Three Wishes: First Wish

Three Wishes: First Wish

"Wait, what? Thats fucking weird, Kell. We're not having this discussion again."

"Noooooo!" The frizzy-haired woman on the screen waved her hands dismissively. "Get over yourself bitch, that was one time and we were super drunk. No, this is... something else. I'm being serious, just come with me. I'll buy you a drink, you meet this guy and then you can go back to your embroidery and, I dunno, cheesemaking."

Mia giggled at her friend's dramatic expression. She rolled over on her bed and sat up straight. "You're such a dumbass. What's cheese got to do with anything?"

"How should I know? I'm not the one hiding on her own all the time. What you do with all that cheese ain't none of my business."

"What are you fucking talking about?"

"Listen, we both know I have no idea what I'm fucking talking about, I was way too pretty to listen at school. I'm saying you're sat over there on your own on a Friday night doing spinster shit, again!"

Mia tried to feel offended but it was impossible not to laugh when Kelly got into the swing of things. Even over facetime her friend just gave off this vibrant aura of irreverence and sass.

Suppressing her laughter, Mia scowled at her phone. "I'm not a spinster, thank you very much. And I don't know what you've been smoking but people don't make cheese and sit around sewing anymore."

"Hey I'm not judging you, I still love you, you little freak. Now would you shut up about cheese? I'm too pretty to give a shit about churning, or churdling or whatever. I'm trying to talk to you about some real shit."

"You used that one already. Ugh! Talking to you is so annoying!"

"But you love it babe, now shut up and listen to me."

As Kelly drew in a long breath, Mia bit her lip to keep from grinning. The last thing you could do with Kelly was let her see how much she was getting to you. It only made her more excitable and that's when you ended up pressured into booking a last-minute flight to Amsterdam or with three pills in your hand and burning sparklers tied into your hair. Kell was the Patron Saint of Escalation.

"So, as I was saying before you interrupted me, there's this guy."

There was always a guy... Mia sighed and rolled her eyes as dramatically as she could.

"Don't you sass me girl. That's your second warning for the night. Anyway, I'm going out with him tonight, and no I'm not inviting you to come on our... date. But, you

have

to meet him. I'm serious Mi. Just come down to Finn's and have one drink and talk to him. He's got these rules and I'm only gonna see him this last time, after that who knows if you'll be able to find him again. Just talk to the guy, please."

This was weird, Kelly was being serious. And she was almost gabbling. Mia had never seen her act like this when talking about a boy. For some reason it filled her stomach with butterflies. It didn't make any sense.

"You know how weird that sounds? You want me to come out to a bar and talk to this guy you're fucking, right before you guys go on a date?"

"Mi, you have to trust me on this. Just have a conversation with him," Kelly prodded a finger at the camera, "be honest with him. And it will change your life. I'm not joking, okay?"

Mia made a noncommittal noise and tried to think of an excuse. It wasn't that she had anything better to do, but something about the way her friend was saying 'he' and 'him' was intimidating. She was giving the words a weight that she normally reserved for Serious Topics. Before Mia could say anything the tinny noise of her phone interrupted her.

"No, you know what, why am I even asking. Get your little brown ass out of those pj's and into something trashy and tight. You're coming down to Finns for a drink and if you don't get there by half past, I will personally come up to your little cheese factory and drag you out myself. Don't even test me."

And that was it, there was no stopping this apparently. Mia smiled and sighed in exaggerated exasperation. She fluttered her eyelashes at the camera and pouted.

"Yes daddy."

"Good girl," her best friend snickered. "If you keep saying shit like that maybe you can come on my date."

"You're such a pervert."

"Love you too girl, see you later."

Stepping out of the taxi Mia had to hobble herself for a moment as she readjusted her skirt. Why did she listen to that bimbo? All she had to do was come out and have one drink with her friend, there hadn't actually been any reason to get dressed up. The soft fabric of the dark blue skirt clung to her body firmly at the waist and seemed to ride up at the slightest provocation. She'd added a thin belt at an angle she hoped was fashionably slung and wasn't just wonky, and a baggy top above. Somehow she doubted her outfit would live up to Kelly's standards for 'tight and trashy' but it still made her feel good. An ex-boyfriend had once told her that her ass looked amazing in tight skirts, and the memory of the awe and lust on his face had stayed with her far longer than he had. It wasn't that she never got compliments, it was just incredibly rare that she took them seriously. She knew that she was probably on the better end of good looking, and she did have a secret pride in the way her ass looked in the mirror, but she'd never been the type of person that could strut around with confidence in her body. It just wasn't in her nature. So her secret weapon against her own anxieties had always been a skirt. All she had to do was put one on and then it became easier to imagine that everyone was looking at her with the same expression as her ex did.

Which was stupid because why did she care? There was no way she could compete with Kelly and she obviously didn't have any intention of doing so anyway. This was just a favour she was doing for Kell, she was coming out to check up on her and to make sure she wasn't getting into anything weird. Obviously. And if things got uncomfortable, she was outta there. It was all fine, nothing to get worried about. So she should just get it over with, right? Shaking her head to try and clear her clamouring thoughts, Mia pulled open the wooden door and stepped into the bar.

The scent of aniseed and vodka hit Mia's nostrils like leaping salmon onto a bear's face. The rumble and patter of people enjoying themselves was a welcome break from the calm, lo-fi playlist she'd been studying to all day. She probably did need to get out and let her hair down more, it'd been too long since she'd been in here. A flood of memories, some good and some hilariously awful, came flooding through her mind as she walked through the crowd looking for Kelly. It really had been a while since she'd been 'out' out. Her nostalgia didn't last too long though, as a young man with spiked up hair stepped in front of her and gave her a very long and obvious eyeballing. He smirked and winked at her, "Hey sexy, you here all alone? What you doing later?"

Aaand suddenly Mia remembered why she hated going out on a Friday night. She scoffed and set herself back with one hand on her hip while she thought of a shutdown for this loser. Hmm... nothing was coming. If she didn't say something she'd lose the moment. Just clap back with something sassy and snappy. Come on girl, you have to say something. Anything...

"Yeah, well it'll be something more interesting than you. You... poser."

Shit! Who says that?! What year did she think this was?

The young man frowned at her in confusion. "What? Am I posing or something? I - I don't really get it."

"No, I'm sorry. It's not about your pose, it's..."

Shit!

"Hey, don't sweat it baby, it's cool."

"No wait, why am I apologising to you? Just shut up and stop it."

The young man's frown was a couple of degrees away from being cross-eyed.

"Stop what?"

"Stop this, just stop all of it," Mia said, gesturing at his entire body. "I'm leaving now."

Nailed it.

The people standing at the bar around them had stopped to listen and they hurriedly made space as she pushed past the crowd. Mia could feel her face burning with embarrassment but she managed to hold her chin up high and avoid any eye contact. They probably thought she was a nutter or whacked out on drugs. If only she actually had some excuse for that outburst, but no, all down to her fantastic social skills. Luckily, she quickly spotted Kelly sat at a table in the corner, a man in a black leather jacket sat opposite her.

As Mia hurried over to them Kell waved at her, a grin creasing her gorgeous face. Mia had always been jealous of her friend's perfect complexion, and when she went the extra mile with some lipstick and subtle application of eyeliner, like she had tonight, the effect was stunning. But Mia had seen Kelly dolled up and dressed to the nines for a night out many times before, and she'd never been wearing a neckerchief before. Mia blinked and squinted in the low light of the bar, but this was definitely Kelly. But it was Kelly dressed in a lilac and white jacket with matching neckerchief. In a bar. On Friday night. Mia slowed as she felt the butterflies lift off in her stomach again; something about this scene was strangely unsettling.

"Look who it is! The hermit has come down from her cave, and she's even washed her face this time. I was starting to think I'd have to hunt you down!" Kelly's boisterous greeting rang out with her usual enthusiasm.

"Hey Kell, nice to see you too."

"Was that you making friends over there?" Kelly pointed back over Mia's shoulder.

"Um, yeah you could say that. Or you could say making a tit of myself, as per. Kell, you're wearing... a scarf? And then that thing. What's going on there?" Another all-encompassing hand gesture, was this gonna be her new thing?

In absolute surprise Mia watched as her best friend started to blush and bite her lip. What was happening? Mia hadn't even known it was possible to embarrass Kelly. Nothing ever fazed her and absolutely nothing shamed her.

"Wow, you're making yourself look super uncultured right now. This is obviously a dress blazer, and this is called a cravate. Or maybe it isn't, I can't remember what the lady in Knightley's said." The entire time she'd been talking, Kelly's eyes had been flicking over to the man sat opposite her. It was like she had to drag her attention back to her best friend every second. "So, do you like the outfit?"

The accompanying thrust of her chest would normally have sparked some envy in Mia, who always felt a pang of jealousy whenever her friend flung her boobs around. But the whole situation was so weird that even those gravity defying E cups couldn't distract her right now.

"Um sure. It's a nice blazer, I think. But it's a bit of an odd choice for Finn's, right?

"Well we only came here for a minute to get a drink or two with you, the outfits are all part of the... entertainment." Another bloom of red to the cheeks and another long glance at the man on the other side of the table.

Mia followed her friend's gaze this time and took a proper look at the man she'd heard both so much and so little about. He sat very straight in his chair but gave off an aura of complete relaxation and comfort; one hand casually resting on the table and an easy smile curving the corner of his mouth. His hair was dappled red-brown and tied back into a sprouting tail that looked almost like feathers. That and the sharp angle of his eyebrows gave a hawk-like quality to his head movements. Following the tilt of his jaw Mia found herself staring at a set of broad shoulders and a solid chest that his clothes couldn't hide. He didn't seem overly muscular but there was something about his frame and his deliberate way of moving which clearly spoke of a strength to him. Mia felt her eyes widening more and more as she stared. The thick leather jacket he wore had a burning skull emblazoned on one breast, and the shirt underneath was torn and dirty. Was he some sort of biker?

When he cleared his throat and interrupted the two women's leering, the man's voice took Mia completely off guard. He had a German accent and though it wasn't especially high-pitched, something about his intonation was light and almost soft.

"Yes, please forgive our appearance, Miss...?"

"Silva. Mia Silva."

The genuine warmth of his smile fluttered Mias heart for a few beats.

"What a lovely name Miss Silva. It befits such a natural beauty as yourself. My name is Niklas, though I'm also known as The Gentleman. Please, call me whatever you wish."

Despite how musical his accent made the word sound, Mia still raised an eyebrow at hearing this man refer to himself as 'Gentleman'. He nodded sideways in acknowledgement and shrugged his shoulders.

"Perhaps this is a little pretentious, but I've found that it helps some of my clients to relax."

"I'm sorry, your what?"

His grey-brown eyes flicked over to Kelly and narrowed. "I see that Kelly has not told you much about me." It was both a statement and a question.

"I didn't want to scare her off, Mi can be a bit... squeamish," Kelly said.

Despite how ominous this was starting to sound, Mia was surprised at how tame Kelly was being. She couldn't remember the last time her friend had suffered even the slightest criticism and not immediately sassed up a comeback in response. The way that she was looking at Niklas seemed so out of place it was unnerving. Kelly usually looked at men the same way a panther looks at deer. But this looked a lot like respect, and scarily close to deference. What had this guy done to her best friend?

Mia remembered that she should probably feel insulted at being talked about like that but squeamish was probably as good a word as any to describe her. So instead, she let the pause in conversation stew into an awkward silence. Kelly grabbed her arm and started to lead her away from the table. "Give us one second Niklas."

Mia let herself get dragged a couple of metres away. Kelly pulled her in for a hug and whispered in her ear. "I'm so glad you came, girl."

"Yeah, well you did threaten me."

"What's a little threatening between friends?" Kelly grinned.

"I always knew you'd grow up to be a thug. Ow! See! You always solve things with violence, you bitch."

"Shut up, you love it. So, what do you think?"

"What do I think about what? Ow! Fucking stop it!"

"Don't ask stupid questions then. What do you thik about Niklas? He's so intoxicating right? It's crazy; he makes me melt just by looking at me."

"Well I guess he's kinda hot, not gonna lie. And that accent... But this is all so weird Kell! It's supremely fucking weird! What's going on? You're making me a little nervous. It feels like you've joined some cult and you're about to sell my kidneys to this stranger."

"Oh crap, you figured it out! But you don't need both of those things, right? So really it's greedy of you to keep both of them."

Mia sighed as dramatically as she could before answering, "Yeah I'm soooo sorry about that. I'm serious though, did you actually drag me down here just to show off your new boytoy?"

"Oh I wish! No, Mi you have to trust me on this. I'll get us all a drink and give you a minute, while you have a little chat with Niklas. See if you like his offer."

"What offer?"

Kelly's smile somehow grew even wider. "Go ask him yourself. He says it's not something he offers to everyone but I'm pretty sure you'll get it. I mean you're wearing that tatty old top and you still look hot. We are definitely going shopping next week by the way."

"You have to know how fucking creepy this sounds right? Okay, okay! I'll go and talk to him, calm your tits."

"Oh babe, you know these things can't be tamed."

"Stop jiggling at me you tart. Fine. Well go and buy me a gin and tonic then. And make it a double, I have a feeling I'm going to need it."

With a wink and a double thumbs up Kelly dove into the crowd at the bar. Mia took a couple of deep breaths and readjusted her skirt again. Time to get some answers.

- - -

Niklas watched the young woman as she slid into Kelly's seat. He cocked his head slightly in that bird-like way and waited. He had a long-standing love affair with anticipation and she never disappointed him; the tension and the potential energy between him and this lovely young woman was almost palpable. He understood those that professed their love of 'the chase' but these moments, the tantalising seconds before the chase began were even sweeter. Who was this woman? How would she react to his words? What dark desires lay in the recesses of her soul? Each variable had a thousand different possibilities and in these crackling seconds before their potential disappeared, sometimes you could see them all.

"It's rude to stare you know," Mia said.

Ah, there it was. The endless web of possibilities started to shatter and fall around them like snowflakes. Niklas leaned back in his chair and appraised the woman who sat opposite him. She was certainly a curious character, already showing herself to be both bold and introverted. He unashamedly let his gaze roam over her body. She had freckles lightly sprinkled around her nose and cheeks but the rest of her tawny skin was smooth and unblemished. She was slender but there wasn't a noticeable amount of muscle definition that he could see on her arms or shoulders. She had small breasts but whatever bra she was wearing disguised their shape. He wondered if he would get to uncover them or if she would reject his offer. The tightening scowl she wore on her face made him think it could go either way.

Her pale lips parted and now she sounded angry, "And ogling at someone who's talking to you is also rude, motherfucker."

"My most sincere apologies, Miss Silva. It was not my intention to cause offence. I simply had to admire your beauty for a second, you are quite breathtaking."

"Nice try but that won't work on me, just because you can string a sentence together doesn't stop you being a creep. You're as full of shit as all the other assholes in here." Her eyes glanced away, looking over his shoulder, presumably for her friend. Or maybe looking for the exit, he thought. She certainly had fire in her, it would be a shame if she got away before he even got to talk to her.

"I am truly sorry for being so rude. But I will never lie to you, Miss Silva. I am many things, but never a liar. I meant every word." Before she could retort he pressed on quickly, "Kelly has told me a little about you, but I am grateful for the opportunity to talk to you myself. She made you sound most wonderful."

"Oh. Well she made you sound less sleazy than you are." The insult ripped from her tongue as fast as before but the edge had left her voice. Niklas recognised the sound of a woman whose curiosity was overcoming her caution; he had heard it many times before. The flashes of possibilities took a distinct shift in direction.

"Perhaps she also talked about our time together? I believe she has been very," he paused briefly before softly continuing, "satisfied, with our arrangement. But it is never certain what someone else is thinking, you know? I hope she has said good things about me."

Mia took her time to answer, clearly wrestling internally with something.

"Yeah well... She's been acting strange lately. But yes, she has been very enthusiastic about you. Whatever you two have been doing, she's clearly a fan of it. But I don't see what that has to do with me."

Niklas watched her cross her legs and sit back in the chair with her arms folded. She was still combative, but at least she seemed ready to listen.

"Very well. I shall beat no longer about the bush. I have a proposition for you. An exchange, of sorts, or a dare if you prefer. I shall tell you something very personal about myself, and in return I hope that you will tell me something personal about yourself. If you wish to leave at any point, that is of course your choice. And after we have said these things to one another I may have another offer for you to consider, and then after this, I shall leave for my appointment with Miss Jordan and you can have some time to think. Does this sound agreeable to you?"