NOTE: RE-EDITED

CHAPTER ONE

Spiders scare me. They are tiny, creepy and run towards me with a fierce march that has my skin crawling. It's a bit like now. I'm afraid of the tall building in front of me. I know it's inevitable, but it doesn't make the process of meeting Kade Taylor any easier.

Sure, what I'm doing could be considered wrong on so many levels, but that's my mistake to make. Most people wouldn't understand why I'm here, but at the same point it didn't matter what they thought. A job is a job at the end of the day. A piece of work that gives you a sense of belonging.

As the tall slim buildings of the city slicker by, we drive deeper into the heart of the city. The traffic slows us to a crawl which is a painful way to avoid the investable. I'm tired from the long flight to Australia and I really can't be bothered with this. A warm bed and some rest is a preference right now.

The car pulls in front of a large apartment building complex. The muscles in my stomach clench uncomfortably as the driver cuts the engine. He gets out and leaves me alone. I peer out of the window and see him standing by the sidewalk with my bright coloured suitcase in hand.

Unbuckling the seatbelt, I step out of the car and follow Kade's driver inside the building. In the middle of the hall is a giant elevator surrounded by minimal furniture and a few exotic plants to fill in the space. We get into the elevator and he presses the key code to activate the lift.

Within seconds the elevator buzzes to life as we move upwards. Seconds later, the door springs open and my heart almost falls to the ground with it.

"Come, Ms Thompson," he prompts.

I follow him into the spacious foyer and wait for more directions. Instead of telling me anything, he sets my suitcase beside me and walks back to the elevator.

"What am I supposed to do?" I call out.

"Mr Taylor will be with you soon," he replies, just as the elevator doors close.

I look around the room before my phone captures my attention. I pull the device out and see there's a message from my mother inquiring about the flight. Due to the delicate situation, I flick the notification away and pocket the phone.

When I look up, I see a man appear down a hallway with a phone pressed to his ear. When his eyes catch mine, a bright smile appears on his face. The man quickly exchanges goodbyes before coming forwards to great me.

"Lydia Thompson, it's wonderful to finally meet you. I'm Kade Taylor." He offers me his hand to shake.

"Nice to meet you as well," I reply, not sure what else to say.

"I've got the paper work in my office we need to go over before I show you around."

Because of the long flight, I'd chosen to comfort over presentable. I'd picked out a pair of fitted black yoga pants and a flannelette jacket and a white singlet. I'm regretting that decision now. I feel utterly ridiculous standing in the middle of an expensive apartment with clothes from Target. I should have worn something more upmarket to be presentable.

"Sounds great." I smile.

I guess my mother is right, I'd never be more than one of the lads. I'm surprised I'm even taking this job. Dressing up as someone who's of a better standing and fashion sense seems a bit out of my reach at the moment. I've also been told I can sleep through an earthquake. The talents I've been bestowed, it's amazing I'm still alive in this world...

Evidently, I'm either making all the wrong choices in life or I'm adventurous. To be fair, this is my mother's idea. When I was laid off with my last job, I'd resulted to living in my bedroom by myself. She pushed me to apply to so many jobs per week. Just for the sake of the number, I joined this modelling agency looking for new faces.

I did one bad photoshoot which I thought would ruin me. Next minute, I'm being slipped this gig for a rich power couple in Australia. I'm supposed to pretend to be Alessia Louis until she's back from her retreat in the Maldives.

Following Kade down the hallway, we walk into his office which takes my breath away. The room has large backing windows that open the room up to the stunning view of the city. I can just imagine what it would look like at night. The flickering lights from other buildings and the bustling sound of the traffic bellow. Being so high up, I feel like we're in a bubble away from the world, however.

The office space is minimal. There's a grand dark brown wooden desk in the middle of the room which looks hand crafted. To the side of the walls, there's a large book shelf filled with hundreds of books. Most of them are old leather bound copies with fading gold titles.

Kade pulls out the chair in front of his desk, which captures my attention.

"Thanks." I take a seat on the flush chair.

He leans over the desk and grabs a thick stack of white paper. Unfortunately, he places the whole thing in front of me. I honestly didn't think it would be this long, and I now regret the fact I didn't open the attachment of his email.

"The first few pages summaries the contract, and the rest is legal jargon. Are you happy with the contract?" he asks.

"Yes." I nod my head confidently, but my eyes give me away.

"Did you read it?" he asks, a swirl of amusement lighting up in his eyes.

"I was going to read it." I grin.

"The contract is fairly straight forwards. You agree to undergo some changes, turn up to events, and keep the experience confident. I can leave you alone to read through it?" he offers.

"Is there anything I should be worried about?" I ask. "Legal talk makes my head spin," I confess.

"Just the confidentiality clause. That's the one that'll screw you over if you breathe a word of this to tabloids."

"What if it comes out by accident?"

"It won't," he firmly response, his face hard of emotion.

"Okay." I nod.

Taking the contract from his hand, I flip to the back and sign along the dotted line. As I look up, there's a bewildered look on Kade's face.

"What?" I ask.

"You're brave," he responds.

"Or stupid." I point out. "Contracts are made to benefit the other person. Truth be told, I'm just glad to be away from home."

"All I want is for Alessia to recover in peace without her reputation being destroyed. Do your job well and we walk out as equals." Kade takes the contract and walks around to his side of the desk. He slips it into a draw and then smiles at me.

"I'll show you around the apartment. Alessia's personal shopper should be delivering a new set of clothes within the next hour for you. I doubt you travel with designer clothes." He folds his arms across his chest.

"Thanks, I'd love a tour." I ignore his comment about my clothing. I'll be sure to get him back for that sassy remark at some point. I'm sure the big, rich, CEO has his own weakness.