by Helen Bright
Making my way down the long wide staircase, I saw an open plan room with a roaring log fire in the middle; it’s narrow chimney breast separating the room slightly. The side nearest to the stairs was set with a large leather sofa and two wingback chairs. From what I could see the other side of the room boasted a huge pale oak dining table with a least twelve chairs.
As we approached the sitting room area, a tall man with short blond hair and dark brown eyes approached Gregor and spoke in Russian. Gregor nodded and spoke to the man in return before introducing us.
“Chloe this is Dmitry. He is one of my security staff, but speaks very little English, although he is learning quickly.”
“Hello Chloe,” Dmitry said with a heavy Russian accent. “I very pleased to meeting you. I see you Moscow this day, no?”
“I am pleased to meet you too Dmitry,” I said holding out my hand. Dmitry glanced at Gregor, who nodded with a smile, before shaking my hand enthusiastically.
“And I am happy to see Moscow today. Please excuse the robe, I have no clothes at the moment,” I said, feeling a little self-conscious with meeting new people while only wearing a bathrobe and Gregor’s underwear.
“It is okay. You beautiful with no clothes,” he replied. Gregor seemed to growl a little, and Dmitry stepped back nervously.
“Thank you, Dmitry,” I said trying to suppress my laugh.
He nodded first at me, then nervously at Gregor, before turning to walk away. Gregor stared down at me for a moment then put his hand behind my back and started to guide me towards the dining area. “Would you like a cup of tea or coffee, or a cold drink maybe?” he asked as a young man in black trousers and waistcoat stepped out of a doorway.
“Another cup of tea maybe, but only if you’re having one.”
Gregor spoke a few words in Russian to the young man, who I found out was named Stepan. He nodded his head then disappeared through a doorway that I assume led to the kitchen.
Gregor was then approached by another young man whom I found out was called Daniil, and was Dmitry’s cousin. I could see a likeness with the same blond hair and brown eyes, but Daniil seemed shy and blushed when we were introduced.
He could speak English very well, and had even less of an accent than Yuri or Sergei. Gregor said that he had studied business at Cambridge University and was now working for him, overseeing his investments and dealing with Gregor’s day to day business demands in his absence. I sensed a real fondness from Gregor towards this young guy, and despite the blushing when the two men spoke, I could see that Daniil could more than hold his own with Gregor when talking business.
As they spoke, I wandered over to a wall of glass bricks and looked through them. Through the distorted view of the glass, I could see a large swimming pool and an area with padded seating and sun loungers.
“You have a swimming pool,” I almost squealed, interrupting Gregor and Daniil’s conversation.
“We can talk later Gregor,” said Daniil before turning to me and saying, “It was lovely to meet you Chloe, but I must leave you now and return to my office. I hope you have a wonderful time here in Russia, and I hope to see you again very soon.”
“It was lovely to meet you too Daniil,” I said smiling. His blush and subsequent shyness was adorable, and seemed only to happen when he spoke to me, or maybe it was all women?
As soon as he turned to walk away, I walked back over to Gregor and grabbed his hand.
“I can't believe you have a pool next to your dining room. Show me,” I demanded as I pulled him along to where the glass bricks ended. On one side leading to a lawned garden, were ten large glass sliding doors that were currently closed. Opposite them was the same amount of doors, but these were in the same pale grey, like driftwood.
Gregor stepped toward the wooden doors and opened them. Each door was bi-folding, leaving five split doors to each side of the pool room. I walked towards stone steps which graduated down into the water and bent down to dip my hand in. It was on the cooler side of lukewarm, just the way our local pool was at the aqua fit class I attended each week.
The walls were a pale cream marble with a hint of pale blue flecks and veins running through it. A slightly deeper blue covered the bottom and sides of the pool, which matched the cushions and seat pads on pale gray rattan loungers. Altogether it was like something you would find in the most expensive hotels, and I so desperately wanted to take off my robe and swim.
“It’s beautiful, Gregor. I wish I could get in and have a good swim.”
“Then why don’t you, my love?”
“Because I don’t have anything to swim in.”
“Then swim naked,” he said, raising his eyebrows suggestively as he spoke.
“Gregor, your house seems full of people. I couldn’t swim naked here, not that I’ve ever swum naked before. It doesn’t seem quite right to do it in a pool.”
“Nonsense. To swim naked is a wonderfully freeing experience and one I insist you try before you go back to England.”
“Do you swim naked here?” I asked, imagining Gregor’s muscular form pushing through the water. Bad Idea. Imagining Gregor swimming naked made my heartbeat speed up and certain places tingle. I didn’t want him to know that thought had turned me on, but by the look of Gregor’s knowing smirk, it was something I hadn’t hidden well.
“I often swim naked, moya malen'kaya tsvetochnitsa, and I would be happy if you joined me in doing so,” he winked.
I stuck my tongue out at him and was about to say no thanks, although my shameless body was saying yes please; but I was interrupted by Stepan bringing us a pot of tea and selection of biscuits and small cakes on a large wooden tray.
Gregor motioned for Stepan to set it down on a nearby table, then he walked over and started to pour. He handed me a cup and asked me to sit opposite him at the table. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out what looked like a phone, although not the one he normally used. Gregor began to key something into it then pointed it up at the ceiling of the room and for a few seconds, I wondered what on earth he was trying to do. Then I heard a kind of whirring noise and watched in awe as the ceiling began to part, revealing a glass roof.
Even though the sky was thick with dull grey clouds, the sight was still magnificent; as natural light flooded the room and the lights all around the walls dimmed.
“Gregor this is amazing,” I said as I looked around the room once more.
“Yes, it is, even though my country has not favoured us with a warm sunny day. This summer we have not been so fortunate to see many sunny days. That is why the fire in the main room has been lit. Often, such a large space takes some time to heat up, and I didn’t want you to feel the cold and catch a chill, my love,” he said sincerely.
“Do you use this area often?” I asked. “If this was my house, I think I would use it all the time.”
Closing his eyes and leaning back, Gregor replied, “I like to relax in here. Although I can walk in sunlight and enjoy the outdoors, daylight can still be very tiring. The glass in all my homes and offices is specially designed to filter out the harmful effects of daylight on vampires. It means that even made vampires can walk around freely without fear. A lot of my staff in St Petersburg are made vampires, and since I had the glass installed there, they have been able to open those heavy curtains more in the daytime. I’m told it has made the atmosphere much more pleasant.”
“You said you didn’t visit there as much? Why is that?”
“Ah, my dear Chloe, that is a long and painful story, and not one I like to share.”
“You wanted to know my painful story.”
“And you didn’t want to share that either, moya malen'kaya tsvetochnitsa.”
“And look where that got us, Gregor,” I reminded him.
But he was right. I could see the hurt in his eyes when he spoke about his home in St Petersburg, and I wanted to know what put it there. What events in Gregor’s past caused him to avoid his ancestral home? I didn’t want to pry, so I left it for the moment. I
would give him time over the next day or so to tell me, but I felt that I should know before we went, so I knew what conversations to avoid.
Guilt started to eat away at me a little when I realised that was why Gregor had wanted me to tell him about the abuse I suffered, so he could avoid saying or doing anything that would upset me. Of course, he had said the same to me, but I hadn’t listened. He still shouldn’t have gone behind my back, though; that’s something I did find hard to swallow.
“Where will you be taking me first today?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Where would you like to go, Chloe? Are there any famous landmarks in Moscow that you can recall seeing in a book or on TV?”
“Well, most of the stuff I’ve seen about Moscow has been on the news, and it’s often not that favourable, I’m afraid. But I once saw a building on a film that caught my eye. It was a terracotta red colour and had these great multi-coloured domes on the top that looked like ice cream swirls. It looked so pretty, and I wanted to know what went on there.”
“Ah, you mean St Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square. It is indeed a very beautiful building. And I see what you mean about the ice cream swirls, although, there are many other different and colourful domes atop that particular building.”
“Isn’t Red Square where the Kremlin is?”
“The Kremlin overlooks Red Square and has high walls in the same colour red as the Cathedral, so it is often thought of as part of St Basil’s, but it is not so. Obviously, it is a government building, and the walls are fortified, as you would expect from such an important place that is centuries old. If you looked down on the city from the sky, you would see Red Square and St Basils to the east of the Kremlin, and the Moskva River is to the south.
“On the west side is the Alexander Gardens, and I am hoping the rain holds off so I can take you there. If not we can go tomorrow, as I think a lot of the buildings, including St Basil’s, are at their most spectacular when the sun is shining down on them. But there are also some sights that I have yet to see in this great city, so we can take our time and enjoy them, rather than follow a specific itinerary.”
“Yes, that would be lovely Gregor…”
Just then Stepan came back to the pool room and said something to Gregor.
“Stepan says that Anna has just arrived. Yuri and Dmitry are bringing her shopping into the main room as we speak. Let us go and see what she has brought for you to wear, and then we can get on with our sightseeing.”
He held out his hand for me, and I took it gladly. I wasn’t sure why I felt more anxious at meeting Anna than I did the male members of his staff. Maybe it was because she now knew my clothes and shoe size, or maybe it was because Gregor spoke of her in such an informal way, like she was more than his employee. But thinking about it, Keeley worked for him too, and he spoke of her like that. I just hoped that she wasn’t tall sexy and pretty like Keeley. The complete opposite of what I would ever be.
When we entered the sitting room area, there was no longer any seating showing, as they were each covered in bags and boxes that were full of clothes, shoes, and make-up. I was shocked to see that even more items were being brought through the doors and placed on the polished wooden floors.
A petite woman that I would say was just a little younger than myself followed a man that looked like he was in a chauffeur's uniform. She had short pale blond hair and ice blue eyes and was dressed in a grey pinstripe skirt suit. She was beautiful and looked effortlessly chic, while I was standing here in Gregor’s bathrobe feeling frumpy and fat.
She looked me up and down, and I expected some scathing remark, but instead, she smiled and grabbed me in a tight hug. She then kissed me on each cheek and introduced herself.
“Hello Chloe, my name is Anna, as I’m sure you have guessed. I hope I have made good choices for you. I only went to Ralph Lauren, Armani, Dior, Calvin Klein, Vivienne Westwood and Zara, as I knew you wanted the clothing in a hurry. I called through to the stores as soon as I had your measurements so they could begin gathering things together. Then I made sure to call at Louis Vuitton to pick up some luggage for you so you could pack everything that you wanted to take to St Petersburg. I have two dresses being delivered for you from the Vivienne Westwood store later today, and there are a number of items from my favourite Russian designers, too. I’m sure I could have done a better job with more time, but as always, Gregor has me running around with no time to spare.”
“I'm sure you bought yourself a few things for all your trouble, Anna,” Gregor said with a knowing smirk.
“But of course I did. One cannot pass Louis Vuitton without purchasing from their summer range, and of course, every woman needs the new Vivienne Westwood sandals. As the sun came out for a moment, I had to buy an extra pair of sunglasses in Dior. After all, I wouldn’t want sore eyes when I sit down to all the paperwork Daniil says he has waiting for me,” Anna sighed.
I laughed as I nodded my agreement and Gregor just crossed his arms in front his chest and smiled at the petite little whirlwind who was now rummaging through boxes and bags.
She handed Gregor several different bags and shoe boxes and ushered him upstairs. He turned to me and told me to take whichever guest room I would like before dutifully climbing the stairs with his newly acquired clothing.
“Thank you for doing all this Anna,” I said as I took in all the boxes and bags.
“You are very welcome, Chloe. I am so glad to meet you at last. Gregor spoke of you often when he returned from England. I understand you being here was not planned this time, but I hope that next time you visit we can make plans to go shopping together and have coffee, yes?”
“Erm, yes, I would like that Anna. Maybe you can come to England with Gregor, too.”
“I am hoping to go to England before Christmas. I did not get to visit last year, as my husband took me to Paris. I would love to meet with Keeley, and I haven’t seen Maggie for almost three years now.”
“You speak very good English,” I remarked.
“I studied English at university and often used to travel with Gregor on business. English is spoken by many nationalities, especially the ones we deal with in the oil and gas area of Gregor’s business. It is expected that we are to be fluent in a number of languages.”
“In England, we learn French or Spanish, sometimes German, but not enough to be fluent unless we take it into further education, such as college or university. I wish I had paid more attention in language classes.”
“I’m sure Gregor would be willing to teach you, he speaks several different languages, although his Mandarin isn’t as good as he thinks.”
“I heard that Anna,” shouted Gregor from the top of the stairs.
Anna and I turned to watch him walk steadily down each step, and I’m sure my chin must have hit the floor. Gregor in a business suit was gorgeous and sexy. Gregor in black jeans and a fitted black t-shirt was something else entirely.
He walked towards us and turned around. The jeans were Armani, and fit him to perfection. The t-shirt was also Armani, and showcased his muscular upper body. I didn’t know what I wanted to grab first, his firm sexy arse or his… well, everything. How on earth was I supposed to keep my hands off him now? He could grace the covers of a GQ magazine and make all the other models jealous. I turned to look at Anna and could see that she had her eyebrows raised.
“Gregor this look suits you. You should dress like this more often. I think I did well today,” Anna quipped. Then she turned to Dmitry and Yuri. “Come Dmitry, take all this upstairs for Chloe, while I try and cover Yuri’s face with make-up.”
“What, no way am I wearing make-up.”
“You are supposed to be guarding Gregor and Chloe by staying inconspicuous. How can you do that with a blue face? Now sit and be still while I try to work a miracle by making you presentable.”
“You will do as she says Yuri, or stay here and I will take Boris, instead.”
Yuri began to protest, but Gregor raised his eyebrows.
Anna took out from her bag, what I assumed to be concealer, and gestured for Yuri to sit on the arm of the sofa.
While she went to work on Yuri’s blue cheeks, I followed Gregor, Dmitry and Stepan upstairs into the guest bedroom next door to Gregor’s. I thought that Gregor would stay while I took the clothes out of the bags, but he didn’t. He said just choose something I would like to wear today, and I could go through the rest later. Before I could protest the amount or even thank him, he left the room with Dmitry and Stepan.
I didn’t know which bag to open first, so I started with the smallest ones. In there were lipsticks, two eye make-up quads, powder, mascara, four different colours of foundation, three blushers, a bronzer, and some sort of pressed powder. As I was taking these out and putting them in the bathroom, I also noticed three eyeliners. All of the make-up was Dior, and I mused that this little lot would probably cover the cost of replacing all four tyres on my little van.
In the next bag, also, Dior, were a selection of skincare items, including eye cream, two moisturisers, eye make-up remover, cleanser, and toner. In another Dior bag were shower gel, body cream, and perfume. I was shocked. This was just too much.
In a bag that had Russian writing on it, I noticed what I figured out was deodorant and shampoo and conditioner. It looked like a spa brand, but as I couldn’t read or speak Russian, I couldn’t be sure.
I must have stood and stared at them for at least five minutes before opening the perfume and spraying some on my wrists and throat. Dior’s Addict. It was a beautiful floral fragrance that kind of suited me, I thought.
I didn’t often wear perfume, especially in the summer, as working with flowers tended to attract wasps and bees, which were also attracted to strong perfumes. I took another sniff at my wrist and smiled.
Wearing perfume meant I really was away from the shop and its demands. As if I was on a real holiday. One that I had actually chosen and booked and not just woken up to find out I’d been flown out of England without knowing it.
I dashed into the bedroom and began to root through the bags. There were lots of different coloured t-shirts from Ralph Lauren, along with jeans and a denim skirt. There was also a deep green jacket that I fell in love with, and left out, just in case I wanted to take it with me.
