Drabble:130
Growing up as a non-royal moroi orphan in an academy, bound by the rules of her world, had taken its toll on Emily. She hadn't been free to pursue dancing-which was her passion-because her teachers thought her time would be better spent grooming to become a custodian or secretary to one of her snobby royal classmates. She'd been friendless because most people shied away after knowing that she'd been rescued by guardians after strigoi had massacred her family. Emily had no family, and she refused to think of her academy contemporaries as such, so she left after graduation, insistent on setting up her own life.
Emily boarded a bus to Vegas and her willowy body had helped her land 2 modeling gigs her first week there. She used that money to enroll into dance classes and waitressed part-time to pay her rent. She'd been fascinated by Vegas' bright lights, but over time, it had lost it's allure and she'd seen the cruel side of life for what it really was.
One time, she'd accompanied one of her dancer-friends, who wanted to audition to become a showgirl, and the company had liked Emily and taken her in. She couldn't say no, because a job meant more money, and more money meant being able to move out of her cramped one-bedroom-apartment, and living somewhere that offered clean water for showering.
So Emily took the gig, and became a showgirl. Three months of being pawed and leered at by guys older than her father had almost persuaded her to quit, but then she met him…..Eric Dragomir. He'd come to Vegas for a business meeting, and had bumped into Emily backstage at one of Vegas' glitziest hotels. Curious as to why a Moroi was working as a showgirl, he'd struck up a conversation with her and they'd talked late into the night. He was nice, and chivalrous, and he made her laugh…Emily liked him for who he was, comforted by this little reminder of her own world. Eric just clicked with her…Emily was free of pretensions and she didn't care that he was a royal. He liked that.
Two weeks later, he came back, unable to stop thinking of the beautiful laughing girl with the caramel hair and brown eyes, and he took her out to dinner. He courted her for months, buying her presents, before he bedded her. She made him happy, she made him forget his Court life and responsibilities, and for that, he was grateful. When Rhea was pregnant with Lissa, he finally told her the truth that he was married with a son.
Heartbroken and betrayed, Emily told him to leave. She'd returned all his presents and refused to see Eric anymore. Eric understood, how could he not, but God help him, he fell in love with her. Rhea never held the same allure for him as Emily did. He tried to move on, he really did, and little Vasilisa really helped with that….
But two years later, quite by accident, Eric bumped into Emily at a café, and even after so long, they couldn't help but fall back into their old routine. A year later, she disappeared from his life again, leaving him with a letter that said that she was carrying his child, but she wanted no contact with him anymore. She wrote that she loved him, but she would not break his marriage and tear his family apart.
Eric was heartbroken, but he knew what she meant, for he would have abandoned his family and responsibilities for her. So he went to Tatiana and disclosed his doings to her, requesting her to intervene, and she did.
Tatiana made sure Emily was hired as a dance instructor and given a 'really good deal' on a suburban apartment. And for her friend Eric, she hired a private eye to spy Emily over the years and bring him back photographs of his beloved Emily and his beautiful daughter Jill, who'd inspired all of Emily's beautiful features, but his jade eyes.
Thank you for reading and do review please! Cheers!