The Fancy Pants Club — Chapter 36 - Needing a Knight-In-Shining-Armor

~ Daniella ~

A whole day.

That’s what Erik told me and true to his word, we really did stay for a wondrous whole day inside his room.

He had instructed Mr. Ian through a phonecall to leave our breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals including snacks outside the main door. He also issued all club matters directed to the Vice President and even those that pertain to Iopata set aside for the next day.

Weirdly enough, not one of the club members called or texted him. I am not so sure if it was intentional or if they knew of my presence in their president’s bedroom, but the zero bothers made me feel at ease. As of the moment, I don’t want to think about how Suri and the other’s had reacted to the advancement of me and Erik’s relationship.

I doubt that they would be surprised though. I have an inkling that they knew something was up between the two of us right from the start.

Erik and I discussed a lot of things during our stay. If we were not busy moaning and groaning that is. The topics were common ones like my family, our business, the vineyard that we first met last year, and me in general. He discovered many things about me by forcing me to confess. Some of these are my craziness about cookie butter, my inability to swim in deep waters, my fear of koalas, and my advanced college degree.

I on the other hand learned little about him other than his allergy to peanut butter, his hate for puppies, and him being certified and a black belt in all martial arts-related courses. He mentioned about his childhood life, about being an orphan since birth and raised by Dominican nuns, but that was that. He never added more to it and I didn’t dare delve deeper as the sudden cold, lifelessness of his eyes was clue enough for me to stop.

There was only one word to describe Erik during our whole-day stay and it was: robust.

I tell you, as expected of a man who just got ripped from his celibate life, he sure took advantage of it. We made love on all corners of the room and for crying out loud, he almost caused my voice to sound hoarse from shouting out too much. He made me feel like a Goddess hallowed by a lowly man. As opposed to his rude and insensitive attitude a month ago, he was sensitive to my needs and took care of them like he was my servant.

My heart, if it wasn’t swollen enough, swelled again and again and because of that, he almost, almost choked out the coveted three words from me in our twelfth lovemaking.

Late in the morning, the next day was the time I was finally able to return in my own room. Erik, although against his wishes, left me to take care of an urgent matter that he received through text message early in the morning from Vincent. It said that Luca Tristram, their inside man in the Bratva, had arrived since yesterday.

He left me in front of my door still wearing the overused black bathrobe and after a soul-searching, heavily passionate kiss. Yeah, we almost made love right in front of the door for that matter.

Everything was just as I remembered to be in my room. Even the royal blue shimmering gown remained in its same position: in a hanger hung inside my walled closet. Since I already bathed together with Erik in the Jacuzzi, I went straight ahead to dress with a pink off-shoulder sleeved blouse and black slacks.

Once done, I strode towards my bedside table to check on my phone. There was a message in it coming from Suri telling me to have lunch with her in a restaurant near Alec’s boutique and to bring the gown with me. Smiling, I typed in a ‘Yes’ and a ‘See you two hours from now’ reply.

Her response came quickly with a ‘Looking forward to it’ message complete with a cute smiley.

From where I stood, the queen-size bed beckoned me to look. I did and my breath immediately hitched when I saw what was in front of me. I placed a hand in my chest as I stared at the rumpled white sheet wherein the evidence of Erik’s conquest of my virginity lay, reduced to a dark, dull red stain.

Pain and pleasure mixed together were what I could remember at that moment and it made me feel warm inside having remembered how gentle he was that time with me.

I hastened to pull the sheet out and dropped it in the laundry basket grinning to myself. Surely, the chateau laundry staff would have wild imaginations tonight.

I went back to my bedroom and stood in front of the vanity mirror. I’ve heard about stories that women change after their first night with the man they love. In a physical or emotional sense? I don’t know, but the answer made me curious.

A change after their first night... I’m not so sure about this since I am now standing in the mirror after my second night with Erik. Other than my backside sore, my energy slightly drained, and my muscles overworked (including the one below that had received thorough attention), there was nothing significant to say that I really have changed.

A change after their first night with the man they love... Now, that made my insides clench.

“I love him...” I whispered softly as I watched my glowing reflection. Eye-to-eye with myself, there was suddenly a realization inside me and that was the irrevocable truth of my feelings for Erik.

“Yes, I love him!” I said it loudly and clearly as if trying to nail it inside my heart.

But I don’t know why two rogue tears fell from my eyes then.

Maybe because I regretted that I wasn’t able to tell this to him when we were still together. Maybe because my heart just swelled with it so much that I wanted it released. Maybe because I was dying now to tell it to him!

With a deep breath, I nodded at my reflection with newfound determination. I will tell him. I will tell him the three overflowing words this instant!

I speedily strode out of my room leaving my cellphone behind, but without any idea where to find him, I went back inside to get the gadget.

Along the west hallway, I pressed his cellphone number with a quick thumb to call him instead. No, not to confess on the phone, but to just ask where he was.

After a few rings, he accepted my call.

“Daniella,” his husky voice filtered through my ears, “are you okay?”

On impulse, I bit my pinky finger like a high school girl and squealed silently in my head.

“Ah, if you mean I’m-in-love-with-you okay, then yes, I’m okay,” I blurted out suddenly and after realizing what I have just said, I bit my bottom lip enough to cause soreness.

I heard a quick, short inhale and then a long release of breath before he answered me softly, “We will talk about this later, is it fine with you? I am surrounded by willing ears and I am too selfish to share this moment with them.”

Then I heard a disappointed groan from someone. It sounded like Rohan.

“Ye-yes,” I stammered, “Okay, later then.”

Partly, my shoulders slumped of disappointment. It seems that Rohan wasn’t the only one feeling it. I was so intent on telling him my feelings that his sudden ‘talk to you later’ slapped me to the ground.

Partly, however, I was relieved. Of course, I also don’t want to share this precious moment with others. This was me and Erik’s alone.

With a deep sigh, I ended the call and returned to my room. For an hour, I stayed there fixing my hair into a ponytail and adding light make-up in my face. Then, a knock came at my door. It was unhurried but demanding attention nonetheless.

At first, I thought it was Erik, so I readied a shy smile, but when I opened the door, a man pretty much as tall as Erik stood with a bored expression. One hand was dipped inside the pocket of his black jeans while the other was dangling at the side. He wore a white v-neck shirt, covered by a black leather jacket.

My ready shy smile disappeared.

Not my Erik, was my first thought as I stared at his bad-boy bearded appearance.

“Uh, yes?” I spoke, confused about his presence.

His pale green eyes regarded me from head to foot, then back to my face. He smirked then; one that I find a tad bit irr— no, really irritating.

“Adequate enough,” was his confusing answer. His voice had a slight touch of a Russian accent in it.

I raised one brow and crossed my arms to my chest. “What was that again? I didn’t catch your name, Mr?”

“Luca, Daniella. Luca Tristram. Register that in your brain.”

I wasn’t sure if I should be surprised by his unexpected appearance or with his spiky command, but either way, it left me stunned enough to fail to see his following actions.

That one hand that was dangling earlier suddenly reached out and grabbed my left arm. With one forceful pull, my face landed against his chest. The other hand that was hiding in his pants pocket cupped my chin and raised my face up.

I didn’t have time to do anything when my pupils constricted.

Shit.

The asshole just kissed me! He fucking kissed me!

I immediately felt the contents of my breakfast together with Erik traveling up my throat.

His lips melded with mine as soft as any other men’s lips, but it was definitely not the same as that of Erik! Not similar at all!

Summoning strength, both of my hands pushed his face away in success. Then, with the right hand up, I quickly targeted his cheeks for a powerful slap.

It connected.

He hissed in response and nursed his affected cheek with the palm of his hand. I can bet my passport that it was throbbing in pain.

I glared at him; anger and irritation evident in my eyes, while he... the bastard, just looked at me with amusement.

“It seems you taste as good as you look: torturously sweet with a dash of fire. He is going to like you.”

What the hell?

I narrowed my eyes just as I wiped the wetness off of my lips with the sleeve of my blouse.

“Are you mocking with me, Luca? Last time I checked, it was Erik who bagged that award!”

His amusement increased a thousandfold. “Ah! And with a sharp tongue too!” he shouted in mock celebration. He stepped closer to me and placed his elbow against the door frame. “Great! Now, I’m certain he will love you.”

I stepped backward and clenched my teeth.

“Why did you kiss me? And who, for God’s sake, are you pertaining to?”

Certainly, this ‘he’ he kept on mentioning doesn’t include one of the club members.

He shrugged his shoulders and returned to his original bad-boy bored look. The amused expression had vanished in his face.

“I will have to keep you guessing, babe. See you outside.”

He waved a hand and then strode away from my door.

I was left with my mouth hanging open.

No wonder the Iopata boss accepted him, he has a loathsome attitude. A man like him definitely suits well in a mafia group. No doubt about it.

After quickly closing the door, I decided to calm myself, so I went to my balcony and sat there for another half an hour.

I thought about Luca’s words and how it could be nonsensical and significant at the same time.

Probably, he was just messing around with me, but on second thought, there could be something behind his words. I am no detective but for all I know, he was dropping clues.

I thought about his actions and the fact that he kissed me and deliberated whether I should tell this to Erik or not.

Before I could find a good conclusion though, another knock came at my door and this time it was coupled with the muffled voice of Suri saying, “Dani girl! Come! Let’s eat!”

Suri and I first dropped the gowns in Alec’s boutique, leaving them with one of his assistants to take care because he was at the meeting with Erik and the other’s back in the chateau. Apparently, Alec wanted to keep the gowns for us since he had a technique on how to store and preserve their beauty.

Right after that, we continued to the restaurant located across the boutique. It was a French restaurant that Suri and Amano have been frequenting since the Club was established.

When Suri was all prim and proper since we left the chateau, now she was attacking me with intense giddiness just like Ericka would when talking about my love life.

“I knew it! I knew it that Prez has feelings for you!” she exclaimed whilst clutching my hand with her own across the table we were in.

I had to look from side to side just to make sure she didn’t bother the other customers with her jubilant voice.

“Shhh, Suri keep your voice down,” I stated with a half-pleading, half-shy stare.

“Ooops, sorry,” she dipped her head in apology and then beamed another smile at me. “But seriously, when I found out that he had bumped into a woman in the middle of a mission and that he had been keeping a picture of that woman in his office, I knew that he was head-over-heels in love with her. And when I found out that that woman was in the chateau,” she then pointed her nail-polished pointy finger at me and grinned, “specifically you, I was ecstatic!”

My curiosity flag was immediately hoisted up. “Are you saying that you knew all along about our past?”

“Pshhh, duh,” she gave me a goofy smile. “All of us knew about that particular early morning, in a vineyard barn, where a woman just jumped in front of our Prez to save his less-than spicy life.”

“Wow,” I felt myself blush. “That’s why Vincent and Rohan had been dropping hints on me when I first came in the chateau.”

“Dani, all of us are happy for you and Prez.” She gave me a warm smile that was quickly overlapped by a guilty-sorry expression. “And I am not going to lie that we were relieved that his tyranny will be over because he has found you.”

“You guys are so sly,” I thinned my eyes and then smiled at her.

“Well, we support our beloved Prez to the moon and back.” She winked at me and then ate her strawberry shortcake.

The rest of our conversation contained about the success of the ball, about upcoming celebrity parties, about the Club while I was away, and my three-week unexpected stay in New York. I mentioned to her about my current birthday party project for a man named ‘Nikola Aristov’ sponsored by my client, ‘Mr. Hyde Startsev’ and that it was going to be held in the President’s Hall of the chateau. I told her that it was my personal project but I had my friends/workmates do most of the other details and the reservation of the hall.

She listened and nodded her understanding the whole time, but then asked something that got me choking on my orange juice.

“By the way, have you met Luca Tristram yet?”

I watched her with my brows arched higher than the usual.

“Huh?”

“He is one of the club members remember? He just arrived yesterday from Russia bearing important Iopata news for the Club. You should meet him, he is a charmer, but not as charming as your man.”

She then winked at me.

“Ahh, ha ha.” I rolled my eyes playfully.

I don’t want to lie to her so I kept myself silent and let her assume that I haven’t met the man. Although I would want to tell her about the stolen kiss Luca got from me, it was better this way that she didn’t know. As I said, I had already erased that bothersome memory away, and to tell her about that now would invite unwelcomed questions from her... and an unsavory scowl from Erik.

“Hey, Dani, I want to tell you something,” she then stated after a few minutes of silent eating.

From being comfortable earlier, now she suddenly released the utensils and fidgeted with her fingers.

“What is it, Suri? Do you have a problem?” I asked, quickly worried with her. I placed the glass on the table and focused my attention on her.

“Well, you see, Amano and I, we...” Her cheeks then blushed a deep red. Her stare shifted from mine to the floor and continued, “We are getting married.”

“Seriously?!” I squeaked in excitement. I almost stood up from my seat out of happiness. I grabbed her tensed hand and gazed at her with big eyes. “Wow, Suri! That’s great news!”

“I know right?” Her stiff shoulder then relaxed. “This is the ring that Amano gave me.”

I dipped my gaze on the blue sapphire ring that sat royally in her ring finger. I have noticed it since she fetched me in my room, but thought of it as just an anniversary present. “Wow, congratulations Suri. I’m so happy for you!”

But then, my happiness was short-lived. Why? Because there was suddenly a black van that crashed inside the restaurant’s glass wall.

Our table was not affected by the crash, thank God, as it was situated at a far corner against the brick wall but it still elicited a shriek from us.

As five burly men in black masks disembarked the van, Suri and I just sat in our seats too stunned to run for safety. I felt her grip my hand under the table as one of the men pulled out a 0.45 caliber handgun from his black trench coat and released two bullets straight to the ceiling.

“Nobody move or else the next bullet will be inside your head!”

I heard the other customers wail in panic after hearing it, but a waiter near us stupidly did the opposite. He ran towards the back door but the armed man gunned him down in the head just like he promised. He lay dead on the aisle near us.

Another wail from mostly women came instantly and I swear I heard myself join in with them whilst staring at the lifeless body.

Breathing unevenly, I pressed myself against the brick wall and acted like a statue. Suri did the same and I was aware her pulse and breathing were just as fast as mine.

Then my jaw dropped as I looked at her.

As opposed to my horrified expression, hers was with determination looking at the commotion in front of us. God, she looked as if she was Scarlett Johansson ready to kick ass a mad man.

Certainly, she’s not thinking about fighting them?!

“Suri?” I strained to call her.

“You stay still, Dani. Just stay still,” she grounded without looking at me. Whatever sweetness she had on her was gone. She looked like a badass chick staring at a bully ready to cut his pe*nis. “They will not harm us if we just stay still. Let them rob this restaurant to their heart’s content.”

Oh but apparently, money was not what the men wanted. It was me, and I realized that when I saw the armed man gliding directly towards me.