Chapter 93: Chapter 93

Peach and I enjoy the scenery of this Huwaidensberg Street while waiting for the other group to finish their observation.

One group finally arrives, followed by the last group. Now, all that’s left is the professor.

It’s been over thirty minutes and the professor seems taking a bit longer.

Finally, his figure is seen in a far distance running towards us, like a happy grasshopper leaping off the leaves.

“Guys, great news, great news. Later tonight, we are going to experience the first-rated massage package and expensive dinner at the hotel courtesy of Mister Sullivan,” he excitingly says.

The others are thrilled, too. While I just massage my nose bridge from the bad news I gather, “Looks like that billionaire is buying us off, huh?” Peach says.

I laugh at her remark, “Looks like it!”

She clicks her tongue, “I don’t like him! I still like Jeff more,” then she pats me on my shoulder.

“Good luck getting away from that son of a wealthy man,” I laugh aloud. Peach’s side comments are always hilarious.

We get on the minibus and drive back to the hotel.

***

The dinner time comes, and just before Peach and I go out of the hotel room, the doorbell rings.

We both look at each other. Peach opens it up, and then I hear someone speaks, “Good evening ladies, I am the branch manager of this hotel and I would like to invite you to our de luxe massage service after dinner time, here are your stubs, please feel free to visit. And by the way, your colleagues and your professor are already waiting at the restaurant. May I guide you there?”

“Err, hold on a sec, okay?” Peach responds coldly to the manager and runs to me.

“Hmm, so, what are we going to do with this?” she shows me the stub.

So I take it and say, “Since he’s been bugging me off, let’s waste his money. Well, it’s not that he’ll go broke over this, but let’s make the most out of it!”

Then Peach hits me on my bottom and says, “That’s more like it bitch! Come one, before Mr. Manager over there gets bored.”

We follow him and he doesn’t actually bing us to the restaurant, but instead, he brings us to the grand hall of the hotel.

Peach and I exchange look as he stops in front of a big golden door, “Miss Carl, Miss Anderson, welcome to our grand hotel and enjoy your dinner party.”

The long tables on both sides are the first ones that show in front of us. It is filled with different delicacies all over the world, and not just any, but the most expensive ones in each region.

It is followed by the desert station with chocolate fountain and gold flakes wherein my professor has been fooling around.

Then, a grand arrangement only for us, ceiling treatment, chandelier, orchestra, name it, Dmitri has gone overboard this time.

My head pounds seeing the extravagant things surrounding me. So I walk straight to the minibar set up further away from the food.

“I really need a drink tonight! Goodness, Dmitri! What the hell do you think you are doing!” I say inwardly.

“Bourbon, clean, two shots, please!” I let the bartender know that I am getting ready to get wasted tonight.

I even ask for more rounds and try different cocktail drinks like Red Sangria, White Sangria, Blue Lagoon but nothing beats this annoying feeling that I have right now.

My classmates begin to dig in, since this is a buffet style, they can eat as many as they want. All of them are enjoying except for me. It also seems that the man of the hour is MIA tonight.

“Tsk,” I click my tongue, “What a showoff! Arranging all of this and yet nowhere to be found!” I mumble.

Right then and there, two big arms wrap around my waist from behind. My legs suddenly give in, so my body leans towards the muscular figure that is embracing me.

Then a warm minty breath blows to my nape, giving me a tingling sensation all over my body, “So you’ve been looking for me, huh? Did you miss me, Avery?”

It is him. I would never ever forget that voice, especially his scent. But I didn’t struggle when he hugs me from behind, because the feeling is so warm. His embrace is so warm, and it is comforting.

Then little by little, he showers me with his little kisses. He pecks and nibbles on my neck, my shoulder, and bites my ear.

I could feel his hardened shaft under his pants, and hears him groan.

“Damn it, Avery. You always have this effect on me. Only if I could I would have claimed you here on top of this minibar,” he starts with his dirty talks.

And somehow I could feel the arousal on my side. Hearing him talks about how he wants me, how obsessed he is about me, it gives me satisfaction.

“Stop it, Dmitri. I told you. We are so over!” then reality hits me, that I shouldn’t be here with him. When I look down, I see the shiny reflection on my left hand. My ring, it was my engagement ring!

So I do my best to breaks his embrace, and then I face him with all my might, still drunk and tipsy!

“Dee, could you please let me go? Just let me go! Don’t be so hard on me, please!” tears fall down from my eyes.

“Letting you go was the biggest mistake of my life, Avery. And now that I have the chance to make it all right, do you think I would just let go of you?” his voice raises, loud enough for others to hear.

The bartender leaves his post when the tension between us begins. The music somehow dies down, and everyone is focused on how we exchange our life-long regrets.

“I am engaged to someone else, Dee. And I love him,” I look down and utter this word. I avoid his gaze, so he won’t notice the hesitation in my eyes.

“But you love me, too! You love me more than you love him!” he grabs my arms.

I shake my head, trying to disagree with the truth he just said, trying to conceal my true feelings for him, “No, you don’t know that, Dee! I know myself. I know I should be with Jeff!” I cry and struggle to get away from him.

I see Peach walking towards us, but somebody stops her.

“For fuck’s sake Avery, are you even hearing yourself? Your making it as if it is your obligation to be with Jeff, not because of what you feel for him. Isn’t that enough reason for you to let go?” Dmitri slams me with the truth.

Even I myself is confused why I stay with Jeff. But the confusion actually stated when he showed up in my life again. Being with Dmitri is like a curse.

“When will you free me from your curse Dmitri? It didn’t work the first time, did it?” I shout at him.

And I continue, “Why are you being like this? Can’t you see? I chose my life right now. A life that is far away from you and your uncommitted feelings.”

I sigh, and then bombard him with truth, “Look around you Dee. Do you really think you can get me with all of these? Let me remind you, I left my old precious life just to stay the hell out of your life! My life is at peace now, why did you come back!”

Dmitri kicks the minibar table and throws his bad temper at everything around him. I could see the frustration in his face, and his shortness of breath.

“Haven’t I paid for that, Avery? You left me! You didn’t give me a chance to prove myself to you! You left, remember? And yet, I am still here standing in front of you. I am still chasing you to the ends of the earth. Isn’t that enough proof of my love for you, Avery?” his voice resonates.

But what can I do? I am afraid, I am afraid of risking everything for him again. So I come up with an excuse, “I don’t need a billionaire giving me fancy things, Dmitri, I need someone who could love me wholeheartedly, someone who never hesitated to bring me into his life. And you know that wasn’t you, Dee.”

“That’s why I am here, I am doing it now, aren’t all my efforts enough? Aren’t all the pains you caused me when you left enough?” then the tears he once held dear are now flowing non-stop.

I scoff, “Too late, Dee. I am now with someone else, and I have no intention of ruining my engagement just so you know.”

“An engagement with someone whom you don’t love?” he argues and mocks my decision.

“Enough! I love Jeff, for real,” I insist it to him, and I convince myself with it.

“But your love for him isn’t enough, because if it is strong enough, you wouldn’t have made love with me yesterday,” he proudly pronounces.

But I guess my hand’s reflex is faster than I thought, a heavy slap is now marked on his right cheek, a slap that he would definitely remember.

I hear the murmur left and right, and I quench my fists out of anger.

I really can’t believe he just said that in front of everyone.

“That is what you are good at, putting me in a hotspot. You never change, do you?” I scoff.

“Don’t you dare show your face to me ever again,” I firmly say.

Then I walk out of the grand hall, once again, leaving him behind, walking out of his life while ignoring the judgemental stares coming from people.

***

It’s been a month now since our European your started. First off was Germany. And just like that, it has been a month since Dmitri’s been bugging me.

I thought the last argument would stop him from talking to me, but I guess he is too persistent now. Yet, I manage to find ways on how to stay away from him despite his efforts.

Now, it’s another day off for me. And I think I need to rest.

I woke up a little late. I grab my phone and calls my boyfriend, who’s probably on his way home from work.

I open FaceTime, but I couldn’t contact him.

I wonder, “Hmm, maybe he isn’t home, yet.”

I’ll just take a shower first, and probably go shopping or roam around.

When I hit the shower, and is about to be finished, the hotel doorbell rings,

Ding!

“What the, who’s that? Peach? She has her keycard, why press the doorbell?”

I try to ignore it at first, but when it rings nonstop, I step out of the shower, and irritably says,

“Gosh, who’s there?”

When I open the door, a big surprise comes in.

But his face is frowned as he looks at me wearing just a wrap-up towel, with my hair still dripping.

“And why are you opening your hotel door while looking like that?” I know this voice. When I look up, I almost slip.

“Oh my gosh, babe!” I can’t contain my happiness.

“Hi babe,” I hug him without worrying about my naked body and my messy hair. He looks surprised but he hugs me back until my towel drops. As he watches the piece of cloth covering my body slide down, he gulps multiple times, then he immediately kicks his luggage further, locks the hotel room, carries me back inside the bathroom, and then removes his clothes.

I see him staring at me like a famished wolf, “Mind if I join the shower?”

I blush but I feel a strange sensation. Somehow, my body learns to accept his touch, thanks to a huge number of therapies.

So I smile and teases him, “What are you waiting for, hop in.”

And our first encounter after a month ends up in a steamy shower scene.