Chapter 38

Ray was spending the day at Kai's. First, Mariah was mad at him for allowing Luna in the house. Second, Mariah was mad that some critic had trashed Mariah's new fashion range. Third, Mariah didn't want to see his face. Ray was used to Mariah's tantrums by now. Best way to deal with it was stay clear of Mariah and her murderous heels which she sometimes threw with great precision.

Nowadays, with Tyson at the office, Kai's place was like heaven. Yeah, Tyson finally got a stable job. He was a mechanical engineer at BeyWhiz. So, after having an early day at the office, Ray was finidng solace in Playstation and a packet of Cheetozz.

"Ray, I need to talk to you."

Ray looked at Kai with amazement. Kai wanted to talk to him. Why?

"Look, Kai, if this is about the trash in the kitchen-its Tyson's chance to throw out the garbage," Ray said defensively.

Kai silenced him with a look.

Both men stared at each other until Kai finally cleared his throat and started, "I want to ask Diana on a…"

"Sorry?" Ray could hardly understand what Kai was mumbling.

"Umm…I want your help."

"For…?"

"I want to ask Diana on a date," blurted Kai.

Ray laughed, "One advice-do not make that absolutely, hilariously awkward face you made right now in front of her."

Kai rolled his eyes.

Ray stopped laughing, "But when did you decide to make the move? I thought you didn't have what it takes, man. I'm so proud of you."

Kai rolled his eyes again.

"But seriously, what made you….?"

Kai looked a bit guilty, "Luna told me that Johnny has been asking Diana for sometime and she might just agree."

"Gawd, I never knew you were the jealous-lover types, Kai…"

Both of them turned to look at the bearer of this voice. It was the one and only-Tyson Granger.

Kai groaned, "Please don't tell me you've been standing there all the time."

Tyson grinned, "Oh yes, I have and I've been enjoying every second of it. Kai's in loooooveeee, Kai's in lurvvvvvvvvvvvv." He started making kissy noises and strutted around in a lady-like pose.

Ray said, warningly, "Tyson, you'd better not-"

"Oof!" Tyson fell off the sofa. "Kai, you didn't have to hit me with a Business Magazine. It hurt me mentally too."

Luna had been thinking for long. She had already lied to Kai about Johnny asking Diana out. She now needed a perfect way to take Diana out of the picture.

Luna gritted her teeth. It had been bad luck all over again. Ray had been a perfect man for her but Mariah had been in the way. A small smile flitted across her features. Well, Mariah was already suffering. Her fashion line had been so severely criticized that no one was going to buy anything from her label. Mariah and Ray were not talking as it is. Little by little she could see herself taking Mariah's place very soon. But Luna was a strategist.

Maybe, just maybe there was a slim chance that her plan would fail. Kai was Plan B. Till Operation Break Ray's Marriage was underway, Kai would more than make up for him. Luna was also an experienced lawyer and Kai was rich. No doubt there was a way she could wrangle out a few millions.

Of course, the Countess would pay her a handsome amount when she would hear that the wretched Diana was out of the way. Kai would indeed lose all his teeth for the Countess's necklace and his life too, seeing her previous record. Well, who cared?

"Why don't you just ask her on the phone?" Tyson mused.

"You know," said Kai, "I might do that." He stood up and dialed Diana's number. "Hello, Diana?"

"Hello, Kai!"

Kai smiled. He loved the way Diana responded to him. As if he was really important to her. From a young age Kai had known people who just wanted to use him for power. Being with someone like Diana was like actually living.

"I was wondering….."

"Yeah?"

"Never mind. Talk to you later." With that he cut the call.

The other two just looked at him and shook their heads.

Diana fingered the ticket in her hand. A ticket to Moscow. A place with a vast amount of mythology and history and her University was paying her to go there as Assistant Professor and Researcher. A couple of weeks ago she would have agreed without a thought but now, there was Kai. She really liked him, loved him even.

It was as if the first time in her life she had actually belonged somewhere, with someone. True Kai had never professed his love for her. She didn't even know if he felt that way! But being with Kai was being happy.

She couldn't think of living so far away from him for three years. She could stay here and continue her mythology research of course but Russia was a dream, so unknown, so inviting. She was so confused about this opportunity.

"What happened?" Ray asked impatiently.

Tyson replied, "Kai chickened out."

"Says the man who can't go alone to the bathroom in the night because he's scared that a monster will get him," Kai retaliated.

That shut Tyson up.

Kai sighed, "I don't know what to do. Maybe I should drop the plan."

"No!" both of them shouted.

"How about you message her?" Ray advised.

Kai's eyes lit up, "I could do that." He whipped out his Blackberry and began punching letters with great ferocity.

"Won't that be a bit too formal? Like old-kai-type? Antisocial type?" Tyson wondered aloud.

Ray groaned, "Tysonnn!"

Kai deleted the message. "He's right. She might not like it at all."

Ray tried one last time. "Why don't we ask Mariah? She might be able to help."

"Okay."

Mariah didn't pick up Ray's call. So, Kai had to call her. This time she picked up.

"Hello," came a highly morose and sad voice.

"It's me Kai. I needed your help."

"I'm not in the mood right now. My life is destroyed. Everybody hates my fashion," sniffed Mariah.

"I like your fashion," Kai tried to cheer her up.

Tyson snickered loudly from the background. Kai threw him a withering look.

"Who's that?" Mariah asked.

"Tyson."

"Oh well, he might as well laugh. After all, my life is one bad joke. Even my husband doesn't like me."

"No, Mariah, Ray likes you a lot. He has been unable to speak of anything but you, all day. He's really sad that you're not picking up his calls. He's sitting in depression right now, unable to do anything."

Ray looked up from the FIFA 2013 game he was playing and mouthed a thank you to Kai. Kai smiled wickedly.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"That's good," Mariah sounded really cheerful now. "What was it you wanted me to do?"

"I er wanted to ask Diana on a date so maybe you could-"

"I can't ask her for you, Kai."

"I know that," Kai was disappointed.

"But how about we all have dinner at your place? You can then talk to Diana face to face."

"What if she refuses?"

Mariah laughed, "She won't. Everybody knows she's head over heels in love with you."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You two look so cute together. Now, give the phone to my darling."

Luna,who had listened Mariah's side of the conversation, nodded. So, Kai had taken her lie the opposite way. Well, she could see to it that Diana would surely, surely refuse to go on a date with him.

And that's that! I hope you guys liked it *expectant face*. Now, about the Countess. She was there in the story initially but if anyone has forgotten I've included an excerpt from Chapter 17...

-Excerpt from Chapter 17, Matchmaking.

(((("What? You two set up a date for Kai without discussing with us first?" screamed Mariah frantically. Hilary had an expression of murderous disapproval. Hilary snapped angrily at Ray and asked, "What was her name again?"

Ray answered meekly, "Countess Keira.'

"Name rings a bell," said Mariam suddenly. "Wait a sec." She went to her room and returned with a magazine. She opened a page and pointed at a photo of a devilish beauty in black. Tyson and Ray nodded in recognition. Mariam pursed her lips and read, "Countess Keira of Ghoulania, at the burial of her third husband Count George."

"WTF!?" shouted Hilary. "Wait there is more. The Countess has inherited a a huge amount of money from the late Count, this money adds to her already vast fortune courtesy previous husbands. Her first husband was Count Julian whom she married, people say, for the title and the money. From then the thirst seems to have ignited. But all these are entertaining bits of people regulated gossip... Blah...Blah...Blah."

Ray smiled sheepishly, "She seems to be a really unlucky woman who has met with a lot of tragedies, right?"

"Ray, she seems to be a killer. Isn't it obvious she kills her husbands and inherits their fortunes. Now wonder she's after Kai. He is really rich," Mariah didn't sound very loving and Ray took the hint. He shut up after that.

"Pah! Such presumptions and gossip! She is exactly the sort of woman Kai would like. Dominating, cold, mysterious. She is devilishly-I mean- divinely beautiful too. She said very forcefully that Kai would like her. See their personalities are made for each other. Count Kai. Sounds cool, na?" Tyson switched from defensive to self-satisfactory.

Dizzy chose the exact moment to exclaim, " This site says the Countess's necklace is made from the teeth of her dead husbands and recently she expressed the desire to elongate it."))))

Million thanks to all those who read, alerted and favourited. Thank you sooooo much my lovely reviewers-susan sewellX2, Rangerapprentice, Guest (thanks. And the update was faster this time, I hope), Casper67, SMRA (yes, Kai-Diana are back...thanks)

Sorry for any mistakes/typos.

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