VoyForums
[ Show ]
Support VoyForums
[ Shrink ]
VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, [9], 10 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 16:17:44 01/06/08 Sun
Author: Hannah
Author Host/IP: port176.dialup.bfree.on.ca / 66.207.116.176
Subject: Northern Woods, Chapter 133
In reply to: Hannah 's message, "Northern Woods" on 05:18:11 12/22/07 Sat

Chapter 133

Nikita sat in silence in the back of Michael’s white limousine. Lakeisha sat next to her and they were driving through downtown Montreal towards the designer’s.

Willie sat in the front seat with Michael’s chauffeur. He knew that Lakeisha was pointedly ignoring him and he was trying to pinpoint what had gone wrong with their relationship. He knew she was angry, but he couldn’t figure out why. After all, she had been the one to leave him at the table that night without a word and return to her room. Surely if anyone should be angry it should be him.

What he couldn’t figure out was Nikita’s silence. She hadn’t said a word to him when he and Lakeisha had gone to the penthouse earlier, and Michael had shot him a disgusted look as he’d helped his wife into her fur coat.

‘What did I do?’ he wondered. ‘It’s not like Nikita to be moody.’

Nikita, conversely wasn’t even all that aware of his or Lakeisha’s presence at the moment. She was quiet because she was still processing Michael’s amazing request.

‘He wants to renew our wedding vows in front of all our guests at the party!!’ she realized in wonder as she stared unseeingly out of the tinted windows.

That meant, he wanted to do that in front of all his ex-girlfriends.

‘Oh my God!’ she thought in further in amazement. ‘As if I’m not going to be nervous enough just meeting them! They’re probably all elegant and beautiful… and they’re all going to hate me, I just know it!’

“Nikita?” Lakeisha said softly as she studied her friend intently. “Are you okay honey?”

“Hmm.” Nikita said vaguely.

Immediately, Lakeisha became concerned. Now that she thought about it, Nikita hadn’t said much since her arrival there, and Lakeisha had initially assumed that her silence had been directed at Willie. She’d been snubbing him too; quietly leading him to the penthouse before their departure and refusing to answer any of his questions.

‘If he has to ask… well….’ She’d fumed when he’d pressed her about if she was upset. ‘If indeed! Why was the man so clueless? Couldn’t he see that he’d hurt her badly? Surely he knew he’d been rude! I wish his mother was here… she’d give him an earful!’

It occurred to her that it was her place to give him that ‘earful’, but she was too hurt at the moment to do it.

‘Let him wonder… at least until after the party. Obviously he needs to do some thinking!’ the dark haired beauty thought.

Now that she had calmed down, however, her thoughts were centered on her friend instead of on her own misery. Nikita was unnaturally quiet; even for her. She’d made no comment on the city that flashed before them, nor had she shown any enthusiasm for their destination.

Lakeisha reached up and gently removed the dark sunglasses her friend had been wearing since her arrival at the penthouse that afternoon with Willie. When she had arrived at the penthouse, it had seemed odd to Lakeisha that Nikita would wear dark spectacles on such an overcast day, but she’d been so upset at Willie, she’d ignored the point. Now it seemed even more curious that she would continue to do so in the limousine’s tinted interior.

As she gently removed the dark lenses from her friend’s face, Lakeisha was stunned to see that Nikita had been crying.

“Nikita, what’s wrong!” she cried softly.

Nikita didn’t reply, but shook her head. Lakeisha became even more concerned. This wasn’t like her friend at all! She was never at a loss for words!

“Want to try that again, girl?” Lakeisha said with a hesitant grin. “This is me you’re talking to. Is everything okay?”

“Yes.” Nikita said quietly, as she avoided her friend’s probing gaze.

“Then why do you look like you’ve been crying?” Lakeisha inquired insistently. “Did you and Michael have a fight?”

‘A fight?’ Nikita thought in amusement. ‘How could I possibly fight with a man who looks at me with pleading green eyes and begs me to marry him all over again in front of everyone he knows? Oh my God… I love him!’

“No.” the blonde responded softly.

Lakeisha breathed a sigh of relief. ‘All is still right in “paradise”, it seems’ she though sardonically. ‘Good. I wish I could say the same.’

“Care to talk to me about it?” Lakeisha responded with a broader grin. “And try not to be so chatty, will you?”

As long as she wasn’t interfering with her friend’s relationship, Lakeisha felt free to say anything to her. After all, Nikita felt that same freedom with her.

Nikita sighed as a slight smile blossomed on her face. Sitting up straighter, she turned to Lakeisha and said, “You won’t believe what Michael asked me to do.”

“What?” her friend replied.

“He wants us to renew our wedding vows at the party Lakeisha! He’s even invited a priest, so that it will be ‘official’!” Nikita blurted out in wonder. “No wonder he wants me to get an elegant dress!”

“And how do you feel about that?” Lakeisha gasped, as she took in her friend’s delight at Michael’s incredibly romantic gesture.

“At first I wasn’t sure.” Nikita admitted.

“What weren’t you sure about Nikita?” Lakeisha replied with a slight frown. “Surely you’re not having any doubts about Michael.”

“Oh no. I have no doubts at all about Michael. I thought he was asking me to do this because he thinks I need a “show” ” Nikita explained.

“A show?” Lakeisha echoed.

“Yes… you know… making a big fuss about what people wear and ceremony and all that nonsense.” Nikita replied. “I don’t think any of that is necessary or important.”

“You’re right… none of that *is* important.” Lakeisha agreed. “Was that his reason?”

“I don’t think so.” Nikita said solemnly. “At least, he said that wasn’t the reason.”

“Oh?” Lakeisha replied, mystified. “What did he say his reasons were?”

“He said he felt the need to introduce me to his friends in a way that would be memorable to them and to us.” Nikita replied.

“And did you believe that?” Lakeisha asked hesitantly.

“I do… and if you’d seen his face, you would have too. I love him for being so romantic, but I’m scared to death. I mean… they’ll be there.” Nikita confessed shyly.

“You mean ‘the girlfriends’?” Lakeisha guessed.

“Yes.” Nikita reluctantly admitted. “They’re all probably elegant… and I just know they’re all going to hate me!”

“I understand how you feel Nikita, but there’s really no reason you should be worried about any of them.” Lakeisha stated calmly. “Michael loves you. I could see that the first time I met him just by the way he looked at you!” Lakeisha stated in an awed voice.

“I know he does Lakeisha.” Nikita admitted almost shyly. “I don’t understand why I feel this way. I’m not afraid of them, I just don’t want them there.”

“Well, I understand that, but do you remember what you told me the other day?” Lakeisha replied quietly. “ ‘What is, is,’ right? They’re not important, but what Michael is asking of you is. Do you have any idea how lucky you are girl?”

“Yes, I do.” Nikita admitted softly. “I love him so much.”

“I wish I were as lucky.” Lakeisha said, her voice trembling, as she shot a despairing glance at Willie’s form in the front seat.

Nikita noted Lakeisha’s anguished glance and squeezed her friend’s hand tightly. Michael had been totally disgusted with Willie’s manners when she’d told him what had transpired on her friend’s ‘date’.

“He doesn’t deserve her.” He had said bluntly when she’d told him of the aborted date. “I know he’s your ‘brother’ Kita, but he’s also a fool. Your friend deserves better.”

Nikita had to agree. Willie had certainly acted foolishly that night, but she still cared about him and she knew Lakeisha did too. Poor Lakeisha. She wished things could be as wonderful for her as they were for her and Michael. That made Michael’s request all that more surreal.

“I just wish they weren’t going to be there.” Nikita repeated quietly.

“No.” Lakeisha said firmly, staring seriously into her friend’s arctic blue eyes. “I’m glad they’re going to be there, and you should be too. It’s perfect!”

“It is?” Nikita said with a slight frown marring her perfect face and staring at her friend with puzzled blue eyes. “Why?”

“Yes. Think about it Nikita. Michael’s gesture will spell out his feelings for you without him saying a word to any of those women, don’t you see?” Lakeisha explained seriously.

“It will, won’t it?” a slightly blushing Nikita said with a shy grin as she began to see what Lakeisha meant.

“Absolutely.” Lakeisha maintained with a huge grin of her own. “That’s what makes it so romantic, don’t you see? Everyone he knows will be there, and so will all the society reporters. He couldn’t possibly declare his feelings for you any louder if he tried. By publicly renewing your wedding vows in front of all those bimbos, he’s making it crystal clear how much you mean to him.” Lakeisha stated firmly.

“He is, isn’t he?” Nikita said as she gently bit her bottom lip, preventing her grin from growing broader.

“Of course he is.” Lakeisha maintained. “What more could he possibly say to those women about his feelings? Doing this is his way of telling them how much he loves you!”

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

Forum timezone: GMT-5
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.