What Dreams Are Made Of – Episode 7

EPISODE_7

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.

He viewed her closely one more time before continuing, “Well, if that is the case, I suggest we complete the formalities quickly.” “Which hotel would this shop be in?” she asked.

“The Regency Palace” he replied quietly.

“But that’s one of the most expensive hotels in the city!” She exclaimed

“It is. I wouldn’t want anything but the very best,” he said arrogantly.

Sweat broke around Chrissy’s forehead. Something about this offer was making her hold back. She couldn’t say what it was. Her silence didn’t go unnoticed by Nikloi. He stood up restlessly and said, “If you think it’s beyond you, I can find another person to run it for me.”

Seeing the lifeline slipping out of her hands, she hurriedly said, “I will do it.” After a pause of few seconds, “How much rent I would have to pay for this shop?” She asked tentatively spelling out her concern.

Nikloi saw she had lowered her eyes again and was twisting her hands in her lap. “We’ll continue with the same arrangements you had with your earlier owner,” he said.

“But this shop is at The Regency Palace…” she hesitated.

“You have a problem with continuing the current rent?” Nikloi cut in between.

Chrissy realized it was time to accept the terms before he changed his mind. She quickly said, “No, no. I am fine”.

“So it is, then. My team would be in touch with you to close the finer details. They would show you the place around where your new shop shall be. You may start from next week,” he stated authoritatively. She was not comfortable with his dictating terms but decided she didn’t have much say in her current position. So she stood up silently agreeing to his plan.

Just when she thought everything has been discussed, he stood up from his seat and came to her side of the table. Blocking her trapped between the table and himself, he looked darkly in her eyes and said sternly, “I don’t do business with young girls. Don’t make me regret my decision.”

Her skin singed with the insult and the hidden threat, but even more from his proximity. She wanted to insult him back but nothing came out of her mouth. She was not used to men making her conscious of her every inch like he did. She had never even realized most men noticing her. It was a pity, since she didn’t know how most men saw her simplicity and reacted naturally to it rather than show dramatic reactions.

Feeling her mouth turn dry, she just stared back at him hoping her eyes were communicating the insult her mouth wasn’t cooperating in expressing. But all her eyes did were look like two large lush green pools staring into blue ones. All of a sudden, he broke the eye contact and turned towards the glass wall and she could breathe again.

“Good day, Ms Smith,” with those quick words she was dismissed while he continued to look outside the glass wall. The man was an enigma to her – breathing down her neck one second and dismissing her as an insignificant entity the next.

Realizing she had missed the opportunity to answer him back and also knowing even if she had it, there wasn’t much she could have said or done in her current situation, she turned to move out of his room. She wanted to thank him for finally agreeing to let her keep livelihood but his last few words deterred her from expressing any gratitude to the man.

Just as she was about to open the large wooden door, she heard him call her name. She turned to see he was still standing, looking at her with strangely dark blue eyes. He said, “You should also look at changing your dressing style. This may not work in your new working environment.” Ch

rissy’s face quickly turned red and her hands went to her dress. Even though she knew what he said was right, considering that she would be working in one of the most expensive hotels in the world, being reminded of her status, in this manner, was quite hurtful.

His face was devoid of any expression but his dark eyes were constantly fixed on her face. She wanted to tell him to go to hell but swallowing her pride, she said tautly, “I will remember that.”

With that she stepped out quickly before he added another jibe at her. The man had a way of getting under her skin like no other person.

She was conscious of her limited wardrobe and also that her clothes were not very expensive kind, but being reminded that her dressing style was not appropriate for his circle was extremely vain for her.

She was never the one interested in dressing up. She had just a handful of decent clothes in her cupboard and mostly she would manage by pairing cotton tops with her jeans or trousers. These were sufficient when dealing with her earlier clients, most of them being intermediaries, dealing on behalf of someone richer and busier. In any case she had far more important things to spend her hard-earned money, than on clothes!

But she couldn’t do anything about it. Like always, Nikloi had been an insensitive brute, saying hurtful things irrespective of how she felt . Oh was it impossible to have any conversation with him without him making her feel utter disaster, she thought . Never in her life had she felt more conscious about her dress, her looks than today in that luxurious office of his. And he had to top it all it by pointing out the inappropriateness of her dress.

So she had a shop now! Finally! But not a single appropriate dress to wear to that shop. Will her life never get back to normalcy again , she writhed inside.

From his office, she went straight to her shop and made arrangements for her current stock to be packed up and delivered to the new place. She loved the place but knew she had to move on. After spending her last day at the shop, she went home and informed her mother & sister about the new shop without sharing much details. Alice was super excited that she would be working at The Regency Palace hotel but Chrissy played it down saying it was just her job and there wouldn’t be much difference compared to her earlier shop.

But in heart she knew nothing would be like it was ever again. She had received a call from a man from Nikloi’s office informing her she would have to come to Swaroski House next day to complete the necessary formalities. She went to sleep praying she would be able to live up to the new challenge in her life even as a certain dark face with narrowed eyes kept appearing in her thoughts.

Story_Continues