"Are you sure she will come? Sacha asked Dimitri for the umpteenth time. He was already feeling antsy. She was meant to be at the restaurant an hour earlier and she was yet to show up.
" She will, she is always late," Dimitri answered sipping his whiskey.
" You never told me how you get along with her considering she has been the topic of gossip and people refering to her as the ice princess," Sacha stated trying to calm down. They were in Dimitri's office.
" You never asked besides, the little time I have spent with Miss Tati has been very enjoyable though it's mostly business, she is a good listener and gets to challenge me sometimes when she doesn't agree with me. As you know am not fond of gossip therefore I try as much as I can to see her for who she really is and not just follow what everyone else is saying about her," he answered.
" You are right. If I form a perception due to the news flying around, I come to a biased conclusion. I will just wait for her. See the real Miss Tati."
" I said no calling me Miss Tati," Tatiana chastised as she rushed into Dimitri office. " I am so sorry Dima, I had a family emergency that I couldn't get out of. Anyways am here now what's the favour?" She rushed in giving Dimitri a quick hug.
The room was silent as both men looked at her as she spoke. Sacha from fascination from finally being close to her. They ran in the same circle but Tati was always out of reach. Dimitri looked at her with so much admiration, a feeling he didn't know he possessed. Even as he hugged her, he realised he didn't want to let go he had come to appreciate the little hugs they shared. She grabbed his glass of whiskey without asking gulping drink in one go as if it was nothing.
" Are you just going to stare at me? She asked occupying the empty chair in the room.
" I am just shocked that you gulped my whiskey without even flinching," Dimitri said still perplexed at her.
" And I am just reeling from the fact that Tatiana Ricci-Stepanov is seated across from me," Sacha said smiling from ear to ear.
Tati hadn't noticed him because of the dim light in the room. When realization hit. She quickly slapped her hand on her mouth in shock. " Oh my God, Dimitri why didn't you tell me I was sitting with a legend," she said standing up walking towards Sacha.
Sacha quickly stood up smiling sheepishly. He glanced towards Dimitri who shrugged laughing at the exchange. Sacha raised his eyebrows not believing how relaxed Dimitri was. He was pulled into a tight hug before she went to seat back down.
" I am so sorry that I interrupted your meeting. I will just hear the favour then I will be out of your hair," she apologized.
" Unfortunately you can't do that and you were not interrupting anything. The legend is the one who needs your favour," Dimitri interjected when he realised she wanted to say something more.
Her eyes enlarged like saucers as she looked at Sacha. " Ok, I am surprised that you wanted a favour from me. I have admired your work from a distance. Got all your music and followed your work closely but never in a million years have I ever thought that you would want me to do anything for you."
Dimitri walked around the table and refilled her glass. He then went into the other side of the office so he could give them space to plan what Sacha had in mind. Even as he walked away, Dimitri chose to sit in a position where he could clearly have a view of her. He didn't know what was coming over him. But lately he had been finding himself thinking about her a lot. He thought about little things he had never paid attention to in any women. He noticed he liked her short hair, how she always put on her heels which made her almost the same height as he was. He liked how she snorted when she laughed hard or when she rolled her eyes at him. He liked how she always put her family first and how she treated his men with respect. Every time he sent them on security duty, they would come back complementing her. She had bought each one of them something to appreciate them whenever they went out. He quickly cleared his head to get those thoughts out of his mind. He knew that nothing could come out of him wanting anything with her. He made a mental note to himself to call his lay. In his mind, he knew he wasn't good for her.
" So what project did you have in mind? He heard Tati ask.
He noticed how she leaned forward something he had noticed she liked doing especially if he was paying attention to something someone was saying.
" I have been trying to get our people to plan a meeting. I have written a song and I would very much like you to feature in that song as my leading lady," Sacha said. Dimitri noticed how uncomfortable he was. He really hoped she wouldn't turn him down.
" My manager and I aren't really talking now. I want to be truthful and she just wants to please the press especially with this ice princess nonsense. I just sent her on a vacation so she can be away from me because she is driving me crazy.
" What kind of song is this? She asked curiously.
" The world is a beautiful place with so many different people. Society only teaches us about certain things, how we should behave, and has also tried to define what beauty is. But beauty is what each and everyone one of us sees even when we are unique. You are so unique as you are beautiful. I want to sing something that breaks those barriers and show that all of us are beautiful on our own way," he explained looking straight into her eyes not breaking eye contact. Something he had learnt from Dimitri growing up.
" Wow, that is so deep. Why me though? The scandal surrounding me right now might not make you popular among your peers and fans. I don't want to compromise your career."
Sacha looked at her thoughtfully, he could fathom the idea that she was putting him first instead of jumping onto the idea and making money for herself. Tati was indeed different.
" You have no idea how many times I have paid publicists to change a narrative to fit what I wanted. When you are popular among people, you can't always please the fan base you attract. I frankly don't know why the news about you is so negative right now. What I know is I want you in my video and despite what everyone thinks at this moment, what matters is what is in your conscience and the fact you know that you didn't do anything wrong. I don't care what other people think. I care that I make music that will make someone suffering somewhere in the world feel like they aren't alone and they are important no matter how small they feel."
" I like what you have said. It doesn't matter what is going on in our lives. What matters is we make something better for someone who has it worse than we do."
" So, what do you think? Will you do me the honour of being my leading lady? He asked expectedly.
" Yes, I will be your leading lady," she replied happily. Sacha screamed happily standing up pulling her in the process for a hug.
" I really appreciate this. I promise you that you will not regret this."
" I hope not because I wish that with this kind of music we can reach anyone waking up with doubts and fear of just being who they are."
They were silent for a while seeping their drinks when Sacha asked," why do they call you the ice princess anyways?
Tati sat silently playing with the glass. She didn't even look up to acknowledge him. She had never told anyone what really want down but she really wanted to tell someone so she could get it off her chest.
" I couldn't give Bonifazio what he wanted," she finally replied.
" You don't have to tell me anything. I have a feeling that whatever you want to tell me is painful for you. Sometimes I get nosy and ruin everything," Sacha told her when he noticed her discomfort.
" It's ok, I have wanted to tell someone something and get advice on the feelings I have but I know my dads will rush off and beat him up even before I am done explaining what happened. I see how they become so angry but can't do anything. My family will always protect me and I don't want them to be in my business. So I decided to keep quiet and avoid the topic entirely which has made me realize that avoidance actually doesn't help solve issues." She took a deep breath before she began her story.
" He and I met at an art gala. I love art so much so a starving artist I met was showing her art and I, off course got the invite. Bonifazio was there and I felt like we had an instant connection which I later found out was all planned. When I started talking about the art he didn't know much but I just thought maybe he is still new at this. That should have been the first sign but he made me laugh and I just thought what the hell. He makes me laugh with his stupid jokes so I will just go along.
When we broke up I realized that all along he was the reason I doubted myself. The snide comments he would make about my height, my skin condition, my charities, my parents and my life style. I ignored them because I thought that I was in love. He wanted to control me but I would never allow that. My parents raised me to be in control, to fight for what I wanted and to ensure that no man would ever put me down.
I liked him, but one thing I couldn't do was sleep with him. He always arranged for intimate dinners, late night events so that I could spend the night either at his penthouse or hotel room if it was a distance where we couldn't get back home on time. I was always ahead of him and pulled out before anything went too far. Then one of the nights after a friend's birthday,he invited me to his place where we started drinking. I guess I lost track of time and how much we had drank until I saw three wine bottles just lying around. Thank goodness for my high alcohol tolerance. He thought that he would smooth things out by getting me drank. He then started saying how he wanted to make love to me. He started touching me in ways I didn't appreciate which made me push him away. He was so angry he slapped me so hard I burst my lip. I struggled against him and rushed to his bathroom locking the door behind me. After I calmed down I tiptoed out of it not wanting to alert him that I was leaving. I saw him walk to the balcony where I followed him and hid behind the pillar as he talked on the phone because I had this feeling that he was up to no good. I know ten languages. My dad's insisted I learn especially for business. I also know sign language and I can read people's lips from a distance. That night is when I realised that I was just a bet and he was quickly losing patience because he hadn't slept with me. He was going to lose a big bet and he wasn't going to have that. He couldn't let me slip from his fingers.
I read his lips as he told the other person that he was slowly losing his patience and he was starting to feel disgusting and doubted if I had any feelings. He then went on to give details of what he was going to do to me. He had bought date rape pills for plan B since the alcohol wasn't getting me as drank as he wanted. I felt stupid, dirty and sick to my stomach that I had seen the signs but never did anything about it. The worst was that I was disgusted with myself. For the first time I felt angry, hopeless and bitter towards my mom and even blamed her for my skin. So I left the penthouse in tears went to my uncles house and spent the night. Bless my uncle he never asked what happened. But I could see him fuming even as he and my aunt held me until I cried myself to sleep. To this day, he never said anything to my parents, which I have come to appreciate.
Next morning I woke up to the news that I was the ice princess. He had a black eye and a bursted lip. He said I had been abusive in our relationship and he had been hiding it because he was in love with me. He gave details to the the paparazzi about how I was cold and unemotional and even I couldn't be moved by romantic touches. That I was frigid. He even insinuated that I could be hiding my real gender in women's clothing due to my height. Said he doubted my sexuality because I never undressed in front of him or went swimming with him which was all lies. I never told anyone what happened that night out of embarrassment. For the first time in my life I felt helpless." She finished in tears.
" I am so sorry you went through such a bad experience. But I am just surprised you haven't told anyone not even try to clear your name." Sacha took her hand in his to comfort her as he handed her his handkerchief.
" Because I don't have time for the back and forth with Bonifazio. I have a feeling that if I start exchanging words with him, I will give him airtime which I don't want to. He gets off on making people feel miserable but I am going to watch from a distance as he digs a hole deep enough for himself then I will strike hitting him hard. I don't plan on playing dirty because I am better than that, I plan to play wiser because when I strike? He will not know what hit him. By then it will be too difficult for him to get out of the hole he would have dug for himself. I am not a mean person who enjoys when people suffer but I am mean when it comes to my family and my reputation.By the time I am done with him, he will regret why he met me. He will be a speck of dirt beneath my feet."
" Remind me never to mess with you," he said laughing which made her laugh too. You are the bigger person in this story which is good. He is a bully and bullies need to be punished. I like that you have trusted me enough to tell me what you experienced. My lips are sealed no one will know what we shared this night apart from Dimitri but I think he sat in that corner and passed out."
" I really appreciate that you patiently sat and listened. I guess it's true what they say, it's easier to talk to a stranger. She stood up and stretched. " She moved towards him giving him a tight hug. Thanks again and to new friendships, she said clicking there glasses before she took one last sip. I have to be on my way now. I have a wedding to plan tomorrow. She went through her purse and got her business card. " Call me anytime so we can plan and don't make any plans through our managers. They can be crazy," she said walking towards the door.
"Goodnight Miss Tati, he shouted as she walked out. He heard a snicker before she replied," goodnight smarty pants and thank you for listening."
She closed the door behind her. He heard the receding footsteps when he sighed and sipped on his whisky.
" I know you aren't sleeping and maybe you are planning on getting that son of a bitch and putting a bullet in his skull."
" How did you know I wasn't sleeping? Dimitri asked getting up from his chair and walking towards his liquor cabinet.
" Because I see the way you look at her. You might deny it and say that you are just friends, but I took in all your reactions from the moment she walked in and sat here with me. I could see you pretend to work but you were listening. You have gone a long time denying what is good for you. I think she will make a good partner for you. I think you should ask her out."
" Ask her out? Sacha, have you lost your mind. Tati will never date someone like me. She knows what I do for a leaving and besides I don't think I can even begin to think I can have a normal dating life. I have demons both past and present plus I will just be putting her in danger. I can't do that to her."
Sacha sighed standing up. He was a bit wobbly from the alcohol he had consumed. " You got to stop punishing yourself and live a happy life. Not all women are like her you know. Some are just as broken as you are. You might not see it now, but you would make a cute couple."
He walked away leaving Dimitri surprised at his words.
" Sach, you were right," he said making him stop at the door.
He turned around looking at him with a raised eyebrow confused at what he meant.
"I am thinking of putting a bullet in his head," he clarified.
" I would think something was wrong if you didn't have that in mind. He deserves the punishment."
With that he walked away after banging the door. Something he always did when he was too drank. Dimitri called Sacha's driver and told him he had left and to wait for him downstairs.
Dimitri then took out his phone and dialed his flavour of the week. He found out that he was doing it frequently especially since he met a certain someone. He quickly pressed call before he got cold feet. And just as he expected, she picked up at the second ring. Sacha might be right about him being happy but one thing he knew for sure was that he wasn't ready to commit and his mother had spoiled all the women for him.
Hello readers,
I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's unedited but good I hope. Please vote, comment and anything else that you like😁😁.
Love y'all my munchkins.