Chapter 19: Not in the mood
My eyes widened in shock, and I squirmed uneasily, the bizarre image of sashimi resting on my most intimate part flashing vividly before me.
Trying to push him away, I felt a sharp, amused laugh escape him as he returned to his seat, savoring his food with casual elegance.
“After dinner, I’ll send you to the beauty salon first,” Vladimir said, dabbing the corners of his mouth with a crisp white napkin. His movements were graceful and refined, as if he were performing a carefully choreographed ritual. “I’ll pick you up after your makeup is done. You should go to the party in your best state.”
After dinner, he drove me to a beauty center called TJ. The sleek black car hummed quietly as we glided through the city streets bathed in the soft glow of street lamps.
A woman in a red uniform, her face made up with heavy makeup and sharp eyeliner, greeted us at the entrance. She seemed familiar with Vladimir. Without a word, the woman nodded and immediately understood what she was supposed to do for me.
Is he a regular here? I wondered. No, this beauty salon was for women only—or rather, it seemed he used to bring other women here for beauty and body maintenance.
As a woman meticulously gave me a manicure, I tried to pry information about Vladimir’s private life from her. But every time I opened my mouth to ask, the words caught in my throat.
The clerks in the haute couture shops knew him. The restaurant manager recognized him. Everything Vladimir did was sophisticated and wrapped in mystery. Maybe the staff here were used to his constant change of company. But if that was true, then why should I care who he was with before?
After Liam and I got engaged, I rarely went to salons. Most of my time was spent doing housework and gardening, trying to be the perfect fiancée. My father even sent two middle-aged women to supervise my daily routine after the engagement.
They lived in my villa, dressed in stiff grey suits, and from day one, they assigned me daily tasks. I had to make breakfast, iron clothes for my fiancée, and even wash the dishes myself.
It wasn’t until six months after my engagement that the two stodgy women finally left. Sometimes I wondered why I had to learn all those so-called good fiancée lessons. Was it just because I was a Green woman?
I couldn’t choose who I married, and I had no right to do what I liked. All my hobbies had to revolve around my fiancée.
Maybe it was all wrong from the start.
The beautician finished with my makeup, applying soft shades that highlighted my eyes and lips. Then she brought me a long white dress. “This is a party dress Vladimir prepared for you,” she said with a knowing smile.
I slipped into the white dress and stood in front of the mirror. The diamonds sewn into the fabric glittered under the light, and the deep V-shaped back revealed just enough skin to be elegant and seductive. I fastened a water-drop sapphire necklace around my neck, its cool stone sparkling against the dress perfectly. The women around me looked on with envy, their eyes flickering with admiration and perhaps a touch of jealousy.
The attendant at the beauty salon walked me to the door. I saw Vladimir leaning casually against a sleek black Lamborghini sports car. He had changed into a dark blue dress shirt, the top buttons undone, revealing a hint of his collarbone. His deep green eyes locked onto mine, flames burning within them.
Vladimir opened the car door for me, and as I slid into the passenger seat, I saw a group of girls crowding the door, whispering and casting jealous glances.
But Vladimir didn’t give them time for gossip. The sharp roar of the car engine drowned out their voices as we sped away, their envious eyes fading behind us into the night.
“You are so beautiful,” he said, his voice low and genuine. “You surprise me every time.” One hand gripped the steering wheel, steady and sure, while the other slid slowly up my thigh, the touch gentle and deliberate.
I couldn’t help but take a deep breath. A warm current seemed to flow inside me, an unfamiliar heat spreading through my core. I clutched my handbag tightly as my cell phone suddenly rang, the shrill sound cutting through the intimate atmosphere like a knife.
“Leave it alone!” Vladimir snapped, grabbing the phone from my hand and pressing the off button with one smooth motion.
“Give me back my phone!” I demanded, startled by his sudden possessiveness. “What if someone wants to contact me?”
“I said, leave it alone!” he repeated firmly, his grip tightening on the device. “You’re mine today, and I don’t want anyone to disturb my good mood! I told you—you don’t have to worry about anything around me!”
What exactly was I worried about? Would Liam even notice I wasn’t at the hospital?
No. Liam wouldn’t worry about me. A bitter smile tugged at my lips.
“Vladimir, I promise, but you have to give me my phone back!” I said.
He handed it back, but only on his terms. “You have to keep it off until after the dance.”
“Okay,” I agreed reluctantly.
Soon we arrived at a high-class private club perched halfway up the hill, its façade lit by soft golden lights that flickered like fireflies in the night. Vladimir’s car drove straight to the grand clubhouse gate. Before stepping out, he handed me a delicate black lace mask.
As he took my hand and led me inside, I saw many men and women adorned in masks, their faces hidden but their eyes sparkling with secrets. Some cuddled closely, whispering, while others laughed with abandon. The room was a glittering gathering of the upper class, a world woven from money, jewels, and the sharp scent of expensive perfumes.
My heart jumped wildly inside my chest.
I felt like a good girl sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night, my parents none the wiser. A girl who could drink freely, dance with handsome men, and perhaps even share a secret s.ex with a hot guy in a hidden room.
Well, maybe tonight I could indulge myself—just once.
Vladimir slid his arm around my waist and led me further into the dazzling world of the rich and powerful.