Hired To Be Mine

Chapter 15

Nicole sat in the green room for she didn't know how long. The entire show passed in a blur. She was tossed around by coordinators, models and even freaking makeup artists. Everybody were yelling for her attention and suggestions. She was the boss for the day after all, but her head was completely out of focus.

She let out a bitter laugh as she thought about it, shaking her head ruefully at her foolish behavior. How much had she prepped for this day and when the moment finally arrived, she completely ruined it. This is why they often said that there should never be a relationship between two professionals.

Though the show wasn't screwed, in fact it was a huge hit, but she felt like she didn't give her hundred percent and that kept eating her up. She sat there, thinking back to the end of the show when she walked onto the ramp, accompanied by Stella Strafford, the show's topper. She had an artificial smile plastered on her face and she bowed to the audience just like she rehearsed. Her eyes searched among the crowd when she was giving out her well practiced two liner speech, for those black consuming eyes she yearned. But, to her disappointment he wasn't there.

She snorted at her wishful thinking. Of course he was with her. The way they embraced each other, doesn't demand a genius to guess what their relationship was like. But the saddest part was, he promised her, that he would be there when she walked up on the ramp and would be the one who applauded louder than anyone present, and he broke that promise.

A small insecurity crept into her mind, how could she trust a man with her kids, who couldn't even keep up a promise as small as such? She shook her head to get rid of that thought. But once the idea got planted, it took roots and plunged into a huge tree. A warm fear spiked up her nerves and she started feeling restless, she wanted to go home. To be with her kids.

She got up and dialed the number that was on speed dial.

"Hey Nick, how was the show?" an excited Ana asked from the other end of the call,

"Ana!", she sighed with relief. Nicole was half scared that Ana wouldn't pick up during her work hours, "Could I come and get the boys. Like right now?" she said walking towards the car park, fishing for the keys in her bad,

"What?" Ana asked taken back, "But-",

Nicole cut her off, "please Ana. I need to see them", she said finally taking the keys out and walking towards her car.

"Sure. It's just day care, you can take them home whenever you want", Ana's voice was coated with questions but she respected Nicole's privacy too much to ask anything. She knew her friend would eventually confide,

"Thanks babe. I will be there in twenty. Just gather them around for me", she said and hung up.

As she reached her car, she noticed a small figure hunched up beside the driver's door, with their head bent in between their knees.

"Kelly?" Nicole almost shrieked, she ran the rest of the way to her and crouched down beside her friend, "Are you okay?" she shook her shoulders which shook with sobs.

Kelly looked up, her eyes leaking the mascara through her tears. Her face swollen with tears and her nose red. She looked terrible. "Come on", Nicole said softly and guided her slowly towards the passenger seat.

She made her sit and gently closed her door and ran towards the driver's side. As soon as she got in, she turned the air conditioning on and pulled out tissues from the glove compartment. Kelly didn't need prompting, as she started cleaning herself up.

"It will take twenty to reach Ana's day care and get the boys, then another thirty to go home and start coffee. You have so much time to give yourself the prep talk like the big girl you are, then, you are telling me everything", Nicole said in a voice which left no room for arguments and Kelly simply nodded looking out of the window.

As soon as they pulled up at the day care, they were greeted by four pairs of waving hands. The boys and of course Ana.

"Ana! What are you doing out here with the boys?" Nicole yelled leaning over Kelly who was equally shocked.

"They were too excited to know that you were coming that they dragged me along", Ana said defensively,

"You are standing so close to the road, Ana. You could get hit by a car or one of the boys could. How can you be so careless", Nicole yelled at her. Something inside her snapped and she was feeling her anger surge up. Ana didn't say anything to that, her face flamed in embarrassment. She was never the one to be careless with kids. The very same reason why people trusted her with their kids to baby sit them despite her obvious blindness.

"Nick!", Kelly grabbed her hand and pulled her back a little, that's when she actually realized how close she stepped to Nicole and how big a scene she was creating in the middle of the road. All five of them looked scared at her sudden outburst, and there was a crowd gathering around them, "Lets go", Kelly said calmly, composing herself despite her own turmoil and ushered the kids into the back seat to strap them in.

"Yeah", Nicole muttered though no one heard her and walked to Ana, who stood their with her head bent low. "Annabelle! Come on, lets go", she said grabbing her hand gently.

Ana just shook her head and crossed her arms. A frown etched her face and she kept her head hung low.

"Say that you're sorry and say it, like you mean it", she said sternly, her voice low with hurt.

"I am sorry", a half sob escaped Nicole's throat as she pulled Ana for a quick hug as a reconciliation. Ana tightened her arms around Nicole and shushed her, patting her hair. She didn't need an explanation or answers. All she knew was Nicole needed her and she was going to be there for her.

The drive was calm. Even the kids sensed the tension surrounded the three ladies and kept quiet, without making a fuss. Nicole and Kelly couldn't be more than glad for that. Dealing with the boys was the last thing they would've wanted amongst the day's adventure.

Though Ana had no clue what happened with these two, she could clearly sense the depression her friends were feeling. Being blind was a blessing sometimes, cause she could easily decipher the moods of the people without actually looking at them.

Kelly sighed heavily once every five minutes and Nicole made sharp turns, which she never did when she was driving with her kids. Especially in that old second hand Scoda which could kick the bucket any moment now. Ana didn't know what to say, whether to talk to the boys who were intimidated by their mother's mood or to the ladies who were obviously in the bad mood.

She shook her head and decided to deal with it, as the moment raised.

The car soon pulled up in front of the building, but no one stepped out. Ana wanted to climb out of the tension filled vehicle, but unfortunately she would need a guide to reach the stairs. So, she sat intact, waiting for one of the two other ladies to climb down.

"Okay", Kelly said in fake enthusiasm, "Lets go in kids", she said and unstrapped her seat belt. She came towards Ana and opened her door, guiding her out of the car.

Soon the kids followed the two women, and got out. They looked at their mom wishfully, all the earlier excitement to see her mom vanished, as they clutched their bag straps on their shoulders tightly. Ana came to them and quickly led them towards their apartment, diverting their minds with a story.

***

"You are really lucky that I own the day care center, you know. Do you realize how busy the center is these days? If I was working their as an employee, I could never get a leave so quick", Ana said sipping the hot chocolate Kelly just made for the three of them.

"Yeah, that's what Betsy says", Kelly said crossing her legs so that she could curl up on the couch in a more comfortable position.

"Says what?" Nicole asked leaning her head on Ana's lap,

"That Ana is a b***h, who doesn't grant a leave even if it is your birthday", Kelly said with a straight face which got Nicole to crack up.

"Hey", Ana squatted Kelly's arm blindly which hit nothing but thin air, who just chuckled in return, "I don't understand the concept of birthday's. I mean, its just another day in the year. Why should they celebrate a day which clearly states that you are growing old and your days on this earth are cutting down?" she shrugged.

"Whoa! Its just a day where we celebrate cause we are still alive. That we made it this far and there is nothing wrong with it", Kelly said drinking her hot chocolate,

"Live and let live, sisters", Nicole said drawing the line to quit the further debate on birthdays.

"So...", Ana drawled, "Anyone willing to tell me what made your mood turn so blue, suddenly?" she asked no one in particular.

For a minute silence stretched in the room and no one spoke. The ticking of the wall clock and a distant whistle of pressure cooker could be heard in that deadly silent. Kelly, after a few minutes, sighed loudly breaking the silence and drawing Ana's attention.

"Anya showed up", she said.

"Anya who?" Ana asked curiously, perking her ears for complete attention.

"Anya Khan. Salim's ex girlfriend and my ex-best friend", Kelly spat angrily. Nicole snapped her head to look at Kelly. She suspected the first thing, but she didn't know that Anya and Kelly were close. She just thought they didn't like each other.

"She was your best friend?" Nicole asked, a tiny hint of jealous marring her tone, when she mentioned 'best friend'.

Kelly sighed again and gulped a huge sip, reveling the taste of chocolate. "Anya was..... different", a nostalgic look crossed her face and Nicole knew that she was being whisked into the past, "She wasn't an everyday girl you know. I still remember the first time I saw her, she was dressed in black, covered from top to toe, literally", she chuckled bitterly.

"A woman covered in veil, attended an interview at a fashion industry. Can you hear the irony in that statement. Everybody who attended the interview with her, laughed at her. Asked her to just leave, and not look back. But she didn't leave. She just sat their with her head bent low, shyly. I instantly liked her, you know. Because that was the kind of secretary Salim needed. Someone who wouldn't fall for his charms or who wouldn't try to seduce him. I could bet my ass that Salim would hire her and only her, and guess what, I was right. The next day, she was introduced to the staff as the new personal secretary to Salim Sheikh", she laughed bitterly.

"Before she came, Salim led a lonely life. After his parent's death he never returned to his country, no matter how much he missed it. And in some twisted way, Anya reminded him of his hometown, of his family and culture back there. It was just a matter of time before he was head over heals for her.

And as far as I am concerned, I was happy for Salim. She was no gold digger, she kept to herself mostly, talked only when it was required and to only those who mattered. She wasn't the one to gossip or poke her nose in unnecessary matters. I admired her for that. She was an epitome of Miss perfect. And the fact that she made Salim happy, made it easy for us to accept her.

She was always sweet and we always worked together. As I said, she was so easy to work with, and talk with that we instantly became best friends", Kelly fell silent and stared into the brown liquid deeply.

"And then", Ana probed her

"And then", Kelly sighed, "Paris happened", she laughed aloud and there was nothing funny about it. She turned towards Nicole and an apologetic look crossed her face, "Its really an irony that you were hired for the same project which actually ruined everything for Salim", she said.

Nicole frowned, "I didn't get you", she shook her head.

"Anya and Salim were supposed to go to this Fashion parade that happens every year in Paris" She gulped the remaining brown liquid and burped, "Its an honor to every designer and Salim's designs won an award which is a very huge recognition. He was so happy that he was going with Anya the very same year. He was going to propose to her", she shook her head at the memory

"And...?" Nicole held her breath for the next words, "Did she say no?"

Kelly shook her head, "She ran away from him. Without a word or a goodbye. She left a resignation letter on his table and her wedding invitation card, with a post it that said two lines", Kelly cleared her throat, "Do not come for my wedding. And please forgive me" She laughed bitterly as she quoted the lines,

"Salim was so hurt", Kelly wiped the corners of her eyes where slight moisture was forming, "He almost went crazy reading the note. First he thought she was kidding him but later when realization dawned, he went ballistic. He ran off to Paris in search for her and ended up getting drunk and lost. Raghu, Salim's childhood friend was in Paris that time luckily, so things didn't get worse".

Nicole stopped breathing for a minute, until her lungs screamed in pain and reminded her to breath.

Propose? Love? Went crazy reading the note?

She knew Salim had a serious girlfriend once. The office gossip wasn't soft on her, she learnt more than once about his previous flame in different versions. But never did she pay any heed to those gossips. Cause she knew that they were just an attempt to rile her up, to irk and reaction from her. But after what Kelly said, she couldn't help the sinking feeling that surrounded her heart.

Was she a rebound to him? He seriously can't get over her in just an year? Could he?

Doubts, insecurities clouded her brain. The relationship which once seemed so simple to her, now appeared complicated and confused. She never liked to complicate things, they were either right or wrong, but never complicated. But now, she had no idea how to define her relationship status.

"Nick", Kelly grabbed her hand and pulled her attention, "I know what you must be thinking right now, but trust me, Salim's over her. I know him. Anya was... whatever she was, she is his past. And trust me, she is nothing like you. She was a coward who couldn't tell her family that she loved him, who couldn't tell it to Salim's face that she was getting married, who didn't even leave a note to her so called best friend", tears poured down her cheeks. Kelly shook her head, "She taught me a very big lesson when she ran away without notice. A lesson I shouldn't have forgotten. She reminded me that 'no one ever keeps their promise of 'forever', no one'", Kelly fell silent with a distant look.

Ana who sat silent all the while looked perplexed at Kelly's final words. When she first met her, she mistook her for a silent, shy and reserved girl who would open up only to her trusted friends. But after today's confrontation, a new side of Kelly came into light. A side which she hid from the outside world. Ana wanted to know further, but she didn't dare probe her. She decided to give time to Kelly to open up on her own, when she felt comfortable.

Where as Nicole was even more perplexed. She was torn between the battle between her mind, that was filled with insecurities and her heart, which yearned for more. More affection, attention and love.

The eerie comfortable silence was disturbed when there was a resounding knock on the door. It was not just resounding but it also sounded urgent. Like whoever was knocking couldn't wait for the door to be opened. Nicole got up from the couch and walked up to the door lazily to chase away whoever was at the door, disturbing their girl time.

As soon as she pulled the door open, Salim's large arms enveloped her in a tight hug, knocking the air out of her, "Oomph", she gasped as his arms tightened around her.

She heard a gasp from behind her and before she could turn around and break apart from his iron hold, his lips claimed hers in a hot demanding kiss.