Sasha smiled up at him before taking her seat again. “It’s been wonderful.” From the corner of her eye, she spotted Teagan’s blank stare and did introductions. “Teagan, this is my friend Carter. And Carter, this is Teagan from New York. Remember? I couldn’t shut up about her.”
Carter laughed deeply at the memory. “Oh yeah, your best friend from college, right? It’s nice to meet you, Teagan. From what I hear, you led this nerd over here into some quite amazing adventures. Good for you! She can be a stick in the mud, can’t she?”
Teagan joined Carter in his teasing while Sasha merely rolled her eyes at their antics.
“Would you like to join us, Carter?” Teagan asked.
“Well, you’re in luck. I was just leaving after having a meeting when I overheard you. I’m free now and would love to have an excuse to eat more.”
Sasha glared across the table at Teagan. “See? I told you, you were too loud!”
Her friend ignored her chastisement. Instead, they watched as Carter pulled up a seat and sat down between them. Teagan appreciatively eyed the way his dress shirt hugged his biceps as he removed his suit jacket and placed it across the back of the chair. From what she had heard from Sasha, the man was a catch and had become quite a good friend to Sasha despite the dissolution of their romantic relationship.
As if in confirmation of this, Carter asked, “So, how is it going with you and Mr. Durand, Sasha?” He took a healthy bite of the complimentary bread at the table.
As they were catching up, Teagan could tell what was so appealing about Carter. While clearly a successful man judging from the designer suit and watch, he completely exuded a sex appeal and maturity she had not found in quite a long time. Her interest piqued, she decided to take advantage of the dinner and learn as much about him as possible. With a flirtatious flick of hair that was not lost upon Sasha, Teagan gently touched his forearm before beginning the interrogation.
At the abrupt turn of conversation, both Sasha and Carter exchanged confused glances. Sasha, knowing all the seductive tricks Teagan would throw out when she was interested, said nothing. She could tell however, that Teagan’s efforts would not work on Carter. Quite a down-to-earth man despite his professional successes, she was sure Carter had been exposed to similar advances from other women. And, as he stated before, he was in search of something more serious.
Unfortunately, Sasha didn’t know whether Teagan was ready for a relationship of the same caliber.
“So, what kind of things do you like to do, Carter?”
Reluctantly, Carter tore his gaze from Sasha and gave the attractive redhead a warm smile. “My interests are quite diverse. You have to give me a more narrowed focus.”
“Oh, really?” She winked at Sasha and leaned forward. “Here’s one for you: women.”
Sasha nearly spat out her drink at Teagan’s forwardness. Grabbing the napkin at the table, she covered her mouth and took in a deep breath to suppress the giggle that wanted to escape. Entertained by the repartee between the two, she looked anxiously at Carter for his response to such a blatant show of interest from Teagan.
Carter seemed nonplussed by the comment. In fact, he merely leaned back in his chair in a relaxed position. Rubbing at his goatee, he asked, “Are we talking about women, Teagan or just you?”
She opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by him.
“No, wait. I’ll answer your unspoken question, first. I’m not interested in forward women.”
Not at all perturbed by this, Teagan shrugged. “Well, you haven’t had someone quite as forward as me. Trust me, you’d like it.”
As they engaged each other in an intense stare off, Sasha smiled and took a big gulp of her drink. And, then quite shockingly, Carter broke out into laughter and looked away from Teagan with a shake of his head. As if the exchange between the two hadn’t happened, he turned back to Sasha and continued their conversation from before.
Sasha didn’t fail to notice the ongoing intensity of Teagan’s gaze as they settled upon Carter, however. It was something she hadn’t witnessed before. Teagan had unknowingly met her match, and Sasha looked forward to the inevitable.
Of all the guests that walked in and out of Dmitri’s office over the years, seeing Natalia sashay past his office door had to top them all. For one, it was rare for them to engage in conversation without the presence of his father or siblings. Second, he hadn’t spoken to either of them since Nadia had so bluntly decided to stay with him in lieu of the comfort their mansion and resources provided. But there she stood crossing the threshold with her head held high and back straight.
Even though she had grown up in quite poor surroundings, her beauty had led her into an affair with his father. And, whether he believed it or not, their love had made her into quite the socialite. The ease in which she replaced his mother had only further instilled his dislike for the woman.
“Natalia.” He rested in the chair behind his desk, not bothering to hide his annoyance at the interruption. “What brings you into town to my office? Shouldn’t you and my father be at some winery?”
“Don’t be rude, Dmitri.” She took a seat and placed her purse onto her lap. “I came to speak with you to try to resolve this…silly feud.”
He scoffed. “Silly? How many years has it been? And now you wish to resolve it? What brought this on? Don’t tell me you finally care that I’m no longer part of the family because I can tell you right now that is bullshit.”
Not once had he ever seen Natalia display any emotion close to anger; there was a general passivity in her emotional expressions since the day he first met her. Not so, today. In a manner of seconds the formerly calm façade dissipated in place of rage. Her fists clenched the purse in her hands as she leaned forward and stated threw a furrowed brow and clenched teeth,
“I care when your father was in the hospital emergency room merely days ago with no sign of recovering and you didn’t bother to even show up! Whatever dislike you have towards each other, my husband nearly died, but you couldn’t stir up enough fucking concern to stop thinking of anyone but yourself!”
And in a split second, her face returned to its former beautiful glory. The stress lines around her eyes and mouth cleared back into creamy perfection. Not bothering to show his shock at her outburst, Dmitri didn’t respond for a moment. While it was true he had known his father had been admitted to the hospital due to chest pains, he had choked it all up to Natalia’s tendency for dramatics. He had to ask himself, however- if his father had been on his deathbed, would he have come? The answer eluded him.
“Well, I am sorry to hear that. How is he doing?”
His dry tone surely irked Natalia but she showed no signs of irritation. “He will be released from the hospital later this week. The doctor’s believe he came in at the right time; it could have been a heart attack. So, in celebration of his return, I am holding a family dinner.”
Dmitri crossed his arms. “Oh, really? Well, what does this have to do with me?”
Natalia released a frustrated sigh with a shake of her head. “I don’t understand you, Dmitri. I have never tried to replace your mother or impose myself on you because I was fully aware of and supportive of your attachment to her. But, what I don’t understand is how the threat of losing your last living parent holds no meaning to you. Yes, you two have never had the closest relationship, but all that pales in comparison to life and death. He may have survived this time, but who knows what will happen a few months from now. Hell, the only reason the doctor decided to release him was on the promise that I hire a full-time nurse to ensure he keeps his stress levels down. And, you know what? What has made me love Nikolai is his devotion to his family.”
At that, Dmitri opened his mouth to protest but stopped at the hand Natalia raised. “He may not have been right in every decision he made but that is the life of a parent. You’ll know it too one day. All we want is what is best for our children.”
Having had enough of her preaching, Dmitri r
ose from his chair. “Don’t come in here and give me that bullshit spiel about how much you care for all of us. As if that somehow disqualifies the mistakes you’ve made. Because I can tell you right now, those mistakes could have cost Nadia her life. It definitely cost my mom hers!”
Natalia gasped in shock at his accusation. “How dare you! I would never risk the life of my child. And my relationship with your father was definitely not the cause of your mother’s ill-timed death. Their relationship was purely superficial. I love your father, and I will not be blamed for him returning those feelings. We tried every day to acclimate you into our lives but you were too stubborn to realize that, even though you had lost your mother, we were offering you another family. It was never meant to replace the love you had for her. But that was all you saw; you kept yourself from us. And now you want to play the victim for feeling left out of the family.”
“What fucking rock have you been living under, Natalia? Do you really think I left of my own free will when Nadia became sick? Is that what Father told you? You see, if you paid enough fucking attention to the children you say you love so damn much, you’d realize how much our lives have been controlled by that man! But you’re too seduced by the materialistic bullshit he feeds you on a daily basis to keep your mouth shut. Go ahead; keep denying the mistakes you’ve made- excusing them for love. More like the fucking lifestyle you’re afforded.”
Mirroring his aggressive stance, Natalia stood from her chair as well. “So we finally get to the root of it. You think I’m some sort of gold-digger?”
The silence that fell upon the room gave her the answer. To his shock, he felt the former fight surrounding her aura disappear almost immediately. While she still stood proud in front of him, the light dimmed from her eyes slightly. And for the first time, he almost regretted his actions toward her.
“What you feel for me is irrelevant right now. Please, come to the dinner this Saturday.” She picked up her purse and turned for the exit.
“I’ll be bringing a guest.”
At that, she paused. “Is now really the time to tell your father you’re back with that woman?” She turned back to face him. “Nadia told me that you started a relationship with her again. I congratulate you for that, but the dinner this Saturday is not the place to give your father a symbolic ‘fuck you.’ And I’m sure your lady-friend wouldn’t like to be used in your rebellion against him.”
“You’re wrong. This has nothing to do with him, and everything to do with her. If it were up to me, she would never see him again. But our relationship needs this; she needs to know that no matter the threats my father may spew, she will always come first.”
Natalia sneered at him. “This dinner is for your father! He deserves to relax- his very life depends on it.”
Dmitri shrugged. “Which is why I am giving you notice instead of springing it on him come Saturday. You want me there- I don’t come without my other half. I plan on making her part of the family pretty soon anyways.”
His stepmother said nothing to this. Instead, she wrenched open the door and he listened as the sounds of her heels resounded against the hallway floor.
When Dmitri made it to Sasha’ apartment, the conversation he had with Natalia continued to echo in his mind. He was confused by the feelings of worry he had concerning his father as he continued to think about the scenario of Nikolai’s potential passing. While he had made great strides with Sasha, Dominic, and Nadia in expressing his emotions of love and care, he couldn’t fathom ever revealing the same vulnerability to the man he had spent decades fighting. Their ongoing war had become such a part of his existence; he didn’t know what any other sort of relationship with his father would be like. What would it entail?
Before the incident with Nadia and her anorexia, Nikolai had been grooming him to take over the hotel conglomerate. He remembered the pressure to succeed and Nikolai’s harsh critique of his work ethic and ideas. Dmitri didn’t want to return to that. However, Dominic seemed to have taken over the bulk of the work over the past few years, which was possible evidence of his father’s less stringent demeanor.
Dmitri wouldn’t hold out hope for that, though. As he entered Sasha’s apartment with his key, he decided to focus on convincing Sasha to accompany him to the dinner this Saturday. As he set his briefcase on the glass table in the small foyer, he was assaulted by the aroma of dinner. Smiling to himself, he called out her name and waited.
On cue, as had been their custom, Sasha walked out of the kitchen with an apron around her waist and her hands out in greeting. Without hesitation, he met her halfway and spun her in his arms while giving her light kisses on her smooth cheeks.
She giggled at the touch of his lips. “Dmitri, you’re here early.”
Setting her back on her feet, he replied nonchalantly, “I missed you.”
Sasha gave him an incredulous look. “We just saw each other last night.”
“What can I say- I’m addicted,” he teased. Grasping her face between his hands, he leaned down and gave her a proper kiss in greeting. “I’m serious, though. I couldn’t stop thinking about you today. Did something happen?”
Noting the worry in his voice, she shook her head. “No. In fact, things went pretty well today. Teagan is back in town and I got a long-awaited email from Dina! Apparently, she wants to come back here for holiday break because she misses America. And, you’ll never guess what Teagan told me…”
Dmitri followed her into the kitchen as she rambled on about Teagan’s decision to return to Boston. He could only smile in amusement at the glowing smile that spread across her face as she spoke of her two friends. Taking a comfortable position against the counter as he watched her continue preparing dinner, he eyed her appreciatively. The apron was tied across her waist, accentuating her curves and giving him dirty ideas. To get his mind off the uncomfortable tightening in his lower regions, he took plates from the cabinet and began to place them accordingly.
Clearing his throat, he decided to broach the subject now instead of later, “So, I got a visit from Natalia today.”
Sasha stopped chopping the cucumbers for the side salad and met his eyes. “Really? What was she there for?”
“Well, Nikolai is going to be getting released from the hospital this weekend. So, she invited me to a dinner celebrating his recovery. And I want you to come with me.”
He found himself squirming in the silence that followed his announcement. If she said no, he wouldn’t blame her. But a part of him wanted her there with him when he confronted his family. She had become a more significant part of his life and he had not been lying to Natalia when he spoke of his intentions to marry her. The last two times she had been present in his meetings with his parents hadn’t ended well; he needed to make that up to her.
“Did you tell her you were bringing me?”
“Yes,” he replied without hesitation. “This dinner and how they react to our relationship, will determine for me whether I even want to be in their lives from now on. I will cut all ties to them if need be.”
At his words, Sasha vehemently shook her head. “I would never ask you to do that, Dmitri. They’re your family despite the problems that exist. W-why was your father in the hospital?”
“Chest pains. Apparently, he was at risk for a heart attack.”
Sasha sighed at the news. “I don’t think this Saturday would be the best time for me to meet him again, Dmitri.”
Before she could continue her protest, he interrupted, “No, this is the perfect time. Her dinner invitation was an olive branch of sorts. They need to know that if I were to become a part of the family once more, they would need to accept our relationship. You and I are a packaged deal. Period.”
When she didn’t immediately reply, he made his way over to her and pulled her into his arms. “You’re mine and I love you,” he whispered to her while gently nuzzling her cheek.
Finally, Sasha looked up at him with a smile. “I love you too.”
Gently, his hands
moved from around her waist until they were resting against her stomach. He caressed the area with his palm as his thoughts drifted to a subject of far more import. “How are you feeling?” he finally asked.
Sasha took a hold of his hand. “It was just a scare, Dmitri. I have to be a little more diligent in taking my pills but you don’t have to worry. I’m not pregnant.”
At her statement, Dmitri was a bit surprised by the disappointment that came across him. Before he could stop, he found himself saying, “You know, I wasn’t worried about the possibility of having a kid. In fact, for a minute there, I was actually excited.”
She looked up at him in surprise. “Don’t you think it’s a bit early to be considering raising a family?”
“No,” he said without hesitation.
Sasha merely shook her head. “Well, it is for me. Is it wrong for me to want the traditional marriage first?”
Her question, of course was rhetorical, judging from the steel-laced tone. Instead of responding, Dmitri laughed and winked at her before walking away into the dining room.
Chapter Thirteen
Lola and Teagan could visibly see the panic in Sasha’s eyes as they approached what seemed to be their one-hundredth clothing store that day. Exchanging glances, they knew not to mention the ache developing in their feet or their hunger pains. Instead, they trailed behind her as she scurried from one corner of the department to another. They had gotten accustomed to the sigh of frustration she would emit after pressing a pair of pants to her waist and finding it to be too long or too wide. It wasn’t until she was in danger of breaking one of the hangers as she jammed it back into place that they intervened in collaboration.
“Sasha! You really have to calm down.”
She sent a glare to both of them before rumbling back into the clothing rack. “You don’t understand. I’ve met them before and they hated me. I-I…I just have to find the perfect outfit.”
Teagan tsked and placed her hand on her cocked hip. “I really don’t think one outfit is going to make or break this meeting. Just be yourself.”
Sasha: The Awakening (The Wallflower Series Book 2) Page 14