One In A Billion (15 page)

'Thanks Soph', I said.

'So...',

'So what?' I said, knowing exactly what she wanted me to tell her.

'Second date, going away somewhere, this is a bit serious isn't it?'

'Says you, the queen of moving quickly.'

'You know what they say, a candle that burns twice as bright, burns half as long.'

'Depends on the wax, and the size of the candle, and anyway, yes it's probably too soon, but I have a good feeling about Devizes.'

'And his money?'

'Soph!' I protested.

'It's not just about that is it Alice? I mean, about getting your book published and, I don't know, I just hope him having money isn't blinding you, changing your priorities.'

'When have you ever known me to be guided by money? Karl had money, not a lot admittedly, but a little bit, and I ran away as soon as I could.'

'After you slept with him.'

'It's a problem I have that you are well aware of.'

'Karl's a little bit different though, right? I mean Devizes actually has more money that any of us will ever see in our lifetimes.'

'So what?' I said defensively. 'He was the one that chatted me up.'

'Do you like him?' Sophia asked. 'I mean, really like him. Sex aside, because I know you said the sex was amazing.'

'It's early days Soph', I said. 'I think he could be the one for me.'

'You've already had your one.'

'Toby was not the one', I said. 'Not after what happened.'

'How can you be so sure about Devizes?' Sophia asked.

'I can't, but It's going to be fun finding out. He's done nothing wrong so far.'

'You've had one date!'

'How long does it take you to know?' I said.

'I don't know', Sophia said. 'I'm not looking for the one.'

'Yeah well I am, and I'm running out of time to get him. I'm thirty four Soph, thirty five in three months and sixteen days. It's going to be too late to start a family soon.'

'Alice, you've just met him!'

'I know that, and I'm not thinking about that now with Devizes, but it's something I've got in the back of my mind. I've always got it in the back of my mind.'

'Just concentrate on what you want', Sophia said. 'I don't want to see you getting your heart broken again.'

'There is nothing to say I will', I said. 'We click. I like him and he likes me. I want to see where it takes me, The fact that he's a billionaire is a bonus, it's not a deciding factor. I don't know why you are so worried.'

'Because I care about you and your stupid swollen face', Sophia said. 'So where are you going?'

'I don't know', I said excitedly. 'It's a secret. He's going to pick me up later.'

'Five days?' Sophia said. 'Can I use your room while you are away?'

'What for?' I said.

'For sex parties', Sophia said.

'No', I said. 'But if you do, make sure you put the plastic sheet down, and clean up afterwards.'

'Ok', Sophia said, smiling.

She came over and gave me a hug.

'I'm going to miss you', she said.

'I'm only going away for a few days.'

'I know, but I'll still miss you. Make sure you keep notes. I want you to tell me every way he does it to you and in how many different locations.'

***

Jackson came to pick me up. Again I had expected Devizes, but it didn't matter. I asked him on the way where we were going, but he had been sworn to secrecy and I couldn't get anything out of him. We drove south out of London into Surrey and eventually to a small private airfield on the outskirts of Farnborough. There Devizes's private jet was waiting, Devizes himself inside it, relaxing on a sofa and drinking a cocktail, waiting for me to arrive.

'Alice', he said when he saw me, a smile bristling across his face.

It had been another week since we last saw each other, and I felt a tinge of nervousness in his presence. He put his drink down, crossed the carpeted floor, and took me in his arms.

'Hi', I said, not really quite believing where I was.

He pulled me into him, and kissed me deeply. It was such a welcome kiss, I didn't want to let him go.

'I missed you', I said, losing myself in him. I hadn't realised by quite how much, but just seeing him made the depressing week I'd had, seem like a million miles away and nothing of even the slightest importance.

'I've missed you too', he said. 'This week will be ours. No work, no long phone calls, no business at all, unless it's to do with us, I promise.'

'I can't believe this. Is this your own plane?'

'Haha, yes', Devizes said. 'Of course. Come and sit down, have a drink.'

It was just like I'd seen on films, but even better. A bar, sofas, a TV, it looked just like someone's living room. I couldn't believe I was in a plane. A private plane. I sat down, Devizes next to me with his hand on my thigh. I picked up his drink and took a sip.

'Mojito', he said.

'Mmm', I said, 'it's delicious.'

'Would you like one?'

'Ok', I said. 'Why not?!'

'There were staff members buzzing around making checks, and busying themselves before we took off. Devizes called one of the girls over - a pretty cappuccino skinned model type who I wondered whether was Stephanie, and she took my drinks order with a large smile that showed off her light brown gums.

'So where are we going?' I asked.

'We'll get to that', Devizes said, 'but before that, I have some good news for you.'

'More good news?' I asked, a little overwhelmed already.

'Yes.'

He produced my book from a drawer in a cabinet next to us.

'Fallen Away', he said, holding it up. 'has been described by my senior editor, as a brilliant piece of work.'

I couldn't believe what he was telling me. I put my hand over my mouth and choked back tears as he kept on talking, bathing me in compliments.

'I quote, subtle, heartfelt, and tear-jerkingly sad, this page-turning romance is one of the best books I've read in years.'

'You're kidding me', I said eventually.

'I'm not, I promise you', Devizes said, 'she loved it.'

'I can't believe it', I said.

'She did also say, and this has nothing to do with the story, that it had literally hundreds of grammatical mistakes. Commas in the wrong places, typos, apostrophe issues, you know, the common things the average person struggles with.'

'Right', I said.

'So she's going to get someone to do a copy edit, and a proofread, and then approve it for publication.'

My mojito arrived.

'Publication', I said, my jaw almost banging on the floor.

'Publication', Devizes said, a wide smile on his face. 'Advertising campaign, full promotion, book launch and signing, prominent adverts in major sites across London, full scale internet campaign, and TV interviews if we can get them.'

I didn't know what to say. Devizes slid the book back to me and took a sip of his mojito, and all I could do was look at him blank-faced.

'What do you say?' Devizes said eventually.

I burst into tears.

'You're supposed to be happy', Devizes said, jokingly.

'I am', I said, a mess of tears, red eyes and saliva gummed lips. 'You don't know how much this means to me.'

'I can see', Devizes said. 'The team will do the revisions while we are away - she's brilliant too - and then the advertising should already be up by the time we get back. They are keen to get this book launched quickly, because there's some romance tie-in they want to work with. Is that ok with you?'

'Yes', I said. 'My god, yes of course.'

'That's not all', Devizes said.

'There's more?'

'There is', he said. 'We want to commission you to write another one.'

'Another one?' I said, unable to process anything at all right now.

'Actually another three. It's a three book deal.'

'A three book deal?'

More tears came running wildly out of my eyes. I was crying so much anyone would have thought Devizes was giving me bad news, not good news. I felt the room spin and everything around me go a little blurry. If I didn't have Devizes's beautiful face to focus on, I would have passed out.

'A three book deal', Devizes said. 'I have to say this isn't my area of expertise, but they want to offer you a commission to write three books for them, well for us I suppose, over the next three years. So that's a book a year.'

'I don't know what to say.' I said, utterly bewildered by what was going on.

'They'll give you an advance, and then all royalties on the book sales over that advance amount. Do you want to know how much they want to pay you per book?'

'Ok', I said, completely lost.

'Two hundred and fifty thousand pounds.'

'Jesus Christ', I said. I had to take a long gulp of mojito just to control my breathing.

'I made them put it up to a million for the three books over the three years. How does that sound?'

I nearly spat the mojito out all over the desk.

'A million pounds', I shouted.

'A million pounds', Devizes said again.

'I think I'm dreaming', I said. 'Am I dreaming? I must be dreaming.'

'You're not dreaming Alice.'

'Where did you come from?' I said. 'This is all just too much for me to believe. Three weeks ago I was just a waitress with a box of books gathering dust in my closet, and now I've met you, and you want to publish my book, and pay me a million pounds to write three more. A million pounds Devizes, fucking hell. Why me?'

Devizes shrugged his shoulders humbly. 'I like you', he said. 'What more can I say? And that contract, by the way, they decided that, not me. You earned that without me.'

'I wouldn't have got the book there without you.'

'They wouldn't have agreed to take it on if you weren't talented enough.'

'I can't believe what's happening. Thank you Devizes, thank you so much.'

I threw myself at him then, hugged and kissed and pressed myself on to him. 'Does this plane have a private booth?' I asked.

'Otherwise known as a bedroom?' Devizes said, raising his eyebrows. 'What kind of self respecting billionaire do you think I am? Of course it does.'

'Can we go and use it?' I whispered into his ear, while I pressed my hand between his thighs searching for his joystick.

'When you tell me where you want to go we can', Devizes said.

'You mean?'

'Yep.'

'Anywhere?' I asked. 'This is fucking insane.'

He nodded.

'Anywhere you like. If it went to the moon and you wanted to go, I'd take you there too.'

'Italy', I said. Venice. No wait, the French Riviera. Or India. Or Canada. Or New Zealand. I don't know.'

'What kind of thing do you want?' Devizes asked. 'City, country or beach?

'Beach', I said. 'Definitely beach.'

'Touristy or secluded?'

'Secluded'

'Tropical or temperate?'

'Tropical.'

'Ok', Devizes said. 'Ireland it is.'

I laughed. 'Wait' I said, 'I don't have clothes, I didn't bring anything with me but my passport.'

'We'll buy clothes', Devizes said.

'We're not really going to Ireland are we?' I asked him, after he'd phoned the message to the pilot and ordered two more mojitos.

'No, Devizes said, we're going somewhere a little more exotic, and a little more personal. I've got an island in the South Pacific, that should suit our needs perfectly.

'You have an island?' I said, still not grasping the difference between our two worlds.

'It's a group of islands actually, but yeah, I guess I do.'

We belted up for the take off, and then when we'd climbed high enough to walk around the plane freely, Devizes took me into his bedroom and we climbed that little bit higher together. 'Holy fuck, a million fucking pounds, he's going to publish my book, holy fucking fuck that feels good, don't you dare stop', were just a selection of the words going round and round my head, as Devizes and I got even more intimately acquainted in his own private chamber, Stephanie the PA, and my dad's book launch already distant memories. The plane might not have taken me as high as the moon, but Devizes definitely could. In fact he went beyond that and landed me right amongst the stars.

Chapter 10

Alice was sat down reading her book when someone rushed past, all legs and smiles, a wave of nervous energy.

'Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigggggggghhhhhhhht!' he shouted.

Even though Alice couldn't care less about two boys slugging it out at the far end of the football field, she did know that whether you liked it or not, it was obligatory to turn up, so when asked about the exact details of what went on, you didn't look like a complete and utter nerdatron when you were required to explain it all back.