UNMASKED :Arystan

I took a sip of my coffee as I stared off into the distance. The soft morning sun soaked the white plains and the distant hills with its golden rays. Everything is blanketed with soft snow and glitters against the sunlight.

A lilting, sweet melody started playing in my head. A lovely morning with my wife ran through my mind. We are cuddling in silence with a cup of coffee, the morning sun seeping through our skin. Few moments later, our children come in, the three of them, and give us sweet morning kisses.

I sighed contentedly at the thought, my lips stretching into a smile.

A knock on the door woke me up from my reverie.

"Mr. Nikolaev, your new manager has arrived," Otto called from outside.

"Yes. Yes. I'll be down in a moment," I responded.

I heard Otto's steps retreat away from my door without another word.

She's early. It is only 8 o'clock in the morning and it is cold out.

I washed my face in a hurry and got out of my pajamas. I put on casual clothes and hand-combed my tousled hair. I jogged down the winding stairs into the foyer and entered towards the living room.

My eyes zeroed in on a raven- haired woman. She took a sip of her tea and I sensed a sort of elegance with the way she brought the teacup to her mouth.

A corner of my lip turned up into a smirk.

How interesting.

She turned her head to where I was standing. I clipped a smile at her and she stood up.

"Ms. Dahlia Jade McCrae, I assume?" I greeted her as I walked into the room. I held out my hand to her for a handshake.

She took it, her expression flat.

"Yes sir. I am glad to finally meet you."

We took our seats and a pregnant pause ensued.

"So... Senti has briefed you about everything that you need to know?" I opened the conversation.

She nodded.

"Yes sir. I am fully aware of my responsibilities as your new manager."

"Good. By the way, Senti informed me that you would like to stay with me and my family instead of having a place of your own since this is your first time living here in Kazakhstan. Is that right?"

She nodded with a stiff smile.

"I would understand if you think I'm imposing on you and your family sir. If I am, I would find my own place and manage on my own."

"It's okay. Senti asked this of me and it would actually be ideal. Senti was practically living with me before so it's nothing new. Being my manager is a very demanding job. I assume that Senti told you everything concerning this and you thoroughly thought over your decision before accepting?"

She nodded again and smiled.

She looks way better when she smiles. It creates attractive dimple lines on her cheeks and her cold, closed demeanor just vanished.

"Of course Sir. You can be assured that I won't go back on a decision I already made."

I smiled back, much wider.

"Good. Good."

"Anyway, how do you find Kazakhstan?" I asked, changing the topic.

A faint smile passed by her lips.

"It is better than I had anticipated Sir. I did not expect to see this beautiful mansion at the end of a remote trail. The mountains we passed by were glorious as well."

I nodded, suppressing a smile.

"I'm glad you like Kazakhstan. We will be staying in this house for a few weeks if things go according to plan."

I stood up.

"You should unpack your things and get some rest. I'm sure you are tired from the long trip."

She also stood up.

"Thank you Sir. It's great to meet you."

I was about to take my leave when I remembered something.

"How about breakfast? Have you eaten?"

Her hazel green eyes stared back at me, uncomprehending for a couple of seconds.

"Uh, I'm sorry but no. Not yet Sir."

"Of course. It's a bit early. Unpack your things in your room first. I'll call Leila to lead you upstairs. After you are done you can come back down and join us for breakfast. This is a good time to introduce you to my family since they will be leaving for Nursultan after the meal."

"Thank you Sir."

I nodded at her and took my leave. I called Leila on the phone on my way out and told her about the new manager needing a room.

My steps retraced the stairs back to my room. I went into the veranda and took my half- finished cup of coffee from the coffee table. I took a sip. It's already lukewarm.

I put it back on the table and sat down on the couch.

It's finally sinking in. I'm having a stranger and a woman by my side as a manager.

I have never considered it. It's not a good idea. It is impossible not to get awkward or develop unnecessary affection along the way. It could get in the way of work and even harm the both of us at the end. I can't believe I let Senti talk me into this.

I still remember the argument from five months ago.

"Listen brother. I don't understand why you are insisting on this McCrae, whom I know nothing about to replace you. You know what being my manager is like. We stick to each other all the time, working through the night, traveling at ungodly hours. We even have to borrow each other's clothes sometimes. I need a guy like you. A man. Or if it's possible, a clone of you. The job is very demanding."

He laughed at me.

"I'm happy that I'm somewhat indispensable to you brother but I'm telling you, Ms. McCrae is way better than me. I promise you that. I've seen her work. I've seen her deliver results. She's a top honorary graduate in Melbourne University and she became an account executive at a top advertising firm in New York. At 24. If that woman is not competent and smart, I wonder who is. She's perfect for you."

I pursed my lips at him.

"Okay. I understand that. But if she is as competent as you said, why choose to work with me? She can further climb the executive ladder, solidify her career, and earn a lot more. "

He hesitated for a second.

"Uh.. she had a situation and she didn't have a choice but to resign."

I stared at him with suspicion.

He clapped me in the back with a huge grin.

"Trust me on this brother. Alright? If one day she decides to leave, I'll go back for you. That's a promise."

I know it would be hard for him to come back. At some point, I have to look for another manager I can trust.

But for now, I have no choice but to trust him on this one. She is a temporary manager I have to tolerate for the meantime. As long as she does her job well, there's nothing to complain about.

With a sigh, I stood up from my seat. I went straight to the bathroom and stripped off my clothes. Under the warm water, my mind raced about being back on the spotlight again. I do miss the stage, I miss the lights shining down on me, I miss the fans chanting my name but I'm afraid of that familiar loneliness in the crowd.

I pushed away the thoughts and willed my concentration back to lathering soap on my body.

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