A Place Beyond The Horizon

07. CROSSROADS

Aidan is standing on the corner in a new shirt. He's shaved and run some styling product through his hair. He's made an effort. Mara has told him where to be and when, but she's overdue. Aidan gets his phone out to call her when a horn honks.

He looks up from his phone. Coming down the street is a black stretch limousine. It draws to a halt across the road from him and a door opens. Aidan checks for traffic and crosses over, ducking into the shaded interior. There is a woman in the back he doesn't recognise. She's in her forties with tightly curled black hair and olive skin, wearing a dark blue dress.

"This is Gabriella Suarez. You've heard me on the phone with her, mostly swearing, but never at her."

Aidan turns, looking for the owner of the voice. Pressed into the very back of the limo, Mara is reclining in her white silk evening dress. She extends her hands.

"How do I look?"

She is stunningly beautiful. Her hair and makeup are immaculate, transforming the face that he has grown very used to in the last few weeks into a woman he barely recognises.

"A little different in the full battle armour, hey," she murmurs, reaching across to a little shelf to pick up a champagne flute.

"Could you be a dear and close the door? We need to get going."

Aidan lurches into motion, closing the door behind him and settling down into one of the plush leather seats, midway between the two women.

"So this is Aidan," Gabriella says, "I've heard plenty about you."

"All good," Mara interjects, "I've only said good things about you."

The limo begins to move and he finds himself looking out through a tinted window at tourists and locals in the main street.

"Uh, thanks for picking me up," Aidan mumbles, "You didn't need to."

"We're going the same direction, and you were on the way. Champagne?"

"Yeah, sure."

Mara fills a flute and passes it to him.

"Gabriella, top up?"

"Not for me. Some of us gotta work tonight," the older woman replies.

"We're all working tonight. I need to hit all the briefing notes on the red carpet."

"You learned your lines?"

"Yeah, I learned my lines. Smile, wave, talk about the character...."

"Fend off questions about your new boyfriend."

Aidan has been sitting quietly up until this point. "What?" he interjects, "Who?"

"Andrew has called three times," Gabriella continues, ignoring Aidan's questions, "He's asked for your address to send flowers."

"Did you give it to him?" Mara asks.

"No, certainly not."

"Good. He'd send flowers alright. He'd be at the door to deliver them personally."

Aidan wants to ask who Andrew is, but the conversation shifts again before he has a chance.

"You're the boyfriend," Mara says, "You should really look at the feeds."

Aidan has a sinking feeling.

"I've denied everything. Gabriella's put out a statement that you're my personal trainer and I'm preparing for a role that I can't discuss right now. Given the nature of the beast, this should all blow over in a day or two."