by Alyse Zaftig
“Trust me. Depositions are a piece of cake compared to this. I wanted it to be perfect.”
“It is because you made it.”
“You smooth-talking me isn’t going to make my cooking any better or turn me into Betty Crocker.”
“Then you’ll just have to come over here more often so we can get it right together.”
“Careful,” she said. “That sounds like you’re asking me to move in or something.”
He thought about it and did something he’d never done before. He grabbed the little container in one of his utility drawers and handed it to her.
“What is this?” she asked.
Andrei wrapped his arms back around her, right where they belonged. “Open it.”
She undid the small box and looked inside before staring up at him. “It’s a key.”
“That’s what it looks like,” he teased. “Yep. I’m absolutely certain that’s the shape of a key.”
“This isn’t a key to what I think it is, right?”
“If you’re thinking it’s a key to this place then you’d be correct in that assumption, prosecutor.”
“I can’t move in with you, Andrei.”
“Why not? It sounds perfectly reasonable to me. I don’t have to wait for you to come over, because you’ll already be here.”
“We barely know each other.”
“There are people who move in within a few days of meeting each other. I’m sure we’ve got them beat by seeing each other longer.”
“I can’t move in. Not right now when I don’t even know if I’m staying in New York.”
Andrei hated hearing her mentioning moving. He wanted her to stay right there with him so he could wake up to seeing her ruin breakfast more often.
“Then don’t think of it as moving in just yet,” he said. “Think of it as a key for you to keep for now. You know, in case you want to come over or spend the night. Now, you don’t have to wait for me to come home. Just come in. Besides, we know each other better than you want to believe. I have every inch of your mesmerizing body committed to memory.”
“You knowing how to do wickedly good things to me in bed doesn’t mean we understand everything about each other.”
“Really? I beg to differ.” He nuzzled her neck and planted a light kiss on her throat.
“This is insane.”
“I don’t think so. I already have your apartment key from when I stayed over. Let’s just call it a legitimate swap.”
“It’s just a lot, you know?”
“Victoria, eventually you’re going to have step back and let people help you sometimes. It doesn’t make you weak or any less capable, so can you stop fighting and just let me do this, Okay.”
She seemed too exhausted to fight him, so she said, “Okay.”
“Good. Now, about your next doctor’s appointment. Maybe you should consider going to my family’s office.”
“You mean your mother and sister’s practice?”
“Of course. They’re some of the best doctors in the state. I can at least feel more comfortable than when a man gets to see and touch places that are just for me.”
“You’ll be comfortable. I don’t think so. That is not happening. Ever. You already want me to meet your family. I’m not having your mother and sister probing me. Even thinking about that creeps me out. I can imagine the awkward dinner talk about birthing processes and vaginal health. That’s where I draw the line, Andrei.”
He started to say something, but she put a finger on his lips.
“You get one big change a week, mister. I took your key, so I’m keeping my doctor.”
He sighed but relented to her choice, since he didn’t want her handing his key back. If she tried giving that back, he’d find a way to sneak it back into her purse somehow. His woman wasn’t getting off that part easy. “Fine. When do you go back to the doctor? I’m coming with you.”
Her eyes widened. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I know I don’t have. I want to.
“I’m a big girl, Andrei. I don’t need you to go to my doctor appointments with me.”
Andrei pulled her close and kissed her, hard and certain so she could stop thinking so much. She tasted so warm and lovely that it was hard for him to stop kissing her, but he pulled her back. He enjoyed that dazed look she had on her face, and he loved it even more that he was responsible for putting it on there. “I’m coming, and that’s final. You can either give me the information now, or I’ll find out on my own, Victoria.” He grabbed his phone just to show that he wasn’t playing around. He’d never joke around when it came to her or their baby.
She told him, and he put it in his phone to make sure he wouldn’t forget. He wasn’t missing that appointment since he wanted to make sure the doctor knew what the fuck he was doing. If the guy turned out to be an idiot, he was going to find her another doctor who treated her right. Just because she decided not to use his family’s services didn’t mean she was going to be making decisions alone. He was going to be right there through all of it.
Andrei was starving, and with a few changes, he and Victoria were able to salvage breakfast. He made Victoria some of the leftover broth for lunch and made her promise him that she’d eat it and not something else that would make her sick.
At work, he wasn’t able to do as much as he should, because he was worried about her and what his parents would say about their relationship.
He called his mother first, since she was the most welcoming in the family. His mother didn’t have a mean bone in her body, which contrasted with his father’s strong personality. But their relationship worked, and they were happy together. That’s what he wanted with Victoria. Even though they clashed in more ways than one, the woman was a permanent part of his system.
His mother picked up after the second ring. “Hi, honey. What a lovely surprise. I rarely get a call from you or your brother anymore.”
“I’m sorry, mom. I know I should check in more often.”
“Hell must have frozen over and collapsed into itself,” another voice called out. Of course his mother had put him on speaker phone with his sister there. “He never calls us anymore.”
“That’s not true, Amy. I call when I can.
“Yeah? When was the last time?” Amy asked.
“I can’t remember the exact date.”
“Just because you see Dad and Sam everyday doesn’t mean you can skip out on us, dork.”
“Whatever you say, monkey.” He smiled at how easy it was to talk to his mother and sister.
“It’s a slow day for us,” his mother said. “Yesterday we delivered triplets, so I guess it’s good to have a breather. Now, do we get a reason for this unexpected surprise call?”
“I’m bringing someone home next weekend, and I really want you all to meet her. I just wanted to make sure that’s okay with you.” Andrei felt his nerves rattle some. In court, he was ice cold, but his family sometimes had him on edge, more his father than anyone else.
“Are you kidding? That’s wonderful, honey.”
He could almost see his mother’s smile on the other end, and he took a breath.
“Anyone’s better than the last one you brought home.”
The last one was his ex-wife, who he didn’t want to even think about at the moment.
“No bashing,” his mother said. “Even if Trish’s difficult, she’s still the mother of my grandchildren. Speaking of those two, I hope you’re bringing them, too.”
“I am,” he said. “I want Victoria to meet everyone, but I’m just worried it’ll be a lot for her.”
“Don’t worry, Andrei. We’ll make sure she feels welcome the whole time.”
“Thanks, Mom, but it’s not you I’m worried about.”
“Your father will be fine. Have you told him yet?”
“I wanted to tell you first, but I’m going to tell him and Sam next.”
“Whatever you father says, don’t let it get to you. I will make sure he
’s on his best behavior.”
“Thanks,” he said. “I’ll need the reinforcements.” Even though his father had his moments, he always listened to his wife and treated her with love and respect.
“I’ll have to plan the meal,” his mother said. “We should have roast turkey with rice, mushrooms, and butternut squash. Oh and there’s this stuffed pepper recipe I have wanted to try as well as a sweet potato pie one.”
“He doesn’t need to hear the entire menu,” Amy complained.
Andrei laughed. Their mother was the one he’d got the cooking bug from for a reason. “Whatever you fix will be great, Mom. It always is, and I’m sure Victoria will love it. She’s not picky and knows great food when she tastes it.”
“Her name’s Victoria. I’m so excited to meet her. I can’t wait, dear.”
“I may bring Erik, too. I think we both could use some time out of the city, and since he doesn’t have any family here, the mini vacation may do him some good.”
“Sure. We always love having, Erik. I have to go and start planning everything.”
“Good going, dork. You’ve unleashed the cooking beast again. Don’t forget who she drags in to help her with all these cooking and baking plans.”
“Oh hush, Amy,” his mother said. “It’ll be good for us. I have to get some things ready. We’ll see you all Friday for dinner.”
“Okay. We will see you then.” When Andrei hung up, he felt more confident about telling his father, knowing that his mother would have his back at least.
He told his brother to meet him in their father’s office and took a deep breath before leaving his. As usual, his father was huddled over massive amounts of paperwork.
Andrei knocked on the open door to get his attention. “Dad, do you have a minute?” he asked.
“Can it wait until later?” his father asked without looking up. “I’m working on a deadline for a client here.”
“It’ll be quick.”
“Fine.” He put the paper he was reading down and looked up at Andrei. “What is it then?”
His father was a kind man when he wanted to be, but work had the tendency to stress the man out. Although he had built a multi-million dollar firm, the money came with more responsibility and stress that had his father on edge most of the time. The man wanted Andrei to be more like his brother, Sam, who lived and breathed law since he was made to follow in their father’s footsteps. Andrei wished Sam had been born first to take the pressure off him to be a lawyer, but there were still times he enjoyed the profession.
Working as a chef had no guarantees as a lawyer, and at least he was able to provide for his daughters. Now, he just had to convince Victoria to let him take care of her every once in awhile, too. The woman was stubborn, but he had some tactics on how to get her to see his way that involved a lot of bedroom time and pampering during her pregnancy.
“You called,” Sam said, popping his head in.
“Come in,” Andrei said. “I just wanted to let both know I’m bringing someone special to the house this weekend.”
“When did you start seeing someone?” Sam asked.
“We’ve been seeing each other for some time now.” He didn’t want to hear his father’s speech on him barely knowing Victoria, so he left the exact time out.
“This isn’t the same girl we were talking about before. That prosecutor?”
Andrei nodded, unashamed. “It’s her. You’re going to have to get used to her, Dad. We’re together now.”
“How do you think this is going to look for our law firm, son?”
“Frankly, I don’t care. I’m with her. I just thought I’d give you the courtesy of letting you know before I brought her to the house this weekend.”
“The weekend?” his father asked.
“That’s right, and I already cleared it with Mom.” He smiled. “I’ll let you get back to work. I know that you’re busy.” He left before his father could object to anything else. Once he knew his mother approved, his father usually backed off.
Sam followed on his heels. “You’re really doing this, huh?”
His brother knew at least something about the issue he had with Judge Hughes and Victoria, but he didn’t push Andrei about it.
“I am. You don’t have a problem with that, do you?”
His brother patted him on the back. “Not at all. I am just happy to get some entertainment this weekend.”
Andrei shook his head. He hoped like hell the entertainment stayed limited to the television and music. Anything else could be too much for Victoria to handle, and he wasn’t going to let his family scare her off.
It was still hard for Andrei to work without thinking about Victoria. He knew she worried about meeting his family, but they were important to him, especially his daughters. His ex-wife Trish was going to be an annoyance. She always was when he wanted his girls to go to family weekend, probably because Trish wasn’t a part of it anymore.
He wanted Victoria to meet his girls, and family weekend seemed like a good time to do that, but he put off calling Trish later.
Andrei could sense the tension that still existed between him and Victoria. He’d be a fool not to notice it. He also knew that she still wanted to go to Chicago, but he saw the time spent with his family as a chance to convince her to stay in New York. He didn’t like having her so stressed out while she carried his baby inside of her. He didn’t want her stressed at all, but he couldn’t stop the immediate feeling to protect her and his baby whenever he thought about them.
He took time to have lunch with Erik. Meeting with Erik always helped him figured stuff out, especially since he wasn’t the type of person to fuck around with words. Erik was a good guy who always spoke his mind. If people didn’t like it, that was their problem.
Andrei met his best friend at the Little Old Pub for lunch. This pub was quiet with booths and tables for eating and a decent-sized bar for drinking. It was dim lighting throughout, but the televisions on the walls added to some additional lighting.
“What are you boys having today?” a waitress wearing a tight, black tank top and matching shorts asked.
“A double cheeseburger, fries, and a beer please,” Erik told her. His flirtatious smile and wink were obvious, and the woman giggled.
Erik may have admired the woman, but Andrei’s thoughts only had Victoria running through it. The woman has planted herself in Andrei’s heart, mind, and life. It wasn’t enough though. He still wanted more of her. He was a selfish bastard when it came to her, but he wanted all of Victoria. He had a feeling he wasn’t going to satisfied until he got it.
Andrei didn’t feel up to perusing for something else. “I’ll have the same.” He handed the waitress back his menu and waited for to bring their beers before he started talking.
“Thanks for taking time out to see me,” Andrei said. “Could use some advice right about now.”
“Hey, that’s what friends are for, right?” Erik took a gulp of his beer. “You sounded intense on the phone.”
Andrei took a drink, too. “Victoria’s pregnant.”
“Victoria? The same lawyer you were seeing?”
After taking another sip, Andrei nodded. “That’s her.”
“Pregnant. Damn, you sure didn’t waste any time, did you?”
“It must have happened while we were in Montego Bay.”
“So you threw protection out the window when you boarded the plane.”
“We were in the moment, and we certainly didn’t plan on this. It just happened.”
“Since you already have two kids, I figured as much. What are you going to do?”
“Nothing to do. She wants to keep it, and I want it. I want her, too. I’m in love with her.”
“Well, you seem sure about this.”
“I am. I’ve never been more certain about anything. I know I want her and the baby in my life no matter what.”
“Then congratulations! I think it’s great. You have a beautiful woman and a baby on the way.” He
lifted his beer. “Here’s to them!”
Andrei lifted his glass, but he wasn’t in a celebratory mood.
“What’s the problem now?”
“As much as I want her, I think she’s having doubts.”
“About what?”
“Us. Everything. I gave her a key to my place. She took it, but you should have seen her face. That woman is not used to people taking care of her.”
“Just like you’re not used to a woman who wants to take care of herself.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Trish had moments of being nice, but she was clingy as a leech. Remember that time we were supposed to go to Atlantic City for my birthday? You couldn’t go because she didn’t want to be in the house alone all weekend. Now, you got to get used to someone who’s not like that.”
“Where are you going with this?”
“Ease her into this. Although you probably want to watch over her all the time, you may have to slow it down for her. You’re moving pretty fast.”
“Then I guess you’re not going to like what I did before that.”
“What else is there, man?”
“I invited her to meet my family next weekend when we go out to the main house. She agreed to that at least.”
“So much for going slow.” Erik shook his head, but he smiled while doing it. “I’ve haven’t seen you like this before.”
“Like what?”
“Happy and a nervous wreck all at once.” Erik rubbed his chin. “No. I take that back. I’ve seen you like this twice before.”
“And when was that?”
Erik stared at him, waiting for him to get it.
It didn’t take him long to get where his friend was going. “When Asya and Naida were born.”
“Bingo. You were a joyful, jittery mess. Couldn’t stand you. One minute you were a proud papa and the next you were worried about ruining their lives because of the long work hours you put in. This time is different though.”
“Yeah? How so?”
“The way you talk about your new girl, you seem content. You didn’t do that with Trish.”
“This feels different. Trish and I dated so long that it only made sense to get married. As much as I cared about her, I never felt like this with her.”