Amber
I gazed out over the city skyline, pinching myself that I was here.
The most exclusive restaurant in Melbourne, at the Rialto Towers in the city. Suffice to say, I hadn’t graced its revered floors before. Whenever I had the time to go out and explore, I had eaten downmarket. Pizza on the Esplanade at St Kilda, or donor kebabs on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy. An afterthought to exploring the streets, and shopping, of course.
Finn had been true to his word, arriving home early from the office so that we could get to the restaurant in time. He had walked into the house, carrying a shopping bag from one of the most exclusive boutiques on Toorak Road. I recognised it, because Erin often used to shop there.
“Here you go,” he had said, thrusting the bag at me. “Call it an engagement present. As my fiancée, you must look the part. It should fit.”
I had peered into the bag, only seeing a flash of red. Dear God, what was he expecting me to wear?
“So, this isn’t right?” I indicated my pretty floral frock. It was the dressiest thing I had brought with me from the States. Like I said, I hadn’t really painted the town red since I had arrived.
He smiled, cocking his head to the side. “It would be right for a picnic,” he said. “Not quite the thing for an exclusive restaurant, though. Go on, take it out of the bag and have a look.”
I opened the bag, taking out the dress. I almost dropped it onto the floor as if it were a hot potato. It was red, all right. Fire engine red, cut low. Pure silk. I looked at the label – one of the top end Australian designers.
Then I looked at the price tag. “Wowsers,” I breathed. “This is more than my monthly salary.”
Finn smiled again. “You are my fiancée, now. You must look the part. I think we should take you shopping for a few more items.” He looked at his Hugo Boss ion plated watch. “You should go and put it on, Amber. Time’s ticking.”
I took my cue, walking back to my bedroom. The dress felt like magic on me, the silk caressing my skin like no other fabric I had ever worn. He had got the fit right, too. How had he known? Had he riffled through the washing machine?
I looked at myself in my full-length mirror, feeling unsure. It was way classier than anything I had ever worn, and sexy, to boot. I didn’t recognise the woman staring back at me. Nervously, I walked back out. He was looking through some papers, frowning. The man seemed to never stop working.
He looked up, and his eyes widened.
I blushed. I felt so exposed, standing there like a store mannequin in a shop window. It was all I could do to stop myself running back to my bedroom, saying this had all been a huge mistake.
“You look stunning,” he said now, still staring. “I think you were born to wear that dress, Amber.”
I smiled, a little uncertainly. He was being sweet, of course, but I didn’t believe a word he said. He was merely being polite because he felt he had to be. Finn was a gentleman. The next thing we were climbing into the Lamborghini, whizzing off into the night.
Now I was looking through the menu, trying not to gag at the prices. I looked up at Finn.
“This is ridiculous,” I said. “I’ve got no idea what half of this food is. You might have to order for me.”
“My pleasure,” he said. “I do like educating on the finer things in life.” He smiled. I felt the smile hit me right in the middle of my solar plexus. God, he was an attractive man.
I could feel the eyes of several people in the restaurant on us. It wasn’t just that Finn was so dashing and handsome. He was a billionaire, well known on the Australian social circuit. He had said hello to several people on the way in, introducing me as his fiancée. People had looked a bit shocked when he said that. I had smiled, nervously, but hadn’t said much.
“You’re engaged?” One older society matron had breathed, lifting her bejewelled hand to her mouth in shock. “Oh Finn!” She had looked me over, assessing. “Well, I suppose it has been six months since Erin left us. So shocking.”
I felt like I was being paraded. How did I measure up? Not extremely well, judging by the hard looks in the eyes of the women, especially. I could see they thought I was a gold digger, a young hussy clawing her way to the top.
I sipped my expensive champagne. Finn ordered for us, and then we looked at each other. What would we talk about? We had to act as if we were a couple in love. I could feel us being watched.
“Hard day at the office?” I asked, then could have kicked myself. How trite.
But he laughed. “No more than any other,” he stated. “What about yours? Was Lilah a little terror today?”
“She’s never a terror,” I said. It was true. Lilah might sulk every now and then, but she was a well behaved little girl. She rarely threw tantrums. Surprising, considering she was the daughter of a billionaire. But then, Erin had been a firm mother, never over indulging her.
I shouldn’t have thought of Erin. But now, it seemed she filled the room, her presence overtaking it. Erin would have been at home, here. She had been every inch the designer wife, with fancy hair appointments and hosting society luncheons. But she had also run her own business. She hadn’t been a bored trophy wife, sitting at home all day awaiting presents.
How could I compete with that?
Oh, I knew Finn wasn’t comparing us. This was a business arrangement for him, after all. But everyone else would be. Everyone who believed that we were a real couple, and that I was in line to be the next Mrs Ormond.
This was way more complicated than I had thought. Had I really done this? Part of me was wishing I could tear up that contract and hit the ground running. But it was too late, now. I had been introduced as Finn’s fiancée. The town gossips would already have put the word out.
“Amber?”
I looked up at him. I had been lost in thought.
“I have to do this,” he said, reaching into his jacket pocket.
He held a small, black box. Oh, no. Was it what I thought it was?