Behind Her Cool Exterior

A shocker dropped

Coming back to the present and concentrating on the daughter of his former guide, he waited for her answer.

“And why do you suppose that I am?” she replied unperturbed.

“Just the fact that you are standing here, in my office, and saying that your father was innocent when all the evidences are against him, proves that you are either drunk or just plain wasting my time.” he retorted arrogantly tired of this exchange.

Something suddenly broke inside Sana’s chest after his continued arrogance.

“Trust me Mr. Starkis, had I got any other alternative, I wouldn’t be standing here because first of all I don’t want to and secondly, I have got better things to do in the morning rather than talking to an arrogant, pig headed, bully of a man who is so full of himself. Therefore I will appreciate if you would kindly listen to what I have got to say. You are not wasting only your time you know.” Sana said now heatedly. “And I am not drunk.” She added as an afterthought.

Absolute silence. Nikolos looked up at her as if seeing her in a new light. Hmmm…so there is a feral side to her. Strangely, he was not angry, as he should be, since no one has ever talked to him like that before. Rather, he was mildly amused.

He had known Sana since she was in her diapers. Well, not that long but still long enough. For him, she was a kiddo who he met on his rare visits to George’s home. Cool, reserved and barely speaking more than ‘Hello Mr. Starkis’, she was a spitting image of her father in personality, except that flaming red hair, so not suiting her personality. But today after her unexpected explosion, Nikolos thought that there was a lot he did not know about her.

Standing there in jeans and floral top without any make-up, she looked like a child in her five-foot-nothing frame. The slenderness of her body only made her look more like kid. Had he not known her since 14 years or observed the mature curves of her breasts now, he would have thought she was a high school girl rather than a twenty four year old adult.

Mature curves of her breasts? Where did that come from? Giving himself a mental shake, he said more curtly than he had intended to “Go on then. Just say whatever it is you want to and then go.”

Sana had intended to talk calmly about her father when she had decided to see Nikolos today. She had even started off great in spite of his apparent unwillingness. But the question he had candidly asked whether she was drunk was the last straw. As if she would touch alcohol again ever.

Oh! He had been asking for it. She thought after her outburst to make herself feel better. She had never spoken to anyone like that and now it made her feel guilty. Maybe the tension of the last few days had made her lose control. Sure of being thrown out of his office, she looked down so as to avoid his eyes.

After sometime, when he had still not said anything, she looked up. And what she saw made her inwardly gasp.

I must have imagined it. She had seen him looking at her as though he…desired her. When his eyes rested on her breasts she blinked as though in shock not because of his looking, but because of the shiver that passed through her whole body. But when she opened her eyes again, he was looking at her with amused eyes.

Slightly annoyed because of her own stupid reaction, she focused on the matter at hand.

“I have proof that my father was not involved in this scandal. I saw his passport today and found that he was not in New York but in London during that time.”

Sana could see his expression changing from amusing to frosty after her declaration. In a matter of seconds, he was the same cool and unapproachable Mr. Starkis who she had met a few minutes ago.

“Mr. Craven was a very valuable employee in this corporation. I wouldn’t have accused him without any substantial proof. In addition to the evidence we gathered, we also have a testimony from a member of the same company where he was selling our secrets.”

“But how is that possible if he was not even present in New York?” she asked frantically.

“Your father has been leaking valuable information since last year. He couldn’t have done so if he was not clever enough. Moreover, in the ‘London’ episode, because of which he was caught, he had given away facts via e-mail.”

Startled by this information, Sana thought that it was wise to leave now seeing that nothing could sway him.

Resolved, she turned away to go just as Nikolos spoke once again.

“And Sana, you should be glad your father is living with you at your house, because besides betraying secrets, he has also embezzled money from the company’s accounts that nobody knows except me. Sharing secrets might be only wrong morally, but if embezzlement goes public, it will land him straight in prison.”