‘I know,’ he said as he smiled again. ‘But don’t underestimate your importance to the boss, is all I’m trying to say.’
I nodded. ‘What happens now then? Do you start straight away?’
‘I got the job?’ he asked.
‘Yes,’ I smiled.
‘Then yes, orders were to start immediately.’
‘Good. I have a lunch at one. Is that okay?’
‘Of course. Wherever you need to go, I’ll take you. That’s the deal.’
‘So, how does this work. Do you work seven days a week?’
‘I usually have Wednesdays and every other Sunday off. I’ll be needing your schedule, but I’m also on standby whenever you need to leave the house, without Mr. Montoya obviously.’
‘So, who guards me when I’m with him?’ I asked.
He looked at me as though I had just asked him the stupidest question in the world. ‘He does, of course.’
Hugo held open the door of his car and I climbed into the back seat. I’d have preferred to sit in the front, but I didn’t know what the correct protocol was for having my own personal bodyguard.
On the one occasion I’d left the house since my fateful wedding day, I’d been in the back of a limousine with Hank and another man with a gun.
Hugo climbed into the front seat and started the engine. ‘Safer in the back,’ he said as though reading my mind. ‘The driver is always the first target. Although most of Mr. Montoya’s cars are bulletproof, so we’re pretty safe,’ he said with a flash of his eyebrows in the rear-view mirror.
‘I’m just happy to be out,’ I said as I leaned back against the seat and smiled.
A short time later, Hugo pulled his car up outside the exclusive yacht club. He got out first, checking up and down the street before he opened the door and reached for my hand. He remained hyper-vigilant as he escorted me through the club and to the room where the ladies of the charity committee were meeting.
‘I’ll have to come inside, but I’ll wait near the exit,’ he said quietly in my ear. ‘It will be like I’m not even here.’
I nodded and took a deep breath as I walked into the room with Hugo close behind me. Everyone in the room looked up as I entered, and I smiled widely.
‘Alana, dear,’ a blonde-haired woman, who I guessed was in her mid-forties, shouted and then she walked over to me and gave me two dramatic air kisses. ‘Ladies,’ she said as she took hold of my arm by the elbow and turned to address the room. ‘This is Alana Montoya, and she has come to join us in our work for good causes. I know you’ll all give her a warm welcome.’
The dozen women in the room all smiled as they looked me up and down, some of them barely able to hide their disdain. I noted the bottles of expensive champagne on the table. Perhaps this was a celebration?
‘I hope I’m not intruding,’ I said quietly, suddenly feeling very self-conscious as I stood there in my simple wrap dress. There were enough designer labels in this room to feed a small community for a year.
‘No, we meet here every Monday, Wednesday and Friday,’ the blonde woman replied as she ushered me towards the table. ‘My name is Amelia, by the way. My husband is one of Alejandro’s investors.’
‘A pleasure to meet you,’ I replied as I took a seat.
Amelia sat on my right, but I didn’t have a chance to speak to her any further because the woman on my left grabbed my hand and started examining my ring finger.
‘I’d have expected a bigger rock than that from the King of L.A,’ she snorted.
I pulled my hand away. ‘It was my grandmother’s ring,’ I replied defensively.
‘Your grandmother’s?’ one of the other women squealed. ‘How quaint,’ she said and a few of them broke into laughter.
‘Take no notice of them, dear,’ Amelia said as she patted my thigh. ‘They’ve had far too much to drink already.’
I smiled at her and then listened as she gave me a rundown of everyone at the table. It seemed that I was fortunate enough to be in the company of the L.A elite. These women were the wives of the wealthiest men in L.A. If you wanted into a party, onto a list, or to be someone of any note at all, then this was the crowd you needed to win over. At least that was the way Amelia sold them to me.
I wasn’t so sure she was right. I listened to their conversation and didn’t think I had anything in common with any of them. When there was a gap in the chatter, I decided to ask about their charity work. At least that would be something I felt like we could talk about.