Buying Thyme (20 page)

CHAPTER
18

As soon as
I wake I know what I need to do. I get dressed into my white silk
Gucci
t-shirt and tiny black
Lululemon
shorts- that are packed specifically for impressing a client with my fitness regime if needed- and I tie up my
Nike
5.0 running shoes. Tench is working early in his office. My current heightened senses ensured that, unlike other mornings, I wake to Tench getting out of bed. I hear Tench’s voice from within his office. I wait for a pause in his conversation and take my opportunity to knock. A perturbed “Yes” answers my knocking so I only slightly poke my head around the door. Tench is leaning across this desk and looking in my direction with a scowl fixed upon his face. Once noticing it’s me, he smiles broadly. Toni is standing next to the desk and smiles also.

“Morning Miss Miranda.” Toni says.

“You look like you’re ready to hit the gym down stairs?” Tench says with a grin. 

He walks around the desk towards me and holds his arms out to welcome me into an embrace. I smile sweetly and give him a longing kiss. I figure Toni’s presence means nothing to me anymore.

“Well… I was actually thinking I might go for a run outdoors… like down to the out door gym at Bondi and back again?” I see Tench’s face screw up a little at the thought of me leaving his compound, “Seeing as I’ll be attending some fashion shows with you, I best be hitting the pavement so that I look my best.” I search for the answer I want in his eyes.

“There is a treadmill and everything you would need downstairs you know?” Tench’s is still not convinced.

“Have you seen my clumsy ass on a treadmill?” I laugh, “Plus, I love exercising outdoors. You can have Toni and your whole security team follow me if you want? I really need to give my legs a good work out. I’m going to be staring at beautiful women all night, so I’ll need to feel good about myself!”

Tench grabs my butt and pulls me to him. I can feel his semi-erect penis against me,

“Miranda. Trust me. You are fucking sexy as it is. I can think of other ways to give you a work out.” He lightly bounces his groin against mine in a pumping motion and laughs.

“Joe I
’m serious.” I pull back so that I’m looking him in the eye and I bat my lashes at him.

“Very well then. But y
ou will be taking Toni with you.” He looks over at Toni who looks very unimpressed with having to babysit me.

“I hope you don’t expect me to run down to Bondi too boss?” Toni asks with a nervous laugh.

“Of course not Toni. Take Pete with you and follow her down in the Range Rover. She made need a lift back.” He jokes and pulls me to him again, still gripping me around my rear end with both hands.

I look over at the time on the clock on Tench’s desk and note that it’s almost the time that Tom said he’d be at the outdoor gym.

“Right. Well I had better get going straight away then if I want to be back in time for lunch with you.”

“We’ll have to give lunch a miss today gorgeous. I’m heading out until this afternoon.” Oh that’s a shame! I think sarcastically to myself. I find it both amusing and interesting that Tench doesn’t even hint about what he’s doing or where he’s going.

“Are you sure you don’t need me with
you
boss?” Toni asks, hinting about something that I’m obviously not supposed to know about. 

This life is all cloak and daggers. What seemed exciting at the start only now seems frustrating. How am I going to ever get used to the constant unknown? Is Tench ever going to reveal anything to me, or am I always going to be kept in the dark about his life? I must stick it out though.

I forget how
much further Tench’s house is to
Bondi than my own, not to mention the heartbreaking hills along the way. By the time I’m at the beachfront I am drenched in sweat. Tom had better be there. I look at my heart-rate monitor on my wrist for the time. Yep, it’s right on the prearranged time, so he should be there. But after our last goodbye, I start to worry that he may not be. I did tell him I didn’t want to see him again. Why did I do that? Oh please be there Tom. The perfect thing about the outdoor gym is the closest car parks are about fifty metres away. Far enough away that Toni won’t hear me talking to anyone from the car. As I run closer, I can see Tom on the pull up bar. My heart skips a beat when I recognise him. He drops down from the pull up bar and waves to me. Oh no Tom. Don’t be so freaken happy to see me. I snatch a glance at the black Range Rover that is cruising slowly behind me and wave, then I point towards the gym. I see Toni sitting forward in his seat and looking like he’s about to jump out at any minute. You have blown it Tom. What was I thinking coming down here? My heart is now racing and I’m short of breath. Tom is walking straight for me with a big grin on his face. I put my head down and walk as quick as I can to the gym area to meet him before he gets closer to me. I anticipate Toni will jump out straight away and grab me, so I’ve got to make it quick. I go over in my head what I need to say to Tom and quick. As Tom approaches me, I close my eyes and hold my breath. Here goes.

Tom walks straight
past me and continues
walking without even stopping. What is he doing? I don’t dare turn around to see though, and make my way straight to the gym equipment and start stretching. My eyes wildly search for the Range Rover. It’s parked on the opposite side of the road and I can see Toni is still watching me like a hawk. I wave, and Toni smiles and waves back. Tom is not far away from the gym, talking to a man on the footpath where I just was. The man is looking at his watch. Tom slaps him on the side of the arm and casually walks back over to the gym equipment. He puts his headphones in his ears and makes his way towards me. Well-played Tom. That was quick thinking. I take my time and think how I can explain things to him. I’m standing at the parallel bars stretching my legs. I turn around and face the beach… and away from the Range Rover. I see Tom in the corner of my eye on the push-up bars.

“Is that his car?” He says without looking at me.

“Yes it is.” I answer.

“And I’m guessing you’re not supposed to be talking to me right now.” Tom continues doing his push-ups.

“You’re on the ball today Tom.” He keeps his head down and laughs as he continues the last of his push-ups. I lean under one of the parallel bars and start pulling myself up and down slowly,

“I need you to get a message to my friend Charlie. You’ll find him down at the Opera House. Just ask for Charlie Manetti.”

“Is everything alright?” Tom is now sitting on the push-up equipment and facing the beach, resting in between his sets of push-ups.

“Not really.” I finish my set and quickly look around to see if anyone else is nearby on the equipment. There’s only a group of people doing some boxing together,

“My friend Sally. Something bad has happened to her. I think my client has something to do with it. I want to try and get information from him, but I don’t know how. Charlie will know what to do. Get him to come down here with you tomorrow. I can talk to him like this.” 

I start my pull-ups again and Tom is also in the middle of his push-ups. We still don’t look at each other. I want to look into his gorgeous blue eyes so desperately, but don’t want to blow my cover. I wonder what Tom is making of all of this. I can’t see his face properly to tell,

“I know this must be a lot for you to take on Tom. But I need help. My friend wanted me to know something about this guy… and I need to know what.”

“Have you spoken to the police about this?” Tom finishes his last set of push-ups and starts stretching a little further away from me.

“No. No one can know this Tom. I’m trusting you with…”

“Yeah ok. I get it. I will find Charlie. Manetti right? Please… just be careful. I’m really worried about you. You may be playing with fire. Does Charlie know who this guys is?”

“Yes. He does.” I lie on the ground beside the bar, and start doing crunches.

“I’ll see you here tomorrow morning Miranda.”
 

With that, Tom starts jogging along the beachfront and away from the outdoor gym. I continue with my mini circuit for the next half hour.

The next morning,
once again, I convince
Tench to let me run down to Bondi.

“You’re very serious about this whole effort to look good.” He says as he slaps me on the butt.
 

What an asshole!

“All for you Joe.” I smile at him sweetly and make my way out the door with Toni hot on my tail. 

When I’m finally at the gym, I don’t see Charlie with Tom. Damn it! That woman
Liz
is with Tom instead. What the hell is she doing here? I guess it is a good cover. Another women will soften the suspicion. Nice work again Tom. I watch Toni park the Range Rover across the road again. This time, looking far less interested in my movements. I make my way over to where Tom and Liz are taking it in turns throwing a medicine ball at each other and squatting with the ball once they’ve caught it. I make my way to the push-up area next to them and start my first set in my mini circuit.

“Morning Tom.” It takes every inch of my willpower not to look at his handsome face.

“Hi Miranda. I hope you don’t mind, but I brought Liz down because it is easier for me to talk to you with her.” He says in between squats.

“I guessed as much.” I’m puffed from running, but still manage to talk in between each push-up.

“Don’t worry. She is very trust worthy. Aren’t you Lizzy?” He laughs at his female companion. 

I feel a twinge of jealousy in their friendly banter. So she has replaced me then? That didn’t take you long Tom! Men! They’re all the fucking same!

“Tom’s really worried Miranda. Are you ok?” Liz asks.

“Yeah of course.
I’m fine! But what happened to Charlie?” I ask, wondering why she’s even talking to me.

“He’s on holidays I’m afraid.” Tom’s voice sounds disappointed.

“Fuck!” I say louder than intended. 

I stop doing my push-ups and turn around to see if Toni is still watching. I see that he is reading a newspaper in his drivers seat. He looks up towards me for a second. With one hand on my hip, I smile and wave my other hand in front of my face to fan it for effect. Toni laughs and goes back to reading the newspaper that’s held out in front of him. He’s easy to convince. Surely I should be up for an academy award for this performance. I sit on the grass beside the gym area and make it look like I’m about to start my crunches,

“What am I supposed to do now?”

“Don’t worry. I have lived a life of trying to be someone I’m not. I’ve had to live covertly. I can tell you what you need to do.”
 

Tom! What the hell are you talking about?

“Oh so some poor little rich boy knows what it’s like to be under constant scrutiny? You know what it’s like to be watched twenty-four seven do you? Don’t shit me Tom! I don’t need your beauty pageant bullshit speech right now! What I need is help! I need help to get closer to this client. I need to fool Joe Tench.”

“Joe Tench?” I can feel Tom look in my direction but I keep my cool, closing my eyes I start doing a set of crunches.

“Tom. Throw. Me. The. Ball.” Liz says, with a threatening pause in between each word. 

The minutes tick by, and there is an uncomfortable silence between us as we continue in this charade of exercises.

“So what now then?” I break the silence and finish my last set.

“I think you continue doing what you’re doing Miranda. You are in his inner circle already. Work on that. Get deeper than anyone ever has with him. That’s where a man’s weakness lies, with a good woman. Do what you know best Miranda. Forget me. Forget your work. Become his. Then when you know what you want to know… decide your next move.”
 

What is Tom saying? Why is he so willing to push me away. Away… into someone else’s arms. He’s not telling me anything that I didn’t already know for myself. It just feels harder to swallow coming from someone else. Especially from Tom Smyt
he.

“Good Advice Tom.
” I reply sarcastically. 

I risked everything to hear this? That’s it? Be
come Tench’s? Tom has no idea.

“Advice is only good if you choose to use it.” He replies.
 

That is the last straw with this conversation. I get up and head straight for the Range Rover. Don’t you dare follow me Tom! Toni looks up from his newspaper when he sees me coming towards him.

“I am fucked!” I heave as I get into the front passenger’s seat. 

Toni looks over at me and laughs. The Range Rover takes off at full throttle towards North Bondi… and the mansion.

CHAPTER
19

“All the top
designers want you to wear their clothes tonight gorgeous.” Tench sips his cup of coffee at the kitchen bench as I follow Toni into the kitchen. 

Toni tosses him the spent newspaper to read.

“What is tonight again?” My mind is absent to my duties with Tench, still preoccupied with what Tom Smythe had to say, our conversation replaying over and over again like a broken record.

“Opening night of Sydney Fashion Week.” He laughs, “I have my stylist coming over to meet with you this morning, he’s going to find the best outfits for you to wear and then he’ll be back for your fitting. You have hair and make-up in the afternoon. It seems Sydney’s social scene is a buzz about meeting you.”

“Great.” I say sarcastically. 

Tench holds out his arm and waves me to come over to him, I oblige of course. He smiles and holds my face in his palm. I look at him with a forced smile.

“Don’t be nervous gorgeous. Just be you and have fun. You’re so beautiful.” He says as he rubs my cheek. 

I’m not so much nervous as I am sad that the last remnants of hope I had for Tom Smythe have been completely extinguished this morning. Sally was right all along… Tom and I were never going to be. My thoughts drift back to my conversations with Sally. I feel the sting of tears starting to well in my eyes. I will never hear her give me a dose of reality again. I remind myself that I owe Sally this.

“Well I had better get out of these sweaty clothes and have a shower then.” I smile and move my face away. Tench’s touch still making me feel enraged.

My excitement rises
from all the attention I’m being given all of a sudden
as I go over the list of designers waiting to dress me. Fabien, the young male stylist shows me some of the ‘looks’ he wanted to go with for the night. He’s very beautiful, largely due to his overly ‘manscaped’ features, with better-shaped eyebrows than mine and I’m sure he’s wearing mascara and foundation. His personal style is an eclectic mix between boho and preppy, with thick-framed glasses, rolled up navy pants and light blue blazer… the kind with the patches on the elbows. I can’t help but stare at his perfectly manicured fingernails and all his different cuffs and beaded bracelets that cover both wrists as he flicks through the pages of ‘looks’. He only stops flicking to say words like ‘embellishment’ and ‘structured’, and points out colours that are called ‘bitten lip’ and ‘biscuit’. Most of which goes straight over my head, but he certainly knows his stuff.

When he takes my measurements he squeals, “I knew it…” He claps his hands, “You have the perfect body to dress, and you’re so tall too. Oh… this is so fab!”
 

I chuckle at his excitement. I can’t help but feel a little pleased about being his living doll. I could get used to this.

“Oh honey, you are going to be the cream of the town tonight! Girls are going to want to
be
you and guys are going want to be
with
you.” 

If only you knew Fabien… they
can
be with me at a price! I smile at my thoughts. It does make me wonder how long it will take for the media to find out how Tench and I met, splashing it across all the newspapers for everyone to see… everyone including my family. Am I really prepared to do this? I should probably talk to Tench to see how he wants to tackle the situation.

I always thought
sitting in the make-up seat
with Kelly at the Agency was a mission. Being fluffed and buffed for the past three hours by Tyler Ford, the best hair and make-up artist in town, is a new record. Luckily there has been a constant flow of Veuve Clicqout and music in Tench’s en-suite bathroom playing solidly has kept the mood fun. Fabien is nearby, holding up different shoes and necklaces with what he describes as the “come fuck me dress” by some male designer who’s last name I can’t pronounce properly. It’s black and leather… something that I’m more accustomed wearing than Fabien realises. Only now, black leather is ‘on trend’ for everyone else too. I love the slim curved cut of the shoulders and the peplum detail around the waist. The song
Stuck In The Middle With You
by Steelers Wheel begins playing. Cathy, Tyler’s young assistant, starts singing and slapping her hand against her thigh to the beat while she stands holding out bobby pins for Tyler with her other hand. The song’s beat is infectious and soon enough we’re all singing and dancing along to it. Is this what celebs do to prepare for the red carpet? The Veuve is doing its job and I’m thoroughly enjoying myself right now. I’m still getting the finishing sprays from random cans and bottles, so I do a bit of a seated dance in the high stool, still just wearing my silk wrap. The layer of fake tan that’s been sprayed on every inch of my body is still setting. It feels like I have a layer of mud coated on me. My hair is slicked back into a really high pony and my eyes look sharp and smokey, with plenty of fake lashes… all to compliment the dress apparently.

“Wow! I cannot wait to see you in that dress Miranda!” Tench waltzes in and rubs the
skirt of the dress between his thumb and index finger. 

He looks over at me and smiles his usual smile. Everyone else in the room stops what they’re doing and looks attentively at him. Geez, this guy just controls a room with one sentence? No wonder he is the way he is! I know exactly what he’s thinking when he looks up and winks at me with a playful chuckle. Yes I am his sex object… his paid-for toy… and I’m the one who did this to myself in the first place. So I had better suck it up and deal with it! I feel light headed from the champagne, but not drunk. It’s a nice feeling. For once Tench doesn’t repulse me. Maybe this is the key to dealing with him… alcohol! Tench looks at the accessories that Fabien has in his hands and says,

“Actually… You know what would go perfectly with this dress Miranda?” He looks over at me. Of course! Why didn’t I think of that earlier?

“Lucky I bought it along then isn’t it?” I smile audaciously.
 

Tench’s smile widens as he leaves the room again. He is becoming a little too easy to please.

I get dressed
and look at the finished product
in the mirror.
I can hardly recognise myself.

“I look
amazing, but I’m not that slim.” I giggle when I realise I’ve said that out aloud. 

Maybe I’ve had too many glasses of champagne because I’m feeling a little too confident about myself right now.

“You can thank leather and peplum for that little trick. It’s all smoke and mirrors baby.” 

The tricks of the rag trade hey? I love it. Fabien pulls and adjusts my dress to ensure it sits perfectly. Still standing behind me, he puts his hands on my shoulders and gives me a wink. I look at myself once again.
I’m a babe!
These people are gifts from heaven if they can make me look this good. I can’t
wait
for Tench to see this. Fabien hands me a thin, long gold clutch to complete my outfit and we head down stairs to meet Tench at the bar. I feel a jolt of excitement as I walk down the stairs. The heavy pulling from the weight of the Shadow of Love Diamond necklace around my neck adds to the thrill and brings back a stream of good memories of Tench. The black platform Louboutin heels I’m wearing are fierce, with amazing gold studded spikes detailing the front where my toes are. I look like I’ve stepped straight out of an S&M chamber, but according to my on-hand experts, this is what people wear out nowadays I must learn the name of this designer. I’m sure I’ll be asked who I’m wearing at least once throughout the night. Tench hears me clipping across the marble towards him at the bar and turns. His expression looks as stunned as a slapped ass. He stares at me with his mouth agape. Tench is handsome as usual with a perfectly tailored black dinner suit, black shirt and black silky tie.

“You like?” I ask rhetorically.

“Miranda! You are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on. You look… I’m lost for words. I just can’t get over it. I really don’t deserve you.” His expression doesn’t waiver from being in awe. 

You
don’t
deserve me Tench. That’s why you will never
have
me
.

“Car’s ready boss… Holy shit.
Miss Miranda. You’re a total knockout!” Toni says from the front door.

Tench looks at me and holds his arm out for me to take, “Thank you guys.” He looks at Tyler, Fabien and Cathy all standing at the foot of the stairs, “Come on gorgeous, let’s knock ‘em dead.”
 

We walk out to the front of the mansion, to where Tench’s custom made one-of-a-kind platinum silver Maybach Landaulet is parked in the drive. I h
ave never seen anything like it. It’s so regal. It’s perfectly designed for an Arabian Prince to be chauffeured around in.

Tench looks at me, “You look how I probably looked a few moments ago when I first saw you Miranda.” He laughs, “I thought I’d take this out for once.”
 

I knew Tench had money. But how
much
money just seems to keep going beyond any figure I ever imagine. I stand in wonder of the majestic vehicle for a moment and stroke the massive diamond around my neck. This life is so overwhelming, I can hardly breathe. I collect my thoughts and take a deep breath. Tench takes my hand and leads me over to where Toni is holding the rear door open for us.

“Are you ready for this?” Tench looks back at me.
 

I nod, although I’m not sure what part of
this
he’s referring to. I sink into the rear of the car and my leather dress squeaks across the white leather seat. I close my eyes and take in the smell of expensive leather as I sit. Tench gets in from the other side and pours me yet another glass of Veuve from the console in between us. I barely notice that the car has moved, it’s so smooth. I take a sip and look at Tench.

“So, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about how we met. What’s going to happen when the media finds out that I’m just a hooker?”

Tench frowns.

“Well you know that you are never just a hooker to me Miranda. For starters, you’re a high-class escort and you’re so much more than that in my eyes. You tell me what you want the media to know and I’ll sort out the rest. No one will ever know anything about you if you don’t want them to. Trust me.” I believe what he says.

“Didn’t you just spend some time back home in the U.S?” I try and come up with a story that suits.

“Yes. That’s right. In Vegas. I was considering a new business venture over there.” His stare remains fixed on the passing buildings outside.

“Well then let’s just say we met there. I was an ex-pat Aussie working around Vegas somewhere.” The topic brings my attention back to the fact that Tench lied to me about the ridiculously expensive necklace that’s currently hanging around my neck. I still can’t work out why. Something inside me tells me not to broach that subject just yet. I need to keep digging with Tench.

“Like in a high-rollers room? You know that most of the girls who work in those rooms over in Vegas are escorts? The media can make up their own mind on the rest then I guess. What about friends and family of yours? Won’t they want to know why you said you were working there?” He says as he takes a sip of his champagne.
 

I consider his concern about my family for a moment but it’s too late to answer with anything as our car pulls up to the Modern Contemporary Art Gallery, the location for tonight’s event. An onslaught of camera flashes blast through the car’s window as we pull up to the red carpet entrance. The butterfly starts bouncing about in my tummy and my heart starts pounding as Toni gets out to open our door. Tench looks back at me and winks.

“You’ll be fine. Just follow my lead.” He says before he bobs up out of the car. 

He waits at the car door with his hand out for me to take. I hear his name being called over and over by numerous men behind their camera lenses. I draw the biggest breath in and hold it before grabbing hold of Tench’s hand to assist me in getting out. Holy Shit!

“Joe.
Joe. Look over here.”

“Joe Tench.”

“Joe. Up here.”

“Joe Tench here. Who’s you’re date?”

“Joe who’s that with you?” His name is being repeated over and over but I can’t see any of the faces of the people speaking. 

I can hardly see anything in front of me once I’ve stepped out of the car. The camera’s flashes are so blinding that it’s difficult to even focus on Tench in front of me. I just grip onto his hand and hope that I don’t trip over as we walk up the red carpet.

“Joe we need you over to the reporters at the end before you step inside.” I hear a voice say. 

There’s too much going on right now. My head is spinning. Maybe it’s the champagne? Joe leads me to a black board with various magazine and sponsors splashed across it. Tench pulls me in close to him by my waist and we face the strobing wall of cameras.