CHAPTER 87: SO HAS HIS TASTE
CHAPTER 87: SO HAS HIS TASTE
NIKOLAI’S POV:
I watched as Lily walked to the restroom, she staggered a little but I didn’t follow her since she refused. I sat back down and took out my phone to text Lev.
“Hi Nikolai”, I heard above me and I know too well whose voice that was.
“What do you want?”, I asked without bothering to spare her a glance, I heard her scoff.
“Nothing actually. I just got here then I saw you… thought I should say hi!”, Her annoying voice rang in my ear.
“Well, you thought wrong”, I finally looked at her. She had her usual conniving smile and red lipstick.
I looked to the person standing beside her and smirked, it was my beloved cousin, Anastasia. She was too afraid to meet my eyes after our previous encounter.
Elena laughed aloud, bringing my eyes back to her and I cringed. She was being loud on purpose, trying to garner attention, doing everything possible for a scandal about me and her… again.
“You haven’t changed a bit you know? Still the cold and distant Nikolai I know–“.
“Don’t get confused, you don’t know me”, I immediately corrected her without a smile.
“Oh but I do… One doesn’t change so fast”, She said again, coming closer to touch my arm and I avoided it.
“Then you need to study more, as you are not really bright when it comes to people”, I replied and the smile on her face fell.
“Nikolai, why are–“, She tried to say again but I cut her off.
“I’m done conversing with you. Go away”, I said as a warning.
I felt Lily’s presence and turned to see her, she took me off guard by kissing me in front of Elena. At first, I was surprised by her sudden action but smirked to myself as I understood what she was doing.
‘Sneaky girl’, I said to myself in satisfaction.
Lily broke the kiss and looked at Elena.
“Oh hello Lily… lovely seeing you two here”, Elena said to her.
“Hi Elena, I didn’t know you come here”, Lily replied nonchalantly.
She held my hand tightly as if reassuring me she was here for me and I smiled fondly looking at her.
“No no Lily. This is my third time here, the first was when Nikolai asked me to be his girlfriend… and the second was when we celebrated our first anniversary”, Elena said and my teeth clenched.
The tight smile on Lily’s face dropped and I felt her hand slowly loose from mine, I immediately grabbed her hand and squeezed it.
‘Shit’, I said in my head, I didn’t know what to say or how to react. I was fuming mad at Elena for saying all that to Lily. Yes, it was true but that was years ago and in the past.
As Elena tried to stir up memories of our past, I felt a familiar sense of discomfort. But before I could even process it, Lily responded with a witty remark that left me grinning.
“How lovely! but I’m sure it’s not the same table, or the same man. Nikolai’s grown and so has his taste.”, She said.
I was impressed by her quick thinking and sassiness. I squeezed her hand, trying to convey my appreciation for her defense.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!
Her response was a reminder that I’d moved on and that my heart now belonged to her.
I could see the flash of anger in Elena’s eyes and I know she was deeply embarrassed but her smile didn’t waver.
“How… amusing”, She said, her voice dripping with sweetness. She raised an eyebrow, her eyes glinting with a knowing look, before turning to leave, her head held high.
“Let’s go. I lost appetite”, Lily announced once Elena was out of sight, snatching her hand out of my grip. I stared at her retreating figure and furrowed my brows.
“Is she angry?”, I muttered to myself. I shook my head and followed behind.
***
Lily was waiting by the car with her hands crossed, she had a cute angry expression on her face making me chuckle.
I unlocked the car and was about to open the door for her.
“No need!”, She uttered and opened the door herself. I sighed and got into the driver’s seat, put on the seatbelt and started the engine.
‘What is she angry about?’, I asked myself.
I drove in silence along the highway but I was still bothered by her cold shoulders towards me. If it is about the incident with Elena, I thought she was fine with it? Or is it something else?
“Did I do something wrong–“, I turned to her to ask but she cut me off.
“Watch the road Nikolai”, She said.
“I only want to show my concern”, I said under my breath and I pouted.
We got back to the Mansion and Lily got out before I could open the door for her. With her heels in her hand, she speed walk inside and I watched her, then sighed.
***
I got to our room and Lily has already undressed, she was sitting by the dressing mirror and wiping her face. I walked up to her and placed my hand on her shoulder, she didn’t refuse my touch.
I bent and kissed her cheeks.
“What is it?”, I asked her but she didn’t say anything. Her hand that she was using to wipe her face, paused.
“Nothing”, she replied.
I pulled a chair to sit with her and our eyes met in the mirror reflection. She sighed and dropped the wipe.
“It can’t be nothing. You are clearly angry about something, what is it? Is it Elena?”.
“It’s not… that”, She said.
“Then what? The food or restaurant?”, I asked.
“Kinda… I just– forget it”, she said, but I wasn’t having it. I turned her to face me.
“Lily. You need to tell me when something is bothering you, I can’t do much if I don’t know anything”.
She sighed and looked at her fingers.
“You’re going to think I’m silly”, she said.
“I won’t”.
“It’s… back at the restaurant, y-you knew the manager by his name”.
“And that’s a problem?”, I asked in confusion, I can’t see how that was an issue.
“It was as if… as if you frequented there! Like yo-you always dined there with different… girls. And strangely my suspension was confirmed when Elena said you brought her there numerous times!!”, Lily said, avoiding eye contact.
‘That was it?’, I said to myself.
I chuckled at how cute she was when angry but she didn’t like that.
“It’s funny right?! I’m now a clown!”, She uttered and tried to stand up, I held her back.
“No it isn’t, I’m sorry I laughed”, I apologized.
Her anger wasn’t baseless, I know where she was coming from and I respect that she held her anger till it was just us.
I am not one to be touchy with my feelings, I am known to be ruthless and malicious, I don’t need to explain to anyone why I act the way I do… but when it comes to Lily, I become powerless and unable to find the right words.
“Then how do you know that Jeffrey guy? I’m not trying to sound mean but… someone like you can’t know someone like him”, she said.
“Jeffery works for me”.
“Wh-what? how?”, I saw the surprise in her face.
“It is owned by the Vladimirs. The hotel I mean”, I revealed and her eyes grew wide.
“Wait, you’re not kidding? Really?”, She asked and I nodded with a small smile.
“It is one of the many businesses my family own… and yes, I frequented there because father usually take me for meetings when I was still in Moscow. I know Jeffery because his mother used to manage the restaurant side of the hotel and she was also a good chef here in the mansion before she passed away”.
“Oh my goodness, I’m sorry. I really am sorry”, Lily starting apologizing.
“About which part?”, I joked.
“All of it… I feel so stupid, I–“.
“Hey hey hey, don’t say that! You weren’t wrong to suspect and strangely, I can say I was amused to see you jealous”.
“What? I-I wasn’t je-jealous okay!”, She said and I noticed her cheeks getting red.
“And the way you walked up to me and kissed me, fuck! That turned me on”, I teased and she held my mouth shut, blushing even more.
“That’s enough”, She whispered and I laughed, I bit the inside of her hand lightly and caught her by her waist when she flinched.
“I’m starving my Kukolka”, I said as my insides starting stirring up.
“But we just ate alo– Oohhh”, She said in realization to what I mean.
She tried to escape from my grip but I pinned her to the bed and tickled her.
“Now let’s go shower”, I said and licked my lips.