Alice stiffened.

"I hope you are not suggesting any change to our agreement," there was a fierce quality in her voice, although their words were hardly above a whisper.

"All I'm asking is that you carry out the usual role at the function and then you and my wife will switch places later in the evening for the private gathering.

"But I thought your wife was in Surrey."

"She is not, she is in Paris and will be flying to Jersey later today there has been a change of plans."

"But won't people recognise her, Jersey is a small place?"

"Our national costume with its veils will take care of that."

Alice wrinkled her tiny nose in disapproval. "I am not sure I'm at all happy with this. Why couldn't you have discussed it with me before hand."

"There was no time. I had to make the arrangements with my wife at the airport by mobile telephone when I heard who was going to be in the delegation. My wife had no more warning than you. This meeting is of the utmost importance and we have to take the appropriate measures to deal with the situation. Nobody is asking you to do anything you haven't agreed to.

Alice lapsed into a slightly petulant silence as she pondered the implications. However, it seemed straight forward. At a point in the evening, she would exchange roles with Shareef's wife and that would be an end to the part she would play.

She made a note to get a romance novel at the airport in case she was stuck somewhere waiting without a access to a television.

The private party would be over quite soon after the public function anyway. The tiny jet was scheduled to take with them back to Surrey, England at 1 a.m. in the morning so that Shareef could attend a television interview over breakfast in the City.

Then they were landing and the speeding cavalcade of cars was racing them to the hotel and, as always, in these matters, the social round took Alice's mind off anything but doing her job of smiling and exchanging pleasantries.

The early evening was in two parts, a formal presentation then a dinner with speeches. Everything was fine until the half time and pre-dinner cocktails. She was returning from a visit to the Ladies and almost ran into a very tall man with crude, hawkish features. The large ring with its jet black stone on his right hand told her imclearbluemediately that this was the man she had hoped to avoid.

"My dear, what a nice surprise. His arm was stretched out in front of her trapping her against the door."

"My pleasure entirely. You are speaking later, I understand!"

The conversation was short and Alice made her quickest excuses but the little that was said left her heart pounding and her legs turn to water.

Time then seemed to slow to a crawl. She responded automatically to what was said and smiled without thinking. Throughout the entertainment, her mind was racing.

What had he meant when he said:

"I've always wanted to get to know you better?"

And that didn't fit in all with what she had been told?

Then at last she realised that the public session was at an end and people drifted off towards their rooms to get ready for the private party. The tall man caught her eye again and his steely smile made her squirm inside. It was a knowing smile. It sent shivers through her and conveyed a message that Alice did not want to understand.

Their suite was a series of connected rooms and true to the plan, Shareef's wife was waiting in the far room.

"What a bother all this is," she said in her quiet clipped way. "I've hardly had time to recover from all this running around. Take a glass with me will you and salute to the success of the evening.

Sharing a drink with a visitor was part of their country's tradition. It was obligatory to accept but slowed everything down. All Alice wanted to do was get on with the switch. Perhaps in very hot countries, drinking had much more importance and therefore it became part of a ritual.

Her nerves were jangling, and almost feeling out of control, she brushed against a large vase as she reached for the glass. It fell to the polished floor and shattered scattering shards of glass over Shareef's wife. She sprang back like a cat and turned away to brush at her gown.

"You would be useless in our country," was her only curt comment. "We have vases everywhere."

Alice made no reply. They touched glasses and drank.

-------------------

The jet engines whined at full power, pressing her into her seat as the small plane took off into the night from the Jersey airport. Shareef was in a very good mood. Full of energy and smiling expansively.

"This evening has gone very, very well my dear! The bargains are all struck and the deals all signed. You were wonderful and played your part beautifully!"

"Thank you, my dear," Alice smiled encouragingly and wriggled deeper and more comfortably into her seat. She was relaxed now and happy. Things had worked out all right after all. They usually did, in the end.

The toast in the hotel with Shareef's wife had been drunk and the effect was almost immediate. What powerful narcotic it had contained, Alice could not even begin to guess, nor did she want to know.

As Alice had left the room, there had been an almost silent knock on the door, followed by the click of the door latch. With the interconnecting door almost completely closed Alice was able to watch a very tall angular figure come into the room. He stood for a moment gazing down at the sleeping figure on the bed, sniffed loudly and then started to loosen his tie. Alice did not stay to see any more.

"Imagine the time our little English lady is having now, smirked Shareef expansively. What a pity she will miss it all. Perhaps she will regret that when she wakes up. But she will get her severance pay tomorrow directly into her bank and that may cheer her up."

Alice smiled again, encouragingly. She too had passed some time thinking about what may still be taking place in that bedroom. Yet for Alice there was still one danger. Shareef might speak to her in his own language. She would not be able to reply. That must not be encouraged.

------------------

Two hours later, as dawn broke Alice stepped off the plane and Shareef departed for his meeting. Without any doubt, it was the end of the contract and she reflected on whether things had gone well.

What would happen to Shareef's wife when she woke up? Probably she would go back to Paris and say nothing of her night. Shareef would never know and perhaps it would be better that way for her.

Had it been a good idea to answer the advert in the free newspaper? Perhaps. What she did know was that it had definitely been a good idea to switch the drinks when she had broken the vase at the hotel.

"Clumsy!" Shareef's wife had said.

"See who's clumsy when you wake up," Alice thought sweetly.

What she did know was that the sun was shining and her bank balance was considerably enhanced. Her plans for a complete refurbishment of her home were well underway and she was on her way back to the husband she loved.

Added to that, she was still tingling all over. Shareef had been a handsome and very ardent lover during their time above the clouds on their way back to England.

After all, she rationalised, she hadn't wanted him to engage her in conversation and, as luck would have it, there'd been ample sleeping quarters at the rear of the plane.

It had been such a tidy solution.

The End

©  Rob Hopcott 1999 - 2000, all rights reserved. All characters are fictitious in this story and no reference is intended to any person living or otherwise.

Now read 'Holiday to Murder' by Rob Hopcott - in which Alice sets out to write a wrong and, in her quest, reveals very hidden talents.

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