What Dreams Are Made Of: Episode 30

#Episode_30

 

 

Chrissy was still thinking, when the lift opened to his office. The place was just like the last time she saw. Praying inwardly, she stepped out of the lift and went to Mrs. White. She too was dressed in the similar smart way like she always did. She went to her and asked if she Mr Swaroski was in and if she could meet him, still continuously praying inwardly.

 

Mrs White smiled at her warmly but was immediately concerned on looking at her face, “Hi Chrissy, what happened to you dear? You look so pale.”

 

Chrissy told her she was fine but she had to urgently meet Nikloi.

 

“Well, Mr Swaroski is in office but he has a flight to catch this evening and he came in only because he had to sign some urgent papers before this trip”.

 

“This is really important and I have to meet him, please”, Chrissy almost pleaded with her.

 

“Oh dear, you know how much he hates to be disturbed. But for you, I will still try. Let me call in and check with him. Will you give me a minute?” Mrs. White said sweetly.

 

Chrissy was highly grateful to her and again prayed for Nikloi to agree to meet her.

 

Her prayers were answered when Mrs. White told her to go in. He had agreed to meet her. Chrissy quickly went to his door but stopped right before it. In spite of her resolution to come and ask for his help, she was not sure if this was the best option.

 

It’s too late to think about those things. Whatever happens, you are doing this for your mother. Just remember, you need that money, she told herself and stepped in hesitantly.

 

The white and grey décor struck her again. The grand yet sophisticated setting was welcoming and intimidating at the same time. She walked in slowly and caught the glimpse of the London Eye across the glass walls. She would have been easily swayed to fantasize about her childhood dream but the figure across the large dark desk quickly brought her back to the present.

 

She noticed nothing had changed in his office, except, unlike last time, he was not looking at her. He was engrossed in the papers on his desk without giving any attention to her. She stood in the room, slightly away from his desk, waiting for him to look up at her. She didn’t know if she should keep waiting for him to complete his work or to disturb him by announcing her presence.

 

She had reached this far but her strength was giving away. Her mouth was dry, like most of the times in his presence but her eyes were fixed on him. He was wearing a dark blue suit on a white silk shirt. A blue diagonally stripped tie was immaculately knotted at his neck. Both his hands were resting on the table with one holding some papers, the other a pen.

 

His head was slightly lowered so she couldn’t see his face but he was definitely looking very attractive, like always. She was seeing him after several weeks since their meeting in Bath which had ended disastrously.

 

The memory brought back those intense moments she had spent in his arms. Chrissy face was heated up by just thinking about that time. She stood there, fidgeting nervously when she suddenly realized that she hadn’t even change her clothes before coming here. She was still in her jeans and shirt from last night and her hairs were a complete mess.

 

 

This realization didn’t help her state at all. She is even more conscious of herself in front of the perfectly dressed man, in his perfect room with a perfect view. Oh what is she thinking about! Keep yourself focussed girl! She scolded herself internally.

 

She was still trying to gather her strength to speak up when he said, “You didn’t come here to watch me work, did you?”

 

Chrissy was surprised by the sudden question. Struggling with herself, she tried to get her voice when he raised his head and looked at her and her words are again lost. His deep blue eyes were staring at her. She should be used to those eyes looking at her, but she clearly wasn’t. She quickly lowered her head to avoid looking in those eyes and to get her thoughts together.

 

“You do realize I am a busy man, Ms Smith. Can I kn

 

ow what you wanted of me, so that I can get on with my work?” he asked coldly.

 

She noticed the formality in his tone and the way he addressed her. While he had never called her Chrissy but that day at Stonehenge, he had called her Christina. He was only one who had called her by her full name.

 

She also noticed he had not even asked her to sit down. He wanted this discussion to be over as quickly as possible. Drawing all her reserves of strength, she also decided to be done with this meeting.

 

It was not easy for her to ask for help, in monetary terms, especially from him. But she didn’t have anyone else to turn to. At least he had seen her work and therefore might be willing to part with that amount of money on her promise that she would repay it soon.

 

He might also not accept her request but she had to get him to give her the money.

 

For her mother’s sake, she had to.

 

“I need your help”. There it was. Out, she thought.

 

“I don’t expect you to come to me for any other reason”, he said without looking up from his papers.

 

Oh the brute! You are not going to make it easy for me , she thought miserably.

 

Drawing another deep breath, she said, “I need some money, actually, one hundred and fifty thousand pounds.”

 

Now she had his full attention. He looked up at her face intently, his eyes boring holes into her head, as if trying to read her all thoughts. She didn’t know where to look. She had already told him why she was there and now it was upto him to help her and save her from this crisis.

 

He stood up and looked at her arrogantly. Chrissy felt too small to be standing there asking for help. It was only when he was standing his full height, she realized that she had been too tired and her legs wanted her to sit down.

 

“Why do you need that much money?”, he asked looking down at her now.

 

She let out the breath she had been was holding. She had been worried he would out rightly refuse to give her the money but the question had actually put her at ease. She was just about to answer him, when he surprised her with his next question.

 

“Is it because of Henry?”

 

She was confused with the question. Where did that come from? She wondered.

 

“Henry?” She asked puzzled.

 

“I knew Henry never had any good friends but this, I must say, is something even I didn’t expect”, he continued talking in puzzles.

 

“What are you saying? I came here for my mother”, she said grief-stricken. It was already difficult to talk about it with him and he was making it more and more painful. She tried to control her disturbing emotions. She had had no choice in the matter but clearly she needed to find someone else to help her. She must have been stupid, thinking she could ask him for help. Dejected, she stepped away from him saying, “It was a mistake. I am sorry for..”.

 

She hadn’t been able to complete her sentence before he was standing in front of her. “What about your mother?” He asked her stopping her from moving forward.

 

 

Chrissy didn’t know if it was his hurtful questions or her mother’s condition or all of it together but she suddenly wanted to cry her heart out.

 

When she didn’t say anything, he held her from her shoulders, making her instantly look up to his face. There were unshed tears in green eyes, which she struggled with.

 

Only when she was able to garner some control over her emotions, did she trust herself to answer his question. Pulling herself away from his hands, she told him everything that had happened since last night. About her mother’s surgery and that it needed to be done immediately.

 

She didn’t talk about herself but she was too stressed and had no clue that she herself didn’t look very well. Nikloi heard her silently. At the end, he told her that his office would take care of it. If he sounded completely emotion-less, Chrissy couldn’t let that stop her from feeling a sense of relief. It was as if a big burdened had been removed from her. He had agreed to give her the money.

 

In spite of all his misgivings and all their misunderstandings, she wanted to thank him from the bottom of her heart. She wanted to say so much but he was a

 

lready on phone speaking to his finance team. He had ordered them to send a person at the hospital and see to it that all the necessary arrangements were made immediately.

 

When he was done with the call, she tried to thank him again but he told her that he had another meeting and had to leave.

 

Chrissy was almost heart-broken. Not that she was expecting anything more from him other than his monetary support but somewhere deep inside her heart she had felt him to be with her when she had told him about her mother’s hospitalization.

 

But it was her imagination because he didn’t seem any more concerned with her and was already putting on his suit jacket.

 

Getting her cue, Chrissy decided to leave. He came with her to the door. Just before stepping out of the door, he said, “In case you need any help, do let my team know, Ms Smith. I am sure your mother will get well very soon.”

 

 

His formal address was not lost on Chrissy. While he had very promptly taken care of financial need and helped her in her difficult time but her dismissal and his closing note had confirmed that he had no more time or attention for her. He had done what he would have done for any of his hotel staff. For him, she was no more important than anyone else in his team.

 

Accepting that this was all that she would ever receive from him, especially after the way she had rejected him at Stonehenge, she told herself to count her blessings.

 

Thanking him, she left his office. She was grateful that he had extended even this support to her. But that didn’t mean that she didn’t experience a little disappointment at his formal behaviour.

 

But how could she find fault with him when it was she who had closed the door on what could have been between them.

 

Long before she reached the hospital, she had again convinced herself that she was right in keeping distance from Nikloi. It was in everyone’s interest that he was doing the same.

 

With that conviction, she went back to her mother where far more important matters were needing her attention, pushing all his thoughts away.

 

 

 

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