The Perfect Location (38 page)

‘Never!’ she laughed in mock indignation.

They sat in the morning sun, TG happier than he had ever been and Calypso just wanting to get the meeting over with Leeza.

Jack rushed back as soon as Alex rang him to tell him what had happened. ‘I should have been here,’ he said, draining a glass of Scotch in the lounge.

‘It’s okay, Jacky, I was here,’ said Alex without any ego.

Sapphira smiled at him and took his hand in hers. Alex left it there and Jack glanced at them, noticing their hands. It was obvious when he came home something had happened, not just with the attack from Ethan but also between Alex and Sapphira. There was a bond, a connection Jack could not quite place. It wasn’t sexual; Sapphira seemed mellow and relaxed. It was more than that, loving almost.

‘Have the police made any inquiries?’ asked Jack.

‘Nothing as of yet,’ said Alex.

Giulia entered the room. ‘Sapphira, there’s a call for you in my office. I think you may want to take it.’

Sapphira left the room and Jack looked at Alex intently. ‘What else happened between you two?’ he asked.

‘Nothing, Jacky. I promise. Just hand-holding and lots of hugs. She’s in no condition to do anything apart from try to process what the fuck happened on the roof,’ said Alex.

‘Well, I don’t know how much she’s told you but she was a little fragile before this, so take it easy on her. She’s not the usual starlet from Hollywood you’re used to,’ said Jack, more than a little protectively.

‘Hey listen, she’s told me everything as far as I know – the baby, Ethan, the heroin. Her father. There are no secrets. I would never presume that her imparting this information to me makes me any more special than you or requires me to give her a mercy fuck to make us all feel better. She deserves better than that and if the only thing she wants from me is friendship, then so be it,’ Alex said, standing to face Jack.

‘Bullshit, you want her. I’ve seen how much you’ve wanted her from the minute you set eyes on her. That’s why you haven’t gone home yet. There’s no more media on you and Heidi. Go home and get started on your own life,’ Jack said angrily.

‘Jesus, Jack, you sound pissed. Why? Because you can’t fuck her? You like her being here because you are so fucking lonely from living this lie. You love her like I do, the only thing is that I’m not gay and you are,’ said Alex in his face. ‘Or are you pissed because I saved her and not you?

Sapphira stood in the doorway, listening and watching. ‘You both saved me. Jack, you saved me from myself, and Alex, you saved me from Ethan. I am more grateful to you both than you will ever know. Jack, I love you with my heart and soul but you’re gay and I’m not even going to say what we know in our hearts. This will never change, not even for me. The love you have given me has been like none other I’ve ever experienced. I know we will be friends for life.’

Tears started to flow down her cheeks and both Jack and Alex started to go to her but she held up her hand to stop them from coming closer.

‘Alex, your bravery and kindness are incredible. I know I would have died on that roof if you hadn’t come up. The past twenty-four hours you have been there for me every step of the way through this nightmare and I’m blessed to have you in my life. I know you are attracted to me, I know I’m attracted to you, but I can’t have any sort of a relationship with you besides friendship until I am better and stronger, emotionally and physically. If you cannot wait for this, then I understand. I may never want this, I don’t know. Does this make sense to you both?’

Jack and Alex nodded their heads. She walked towards them. ‘I won’t come between such wonderful friends. If this happens, then I will leave both your lives.’

Jack pulled her to him and hugged her. ‘I love you, Amelia. You are the bravest woman I know.’

She held him tight. ‘I love you too, Jack.’

She turned to Alex. ‘Friends first?’

‘Of course,’ he said.

She hugged him close, it felt good. Then she pulled back in his arms. ‘I’m going to Africa in three and half weeks to look at the work I spoke to you about. I would love it if you would like to come with me?’

Alex looked at her for a long time. ‘I’d be honoured.’

The next few weeks were a blur of organizing, which was captained by Giulia, the most capable woman in the world, thought Sapphira as she ran them through the flights and visas, and organized the immunizations and itineraries for both her and Alex.

Sapphira insisted she wanted no publicity. Instead, she and Alex would fly on a private plane to Egypt, stay for a night and then get a connecting flight to Ethiopia from Cairo. Jack did what he could to help them both, organizing clothes for Sapphira that were suitable for Cairo and a small video camera for her to document her journey.

‘You are a sweetheart,’ she said as he lumbered down the stairs, carrying bags for her.

‘You have all your medication?’ he asked as he placed them by the double back doors.

‘Yes, I’m going to get the implant when I come back, so I will be off the Naltrexone tablets. It will be much easier.’

‘Have you got your Chinese herbs?’ he asked firmly.

‘Yes, I have the stinky herbs. Who knows, I might meet a voodoo doctor who has even worse smelling potions for me, although I doubt it,’ she laughed.

Alex came down the stairs, with a backpack in his hands. ‘I’ve got everything. You ready?’ he asked Sapphira.

‘Yep,’ she smiled at Jack, tears in her eyes. ‘I don’t have anything else to say but thank you,’ she said, holding him close.

Jack touched her face gently. ‘Go and do something great, Sapphira. I know you have it in you.’

He and Alex hugged and then they left. As they sat in the boat and left for the airport, Sapphira noticed a few paparazzi outside the palazzo as she looked back. The relationship between her and Jack had created a feeding frenzy in the media. Imagining if they discovered she and Alex were travelling to Africa together made her shudder.

‘You okay?’ asked Alex, concerned.

‘I’m fine, just wondering what we do if anyone finds out about us going to Africa together.’

‘Fuck them. We can’t live our life worrying about what the minivan mums think about us when they read their trash mags each week. Jack will be fine. Don’t worry, he’s the smartest person I know. He’ll think of something and he will come out shining as always. I swear that man is touched by an angel.’

Sapphira laughed. ‘He is clever, I will give him that. I don’t know anyone who is as smart as him in managing his own image. He should be in PR.’

Sapphira and Alex flew to Cairo on a small plane. ‘You know I can fly a plane, that’s why Jack calls me Amelia, as in Amelia Earhart,’ she said as they took off.

‘Really? I would love to fly. I ride motorbikes, it’s as close as I can get,’ he said as he looked out at Venice disappearing below.

‘You should do it. It’s amazing when you are in control. Incredible feeling, like being a bird.’

She and Alex sat comfortably next to each other in the large recliner seats. The young hostess came and offered them lunch and drinks. Sapphira and Alex took a chicken salad and a mineral water.

‘What are you going to do when you get to Ethiopia? What’s the first thing on the list?’ asked Alex.

Sapphira took out the comprehensive itinerary Giulia had given her. ‘We fly to Addis Ababa and then get a car to the centre, which is in the capital. They know we are coming. Giulia has booked us a two-bedroom suite. I hope that’s okay, that’s all they had,’ said Sapphira, not looking at him.’

‘Fine by me,’ said Alex, looking out the window at the clouds.

They sat in silence till they arrived in Cairo, Sapphira reading the literature Giulia had given her on the foundation while Alex slept. When they arrived in Cairo it was night and they were whisked away in a car to the Four Seasons and taken straight to their suite. Opening the curtains, Sapphira looked out at the bustling city below. How far she had come, she thought, in every way.

Alex came and stood next to her. ‘The city that never sleeps, huh?’

Sapphira laughed. ‘Well, I’m going to try to sleep. Wish me luck.’

Sapphira walked to the door of her bedroom. ‘Night, Alex. Thanks for coming with me.’

Alex turned to look at her, his handsome profile lit from the light outside. ‘Night, babe. Sing out if you need me.’

She walked into the bedroom and after unpacking her night things, brushed her teeth and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked the best she had in years, more alive and excited, like something great was about to happen. She looked happy, no longer haunted. Climbing between the clean sheets, she lay for a while and then tossed and turned. Sleep was hard to come by since Ethan but she was loath to take anything to help her. Trying to get her body into a natural rhythm was harder than she thought. She sat up and turned on the light. Walking into the lounge area, she crossed to the bedroom door. She knocked gently.

‘Alex? You awake? Can you come and lie with me for a while? I can’t sleep. I know it’s embarrassing, but could you?’

Alex had been lying awake thinking about Egypt, Sapphira and Africa. He had woken a few times since the incident with Ethan to find her curled up beside him in his bed. Nothing had happened between them; not that he hadn’t imagined it, but she seemed so frail and scared. He would wait until she gave him a sign either way of what she wanted.

He wasn’t surprised when he heard the knock on his bedroom door. When he opened it he saw Sapphira standing in a white singlet and navy and white polka dotted silk boxer shorts. Alex looked her up and down.

‘These are Jack’s,’ she said, pulling at the shorts. ‘I stole them. Don’t tell him but he has so many gorgeous things, I couldn’t resist. He hadn’t even opened them,’ she laughed.

‘He has so many things in that dressing room of his. No straight man I know has that many pink shirts,’ laughed Alex. ‘So, what’s cooking? The sandman has vacated the building?’

‘I know. It’s driving me insane. I want to sleep but then I freak myself out. It’s weird,’ she said, getting into bed and pulling the covers up around her.

Alex got in next to her on top of the covers. ‘All right, let me do my magic.’

Sapphira lay down next to him and put her head on his chest. ‘Nope, it’s weird with you on top of the covers, you have to get in,’ she said.

Alex got up and crawled under the covers in his sweat pants and t-shirt. Sapphira snuggled up against him and Alex lay still. He smelt good. He stroked her hair gently. Sapphira felt her leg cramp from sitting on the plane and moved her hand down to rub her thigh muscle. Her hand skimmed over Alex’s body and she felt his erection. She left her hand there and he looked down at her.

‘Hello,’ he said.

‘Hello,’ she answered back. ‘What is this?’

‘That’s always there when I lie with you. Comes with the territory, I’m afraid,’ he said, searching her face.

Sapphira slipped her hand underneath his sweat pants and found he was wearing no underwear. ‘I like it,’ she said sexily.

‘It likes you,’ he said and then kissed her passionately.

Sapphira felt her body respond. She pulled off her shorts and singlet and then tugged at Alex’s clothes, desperate for him. They sat on the bed, waiting for each other to make the first move. Then Alex lunged at her.

‘Christ, I’ve wanted you for so long,’ he said, his hands running on her svelte body. He touched her tattoos and kissed the burn on her shoulder.

Sapphira felt her legs open and she guided him into her slowly, enjoying the sensation of him entering her. He pushed himself up onto his arms, his muscles flexing as he watched her face and their bodies met in passion. Then he rolled her so she was on top. He held her breasts as she ground herself into him hard. She leaned down, her hair falling about her face and kissed him as she came. Her passion was too much for Alex and he came with her, crying her name into the night. She fell on top of him, her body exhausted, and then she wept. He held her until she lay next to him.

‘You okay?’

‘That was the first time I’ve had sex without drugs in a very long time. It was amazing, you’re amazing,’ she said, turning to face him.

He rolled over and looked at her. ‘I’m happy to be a part of this moment. I think you are amazing, we are all amazing,’ he cried out, laughing.

Sapphira hit him. ‘It’s a big deal for me, what just happened.’

He looked at her seriously. ‘It’s a big deal for me, too.’

And then they slept.

Flying into Ethiopia, Sapphira and Alex went straight to the hospital. It was unlike anything Sapphira had ever seen. Mothers and babies lined up, some as young as eleven years old. The attending doctor took them on a tour.

‘Most of the women we can help, some of them need ongoing care and support though. The injuries they receive from long labours, usually when their bodies are not mature enough to cope with childbirth, result in them becoming incontinent – both their bladders and their bowels – and then they are ostracized in their villages. Their husbands take new wives and the women have to fend for themselves with their child. If we get them quickly enough then we can help but many do die during birth.’

Sapphira and Alex met the doctors and nurses, and had photos taken with those who knew them from their films. But many of the women who came from the remote villages did not have any idea who these white people were.

The doctor continued. ‘Some of the women come to us in labour. Their families bring them but often it is too late. We can save the baby sometimes but not the mother. Often the family doesn’t want the baby, as it is another mouth to feed. So then we have to put the babies into orphanages. It’s a terrible situation.’

Sapphira felt her heart break. ‘What happens to them then?’

‘Nothing. They stay till they are able to look after themselves. Some of them get adopted but Ethiopia’s not that popular for adopting couples from overseas, it seems,’ said the doctor.

‘Can I see the orphanage as well?’ asked Sapphira. ‘I want to be able to help the women and the children,’ she said passionately.