Magic Remembered Part 9 ~ An Indecent Proposal
by: Stargaziey
Helga got off of the bus near the Eiffel Tower. It had always been her favorite part of Paris. She stood close to the base and watched several pair of lovers stroll down the streets. Looking away, Helga made her way down the sidewalk and sat on a bench.
"Hello, again, me dearie." Came an elderly voice. Helga's head whipped around and she found the same old woman that had sat by her on the plane to Paris.
"You? Criminey! Where did you come from? Who are you?" Helga said, scooting down the bench away from the elder woman.
"Ach, I'm just an old lady who sees a young woman in trouble." Replied the elder.
"Look, I'm not in trouble. I'm just fine, my life has never been better." Helga cried, throwing her arms in the air.
"Right, me dearie, that's very good to know. It's just that you looked a little upset. But I'm sure that after all, a smart young woman such as you would never be so silly as to let love slip through her fingers." The elder woman said and, patting her had on her lap, a black cat with pumpkin orange eyes jumped into her lap.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Helga lied.
"You know, me dearie. Sometimes you really have to work hard at something that you love. I've been around a long time and if I've learned anything it's: Anything worth having isn't worth much without love." The elder said, stroking the cat's soft fur.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Helga snapped. The last thing she wanted to do was sit on a bench in Paris, listening to some old lady talk in riddles. "I have everything I ever wanted." Helga said, but it was more to try to convince herself.
"You can't run from your feelings, me dearie. And if you learn to block love from your life, it will be a very meaningless and lonely life indeed." The elder replied.
Helga growled and shoved herself off the bench. Without a word, she left the old woman and headed down the sidewalk. 'Why did that weird old lady have to show up? I'm not running from my feelings. I know what my feelings are and Arnold doesn't feel the same way. There's nothing else I can do, but get through life. And if that means having to forget about everything that ever had to do with Arnold, so be it. Why should I torture myself?'
Even as Helga told herself this, she could feel the wall that she had built up to protect herself from Arnold crumbling faster by the moment. But Helga jumped sky high as a jingling sound emitted from her pocket.
Pulling out her cell phone, Helga thanked the heavens for something to take her mind off of Arnold. "Pataki here." She said, trying to sound cool and distant, her business voice.
"Ah, Pataki, I have considered your proposal about the Hillwood Purchase." Kohlven Relmont's smooth voice sent eerie shivers down Helga's spine. But her spirits lifted somewhat.
"You mean you've changed your mind?" She asked, trying to keep her voice indifferent, but her elation still seeped though.
"Just get back to the hotel as fast as you can and we'll discuss what I have decided." Relmont said and before Helga could respond, he had cut off his line.
Helga's mood was much better now. She wasn't exactly to thrilled to go see Relmont right now, but if he had changed his mind about the Hillwood Purchase then at least he'll have one redeeming light in her eyes.
Helga caught the bus and fifteen minutes later she was entering the lobby of Le Joli Hôtel de Paris. Henri, the doorman, had given her an odd look when she entered. But Helga shrugged it off. In only a few minutes she was rapping on the door of Relmont's luxury suite.
Relmont answered the door and smiled to Helga. "Miss Pataki, come in. Thank you for coming so soon. I'm sorry if I interrupted your reunion with your friend." He said, but he certainly didn't sound sorry.
When Helga thought about it for a moment, it was nearly midnight. Relmont could have waited until morning to tell her about his consideration of the Hillwood Purchase. 'Guess he doesn't have any redeeming qualities after all.' She thought to herself.
"Actually, Arnold had to leave early. I was just enjoying the Paris night life." Helga said, trying to sound aloof. She never committed emotion to her voice when she spoke to Relmont. Sometimes it was very hard to keep the disdain and loathing from her tone, but if Relmont ever noticed, her never said so.
"Oh, what a pity." Relmont said, pouring himself a snifter of brandy. He had shed his tuxedo jacket and was only wearing his black trousers and the white shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest. He took a long draught from his liquor and savored the taste for a moment.
Helga was getting impatient. Relmont's asked to get here as fast as she could and now he wasting time with his brandy. "You wanted to talk to me about the Hillwood Purchase?" She said, bringing to the topic at hand.
"Yes, Pataki, I do." He said setting down his snifter and stepping away from the liquor table, he strode to where Helga stood. She backed up but soon found herself against the wall. Relmont brought his face close to Helga's and she could smell the stink of alcohol on his breath. "I have a 'proposal' for you."
Helga quickly slipped around him before he got any closer to her and she went to stand behind the large oak desk, feeling a desperate need to put something solid between her and Relmont.
"What are you talking about, Relmont?" Helga demanded icily. "Are you going to go through with the Hillwood Purchase or not?" Relmont laughed in his throat and leered at Helga.
"Would you do anything to save your home town, Helga?" Relmont asked devilishly.
"Why?" Helga demanded. She instinctively knew that she was not going to like Relmont's answer. He sidled up along the side of the desk and Helga stayed on her guard, ready to run.
"You're a very beautiful woman, Helga Pataki. You have fire that's very rare, you'll definitely keep a man on his toes." Said Relmont and Helga's stomach turned with nausea. Relmont got a little closer, but Helga held her ground. She wasn't one to run away, she would stay and fight. "I've been thinking we should perhaps make our 'relationship' a little more personal, Helga." Relmont said, reaching for one of the tendrils dangling around her billy goat ears.
Helga steeled herself and asked, "What do you suggest, Relmont?"
"I'm not going to buy the Hillwood Co...if you marry me." Relmont whispered in her ear. Helga couldn't stand it any longer. In the next instant, Helga brought her knee to meet Relmont's groin and as he doubled over in pain, she sent Old Betsy into his jaw, sending him stumbling back into the large leather chair near the desk.
Helga strode over to Relmont and putting her fist near his face said in a tone that could freeze the depths of Hades, "Listen, Bucko, I'm the last person on earth who would ever marry the likes of you. If you ever come near me again, I swear you won't LIVE to regret it." Helga then went to the door and just before she closed it behind her, she stuck her head back inside and said, "By the way, I quit."
by: Stargaziey
Helga got off of the bus near the Eiffel Tower. It had always been her favorite part of Paris. She stood close to the base and watched several pair of lovers stroll down the streets. Looking away, Helga made her way down the sidewalk and sat on a bench.
"Hello, again, me dearie." Came an elderly voice. Helga's head whipped around and she found the same old woman that had sat by her on the plane to Paris.
"You? Criminey! Where did you come from? Who are you?" Helga said, scooting down the bench away from the elder woman.
"Ach, I'm just an old lady who sees a young woman in trouble." Replied the elder.
"Look, I'm not in trouble. I'm just fine, my life has never been better." Helga cried, throwing her arms in the air.
"Right, me dearie, that's very good to know. It's just that you looked a little upset. But I'm sure that after all, a smart young woman such as you would never be so silly as to let love slip through her fingers." The elder woman said and, patting her had on her lap, a black cat with pumpkin orange eyes jumped into her lap.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Helga lied.
"You know, me dearie. Sometimes you really have to work hard at something that you love. I've been around a long time and if I've learned anything it's: Anything worth having isn't worth much without love." The elder said, stroking the cat's soft fur.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Helga snapped. The last thing she wanted to do was sit on a bench in Paris, listening to some old lady talk in riddles. "I have everything I ever wanted." Helga said, but it was more to try to convince herself.
"You can't run from your feelings, me dearie. And if you learn to block love from your life, it will be a very meaningless and lonely life indeed." The elder replied.
Helga growled and shoved herself off the bench. Without a word, she left the old woman and headed down the sidewalk. 'Why did that weird old lady have to show up? I'm not running from my feelings. I know what my feelings are and Arnold doesn't feel the same way. There's nothing else I can do, but get through life. And if that means having to forget about everything that ever had to do with Arnold, so be it. Why should I torture myself?'
Even as Helga told herself this, she could feel the wall that she had built up to protect herself from Arnold crumbling faster by the moment. But Helga jumped sky high as a jingling sound emitted from her pocket.
Pulling out her cell phone, Helga thanked the heavens for something to take her mind off of Arnold. "Pataki here." She said, trying to sound cool and distant, her business voice.
"Ah, Pataki, I have considered your proposal about the Hillwood Purchase." Kohlven Relmont's smooth voice sent eerie shivers down Helga's spine. But her spirits lifted somewhat.
"You mean you've changed your mind?" She asked, trying to keep her voice indifferent, but her elation still seeped though.
"Just get back to the hotel as fast as you can and we'll discuss what I have decided." Relmont said and before Helga could respond, he had cut off his line.
Helga's mood was much better now. She wasn't exactly to thrilled to go see Relmont right now, but if he had changed his mind about the Hillwood Purchase then at least he'll have one redeeming light in her eyes.
Helga caught the bus and fifteen minutes later she was entering the lobby of Le Joli Hôtel de Paris. Henri, the doorman, had given her an odd look when she entered. But Helga shrugged it off. In only a few minutes she was rapping on the door of Relmont's luxury suite.
Relmont answered the door and smiled to Helga. "Miss Pataki, come in. Thank you for coming so soon. I'm sorry if I interrupted your reunion with your friend." He said, but he certainly didn't sound sorry.
When Helga thought about it for a moment, it was nearly midnight. Relmont could have waited until morning to tell her about his consideration of the Hillwood Purchase. 'Guess he doesn't have any redeeming qualities after all.' She thought to herself.
"Actually, Arnold had to leave early. I was just enjoying the Paris night life." Helga said, trying to sound aloof. She never committed emotion to her voice when she spoke to Relmont. Sometimes it was very hard to keep the disdain and loathing from her tone, but if Relmont ever noticed, her never said so.
"Oh, what a pity." Relmont said, pouring himself a snifter of brandy. He had shed his tuxedo jacket and was only wearing his black trousers and the white shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest. He took a long draught from his liquor and savored the taste for a moment.
Helga was getting impatient. Relmont's asked to get here as fast as she could and now he wasting time with his brandy. "You wanted to talk to me about the Hillwood Purchase?" She said, bringing to the topic at hand.
"Yes, Pataki, I do." He said setting down his snifter and stepping away from the liquor table, he strode to where Helga stood. She backed up but soon found herself against the wall. Relmont brought his face close to Helga's and she could smell the stink of alcohol on his breath. "I have a 'proposal' for you."
Helga quickly slipped around him before he got any closer to her and she went to stand behind the large oak desk, feeling a desperate need to put something solid between her and Relmont.
"What are you talking about, Relmont?" Helga demanded icily. "Are you going to go through with the Hillwood Purchase or not?" Relmont laughed in his throat and leered at Helga.
"Would you do anything to save your home town, Helga?" Relmont asked devilishly.
"Why?" Helga demanded. She instinctively knew that she was not going to like Relmont's answer. He sidled up along the side of the desk and Helga stayed on her guard, ready to run.
"You're a very beautiful woman, Helga Pataki. You have fire that's very rare, you'll definitely keep a man on his toes." Said Relmont and Helga's stomach turned with nausea. Relmont got a little closer, but Helga held her ground. She wasn't one to run away, she would stay and fight. "I've been thinking we should perhaps make our 'relationship' a little more personal, Helga." Relmont said, reaching for one of the tendrils dangling around her billy goat ears.
Helga steeled herself and asked, "What do you suggest, Relmont?"
"I'm not going to buy the Hillwood Co...if you marry me." Relmont whispered in her ear. Helga couldn't stand it any longer. In the next instant, Helga brought her knee to meet Relmont's groin and as he doubled over in pain, she sent Old Betsy into his jaw, sending him stumbling back into the large leather chair near the desk.
Helga strode over to Relmont and putting her fist near his face said in a tone that could freeze the depths of Hades, "Listen, Bucko, I'm the last person on earth who would ever marry the likes of you. If you ever come near me again, I swear you won't LIVE to regret it." Helga then went to the door and just before she closed it behind her, she stuck her head back inside and said, "By the way, I quit."