Episode 4

Alexandra couldn't stop thinking about Jay. His handsome face kept appearing in her mind's eye, his voice and even the rhythm of his speech kept echoing in her head.

"You've send me the wrong man," she muttered under her breath, looking heaven ward at the white ceiling. She gave out a big sigh and rolled over to lie on her stomach. "He's not even interested in me. He's interested because I can help him."

She pouted her lips. "His girlfriend must be very hot." Then she thought to add, "And very stupid."

She rested her chin on her palm as she stared at her laptop screen. Well--she told herself--you better stop thinking about him and start paying bills.

Nodding her head and determined not to think about that handsome American dude, she logged into her internet banking and started paying her electricity and phone bills.

Once everything was done, she checked her emails. She stared up at the ceiling as she waited for her log in. When she glanced back at the screen, her breath was caught at the back of her throat.

Oh My God!

Was she seeing what she was seeing? She blinked and stared at the screen harder, her eyes round and large.

Jayden had requested her as friend on facebook.

She bit her lip, excitement bubbling up within her. Should she accept?

Her finger moved toward the link below that would lead her to facebook log in page. Click!

Facebook log in page suddenly appeared before her very eyes. She typed in her email address and then her password. Then she clicked enter. The screen changed again into her facebook page, Alexandra Stewart. She found herself accepting his request, and not long afterward, she was browsing through his profile.

Oh, Alex, you're not a stalker, are you? No, no, Alex, you're not a stalker. You're simply checking this American guy out, a guy who asked you to be his fake girlfriend.

What type of a request is that anyway?

So okay, checking him out meant she was simply doing her research. After all, she didn't want to get into an agreement with a weird creep who'd probably caused her harm now, would she?

His profile picture was of him skiing at the top of a snow-covered mountain. Queenstown? She couldn't even make out his face. But she thought he still looked real hot, even in that big winter jacket, woollen hat, and big sun glasses that covered his eyes.

Browsing through his facebook she found that he loved extreme sport, and that he was a fan of many sport clubs thing-mabob. She had no idea what they were of course. She found also that he had so many friends she was afraid to even mention her own number to him because he might laugh at how small it was. Well she just liked to keep her facebook private and to close friends only, that was all. Nothing wrong with that of course.

Okay, so she concluded that he was a real dude. No creepiness about him.

After she had had enough, Alex logged of off facebook and shut down the laptop. She rolled herself over her double bed and sat up. Just then her cell phone rang. She wondered who it was as she reached for it. She flipped the Vonda phone open and saw that it was Peter's number.

She grunted under her breath and said into the phone, "Allo, Pete."

"Hey, Alex, how's thing?" he said from the other side.

Before Alex could say that 'no, everything is not all right' because she kept thinking about his American friend and seeing his handsome face in her mind's eye and that she had just finished stalking him via facebook, he said, "Look, Alex, so sorry about yesterday."

Alex bitted her lip and said, "That's okay, Pete. I know you want to help your friend. At least Mrs. Thompson isn't match-making you. Well, she doesn't have too since you're already engaged anyway."

She heard him laughing, loud and clear from the other side.

"Hey, so no hard feeling right?" Peter asked.

"Yeah, no hard feeling. I forgive you," she said.

"Thing is, Alex, Jay's gay," Peter said.

Alex blinked. "Say what?" she shouted into phone. She drew back, shocked at herself for shouting like that. She could just imagine him rubbing his sore ear as he stared at the phone--at her--in a bizarre way.

"Yeah, he's gay. That's why his girlfriend broke up with him. You know, his family is very well known in New York. If this gets out..."

Alex just sat there, her mouth agape in shock.

Oh my God! Jay is gay? That hot dude who loves extreme sport is gay?

"If his family knows, he's in deep shit. Pardon my French," Pete said, his voice serious.

Alex blinked and managed to ask, "That's why he hires me to pretend to be his girlfriend? To prevent his family from finding out that he's gay? So that they'd stop match-making him?"

Now she knew what he meant when he had said it's personal. Oh, Alex thought, poor guy. She looked heaven-ward and shouted in her mind--You totally sent down the wrong guy, mister. He's gay! Did you accidentally stuffed up his gene before you sent him down to earth or something? Is he supposed to have two X instead of an X and a Y for his sex chromosomes?

She said to the phone, "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Well, aren't you going to help? Hey, he's rich. This means more to him than making a million bucks," Peter said. "Beside, you could use the money for your dad."

Alex thought that Peter was right. She could really use the money, and her dad was getting worst for the wear anyway. He had started to have those fainting spells again, not to mention chest pain, palpitation, and his depression was getting worst now. She shouldn't be selfish in such a situation. Not that she had ever been selfish in her life anyway.

"It's like killing two birds with one stone, Alex," Peter said further. "You're helping a man in need, and at the same time, you're helping your father."

Bull's eye! Alex thought that Peter really hit the target right there.

She thought for a moment and then said, "Hey, Peter, can I phone you back in like an hour or something. I have to think this over."

"Yeah, sure," Peter said. "Talk to ya later then."

"Yeah," Alex said and then flipped the cell shut.

She sat there on the side of the bed, deep in thought. She really didn't want to do this. She really didn't want to have to ask for help. And this was the weirdest help she had ever received, if she were to accept it.

She stood up and walked out her bedroom. She came into the open-plan living area and saw her dad, Jacob Stewart, taking his many medications. He was still young, at the age of fifty-nine, and he had to go through all that? Her heart constrict with pain because she knew he was in pain.

"You okay, Dad?" she asked, though she knew he hated it. She knew he hated that he, as the breadwinner of the family, was now depending on his family for survival. The very thought hurt him, and it threatened to kill him, which didn't help at all.

"Just migraine," Jacob said.

She knew he was lying of course, but she nodded anyway. She glanced at her mom and said, "What's for dinner?"

"Salmon sweet and sour soup and beef and mix vege stir-fry," Chan replied. "Honey, why don't you just lie down?" she said, looking at her husband.

Jacob grunted and nodded at his wife. Then he made himself comfortable on the lazy boy chair.

Alex grabbed the afghan and wrapped it about him. "Comfortable?" she asked.

Jacob nodded, closing his eyes.

Alex lowered her face to his and then gave him a peck about his cheek. She said, "You're not very good at lying, you know."

Jacob smiled and said, "You're not either."

"It's genetic," she retorted.

After helping her mom with the veges, Alex went back to her bedroom. She threw herself on the bed and slouched on her stomach. She drummed her bottom lip with her fingers as she was thinking. Then she grabbed for her note book and a pen.

She wrote down on top of the page: PRETENDING TO BE JAY'S GIRLFRIEND. Then on the right side of the page she writes: ADVANTAGES, and on the left side she writes: DISADVANTGES.

A lot of thinking, mumbling, writing and furiously scribbling out later, she read aloud what she had written down.

"Advantages: Help Dad pay for his heart surgery, help Jayden, get to see New York, get to go to a wedding, get a holiday, and get to see Jay everyday for three weeks or so."

She frowned at that last one and furiously scribbled it out. He's gay, she reminded herself. Such a waste, she thought. She had finally befriended a hot guy and he turned out gay. Ironic. Very ironic.

Get a hold of yourself, girl!--she napped.

She shook her head to clear her mind and then looked at the list below the word disadvantage.

She read, "Away from home and family--sad--and Jay's family might not like her--who cares!"

She crocked her head to one side and said, "Decision made." That meant she'd have to hand in her annual leave tomorrow. She smiled at that thought. Finally, it was holiday time.

***

Mrs. Thompson watched Peter and Jay from the kitchen bench. She shook her head and wondered what they were doing, sitting there for almost an hour now, staring at the cell phone that was on the coffee table. It must be girls, she thought, turning her attention back to her roasted pork. It must be girls.

The cell rang. Jay and Peter glanced at each other. Then Pete snatched up the cell and said, "Hey."

"Hey, Pete," he heard Alex's voice from the other side of the phone. "I've decided to help Jay."

Peter grinned and did a thumb up at Jayden, winking at the same time.

Mrs. Thompson glanced up to see Peter winking cheekily. It must be girls all right, she confirmed with a nod of her head.

"Who it is, Peter," she asked. She couldn't help being nosy.

Peter glanced at his mom and said, "It's Alex."

"Alex?" Mrs. Thompson said, surprised. Then she thought to add, "Why don't you invite her over for dinner?"

"Yeah, sure," Peter said and then to the phone. "Great, Alex. Good decision. Listen. Why don't you come over for dinner?"

"Oh, okay. I'll be there in a jiffy. Bye now."

"Bye," Peter said and turned off the cell.

The two men laughed and did a high five.

Mrs. Thompson saw this and raised an eyebrow. She wondered if Peter was trying to get Alex and Jay together. She hoped so because that sweet girl deserved a fine, young man like Jay. Very nice, she thought, very nice.

"She's coming over," Peter said, taking a sip of his beer.

Jay said, "I still haven't forgiven you."

"About what?" Peter asked innocently.

"About that lie. I'm not gay," Jay said, annoyed.

Peter chuckled. "Hey, mate, I know you're not but it's the only way to get her to change her mind. Like you said, she's afraid of men, but not gay men. She feels sorry for you. You ought to be please with that."

Jay leaned back against the comfortable sofa. "Yeah, I supposed I should."

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