"You alright?" Anne asked, leaning round the door of Phillip's office. He was sitting there in front of his computer, still staring at the same piece of paper he had been walked she'd walked through an hour ago.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, a headache starting to form at just the thought of having to go and spend time with his family. "Um… yeah."
She raised an eyebrow at him, walking in and closing the door. "Because that was real convincing." She joked. "What's up?"
He looked up at her as she sat down opposite him, dropping the piece of paper on the desk and closing the top of his laptop. "My sister is getting married at the weekend."
"And that's a bad thing? Do you not like the guy or something?" She asked, picking up the invitation he'd just dropped. "She's getting married in Hawaii?!"
"Yep." He sighed. "Which means I get to spend a whole week trapped in a hotel with my entire family. My Mom has already called me three times to ask if I'm bringing a date."
"Are you?" Anne asked, trying to sound nonchalant. The idea of Phillip dating someone left an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. She had to try and remind herself that they weren't together, and never would be, she didn't have any right to care. And yet she did, because now matter how hard she tried to convince herself she didn't- she wished it was her he was taking.
"No." He snorted, looking at her amused. "What- did you think I'd got some secret girlfriend hidden away none of you knew about?"
"Well… it's possible?" She felt her cheeks flush under the weight of his gaze. "I mean none of us really know what you do when you're not here?"
He laughed. "When I'm not here I sleep! And just lately it doesn't even feel like I'm doing that. This circus has kind of taken over my life, especially since P.T. took a step back."
"Right." Anne mumbled. "Didn't you say you had a date the other night though?"
"Oh, Yeah." He rolled his eyes. "My mother set me up with her. Needless to say it didn't work out." She'd been a nice enough girl, her father played golf with his father apparently and she was a lawyer- everything his mother wanted for him. She laughed at all his jokes and feigned an interest in his work with Barnum, while trying to work out when he'd be going to "get a real job". All he'd been able to think of was the fact that she wasn't Anne.
"Oh?" Anne raised an eyebrow. He shook his head, he wasn't about to get into a discussion about that with her. "Well, it'll be a vacation for you at least?"
He looked around at the piles of paper strewn all over his desk. "I haven't really got time for a vacation." He sighed. "I suppose I could take most of this with me and get it done while I'm there. Then maybe I'll have a reason to hide in my room away from my family."
"You're not going all the way to Hawaii to sit in your hotel room and stare at work." She shook her head.
"If it wasn't my sister's wedding I wouldn't be going at all." He sighed. "It's not worth the grief I'll get, trust me."
"They can't be that bad." She laughed.
"If you'd met my family you wouldn't be saying that." He sighed. "I'm going to have to take someone with me. I guess I could call… oh god, I can't ever remember her name… I'm a terrible person."
Anne laughed at the look of horror on his face. "That good eh?"
"It was awful." He groaned. "You're right I can't take her. It'll make the whole thing even worse." He dropped his head in to his hands in defeat. He could practically hear his mother already.
"I could come with you?" The words were out of her mouth before she'd thought about it and she regretted them instantly. Not because she didn't want to go- far from it- but she wasn't sure she'd be able to handle the rejection that was inevitably coming.
"You'd do that?" He looked at her in surprise.
"What girl wouldn't want to spend a week in Hawaii with the Phillip Carlyle?" She teased. "I'm kidding, you don't have to take me."
His face fell. "Oh." He'd thought for a second she was serious and the idea of getting to spend a week with her without the constant interruptions of the circus had suddenly given Hawaii some appeal.
"Unless you want me to?" She asked, confused by his reaction. She wasn't really the kind of person the Carlyle family had in mind when they'd told Phillip to bring someone. She was about as far from a lawyer with a millionaire father as you could get. Yet the idea of spending a week as his girlfriend, even if they were only pretending, filled her with excitement.
"What about that guy you were seeing?" He sighed. "What was his name- Mark?"
"Mike." She corrected. "And we went on like two dates, then he met W.D. and he frightened him off." If she was being honest she'd been kind of relieved when he'd just disappeared. He was a nice guy and everything but he just wasn't… well, Phillip.
"Oh. I'm sorry." He said softly.
"It's fine, really." She said dismissively. "So- if the offer is still open I'd love to come with you… although I'd have to ask my boss if he'll let me have the time off."
Phillip's face broke into a breathtaking grin and Anne found herself grinning back at him. "I think I could probably twist his arm." He winked.
She watched as he opened his laptop up again, tapping away furiously for a couple of moments. It wasn't until he grabbed his wallet for his credit card that she realised what he was doing.
"Stop, hang on. I can give you my card to pay for it." She rummaged in her bag quickly. She wasn't entirely sure how she was going to afford it, but she'd find a way.
"Already done." He grinned, looking pleased with himself. "You're going to have to suffer through my entire family. I'm not letting you pay for it."
"I'm paying you back." She sighed unhappily.
"Not a chance." He laughed, standing up from the desk and gathering his things up to put in his bag.. "I suppose I'd better go home and start packing. It looks like we're going to Hawaii tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Her heart skipped with a mix of excitement and nerves. She suddenly wondered what on Earth she was supposed to wear. She was pretty sure she didn't have anything even vaguely suitable for something like this. What had she been thinking?
Phillip nodded. "I'll pick you up at 9am if that's okay? Our flight is at lunch time. Obviously, if you come to your senses before then and change your mind I won't blame you."
"I'm coming with you, don't worry." She laughed, following him out of the office.
He paused to lock the door of his office. "I'll see you in the morning then." She smiled as she headed for the exit.
"Anne?" He called as she walked away from him. She stopped and turned to face him. "Thank you, really."
"See you in the morning Phillip." She smiled.
Anne let out a low whistle under her breath as she stood outside her apartment building the next morning, Phillip loading her suitcase into the back of his outrageously expensive car.
"What?" He pulled his sunglasses off to look at her as he closed the boot.
"Nothing." She smiled, suddenly feeling even more nervous than she had done. "Just admiring the car, that's all. How come you don't drive this to work?" The shiny silver Audi was brand new and gleaming. She didn't like to think how many years of her salary it would have cost.
"It was a present from my father." Phillip told her grimly as he slid into the driver's seat. "A ridiculously unnecessary one too given that I walk absolutely everywhere. I keep trying to return it but he won't have it. Still, it's come in handy today I suppose." She climbed into the passenger seat beside him.
Anne nodded silently. If she was being honest she often forgot quite how wealthy Phillip's family, and by default Phillip, really was. At work he just seemed like he was one of them. She was in way, way over her head here and they hadn't even left yet. Her stomach flipped again as Phillip signalled and joined the traffic headed for the airport.
Arriving at the airport didn't do anything to settle her nerves either. It was like she'd been swept up into another world. She found herself sat in the business class lounge opposite Phillip, a glass of champagne in her hand that someone had handed her as they'd come in watching in bewilderment as Phillip flipped through the newspaper.
"Are you okay?" He asked, looking up at her. "You've been very quiet."
She drained the last of the drink and set the glass down on the table between them. "I'm fine. I just… I um… I forget sometimes, y'know? That this is what your life is actually like."
He laughed quietly. "Things would be a lot simpler without all of this believe me."
"Really?" She frowned.
"My parents entire lives have been all about their social standing and what other people think of them. If my father hadn't inherited all this money and been so successful they wouldn't have an issue with that fact that I'm not married or CEO of some huge company. It might be enough for them that I have a work I adore and I'm happy. But they're not those kind of people, because all they think about is money and what people think of them." He sighed. "Like this whole weekend, it's not really about my sister- it's all about putting on a show for everyone else who is there."
"Oh." Anne was rather stunned into silence. "I've never thought about it like that."
He smiled, folding his newspaper up and dropping it on to the table beside her glass. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. They just wind me up, that's all." Just the thought of spending a week confined with his parents was giving him a headache. The fact he was going to have Anne there to keep him sane was the only thing keeping him going. "Anyway, we'd better get going. They're calling our flight." He pointed at the screen and picked up both of their bags.
"I can take that." She protested, following after him. He paused to let her catch up but didn't let her carry her bag.
"Thank you for this, I mean really." He said again as they stood in line waiting to board the plane.
"It's my pleasure." She smiled. "Although we'd better get our story straight on the plane… I don't want to drop myself in it."
He grinned at her for a moment.
"What?" She asked when he didn't say anything.
"Just thinking about how lucky I am that for some insane reason you agreed to do this with me." He smiled.
"You know." She winked. "I'm starting to think this might be kind of fun."
"So, what do you want to tell them? I'm a lawyer or…" she suggested, walking beside him as they made their way down the tunnel that led to the plane.
"You don't need to come up with some ridiculous story. I'd much rather you were yourself." He cut in.
"Really?" She looked surprised. Surely he wouldn't want his family knowing he was at the wedding with a trapeze artists. She somehow doubted they'd approve.
"Really." He smiled as they boarded the plane, turning left into the business class section to find their seats.
The early flight he'd booked them meant they were the first of the group to arrive at the hotel. The rest of them were due to arrive either later that evening or the next morning. He was grateful, he needed a couple more hours of peace to psych himself up for his parents. He smiled and thanked the receptionist who handed them the keys to their room, then realised his mistake. "I'm sorry, I didn't think. Of course they've only booked one room." He turned and looked at Anne as they stood waiting for the elevator. "I'll go back to reception and see if they've got another room I can book for me and then-"
"Phillip." The elevator arrived and she stepped inside, waiting for him to follow her. "It's fine, really. I thought the whole point of this was to convince your parents I was your date? I'm not sure how convincing it'll be if you're staying at the other end of the hotel." She joked.
He followed her inside and hit the button for the fifth floor. "Are you sure?"
She nodded. "You need to relax Phillip. This is supposed to be a vacation." The elevator pinged to signal their arrival on the fifth floor. She wheeled her suitcase out and followed him down the hallway.
"Okay then." He nodded, chewing his lip nervously as he unlocked the door to their room. "But if you change your mind it's fine. I really don't mind paying for another room."
She almost laughed as she followed him into the room. It was enormous, easily bigger than her apartment at home. The whole back wall was glass with a balcony that looked out over the ocean. It was as beautiful, and clearly expensive, as the rest of the hotel. She'd never seen anything like it. "This is amazing." She breathed, dropping her suitcase at the foot of the huge king size bed and opening the doors onto the balcony.
"I've always loved it here." He agreed, leaning against the balcony beside her.
"You've been before?" She asked, glancing over at him.
He nodded. "We used to come as a family every summer. My sister has always loved it. She's been saying ever since I can remember she was going to get married here."
Anne smiled. "That's sweet."
"I just hope she's marrying him because he makes her happy and not because it's what my father wants." He sighed.
She reached out and squeezed his arm gently. "I can't wait to meet her."
"Anything she tells you, well any of them tell you, it's not true." He smirked.
"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow. "Am I going to get to hear all kinds of stories about what the young Phillip Carlyle got up to?"
He rolled his eyes. "I'm afraid so."
"Don't worry, your secrets are safe with me." She laughed. "Have I got time to shower before we have to be anywhere?"
He nodded. "Yeah you've got plenty of time. I'm going to try and get some of my work done before the chaos begins."
"Chaos?" She stopped in the doorway and turned to look at him.
"We're scheduled to meet everyone by the pool for drinks this evening." He sighed. "You might want to brace yourself because you're about to meet the entire Carlyle family in one go."
She laughed. "How bad can it be?" She called as she disappeared into the bathroom.
When she came out of the bathroom half an hour later he was still sat at the table on the balcony staring at his laptop intently. She realised as he walked out that he'd changed into a pair of shorts and a blue shirt ready for them to go and meet his family.
"You need to learn how to take a break." She joked, sitting down beside him.
"I just need to finish this. Give me five minutes, sorry." He sighed, glancing up at her over the screen. "Wow, you look nice." He breathed.
"Are you trying to say I don't look nice normally?" She joked. She was secretly pleased though. She'd been more than a little worried the clothes she'd brought with her weren't going to be smart enough. She'd discovered as she stood in front of her wardrobe wondering what to pack that she didn't really own much that wasn't either gym clothes or pyjamas. She'd had a very limited selection to choose from.
He shook his head. That wasn't what he meant at all. The teal sundress she was wearing was a big change from what he was used to seeing her in, but she always looked amazing whatever she wore. He didn't know how many times he'd caught himself staring when they'd been at work and had to remind himself to snap out of it. "That wasn't what I meant, you always look good. You just… that dress really suits you." He looked back down at his computer, feeling the blush creep across his cheeks. It was going to be a long week.
She didn't tease him any further, she could see how uncomfortable he was already. "So, is there anyone I should look out for tonight?" She asked.
He looked up at her again. "All of them?" He offered with a half smile.
She laughed, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "If I didn't know better I'd think you were trying to scare me off."
"God no." He shot back. "You can't go and leave me here with them all on my own." His panic subsided somewhat as he saw her mischievous expresssion.
"I was only joking, relax Phillip. It'll be fun."
"You and I have got very different ideas of fun." He grumbled, shutting the lid of his laptop. He glanced at his watch. "But we're here, and at least I've got you to keep me sane. I suppose we'd better go and get this over with."
She stood up, taking the hand he held out to her, surprised by the gesture.
"Gotta make sure you don't run off and leave me with them." He joked with a wink as they walked out of their room and headed for the bar.
She laughed quietly, trying not to think about the way her hand fitted perfectly with his. Her heart was hammering in her chest as his thumb absentmindedly traced a pattern across her knuckles as they stood waiting for the elevator. It was going to be a very long week if just holding his hand was going to have this kind of effect on her.
She was a little shocked at the sheer number of people gathered at the bar when they walked in. Surely they couldn't all be part of the Carlyle family? She gripped Phillip's hand a fraction tighter and he gave her a reassuring squeeze back. "Don't worry, I won't let go of you." He whispered in her ear, his breath warm against her skin.
"Phillip!" They both wheeled round to find his parents making a beeline for them. "It's so lovely to see you." Mrs Carlyle swept him up in a hug as Anne stood beside him awkwardly, his hand still holding on to hers tightly.
"Mom, Dad." Phillip smiled, taking a step back. "This is Anne."
"Lovely to meet you dear." Mrs Carlyle had pulled Anne into a hug before she knew what was happening. "You look lovely."
"Thank you." Anne smiled, taking a subconscious step closer to Phillip as Mrs Carlyle released her. "I love your dress."
"I like her Phillip!" His Mom announced triumphantly, grinning at them both. He didn't miss the face of disapproval his father pulled.
"So Anne, what is it you do?" Mr Carlyle asked. The way he said it implied he already knew the answer.
Anne looked to Phillip uncertainly, he nodded slightly in encouragement. "Trapeze, sir."
"So you're from that circus." His disapproval was clear in his voice.
"Richard." Mrs Carlyle hissed. "Stop it. I think it's lovely that Phillip has finally found someone."
"Thank you Mom." Phillip smiled tightly. His arm wound protectively around Anne's waist as he looked at his father, almost challenging him to say something.
"You'd better go and get yourselves a drink and find your sister quickly." Mrs Carlyle suggested. "Before everything gets started!"
"Yes, come on darling." Phillip smiled at Anne, his hand on her waist gently pulling her towards the bar with him. "I'm sorry." He whispered as soon as they were out of earshot.
She turned to look at him, caught by surprise by just how close together their faces were. If she moved forward an inch her lips would be… she stopped herself, a blush creeping up her face as she scolded herself for getting carried away. She was there to play the part of his girlfriend, it didn't mean he actually wanted her to be. "They seem…" she murmured.
"Like terrible people?" He offered as they reached the bar.
She laughed quietly. "I wasn't going to phrase it quite like that… your Mom seems okay?"
"She's definitely the lesser of two evils." He agreed. The waiter behind the bar passed them a glass of champagne each before they could speak. Phillip thanked him and turned back to Anne. "Don't worry, we'll try and stay away from them as much as we can."
Anne sipped at her drink. Alcohol was going to be required if everyone there was going to look at her the way Phillip's father had. She drained her glass quickly without even realising.
"Here." Phillip handed her his glass which was still full.
"Oh no, it's okay. I can get myself another one." She fumbled in her purse.
"It's an open bar, my father's paying so drink as much as you like." He laughed. "But I need you to drink at least most of mine so I don't have to."
"Oh?" She took the glass he was holding out to her. He picked her empty one up off the bar and held it.
"I've been sober for a year Anne, I'm not going to screw it up now…. but, if I haven't got a glass in my hand the whole time people are going to keep bringing me drinks." He gestured at the empty glass he was now holding in his hand.
"Oh." She nodded. "You've done this before."
He nodded. "Mind you, at least I've got some good company this time. That should make this a bit easier to suffer through."
She felt her cheeks flush scarlet again. "I'm really glad you brought me."
"I'm really glad you came."
