by Lia London
Uncomfortable analyzing her own feelings, Angelika scooped Chucho into her lap.
Gerianne tucked her knees up into her arms. “Fine. Don’t answer. But from everything I read, it’s all in the kiss. No fire? No love.”
Angelika nuzzled Chucho, afraid to answer. The kissing had been amazing, but did it really mean love, or was that just a storybook thing? “Maybe I’m not cut out to be interesting or attractive to men,” she said, wishing she hadn’t brought up the subject.
“Self-pity is never attractive, you know.” Gerianne patted Angelika’s arm sympathetically. “But seriously, maybe you should try kissing him first.”
Angelika avoided eye contact. What if the kisses were great because he was good at everything? What if he’d sensed her falling for him and was pulling back because he didn’t really mean it? What if all of this was his way of claiming an ultimate victory over her by crushing her heart?
Gerianne picked up her book again. “Okay, I can see you’re thinking hard about this. I’m going to continue my research. I will say this.” She gave Angelika a pointed look. “That Viktor guy tapers very nicely from his shoulders to his jean pockets. Very nicely indeed.”
“Are you scoping out my boyfriend?” Angelika squeaked with surprise.
“If he’s your boyfriend, go kiss him already.” She narrowed her eyes. “And don’t bug me about it until you can come back and tell me it was like flying a dragon over the castle ramparts.”
Viktor – several days later
Viktor finally fired off what he hoped would be a humorous text to Angelika. I’ve turned into a teenage girl.
The phone rang twelve seconds later.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she challenged the instant he answered.
He affected a dramatic teen girl’s tone. “I’ve been sitting by my phone waiting for you to call.” When she didn’t respond, he meekly returned to his own voice. “Did I blow it so bad at the move?”
“What are you talking about?”
He faltered. Was she mad? He must have totally screwed up now. How could he patch this up? “I figured I blew it at the move,” he said as lightly as he could. “Didn’t do it right.”
Angelika snorted. “You were fantastic until you left.”
“The job was mostly done,” he countered.
“Not even. We had another whole family to move.”
Viktor dropped his face in his palm. “How was I supposed to know that?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Talk to me instead of rushing away the moment you get bored?”
His eyes popped wide. Bored? She thought he’d been bored? “Annie, I don’t know where you’d get such a dumb idea. I left because I couldn’t keep up with your awesomeness.”
“What?” Her tone pitched higher as it always had in high school. “You said you needed a shower. I hoped that meant you wanted to get together again after you’d cleaned yourself up, but no. You just weren’t interested in sharing a meaningful experience with me.”
Viktor’s brows furrowed. “It was meaningful for you because the family was gushing all over you. The rest of us were sweating in the background.”
“You chose that job. Besides, welcome to my life—always in someone’s shadows.”
“You were the winner at the move, Annie. Don’t play the pouter.”
“Are you seriously competing with me again? I thought we’d moved past that.”
“Easy for you to say when you’re making me look stupid every time we turn around.” Why had he gone there? Why was he fighting? Old habits had seized the reins. “My dad even—”
Although he caught himself, she jumped on his words. “Your dad? You’re listening to your dad again? I thought we talked about that, too.”
“Look who’s talking. You begged me to make you look good in front of your family.”
“Okay, we both have issues. Do we need to compete for who comes from the most messed-up family?” He could almost hear her rolling her eyes. “There are some things you don’t have to win.”
Viktor struggled to steady his breathing. How had he gotten riled up so quickly? He’d just wanted a sign that she’d missed him and didn’t think he was a complete loser.
“Look, I got a call from Lee’s dad at the hospital, and…” Her voice broke. “I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later, when… unless you want to...” She seemed to wait for him to respond, but he couldn’t think of anything to say.
He didn’t even know how to feel.
“No, I’ve got other stuff to do,” he said lamely.
“I swear, Viktor, you can be a self-absorbed jerk sometimes.” She sounded more weary than angry, and it crushed his will to fight.
“Yeah, whatever. Go save the world.” He hung up and closed his eyes, a black swirl of doom swimming in his head. He’d made too many mistakes. It was over.
Angelika – ten minutes later
Angelika could barely see the road between the slashing rain and her tear-blurred eyes. Her windshield wipers waved at her frantically, but she couldn’t see past the worry.
She slammed on the horn when a herd of slow-moving teens started across the street in front of her, eying her defiantly.
“Of course, I won’t run over you,” she muttered. “I’m too nice! Nobody notices nice. Nice isn’t what men fall in love with. Nice leaves them liking you okay but not wanting to stick around for a real relationship.” She widened her eyes irritably at one of the passing boys, as if to urge him on.
He slowed his crossing to give her a smug glare.
Frustrated, Angelika yanked on the parking brake and opened her car door. “Come on! Move it! You guys think the world revolves around you? Some of us are out here trying to do something important!”
A curly-headed boy scoffed and flipped her off. “Whatever, lady.”
Angelika slumped back, rain pouring onto her lap. Soaked, rejected, ridiculed… and now the cars behind her honked angrily.
Jerking into motion, she drove off. Fifteen minutes later, she sloshed and sniffed her way into room 36B of the hospital feeling stormy inside.
A med aid she recognized glanced up from taking Lee’s vitals. “Oh hey. I’m glad you’re here,” she whispered. “His mom came in earlier but went to grab something to eat. I hate to see him alone right now. He’s so weak.”
The stuffiness of the room and the whirring machinery numbed Angelika a few degrees, and she nodded. Slinging her purse over the back of the vinyl chair, she sank down beside Lee. “Is he even aware of us now?”
“We’ve got him on pain management only at this point. He’s unlikely to regain consciousness at this point.” The med aid smiled sadly and straightened her ponytail. “He’s such a sweet little guy, huh? I’ll be sad to see him go.”
Angelika bobbed her head dully, watching the slow rise and fall of Lee’s chest and noting the gray pallor of his sunken cheeks. A child shouldn’t have to go through this.
“Angelika?”
She turned to see Lee’s mother standing in the door with a bottle of Pepsi. “Hi Junie. Here, take the chair,” said Angelika standing. “I just stopped in because your husband called…”
“Yes.” Junie perched on the edge of the chair, facing Lee with tears in her eyes. “Steve went to bring the kids. We should all be here when…”
Angelika placed her hand on Junie’s shoulder. “Of course.”
“I feel so helpless, you know?” confided Junie. “I’m his mother. I changed his diapers and taught him to use a spoon. I’ve been there for every boo-boo and problem he ever had, but I couldn’t stop this.”
“Some things aren’t fixable,” Angelika conceded, crouching beside the grieving mother.
“But I love him so much.”
“And he loves you. You can see it in his eyes every time you two are together.”
Junie dabbed at her eyes. “He’s my little buddy. We love each other.” She sobbed. “We need each other.”
Angelika dropped her knees all the way to the
hard floor and hugged Lee’s mother. “We all need that. To be loved. To be needed.”
“But we can’t always fix.”
“No,” agreed Angelika. “We can’t. Maybe that isn’t the point.”
Junie sniffed and sat back. “You’re right. Just having you here helped him. People need to feel loved.”
Angelika rested her free hand on Lee’s forehead tenderly. Needing. Loving. They were intertwined and went both ways. In that moment, she knew she needed and loved Viktor and hoped he felt the same way. But how could he after the way she’d shot him down?
Viktor – a few days later
Twenty-eight minutes into the executive meeting, Viktor quietly excused himself and returned to his office. All the hype about sales and projects and profits had done nothing to motivate him. With every new presentation slide, he thought, What’s the point?
Alone at his desk, he hefted his forehead in his palms and tried to comprehend the paradigm shift taking place inside his brain.
His cell rang, and he answered automatically before checking the caller ID. “This is Viktor Giles.”
“Hey, Vik. It’s Lars. We still on for golf this afternoon?”
Awakened by this voice from the outside world, Viktor leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. “I don’t think I want to.”
“What’s wrong?”
Viktor shook his head, dislodging the last shreds of bravado. “I don’t think I want any of this anymore.”
“You’re scaring me, man. Are you talking about hurting yourself?”
“Huh? No. I… I don’t care about this stuff anymore. The promotion. The money. The rat race.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “I don’t even care if my dad gets mad. I don’t want to do it anymore.”
Lars didn’t answer for a long time. “What’s going on, man?”
Viktor leaned into the phone. “Would you say I have it all?”
“Uh… Yeah, almost.”
“Almost?”
There was another pause. “Well, except for a wife and family.”
Viktor nodded, aware that once upon a time, the comment would have irked him. “And do you have it all?”
Lars laughed. “Heck yeah. I’ve got my sweetheart and girls. They’re everything to me.”
“Even though you don’t have half my money, or the job title, or anything,” clarified Viktor.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
Viktor knuckled his brow. “So you’ve got the one thing I don’t have, and you’ve got it all.”
“Well, if you put it—”
“It’s all right,” said Viktor. “You’re exactly right. Because if I really had it all, I’d feel full and satisfied instead of just full of myself.”
Lars didn’t take a shot. Instead, his voice was cautious. “Does this have anything to do with you and Annie?”
Viktor cringed. “Please don’t laugh at me.”
“No, man. She turned out all right.” He seemed to hesitate. “You like her, huh?”
Viktor scoffed. “What difference would it make? If she thinks I’m a self-absorbed jerk, she’ll never want me back.”
“Back?”
Viktor drew a sharp breath, realizing too late his slip. “I guess we were starting to think about being a thing, but then…”
“Want my advice?”
“Probably not.”
“Go to her and make every effort not to be a self-absorbed jerk. Let her know how you feel.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“It is if you accept the chance you might lose.”
Viktor blurted a guttural noise. “What kind of pep talk is this, Lars? I’m breaking down over here, and I need to know what to do.”
“Breaking down can be good. It’s when you find out what you really need most, and you can get rid of the other stuff.”
“Good advice,” said Viktor without enthusiasm. He didn’t need to break down further to know what he needed. Angelika. But how could he ever convince her to take a chance on him?
Angelika – the next day
Angelika glanced up from her desk to see the receptionist approaching her with an odd smile on his face. “What’s up, John?”
“There’s a special delivery for you up at the front desk.”
“Why didn’t you just buzz me?”
He grinned. “I thought I should make sure you looked your best.”
“What?” Angelika glanced down at her green tunic top and tailored slacks. “Why does that matter?”
“I think it might.”
Angelika rolled her eyes. “Can’t you bring the delivery back?”
“It’s kind of big.”
“Okay, now I’m curious.” She stood up and smoothed her hair back. “Did someone bring me a wheelbarrow for hauling paperwork around?”
“Funny you should mention gardening supplies.” John turned and led the way back to the front desk, wagging a finger over his shoulder. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Angelika gasped. A trough of white roses and baby’s breath filled the air with sweetness. She covered her mouth and fought back tears.
John pointed to the center of the floral arrangement. “Does this part mean anything to you?”
Three bright orange flowers were tucked into the other petals. Familiar flowers. Angelika plucked them out to find them tied together with a ragged piece of cloth.
She let out a surprised squeak as Viktor opened the door and entered the lobby with a shy smile. He cast an apologetic glance at John, who scurried away to another cubicle. Coming forward, Viktor plunged his hands into his suit pockets.
Her heart thumped painfully in her chest, and she didn’t know why. “Viktor, what are you doing here?”
He licked his lips. “Well, I know how you enjoy projects—helping people and all, and… I wondered if you’d be willing to take me on. You know, to help me improve myself.”
“You? You’re already perfect.” She stiffened at her own admission.
His eyes flashed, and he dipped his head. “Far from it. We both know I’m a wannabe.”
Struck by the humility in his tone, Angelika rounded the trough of flowers and gave him a tentative hug. “Not a wannabe. You’re a winner.”
“No. Not in the thing that matters most. Annie, I’ve got nothing to offer people… others. I’ve been conditioned to think about winning and putting myself first, all so I can make my dad happy, but I don’t want to do that anymore.”
Angelika stumbled forward a step. “Really? That’s… that’s amazing.”
“But I need your help. You’re the only one who kindles it in me. When I’m with you, I want to be better—not to show off or please my dad or win some stupid…I don’t even know.” He shifted closer. “Annie, I want to be a genuinely better person.”
“You are. I see you growing all the time.”
“I need you, Annie.”
“I need you right back,” whispered Angelika.
“And…” He came close enough to brush his fingertips on her cheek. “I love you, Annie. But like, really. Not like anyone else ever. You’re…”
“Just kiss me. That’ll tell me everything I need to know.”
Viktor’s lop-sided grin disappeared, and he closed his mouth over hers with a beautifully urgent kiss. Instantly, her body ignited with fireworks, and her ears rushed with a symphony of sounds which tapered into applause. Stepping back with breathless surprise, she saw the entire office staff gathered to watch over the nearest cubicle wall. They clapped, cheered, and whistled.
“Encore! Encore!” cried John.
Angelika turned to Viktor. His eyes twinkled. “Show time, Annie?”
Laughing, she threw her arms around him and resumed the kiss, delighted by the certainty she felt in it. She’d be sure to tell Gerianne later that it was better than flying on a dragon over the castle ramparts!
Viktor – a few months later
Chucho curled up onto Viktor’s lap, covering the cruise ship brochure.
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br /> Angelika snickered and rested her head on Viktor’s shoulder. “Okay, so he’s not helpful, but at least he likes you now.”
“If I’ve earned the affection of this three-legged beast, I must have come a long way, huh?”
A warm tingle went down his spine as Angelika nestled her head into his neck. “Are you sure you’re ready to have a three-legged beastie boy as a son?”
“If I get you in the deal, I’m all over it.”
“So, is this your proposal?” Angelika tapped the magazine. “I mean, if you ask and I say yes, which one of us has to pay for the cruise?”
“Maybe we could get hired in the karaoke bar on the cruise and get the trip for free.”
“You seriously want to lose an epic rap battle with me night after night?”
Viktor gave her a wry smirk. “I have other plans for the night after night part. What do you say, Annie? I’d get down on one knee, but I’m trapped by Chucho the Killer Cat. But will you—”
“Yes!” Her exuberance startled Chucho off Viktor’s lap.
Viktor immediately rolled off the couch onto one knee, letting the cruise ship catalog fall to the floor. There, hidden in his hand was a diamond ring, ready for a proper proposal. “No fair. You didn’t let me finish the question.”
“So I won. I said yes before you asked.” She winked and brushed her nose against his as he slipped the ring on her finger. “You pay for the cruise.” Tickling his ear with her fingertip, she added, “I’ll make it worth every penny.”
Viktor hummed the tune to Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better.
Angelika tugged him back up to sit on the couch, wrapping her arms around him. “I have no idea how to adjust the lyrics to fit this situation, but I promise I can love you better than anything. Yes, I can! Yes, I can!”
Viktor let out a happy laugh. “We can, Annie. We can.”
Thank you so much for reading this book. If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a review so that other readers know it’s worth checking out.
Be sure to look for the other stand-alone novellas in the Proposal Series Novellas: