Exclusive Love (British Billionaires Series) (21 page)

Shaking himself to fight his natural instinct to protect Katy, Oscar was obviously conflicted.

‘The photos Robert showed me had dates and times on them. Two were taken Thursday and four were taken yesterday. If you were after my money, you’d have slept with Robert and fought to maintain the facade. The first night I took you home because you were ill, I tried it on with you. I knew you fancied me but you didn’t put out so I know you’re not a slut. Why so many men so soon? Who dates four guys in a day?’

‘I presented my boss with an idea relating to Exclusive Love.com. A friend sent me the link. I wanted to understand why British millionaires were opposed to the notion of dating a normal woman earning less than $100,000. It was an attention grabbing screening process and extraordinary concept for a dating site. It was a break for me in the news-office. We set up the profile. If the article got picked up by the nationals, my name would get similar recognition.

‘I hoped I could move on to a bigger paper. Independent and self-assured, you were my first date. In your company, I realized I was out of my comfort zone and needed help. The next morning I saw a softer sensitive side to you that attracted me. I thought I’d use us as a practice date, move on to another bachelor off Exclusive Love and fill you in on my job. When I asked for assistance on the assignment, my boss went into a state of panic.

‘Threatening to take me off the story and replace me I used the only artillery I had in my arsenal to stay on the project. It was your invite to the Hamptons. I fell in love with you, came back and told him there was no story. He went mental, threatening to fire me unless I came up with an idea. To pacify him I said I’d date the men that responded to my profile to see if I could find a lead. Robert was one of them under an assumed identity. It was four dates a day, apart from the one I canceled Thursday night to see you.’

‘And the article?’

‘There’s no story there.’

‘But there is. They insist poor people aren’t appropriate dates for British millionaires when you’ve demonstrated otherwise. They allow paying customers to use a dating relationship match website as a sex website. What’s stopping you running it?’

‘It would impact on and hurt people I care deeply for. It wasn’t a hard decision to make. I wonder now given the nature of my profession if I’m someone who’ll survive it long-term.’

‘Thank you. Imogen would be very grateful.’

Oscar kicked a loose stone, walking down the patio stairs.

‘I’m flying home.’

‘Dressing down for the long plane trip.’

‘I’ve laid a foundation at work. Created and tailored the relevant plans and strategies required. Business should work out if they’re followed. I’ve told my father, their implementation doesn’t require me specifically. They can hire, promote or borrow someone for the hard graft needed.’

‘What time do you fly out?’

‘5pm.’

‘Seems I wasn’t the only one with secrets and lies.’

‘I didn’t lie to you.’

‘No? When did you book the ticket?’

‘Goodbye, Katherine.’

‘Hey, Oscar,’ she yelled from the patio stairs as he inserted the keys in the engine of the red Aston Martin.

‘Yeah?’

‘I answered your questions, but you didn’t uphold your end of the bargain.’

He killed the engine.

‘Something doesn’t tally up. My boss green-lighted the Exclusive Love article and I completed the online application on the 8
^th
of July. The money from my Grandparents was deposited into my account on the 11
^th
July, the salary deposited mid month on the 15
^th
of July. I got my confirmation of membership on the 22
^nd
of July and made contact with you on the same day. We met on the 23
^rd
of July. I fell in love with you on Saturday the 27
^th
July.

‘We were parked under the cabin in the Ferrari talking about the charity barbeque and you said ‘I see you. The real you. The person you are.’ It is important to me that you walk away today knowing I never wanted to lie to you, but you said you couldn’t say it with conviction. You asked me to prove you wrong. As a rational, logical, intelligent man who analyzes complicated data for a lucrative living, with that time line of events did I prove you wrong or do you truly believe that I wanted to lie to you?’

‘How do I know those dates aren’t lies to make me reconsider?’

‘Because you see the real me, the person I am. If what you said was true, I shouldn’t even be pleading and presenting a case.’

Chapter Twenty-four

New beginnings definitely sounded better than change. Change conjured up images of fear, forced learning, a lack of control. New beginnings suggested vigor, energy, forward thinking. As it occurred, change was awkward, unwelcome and pronounced. New beginnings were visible on the horizon, anticipated and blended smoothly with life’s natural flow.

‘New Beginnings’ or ‘Change’, Katy’s life had somersaulted over the course of two weeks transforming the girl into a woman. She embraced her womanhood and the power within which literally changed her world over the course of fourteen days.

Inexperienced and in love, standing on the street she’d grown up on, Katy bared her entire soul publicly in the name of love. Oscar left refusing to answer the question, but it hadn’t mattered. Bravely exposing her heart, in the instance she asked Oscar if he could see the real person she was, Katy was able to see herself properly for the first time. She saw herself through Oscar’s eyes and knew what had to be done.

      Handing in her notice on Monday, along with a check to cover the cost of that infamous vintage wardrobe, John experienced a spectrum of emotions relating to Katy’s resignation. Exposed to his colorful and expansive vocabulary, alone in his office he asked her to reconsider without success.

      Katy wasn’t a journalist. Katy was a writer. Oscar spotted it the first night they met. Her talents did not lay in obtaining, by any means available, a series of facts to be carefully constructed into simple sentences free from emotional or intellectual bias then applied to a formulaic structure to produce a news story. It was cold, calculating and constrictive. That wasn’t Katy.

It’s the stories from everyone in every walk of life that people instinctively use to effectively communicate. The incentive to tell a story often stems from an emotional compulsion. That emotional stimulus and subsequent journey weaves naturally into the story, giving a reader or listener context, understanding and an opportunity to learn. Emotion and story-telling was Katy.

She’d learned more in a fortnight with Oscar than she had in thirteen years of submerging herself in journalism. Striving to always report balanced facts had subverted her natural writer’s style. Even worse, she’d detached from her emotional self, seeing it as a burden to her trade. It would’ve been easy to revert to type and hide back in her old life. It would’ve been easy to say the fortnight was nothing more than a fling. However fleeting, love had changed Katy’s life forever.

Leaving home was always going to be traumatic as an only child. The distance was her parent’s biggest concern and fear. Taking into account the time difference, communication and technology offered phone calls, video calls, emails, texts and social networking. The family separation was only physical. Katy was a grown woman with a hunger to explore.

A warm blast of air shot through, as the doors opened. It was him.

‘Oscar!’

Shocked at hearing his name in this country, trying to locate his caller was difficult. Katy made her way over from the reception sofa.

‘Katy. I can’t believe you’re here!’

‘Is it unexpected?’ she asked.

‘Completely.’

‘In a good way or a bad way?’

‘In a what are you thinking way.’

‘I think you need me.’

‘You think I need you?’ asked Oscar bemused.

‘Yes. I think you need me to remind you of something?’

‘You traveled to Egypt to remind me of something?’

‘I did, because I think you’re worth it.’

‘What did I forget, Katherine?’

‘You forget that if you meet someone you click with it would be a huge mistake to let pride or prior plans prevent you from following up on that someone, if they’re right for you.’

Freezing on the spot, his confident expression crumbled.

‘I wondered if I might ask a question,’ she asked gently.

‘I know you never wanted to lie to me,’ he croaked.

‘Right answer, wrong question.’

Pale, Oscar was unsteady on his feet.

‘Katy, why?’

‘Because it makes sense. It’s so simple. I can’t think why we forgot it. I knew you wouldn’t cause a scene here. The way things were left I accepted you might not acknowledge me, or that you might deliver a few cruel blows with your tongue to humiliate me in front of the hotel staff. I was going to be a brilliant journalist, but it’s not my calling. Although the investigative side did help tracking you down.

Finding you here at the Four Seasons was guesswork. I cannot not write without emotion, otherwise it’s just words on paper. You knew that of me from the outset. Betraying you or Imogen was out of the question. I quit the paper. I’m applying my skills as a mobile creative writer. I can write anywhere in the world as long as I’ve got a laptop with internet access. I thought I was a small town homebody but it turns out Egypt has amazing rates this time of the year and I like flying, even in economy class!’

‘I did see you. Katy. I still do.’

‘You always did. I see you, too. I love you. If I can avoid making huge mistakes in my life by following simple instructions, it’s got to be worth following up on. You click with me Oscar, but do I click with you?’

‘You know the answer.’

‘Then say it.’

‘Yes, yes, Katy Morgan I click with you.’

‘Do I get to ask my question now? You’ll answer it honestly without employing delaying tactics?’

‘Shoot away.’

‘When did you fall in love with me?’

He replied as the second hand moved forward one stroke on his Rolex.

‘When you staggered in the Rose Bar heading straight for the bathroom, fully aware you looked like a drunken hooker.’

‘I knew it.’

Oscar silenced her with a long awaited kiss. As he drew her nearer to embrace her she pulled back.

‘Maybe don’t tell that story at our wedding,’ she requested before sealing their love with a kiss to last forever.

~~The End~~