Perfect Strangers

“No, I mean I’m tired of all these lies. It’s about time it came out, huh?”

His eyes lazily roamed over her face and his mind wondered over the past few weeks. She had gotten drunk three times now in the short time they had been here, and he couldn’t help but think it was the pressure of the lies that were driving her to these states, that and seeing her mother daily.

“Kai,” she sharply snapped bringing him from his thoughts.

“Oh, …err…yes I agree but I’d rather it had come out another way instead of at Grace’s reception, via a microphone and in front of over a hundred guests,” he said with a lowly laugh.

“Grace is going to kill me,” she whimpered. Myla’s drunken state progressed to the tearful stage.

“She won’t kill you, if you want to be honest and tell the truth, do it outside with just your immediate family, keep it low key.” She brought a hand from this chest and wiped her eyes on the back of it, inelegantly smearing her eye makeup and now leaving the look of two black eyes.

“If all else fails and she has a meltdown over it, then just remind her she owes you one for that stunning dress you made her.” He laughed trying to lighten the mood in this storm of shit they were immersed in. Her body shook as she laughed through a bout of tears, leaning forward she wiped her nose on his jacket. He looked down and frowned at the trail of snot, she had left behind. Good job I love you, Myla.

“Will you be there with me?” She mumbled pulling away.

“Of course, every step of the way. Now can you stand okay?” He asked as he pushed up to his feet and held his hands out to her. Unladylike, she turned herself onto her knees before using what little strength she had left and rose unsteadily to level with him. Linking her arm in his, she clung onto him with her other hand and leaned her body against him then they began to head out to face the wrath of her family.

The second they turned the final corner, Grace came bowling towards them. “What the fuck is going on, Myla? Who the hell is Kai Baxter?” She ground out as she grasped the bottom of her dress in clutched fists.

“Grace I can explain,” Myla started.

“Well I suggest you better had, you’ve ruined my reception.”

“Do you want to hear at she has to say?” Kai challenged and his body stiffened. Myla groaned loudly when her eyes met the looming figures of her parents as they speedily made their way towards them.

“What is going on, Myla?” Victoria barked as she headed closer.

Kai felt her grip on him tighten and she turned her head away from them. Leaning his head slightly lower, he whispered towards her, “I’m here, just tell them.”

Moving her head from the safety of his arm, she took a deep breath. “This man is not Rhett Butler, neither is he a high-flying lawyer with his own firm. His name is Kai Baxter and he works as a barman in his family’s business.” She spoke unevenly and closed her eyes waiting for the backlash to start, but nothing was said.

Giving her another encouraging squeeze on her arm, Kai cleared his throat. “Myla hired me to come here and pretend to be her fiancé for the week but—”

“—She did what?” Victoria cut in rudely. “Why on earth would you need to rent a gigolo? What happened to the real Rhett?”

“With all due respect, Victoria. I’m not a gigolo. She advertised online and I replied.”

“Is she paying you?” She gasped.

“No, she isn’t and even if she was, I’d be giving her back her money. I’m in love with her,” he snapped. Victoria began to pace back and forth like some demonic entity as she balled her hands and sporadically threw them into the air, hissing like a snake.

“Why did you lie, Myla?” Asked Grace quietly.

“Because I could never be you Grace, that’s why. For years, I’ve had to hear her bang on about how good you were at school, university and how settled you were with Jack, where as I was the fuck up of this fucking family. Nothing I did was ever right or good enough, so I lied for two years about Rhett because I couldn’t stand her disappointment over how I can’t get a man.”

At some point during her tirade, she had suddenly sobered up and pushed herself away from Kai, then stalked towards Grace. Now she was stood, a ball of raging, drunken fueled emotions as she let rip. “But somewhere in amongst this web of lies, I fell for him and today he asked me to marry him, and I will marry him with or without the blessing of any of you!” Grace’s mouth fell open and tears prickled her eyes.

“Her? Her? I suppose you mean me by that statement?” Victoria snarled. She barged in front of Grace and squared up to Myla.

“Yes, I fucking do. You are nothing but poison. You ruined my life, mother and I’ve paid the price every single day for years. Well, no more,” Myla sneered.

Kai’s stomach rolled fiercely and impending dread washed over him at the scene playing out in front of his eyes. She’s going to say something. No Myla, not like this. Please, not like this.

“How dare you!” Victoria scolded with spittle flying from her mouth. Her eyes narrowed and from Kai’s eyeline of sight, it looked to him like they had turned sinister. Before he had chance to speak or move, the loud slap of Victoria’s hand rang out across the night sky like a fire cracker, straight across Myla’s face.

Then all hell broke loose.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE