The Rock Star Wants A Wife

Part 2

TWO

The familiar, heart-shaped island came into view, and Xan felt an unexpected surge of happiness at the sight. It was her island home now, she reasoned, though not entirely the paradise it appeared. She still had to share it with the man who stood on the rise overlooking the helipad, his arms folded.

The helicopter landed with a soft bump. "Thanks, Shou," Xan told the pilot, patting his shoulder as she slid out the door. Instinctively, she ducked her head until she was clear of the still-spinning blades, so she didn't see the other woman coming the other way until she almost bumped into her.

"Watch where you're going!" Gaia snarled, sidestepping. She swept past Xan, holding her head high despite the whirling death overhead.

Idly, Xan wondered what would happen to the woman's vast fortune if the billionaire lost her life in an unfortunate accident with a helicopter rotor. Then she remembered the magazines she'd seen at the airport. The billionaire was engaged to Jay, apparently. So the rock star would probably inherit everything. As if he didn't already have enough money. Admittedly, it would be a small price to pay, knowing a rich man had grown immeasurably richer, if it meant the world was rid of the unpleasant Gaia Vasse.

The helicopter door slammed, jolting Xan out of her thoughts, so she noticed with chagrin that Gaia was safe in the plexiglass bubble, soon to be spirited away from her island. Xan's island, not Gaia's. Well, Jay's island, really, but she managed Romance Island Resort, so that made the whole island her responsibility.

"You don't know how good it is to see you."

Xan found herself enveloped in an unexpected hug from none other than Jay Felix. He seemed to realise his mistake before she opened her mouth to demand he let her go.

"Sorry, Xan. It's been tough here without you."

She acknowledged his apology – the first she'd ever heard him utter. "I bet. I'm gone for less than a fortnight and you get engaged. Again."

His expression darkened. "I'm what? To who?"

Xan's eyes followed the helicopter's flight. "Your billionaire, of course. You're in all the gossip magazines. I think I might have some copies in my carry-on." Xan wet her lips. "Before I left, you were absolutely in love with that travel agent, I thought. But that billionaire snapped her fingers and you sold the ordinary girl to the press." Her heart hardened against the thoughtless rock star. He'd unleashed a media storm on the poor girl, until she'd fled from her country town home to who knew where. Hopefully not the media or fickle Mr Felix, anyway.

"I'd rather kill myself than spend another minute in that crazy b***h's company. We're not engaged, and I hope I never see her again." Jay narrowed his eyes as he watched the helicopter disappear. "Do you know what she did to Flavia?"

It couldn't have been worse than his media frenzy, Xan thought but didn't say.

"She got one of her staff to hack her email, then leaked everything to the press. Even I didn't know where Flavia lived, but Gaia had reporters on her doorstep, harassing her at work." Jay looked pained. "I'm used to the media, but Flavia...she couldn't take it. She disappeared. Wouldn't take my calls."

Xan let this sink in. "You mean you didn't set the media on her?"

Jay snorted. "Since when do I ever let reporters near anyone? Not even the girls in the band. I'm the media hog for a f*****g reason, you know."

"And here I thought you were just an attention w***e," Xan said.

A normal man would have been insulted. Not Jay. His frown broke into what Xan thought was a rueful smile. "Well, yeah, there's that. But someone had to take all the media's attention. The girls didn't want to do it, so that left me. Lucky me, the press f*****g loved me. Especially if I got my kit off. Just the shirt was enough, Jo said, but there was this one time I wanted to go skinnydipping in Sydney Harbour, after a show at the Opera House, so me and a bunch of groupies – "

Xan covered her ears. "I don't want to know." She lowered her hands, then added, "Nice catching up and all, but I have work to do. I managed to score quite the coup for the resort." She allowed herself a satisfied smile. "On top of the deal with Vasse Prospecting and Due South, we're now the official venue for the final season of Farmer Bags A Bride, the reality TV dating show." If she sounded a little smug, it didn't matter. She was allowed, damn it.

"Farmer bags a bride? What, like in a sack? k********g women? How the f**k is that entertainment?" Jay asked.

Xan wasn't sure if he was joking or serious. "It doesn't matter. What does is that the farmers and the film crew will be here soon to do some of the preliminary shooting. It's free publicity for the resort, and we get paid a hefty fee for all the accommodation and facility hire. Jo nearly kissed me when she found out." Fortunately, Jay didn't look like he shared his sister's enthusiasm for the deal, so Xan shouldered her bag and headed home to her house overlooking the lagoon.

Ah, paradise. Yes, she was home.