A Place Beyond The Horizon Ch. 07

[Aidan's marriage has been shattered by his wife's cheating. Unable to cope with the thing she did, he boarded a plane and put as much distance between them as possible. He finds himself in Australia, making new friends in Sydney, including a pair of mates on a road trip around their vast, empty continent. He's also met Kat, sharing her bed, the first time in many years that he's been with a woman who isn't his wife. Now, he's working for Mara Fey, the Hollywood A-Lister and one of the most famous women on the planet. Meanwhile, Rosa had cut off all contact with him, leaving Aidan more lonely than ever.

The background to Aidan's story can be found in Oxygen Games by oneagainst, continued here with permission.]

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CROSSROADS

Aidan is standing on the corner in a new shirt. He's shaved and run some styling product through his hair. He's made an effort. Mara has told him where to be and when, but she's overdue. Aidan gets his phone out to call her when a horn honks.

He looks up from his phone. Coming down the street is a black stretch limousine. It draws to a halt across the road from him and a door opens. Aidan checks for traffic and crosses over, ducking into the shaded interior. There is a woman in the back that he doesn't recognise. She's in her forties with tightly curled black hair and olive skin, wearing a dark blue dress.

"This is Gabriella Suarez. You've heard me on the phone with her, mostly swearing, but never at her."

Aidan turns, looking for the owner of the voice. Pressed into the very back of the limo, Mara is reclining in her white silk evening dress. She extends her hands.

"How do I look?"

She is stunningly beautiful. Her hair and makeup are immaculate, transforming the face that he has grown very used to in the last few weeks into a woman he barely recognises.

"A little different in the full battle armour, hey," she murmurs, reaching across to a little shelf to pick up a champagne flute.

"Could you be a dear and close the door? We need to get going."

Aidan lurches into motion, closing the door behind him and settling down into one of the plush leather seats, midway between the two women.

"So this is Aidan," Gabriella says, "I've heard plenty about you."

"All good," Mara interjects, "I've only said good things about you."

The limo begins to move and he finds himself looking out through a tinted window at tourists and locals in the main street.

"Uh, thanks for picking me up," Aidan mumbles, "You didn't need to."

"We're going the same direction, and you were on the way. Champagne?"

"Yeah, sure."

Mara fills a flute and passes it to him.

"Gabriella, top up?"

"Not for me. Some of us gotta work tonight," the older woman replies.

"We're all working tonight. I need to hit all the briefing notes on the red carpet."

"You learned your lines?"

"Yeah, I learned my lines. Smile, wave, talk about the character...."

"Fend off questions about your new boyfriend."

Aidan has been sitting quietly up until this point. "What?" he interjects, "Who?"

"Andrew has called three times," Gabriella continues, ignoring Aidan's questions, "He's asked for your address to send flowers."

"Did you give it to him?" Mara asks.

"No, certainly not."

"Good. He'd send flowers alright. He'd be at the door to deliver them personally."

Aidan wants to ask who Andrew is, but the conversation shifts again before he has a chance.

"You're the boyfriend," Mara says, "You should really look at the feeds."

Aidan has a sinking feeling.

"I've denied everything. Gabriella's put out a statement that you're my personal trainer and I'm preparing for a role that I can't discuss right now. Given the nature of the beast, this should all blow over in a day or two."

"Blow over?" Aidan stammers, "What's going on?"

Mara nods to Gabriella, who hands her phone to Aidan for him to read for himself. There is a picture of him walking on the beach with Mara. He recognises it as the point where Mara had decided to finish the run and head up the beach. The background is blurred, indicating a telephoto lens. It's clearly not been taken on a phone by a passer-by.

"It's a good shot," Gabriella comments, taking the phone back, "Shows you both very well."

"Who took it?" Aidan asks.

"Local guy, all I could shake up in a limited timeframe. I didn't have a lot of notice that they were shooting the scenes down on the beach that day."

The realisation dawns on him, and he turns to look at Mara. "So, the cameo, that was all a set-up?"

"Kinda," Mara nods, "The pap was a set-up. You need to make sure they're in position. The cameo was just a bit of fun, a happy addition."

"Genius," Gabriella comments, "The way that someone on the crew posted it and it got picked up, I'd have had to lay down some serious resources to get that to happen otherwise. Tony and the boys got a good look at it, I made sure of all that. They know who they should be calling now."

"Yeah, fucking Tony," says Mara, "Get his pen out his ass and sign the contract."

Aidan is quiet, piecing it together, working through the implications. To Mara, it's just business, the endless need to crank the handle on the publicity machine, but Aidan can't help but feel blindsided.

"Aidan, what's on your mind?" Mara asks.

"Nothing. I'm just not used to riding in a limo with...."

"Me. It's still just me. When that door opens, it's gonna be Mara Fey, film star, but right now this is still just me."

She brushes a hand over her legs. "Somewhere under all this," she mutters.

Mara leans forward to clink her glass against Aidan's.

"I know you're not used to this," she says, "But trust me, it can also be a whole helluva lotta fun too."

Aidan sips his champagne as the two women discuss details, zoning out and watching the streets go past through the tinted window. It's like they're in a bubble, isolated from the world outside. Beyond the glass, he can see women pushing babies, men queuing for buses, kids running down the street. Inside, they're talking about who they need to make contact with, scattering names at a bewildering pace, detailing the business of being famous, and more importantly, staying famous.

The limo pulls onto the onramp to the Harbour Bridge and Mara leans forward again.

"Aidan, where are we dropping you?"

Aidan rouses himself from his thoughts and turns to Mara.

"Your hot date with Kay. Uh, Kat. Where are you meeting her?"

Her bright blue eyes are locked on his.

"Or have you decided to come with us after all and see a movie?"

Mara's expression is unreadable, but somewhere behind the makeup there's a concealed edge to her tone. She had been offering to bring him along to the premiere, and had kept digging into his reason for refusal until Aidan had finally yielded and confessed that Kat was flying in the same day. Mara had blinked once, then announced brightly that she would be more than happy to provide the transport so he could arrive at his date in style. She hadn't mentioned it again.

"Topaz," he mumbles, "It's a restaurant in the city."

Gabriella nods once and turns to open the privacy screen to notify the driver. Mara smiles at him.

"Well, I hope you have a nice time with her. Think of the rest of us, slogging through the night. I don't blame you for ducking this. Wish I could."

Her tone is light and conversational, her face betraying no hint of her emotions. Aidan can only nod his thanks.

The limo pulls off the bridge and weaves its way through the city streets, finally slowing to a halt in front of a bustling restaurant. Mara touches Aidan's arm.

"Now, get out like you own the limo," she tells him, "People will think you're a rockstar."

"I doubt that," Aidan replies.

"Ah, that's the trick, Aidan. Never doubt yourself."

Gabriella opens the door and Aidan steps out into the noise of the street. The door closes behind him and he watches as the limo pulls away, leaving him standing on the curb. He feels eyes on him and makes his way inside quickly.

Kat is at a small table near the bar with a cocktail and an antipasto share platter in front of her. She's dressed in her work clothes still, a stark contrast to the woman he's just left behind in the back of the limousine. She waves and Aidan makes his way through the crowd to her.

"Quite an entrance," she says.

Aidan frowns, but Kat points through the front window at the street.

"Normally," she continues, smoothly, "It's customary to bring the person you're having dinner with in the limo rather than have her make her own way on foot."

"You saw all that?"

"Me and half the street."

She's watching his reaction closely, a glint in her eye. There's something she's not saying, and Aidan begins to feel that he's somehow in deep shit, if only because that's how Rosa would have reacted to this situation.

"I got dropped off. I didn't book the limo myself."

"Nice of Mara to drop you off for your date."

Aidan stops. How does she know about Mara? "Huh?" he blurts.

"Anything you want to disclose?"

Kat's expression hasn't changed, but now Aidan's mind is racing. He has kept his connection to Mara secret from everybody. It's not just the non-disclosure agreement she had him sign, it's an acknowledgement of the difficulties it would cause with the people he knows.

"Why," Aidan counters, defensively, "What do you know?"

Kat shows him her phone. It's that picture, of him and Mara walking on the beach.

"Secret's out, lover boy."

Aidan raises his hands. "Wait, hold it. I know I didn't tell you who I got a job with, but I couldn't. I'm under a contract, I can't disclose. I couldn't say anything."

Kat returns the phone to her handbag and fixes her attention back on him. He can see there's something she wants to say, but she's holding back. He has a feeling of resignation to his fate; maybe he should have just gone with Mara after all.

"Thing is, that picture means the information is in the public domain now. You can disclose if you want."

There is a subtle emphasis on the last three words. Aidan takes a deep breath.

"Yeah, I'm working with her."

Kat draws herself upright in her chair and crosses her arms over her chest.

"With her, or on top of her? Let's be precise."

She's watching his reaction carefully, but not giving anything away. Aidan knows he could probably bluff his way out of it, but he doesn't want to lie to her. He grits his teeth.

"Just the once," he confesses.

"I see."

Kat doesn't elaborate, and the silence lengthens. Aidan is waiting for Kat to tell him to go fuck himself, but instead she asks him an unexpected question.

"What are you drinking?"

Aidan's mouth opens but he doesn't know what to say.

"Beer? Something fancier? Cocktail?"

"Beer. A beer's fine."

Kat turns to the waiter and orders. When she turns back, her face is deadly serious. Slowly, from the edges of her mouth, a smile spreads across her face until she's grinning at him. The waiter returns with Aidan's beer and Kat passes it to him.

"Drink up. That was a lot to get through before the first beer," she laughs.

"I... so... I thought you were going to...."

"Dump you? Really?"

She's smiling at him now, but Aidan's still confused.

"If you had denied it, fed me some bullshit, yeah, I'd already be out of here. But, Aidan, I know you don't owe me anything, do you? We're not bloody married, we've been on one date. I get it."

Aidan takes a swallow of his beer, his mind still racing.

"Mara gets it too," she continues.

"How? How do you know that."

Kat laughs. "You been married for how many years, and women are still a mystery to you, hey?"

Aidan grunts. "I don't think so."

"Aidan, she dropped you off in her limo right in front of where I'm having dinner with you, where she knew I'd see it. You get it?"

Aidan frowns. It's all beginning to make sense.

"Let me put it this way, there were two places you could have been tonight, correct? You could have been at the premiere with your Hollywood girlfriend. But instead, you're here in this restaurant with me."

Kat grins smugly. Aidan can't help but smile.

"Three places I could have been," he counters, feeling his mood lightening.

"Oh, really. Where's the third?"

"I could be curled up on my bed in the foetal position."

"Ah, but that was never really an option, was it?"

"Why, because you would have hunted me down?"

"You wish. Cool your jets, you're not that big a deal."

Kat begins to eat, but Aidan needs to say something first.

"You're taking this all very well."

"Are you kidding?" Kat replies, "This is absolute gold."

"I don't get it. How?"

"Six months ago, my about-to-be-ex-husband was telling me he was leaving me for someone with a little more spark," Kat replies, pointing her fork at Aidan for emphasis, "And six months later, here I am in a love triangle with bloody Mara Fey."

Kat attacks another forkful of food before continuing. "Those are Kelsey's words not mine, by the way. She came up with that line. I think she was mocking me, but I could see it in her eyes, the way it was eating her up inside. So very much worth every second."

Aidan screws up his resolve. "You don't mind that I slept with her?" he asks.

Kat pauses, but only for a moment. "Honestly? I expected it, which I guess is a little different from minding about it. Look, Aidan, you're a free agent. You're coming out of a long-term relationship that didn't end well, of course I'd expect you to."

Aidan doesn't reply. He applies himself to the meal in front of him, not making eye contact. They eat in silence for a few moments.

"Hell," Kat says, "It's Mara Fey we're talking about here. I reckon if it had been me she'd asked, even I'd have been a yes."

Aidan looks up to see that Kat's grinning at him.

"Sure you would," he replies.

"I'd totally turn for Mara. She's absolutely gorgeous."

"Okay, next topic."

"Really. I mean, is there any chance of a threesome, do you think?"

"Let's move on."

"You could start at the head end, and I'd start at the feet. Or are you more a foot guy?"

Aidan meets her gaze and stares her down. He can see she's having fun at his expense. Then her face softens.

"Chill, I'm just messing with you."

"I know."

"Look, just saying that I get it, I'm not sixteen. You could stick around here forever or you could be on a plane next week, never to be seen again."

She places her cutlery down and reaches out to take his hands.

"Let's just play this by ear. It's a holiday fling that might turn into something else. Let's just see where it goes, okay?"

"Yeah, okay."

"But in the meantime, I need to note for the record that you're here with me and not stuck in a movie theatre with one of the hottest chicks on the planet. One nil to the management accountant."

She looks pleased with herself and Aidan has the impression that the inquisition is now over. He returns her smile.

"One all," he corrects her.

"What?"

"You two are one apiece at the moment. Maybe it gets to two-one after tonight."

"Is that a promise, stud?"

Aidan feels more relaxed now, dropping into the banter of his dinner guest. "You or her, either-or," he shrugs.

"Oh, you prick."

"Looking more and more like her tonight, with that attitude."

Kat squeezes his hand again. "You'll bloody keep. I'll take this up later."

The conversation shifts to other topics and they chat about her work, the people she's flown up from Melbourne with, things she's been doing since they last met. Kat covers Kelsey's wedding in excruciating detail until they're both snorting with laughter. Aidan's enjoying himself. Kat's fun and easy to talk to, and when the meal is finished they find themselves a bar nearby.

Three drinks in, Kat looks at him, suddenly serious. Aidan stops mid-sentence.

"What's up?" he asks.

"Just wondering."

"Wondering what?"

"Wondering if you decided who gets the score tonight?"

Her faces creases at the suppressed hilarity and she's laughing again. She takes his hand and brings it down under the table onto her thigh.

"A bird in the hand is worth one in the movie theatre."

"That's so...."

"It's corny. Yeah, look it's the best I can do on the spot. Mara's probably got writers for this sort of thing, so just muddle through with me, okay?"

"You really don't mind about...?"

Kat interrupts. "Would I be here if I did? Such is life."

"Ned Kelly."

"Yeah, Ned and every guy in Australia with money for getting some ink done."

"But not you?"

"Maybe. Maybe I got it emblazoned in the wings of a Sea Eagle right across my back since we last got naked. You'll have to find out."

She's smiling, but there's a look in her eyes. Aidan stands up and faces her.

"Kat, would you like it if I came back to your place tonight?"

"Very formal. Yes, I would be amenable to that suggestion, Aidan. You may proceed."

Kat stands and offers her hand as if expecting Aidan to kiss it. She's tipsy, but not drunk. Aidan escorts her out of the bar, leaving their unfinished drinks behind.

It's a two-block walk to her hotel and they walk arm-in-arm, not saying anything. It's a comfortable silence, though, and Aidan allows himself to be led through the lobby and up the elevator to her room. He realises that he hasn't thought about Rosa once, and he's unsure what that means. There is a cloud on the horizon, though. If Kat has seen that picture, then maybe Rosa will too. He really doesn't want to deal with that possibility now.

Kat opens the door and ushers Aidan inside. She follows close behind, doing a slow twirl in the middle of the floor.

"What do you think? Cosy?" she asks.

"It's nice. You should see where I'm living."

Kat makes a face. "Mara's bedroom not as nice as mine?"

"I'm not living there. I have my own place."

Kat gives an exaggerated nod. "Of course, very wise. Otherwise, how would you sneak out to see me?"

Kat walks over to the minibar. "Drink?" she asks.

"Nah, I'm kinda done drinking."

Kat considers for a moment and then nods.

"Me too. Let's start getting naked."

She hesitates, and Aidan can see she's unsure, like she's planned the evening up to this point and now she's improvising. Her eyes are on him, curious and uncertain. Aidan makes the first move.

He unbuttons his shirt, letting it fall to the floor, unzipping his pants and stepping out of his shoes, stripping himself until he's standing there in a pair of tight black briefs. Slowly, he advances across the floor to Kat. Her smile fades and she pushes a strand of her long dark hair behind her ear.

"Your turn," he murmurs.

Kat stalls, hands on her hips, unmoving.

"What's wrong?" Aidan asks, gently.

Kat shakes her head, replying, "Nothing, I just...."

It's the look in her eyes that tells him, the shyness. There's something different about tonight; it's not like the first time, on the beach, or after that back in her hotel room. He takes her hands in his, closing the space between them, leaning in for a kiss. She responds, pressing her lips to his, curling her fingers around his, finally closing her eyes. Aidan kisses her again, and then pulls back.

"What is it?"

She opens her eyes again, searching his face. "I don't know," she mumbles, "I know I'm not...."

"Not what?"

"Beautiful."

"You are, Kat, you're beautiful."

"Not like Mara."

Aidan pauses, then smiles at her. She seems to shrink at the admission, folding in on herself, unsure.

"You're not like Mara," Aidan replies, "But you're still beautiful."

"But she's so...."

Aidan disentangles his fingers from hers, reaching up to her top. He begins to undress her. Kat lets it happen, passive, as she's stripped naked piece by piece, until Aidan goes down on his knees in front of her body to pull down her panties and render her completely bare.