by Laura Hart
Max decided not to be sidetracked by her banter, so he returned to his original question. “I mean while I went to take the call. When I was returning to the table, I heard the word ‘scary’ used twice. What were you two talking about?”
Sadie paused. She wasn’t sure she wanted to admit to Max that she was a little scared, but she also didn’t want to lie to him. “We were just talking in general.”
Max changed his position so he could look her in the face. “‘Scary’ isn’t a word that gets thrown around during small talk. Did that word have anything to do with me?”
“Indirectly.”
“So what do you find ‘indirectly’ scary about me?”
“It’s not really you. It’s talking about love.”
“Is love scary to you?”
“A little bit.”
“Why?”
“I don’t really know. Maybe because it seems serious.”
Max pulled Sadie onto his lap. “When I tell you I love you, I am serious. I don’t throw that word around lightly. I love you, Sadie Duval, and I hope you love me back.”
“I do, but that’s kind of scary. I wasn’t sure I’d ever want to be that serious with a man.”
“Are you sure now?”
Sadie paused, and Max’s brow furrowed. “I do love you,” she answered slowly, “but I can’t help being a little scared.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. It’s just so big.”
Max smiled broadly. “That’s a great description of love, mishka. It is big. It’s huge, in fact. Huge and all-consuming.”
He pulled her forward and kissed her. Then he kissed her again, and then he carried her to the bedroom so they could check out just how big.
Welcome to St. Petersburg
They spent the last couple days at Max’s place, and the night before leaving they had dinner again with David and Shanna.
“I’m so jealous of your trip,” announced Shanna over dessert and coffee. “Most people here have no idea how beautiful St. Petersburg is. TV usually shows pictures of the greyest old buildings in Moscow, and usually in winter, too.” She laughed. “So, tell me, Max, what part of the city do your parents live in?”
“They’re easy walking distance to the river in the central district.”
“That’s a good location.”
Max smiled. “Do you want us to bring you anything in particular?”
“That’s what we need—more things to find places for,” put in David with a good-natured laugh.
Shanna raised her eyebrows. “My darling man, I suspect if we went around putting ownership labels on things, we’d discover that you’re responsible for a good many of those things you’re labeling as excessive.”
David gave a wry smile and put up his hands in surrender. “You’re probably right. You usually are.”
Max and Sadie didn’t stay late as they had some final packing to do.
“Be safe, and take lots of pictures,” were David’s parting words as he hugged and kissed Sadie. Then he turned to Max and shook his hand. “Be sure you bring her back again.”
“You have no worries, Professor. I’ll return her safe and sound and, I hope, in love with my home city.”
* * *
“Last time to make love in Houston for three weeks,” declared Max as they got ready for bed.
“Is it different here than other places?” Then Sadie suddenly stopped. “We haven’t really talked about where we’ll be staying. That’s really weird, isn’t it? I just didn’t think about it much. Are we staying with your family or somewhere else?”
“I have two places in St. Petersburg, one with my parents plus a small flat of my own for when I want more privacy.”
“We might need some privacy.” Sadie grinned at Max, her eyes dancing with mischief.
“My parents’ home is large enough to provide us a normal amount, but we may want to go off on our own, too. We’ll play it by ear.”
They made love twice, the first time with playful abandon but the second more thoughtfully, perhaps because they could both sense that the trip marked yet another step forward in their relationship.
“Do you know how much I love you?” Max asked as he held her tightly afterwards.
“Enough to give me the window seat?”
Max laughed. “Neither one of us will have a window seat. We’re flying in First, and it’s a different configuration than you’re thinking of.”
Sadie frowned. “I’ve flown First before, and there were always window seats.”
“Don’t worry, mishka. We’ll be fine, but if you want a window seat, you’ll have to sit by yourself.”
“It sounds kind of strange.”
“Stop worrying, he said, kissing her gently on the tip of her nose. “That’s an order.”
“I don’t take orders.”
“Perhaps you should learn. Sometimes it’s necessary.” Before she could argue any more, he covered her mouth with his own and completely distracted her. Finally, he said with a wicked little smile, “Maybe we’ll end up visiting my own flat so I can spank you when you need it.”
“You don’t need to bother.”
“We’ll see,” he replied as he nuzzled her neck. He had no idea how prescient his words were.
* * *
“I’m getting excited,” Sadie exclaimed as she looked out the window. She and Max were in the backseat of a town car heading for the airport. He’d hired a car so they wouldn’t need to park one of theirs at the airport for three weeks.
“That’s good. I want you to have a wonderful trip.” Max took her hand in his and squeezed it. “My family is really looking forward to meeting my little Texan.” He chuckled. “They have no idea what they’re in for.”
“Max! You’re supposed to be nice to me.”
“I am nice to you, mishka.”
“You just called me ‘my little Texan’ like I’m some kind of trophy. What if I said that my parents wanted to meet my big Russian?”
“Well, I am Russian and I’m tall, so I guess I don’t see the problem.”
Sadie rolled her eyes, but before she could answer, the driver asked them which terminal they needed.
“We’ve got a lot of luggage,” fretted Sadie as she looked at the bags Max had piled on a cart.
“Stop worrying, mishka,” Max repeated. “You’re acting like you’ve never traveled before.”
“Well, I’ve never traveled with you or to Russia, so in a way it’s a new experience.”
“And it will go much more smoothly if you let me handle things.”
Sadie sighed but didn’t argue. She had to admit that he seemed to have things well in hand. They got through check-in quickly and there was only a brief wait at the priority security checkpoint. Once they were through, Max turned and asked, “Where would you like to wait? Do you want to go to a lounge or just hang around the terminal?”
Sadie looked at her watch. “They’ll probably start boarding in less than an hour. Is it okay if we just hang around?”
“Absolutely. Do you want me to put your carry-on on top of mine while we walk?”
“Looking after the little Texan, are you?”
Max shook his head. “I can see this is going to be a fun trip.”
Sadie giggled. “Well, it’s a long one, so I need to keep you amused.”
Max stopped walking and kissed her. “I’ll be making mental notes on your behavior, little Texan, and there may well be a reckoning in your future.” He gave her a mock stern look and started walking again.
“Is your personality going to change when we change countries?” she asked, hurrying after him.
“I guess time will tell.”
They browsed in the bookstore and then got some coffee. Sadie was ready to also order something to nibble on, but Max reminded her that she’d soon be eating her way across the ocean. Finally, they wandered down to their gate.
“What am I supposed to call your parents?” she asked suddenly with a little fro
wn on her face.
Max looked surprised. “Their names.”
Sadie sighed and tried again. “In Russian literature, people are always called those long names, like two names together. Do I have to use those names?”
Max looked amused. “No. Remember that everyone you’ll meet in my family was born in Switzerland, so they’re very used to titles like Mr. or Mrs.”
“So, I should just call them Mr. Orlov?”
He chuckled. “Well, my mother would probably prefer the title Mrs.”
She pushed his upper arm. “Maybe I should think of a good title for you.”
“Careful.”
They were saved by the announcement.
“Lufthansa Flight 441 for Frankfurt will start boarding momentarily. If you’re in First Class or Priority, you may board at any time.”
“Shall we?” asked Max as he gathered their things. They went down the jet way and then, once inside the huge A380, were directed up the wide staircase leading to the First-Class section in the front of the top level. There they were welcomed by a smiling attendant who indicated their seats. “Willkommen an Bord, Herr Orlov.”
“Danke.”
Sadie was surprised to hear Max greeted in German, especially since she was almost immediately greeted in English. She’d ask about that as soon as they were seated.
The First-Class section had eight spacious seats, two single ones on each side by the windows and two pairs in the middle. All were mini-cubicles rather than the more traditional seats, so there’d be no subtle jockeying for the arm rest. The attendant took charge of stowing their carry-ons and then offered them a beverage while they waited for takeoff.
“It’s an important trip for us,” said Max as he smiled in Sadie’s direction. “We’ll have two glasses of champagne, please.”
“Yes, sir.” The attendant had quickly realized that Max and Sadie were both using English.
Sadie inspected the amenities in her space, divided from Max’s by two cubicle-length arm rests. Without one of them climbing over into the other’s area, there’d be no ‘games’ on the flight. Oh, well, she’d be eating and sleeping, anyway.
“Are you okay?” asked Max. “Do you have everything you need?”
“Yes, but I have a question. Why did she speak to you in German?”
Max shrugged. Having grown up in Zürich, German was possibly even more of a first language for him than Russian. “She probably took it off the manifest.”
“What do you mean?”
“On international flights, very often they list a passenger’s language preference.”
“But why would they list yours as German?”
“Well, we’re on Lufthansa, and since we’re traveling on through to St. Petersburg, on the second leg the two main languages on the flight will be German and Russian. I probably told them German to have a consistent language for the entire trip.” He shrugged again. “I really don’t remember. It doesn’t mean anything. Most attendants on international flights speak English, too, at least somewhat. They try to accommodate the passengers, especially in First.”
The attendant returned with their champagne and some nuts. “To us,” said Max as he gently touched his glass to Sadie’s. She flashed him a magical smile and then took a sip of her bubbly drink.
“What did the attendant to with our things?” she asked, looking around. There were no overhead bins in the First-Class section, giving it a spacious feel.
“She put them in a locker,” he replied, motioning towards eight good-sized lockers behind the seating. “They’re numbered like our seats if you want to get in them for any reason.” He took another drink of his champagne and grinned at her. “Did you bring a supply of chocolate Tootsie Pops that you’ll need?”
She giggled. “Maybe.”
The flight took off at 4:10 p.m., and once they’d reached their cruising altitude, the attendant gave them each a menu to study so they could choose their dinners.
“Lookin’ good!” said Sadie approvingly as she read the many options. “What are you going to have?”
“I’m going to start with caviar and the scallops and then have the filet. How about you?”
“You’re ordering two appetizers? Is that okay?”
“You can order whatever you want.”
“I think I’ll just have the salad, but I’m going to have the filet, too. You know why?”
“Because of the pancetta and sage grits.”
“How did you know?”
“Because I know how much you like the grits dishes at The Oceanaire.”
“You’re very observant sometimes.”
“About things that matter, yes, I try to be.”
“And my grits matter?”
“You matter, mishka, so by extension your food choices do, too.”
She giggled. “Maybe someday you’ll give me a satin-lined box with grits inside.”
“It could happen,” he replied, smiling mysteriously. “Many nice things come in satin-lined boxes.”
They enjoyed a leisurely dinner and ended with cheeses for Max and a hazelnut pot de crème for Sadie. Afterwards they watched some TV and then allowed the attendants to turn their chairs into beds. Sadie chose to slip into the provided pajamas, but Max changed into jeans and a T-shirt.
“How will we wake up?” asked Sadie.
“I’ve set my watch alarm, but we can tell the attendants what we want, too.”
“I don’t want to miss breakfast.”
Max looked amused. “You didn’t read your menu. You can have your breakfast anytime you want, so don’t worry about it.”
Sadie watched her TV for a bit more, sure that she wouldn’t be ready to sleep so soon, but when Max looked over again, she was sound asleep half sitting up in her bed. Max got out of his own bed and padded over to her side so he could reach down and move her fully into a horizontal position. Then he tucked her covers around her.
Their attendant, who was standing by to help, remarked, “She’s a lucky lady,” but he shook his head and replied, “I’m the lucky one.”
Five hours later Max woke her so they could have breakfast.
“I need to fix my makeup and all that,” she said with a grimace. “I’m icky right now.”
“We have a layover in Frankfurt of almost five hours,” he replied. “Just do the minimum now and then we can shower and get ourselves straight in the lounge there.”
Sadie chose a light breakfast of a fruit smoothie and rolls, but Max ordered smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, and some cheeses. “There’ll be a breakfast buffet in the lounge if you want more later,” he told her.
“Well, I’m sure you’ll make use of the buffet.”
“Are you implying that I eat a lot?”
“I’m not implying anything. I’m stating it directly.” She grinned at him as she put marmalade on a croissant.
Once in Frankfurt, they headed to the Lufthansa First Class Lounge where they showered and performed their morning rituals. Then, feeling more like themselves again, they got some coffee and fruit from the ample buffet and found newspapers to read. Sadie was amused to see that Max had selected the Frankfurt paper.
“Why are you reading that paper?”
“It’s a major one. Why not?”
“I don’t know. I just never thought of you with German.”
“Sadie, I grew up in Switzerland. German’s a first language for me.”
“More than Russian?”
“Possibly. They’re both native languages for me, but I did more living in German while I was growing up.” Then he chuckled and added, “I know all the playground taunts in German, and also how to swear.”
Sadie got up to go cruise the buffet again. “I hope you have that on your resume,” she threw over her shoulder as she went.
Shortly after one in the afternoon they boarded the flight that would take them to St. Petersburg. It was a much shorter flight than the first leg, only two hours and forty-five minutes long, so there was only Busines
s Class and no First. “At least I can have a window seat,” Sadie commented with satisfaction when they entered the cabin.
Their attendant spoke German with Max and then apologized in imperfect English to Sadie for her lack of fluency. “It’s fine,” Sadie replied with a little laugh. “Your English is a lot better than my German.”
Once they were airborne, yet another meal service began, but this time Max warned her off indulging too heavily. “The food on this leg isn’t that great, and I can promise you there will be mounds of food waiting for us at my parents’ house.”
“You know I can always eat,” answered Sadie with a giggle.
“I know, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Sadie ordered an appetizer, some halibut, and a desert of mango and chocolate, but Max contented himself with some cheeses and fruit. “You can have some of mine,” Sadie offered, holding out a forkful of halibut, but he declined.
“If I don’t eat my weight in welcome-home food, my mother will get her feelings hurt.”
“Is she a good cook?”
“Yes, but we have a woman who does some of the cooking, too. The two of them have probably been cooking for several days now.”
“What are you parents like?”
“How can I answer that? They’re my parents.” He shrugged. “I think Russian families tend to be closer than American ones. We enjoy spending time together.”
“I wonder if they’ll like me?”
“They already do like you, mishka. You’re coming home with me, and that’s all that’s needed.”
It wasn’t long until the descent into St. Petersburg began. Sadie watched out the window, feeling both excited and a little nervous. This was going to be a very new experience for her. When she’d traveled in Bulgaria with her father, they’d stayed in hotels, which gave them a mantle of neutrality if needed, but she would be in the heart of Max’s family, with new traditions and new foods and all eyes on her.
“Willkommen in Sankt Petersburg,” came the announcement in German, followed by the same message in Russian. They were really here!
Max maneuvered them through immigration, baggage claim, and customs, then stopped and took her hand. “How are you doing, mishka? Are you okay?”