THE DEAL: Novel (23 page)

To disperse the tension Carolina asks:

"Do you know the true meaning of a toast?"

"No, but I imagine that you know and that I am about to know why"

He said already curious.

"Well...the act of offering a toast comes from the antiquity where leaders toasted for peace between the empires, it was a time when they had the habit of killing the enemy by poisoning their drinks, so they toasted toast tightly forcing the drinks mixing to each other, when they toasted it meant that they were in good faith with one another and if the drink was poisoned, both would die"

"I'm glad we raise the glasses and they barely need to touch each other, if we had to toast with strength we would break these delicate flutes of champagne"

JP said looking at the flute with amusement in his face.

"In hindsight it makes sense in order to do a toast. You're very smart how do you know all this?"

"I'm just a curious person and I like to read and know"

Carolina told him laughing. JP and Carolina decide to stretch their legs, rising to circulate in the limited space. He sits on the edge of the seat, puts his feet to the front getting the legs slightly open and straighten them. She past near him, he grasped her by the wrist, he pulls her toward him, forcing her to get closer to him, holding her with both arms around her hips, looking at her intently with those intense blue eyes where she gets lost so easily, but now she only saw in his eyes that they had no future.

She tries to ignore his begs with his look for a kiss and when she feels him getting hard against her, she decides it's time to let loose and sitting back in her place. As soon she feels her body sitting down, she feels everything trembling inside.

It was so difficult to resist him.

But she wouldn’t give in if he didn’t start to see her as a woman, she wouldn’t ever give herself again if there was no future. Even if they continued to kiss and having extraordinary sex sooner or later he would finish everything and it was only for her to leave the relationship completely devastated, there was no need. She doesn’t want to think about it, she needed urgently some distractions. Spending time reading magazines available on the plane was a good start, and she found a few magazines, some of them are about fashion.

When JP sees the fashion magazines, he went to her and asks if she can borrow one, she gives him one, he starts to flip through and when he found what he was looking for he stopped and shows the page to Carolina.

“This is what my company does and do you see the high end fashion label? We do everything until the product is finish, its lots of work though.”

Carolina looked at it, while JP explained to her in detail all the steps it was needed to made until it was ready for the consumer to see. She had no idea the work behind an apparently simple advertise in a magazine until now.

“Wow that’s impressive. Your work it’s really remarkable, I had no idea the work it takes for an advertise”

He smiled and he invited her to see some movies, the difficulty was just agreeing which movie they wanted to see first. Carolina asked the flight attendant if they had popcorn, she said yes, after a few minutes they had on their table two bowls full of popcorn with sugar. They delight eating popcorn with champagne, while they see the film
Hangover 3
.

Carolina asks JP:

"Did you see the Hangover 1 and 2?"

He answered yes with his head while he was taking a sip from his champagne flute.

She continued:

"When the premiere movie from Hangover 3 was in Europe, they made it in Leicester Square in London and I went to the premiere and got to know the actors. Bradley Cooper is even more handsome live than on the screen."

JP looks at her in awe having fun saying.

"So, you are fan of Bradley Cooper..."

Now looking to JP he seemed a bit with the actor, they were both tall, with a worked body but not too much. I remember in the movie The A-Team in which Bradley Cooper walked bare-chested, I can see his worked body and his hairy chest, they were really identical, but JP blue eyes are more intense, more powerful
– Thinks Carolina looking at JP trying to ignore her thoughts she said:

"I don’t consider myself a fan, but I think he is a very handsome man, he is tall, has beautiful blue eyes and a wonderful smile, captivating I would say.

As an actor he's not the best, but he has become better over the years."

She said finally, she was beginning having some fear of being confide something illegal, she didn’t quite knew what to say to JP, she didn’t want to opine too much about the actor nor being too critical, but didn’t want to see the whole movie without saying anything. Or maybe it was better to be in silence. JP looked at her for a moment and said.

"He does have very good look"

She looks at him surprised.

A man boasting another man?

What's wrong here?

He guessing what she was thinking said:

"What is it? Can’t a man no longer boast another man, if he looks good, he looks good, bloody hell, women do it all the time with each other."

Letting out a loud laugh that ends question in a serious tone:

"And what do you think of me?"

Carolina knew it was coming sooner or later, she was caught off guard, she didn’t know what to say or should answer to that question, whatever the answer could be, and it would have consequences that she didn’t want to deal with them right now. So she acted as she thought it would be the best. Ordering him:

"Open your mouth, I'll throw you popcorns and I will hit in your mouth"

She laughed trying to distract him. He found the challenge interesting closing immediately his eyes and opened his mouth waiting for the first popcorn to arrive. Carolina makes several attempts to hit him in the mouth, but fails, and all the popcorn begins to spread them out all over the floor. He is amused with Carolina being clumsy trying to target him with popcorns, until he starts throwing her also with popcorns, not to hit in her mouth, just to hit her to play with her. When they look down and saw all the popcorn on the floor, they look at each other and burst out laughing like two children who were proud of their childish achievements. Carolina saw a side of JP who had started out on the island now he was relaxed, fun and laughed with her. He always aligned in small adventures with her. She couldn’t help but be happy with a bitter taste, knowing that everything they lived was now about to end.

They ate and slept until they reached the City airport in London.

Unravelling the mystery

Although they slept on the plane, they felt tired when they arrived. Leaving the plane Carolina became aware that the likelihood of return to see him it would be greatly reduced, thinking:

Now when I leave the gate each one will go to their home and follow with our lives separated as we did before.

They went together to the taxis stop and Carolina led the way as she walked to the taxi on the front, turning back to say goodbye to JP he was a step behind her. When she turned around Carolina takes place that they are too close and she feels his smell, making her heart racing once again.

He said surprised:

"What is it? We can split a taxi can’t we?"

JP smiles at her with a boyish look.

"But you don’t even know where I live and it’s not on the way to your house."

Said Carolina trying to have an excuse to get rid of him, better soon then later, she was thinking, why postpone something that was inevitable. But he was decided to go with her at any cost.

"No problem at all, I would like to find out where you live. Give the address to the taxi driver."

She gives her address and the taxi moves on to the first destination, to her home. When he realizes where she lives, he says in a joking way:

"Hmm you must be a secret agent, you live right beside MI6"

Blinking one eye at her.

She smiles.

"Don’t be silly"

The taxi stops, they say goodbye with a kiss on the cheek. She went out of the taxi while he opens the window and says to her:

"I'll call you once I have some news, please keep me informed if you have any news from your side...The popcorn war…was much fun...and I loved to meet you again..."

He yelled at her with a smile waving as the taxi pulled off. It was his open and sincere smile that she looked at and it was like she knew him all along. She smiled back nodding her head. Carolina opened the front door of the building, passed the huge atrium inside the building and headed to the elevator, pressed the button to open the door. Inside the mirrored elevator she leaned against the wall and in front of her she saw someone who she almost didn’t recognize, she was tanned and thinner. As the elevator went up to the top floor, she thought about the last 7 days, they seemed so unreal but she was suddenly stunned, starting with the apparent JP’s transformation she had worshiped for so long and finally had the island she started to see him like he really was, she got to know him for real on the island.

But there still is all the mystery how they had reached that island, she was determined to find out. She introduced the key in the door to get in her apartment when she noticed that the lock was scraped, she was briefly in doubt whether in her absence had been robbed or if it had to do with her mysterious stay on the island. She did know that the boys were well, because she called them from the plane while she had taken the opportunity when JP was in the toilet because she didn’t want him to hear the conversation. She only asked if they were okay and told them she was on the way home.

They had been all the time in a friend’s house and would return tonight to be with her, they wanted her to tell them all what happen. She got in the apartment with caution, putting one foot in front of the other without making any noise, went directly into the living room and kitchen, there was no one and everything seemed normal, climbed the stairs to the three bedrooms following the same ritual, leaning against the wall trying to protect herself physically and mentally, the doors were open, the room where she slept just found the unmade bed and a few things around the room, but apart from that nothing was out of place, nothing seemed to have been stolen.

Now she feels a little bit silly, of thinking that someone could be inside the apartment. She went to the closet where she had a small wall safe it was closed and intact as well. In the boys rooms everything was in order in the usual disorder. Relaxed she went for a long shower thinking what she would make for dinner, but it didn’t appear a thing in her mind, she was tired, she chose to call the take away Chinese, the boys loved Chinese food, so that part was settled for now, right now she only needed to wait for them.

On the island she thought about them, she knew they would take care of each other, which made her peace of mind. After all they were already young adults and they were always saying to her they could take care of each other, without the need of her around all the time. They told her again and again that she should find a boyfriend to restart a new life and stop worrying so much about them. She smiled at the memory of the boys words.

After taking shower she puts comfortable clothe only to receive the food and pay. While waiting for the food she sits at the computer in the small office that she has in a corner of the room, turning the laptop on. She turned on the phone after plug in the charger taking a few minutes to come to life again. Carolina saw the e-mails, running the ones she had received 48 hours before it ended up that island without knowing how. There was nothing unusual, but there was an e-mail from Tess asking if Carolina would like to go for dinner with her on Friday night, Carolina saw that she had replied to the e-mail saying she had already plans and was going with her boyfriend to an event at the Dorchester Hotel that same night. Now Carolina was sure she had gone to the event and had gone with Nils. She tried to see the rest of the emails, but there was no clue that led Carolina to know how she had ended up on the island. Carolina looked at the phone which now had enough charge and saw some missed calls from their boys, their messages the last one wishing a good honeymoon, the first message from the boys saying:

"You have married and you haven’t said anything to us, that's not fair!"

Carolina was in shock,
how did they know she got married?

She didn’t even know if she had actually married. She didn’t know. Rummaged through their messages in 48 hours before going to the island and there were messages exchanged with Nils who had gone to the event, she didn’t had seen any from JP, Carolina didn’t know whether to be relieved or not. Besides all the confusion that existed already, she had yet to explain what happen to Nils, and she didn’t know if she was ready to face him yet, first she didn’t know what to say because she didn’t know for certain what happened on the island she needed time to herself with no one, she needed to be alone and away from trouble. Among the emails for the event, she saw that he had another email from a long-time friend who went also to the event, maybe Carolina should try to talk to him first before talking to Nils, Daniel was able to give her a clue for sure. She decides to call him immediately asking him surreptitiously what she needed to know. Daniel answered:

"Hello Carolina! Congratulations on the wedding! That was quite a surprise for everybody!"

Carolina became unresponsive fortunately she was on the phone, if she had been with her friend face to face she thought she would faint from embarrassment.

"Hi Daniel, how are you? How do you know I got married?!"

Asking him without knowing if she was asking the right question to start with what she needs to know from her friend.

He gives her a fun laugh and replies:

"So you put a picture from your wedding with a British tycoon on facebook, you change your status profile to married and you’re asking me?"

"Ah yes on facebook, sorry I wasn’t remember that"

Carolina managed to stammer.

My goodness there is wedding photos! It seems it really happen! Oh my Gosh!

She thought completely embarrassed...

JP and Carolina, they were really husband and wife, how was that possible?

She never really believed that they could really be married. Feeling chilled suddenly going pale almost to the point of feeling she was going to faint at any second. With the phone in her hand she went to the kitchen took a glass of cold water with sugar just in time to endure standing, able to recover and continue talking to Daniel.

"Tell me Daniel just one thing”

She managed to continue, because she needed to know:

“On the night we went to the Dorchester event, something strange happened, do you remember something unusual that happened there?"

Now she wasn’t giving a damn for surrounding smoothly and ask questions, she needed to know what had happened.

Daniel was in silence for a bit trying to think and said:

"Now that you mention it, it was a night of surprises and I can call a few situations in the category of strange events, yes."

"Ok tell me everything"

Begged Carolina to Daniel.

"Well when I arrived in the event, there was a whispering that you and Nils were engaged, although nobody had seen you together before, it was a complete surprise but so far so good.

I remember that there was a very elegant woman all in black, with platinum blond hair, asking questions about you and Nils, she was being too keen asking questions about you and I found this strange, but at the time didn’t give much importance.

I remember now that she was in the company of your current husband.

To be very honest with you is what I don’t understand Carolina, that’s really the weirdest thing of all, is if you were engaged to Nils how did you manage in 48 hours getting married with another man?!

That's was really the weirdest thing of all, your actions after the event."

Carolina was as perplexed as him but interrupted him, in the need to know more:

"Did you have to know who the woman in black was, the one who was with my husband, I mean."

She had never thought of JP as husband and now pronouncing the word
husband
was weird and it sounded surreal.

Daniel continued:

"Yes, she is a former model who married a couple of months ago with an American tycoon and I end up knowing that she made a very generous donation to the association. We ended up talking for a few minutes but she seemed more interested asking questions about you than go and talk directly to you.”

“Don’t you remember her? Did you have the chance to talk with her?"

Carolina tries but doesn’t remember anything, saying only:

"Vaguely, is there something else out of the ordinary that happened that night?"

"No, I think that was it, but why all these questions? Where did you spend your honeymoon darling?"

Question Daniel puzzled. At this time the doorbell rings, it was the Chinese food arriving. She was saved by the bell. Carolina adds:

"Maldives, excuse me, I have someone at the door I have to go, we talk later okay?"

"Ok" on and off.

She opened the door to get the Chinese food and pay. When she opened the door, she sees the delivery guy with the Chinese food and JP behind him. She paid and the delivery man is gone. JP remained in place waiting for her to talk to him. Finally she said:

"What are you doing here?"

"Aren’t you going to invite me to come in or do I have to stay here in the hallway to talk to you?"

He says. Carolina embarrassed invites him to get in, showing him the way to the living room for him to sit.

"I have news! But I think you will not like it."

Carolina said breaching the news in first place.

"So do I. That’s why I'm here."

Carolina told what she had discovered but she just needed to know who the black woman was, the one who coincidence was with JP the night of the event. JP sighed and said:

"She is the woman I fell in love with, she was in London for a few days and we went to the charity event because she insisted to go so much. She wanted to make a donation and didn’t want to go alone, so I went with her as we were trying to be friends."

Carolina was astonished to hear, then the woman in black was the former model, his passion, hence by Daniels description Carolina has no opportunity whatsoever with JP. As Daniel described the woman, she stopped traffic anywhere in the world. She tried to push her thoughts to the present and focus on the problem that they have ahead.

"I think I have pictures on facebook of our wedding, I haven’t had the opportunity to see it, but it seems that everyone knows, still we don’t know how and where we got married."

JP took a deep breath, asking Carolina:

"Do you have something strong to drink?"

"Of course, excuse me for my manners, forgetting to offer you a drink, what an idiot."

She went to the fridge and took a fresh bottle of rosé wine, took out two glasses, returning to sit and serves the wine, he grabs the glass and takes a big sip. JP takes a deep breathe again, trying to find the courage or the right words and start to talk with Carolina.

"Carolina, I'm here because of recent events, I know what happened, and I know how it happened. I know everything"

Carolina's face lit up with joy, she would finally know what happened.

Finally!

JP drinks some more wine and was about starting to tell Carolina everything what had happened, when they hear the door open and Carolina’s son’s got in. Carolina goes to them hugging them and kissing them, they return the kisses and hugs with the same joy. JP is still sitting on the couch looking at them, surprised to know she had two sons. Carolina for a moment didn’t know what to do, but the boys went to him, greeting him with fervour giving him congratulations for the wedding, which made JP and Carolina feeling a little uncomfortable for the first few seconds, they didn’t know how to deal with Carolina sons, they needed to deal with all that marriage mess first.