The Danish Delight (Mads Mikkelsen)

Chapter 8: "Rachel Ray"

Chapter 8: "Rachel Ray"

Stepping into Mads' home was like stepping into an entirely different universe. I examined every minuscule detail of his not-so-minuscule house. Everything surrounding me was orderly and put into place while the glassy walls enlightened the room with artistic gracefulness. As I walked further inside, I noticed a small rack near the front door where Mads kept his shoes; I imagine so that his flawless, pearly white floors would stay as such. To my left was a magnificent dining room meant for extravagant dinner parties and to my right was a living room (amounting to that of three normally-sized rooms) filled with thousands of books, luxurious seating, and yet, there was not a single television in sight. In the dead-center of the house was a polished, cherry-wood staircase that lead up to many other rooms which I yearned to become fond of.

We set our shoes down on the rack, then made our way through the dining room, and back into the kitchen. The kitchen wrapped around the back of the house and connected among the two other rooms. There was also an entry way, into the kitchen's main area, through two massive doors hidden behind the staircase. The countertops were made completely out of white marble and every appliance was veiled with top-of-the-art stainless steel. His kitchen was so spectacular that if Rachel Ray were to have popped out of his cupboards, I would not have been the least bit surprised.

"Would you like something to drink?" Mads asked me while holding up both a white and red wine (each, obviously expensive).

In a sudden instant, I remembered that I had never told Mads how old I actually was. Knowing that I was finishing my last semester at USC, he must have assumed that I was older than twenty-one. But, I was not about to have that conversation at such an inopportune time nor miss out on my chance to indulge in high-quality wine with Mads Mikkelsen.

"Yes, the red wine please." I answered a tad too formally.

Mads put the white wine back and grabbed two wine glasses from a vintage oak rack that was hanging above the island. He uncorked the bottle and poured a generous amount into each glass. Before handing me a glass, he gestured for me to follow him into the living area where we, then, sat together on a small suede couch. I began to drink while wondering why the lights had seemed much dimmer than they were when I first walked in.

Mads took another large breath before speaking. "Thank you for coming to speak with me on such short notice. I just..... I have much fewer friends than you would be lead to believe and I didn't really know who else I could come to."

"Mads, you can always come to me." I tried to sound reassuring and placed my hand onto his thigh. Yet, I'm sure that both my statement and actions came off to be much more seductive than intended.

He took my hand off of his lap and held it. "I'm glad to have a friend like you, Elise. I am so sorry about this past week. I am sorry that I haven't been paying you the attention that you deserve. You will never be treated like that again, Elise, I can promise you that."

We stared into each-other's eyes and shared deep, tender smiles. Knowing that Mads cared genuinely for me, made me feel important and loved... even if only as a friend.

Those smiles soon died off as Mads released my hand and shook his head. "This divorce has been driving me into a state of insanity. My wife refuses to sign the divorce papers and insists on carrying everything out until she can walk away with all that I'm worth. It seems like she won't be satisfied until I have nothing more to give."

I was at a loss for words. There was nothing that I could say or do that would put an end to all that he was going through. So, as I did so often in situations where I did not know what to say, I apologized.

"I'm truly sorry. I.... I wish that there was something that I could do."

He leaned toward me. "Your being here, with me tonight, means more to me than I could ever express."

Then, Mads leaned in further, held my neck, and put his lips to my ear. "You mean more to me than I could ever express."