Secrets & Lies

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Gia came out of the bathroom feeling slightly better than when she went in.

"You okay?" Alex asked sounding slightly concerned.

"Not really." Gia said taking a deep breath.

"You ready to go Mr. Lindstrom?" The flight attendant asked.

"Are you ready?" Alex asked Gia. "There are several photographers here and I'm not going to be able to help you that much.  Just follow me and stay with the security guards.  They will take us to baggage claim and then to the car.  Do you have any questions?"

"I guess not." Gia said shouldering her bag and attempting a smile.  He followed the flight attendant and Gia followed him.  As they stepped into the airport where four security officers were waiting.  Gia counted over a dozen photographers and several people watching.  Alex walked quickly with his head down, all business.  He pretended not to notice the people calling his name and following them down to the baggage claim. Alex glanced behind him twice to make sure Gia was still there and had a security officer with her.  But he never moved toward her or slowed his pace.  To the Danish public Gia was just another passenger from a British Airways flight that landed in Denmark on a very cold snowy day at the end of December.

    The group of paparazzi followed them through the airport to baggage claim where Alex and Gia waited at the carousel for their bags.  Alex graciously signed autographs and accepted requests for pictures before he spotted the bags and stepped over grabbing his followed by Gia's. They both moved from the carousel towards the doors the security officers led them to, Alex carrying both of the bags.  He handed them to the chauffeur before he held the car door open for Gia so she could get in quickly and away from the curious reporters and photographers.  He walked around the car and got in on the other side giving a single wave goodbye.  Gia could picture in her head the headlines tomorrow, 'Denmark's golden boy returns home with an unidentified brunette.  This was going to be hell Gia thought silently.

    The limo travelled quickly down the highway into southern Copenhagen, neither of them speaking.  Gia was nervous about meeting Alex's family and angry about what had transpired on the plane plus the nausea was increasing with the same intensity as the dizziness.  They finally pulled onto a private winding road and the car finally stopped. Alex and Gia got out of the car by a palatial brick estate. The air was crisp with the kind of cold that goes straight through a person no matter how many layers of clothes are worn. Gia looked at Alex who was taking their bags from the chauffeur his nose and cheeks already red from the freezing cold air.

    Gia stepped carefully up onto the steps afraid of slipping on some hidden ice under the newly fallen snow and walked toward the single large oak door.

"Are you ready to meet everyone?" Alex asked his voice soft and kind again.

"I think so." Gia said as Alex opened the door and gestured for her to enter the house. They entered the house into a bare foyer.  Gia looked around at the emptiness and wondered why there wasn't at least a small table with a lamp or a plant or something.  "Alexander you're home!" An adorable little blond girl exclaimed in Danish as she ran into the foyer and wrapped her chubby arms around Alex's leg.

"Yes I'm home Lena." He said dropping the suitcases and picking Lena up in one swift movement.

"Who is that lady?" Lena asked again in Danish looking directly at Gia while playing with Alex's scruffy cheeks.

"That's my friend Gia.  Can you say hello?" He asked her.  She shook her head no and buried it in Alex's neck.

"Alexander is that you?" Gia heard  a woman's voice coming toward the door.