Hired To Be Mine

Nicole sighed as she packed the last peices of chocolate pasteries into the cardboard containers. It was one of the small small things that she loved to do for her kids. Though they were just three years old, Nicole's kids were addicts to chocolate. It was no wonder from where they acquired the sweet tooth. She smiled at that thought. She looked to her right and left before popping a huge chunk of chocolate pastry into her mouth. She moaned in delight at the taste of hot liquidy chocolate. "Not again" a rough manly voice startled her. She turned around to come face to face with her cheif chef Marco. "Maco oo care me" she exclaimed with her mouth full of chocolate. "Didn't your parents teach you, not to talk with your mouth full?" He asked shaking his head and walking towards her. She removed her hand from her racing heart with a sly smile playing at her lips, "They must have mentioned it , once, I must have not paid attention then" she said in mock seriousness. "You girl are trouble. I don't know what's gonna happen to those kids of yours" he sighed, not at all doubting Nicole's parenting skills. Despite being a single mother, Nicole did a fabulous job at raising her kids. And Marco knew what hardships she had gone through during such tender age. After all twenty two wasn't a age to be married or be a mother. Yet in those two years og his acquaintance with Nicole he never once heard her complaining about her life or problems. That was what he adnired a lot about Nicole. She was a fighter yet a kid at heart who was forced to grow up early. "What happened to that interview of yours?" Marco asked remembering that Nicole has gone for the entire day leaving Stacy incharge of the cafe. Which never happened though stacy was her best friend and thier head waitress. She sighed heavily remembering what a disaster her interview was, "it was not bad" she tried sugar coating but failed miserably. Marco saw right threw her. She turned away to was her hands which were now stained with chocolate. "They don't want a seasonal employee. No one does" she said sighing again. "That's nonsense. We often hire students who want to work part time. Then why can't they?" He huffed not understanding the working mechanism of the business world. "Its multimedia business Marco. They want people with commitment and high ambitions. Not a single mother who owns a cafe and wants to have a seasonal job for six months. So that she could pay off her bank loans" she shook her head as she wiped her hands off a napkin. "Well it was your idea to find a job" Marco said it in a 'I told you so' tone. "I know" she whined, "This event in Paris will be a huge thing in Fashion history. If I even get an assistant's job in one of the brands that are gonna present a show in that parade, I will be able to clear the entire loan in a single go with the money I could earn. Or else it will take at least three years for me to pay off the debt" she pouted. In her point of view, the plan was crystal clear. She studied jewellery designing in her masters though she never got to complete her degree, she was pretty good at it. And was good at only that. She read about the fashion parade in a magazine article and instantly she wanted to grab the opportunity in order to earn money. She knew that she would not be able to present her ideas in any show, so she thought better and decided to work for one of the fashion industries and make her way into the team which took part in the parade at Paris. Fashion industry has always been generous when it comes to paying, that is if you are lucky. And she was looking forward to cash that point. But now after an entire month, she was still here, in her cafe brooding like a silly high schooler who didn't get accepted into uni. "Stop pouting" he said, "and go home. Your boys must be missing you already" he said waving his hand dismissively. She smiled at her employee. Though she was the one who paid his salary, Marco was the one who bossed her around. She didn't mind the old man at all, after all he reminded her of her late father. She rounded the kitchen counter, with the cardboard box in her hand and made her way into her office room. Though she ran a cafe, she maintained a marvellous office which could put any corporate office to shame. There was a wodden polished desk sitting towards the right with a rotating chair behind it. A modern wodden book shelf which she personally designed sat behind the her chair displaying her wide collection of books which mostly included historic novels. A small coffe table sat to the left of the office table, with glass top and a pen stand. Three small cute white chairs accompanied them. A two poster bed was towards the far left of the room, white bed sheets with four neatly arranged white pillows. A small wodden cupboard sat beside the cupboard which had a stack of neatly arranged files considering that Nicole did moat of her work while sitting comfortably on bed. Photo frames lined the dirty green walls. Empty photo frames. She walked towards the table and picked her bag in which she carried her essentials and placed the pastries box in it. This must keep the boys quiet for tonight. She thought as she exited her office. *** Salim woke up with a loud gasp. His breathing ragged and his body drenched in sweat. He looked to his left and right unable to comprehend where he was. As soon as it dawned on him that he was safe in his bedroom of his penthouse apartment, his racing heart relaxed a little. He closed his eyes and tried to get his breathing normal. He opened his eyes after a minute and reached for the water bottle on his bed side table and drank from it greedily. He knew that he wasn't going to be able to sleep anymore. This has been going on for a while now. Who was he kidding? He knew when his first nightmare struck him. Tonight was the twelth day that he had the same nightmare in a row. Twelve nights since he had been deprived from his sleep. Twelve days since he saw her again. He let out a frustrated sigh and got up from his bed. He slid the French doors of his balcony open and stepped out to welcome the cool New York night air. He raked a hand through his hair. She wasn't what he was frustrated about. No. He was over her, a long time ago. But the fact the she moved on so easily, bothered him. Was it that easy to forget him? Was he not even worth that much to her? She moved on, she was happy. But he? He was still exactly there, where she left him an year ago. He was alone, where as she was happily married and happily in love with her husband. He was spending his nights in loneliness where she was enjoying the warmth of her husband's embrace. He gave out an humourless chuckle. No he was definitely over her. Because the thought of her in the arms of another man didn't disgust him anymore. Wasn't a man still in love would instantly become jealous over such things. And Salim wasn't feeling any of it, which meant only one thing, that he was over her. Then why was he having those nightmares? That same nightmare? He sighed again. He knew that he will not be doing any good to himself by staying out in cold, so he decided better and walked back to his bad and threw himself onto the soft mattress. "Anya", He muttered he name one last time that night and closed his eyes. Sleep may come or may not, he vowed to himself that he will try his best to get over his loneliness. Even if it meant to take his psychiatrist's advice of starting to date again, he would do it. He definitely didn't want to end up single forever. With the new determination to find himself a date, or more preferably a girlfriend, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.