The Billionaire's Hired Girlfriend

Chapter 4

Alex gasped, her eyes squinting in the sudden darkness. Damn! She'd have to get the torch and replace that light bulb again.

She shook her hands out of the soapy water, wiped them dry with a clean towel, and headed around the benchtop. As she groped her way into the living area, she heard a giggle, which sounded much like Emma. There, floating in the darkness, was a chocolate cake, candlelight flickering across its surface. Her dad was holding it, and her mom, with her arm in his. Her best friend, Ruby Williams-Chan, came into view, removing any doubt over whose idea this was. Nikita Buchannan and Isabella Robertson were there, too. Everyone was wearing big, sloppy birthday smiles.

"Oh my God!" Alex murmured.

Emma giggled again, as though she couldn't contain herself, and rushed to stand next to her. The strains of "Happy Birthday," sung in the traditional arrangement of out-of-tune voices, filled the room. A sudden eruption of light revealed Timothy with his hand on the switch. Alex blinked away the afterimage.

Alex laughed. She hadn't expected this, not after a busy day at work. Usually Saturday was rather quiet, but not this one. It had been hectic, and she was dead tired. She hadn't expected anything more than a family dinner and then a good night's sleep. This was such a surprise.

She blinked back tears as she tightened her arms around her mom.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," Mali said, squeezing her hard. "Now make a wish."

Alex looked at the people surrounding her. Emma urged her to blow out the candles so she could have some cake.

"You guys didn't have to do this," emerged from her suddenly tight throat.

"Don't be silly. It's your birthday. We have to do this," Ruby said, her braced teeth flashing with candle highlights.

"Please, just blow out the candles. We want cake," Emma said.

"Make a wish, sweetheart," Jacob said.

Alex looked at her dad, and her eyes flooded with tears. She only had one wish.

Dear Lord, she whispered to herself, I wish Dad would get his heart transplant and that he'd get well. She opened her eyes and moved closer to the flickering candles. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes—an image of Mr. Hot-Choc appeared in her mind. What? She shook her head to clear the image, confused.

"Come on, Alex, blow!" Nikita squealed.

She closed her eyes, lowered her head, and blew. All the candles winked out, followed by the sound of ever-so-slightly sarcastic cheering and clapping.

"So what'd ya wish for?" Tim asked.

Alex looked up at her younger brother. He was gorgeous, with jet-black hair, dark-brown eyes, straight nose, and Hollywood jaw. He'd break lots of hearts.

"Can't tell," she replied, hoping her wish would come true. It had to come true.

"So who wants cake?' Mum asked.

"Me!" That's Emma—surprise, surprise. "I'll help you cut." She'd make sure she got the biggest piece, too.

After the last of the cake crumbs had been licked from the plates, Alex's friends dragged her into town, claiming she needed to have some fun. Soon she found herself in the Octagon with her friends and, it seemed, half of the student body and a large percentage of the town's population.

The air was crisp and cold, and Alex was glad she chose boots, skinny jeans, and a blazer—much like her friends. If she had worn a flimsy dress and four-inch heels like most of the other girls on the crowded streets, she would have simply shivered and collapsed on the spot, quite apart from the fact that she wouldn't be able to walk in those heels.