I removed my mask and turned to Viktor, who stood at the end of the red carpet, in an attempt to get my attention.
I couldn’t tell if it was my imagination or not, but I could make out the appearance of the same masked man from before, this time, it seemed he was staring at my car. If I weren’t in such a foul mood, I might have found myself more than a little unnerved.
My phone began buzzing before I reached the end of the driveway, it was Viktor calling me. I couldn’t think of anything he could say that might calm me down right now. I’m not a person who gets involved with gangsters, but now that I had was it really so bad?
Viktor was still a good man, in my eyes. I had never seen him treat anyone with disrespect, and that included the few times I met his personal driver.
The odd part of the night was that I couldn’t help but find his new persona, the dangerous and wild gangster, as a serious turn on. I could feel my chest grow heavier as I thought about it more, and my brain was alight with possibility. I slept with a gangster, and I was having his baby.
I tried my best to think of something else, but the more I denied myself the pleasure, the stronger it became. I could feel myself becoming more aroused by the second. The yearning I had for his touch took over my hands, giving them a mind of their own as they caressed my gentle curves.
I was snapped from my fantasy by the car coming to a stop in front of my apartment. The driver was already walking around to my door, so I tried my best to hide my excitement.
I have a suspicion that he knew what was on my mind, considering the cheeky smile that seemed plastered on his face. My cheeks were flush with embarrassment as I half sprinted up the stairs toward my room.
Once inside my apartment I stripped the elegant gown off and felt the need for a cold shower. It was my own impulses that got me into this mess, and now I wondered how I would get out of them.
I can’t say I enjoy cold showers, but they always help kill the mood. I wondered if perhaps it was my own hormones starting to affect my mood in some fashion.
2.
I was still a little angry when I woke up. My phone had still not been turned on, and I deigned to do so. Still, I had a business that needed to be run, so begrudgingly clicked on the device.
It flashed to life and delivered several text messages and voice mails that I could already tell weren’t from prospective clients. I wasn’t interested in reading anything from Viktor, today. So, I crammed the phone in my purse.
The wind blew cold through the window I had forgotten to close; which was odd, as I rarely opened that window, but I have been known to forget my own actions in the past. The rush of cold air perked up goosebumps on my naked skin, and I relented to putting clothes on.
My dress lay on the floor, still in a heap, waiting for me to take proper care of it. I wasn’t too keen on having so expensive a thing get destroyed so soon, so I plucked it from its rest and hung it in the closet.
I wasn’t sure what it was that I saw, but I know I saw something out of place once again. My shoes, which I normally keep in proper order, had somehow found themselves disheveled. A few of my dresses as well were shoved to the wrong side of the closet, as well.
It only took a moment to put them back, but still frustrating to have even a minor amount of cleaning that need be done so early in the morning.
I kept having a nagging feeling in the back of my brain; it kept telling me to get out of there; just put everything down and leave, go see Viktor. Still, my anger at him for being what he was denied me the comfort of that possibility.
However, just because I didn’t want to go to Viktor for help didn’t mean I wouldn’t find some sort of safe haven to assuage my mounting nerves.
I dressed for work in a flash, even taking a minute to enjoy my outfit in the mirror before leaving. I always did look good in darker red clothing; it mixed well with my darker skin tone.
A creak from the hallway snapped me from my mindless admiring, and I felt a greater urgency to leave.
I took a quick peek into the hallway of my building, which was thankfully empty, and figuring it safe enough, left my apartment.
The safest place I knew was my gallery, I knew every nook and cranny, every sight and sound; it was home. It sat a fairly close two blocks away from my apartment, which was as far as I really would consider walking in the city.
I could already make out the familiar glass viewing windows, and spectacular pieces I had arranged for all to see.
I whipped out my keys and tore open the door, immediately shutting and relocking the heavy glass portal behind me. I figured the glass would, at least, let me see people coming.
My phone buzzed again, and I once again ignored it. I knew it was still Viktor trying to get my attention. With a sigh of relief, I made way for my office in the back room of the gallery, and a twist of the key brought me into the inviting cubby that was my office.