Alice POV
I get up at seven with my alarm playing some random song. I turn it off and I get up to make a cup of coffee. The day doesn’t start before I have coffee.
I sit near my window looking out. Today is a lovely day. I open the window a little and I put some food in a bowl for Maria.
Not long after Karen would be here to pick her up and take her home.
I walk to the bathroom and I have a quick shower doing my skin routine and moisturising my skin after. As an escort, I need to take care of myself. After all my appearance is everything in my job.
Once I get out Karen walks into my flat. She has a spare key.
“In ringed” - she says
“Was in the shower” - I say and she smiles giving me half a hug.
“Everything ready?” - she asks and I nod my head.
We both walk into my bedroom and we chose the pencil skirt and the blouse. We do my hair neatly.
“I have to go, call me as soon as you can” - she says
“I will” - I reply
Karen leaves and I do my makeup.
Harry will be here soon so I should go down. I close my door behind me and I enter the lift.
Once I open the building door I see Harry Payne. I can understand Karen’s obsession with him. He is tall, intimidating and sexy as hell. His suit hugged his muscles perfectly not leaving a lot to the imagination.
His eyes follow my every move and when he touches my hand shaking it I can’t help but feel butterflies in my stomach.
I’ve done this a thousand times but none of the Joes I worked for was this good looking. They were mostly older guys just looking for a beautiful face to escort them around their business trips.
But not Harry, he is perfection. His voice is deep and manly sending a shiver down my spine. Once we reach the airport and I get a hold of his strong arm I felt small compared to him. He towers over me. Almost one foot taller than me. With my high heels, I don’t look like a child next to him. But if I was with my normal clothes jeans and t-shirt I would look like his daughter easily.
The media outside the plane take our photos asking questions but Harry ignores them. He guides me inside with his hand touching lightly my lower back. I can feel his warmth through my clothes and I can’t wait to go to the bathroom to freshen up.
I’ve never felt this way before for a guy in a first meeting. Not even in my personal life.
I could feel my phone vibrating but we haven’t discussed the small details as in if I could answer phone calls and reply to texts. I had some Joes before that didn’t want me focusing on my personal life not even for a second.
Once the seatbelt sign turns off I get up and walk to the bathroom grabbing my phone from my purse. I looked at it and had four missed calls from Karen and two texts.
I read the texts and they are both wishing me good luck and to be careful not to fall in love with him.
I turn on the Wi-Fi signal on my phone and I send her a quick email saying that everything was okay and that I haven’t discussed details with him yet because I find him intimidating. I sent the email and turned my phone into flight mode again. I leave the bathroom and I see Harry with his laptop opened. He was working. I got a hold of a couple of gossip magazines and I started reading them. There were some articles about his family and I read them paying a lot of attention to names and faces. I know a fair bit about his family because Karen made sure I knew some stuff already and the rest I read on the file.
Once we landed Harry looked at me and took his shades off showing his beautiful green eyes.
“It’s showtime, are you ready?” - he asks
“As I’ll ever be” - I reply and we both get up and we exit the Jet.
We both have our shades on. His hand on my lower back again as I hold the handrail going down the stairs. He whispers in my ear sending a shiver down my spine.
“Smile for the cameras” - he says and I look at him smiling.
He holds my hand and walks me to the black limo waiting for us.
He opens the door for me waving at the journalists and I slide in. He slides after me closing the door and taking his shades off. He pinches the bridge of his nose and his eyes meet mine.
“We have some little stuff to discuss don’t we?” - he asks and I nod my head.
“Use your words please” - he tells me.
I clear my throat.
“Would you be okay if I used my phone?” - I ask him and I can see his face twisting.
“Of course you can use your phone, you can’t stay two weeks without checking your life” - he says
“Thank you” - I say
“Does that happen a lot?” - he asks
“What?”
“You, not being allowed to use your phone?” - he asks
“You would be surprised” - I say with a soft giggle
He looks deep into my eyes and I feel my entire body shake with anticipation.
“Karen told me about sex. I don’t expect you to have sex with me, or anyone else for that matter, and the sleeping arrangements will be sorted. We will have to share a bedroom but I can sleep on the settee” - he says and I am taken aback by that.
“No, you don’t have to, I am smaller than you I bet I will sleep perfectly fine on the settee” - I say
“Don’t be stupid Alice, what kind of a man would I be if I forced you to sleep in an uncomfortable place” - he says
“The kind of man that just called me stupid?” - I reply and he looks at me with a smirk on his face.
“You’re right, I’m sorry” - he says and I shrug my shoulders grabbing my phone.
Harry takes it away from my hands and I look up at him.
“We’re not done” - he says
“Can I have my phone back please?” - I ask. It’s not a great phone but it is mine.
“You can’t be using this, no-one in my family would believe you are my girl if you use the old thing” - he says
“But it’s the only one I’ve got” - I say
Harry grand the phone on the limo and then I hear him saying to the driver to stop at an Apple Store. I look at him in disbelief.
“I can’t accept that” - I say
“Why?” - he asks
“It’s in the contract, we are not allowed to accept presents that are not pre-approved by Karen” - I say
“I will deal with her later” - he says as we stop at the store.
Harry leaves the car and offers me his hand. We walk inside and he greets the salesperson in Italian. I never thought I would find him sexier than before but he keeps proving me wrong.
They chose the latest phone and all the accessories for it. EarPods, case, charger, case with charger, an iPad and an iMac.
I shake my head trying to get his attention.
I whisper in his ear
“This is too much” - I say
“My family will expect you to be equipped with everything technology has to offer.
“But Karen” - I start and he cuts me off
“I said I’ll handle that later”
One hour later we exit the shop with everything in travel cases. We left the boxes that so his family wouldn’t figure it out.
Once back in the car I message Karen saying we landed and everything is okay. She texts back asking me to behave.
The drive was quiet and Harry spent most of the time looking at his phone reading and replying to emails.
I looked out of the window. Rome is just beautiful. I can’t wait to go have a look around. Or I hope I have the chance to.
Harry POV I keep looking at Alice through my shades pretending I am looking at my phone. She’s looking out of the window not paying any attention to me. Her face lits up as she sees the monuments we pass by. I’ve never really paid attention to my surroundings when I’m being driven to hotels. I stop looking at my phone and look out of the window. Rome is not a foreign place to me. It’s my second home. I’ve lived here for two years after my break up with my ex. I needed some time away and I came to Rome. I obviously worked here but I never did the touristy thing. Maybe I should. I think Alice would enjoy it. Maybe I can take her to the Pantheon. And to the Vatican. “We’re here sir” - I hear the driver calling me from my daydream. I open the door and Alice hol
Alice POVI was in shock when I saw Harry appear in front of me wearing ripped jeans. Adidas trainers and a white t-shirt. His t-shirt hugged his muscles showing of the perfection under the fabric. He put a baseball cap on and we walked out of the bedroom. We walked past the press unnoticed which made me happy. I don’t know how to react in front of them. The day has been absolutely amazing. We walked and talked a lot. I got to know the real Harry. Sometimes he can be arrogant but then he stops and corrects himself. I think he is used to people wanting something from him, but this time it’s the other way around. He wants something from someone else. He wants me to help him. Today helped me to get into my character of a loving girlfriend. We had lunch and dinner out. All in small restaurants that he knew from the
Alice POVI Have a quick shower and do my skin routine. Once I come out of the bathroom wrapped in the fluffy bathrobe I see Harry sitting in the front room reading the newspaper with another mug of coffee. He looks so sexy with his wet hair brushed back. I close the bedroom door and I get dressed.The blush pink dress hugs my curves. The dress has a pencil skirt that goes to my knees. I put on the black high heels and black thin belt on top of the dress.I do a very neutral and soft makeup. My hair tied perfectly into a low ponytail. I spray my perfume and I walk out just holding my clutch. Harry’s eyes meet mine and I see his eyes
Harry POVAfter the Pantheon, we walk back to the hotel. It takes us around thirty minutes but I enjoy Alice’s company. She is grounded and she has some culture. I’ve apologised to her a thousand times about my mother and my family but all she says is that she is okay and she’s just doing her job.That gets to me. That she only sees this as a job. I am hoping to become her friend. She is different from the girls I’ve met before.As we are walking one of the journalists spots us and starts following us. I hate when they do that. If you want a photo just ask for it and get it done. Don’t follow me around. It drives me insane. I stop walking and I turn around to face the guy.
Harry POVOnce we get to the hotel restaurant we are taken to the table where my parents and Harold are sitting.“Sorry we’re late” - I say shaking my brother’s hand and kissing my sister in law’s faceI see them eyeing Alice from head to toe. I put my arm around her waist. And pull her close to me.“Mother, father” - I say as I kiss her face and shake my father’s hand.“You’re late” - mother says“I know. I’m sorry, I had some work I had to take care of” - I say “It is extremely disrespectful” - mother says and I can feel Alice shifting her weigh
Harry POVToday is the rehearsal dinner. I don’t get why they do this. Why rehearsal something like a wedding? I don’t even know what to expect and honestly, I am not bothered. I might come up with an important business meeting and not attend. Since Alice got annoyed with me I struggled to attend all the functions for this wedding. I just want this to be over so I can go back to my life and forget about her. I know it will be hard considering I have been spending twenty-four hours with her constantly. She can make me smile even when I don’t want to. Just looking at her makes me want to drop everything and wrap my arms around her. “What time are we going?” - Alice asks bringing me back from my thoughts
Harry POVToday is the wedding day and tomorrow everything will be over. Well be back in London and Alice will exit my life. I will pay the exorbitant amount of money that I have to and that’s it. I will never see her again because we are from different worlds. I shake my head avoiding those thoughts. I can let her leave my life without forgiving me. I like her. I don’t know what kind of spell she put on me but I like her. I like how she talks back at me and she doesn’t take my shit. I like how she looks at me because I know she likes me too. She says she doesn’t but I know she does. We had a serious conversation yesterday and she put me back in my place. Just because I am paying for her services doesn’t make her my slave. She is right. Was the first time she talked back at m
Harry POVAfter the wedding, I came back to London. I have arrived twelve hours ago and I am already swamped with work. Karen has been calling me since the day that Alice left but I haven’t answered the phone. I don’t know what she told Karen and I honestly am scared to know. I can’t avoid this anymore as I have to pay the rest of the money. According to my lawyer that is the only person that knows about Alice besides the people involved told me I wouldn’t have to pay the rest of the money as Alice was in breach of contract. Alice would have to pay a stupid amount of money to Karen instead of me. But I know she left for a good reason. My mother was nasty. Nastier than usual. So I wouldn’t let Alice in debt because of my mother. I have been trying to call Alice but it always goes straight to voicemail.