After a month of finalizing details and making last minute adjustments to my fashion line, it was time to finalize the traveling for my tour. But that in turn meant that I needed to meet my new bodyguard. To say that I am excited to meet this new person was easily the biggest understatement of the century but I knew that it was needed to happen. My PR manager Ragnor Fell and best friend for many years had insisted and for that I will allow it. I knew that to make him happy I had to placate. I was assured by Ragnor that the man was the best of the best. He came from an army background and went in to the secret service to retire into private body guarding all in the space of 10 years. Needless to say even I was impressed when I heard this. Clearly if the guy is this good then he should be protecting someone important like royalty. Not some little fashion designer who was going on a jaunt around the world to parade his newest fashion line. Hiring him was a little overdramatic - even for me.
It was a horrible rainy Tuesday and I was sitting in my office. I was finishing off my sketches for some more designs that came into my head when Ragnor knocked on my glassed office door. I beckoned him in.
"Morning" I greet with a smile as Ragnor sits on the sofa in the corner of my office. "Care for a martini?"
"It's 10 in the morning Magnus" Ragnor chastises
"Well it's happy hour somewhere in the world my dear" I joke walking over to my drinks cart pouring myself a martini and Ragnor a scotch. He can never say no to the vintage scotch I always keep for him. "So how can I help you?" I ask sitting on another sofa opposite Ragnor.
"I have your bodyguard waiting for you downstairs. I was wondering if you are willing to meet with him to finalize details for your trip."
I groan in my head "Sure. Do I least get to know his name so I can greet him properly?"
"Yes. His name is Alexander" I freeze in my seat momentarily before shaking my head. I momentarily think that it's him but my heart drops reminding me that Alexander had been dead for years. I know that Alexander is a popular name. It should not faze me that someone else has the same name as….him. Maybe he has a nickname that I can call him instead so I don't have to use his given name so much.
I will have to sort that out another time. For now I put on a brave face and nod my head. "Very well sent him up"
As Ragnor goes downstairs to get this….. Alexander, I walk back to my desk. I thought about creating a more comfortable approach
for my bodyguard, which would be ideal, but now knowing his name has already set my walls up. No. Sitting behind my desk is fine. It creates the barrier that I need right now. To maintain a level of professionalism I decided to continue with my sketching rather than continue drinking on the sofa. I was just finishing off a beautiful neckline on a blazer when someone knocked on my door.
"Come in" I said waving my hand for them to come in, my mind a little more preoccupied on getting the colouring correct.
"Magnus. I would like you to meet Alexander. He is your bodyguard for the tour."
"Okay. Thank you Ragnor. Take a seat Alexander and I will be right with you"
"Thank you Mr Bane" My eyes widen. The voice sounds very familiar. Almost like…. No. I shake my head and try to slow down my heart. What a silly pipe dream.
"Mr Bane is my Father, please call me-" I look up and I stop dead. The man in front of me hasn't seemed to have aged a day. My heart stops as I stare at the beautiful man before me. How is he here? Am I dreaming? Yes that's it I must be dreaming. Did he have a twin that I never knew about? They do say there is someone in the world who is your twin so I guess it could be possible. No. This is just my mind playing tricks on me that's got to be it. I take every inch of the tall dark haired man in front of me. Taking in the features that I knew like the back of my hand. His tall, lean, muscular frame. The dark suit he was wearing that fitted him perfectly, his hair slightly tousled with that 'rolled out of bed' look that he always was able to pull off, his strong jaw that now sported a bit of light stubble that really suited him and by far his best feature of all, those eyes. I used to get lost in those eyes for hours as he spoke about everything and anything. Such a bright blue that almost reminded you of clear water. They were always striking against his dark hair and light complexion. I used to be able to read those eyes like a book in all capital letters. But this time, those eyes are guarded. Clearly they have seen things and want to hide things from me.
"Hello Mags" Was all he said softly. His voice melodic and ringing in my ears. A voice that I never thought I would hear again. My vision starts to blur as tears threaten to fall down my eyes. He is here. My….
"Alexander" Is all I can say. My mind is racing a million miles a minute and doesn't want to stop.
"What…. what are you doing here?"
"I was the one assigned to be your bodyguard. Well, actually I volunteered when I found out it was you." Alec said grinning as he waved his hands around just like he used to when he was describing things. It always used to help him think and process what he was trying to say. But now, seeing those hands, suntanned with faint scars on them, it brought me back to the night where it all happened. When we confessed how we felt about each other. How his hands ran through my hair, the feel of his fingers gracing my scalp and down my neck to finally settled at my waist as we made love for the first and only time. Those magical hands were in front of me almost mocking me as I thought I would never get to see them, maybe even touch them, again.
As my eyes traveled from his hands to his captivating eyes, there was only one thing that clouded my mind, that I had to speak out loud.
"You're dead. How is this possible?" I stand up and position myself in front of my desk. As I eye Alexander again, I slowly feel a tear trickle down my face. I tried to wipe it away but more tears seemed to follow.
"Mags. I can explain" Alec tries but my head and heart are fit to burst with anger, rage, sadness, confusion, elation that I was finally seeing him again in front of me. I shake my head furiously as I start to pace around my desk, laughing to myself.
"This is not even possible. You're just a mirage that I've concocted in my head. I've officially gone insane. I miss my best friend that much that I am visualising him standing in my office just before I meet another person by the name of Alexander."
"Magnus. Please I can explain-"
"YOU DIED!" I bellow, watching Alec silence and stiffen in front of me. We stand there motionless for a few seconds before I continue. Tears fully flowing down my face, which I'm almost certain has ruined my make up. "I went to your funeral! I have mourned you for the last 10 fucking years and suddenly you come back say 'hey Mags' and you think that this was all going to be water under the bridge? Do you honestly think I was just going to let the last 10 years blow over just like that?" I spit snapping my fingers to emphasize my point. "Where the hell have you been! Why haven't you called? Just to tell me that you were alive! I was so worried about you when you left to go to the army and you stopped responding to my letters, my phone calls, everything!"
"I had to"
"Had to what? Be a jerk and ignore your best friend. The best friend who you told you loved just before you left. The best friend who was the first person you had ever slept with? The best friend who said you would never forget? I waited for you! I promised you that I would wait for you and I held that promise until I had to watch, what I thought was, your body being put into the ground! I didn't eat or sleep for days after that. I normally take today off. Did you know it's been 10 years since you supposedly died? I was going to visit your grave tonight like I do every year! Now I know it's all been for nothing because you clearly couldn't give a shit!"
Alec rubbed his face with both of his hands in frustration before putting one out in front of him, palm out, as if begging for me to calm down. Well, there was no way of that.
"Magnus. Before you say anything else you have to listen. I'm going to tell you everything but you can not interrupt. Please can you do that for me?"
"That's a tall order coming from you." I snide
"I know. You have every right to be mad at me. Everything will make sense once I explain. Once you know the facts, you can decide whether you believe me or not."
I breathe a heavy sigh and decide to sit down at my desk while Alec sits on the sofa. I definitely need this desk as a barrier right now before I punch this gorgeous man in the face "I'm listening"
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