The Online Job - Chapter 16

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After Dmitri left, Natti’s mom told her that they needed to get ready. Natti looked at her questioningly and she said that the Top Floor restaurant is a very good restaurant and it is a place for fine dining. Then she questioned her as to what she was going to wear? Natti didn’t really understand and her mother said to come with me and we can see what you have. Opening her closet and seeing all the clothes that she had she began to look at the dresses that she had.

She didn’t really have an evening gown or a cocktail dress, but maybe she could find something else that would work since she was just a young girl. She came across a black dress with a skirt that was made of layers of black lace that came to mid-thigh. She thought that would have to do, and she could add to that some of her jewelry. Now, what about her hair? She had an idea for that as well. Go ahead and get a bath and have a good soak and then we can take care of your hair. Chop chop now, we only have 3 hrs.

Alicia picked up her phone and called Mrs. Dmitriev and asked about the dinner invitation. She told her that it was pretty short notice but they would be ready at 7PM. Mrs. Dmitriev apologized for the short notice, but Dmitri had just called her before he left the mall and I figured that he would want to convey his invitation. He is really taken with Natti. Then she added that if it wasn’t doable then they could call it off but her son so wanted to kind of show off for Natti, and I didn’t want to rain on his parade. Natti’s mom said that it wouldn’t be an issue and not to worry. She then added how impressed she was with her son, “He is very mature for his age and I’m so happy that he and Natti were getting along so well together.”

She was pretty much ready in a little less than 2 hrs. When she went to pull a formal gown out of her closet she took a silver midi out of the closet and had an idea. She put on a robe and went in to check on Natti. She already had her makeup on and she had applied it very well. She didn’t have her dress on yet. When she saw her dress laid out on the bed she knew her light bulb moment was inspired. “Here I want you to try this on.

Now I know that I’m bigger than you are in the waist, but if you wear this on your hips I think it will just fit, so try it on.” Natti took the midi and pulled it up to her waist it was a little big but with the help of a few safety pins wielded by her mother, she got it to hug her very snugly. Then she asked her mom what she would do for a top and she said that she would wear the dress normally. Natti wasn’t at all sure about this but went ahead and tried the dress on and after she slipped on the black heels that she had bought that day she turned and stood looking at herself in the mirror.

Neither she nor her mother was ready for the beautiful lady peering from in the mirror. The silver-colored skirt accented the black dress and the skirt fell to just at her ankles. Her mother whispered, “My goodness, you’re so beautiful. Walk and let me see how it looks.” Natti was very pretty in the combination of the two garments and her mother said, Oh and I know just what it needs. Natti followed her mother and upon entering her bedroom she was just turning from the closet and said, I bought this to go with the skirt and I’ve only used it two times. She handed Natti a pretty silver clutch and just stood there looking at her.

Now let’s fix that hair. She turned back to her dresser and opened a drawer where she kept all of her hair ties and pins and pulled out a silver Barrette, and grabbed a brush. She had Natti sit down at her vanity and brushed the hair from the sides of her head to the back and then added the hair from the top of her head and clasped that with the large silver barrette in the shape of three leaves.

Then she reached into another drawer and pulled out a pair of black lace gloves that extended halfway up Natti’s forearms. She then pulled out a string of pearls and fastened that around Natti’s neck. Then she complimented her neckline with 3 pearls on a gold bar that hung from each ear. Now, these are just clip-one and may feel uncomfortable for a few minutes but after that, you won’t even feel them. Alicia had her stand and looked at her and whistled.

I think I’ve missed my calling and turned Natti to look at herself in her full-length mirror on the back of her door. Natti just stood there trying to connect the stunning illusion that she saw in the mirror. Not averting her eyes she just stammered, “Mother is that what I look like?” Her mother said that she did and they both looked at each other, and then Natti hugged her as she whispered in her ear that she loved her.

Then her mother said that they still had about 30 minutes before their ride would be here and she could use that time to practice walking in her new shoes so that she could get used to the way that they felt. Natti didn’t really need to carry anything in the clutch but did put in a tube of lip gloss, an eyebrow pencil, a compact, and a few tissues. So for the next 30 minutes, she walked back and forth through the house from her room to the living room.

Her mother was in the front room and was going through her purse and right at 7PM headlights washed over the front windows of their house and she called out to Natti that their evening transportation was here. The doorbell rang and Dmitri stood there dressed in a black suit with a black shirt and a silver-colored tie. He stepped in and said, “Mother is waiting in the town car and I was sent in to fetch you. If you want you can and he stopped as Natti had just floated into the room and he just stood there in mid-sentence with his mouth open.

After a few moments, Natti’s mother leaned close to his ear and asked, “You were saying?” Dmitri snapped out of his speechless reverie and continued, you’re beautiful! Turning to her mother he continued, you can ride with her in the back if you would like. He opened the doors for first Miss Silvers and then for Natti. Then making his way around got into the driver's seat and turned to Natti and then again told her how beautiful she was. Natti thanked him and feeling slightly embarrassed at her escort's attention couldn’t look at him. From the back seat, his mother said that she thought we should be going. Pulling out of the driveway and then after a few minutes, they were going down the freeway to the evening's destination.

As they traveled through the obelisks of Miami sprinkled with sparkling diamonds Sara, Dmitri’s mother, and Alicia talked about their children’s attraction to each other. Sara said that her son is genuinely attracted to Natti. His father is in Hong Kong at the moment working on a business acquisition for a Japanese car parts manufacturer.

She said that this is the first time she has ever seen him so excited about meeting a girl. Ever since he first saw her that is all he has spoken about. I even had to call my husband to tell him that I think he has found his first girlfriend. Alicia had told her about Natti’s condition as they were starting to refer to it now at lunch. She told Sara that she is just as excited about Dmitri if that were possible. Natti had always enjoyed seeing the lights of Miami but she didn’t see them that much on this trip, as she was enjoying her prince that drove the pumpkin.

Once arriving in the city they drove over the bridge to Miami Beach and their destination was on the top floor of the Fontainebleau Hotel. They drove into an underground parking lot and off to one side was the entrance. They pulled up and the doorman opened the doors for the ladies as Dmitri got out and handed the keys to the valet.

Natti took Dmitri’s arm and followed by their mothers walked into the hotel and made their way to the elevator for the Top Floor. The conversation was light as they spoke about what was good on the menu. Sara suggested the grilled swordfish with coconut sauce and commented on how good it was. It was an express elevator to the restaurant and the doors opened to the entryway into the restaurant and Sara was recognized by the maitre d’ and they were escorted through the people waiting for their table.

Alicia nudged Sara and whispered how cute, indicating Natti walking next to Dmitri holding his arm. It was obvious that others were watching as well at the turning of the heads of the people following their progress. Sara commented on Natti’s dress saying how much older and sophisticated it made her look.

They were seated next to some floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the ocean. The waiter came and took their orders, it was an easy order as the two ladies had the swordfish, Natti ordered the eggplant and jackfruit and Dmitri ordered the prime rib which was the specialty of the house. It was an enjoyable evening and the view overlooking the moon on the ocean was indeed breathtaking sitting as they were on a bench seat so everyone could enjoy the view.

A waiter came and whispered something to Sara and she followed him and came back a couple of minutes later. She leaned over to Natti and asked her, “Dear I have a friend that thinks you’re Charlotte Stokely, one of the stars of that reality show Beach House, and she wants to know if you could give her your autograph for her granddaughter. Now I know you aren’t but she thinks you are and there is no convincing her otherwise.” Then she put down two 5 by 7 pictures of a young girl.

For Natti, it was almost like looking in a small mirror and she could see why the lady would be confused. Natti didn’t know what to do and Sara told her to go ahead and sign her name and then she could take the pictures back to the lady. Natti looked at Sara and she smiled and said go ahead, and then I’ll walk you back. She took the offered pen and wrote, “Having fun always, Charlotte Stokely” at the prompting of Dmitri’s mom. Natti said that she had never seen the show and she said it was just a bunch of kids living in a beach house and singing and dancing for tourists. She told her that young teen girls loved the show and this girl was one of the most popular actresses on the show.

Natti signed the pictures, and then she walked with Sara back to the lady a few tables away and Sara introduced her to her friend. Natti handed the pictures to the lady and she went thanked her and launched into a string of comments, “Oh thank you so much Charlotte, I know my granddaughter Melissa will treasure it and I wish she could be here to meet her. Natti thanked her and asked was one of the pictures was for a friend of hers.

The lady said no, and that one was for her. She said that she watched the show with her every week and she was so glad that she had a positive role model to follow. She added that her vow to wait for marriage to have relations and to adopt one child for every one of her own children was so admirable. This comment almost made Natti laugh, but took the offered hand and said thank you, and wished them to enjoy their dinner. They all had a little chuckle at the ruse that Sara had perpetrated and it was a fun dinner.

The rest of the dinner was uneventful except for when Natti had to go use the restroom. Dmitri’s mom went with her and as they were reapplying their lipstick a lady complimented her on her dress and wanted to know who the designer was. She told her that her mother designed it and the lady started on about how lovely it was. Then she began to talk to her about how exquisite her barrette was, “My mother had one like that and she bought it in France.” She looked at it closer and added that it was just like her mother's.

The ride back was a leisurely trip now that the traffic had thinned out. Dmitri held Natti’s hand the whole way back as Natti relaxed in her seat basking in the attention. Once arriving at Natti’s house Sara told the two young people that she wanted to speak with Alicia for a few moments. The two ladies went inside and Alicia asked Dmitri’s mother if she would like some tea, and she said that would be nice.

As she poured hot water over the tea bags she asked what she wanted to talk about and Sara said that she really didn’t have anything to talk about, but just wanted to give the kids some time alone. But they did talk and Alicia told Sara that in the last couple of weeks she had learned more about Natti than she had in the last two years.

She related that she told her about her sister-in-law’s son that tried to get Natti to have sex with him and that Natti refused because he saw her as a male and that she wanted him to see her as a girl. “At first I didn’t understand the difference, but then I realized that there was a world of difference. They were talking about when Natti and Dmitri walked in asking if they were done with their talk.

Their mothers invited them to sit with them for a while. Sara asked Alicia if she could borrow one of the dish towels that were hanging by the sink. She handed one to her and she in turn handed it to her son. He looked at the towel as Sara took a sip of her tea, and she told him that was so he could wipe off the lipstick. Natti kind of smiled and took the towel from him and began to clean his face.

The two ladies smiled at their children and Alicia said to no one in particular that you have to learn some things as you grow up. Sara added, “And one thing you don’t want to do is to open up the car door before you kiss him good night. The car's interior light comes on and your parents that are watching from the window can see what you are doing.” Alicia added that it is much better to get that all done before you arrive.

You can stop around the corner before he drops you off and walks you to the door. There he can give you a quick kiss good night that way your parents will see that and not wonder. Sitting in front of your house for 5 or 10 minutes in a dark car is just as bad as opening the car door. The two mothers both had a little chuckle.

Sara then asked Natti where she found that lovely dress. She looked at her mom and they both smiled then explained that Natti didn’t really have an evening dress, and about how her mom gave her the skirt and how it all worked out. Sara said that it was lovely and that she heard more than a few comments not to mention that lady in the restroom. Natti added that she didn’t enjoy misleading that lady about her identity. Sara told her not to worry about that and that she had been a friend for 8 years.

She then related the story about her granddaughter having an operation at the hospital where she was a nurse. Alicia asked if she was an RN or an LVN? Sara told her that she was an operating room nurse for infants and young children, it was her specialty, and that she really loved being able to help children. If infants needed an operation it was usually very serious and she was good at what she did and saw it as her duty to help everyone to start out their life in as good health as possible.

She then changed the subject and asked Natti what she was going to do tomorrow? Natti replied that she didn’t really have anything planned and Sara asked her if she could do her a favor. She replied that she would love to if she could. Sara then asked if she would let her take her shopping. Natti replied that she didn’t have to do that, but thank you all the same. Sara said, “Now young lady, I have a son and I would love to take you shopping.

The doctors told me that I may never have children and I was over 30 when we had Dmitri, and it was very hard on me, and I had to have an operation and now I’ll never have any more children for sure so please let me take you shopping.” Then looking at Alicia and then back to Natti added, “It’s a mother thing.” Her mother looked at Natti and she said that she would love to let you take her shopping.

Natti relented and they made plans for Sara to pick her up around noon and they could start out with lunch, and then go shopping. Dmitri and his mother got up to leave and Natti and her mother walked to the door where there were hugs and kisses all around and especially a couple for Dmitri. After they left they walked back into the kitchen and Natti’s mom asked her if she enjoyed herself? Natti told her it was just wonderful and did you see that view, and Dmitri looked so dreamy in that suit. Did you notice that he had on a tie that was the same color as my skirt? That was so amazing. Her mother said that it sounded like kismet to her.

She had her turn around and she removed the pearls and the ear clips. As she was laying out the string of pearls she asked her daughter, “Where did you learn to eat the way that you did? I mean with taking small bites and using your teeth to remove the food from your fork, and the way that you used your napkin so that you wouldn’t smear your makeup? Natti thought for a moment and replied that she didn’t know. She just did. Oh did you want to get your barrette back? There was a lady in the restroom that said her mother had one and that she thought it was French.

Her mother removed it from her hair and confirmed that it did come from France and that her grandfather bought it over there before he came back after being stationed there when he was in the service. Natti questioned her about why they never saw her parents. She looked down and then told Natti that she might as well tell her now. They don’t want to see me anymore.

They told me that if I divorced my father that I would be living in sin. They are very religious and they don’t want a daughter that would commit the sin of divorce. Natti thought for a moment and asked isn’t all it, what other sin did you commit? She looked at him and confessed, “Well after you were born your dad for some reason just shut me out.

At the time I didn’t know why but he had a girlfriend in Colorado and he would spend as much time with her as he did with me. He’s an engineer and had to travel a lot. I was left alone a lot, and even when he was here it felt like I was alone. Then someone I met gave me attention and I was so alone that I used them so I wouldn’t feel so empty inside.

Natti looked at her and told her that she understood. Then added that if she ever wanted to talk about it please talk to her. She promised that she would be adding that she should get to bed. You’re going to have a big day ahead of you tomorrow. They kissed and then Natti left her standing there. She wondered if she did right about not telling her everything. It didn’t really matter she justified to herself. Well maybe it did, but she would think about it. She might tell her everything but then thought that some things are best left untold. Secrets of the heart belong there.