Chapter 39: Chapter 39

Blair

We both enjoyed the day, that city was amazing in every way, unlike anything I had ever seen. After a romantic dinner inside the city's Ferris wheel, we returned to the hotel, we still needed to get ready to meet Dimitri's crew at the bar on the terrace of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, the large boat-shaped building that was one of Singapore's trademarks.

" Do we really have to go? " I asked, lying in bed without the slightest desire to move.

I had put on high-waisted jeans and a white top that stuck out part of my abdomen, but I didn't feel the slightest desire to finish getting ready.

" That's why we came, so yes, we have to go." Dimitri thought it was funny, holding my hand and helping me up.

I sighed dejectedly, going to the bathroom to finish getting ready. Soon we were in the cab heading towards our destination. When we arrived at the place, my initial admiration was replaced by dismay as we found the place crowded. I hated the loud music mixed with the fact that it was practically impossible to walk without bumping into someone.

Did you really think this would be a good place to celebrate a middle-aged guy's birthday?

" Are we in the right place? " I asked as I saw some people jumping into the infinity pool.

" I think it's hard to miss," he shrugged, spotting some familiar people in the crowd, "Look, there they are.”

He held my hand, leading the way through the crowd to some couches where Dimitri's crew was seated.

" Come, I'll introduce you to everyone," he assured.

Dimitri's crew was very sociable and pleasant, Oleg in particular was a surprise to me. The man who was well into his fifties had an enviable energy, dragging the girls onto the dance floor from time to time, or telling funny stories about everyone, not to mention the absurd amount of alcohol he was consuming without seeming to affect himself.

" You had to see it, Blair. Poor Dima was whiter than paper, I could have sworn he was going to faint or cry any minute after we got through the turbulence.”

I couldn't help but laugh at the scene that formed in my mind, almost knocking over the drink in my hand.

" He is exaggerating, Blair. And anyway, it was one of my first flights and that turbulence was very strong," Dimitri assured me.

We spent some time exchanging unusual experiences during the flights, I felt more and more at ease between them, and I was not the only one. Dimitri was loosening up more and more, and I must say that he was drinking a little too much, until a song started to play, and Natasha, one of the flight attendants, stood up excitedly.

" Dima, do you remember this song? Let's go!”

Then she took him by the hand and led him to the dance floor, leaving me behind to stare at them dumbfounded.

They're kidding me, They've got to be kidding me.

" You don't have to look like that, he's not in the least bit in danger with Natasha," Dasha, another stewardess, assured me.

" What?”

" For Natasha to be interested in him, he would have to be at least 20 years older. She only gets involved with older guys," she explained.

" Why didn't you ever tell me this? " Oleg turned to the girl.

" Because the list of older guys doesn't include you, Oleg," she replied.

The two of them engaged in a lively discussion in Russian, while I watched my boyfriend with a straight face.

" Do you want help making him jealous? " Oleg proposed.

" No, I can handle it without acting like a teenager," I returned dryly.

I no longer felt like being even slightly polite to any of them. After getting up, I walked over to the guardrail, looking at the amazing city that was opening up around us.

First, he can't go to an important event with me, now this? What's his problem?

" Such a beautiful girl all alone? " a guy stopped beside me.

I looked at him absently, staring again at the city in front of me without bothering to answer.

" Your friends are idiots for leaving you alone like this," he tried again.

I rolled my eyes, letting out an annoyed sigh. Has this guy not gotten the message yet?

" Your boyfriend is an idiot for annoying you," he insisted.

I huffed, turning to him in utter irritation.

" Yes, he's an idiot, but he's my idiot and I don't accept unknown idiots bad-mouthing him," I stared at him with both eyebrows raised, "so why don't you get the message and leave me here alone?”

To my frustration the guy laughed, coming closer with an amused expression on his face.

" I have another alternative, I can buy you a drink and we can go dancing together and you can forget about the idiot who pissed you off.”

" Or you can go away and let me finish in peace the drink I bought myself.”

I tried to walk away from the jerk, but he walked right by me without any difficulty, much to my frustration.

" Come on, one dance and I'll leave you alone.”

Before I could think of a response, Dimitri materialized beside me, sizing the guy up.

" Is there a problem, Blair?”

Let me see, my idiot boyfriend left me alone to go dancing with his friend, and some jerk felt entitled to hassle me, — I listed mentally before assessing Dimitri, — oh, and to top it off, the idiot boyfriend is drunk.

" No problem, let's go," I murmured, holding his hand.

" Apparently this is the idiot," the guy scoffed.

I had managed to get Dimitri to take a step before he stopped, turning to the man.

" What did you say?”

" Dimitri, he didn't say anything, let's go!”

I tried in vain to argue.

" She was telling me what an asshole her boyfriend is. And I agree.”

Dimitri turned to me with a questioning look, making my blood boil.

" You know what? At the moment I think I'm surrounded by assholes," I muttered before walking back, leaving the two of them behind.

But my peace didn't last long, I hadn't taken many steps when I heard Dimitri's altered voice. I looked back to where I had left him, finding him standing very close to the guy in a threatening posture.

I took a deep breath before turning around, returning to Dimitri's side in an attempt to drag him away.

" I'm warning you, you better stay away from my girlfriend," Dimitri threatened the other.

" Or what? " he sneered.

" Dimitri, let's go," I ordered once more.

My voice caught his attention, he looked at me and nodded, starting to walk towards me.

" I'm not surprised that the girl is so unhappy, dating such a cowardly slacker," the guy sneered.

I was not quick enough to hold Dimitri back, who returned to where he was standing, grabbing the man by the collar.

" Gentlemen, this is not a ring," the bar manager appeared with two security guards, "I'm going to ask you both to leave.”

" I'm sorry about this," I apologized to the woman before turning to my boyfriend. “Dimitri, let him go now.”

" Let's see if the puppy is on a leash," the guy scoffed.

At that moment I felt like breaking the asshole's nose myself.

" What's the matter with you? " I growled.

" Gentlemen…”

That was when, to our surprise, the man hit Dimitri, causing him to turn his face away with a clumsy punch.

I closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose, already foreseeing the hell that this would become. Dimitri released the guy only to hit him hard on the chin, causing him to stagger over to one of the tables, knocking over glasses and bottles that were on top of them.

People had already gathered to watch, and the security guards were trying to hold Dimitri back and prevent him from advancing on the man, who was being lifted up by other men.

" I'm calling the police! " the manager muttered.

" No," I exclaimed, watching Oleg and Dasha approach.

I indicated Dimitri to them with my head before running after the woman.

" Wait, no need to call the police, we're leaving," I pointed to Dimitri who was practically being dragged out by his mentor.

" It's not that simple, miss. You had a chance to…”

" Of course it is. I will pay our bill and the damages caused by the broken glasses, we will leave, and you don't have to bother your other customers with the police presence!”

She thought for a second while I reached for my credit card in my pants pocket.

" We can work this out, don't you think?”

She beckoned for me to follow her, leading me to her office. The woman sat quietly, calculating the amount needed before handing me the bill.

This is a joke! She is charging me a fortune!

" Is there a problem?”

" No, here it is," I muttered, handing her the card.

I'm going to take it upon myself to kill my boyfriend for this whole mess!

I walked all the way down the street fantasizing about how exactly I would ruin his life, hoping that this would calm me down a bit. But when I got to the street, and found him still yelling in Russian while his friends tried to calm him down, my anger returned with force.

" There she is," Natasha pointed.

" Blair," Dimitri exclaimed relieved.

Before they could react, I signaled for a cab and boarded it as soon as it stopped, leaving them behind.

" What is she doing? Blair!”

" St. Regis, please," I ignored Dimitri who called out to me from outside.

What I least wanted at the moment was the company of a bunch of drunken Russians.