Chapter Five
Michelle was waiting when Aliannah got home. She was standing in the sitting room with her arms folded across her chest. She had her “Don’t fuck with me” look on her face. There would be no deflecting this time.
“Well? Are you going to tell me why Mr I is still sending you gifts?” Aliannah looked confused; apart from lunch, she had not received anything today. Michelle gestures towards the couch, another black box with a black velvet bow, smaller than last time. Aliannah picked up the box and opened it; it was a diamond necklace. She rolled her eyes and mentally begged Ivan to stop trying to buy her affections back. Of course, another note…
Aliannah darling, this sparkles just like your eyes and the sea – I.
If she didn’t know Ivan, she would be off the scales creeped out. Everyone knows that men with stupid amounts of money don’t know how to use it respectfully. The more zeros on the bank balance, the less cop-on these men have.
“Ok, Michelle, I am going to tell you who he is,” Aliannah said reluctantly. Michelle jumped onto the couch, got comfortable and patted for Aliannah to sit. Aliannah took a deep breath and began the story.
Michelle’s eyes nearly fell out of her head. Mr. I is Mr. Ivan Kozlov, the Russian oil billionaire. He is the most eligible bachelor in Europe. I.K Oil is a massive company in Europe. You could see the cogs turning in her head. The peonies, the dress, the lunch and now the necklace. This would all be buttons for someone as rich as him.
Aliannah explained how they met, that she was hired to work on Serenity – Ivan’s boat, as a stewardess. She met him on week two of being there. He observed her working as a stewardess for a week before requesting that she accompany him in his activities: beach days, lunch days on shore, snorkelling, and scuba diving. Much to the disapproval of the other stewardesses, they envied her. She was the newbie, and she should not have been chosen for such privileges. However, what Ivan wanted, Ivan got. They could not argue with the big boss man for fear of losing their contracts.
On week five, he cut her employment contract but invited her to stay as his guest. They had become very close during the previous weeks of accompaniment. He kissed her for the first time on the top deck at sunset; from then on, they were inseparable. They went on many dates as the boat cruised up and down the Croatian coastline. They visited lots of little seaside towns and villages and found the most idyllic restaurants. Some days, they just spent time relaxing on the boat deck doing nothing.
To Aliannah, it was heaven on earth; she had never felt more content and at peace. Even thinking about it now, she wishes she was back there. The sun, the sea, the Serenity. She told Michelle that she had planned to extend her trip indefinitely but decided to come home sooner than expected.
“Was he good in bed?!” Aliannah rolled her eyes and looked at Michelle. Of course, Michelle would ask such a question. In truth, if your best friend did not ask those questions, then would they even be your best friend? Michelle was wiggling her eyebrows in a *well, come on then* gesture.
“Yes, he was good in bed, Michelle. God, you’re so crass sometimes” The two girls fell into a fit of giggles. Aliannah remembered all the times they had been together. On every surface of the boat. The growl he used to make before he came. Just thinking about it now gave her goosebumps that ran like electricity all over her body. The private beaches they visited—the restaurants Ivan paid hefty sums for to be shut for their privacy. Aliannah blushed at these memories and was annoyed at herself for how wet she had become thinking about them. She shook her head. No. We are not thinking about these moments anymore.
“Ok, so you’re telling me you had a hot, rich billionaire bachelor in your bed, and you chose to leave?! Why would you leave? Can I go instead?” Aliannah stood up to leave the room. She was not ready to rip open that pain yet. She looked at Michelle with tears rolling down her face.
“Because sometimes it’s not all rainbows and unicorns; it’s just a fantasy! Then the real world comes along and kicks you in the ass, and rather than hanging around to face reality, you pack up your shit and leave in the middle of the night before the boat goes out to sea at sunrise” Aliannah was out of breath from her explosive rant. She also didn’t realise she was shouting until she saw Michelle leaning back in her seat in a defensive position.
Michelle stood up and took Aliannah into her arms for a hug. Aliannah sobbed her heart out into Michelle’s shoulder. She felt so ashamed for falling in love with Ivan. She felt a fool for how he played her. She felt guilty, so guilty for missing him even after what he had done. The heart wants what it wants, I suppose, but the brain, in this instance, knows the heart is wrong.
Aliannah couldn’t understand why Ivan would come to New York. He could not trade here because of the blockade the United States government had against the trade of Russian oil on US soil.
Michelle walked to the kitchen and returned with tubs of ice cream and spoons. “Let’s binge-watch some trashy TV and forget about assholes for now”, Aliannah couldn’t agree more with this plan. A few hours later, the girls fell asleep on the couch.