A business trip

The shower was hot and good. I changed into my nightie and hopped into bed. The night was still young and Darcy had gone down to play with her sisters. I tossed and turned in bed, already bored just after 5 minutes of lying there. I stood up from bed and decided to take some fresh air out on the balcony.

The balcony was nice and spacious. A large white couch and a table fixed there did nothing to cram up the space. A ceramic vase sat just beside the wall containing flourishing snake plants. I shivered as I brushed my fingertips on it before sitting on the couch. Vast blue hue stretched across the horizon with beautiful diamonds glistening all over the sky from a thousand miles away. I have always adored the night sky.

The surrounding below looked quite alluring under the night lamps and the moonlit night. Rows of cars blocked most of the artsy patterns on the ground from sight. The water fountain in the form of a fish poured endless sparkling waters from its mouth just beside the garden. The garden which was now sound asleep, burst with scents from a myriad of flowers and I picked up my favourite fragrance which came from the majestic 'Queen of the night'. This reminded me that the garden was not oblivious to nature's delight. The garden lights and those from the gazebos gave the scenery a fairytale look. This could have been straight out of a fantasy world.

A shooting star raced across the sky and my hands moved to my chest as I whispered un-spoken wishes. What I wished for was so close to me, yet so far away. I heaved a sad sigh as I thought about my wish. A pair of hands on my shoulder made me leap to my feet.

"Shhhh." His husky voice whispered as he wrapped his delicate fingers around my mouth. My eyes instantly grew tender as they fell on him.

His hair was ruffled and stray bangs bounced on his forehead, making him look less of a serious and intimidating billionaire CEO that he was during the day. His dark eyes sparkled under the moonlight and his thick lashes tried in vain to hide them.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Staring into his eyes didn't permit my reply. He noticed.

A sardonic smirk appeared on his face and the sparkle in his eyes disappeared. Without saying another word, he withdrew his hand from my mouth without haste and slowly moved his fingers to my jawline. A shiver shot down my spine as he traced his hand through my face and I shivered under his touch. I closed my eyes without protest. He knew exactly what he was doing to me.

"Open your eyes." He said seductively and my eyelids slowly parted open in obedience.

His dark eyes hid the emotions of its owner, giving me no liberty to read them. He nibbled his lower lip as his eyes dug into mine. This little act made me hot and a nervous lump formed in the back of my throat.

"My little wife." He said with a tender authority. His finger moved from my face down to my neck and then further down to my chest. A shameless moan escaped my lips. This earned me a light chuckle from Damien Jaeger.

Drawing me closer, he lowered himself to me and whispered my name, "Mélie."

"Mmmh" I moaned in reply as his nose brushed the small of my neck. By now, I was breathing like a vacuum cleaner.

"Business trip." He whispered.

"Mmmmh."

"Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow." I repeated his words without listening.

"We leave for Australia."

"Australia." I whispered.

"Are you listening, Mélie?"

"Mmmmh." Was my reply.

He took a hold of my chin in his fingers and shook my head, bringing me back to reality. I opened my eyes and blinked severely, staring blankly at him, "India?" I asked, startled and his fingers dropped from my face.

"Yes. We're taking the plane by 4 am tomorrow, so you get ready for it." He said. His office tone alongside his serious CEO facial expression had returned.

"You don't have to worry about packing my stuff, the house staff are in charge of that." He continued, "Liz already has the documents ready."

I was perplexed, "When did that happen?" "And how come I didn't know anything about this business trip. Aren't I supposed to be your personal assistant?"

"You don't have to know everything, Mélie." He said.

I suddenly felt irritation building up within me, "Yes I do. I'm your personal assistant, not Lizzy Gold."

"And I'd assume you'd know better than to question the actions of your boss." He said with sarcasm and I moved my angry eyes away from him, veiling them under my eyelashes.

"I'd advise you to get some rest." He said. I watched him leave the balcony and his fading footsteps that soon came to a halt announced his absence.

Unconsciously, my fingers traced where his fingers had touched and I realised that I no longer felt the shiver down my spine. The autumn breeze also reminded me of the chill atmosphere of the night.

I sneered angrily when I recalled the manner in which he had spoken before leaving. Since when did Damien Jaeger give people nicknames? Liz, indeed!
~

The next morning, I wheeled my pink suitcase the colour of my romper out of the elevator. Seeing as it was going to be a 21 hour flight from New York to Sydney, I made no effort in over-accessorising and I decided to abandon my newfound practice of applying makeup on my face. My hair was packed into a rough bun and I wore a pair of sandal-heels which performed dual functions of style and comfort. A leather jacket covered the part of my arms that the short-sleeved romper would have rendered naked.

"Natalie, promise to look after Darcy for me." I asked for the millionth time.

"Don't worry, Mélie. I will ensure that Darcy is well taken care of. You don't need to be so anxious." She assured me, also for the millionth time that morning.

I smiled and drew her into a hug, "Thank you so much."

"You don't need to thank me, Mélie. Darcy's my daughter too, you know." She replied cheerfully.

"All set?" Damien Jaeger's voice interrupted our little sister's moment. I turned to face him. He had chosen to use the stairs. Dressed in his black tuxedo, he descended the stairs with majestic, steady steps. His eyes surveyed me as he walked up to me.

"Yes, I'm set." I replied. About 3 staff strode into the living room to assist with the bag while Damien Jaeger and I walked out of the mansion.

I whispered a silent 'I'll miss you' to an unseen Darcy who had made a fuss over my travelling and had refused to come down to say goodbye.

The driver opened the back door of Damien Jaeger's Rolls Royce Phantom, a different Rolls Royce from the black Cullinan he usually drove and I settled myself into the backseat before Damien Jaeger followed suit. The driver closed the door and strode to his seat, and we were soon out of the gates, on our way to the airport.