What Dreams Are Made Of – Episode 6

#Episode_6

 

Steven had said it was easier to expect rains in desert than for Nikloi to change his plans but then it does rain including in the hottest of desert, even if it is once in hundreds of years. She would make it rain. With that thought, she decided to go Nikloi Corporations once again. She didn’t have any appointment this time but she had to find a way to meet him still.

 

 

Her father had once told her when she was very young that the best time to meet a person was in the morning, preferably as the first meeting of the day. A person is expected to be least pressurized in the morning and therefore of the meeting has maximum possibilities of being successful. So she decided to meet Nikloi Swaroski first thing on Monday morning.

 

 

She left home very early telling her mother she had important client meeting for the day. The tube ride was again silent and she used most of it for praying that Nikloi Swaroski was in office.

 

She was again dressed in same blue formal dress. She reached the reception with sweaty hands. It was occupied by same haughty girl, the receptionist. The girl recognized her immediately, may be, by her dress. No one dressed like her came to this office. May be for similar reasons she even allowed her to go his office on the top floor when she mentioned meeting with Nikloi Swaroski, unlike last time when she wouldn’t believe Chrissy actually had an appointment with him. It suited Chrissy that this time she didn’t want to waste any of her time with Chrissy.

 

She quickly moved to the lift, barely resisting herself from running into it lest she drew the receptionist suspicion. Lift reached the top floor and she stepped out to see Ms White at her table. She was hoping to pass through herself as easily as the receptionist but this time she was not so lucky. Ms White was fully aware of her boss’s schedule for the day and Chrissy did not feature in it. In fact Ms White was surprised how did she even managed coming to top floor.

 

Chrissy felt her luck running out and knew she couldn’t miss this opportunity. She requested Ms White to give her just few minutes time with him. But she was adamant that Mr Swaroski did not like any unscheduled interruptions to his schedule. Chrissy was worried that she was losing out even before facing her real adversary.

 

She was almost on the verge of begging to Ms White, when the elevator door split-opened and Nikloi Swaroski stepped out, in another of his expensive well-fitted suit. Chrissy mouth was left opened when she saw him standing few feet away looking ridiculously attractive. She had not realized that he was not inside his office while she was haggling with his secretary to allow her meet him.

 

He saw face open mouthed face and then her terrified secretary, both looking as if they had lost their voice. Knowing that she was not alone in her fears about this man, Chrissy found a bit solace in the unexpected company.

 

“What is going on here, Ms White?” he addressed his secretary with same calm voice she remembered, while his eyes were still on Chrissy. Ms White tried to

 

 

brush her aside, saying, “Nothing important, Sir. Ms Smith is just leaving knowing that she doesn’t have any appointment with you”.

 

“I am not,” Chrissy was surprised with the sharp words coming out of her mouth. She didn’t speak rudely to anyone. But something about the whole situation was turning her edgy.

 

She quickly added, “I really need to meet you, Mr Swaroski. Please let me see you for few minutes. I promise I won’t take long.”. She appealed to him. His eyes narrowed, as if he was not happy with the visit and he pressed his lips together.

 

Ms White was worried that this may lead to an unpleasant start to the day. The young girl had no clue she would be spoiling the entire day for most of the staff if he got upset, which was, unfortunately, quite frequent these days. She hurriedly said, “Mr Swaroski, you may please ignore her. I shall take care of-”

 

“Send her to my office”, he cut her in and turned towards the sleek wooden doors separating his office from his

 

secretary’s.

 

Ms White and Chrissy were both taken aback with the sudden directive. It took few seconds for Chrissy to realize he had agreed to meet her. Happily, she turned towards Ms White and thanked her quickly though she had actually not helped at all. But Chrissy didn’t mid the old lady as she was just doing her job of trying to keep a devil of a boss happy. Anyone would have reacted similar to her. She shook hands with her while Ms White was clearly still in shock. “He has never done that. Meeting someone without an appointment!” she said.

 

Chrissy heard her but didn’t wait to ask her more about the change. She felt it was a good sign that Nikloi Swaroski was doing something that was not expected of him.

 

May be it will rain in desert , she prayed.

 

 

 

 

 

Fingers crossed, Chrissy quietly opened the wide door to Nikloi Swroaski’s office. The moment she could see inside, she was stuck by the grandeur of his office yet

 

 

again. This was even more sophisticated than the outer section that belonged to his secretary.

 

The walls were painted in white and grey with a large black office desk at one end. On the left was a set of three wide cream colored couch seats with a small centre table. Both the walls, behind the sofa set as well as his office table, were completely made of glass with their blinds drawn at sides. You could see the hazel blue sky across the room with iconic London monuments along the river Thames.

 

Her eyes caught a small glimpse of London Eye, the giant ferris wheel and she remembered how once she had wanted to sit in one of those capsules with her family many years back but never got a chance. The thought made her sad immediately but she needed all her wits around her while talking to the man in front of her.

 

She shifted her attention back to where he was seated behind his office table and found him looking at her intently. She was again conscious of that look and cursed herself internally for losing her focus temporarily, thus giving him a chance to watch her face unguarded. She didn’t know if he could read any of her emotions but his look was so intense as if he could see much beyond her face. She shivered inwardly and had to literally push herself to move forward and face him. Going up to his table, she said, “Thank you for meeting me Mr Swaroski.”

 

He didn’t say anything making her heart sink. This blank reaction was similar to his reaction during their earlier meetings and she was just praying he would not be as cruel and selfish as he had been up till now.

 

She pushed back all the thoughts of their earlier meetings, and tried again on a positive note. “I understand you are quite busy and was hopeful I would be able to meet you if I came in quite early in the morning.”

 

She knew it was not yet eight thirty in the morning but she didn’t come here to discuss time with him. She wanted to chide herself for these useless talks but the man sitting in front of her with his brooding looks didn’t help at all. He had still not even asked her to sit.

 

She cleared her throat and started again, “I wanted to request you to let me keep my… the antiques shop at Regiment Estate.” Still no reaction from him.

 

 

“I would, of course, pay you the monthly rent just like I paid the earlier owner, now since you own the place. If required, I’ll even try to pay you more”, she said in a low tone. Not getting much response, she continued her efforts.

 

“I don’t make too much money but I will do everything to make it up to you”, she said brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. She had tied her hair as usual in a high ponytail, but few strands had come lose.

 

She saw his eyes follow her hands movement and she pull them down at her sides. She was trying very hard not to remember what had happened when they had met last time on this very floor but it was proving to be very difficult with the way his eyes were watching her every move.

 

She still couldn’t read his expressions and was finding the whole experience almost painful but then she had not known men very closely and definitely not his kind. She didn’t know what was

 

going on in his mind but she wanted him to stop staring at her the way he was doing.

 

Suddenly, he stood up from his seat, turned away from her towards the glass background and said, “Sit”.

 

Chrissy was dumbfounded. Could he really see through her head, she wondered.

 

Without a word, she took a seat at the other side of the table.

 

“It’s obvious you don’t make too much money. Or else you wouldn’t have been sitting here in my office”, he said with his back still turned towards her. “But, why would I need you or your shop?”

 

She was a bit hurt about the money part but it was a fact. She tried to relax since she was expecting this question and felt she had the answer. She said, “Antique selling is a good business and I will be paying you the monthly rent for-”

 

A soft chuckle stopped her. “Really?” he asked. She couldn’t see his face so she had no clue what he was thinking.

 

As if looking at his face she would have known all that went through that head, she thought.

 

 

He turned to face her, again like he could read her thoughts, even without looking at her.

 

“I am a businessman, Ms Smith. I need to get some profit out any deal I make. Few hundred pounds a year is not really an interesting offer to me. So, besides the rent, what is that you can offer?” said Nikloi, forever the businessman.

 

She didn’t know what was expected of her as answer but she was willing to do whatever it takes to save her Dreams. “I will do whatever you ask me to do as long as I can have my shop”, she said quickly.

 

“You do know what you are saying?” he asked raising an eye brow.

 

It was only then she understood the meaning of her words in a way she had not meant. In her eagerness to convince him, she had actually said too much. She didn’t mean ‘whatever’ literally and neither did she imagine he would take her words literally.

 

Even though she was shivering inside, she straightened up her back and said, “I’ll do whatever I can in my professional capacity.” She hoped her cheeks had not coloured while saying those words. Only if she knew the truth.

 

“Believe me, we are discussing only professional capacities here,” he said, watching colour further rise in her face. The way he said it made her hairs stand out. She averted her eyes to her hands now in her laps.

 

“So what are these your professional capacities?” he continued, sitting in his chair

 

across the table.

 

“I… uh…”

 

“Is there any way you can expand Swaroski Corporations profits?”

 

She didn’t like the way the discussion was going. She struggled to answer. “Uhmm…I have been working in the antiques business for last three years. I know the details very well.”

 

“Yes, your antiques business. Well I have got it researched along with you. I understand you have been managing it well even though you have exposure at a much smaller scale. I have been informed that some of my guests are really interested in it as well. So I have a-”

 

“You have got me researched?” Chrissy asked with her mouth still open.

 

“Ms Smith, you don’t expect me to start talking business with people I hardly know. I need to get their background verified to ensure my interests are safeguarded,” he answered coolly.

 

“But… How…?” She still didn’t believe it.

 

 

“Let’s just say I know people who come in very handy in such things and they are more than eager to help,” he replied relaxing back in his chair with a smug look around his face.

 

She resented the look and decided not to ask any further. The man was making her suffer every second but she would endure it to make her Dreams survive.

 

 

 

“So as I was saying, this business of yours looks like an interesting avenue for my guests at the hotel. And I have decided to invest in this business,” Nikloi expressed.

 

Chrissy was still not clear, how she figures into all this and looked at him with a blank expression expecting him to go on.

 

He looked at her face again, trying to read something, which further puzzled Chrissy. Finally, he continued, “I would like to have an antiques shop in one of my hotels. And since you say know this business well, you can run this shop.”

 

As the words left his mouth, Chris

 

sy’s mouth kept gaping bigger and bigger. She couldn’t believe her ears. Was he asking her to host her shop in one of his uber rich luxury hotel?

 

She could have jumped with joy but then immediately she saw him scrutinizing her face with narrowed eyes and she remembered whom she was sitting in front of. She supressed her emotions and said, “But I have not dealt with clients of the type who would be visiting your hotels. You only pointed that out in last meeting.”

 

“Yes, you don’t know much about the high class and so you will have to work much harder to make it a success but you did say you would do whatever you can to save your shop,” he paused for a second before adding ominously, “This is your only opportunity.”

 

Chrissy was a bit lost. She was very excited about the shop but at the same time she was scared if she would be able to manage it. Especially since he would be the owner of the shop. She was sure he would not take shortcomings easily.

 

But she didn’t want him to know about her fears. This was her really last lifeline. “I

 

think I will be to pick it up quickly,” she responded somewhat confidently though

 

she was not all

 

confident inside.

 

 

 

 

 

Story_Continues