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Nick decided that he could wait for a while and see if she could start the conversation. But she didn’t say a word; she was just apathetically stirring her coffee. He couldn’t stand the silence so he asked ‘’what are you thinking now?’’

‘’I think we should share the costs for this stay...’’ she said without even looking at him.
‘’Why are you saying this? Have I done something so wrong? I want to know...’’ he looked at her but couldn’t find a hint of grin in her face she was just staring at the table and acting as nothing happened.

‘’No, everything’s ok, I just don’t want you to have such huge expenses for a one night stand...’’
He was perplexed. ‘’How could you come to that? ’’
‘’Well, no one like you would want something more from me. I understand that...’’
‘’Have I said something like it? I don’t see you as a one night stand. If I’ve done something wrong then tell me!’’
‘’It’s obvious to me. Look at me. I’m not like your usual girls...they’re pretty but I’m not...I even don’t know what came over me last night...I should’ve known...’’

He thought that it is a kind of a joke and she will soon start to laugh how gullible to believe that what she says he is. But no reaction came from her, so he decided to continue this unusual conversation to see what will come next.

‘’Right, you’re not looking like my usual girls...you’re unique...and so beautiful’’
‘’Had your fun? Back home you’ll have the fun to brag your pals about how fast you got into bed the ugly and unwary millionaire chick...Oh, why was I so stupid?’’ she stood up, with tears filling her yes and run out of the kitchen.

For a few moments, he sat there not knowing what really happened. Shit, what did I say wrong? How could I hurt her? I didn’t say anything rude. Or did I do it?

Barbara was running up the stairs. No, this can’t be true that he sees more in me than a one night stand...He just wants to make fun of me...to have a great vacation story to tell his pals back home. How could I pretend that he could like me? Me, the totally ugly girl? How could I think that for once in my life I could have someone who really likes me?

She came to the end of the big stairway and saw a smaller spiral stairway leading somewhere upstairs. At the end of these stirs was only one door, she pushed the doorknob and realized that she had come to the attic.

The room was packed full with different things, there was a lot of ancient furniture, which was somehow damaged and a big old mirror, whose glass was broken partly and these rest where held together by a silvered frame. This setting reminded her of her childhood.

Her parents’ house had an attic, too. It was the place to hide for her. From her father, who was always chasing her and used to beat her hardly when he was drunk. But the picture wasn’t better when he was sober. He didn’t hit her physically, but morally.

The scenes from her childhood came up, and especially one didn’t let her mind go now. Her father was talking with one of his colleagues ‘’I don’t know why did God punish me with having such an ugly daughter. She’s the shame of our family.’’ ‘’John, don’t blame yourself! Maybe she’s a bitch? How can you know where exactly Cory got her?’’

Her father didn’t miss a moment to call her ‘’ugly bitch’’ every time he saw her. Her mother, Cory, wasn’t doing anything to protect her daughter. She was more interested to keep the husband and didn’t care how her daughter felt. The worst times for Barbara were when her drunken father found her and started to beat her, shouting ‘’you ugly bitch, you will get more beauty now.’’

So she believed that she was so ugly that no one would really like her. If even my mother didn’t like me, so how can it be that someone like Nick would think more of me than of a laughing stock? But why did I forget yesterday who I was? How could I make believe myself that he could be with me no matter what?

She broke down powerless on the dusty floor, overtaken by the sudden memories of her life.

Nick was really worried about her. Where did she go? Why did she leave? Her handbag and cell phone were left in the living room so she couldn’t have gone too far.

He looked first in the stable, but had no luck. He searched for her in all rooms in the house, but she was nowhere. He felt so guilty and desperate to find her. Finally he saw the spiral staircase which he hadn’t noticed before. As he had nothing to lose, he went up the stairs and opened the halfway open door. He made a few steps in the dusty room and finally saw her, hopelessly sitting on the floor in front of the mirror.

He came closer and hugged her; she was still statically staring into the dirty mirror, not really noticing what’s going on around her. ‘’Please, please, would you forgive me and come back downstairs with me?’’ his soft whisper made her thoughts come back to earth and reality. ‘’It’s not your fault. Who would want to be with such an ugly girl as me?’’
‘’You’re not ugly! I didn’t want to make you feel so...come with me downstairs. This dusty and cold attic is not really the best place for you to be...’’
She looked into his eyes and they seemed so sincere and loving, not so hatred filling like she had always seen her father. What if I let myself believe him? Only for a little while... What if nothing bad happens?

She stood up and let him take her hand. His touch was so warming that for a moment she thought that maybe her doubts are wrong.

He let her sit down at the table and soon placed a cup of hot tea in front of her. He sat down directly facing her.
‘’And now-tell me why such ridiculous thoughts of being ugly come to your mind?’’
She hesitated for a while, then said ‘’that’s a long story, you won’t be interested in hearing it...’’
‘’No, I want to hear it...I really care how you feel and why...’’
‘’But I’ve never told that to anyone...even not to my psychoanalyst...’’
‘’The difference between me and this psycho-jerk is that I care how you feel, but he just counts the cash he gets per hour...’’
‘’You’re right...I’m losing nothing if I tell you that...everything’s burried in the past. My father thought that I’m an extramarital child so he hated me. He always used to call me ‘’ugly bitch’’ when he was sober...but when he got drunk it got worse for me...he tried to find me and hit me, so I tried to hide. Mostly I tried to hide in the attic... But when he found me... he shouted ‘’ ’you ugly bitch, you will get more beauty now.’’ She stopped for a while to take a sip of tea.

He was amazed how cruel her life had been... ‘’But couldn’t your mother do anything about it? Write a report for the police about it...’’
‘’No, she never really cared. She said that I’m bad and deserve to be hit...’’
''When you grew up you could prove yourself that it’s not true what your parents said...’’

She looked at him with watery eyes and said ‘’If everybody has told you your whole life you were like that, how could you suddenly believe you’re not? I tried to do a surgery, but judging from the results of check-ups I had a bad wound healing ratio...it meant that I could get scars from the operations... So the doctors didn’t want to do them...’’
‘’And why were you afraid I could make fun about you?’’
‘’It’s just that in the past, when I wasn’t so financially almighty...boys tended to use me as laughing stock, and now-as a never ending checking account...life’s not a fairy tale...’’
‘’But I’m sure that there were moments for you when you felt like in a fairy tale...’’
‘’The financial fairy tale started as I knew that I can afford anything, that I have no limits...but the emotional fairy tale...I thought I’d never have one, not even for a moment...but it started when...’’ she smiled and looked at him, thinking that she can dare to say that. ‘’The day I met you... you made everything so easy...’’

He came closer to her and whispered ‘’you see, life can bring you something good...so unexpected...’’
‘’But I don’t make it easy for you...’’
‘’The good things don’t come for granted...but my every effort is not enough to do everything for you...’’
‘’But you know me only since two days...’’
‘’I saw your picture in the magazine two weeks ago...You’re right, I met you in person only two days ago. For me it’s not the time that counts...it’s the feeling.’’
’’And how do you feel?’’
‘’Like never before... You know the picture from the magazine left such a strong impression that I couldn’t stop thinking about you. So when my tour ended I just got to London to make myself believe that there can’t be a possibility to meet you. But then...I met you. Now I start to believe in fairy tales. Do you believe?''
‘’I believed when I was a little girl... Every time I was hiding in the attic I wished that a handsome prince will come and rescue me. From his kiss I would become incredibly beautiful and we would ride to his far away castle on his white horse... Nice dream...but life is cruel...there are no dreams...all are tough reality...’’

‘’Maybe you’re right...I don’t belong to the titled classes... I don’t have a white horse. I don’t know if the black Royce could fill in for the horse... Maybe I’m not matching up with your standards for the prince’s handsomeness, but there are some things I know for sure...’’

Barbara was really amused by his funny speech so she started to smile. He saw that she had forgot her sad thoughts so continued ‘’I’m sure that you’re the princess I had to find. Every time I kiss you become more beautiful to me. This means that I’m in danger of being blinded by your beauty one day. Well and there’s one extra thing-I’m not so sure that I do own a castle...’’ he stopped to talk and looked at her with an I-need-you gaze.

It felt so real for Barbara. God, he looks so sweet. No one has ever cared so much for me. Why is he so nice with me? Is he real now? How could I prove it? She thought.

‘’First, you can be certain that you are above the ideal mark for the prince’s handsomeness. Second, I want to know why you want to match all my requirements?’’
‘’ Well, if I’m not like you want to have your ideal savior, I’ll have no chance... so I promise that I’ll try.’’
‘’You are going to do anything for me? To get me? And you don’t mind my faults?
‘’Your only fault is that you’re so unsure about yourself. I see no reason why you should under evaluate yourself. You have so much to be proud of yourself!’’

‘’Really? What reasons do you have?’’
‘’Even if I don’t understand much about business, I’m impressed of what you’ve achieved. But not only that. Your temper is so good, you’re not afraid to show your personality...And I might sound really selfish, but... I really enjoyed last night...you have almost magical power over me...’’
‘’You’re not selfish. I’m glad that you enjoyed it. I was even a little afraid that you’d think that I’m too extreme...’’
‘’Now you see that I want you as you are? Let me give you your deserved piece of your private fairy tale...’’
‘’For real?’’
‘’Yes, but if I have to sit like that forever I could turn into a toad, you know.’’

She came over to him and hugged him. Nick felt like a heavy stone had fallen down from his shoulders. The most wonderful girl he’d ever wanted trusts him. Shyly he bent forward to her and kissed her, thinking by himself I will never ever let you down. I’ll be there for you no matter what.

She felt so free and easy again. She tried to inhale this miraculous feeling of being needed with every breath she took. The warmth of his body made her believe that a better life lies ahead.

He is not like my father. He won’t hit me. I feel so safe with him. But can I trust him completely?