Legally Addicted - By Lena Dowling Page 0,49

wealth because she was jealous. She was suspicious and afraid of it, and what it could mean: abuse of position, misuse of power, exploitation. Exactly what he had seen Georgia deal with, when Paris Walsh and Caro Marsden decided to abuse their position and social status to shore up their own insecurities by putting her down.

Putting her down.

Pretty much what he was doing now, sending her home on a regular flight seated in cattle class.

‘It’s okay. This car is good. No problem like before. I’ll get you to the airport safe — no worries.’

Georgia caught the driver’s apologetic face in the rear-vision mirror.

What was the driver talking about? What problem?

‘I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean.’

‘The tyres on the other car — they were no good.’

‘The tyres on the SUV were bald?’ she asked, feeling the initial downwards pitch of realisation in her stomach.

‘Yes, miss, Mr Spencer, he’s a fair boss, though. He gave me another chance.’

‘The Spencer family, how are they thought of here?’ she asked, part of her wanting to confirm the conclusion that she had misjudged Brad, and yet at the same dreading it.

‘Big respect. They do a lot. Build new church and a school, pay for health care, and give money for our kids to study in Australia and New Zealand — long waiting list to get a job at the resort. Everyone wants to work for the Spencers.’

Georgia wasn’t sure what made her feel worse, the fact she had overreacted and put everything at risk, or the prospect of having to admit to Miriam that she had bolted again. Not that leaving was her choice, but somehow she didn’t think her secretary would see it that way.

‘I’m sorry, Mr…’

‘Call me Manu.’

‘Manu, can you turn this car around and take me back to the resort? I think I’ve forgotten something.’

‘No worries miss, whatever you forget, we give to Mr Spencer to bring back to you. I have to get you to the airport on time, or I lose my job for real this time.’

‘Please, Manu, it’s important.’

‘I’m sorry, miss, but Mr Spencer gave instructions for you to be at the airport right away.’

Georgia sat back, resigned to making the trip to the airport, whether she liked it or not.

When they arrived, Apia’s small international airport terminal was packed. It seemed like everyone departing and arriving had their whole extended family there to see them off or welcome them.

It wasn’t difficult to tell the difference. The arrival families grinned in wide smiles; many held floral leis ready to place around the neck of the arrivals, and small leis made of sweets that she guessed were for children. The families seeing loved ones off sat crumpled around the terminal. Georgia could just as easily have slumped down among them.

Instead, she asked one of a group of forlorn looking women, cooling themselves with straw fans, where she could find a taxi back to the resort.

After a dusty ride back to the Spencer hotel complex, Georgia waited in the air conditioned reception area, while a resort staff member located Brad. She sat down, then stood up, then sat down again. She tried to read a magazine, but then abandoned it. She was too keyed up.

After what seemed like hours but was probably only a few minutes later, Brad strolled into the reception area wearing a sheepish expression that mirrored hers.

‘I’m sorry, Georgia. I only lost it with the staff because I wanted everything to be perfect for you.’

He apologised unselfconsciously, and loud enough for the receptionist to hear.

‘I’m sorry too. The driver told me what happened. I had it all wrong.’

He smiled at her.

‘So, I’m not the wicked capitalist taking advantage of local workers that you first thought?’

‘No.’

‘Shall we just forget this whole thing and enjoy the rest of the weekend?’

‘Sounds good to me.’

She should have felt relieved, but somehow discovering that Brad didn’t fit the stereotype of the exploitative property developer sent her stomach pitching up and down like a rollercoaster. It seemed as if every time she thought she had Brad accurately categorised within a four-sided space, he found some way of defying her classification and jumping out of the box she had put him in.

Brad wasn’t like all the other rich people she’d had the misfortune to meet.

He was different. He had class and integrity and he obviously cared about her in a way no-one ever had before.

She was at serious risk of falling for this guy. If she thought that whatever this was could only