career woman. Lord or not, he'd better learn how to treat her in the way she'd become accustomed to.
“Well.... ” Said Cindy, suddenly interrupting Victoria's thoughts about Philip, “I'd better hit the sack. If I don't sleep enough, my skin is gonna look real bad for the show tomorrow.”
Victoria realized she'd not really been listening to Cindy, and apologized,
“I'm sorry, I just have a lot on my mind recently.”
Cindy shrugged and replied,
“Ya, I can kind of see that. It's OK, never mind.” And said goodnight to Victoria, making sure she had everything she needed set-up in the spare room.
Victoria stayed up for a few hours more, just thinking about Philip. If he was true to form, she said to herself, he'd probably have her picked up the next night after the fashion show. Contenting herself with that hope, she lay down to finally sleep.
…
The fashion show went as planned. All the way through though, Victoria couldn't stop thinking about meeting Lord Claringdale afterward. She half expected him to be in the audience somewhere, but try as she might to spot him while maintaining a poker face, she couldn't. The end of the show couldn't come fast enough for her, and quickly putting her clothes on, Cindy noticed her hurrying,
“Where's the fire?”
Victoria tried to play it down,
“Oh, I just want to get out of here, you know?”
“How about we get some sushi, there's a great place in Convent Garden around the corner.” Cindy suggested.
