| Subject: Chapter 19 |
Author:
Juli
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Date Posted: Friday, July 15, 03:55:27pm
In reply to:
Juli
's message, "Angelita - new chapters (finally)" on Friday, February 18, 01:02:53pm
Chapter 19
“Nick, could I have a word,” Walter asked, poking his head into the study.
“Walter! Sure, come on in,” the billionaire said with surprise, setting down his pen. “Cigar?” he offered, opening the humidor.
Walter seriously considered, and then shook his head.
“What’s on your mind,” Nick asked, leaning back in his large, black executive chair.
“I wanted to talk to you about Nikita,” Walter began.
Nick interrupted him. “Is something wrong,” he asked, leaning forward suddenly.
Walter put up his hands to reassure his brother in law. “No, no, nothing like that. It’s just… I think you may need to adjust to the fact that your daughter is a grown woman. She needs to be able to make her own choices, even if you don’t approve.”
“Why do I get the feeling that something has already happened?” Nick asked warily.
“You know she’s been seeing that Jurgen fella’ you have working for you?” Walter prompted.
“Yes, good man, Richardson,” Nick said, missing the point.
“She also spends a pretty hefty portion of her time with Michael,” Walter suggested.
“Michael? Well of course. He’s her bodyguard. Of course she would spend a lot of time with him – that’s what I pay him for,” Nick argued.
“I’m just going to say, that Nikita is out in the world now. She’s dating, she’s on Oprah, for heck sakes! I just want you to think about how you are going to react when she comes to you with something you may or may not like. She’s her own woman, and Rita’s daughter,” Walter finished wisely.
Nick didn’t say anything, and Walter left the study. Nick tented his fingers and rested them against his mouth as he thought about Walter’s words. He didn’t want to admit it, but what Walter said was true. Nikita would probably be 21 early the next year. He continued to think about his “little” girl for a very long time.
***
“Good morning, Michael,” Nikita said with a smile as she fairly skipped into the dining room for breakfast. It had been almost a week since they had made love after her disastrous date with Jurgen. Nikita felt like she was still walking on clouds.
“Good morning,” Michael answered, his green eyes sparkling just for her.
“What should we do today?” Nikita asked, digging into her bacon and eggs.
“It’s nearly Christmas, would you like to buy presents for your family?” Michael suggested, watching with delight as Nikita’s eyes lit up with joy.
“Oh yes! That’s a wonderful idea,” she exclaimed.
She hurriedly finished her breakfast and then dragged Michael out the door, after grudgingly changing her clothes. The limousine shuttled them around the cold, snowy city going to shop after shop as Nikita picked out gifts for her father, Walter, Miranda, the Wirth’s press secretary, Birkoff, and all the staff at the penthouse.
She giggled as she and Michael flirted in one store. “How am I going to get YOU something if you are with me, Michael?” she asked, casually running her fingers along his back as she walked by.
“You have already given me a gift, ‘Kita,” Michael replied seriously.
Nikita smiled. “But don’t you want a present to open?” she teased, loving him all the more.
Michael smiled indulgently. “Shall I wait with the car?” he asked.
Nikita nodded enthusiastically.
Michael left the shop and waited outside, leaning on the side of the limousine.
He knew that he needed to approach Nick soon. The man was too perceptive not to notice a love affair going on under his own roof. Walter already had figured it out, Michael knew. Michael assumed that Nick would be more upset to find out long after the fact that they had been hiding the relationship from him.
He also thought about the emails he’d been getting from his sisters since the publicity started. He wondered if their father truly had softened over the years. Both of his sisters begged him to come home and visit. They both had children now, making him an uncle. His father needed someone to run the family business so he could retire, they told him in their messages.
Michael was deep in thought when Nikita emerged from the shop with a large bag in her grip. He was jolted out of his reverie when two photographers jumped in front of Nikita and started clicking away.
“Shopping for Christmas, Nikita?” the one asked her loudly.
Nikita smiled indulgently. The two photographers were being polite and not getting too close or invasive.
“Got a present for Jurgen Richardson?” the other asked, hopeful for some gossip to go with his shots. His question earned him a glare from both Michael and Nikita as Michael opened the door to the limousine for her.
“One more, Nikita?” the paparazzi asked.
Nikita smiled and the flashbulbs flashed. She climbed into the car with Michael behind her.
“They weren’t so bad,” she told him. “I don’t mind it when there is only one or two.”
“I don’t like them following you around,” Michael muttered.
Nikita laughed lightly and kissed Michael’s cheek as the car pulled away from the curb.
***
The next day, Nick Wirth was working in his office downtown when Miranda called up from downstairs.
“Do you have a moment, Mr. Wirth?” she asked, nervously. “We have a slight problem.”
“Certainly, what is it?” he replied, his full attention now on the woman at the other end of the phone.
“I’d like to come up if I may,” she replied.
“I’ll have Gail buzz you right in,” Nick told her.
He took a minute to replace the papers he was working on into their files, and then stood, waiting for his press secretary.
When she arrived, she had a number of newspapers under her arm.
“Come in, Miranda. Please, tell me what’s going on,” Nick said, motioning to one of the elegant desk chairs.
Miranda sat and spread the National Enquirer and the Star across Nick’s desk. Both tabloids had fuzzy pictures of Nikita and Michael inside a store. The pictures had been taken through the storefront window, but they clearly showed an “adoring” look on Nikita’s face as she ran a hand over Michael’s back.
The Enquirer headline read “Heiress dumps CEO for Bodyguard?” The Star’s tag line was “Nikita and Michael in Love?”
Nick sat back heavily in his chair and looked up at Miranda.
“It’s not really a problem, Mr. Wirth. Nikita is in the rags all the time. However, this is such an … uh … intimate photo, that I thought I would make you aware of it immediately. Nikita and Michael may want to stay inside for a while. The media attention from this will be substantial,” Miranda told him.
Nick nodded thoughtfully. “It’s probably nothing anyway,” he murmured to himself. He looked up at her. “You know how Nikita is, … with everyone. Very affectionate. I’m sure someone at the tabloids just looked at this and saw sensationalism,” he mused.
“I’m sure you are right, sir. But you might want to let them know so they are forewarned,” Miranda said, collecting the newspapers and rising.
As Miranda left his office, Nick picked up the phone, paused, and put it back down. He glanced out the window at the snow that was falling, and then at his watch.
Gail looked up in surprise when Nick walked out of his office with his coat on, briefcase in hand.
“I’m going to finish from home today, Gail,” he told her.
Gail nodded dumbly, amazed that her workaholic boss was knocking off early.
“Call the car around, please,” Nick asked her as he punched the elevator button for the lobby.
Gail picked up the phone, shook her self out of shock, and called for Nick’s car.
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