The Stolen Heart

Chapter 14: Cutting through barriers!

“Hey, you look terrible”, Daniel declared in a pompous tone when I opened the door. I scowled at him and stepped aside for him to enter.

He flashed me a cheeky grin as he passed through, which made me scowl further.

He dumped the box full of documents he has been carrying into the couch and settled himself in as if he was home.

“So, what’s this big emergency?”, I asked him without any preamble, jumping right at the topic at hand.

He simply shrugged and pointed to the box full of files. I let out a sigh and took one file from the box.

“I thought of a way to get your promotion back.”, he said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.

I narrowed my eyes at him as I replied, “Look Daniel, I appreciate the thought but I am not in a good place right now, and I need to be alone. So, if this isn’t an emergency, I would appreciate if you leave.”

I knew that I was coming out a little harsh, but I don’t want anyone beside me right now when I am in this much of a messy state. My hair is all ruffled up and frizzy because I haven’t washed up for the past couple of weeks and I smell terrible too. My eyes look swollen from all the wailing I have been doing. The only reason that I even opened my door for him was because he had declared that it was a matter of utmost importance.

Daniel fixed me with a predatory stare as he asked, “So how long are you going to keep this up for?”

I blinked at him, astonished at the tone. He was usually the go- lucky, sweet, friendly person, he was never one to get serious.

“Merina, this wasn’t your fault. I am not trying to be mean or condescending to your loss, but you have got to stop blaming yourself for every single thing that goes astray. It was an unexpected accident. It’s not your fault.”

I blinked back the tears that were threatening to erupt and replied with a shaky voice, “But it is my fault. I should have been more careful. I loved him so much, my last ray of hope, my Richard’s parting gift.”

I started rambling on and on in broken bits, crying my heart out and he didn’t interrupt me once. He listened patiently to everything I was saying. He was helping me let it all out.

I started coughing violently and he immediately rushed out and brought me a glass of water which I gulped down and looked at him gratefully. He simply hugged me tightly without letting me go. I stiffened at once, then melted against his chest contently, my head suddenly starting to feel heavy and my eyelids drooping.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

I woke up with a start and started shrieking, yelling desperately for my baby to come back to me. Strong arms were instantly around me, stroking my shoulders, willing me to calm down.

I opened my eyes and saw a very concerned Daniel, gently rubbing my back, waiting for me to calm down.

I took in a sharp breath and I looked at the clock nearby.

“Daniel, you haven’t gone home yet? Just look at the time”

“I didn’t want to leave you alone.”, he murmured softly, while messaging my shoulders and working out the knots.

I sighed and got up from the bed and rushed out into the hall with Daniel right at my heels. I saw that he had the files in a disarray, and he seemed to be working on something important.

Upon my questioning glance he simply shrugged as he replied, “I told you, I had an idea for getting your promotion back. I thought that would cheer you up, but clearly I was wrong”

My eyes softened as it once again took over the mess. He has been working through all night for my promotion?

“Wait a second, how did I get on the bed?”

“Well, you fell asleep in my arms and as I needed to work, I transferred you over to your bed. Why? Would have preferred my arms over your bed?”, he asked flashing me a wolfish grin.

I could feel myself blushing. I let out a groan as I smelled myself. It would be an understatement to tell that I was stinking. I looked at Daniel incredulously as I wondered how the hell, he had stayed so close to me when I stink like this?

Daniel seemed to be trying really hard to hold back his laugh when he saw me sniffing at my armpits.

Way to go, Merina. This wasn’t embarrassing at all. I quickly rushed onto my bedroom and closed the door. I could hear his laughter from the hall, all the way down here and I felt mortified that I had let a man see me in this pathetic state.

I immediately rushed to my bathroom and scrubbed myself really hard. Untangling my hair took about two to three hours.

When I emerged from my room after showering, Daniel was fast asleep his head on his laptop.

I gently tiptoed forward and took his head in my hands. The right side of his face was covered with imprints from the keyboard in which he had felt asleep in. I was attempting to gently put his head onto the small pillow on the couch when he woke up. I froze instantly, my hand on his right cheek.

He stared into my eyes and I found myself staring right back without blinking. With one swift motion, he pulled me close and within a blink of a second, I was the one perched on the couch with him on top of me.

He looked into my eyes, as he bent down and stopped within an inch of my mouth. He was giving me time to back off, I realized with a start. A rational part of my brain was yelling at me to tilt my head and jump off the couch, but I was frozen to the spot. My eyes involuntarily wandered over to his lips. That was all the permission he needed. Immediately his lips were on me, kissing me passionately, his tongue feeling through all the spots in my mouth. I could feel his heart beating fast as he pressed his body onto mine. His hands were raking through my wet hair as his lips continued to devour mine and I found myself astonishingly responding to his kisses and touches.

He had an addicting taste and I felt so helpless. I couldn’t will myself to stop.

My eyes fell onto a picture of Richard and me at the beach, lying right there on the tea table and I went still, immediately.

Daniel, sensing my sudden withdrawal stopped kissing me and looked into my eyes confused. He followed my eyesight and saw the picture on the table. Understanding dawned on his eyes and he hastily leapt off me.

I got up and put a hand to my heart. It was thundering. Then I looked at Daniel who was accessing my every move. I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. I averted my gaze from the picture guiltily.

“You are very forward. Even at that meeting. You didn’t feel flustered at all when you confessed your feelings.”, I declared and looked into his eyes curiously.

It was true that Daniel spikes my curiosity. I have never been approached that directly and confidently by a man before.

From his actions, he seemed like a man who didn’t want any regrets and wanted to live his life exactly the way he wanted it to be, social expectations be damned.

He gave me a tiny smile before replying, “I learnt it the hard way that you should never hesitate and play games in the matters of the heart. Hesitate for too long and the object of your attention may be seized by someone else.”

His answer surprised me. It was obvious that he had been in love with someone but he had hesitated too long and lost his chance. That explains his forward behavior. He was afraid of making the same mistake twice.

“I am still not over Richard.”, I said simply, not beating around the bush.

“I know”, he replied sighing, then grasped my shoulders tightly as he looked into my eyes and said, “But I also know that you feel the same way about me too. Your flushed cheeks, your raspy breath all indicate so. So, don’t make the same mistake I did. Don’t wait too long.  I promise I won’t corner you or take things too fast. I will still give you, your space for you to move on at your own space. I have no intention of rushing things. But just give me a chance.”

It was very difficult not to melt into those dreamy eyes. I gulped down and managed to nod. He smiled at me in response and gently titled my chin, making me look into his baby blue eyes again. He held my gaze for a solid second before he drooped down and kissed me again. This time it was a sweet kiss, brushing his lips against mine teasingly.

I started fiddling with my shirt nervously and attempted a sheepish grin, which was met with a very bemused smile.

“So, what’s the big plan you were talking about?”, I attempted a change in topic in a bid for me to calm down my racing heart but my voice still came out all shaky and raspy.

I let out an uncomfortable giggle and cleared my throat without being too obvious about it.

“There is only one way to prove to the Board’s and the other employees that only you deserve the promotion. Trust me, you are currently the best candidate for the job, but that fact is going to be overlooked because of your ties with the Malcerk family. So, do something….something that none of the directors in the Board, even the great Justin Malcerk couldn’t pull off.”

I waited patiently as he looked at me with one eyebrow raised. I was hanging on to his every word. Something even Justin couldn’t pull off? My mind was boggling right now, going over all the last deals and offers in the last few years.

I gasped out loud as realization hit me.

“You want me to bring in a huge client, a client that all of them tried but failed to bring in.”

Daniel nodded at me, impressed as he murmured enthusiastically, “Walter Guliess”

This was starting to get me excited. He was absolutely right! Bringing in Walter Guiless as my client would definitely be a deal changer. Everyone would be forced to admit my competence. Every single director had tried and failed incredulously. But then how was I going to be any different? All through High school, though I was good, I was always second to the great Justin Malcerk. How was I going to land a client that even he couldn’t?

I bit my lip nervously as I looked into Daniel’s puppy eyes. It was a good idea but I wasn’t confident that I couldn’t pull this off.

He might have seen my hesitation because e, he immediately said, “Trust me you have a chance. Walter Guiless is not an easy man. He is the man who single handily raised an empire without any connections or powers. The Malcerk’s have nothing on him. His entire estate is twice their size and even the Johnson’s, for that matter. He is the man who went from being the newspaper boy who lived in the streets to being the richest man in the whole world. At least give it a try. No harm can come out of trying.”

I nodded at him. Though, I was nervous, I was also getting excited and already forming plans on my head.

“All I can do is get you a meeting with him. Rest is on you”, he said.

I laughed and kissed him on the cheek.

“How much time do you need to prepare?”, he asked.

I bit my lip considering his offer thoroughly. This might be my one and only chance. I can’t afford to screw this up.

“How about tomorrow?”

He looked at me incredulously as if I was barking mad.

I stifled a laugh as I replied, “I am not being arrogant. With normal clients, you have to dig up as much as you can and research, but that was the approach taken by every other person who went after him. That didn’t seem to have worked out too well for them. So, I had rather meet him with a clear head than a head filled with all the facts and the list of all his achievements, which would make him more intimidating to me. If I do all those researches like them, my mind will immediately ponder over the rational strategies and I may act upon it, which I had rather not. I have feeling that a man of his stature can see through any strategy, however good they may be.”

He looked impressed. Then I bit my lip, confusedly. Wait a second! What an i***t I was? He was Walter Guiless, not a man I can expect meet in such a short notice.

“Okay, then, how about tomorrow at 2?”

I nodded at him shocked. Is he that close with Walter Guiless that he is able to get me this meeting at such short notice.

This thought was on my mind the whole time I was walking him out of my apartment. But I didn’t think we were close enough for me to pry too closely. So, I let it go for the time being.

He stopped at the pavement. I smiled at him, when he leaned in for a kiss but stepped back shocked when I saw Nick glaring at us while Jen looked shocked at the very sight.

Oh crap! I had forgot about them waiting outside, keeping watch. Nick looked like he was going to explode any moment now. It was as if he had just caught me cheating on his best friend while Jen just looks taken aback.