Stepping out of the private plane I was hit by a wall of humid air that only those who had visited Dubai before would know. I caught my breath as I carefully tackled each step down towards the tarmac. At that moment I was thanking my lucky stars that I had chosen my outfit well in preparation for the blistering heat. I had anticipated the dry July, but the reality of the warmth was still a shock. I’d strategically chosen to wear a white sleeveless Herve Leger bandage V-neck dress complimented by a pair of black Christian Louboutin pumps.
As soon as my feet hit the boiling tarmac I was met by my personal driver. I had been asked more than once if I was interested in a complimentary helicopter transfer but in my line of work preferred to keep as low a profile as I could without skipping on the luxury.
“Welcome back Miss Reid” Nicholai greeted me in his distinctive British accent.
“Thanks Nick” I responded with a smile as I slipped in to the back of the Mercedes E 63 AMG that the hotel always sent for me.
At first glance Nicholai would confuse any onlooker with his calm yet utterly scary appearance. He was a Vin Diesel look alike on steroids. Being former MI6 he was definitely a force to be reckoned with. He always flew ahead of me when I travelled to the UAE to ensure that everything was ready for me. I wasn’t the kind of person to ever leave anything to chance.
As he climbed into the driver side and closed the door he hit a button on the panel that automatically synced my iPhone to the stereo. We made our way to the hotel with Promiscuous Girl by Nelly Furtado echoing around us while I checked my emails and text messages that began pouring in. There was something about music that always calmed my nerves when I was out of my comfort zone, with what I was about to deal with…I knew I was going to need as much of a calming environment as possible.
When we arrived at the Burj Al Arab I was met by flock of butlers fussing as I excited the car. I had slipped my Tom Ford Callae sunglasses down to avoid the onlookers but it didn’t make any difference…they still managed to invade my personal space. I was extremely grateful that Nick had sensed my discomfort and flew to my side to push past the people that wanted my attention and were fawning at my feet to please me. Stardom was something that I still wasn’t used to. I had tried to keep a low profile but when you were seen to be dating some of the most influential men in the world it was hard maintain anonymity…if only the world knew the REAL story behind them all.
We finally managed to reach the private elevator to the Presidential Suite and I exhaled violently when we were safely inside and well on our way towards my private little palace.
As I walked through the golden doors I finally felt like I could escape into my own little world. The two story suite was home to magnificent panoramic views of the tranquil azure ocean, two master bedrooms including their own ensuite that featured full-size Jacuzzi’s and a five-head rain shower. I loved that every time I stayed there my Hermes amenities were always refreshed and that the hotel had the latest technology installed from iMac, widescreen HD Tv’s, remote control environment settings but my favourite was of course the 24 carat gold iPad.
Every time I booked into the hotel they always offered me the Royal Suite but I was always drawn to my suite. I found the purple and gold decor provided a sense of tranquility that I so desperately needed when I stayed in the city that held so many of my secrets. Walking around the room I was flooded with memories of the times I had stayed there before and at times I felt like I should never return. It was one of those places that you loved or hated, if it hadn’t been for my inability to disassociate myself from the horrible memories then I would have definitely relocated on a more permanent basis.
I flopped down on the bed, removed my glasses and threw them on the floor as I tried to wipe my mind of the vivid flashes that began to consume me.
“Get a grip Antonia” I said to myself before rolling onto my stomach, grabbing a pillow and curling up to sleep off the jet lag for as long as I possibly could before reality was too hard to escape and it was time to get ready again.
As soon as my feet hit the boiling tarmac I was met by my personal driver. I had been asked more than once if I was interested in a complimentary helicopter transfer but in my line of work preferred to keep as low a profile as I could without skipping on the luxury.
“Welcome back Miss Reid” Nicholai greeted me in his distinctive British accent.
“Thanks Nick” I responded with a smile as I slipped in to the back of the Mercedes E 63 AMG that the hotel always sent for me.
At first glance Nicholai would confuse any onlooker with his calm yet utterly scary appearance. He was a Vin Diesel look alike on steroids. Being former MI6 he was definitely a force to be reckoned with. He always flew ahead of me when I travelled to the UAE to ensure that everything was ready for me. I wasn’t the kind of person to ever leave anything to chance.
As he climbed into the driver side and closed the door he hit a button on the panel that automatically synced my iPhone to the stereo. We made our way to the hotel with Promiscuous Girl by Nelly Furtado echoing around us while I checked my emails and text messages that began pouring in. There was something about music that always calmed my nerves when I was out of my comfort zone, with what I was about to deal with…I knew I was going to need as much of a calming environment as possible.
When we arrived at the Burj Al Arab I was met by flock of butlers fussing as I excited the car. I had slipped my Tom Ford Callae sunglasses down to avoid the onlookers but it didn’t make any difference…they still managed to invade my personal space. I was extremely grateful that Nick had sensed my discomfort and flew to my side to push past the people that wanted my attention and were fawning at my feet to please me. Stardom was something that I still wasn’t used to. I had tried to keep a low profile but when you were seen to be dating some of the most influential men in the world it was hard maintain anonymity…if only the world knew the REAL story behind them all.
We finally managed to reach the private elevator to the Presidential Suite and I exhaled violently when we were safely inside and well on our way towards my private little palace.
As I walked through the golden doors I finally felt like I could escape into my own little world. The two story suite was home to magnificent panoramic views of the tranquil azure ocean, two master bedrooms including their own ensuite that featured full-size Jacuzzi’s and a five-head rain shower. I loved that every time I stayed there my Hermes amenities were always refreshed and that the hotel had the latest technology installed from iMac, widescreen HD Tv’s, remote control environment settings but my favourite was of course the 24 carat gold iPad.
Every time I booked into the hotel they always offered me the Royal Suite but I was always drawn to my suite. I found the purple and gold decor provided a sense of tranquility that I so desperately needed when I stayed in the city that held so many of my secrets. Walking around the room I was flooded with memories of the times I had stayed there before and at times I felt like I should never return. It was one of those places that you loved or hated, if it hadn’t been for my inability to disassociate myself from the horrible memories then I would have definitely relocated on a more permanent basis.
I flopped down on the bed, removed my glasses and threw them on the floor as I tried to wipe my mind of the vivid flashes that began to consume me.
“Get a grip Antonia” I said to myself before rolling onto my stomach, grabbing a pillow and curling up to sleep off the jet lag for as long as I possibly could before reality was too hard to escape and it was time to get ready again.
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