What Dreams Are Made Of: Episode 37

#EPISODE_37

 

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“Nik.. I..” she tried to tell him that she wanted him but she also wanted much more than their physical pleasure. She was overcome by her emotions and nothing actually came out of her mouth. She never thought she could dream of anything with him, definitely nothing more than may be a temporary diversion from the women of his class.

 

But his today’s action had given her hope. Not that she was in any position to control or stop him from taking what he wanted but the fact that he was concerned about her and was even willing to wait till tomorrow night to make it perfect for her, made her dream. He did not take her like some cheap office fling. Instead, he was planning to make it special for her. If only, she could tell him that it was already special for her because it was with him.

 

“Shush… It’s ok. We shall talk when you are truly mine”, Nikloi said embracing her next to his chest. Chrissy felt she had found her heaven.

 

 

They stood like that for few more minutes, before Nikloi’s office phone rang. There were still the list of people he had to meet today and other last minute details that had to be closed before the mega launch tomorrow.

 

The rest of the day went in a fizzy. Chrissy couldn’t do much as she couldn’t concentrate on any work. She was reminded of the time she had spent in his office and the promise for the next day. If she was blushing far more than normal, she couldn’t have been blamed.

 

 

 

 

 

Finally the day of the Nikoi’s dream, Royal Le Swaroski launch arrived. The hotel was all decked up as a new bride. Chrissy had been working at the hotel for couple of months now, still she was awed at the magnificence and brilliance of the entire place at the launch party. It was simply beautiful and Chrissy prayed silently in her heart for the party to go well. She wanted nothing but happiness for Nikloi.

 

She did not get an opportunity to meet him since morning. He was super busy, everybody wanting a minute of his time as they were all excited about the launch party. But Chrissy knew she had special reasons for her happiness. She had been trying to avoid accepting her true feelings since a long time. But yesterday Nikloi had managed to shed all barriers she had built around herself and reached her inner most self.

 

She had tried hard, God knew, she had really tried hard to ignore those undisclosed feelings. She never wanted to be a play thing, a temporary fling for him and to do so, she had denied herself what her heart had truly desired. But after yesterday, she had realized that what mattered most to her was the time spent with him, even though it was for a short duration. She had finally accepted to herself that she was in love with him.

 

Last night, she had decided that she would take what life had decided to offer and be content with it. She knew Nikloi didn’t love her the way she did and there was no future for them together but she would not think about tomorrow. She would live for today. For Nikloi. And for their happiness together. For however long it was destined to be.

 

 

With her heart full of happiness, something she had never dreamed to experience, Chrissy had reached the hotel as quickly as she could. Unlike other parties, this was one party for which she had wanted to look her best.

 

She had selected a simple yet elegant cream coloured gown. It was demure yet Chrissy looked very appealing in it. It was hugging her body in all the right places but had some room towards her legs such that she could walk comfortably. The entire gown was covered with small bead work which gave her an angelic look. The back had a deep neck showing off her beautiful creamy skin but the front was respectable with full sleeves and so Chrissy felt really nice about this gown.

 

Linda was genuinely impressed as Chrissy had found out the dress all by herself and she gave life to the dress once she put it on. Linda insisted on doing light make up for her and after initial reluctance, Chrissy finally gave in to the insistence.

 

When Chrissy entered the part

 

y, there weren’t many people around. She inspected the central lounge and all the preparation around the place. It was exactly as they had planned. Beautiful and elegant, just like her. Satisfied with everything, she decided to take a seat among a corner seat and wait for Nikloi to show up.

 

Her heart was beating really fast thinking about the party but more importantly for what lay ahead of the party. Linda had gone ahead to check the other sections. Chrissy wanted to be with Nikloi more than ever but knew it was an extremely important day for him. She didn’t want him distracted or take away any of his attention on his big day. She knew this hotel was his dream project since a long time.

 

In fact this hotel was the reason why she came to know him in the first place. Had he not taken up this project, they would have never met. She remembered that day many months ago when she had seen him for the first time in Regiment Estate, just outside her shop. It seemed a lifetime ago.

 

So much had happened since then. She had changed, learned so much, grown up, matured and fallen in love with the last person she would have ever dreamed of. He was simply out of her class. And yet here she was, waiting for him, knowing

 

 

they would continue what was left incomplete yesterday. Her face coloured just at the thought of those steamy moments in his arms and she shivered involuntary even though the hall was quite warm and pleasant.

 

While she was lost in her thoughts, she was being watched intently by two pairs of eyes. But she was oblivious of anything but her happiness. Soon, she saw Nikloi in the room. He was looking devastatingly handsome in a black suit with white shirt and a black tie. He looked everything any girl could have wanted and more.

 

She was amazed at how in the world a man like him was interested in her. It was beyond her understanding and knew it may not last forever but at that moment she just revelled in the knowledge that he wanted her.

 

There were many people in the party. Almost everybody was a who’s who in the city hard turned up. The mega lauch affair was extremely successful with everybody wanted to share Nikloi’s success with him. He was fully surrounded by all the important people including a lot of media. She could imagine next day newspapers full of pictures from the party and every publication house running a story on Nikloi and his dream project.

 

Chrissy was happy for him but at the same time, unconsciously, she was slightly disappointed, seeing that he was too busy to miss her. Just when she thought, he would not be able to meet her or spent time with her tonight, he raised his eyes and looked straight into her eyes across the hall. It was telepathy. As if he could read her thoughts, even at such a distance, even when surrounded by so many people.

 

A shiver went down her spine with that look. It was the first time she could read the message in his eyes absolutely clear, conveying his promise for later tonight. Mesmerized though she was, she had to break the spell by lowering her eyes. She didn’t know what her eyes would be telling him and she was worried if they were communicating what she was actually feeling.

 

She wanted to turn away to ease her quickened breath but before she could move, he was standing right in front of her. It was so sudden that she lost a step in moving back and Nikloi quickly held out his arms to stop her from falling down. The action made them come even closer than earlier.

 

 

Nikloi lowered his head and whispered in her ears softly, “You are looking stunning. I hope you remember our promise for tonight?”

 

In spite of all her control, Chrissy blushed profusely. Nikloi looked at her face and said, “I don’t want to let you out of my sight tonight. Will you stay with me?”

 

Chrissy was on cloud number nine but she struggled with her voice, “Wh..what about everyone? Don’t you have many people waiting for you?

 

She said increasing the distance between the two of them so as to not arise anyone’s suspicion.

 

“They can wait”, he replied smoothly. While saying so, he moved in closer again.

 

Just

 

then, his PR manager hurried upto them and said catching his breath, “Sir, the Mayor is here.”

 

Nikloi didn’t look happy at all but Chrissy knew this was important. Nikloi had worked really hard for tonight and he shouldn’t lose out on anything when his dream was turning into a reality. Not because of her.

 

She whispered quickly, “Please go. I will be waiting for you here”. When he didn’t move, she looked upto his eyes and pleaded silently.

 

There was a soft sigh and he said, “I will be back soon. Don’t disappear.”

 

With that he turned and went with the manager. Chrissy watched him join the group. She saw the city Mayor had come with his wife. Nikloi shook his hands and greeted his wife. Chrissy could see they knew each other well by the way he was talking to them.

 

By the time he was through with them, leaving them in the able hands of his hotel’s General Manager, he was called in by another group. It was a busy night for him. But the few words he had spoken to her were enough to calm Chrissy’s jittery senses. She knew sooner or later he would be with her.

 

 

She was not very interested in meeting many people but her showroom was getting rave reviews by everyone around. People were clearly impressed with her antiques as well as the overall interior designing of the place. Chrissy was herself surrounded by people very soon and she was quite happy for having contributing to the Hotel Le Swaroski’s success.

 

During one such discussion, she turned to look out Nikloi and see if she could convey her happiness to him through her eyes.

 

She saw Nikloi after some searching and found him talking to Richard Susshell. He didn’t look happy at all but before she could understand, she saw both of them leaving the ballroom. She wanted to follow but couldn’t excuse herself so easily from her group who wanted to find out more about each of the artifacts.

 

It was long before she found herself free and alone. Immediately she went around looking for Nikloi and was surprised to note that he was still not back. She was wondering where he could be when she got a message from one of the boys that Nikloi had called her to his office. As all his hotels, this place also had a dedicated office for Nikloi.

 

Chrissy wondered what urgent work needed his attention on such a busy night and why he would call her to his office, when realization hit her. It was in his office at the Swaroski House where he had told her that he wanted her in every way possible. Is it that he could be calling her to his office to finish what he had started yesterday?

 

Suddenly Chrissy was acutely conscious. She developed cold feet. There was a nagging feeling about something not being right but she thought it must be her shyness about what was to come.

 

Overcoming her hesitance, she finally reached Nikloi’s office. She knocked softly on the door before slowly opening it to step inside. The scene that awaited her inside was completely different from what she could have ever imagined.

 

Nikloi was standing at the far end of the room with his back towards her. But what shocked her was that he was not alone. Standing right next to him was Susan Malkovich with her hand spread out on his back, palm resting on his left shoulder.

 

A deep burning sensation shot through Chrissy’s body on seeing Susan so close to Nikloi. She had never experienced such intense displeasure towards anyone in her

 

 

life. Not even when Susan had been out rightly condescending towards her. But right now, all she wanted to do was pull her far away from Nikloi.

 

She controlled herself knowing that they both knew each other from much before she knew them. The moment she stepped further in the room, Susan’s eyes snatched up to her and she said bitterly, “Here comes the beguiling rat. Who would have thought that you would carry such malaise behind that innocent face?”

 

Chrissy was dumbfounded at the acerbic attack by Susan. What is she saying?

 

She looked at Nikloi who was still not facing her.

 

Why is he not saying anything? What is going on?

 

She ignored Susan and went up to him but Susan stepped in between the two of

 

them. “Your sham is up! So stop acting all coy and innocent. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself, you double faced crook?

 

“Why are you saying such things? What have I done?” Chrissy cried. More than Susan’s barbs, it was Nikloi’s silence that was killing her. Why was he letting Susan hurt her?

 

“You have the cheek to ask what you have done! Did you really think your treachery will go veiled? Do you even know whom you were dealing with? You worthless piece of shit!”

 

“Enough!”

 

Nikloi voice silence the venom that was being spitted out of Susan’s mouth. Chrissy was shaken but she still couldn’t fathom what was going on. She again turned to Nikloi and looked at him confused.

 

Nikloi had turned around and was facing her but she couldn’t read a single emotion on his face. Is he the same guy who couldn’t wait to take her in his arms few hours ago?

 

He was completely cold when he pushed an envelope in her face.

 

It was only then, Chrissy saw that he was holding a green envelope with large pictures in it. Chrissy had no clue of what pictures those were but suddenly she had a bad premonition. She held the envelope with both her hands and pulled out the pictures.

 

What she saw shocked her to her core. There were pictures of her and Richard Susshell, at different places, different times. Some of them were from the restaurant where they had met long time ago, some from the yacht, or at the hotel, but all of them had were taken at a time or an angle that looked as if she was having some deep conversation with Richard Susshell and enjoying it too.

 

In one of them she was smiling sweetly at him. It looked from the time he had met her on the road and she had probably smiled back at him for courtesy, for she remembered very well that she was anything but happy seeing him.

 

But what shocked her the most were the ones which showed them sharing a kind of intimacy. He was either holding her hand, or his hands were at her back or her shoulder. And then there was one in which Richard was standing very close to her with his head lowered down to her level. Though not obvious but the angle at which it was clicked, it looked.. as if.. he.. he was kissing her.

 

She was appalled looking at it. For the life of her, she couldn’t remember ever being so close to Richard. But the surroundings showed that it was from the restaurant where she had gone to talk him because he had said it was something important about the hotel. And she had lamely believed him. She remembered now that he didn’t have anything specific to say to her and he had just wiled away her time that day.

 

 

But now she knew it was much more than just her time he had devised to damage. It was a pre-planned setting but she failed to understand why was Richard was trying to show there was a relationship between them, when there was clearly none?

 

And why were these pictures with Nikloi? What did Richard want?

 

 

#Story_Continues

 

{Stay tuned in as we move closer to even more intriguing stuff.}