A Modern Day Cinderella Parts 6 and 7, the end?

This is part 6 and 7 of the story for the other parts click on the numbers 1 2 3 4 5

I apologise for the lack of consistancy in the pronunciation of Temur's name. 

As soon as Selim left, Belinda put on her bikini and headed for the pool. She had to move fast, she only had two days. She jumped into the cold water and splashed around for a while before climbing out and making a show of drying herself off, rubbing every part of her body with the towel. She knew Temur would be watching her from somewhere. She lay in the hot sun for the best part of an with her bra strap unclasped but was disappointed that she wasn’t joined by Selim’s special advisor. She sauntered back to her room, it was time for Plan B. She called Temur and asked him to bring her some food.

She let the bikini fall to the floor in the middle of the room and put on her dressing gown.  When Temur saw the swimsuit, he’d know she was naked under the towelling robe. Surely he wouldn’t be able to resist.

But it was not Temur who brought the food. A middle-aged woman came in with a tray, instinctively picking up the bikini and hanging it up on her way out. Temur was obviously avoiding her, maybe with the cat being away he was making sure the mice weren’t even in the least bit tempted to play. How could she get him to come to her?

She lay on the bed thinking, for the plan to work she had to get to Temur, but she couldn’t do that if he was playing hard to get. What would certainly get Temur to come? Fear! She phoned him again.

‘Temur are you, are you avoiding me?’

‘No, I’m busy I have things to do.’

‘Selim said you’d look after me, keep me company. I’m bored.’ Belinda was using her spoilt little girl’s voice.

‘I need to finish something.’

‘I don’t think Selim would be happy if he knew you were ignoring me.’

‘I’ll be there in 30 minutes.’

Belinda put the phone down and smiled. Men, she thought to herself, all as stupid as each other.

Belinda opened a bottle of champagne and took a few sips while waiting for her prey. Temur arrived in exactly 30 minutes. He looked nervous, unsure, vulnerable. Belinda was going to eat him alive and he wouldn’t even know it.

‘So what can I do for you?’ He said with a tremble in his voice.

‘Just sit with me, drink with me, talk to me.’

Belinda was still dressed in the towelling robe but the belt was loose and she made sure there were glimpses of skin at every move.

They chatted for a while about nothing before Belinda began her planned conversation.

‘I like it here,’ she said. ‘I really like your boss, he’s so sweet isn’t he?’ Belinda’s face was the epitome of innocence. ‘And then having you and Salik here too, what I lucky girl I am being surrounded by three such wonderful gentlemen. She lightly stroked Temur’s face and smiled. Temur blushed, sweat appeared on his forehead, his breath quickened just a little.

‘But,’ Belinda bit her bottom lip and hesitated. She looked like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. ‘But I am worried about my little brother. He’ll be worried about me, he doesn’t know where I am, or what’s happened. I just wish…’ she let her voice trail off and her eyes glaze with tears. She sniffed and took a mouthful of fizz, pulling one knee up over her chin, the material of the gown falling off it exposing her long bare legs.

‘Do you want to call him.’ Temur had his phone stretched out towards her.

‘Can I? What about Selim?’

‘Our little secret.’ Temur blushed again.

Belinda took the phone and tapped in Vinny’s special number. She then confidently headed to the bathroom and locked the door, leaving Temur looking slightly worried.

She was in there for about 5 minutes before coming out completely naked.

‘Another little secret’ she said as she danced around in front of him before placing a small kiss on his cheek and putting the phone into his hand. ‘Now go’ she said ‘before the other staff get suspicious.’

Temur tore himself away from the naked beauty of Belinda and made himself scarce. He was playing a dangerous game but that body, that smile, those eyes all made it worth it.

‘Why are those two with us?’ Belinda asked. She knew the answer and actually was pleased that they were, but she had to keep up the act. ‘Not the most romantic is it?’

They were in one of the nicest hotel rooms Belinda had ever seen. It was wealthy but not over the top, nothing ostentatious, nothing tacky, just Parisian class.

‘Well, I have some business to take care of so one of those two can take care of you, make sure you spend my money wisely.’ Selim smiled and winked. Belinda knew it was to make sure she didn’t escape, but she was willing to play along with his game. She planted a little kiss on his cheek that promised oh so much.

 ‘In fact,’ Selim said, ‘I need an hour or two this afternoon, so why don’t you take Serik shopping and Temur and I can stay here to work.’

That was wrong, she needed Temur to go shopping with her not Serik.

Belinda bit her lip.

‘What’s wrong?’ Selim asked.

‘It’s um … nothing.’

‘C’mon tell me.’

‘it’s just, I don’t like Serik, the way he looks at me. It’s …it’s creepy, I think he wants me.’

‘Really?’ Selim looked genuinely surprised. ‘Well okay, you take Temur then.’

Belinda smiled; Selim had said the magic words. He picked up the phone and summoned the two goons into the room.

‘Change of plan gents, Temur you’re going with Belinda, Serik, you’re staying here with me.’

Belinda thought she could trace the slightest blush on Temur’s face but he was controlling his emotions pretty well. She smiled and went over to him linking arms and skipping out of the room. Hiding in broad daylight.

In the lift down to the ground floor she smiled at Temur.

‘Underwear’ she said ‘ Lingerie. You are going to help me choose.’

Temur blushed properly now.

‘In fact let’s pretend you’re my husband, it could be fun.’ Temur was bright red.

‘Our little secret. But first can I use your phone?’

Temur meekly handed the phone to Belinda who shot off a text message at speed before passing it back and linking arms with Temur again.

In the shop Belinda’s demeanour changed a little. She was still flirtatious with Temur but was now teasing him. ‘You shouldn’t look at me like that’ she chastised him. ‘What would Selim say if he could see those eyes?’ She asked when she knew the shop assistants were in earshot.

‘We don’t need to worry about Selim,’ Temur said growing in confidence.

Bingo thought Belinda. 

‘Don’t touch’ she said loudly more for the rest of the shop than for Temur.  She smiled at Temur with wicked eyes full of Belinda promise. 

When they got back to the hotel the police were everywhere. The concierge nodded towards them and before they could ask what was going on they were intercepted by a policeman and taken to a private room.  As the police explained what had happened Belinda broke down.

‘My Selim, no please no, tell me he’s alive.’ the policewoman shook her head and Belinda wailed. She was so convincing she even began to believe it herself. Meanwhile Temur was bemused. He’d just been told that his boss and lifelong friend had been shot dead at point blank range but this woman who had been forced into marrying Selim was acting like she’d lost her childhood sweetheart.

Just then there was a knock on the door, another policewoman entered and the two coppers spoke in fast French. Two uniformed officers then came in and took an increasingly confused Temur away.

The original policewoman turned back to her, ‘Have a little while to rest but then we will need to question you. Okay?’

Belinda nodded and sobbed and wiped a way a tear.

The questioning was typical, do you know who would want to do this to your husband? Did he have any enemies? Belinda played the innocent, heartbroken wife. Then the question got round to her relationship with Temur.

‘Relationship? What relationship? He was just my bodyguard.’

‘Do you think he thought it was more than that?’

‘No! Well he’s quite flirtatious, I think he likes me.’ Belinda said innocently.

‘Do you think he would kill his boss?’

‘No, how could he? He was with me?’

‘We found a phone next to the bodies.  We think the killer dropped it. It had one call and a message that came from Temur’s phone.’

‘No? Temur? he wouldn’t do that. No.’ She wiped her nose with a tissue. ‘Oh!’ she looked like she’d just remembered something.

‘What is it?’

‘In the shop, earlier. He said we don’t need to worry about Selim, he must’ve meant...’

Belinda broke into tears again. ‘Poor Selim, betrayed by his own best friend.’