A smile formed on my face when Alexander kissed my cheek before heading off to his office. Finally, life was normal. We weren't in Venice, he wasn't talking to me, we were working, and there was Laureli about to compliment me... ah, life was normal.
"Mrs. Vaslievna, you look lovely. That color suits you very well. How was your trip?" Laureli asked with a very chirpy attitude.
I couldn't help but smile back.
I was wearing a pale turquoise dress, similar to a robin's egg, with black outlines on my sleeves and shoulder, and a bow in the same outline. I had stilettos with a strange design print and stone earrings.
"It was... refreshing. The city's looked just like they did in pictures. But it is good to be back to my normal life."
"That's good to hear. We have some news for you."
I frowned. Okay so maybe life wasn't exactly back to normal just quite yet.
"Yes, it is a secret package. No flowers, just a package. We didn't open it, but we can go ahead and do that for you if you would like." Laureli trailed off with a worried look plastered on her previous eager face.
"No, thank you, Laureli. Thank you so much for keeping an eye on everything and giving me all the information. I really do appreciate it."
I hurried to my office to see what this secret package was all about.
A neatly wrapped silver box, with a large red bow on top, sat in the middle of the desk. It looked like a Christmas gift, even though it was almost the end of July. I hesitantly reached over and stroked my fingers along the edge of the box.
My threatener didn't really seem to be the attacker type, and so I decided it would be safe to open this mysterious Christmas box.
I opened the lid and found a note that lay on top of white fabric.
Wear this tonight.
XOXO
I frowned. Okay, that was weird. Wear this to what exactly? And how am I supposed to get there? If I remembered correctly, Alexander wouldn't allow me to leave anywhere and somehow I thought my secret admirer knew that.
I sat at my desk and was about to see what was actually inside the box but a knock interrupted me. I had about three milliseconds to get rid of this box before someone, perhaps Alexander waltzed in and saw very strange gifts from very strange men.
I threw the box underneath my desk, and just in time because Alexander opened the door. Thank God he was taught to knock before entering.
"Yes?"
"We're going to an evening party that is being hosted in honor of the opening of a new hotel of somebody that I know. Dress well. We're leaving the office at five, and then heading for the party from our house at seven. Makes sense?"
I nodded. He left and I let out a deep breath.
'Okay, so I guess that's the event I am supposed to wear this to.'
Once more, I was about to reach under my desk and pull out the package to see exactly what it is that I'm wearing but the phone rang.
Of course.
I sighed and answer. I had to work, I couldn't' think about strange packages and secret admirers.
~ ~ ~
We were at the house. Alexander had come into my office exactly at four fifty-seven, and we drove off at exactly five. My husband was a very punctual man.
I had no idea how I was going to shove the box underneath my dress or jacket, but then I simply asked Laureli to deliver the box to me when I arrived. If Alexander questioned anything, I would tell him I ordered an outfit for tonight.
Thankfully, when Laureli came with my Christmas box, Alexander didn't leave his room, and so I was able to quickly sneak it into my room.
I finally opened the box and pulled out a very pretty dress... surprisingly.
Or actually not too surprising. This threatener didn't really harm me or embarrass me so I suppose this wasn't very surprising at all.
I had an hour and a half left so I quickly began to get ready. I did my hair, makeup, all that cool and fancy stuff. I really wished that Alexander would tell me exactly what it I would have to be expecting.
'You know what, I'm gonna make my makeup a little darker... fill it up with glitter. Just to be a little unexpecting.'
I smiled at myself in my mirror and then began to add a few red streaks of red glitter on my eyes and lips. I added a few gems underneath my eyebrows and then smiled at myself. It wasn't anything too strange and crazy. I simply added a little... spark.
I only had a few minutes remaining so I quickly undressed and then took out the white dress that I had been nicely asked to wear.
I definitely didn't mind, though. It was a very gorgeous dress. Apparently, Alexander liked it as well, for he smield as he looked me up and down when he entered the living room.
The cream-colored textured dress was in two pieces, a shorter piece that came to my midthighs, and a longer piece that went on top and trailed off in the back, all the down to the floor. It was cut at the front, so the shorter piece was able to be seen.
Red and gold flowers trailed up to my shoulders, where the cream fabric trailed off to a sheer cream fabric. I matched the dress to pure white stilettos.
"I see you have gotten ready. Then it's time for us to go."
Alexander placed his hand on the small of my back and led me out of the house and into our car. Other than his hand on my back, he provided no other physical or emotional encouragement. His eyes were once more cold.
In some ways, that made me feel better. He wasn't acting strange and he was my normal husband. On the other hand, I wanted someone to talk to and embrace and lean on... after all, I was actually wearing a dress that a threatener had me wear.
But I knew that it was no use in hoping. And so, silently, and without any emotions in the air, we drove to the hotel. It was a massive building, with beautiful and modern architecture. There was music coming from the building, but it wasn't the DJ college party music, but it wasn't exactly ball music either. It was like a happy medium of the two.
Alexander, being the perfect gentleman, gave me a hand out of the car and led me inside.
The lobby was filled with many faces that I did not know. All of them were dressed in either expensive suits or beautiful, and somewhat prostitute dresses. Either way, I felt that I fit in here, especially with Alexander at my side.
"Mr. Vasiliev. You look great! Is this your wife?"
My husband nodded and introduced me to the man. A woman came up to him and gawked at me.
"Oh, your dress! It's so... breathtaking! I love it!"
I smiled sweetly, but extremely fakely. "Thank you. You look extremely nice as well, especially those gems on your necklace."
"Oh, thank you, you're too kind."
"Oh, I do agree though, that dress is just pure beauty." Another woman piped in and the man that had come with her began to eye me.
I'm not sure if Alexander noticed, but he didn't seem to do anything. Hopefully, that meant he didn't notice.
I wanted to drive a knife through all of these ladies. They were all so awfully fake...
I shook my head. So was I though, so who was I to judge?
I missed my old Russian, simple life. The Russian women were so much more real. There was a little fakeness, but for the most part, the women would treat each other exactly how they thought they should. No fakeness.
I walked off. I didn't care if Alexander didn't want me to go around by myself, but I had to get away from the group.
'What was happening?'Â I thought as I sipped some champagne and then proceeded to eat the refreshments. I shoved two little cracker cheese and super expensive vegetable or was it a fish, or some sauce... whatever it was, it tasted good so I shoved a few more.
'What is going on with me?' I am usually a very respectable and mannerful person. I didn't eat during parties, I definitely never walked away from Alexander, and I would never make my makeup glittery.
And okay, I wasn't the only one acting strangely.
What had gotten into Alexander? He had taken me to a ball, a foreign country, and now this grand opening party. He would never go to these things.
In fact, Alexander hated going to social gatherings, especially social gatherings sponsored by people like us, and rivals. And he would never go out to eat dinner with his work buddies. What was going on?
I would have shoved my face with more of those delicious expensive crackers, but a man came up behind me.
"Maria Vasilievna. You've got quite an appetite."
I froze at the sound of the familiar, deep and heavily accented voice.
I felt the man's breath on my neck as he said, "I've got a message for you."
He reached over, his hands 'accidentally' rubbing against my body as he placed a white envelope with a red seal on the table.
Before I could catch a glimpse of the man, he left and I took the envelope. Suddenly, I felt very sick to my stomach and didn't want any more of the food. My hands were slightly shaking as I oepend the envelope.
'Miss Maria,
I'm glad you wore the dress. You look ravishing.
I have only one favor.
Sabotage the party.'
Okay, so the rational thing would be for me to go get Alexander and get out of here. But my rational thinking had taken a vacation these past weeks.
So of course, I quickly ripped up the letter and threw it in the trash. I would honestly love to sabotage this depressing party. I was tired and sick of everything going on around me and I would love to leave this place.
With a little plan forming in my mind, I took another cracker and headed to Alexander, where a group of his colleagues had already gathered.
"Mr. Vasiliev! Is this your wife? Oh, she is one beautiful woman." His friend commented, as his eyes trailed hungrily across my body.
Thank you, Lord, Alexander noticed his lusty eyes on me and tugged me very territorially to him. He placed his hand on the small of my back... well, actually a little bit lower, much lower than I would have deemed comfortable.
"Yes, yes, she is." His eyes glazed over with an emotion.
I couldn't quite put my finger on what emotion, but his usually dark eyes became almost a light blue; I couldn't say if it was from the sudden emotion or from the lights, but either way, he felt like the man I had fallen in love with and that little spark in my heart ignited once more, melting me inside out.
He pressed me tightly, tightly to his strong body, and slowly leaned down to kiss me, long and hard.
He pulled away and longingly looked into my eyes, and I could see a smile in his eyes. Oh, he felt so real and so human, unlike his usual robot self.
When he looked at me, the lights stopped twinkling, the music stopped playing, the guests stop talking, and it was pure silence as time froze. I could feel his pulse, and if I tried hard enough, I could even hear his heart beating. I felt his breath on my neck, and every single molecule in my body burned when his soft fingertips made the slightest contact with my cheek as he caringly brushed a strand of my hair behind my ear.
"Let's go, Maria."
I shook myself out of the trance that I was in. I nodded and took his hand as he led me to some corner.
"Would you like anything to drink?"
With a small smile, I nodded.
"Wait for me here," He whispered in a very husky, low voice that immediately sent a shiver down my spine.
He pressed a hard kiss to my cheek and hurried off.
'I love you, Alexander. But I'm sorry I have to do this.' I whispered silently into the air.
I quickly whirled around and quietly made my way to the elevators. You see, when I was busily eating those crackers I noticed that everyone was huddled at the food, drinks, and music, which was quite away from the elevators. Now, since I had been in a few hotels, I knew that I simply had to take the elevators to the electrician's room, which could be either in the basement or at the top floor, next to the roof.
'This is a hotel, however, and it's more likely that they would have an electrician's office in the basement so it would be completely away from guests and rooms.'
I only had one shot at this and so I couldn't fail. I decided to go to the basement.
The elevator doors opened and as soon as I stepped out, I quickly took a look at where the stairs where. When I turned off the electricity, who knows what would happen to the elevators.
I sprinted across the hall, looking for anything that would resemble an electrician's office. It felt like 10 minutes passed by, but in reality, it was only thirty seconds before I was already inside the office. There was a large box hanging in a dark room that was full of pipes and wires and if I cut off just one then I'd be set.
'Okay, Maria. You've got three seconds to get out of here.'
I closed my eyes and quickly cut away a few of the wires. It went black and silent and I ran out. I ran to the stairs that I had located previously, and then to the lobby, but not before I made sure that all my fingerprints were wiped off the handles and wires and boxes.
People were in a panic, and that's exactly what I needed. I hurried to the security office I had seen on our way in.
I would need to erase the hard drive with the videos of me crawling into the office. I knew a thing or two about computers and whatnot, and so it only took me a minute to erase the files. I made sure to wipe my fingerprints from the keyboard and mouse, as well as the handles.
I ran back to the spot where I was supposed to meet Alexander. He still wasn't there. He probably went to look for me here, and when I wasn't here, he left to search.
I sat down on a nearby chair, my body shaking.
I would never do something like this again. Oh God, this was so nervewracking. And what did that do the nice people who owned the hotel? And what would the threatener want out of this? What could he do? To me? To the owner? Even to Alexander?
"Maria!"
I heard Alexander's voice and I lifted my head to see him running towards me.
I stood up, but immediately all the blood rushed to my head and I felt faint. The events of the night slowly began to register in my brain as I began to realize what I did and what was happening.
"No, no... Alexander!" I cried out and then my world went black as I felt my body falling.