Behold!
Human beings living in an underground den, which has a mouth open towards the
light and reaching all along the den, here they have been from their childhood,
and have their legs and necks chained so that cannot move, and can only see
before them....
Plato’s
The Republic: Book VII
The
Parable of the Cave
France,
City of Toulouse
June
of 2002
A
Night Club
Nikoleta’s
arms were wrapped firmly around Dominique Durand’s neck as they danced close.
Touching his forehead to hers, the pair closed their eyes in pleasure wrapped up
in the intimacy of the moment. Nikoleta bit her bottom lips gently as she
reflected on the first time she had met Dominique. It had been at a political
party in Paris that her parents and his parents had been attending. Two hours
into the soirée, Nikoleta had snuck away from the tedious, boring people trying
to find refuge on the hotel grounds and away from their incessant droning. While
she wandering the premises, she and Dominique’s paths had crossed. She was
about to walk pass him when he introduced himself. She gave him her patent smile
and was about to step aside to leave when he blocked her path. Immediately put
off by his rudeness, Nikoleta was about to give him a tongue lashing, but then
he took her hand bringing it to his lips and kissing each fingertip, Nikoleta
felt weak, felt like she had been transported back in time, felt like this was a
sign, and fate had placed him in her path, so instead of dismissing him, she had
stayed. Dominique had led her over to a stone bench, and the pair spent the next
three hours talking. When the evening ended, he rose from the bench bowing at
the waist, and stating with much seriousness that in the near future, she would
be his wife, and they would have a beautiful life together. Nikoleta had laughed
off his words, but ten months later, here she stood.
Dominique
had pursued her tirelessly, and Nikoleta had enjoyed his pursuit. Dominique
Durand was a splendid package. He came from an established family; he was tall,
strong, and educated. He listened; he was adventurous, and he was fearless. He
smelled earthy and masculine, and his caresses were tender helping and lolling
Nikoleta into a feeling of security. And as they swayed on the dark dance floor,
Nikoleta trailed the tips of her fingers up his spine before tilting her head up
and smiling into his handsome visage. He grinned down at her angling his mouth
above hers as he captured it for a bruising and intoxicating kiss. Removing her
arms from around his neck and coiling them around his waist, she pressed her
body closer to his subtlety writhing and throbbing under his heady tutelage and
attentiveness. She felt him gently grip her dark strands into a fist not
allowing her to retreat from his advancement as he invaded her mouth with his
wicked and skillful tongue. Moaning in approval, she felt him pull her closer
pressing his throbbing hardness into her pelvis and then sliding both his large
hands down her bare back until he reached her backside cupping his bounty into
his greedy palms. The pair continued on with their sport not noticing a figure
bounding toward them until suddenly Dominique was torn away from Nikoleta’s
embrace. Gasping in surprise and annoyance at her lost, Nikoleta felt the fog of
sensuality lifted from her being as she focused on the figure that had
interrupted her and her pleasure. Growling in annoyance at the figure that stood
in front of her, she began to tap her foot on the dance floor as she gaze at her
brother, Valentin Vibbard-Adashev.
Valentin
was gripping Dominique painfully by the shoulder; as he looked down at his
quarry with a menacing glint in his café brown eyes before saying in a cold and
commanding voice, “Never compromise her honor!” Dominique looked up
defiantly at Valentin and said nothing, so Valentin tighten his hold on his
captive, biting out, “Did I not make myself clear? You will never compromise
her.”
Nikoleta
angry with her brother barked out, “Valentin!”
Valentin
ignored her continuing his intimidation of Dominique.
Dominique
began to gasp in pain, muttering out sullenly, “I will never compromise her
honor,” Valentin abruptly released his grip watching grimly as Dominique
gasped for breath as he fell on his hands and knees. Nikoleta was immediately at
his side bending down and running her hands across his face.
“I
am fine ma petite,” Dominique muttered through the pain as he gazed
into Nikoleta’s worried face.
“No,
you are not fine,” she proclaimed helping him up, “I am taking you back to
your hotel room.”
Stalking
toward Nikoleta and Dominique, Valentin stood over his sister before saying in
French, “No, you are not taking him back to his room!” then he switched to
Russian, “I saw you allowing this lecher to paw all over you when you and I
both know his intentions are not honorable!”
Nikoleta’s
eyes began to become cloudy with anger and resentment as she hissed out in
Russian, “Dominique and I are together, and it is none of your business how I
conduct myself!”
“It
is very much my business! We are leaving! Now!”
“I
am going nowhere with you! I am taking Dominique back to his room!”
“Neekoh,
you are getting in your car, and we are going back home!”
“Stay
out of my business Valentin,” Nikoleta growled.
“Nyet!”
“Nikoleta,”
Dominique said to the woman before him interrupting the pair’s conversation,
“I want you to go home with your brother. I will see you tomorrow. We are
having lunch tomorrow at the café near my hotel. Oui?”
“Dominique,”
she whispered.
“Ma
petite,” he murmured running his fingertips across her silky walnut skin,
“go home with him.”
“I
want to stay with you.”
Dominique
smiled at her words as he whispered, “We have the rest of our lives,” he
brushed his lips across hers softly before he pulled away, “when we share
ourselves with each other, I want it to be perfect. It would not be perfect
tonight.”
“Please,
do not deny us. I will send him away.”
“We
have the rest of our lives to be lovers.”
Turning
away from Dominique, she glared at her brother. She watched as Valentin
stiffened with annoyance before he turned on his heel heading out of the club.
Kissing Dominique desperately one last time, Nikoleta followed Valentin. When
she had reached him, he was standing beside his car. Nikoleta folded her arms
across her chest while she began to look her brother up and down before quietly
saying, “Why Valentin?”
Valentin
sighed and ran his hand through his thick, dark hair again before stating,
“You would had regretted it. You are not made for one night stands Neekoh; you
are made for forever.”
“Dominique
is not an one night stand. I want forever with him.”
“You
never know what the future holds Nikoleta. I do not ever want you to regret it.
I do not want you to feel soiled after the fact.”
Nikoleta
looked at her loving, tender, insufferable brother and felt her anger began to
crumble under his hearten words; she understood his position even if she
didn’t agree with it. Walking toward him, she opened up her arms, and Valentin
moved into her embrace. “I love you Valentin, but I will not allow you to
dictate my life. What I do with Dominique Durand is my business. Do we
understand each other?”
“I
make apologizes Nikoleta, but I will not allow anyone to disrespect and dishonor
you.”
“Valentin,”
she sighed in playful agitation.
“Lets
go home Neekoh,” Valentin suggested.
“Yes, lets,” she said taking his hand into hers. They both walked over to her red Lamborgini Diablo; Valentin made sure that she was safely inside before he strolled over to his black Porsche Turbo. Once he revved up his car, the pair left the club’s parking lot and headed toward the road leading them out of the city of Toulouse and back toward the family’s isle that afforded them privacy, comfort, and a breathtaking view of the Pyrenees Mountains.