Chapter One
I severely regretted not labeling each box with the meticulous detail that Sydney had suggested when I moved out of our shared college apartment. Instead my technique had been to throw things haphazardly into boxes while drinking a bottle of wine. Digging through the box in front of me I found: my oven mitts (one of which was partially singed), my kitschy salt and pepper shakers (Micky and Minnie Mouse), a cookbook purchased with the best intentions that was never opened, and at the very bottom my wine opener.
'Lesson learned, Hathaway, next time put this in the essentials box.' I thought to myself as I used it to uncork the bottle of Cab I treated myself to. Of course as soon as I opened it I realized I had no idea where my wine glasses courtesy of Ikea were, so I resolved myself to drinking straight from the bottle as I unpacked.
I moved to Boston after receiving a job offer for a secondary assistant position at Tarus Industries. Tarus was a top communications firm with hands in magazines, web media, radio and was branching into television. With my start date a week away, I had a lot to do to acclimate myself to a brand new city.
After sitting in a crouched position on my hardwood floor for several hours, I realized that I was missing some key pieces of furniture like chairs. Our living room couches in college had belonged to Sydney, and outside of my bed and other small miscellaneous items, my apartment was barren. I wasn't the best shopper in the world, and resigned myself to texting my friend Lissa to help me go shopping in the morning.
Lissa Dragomir was old money, as blue blood Old Boston as they came. With her pedigree came the ability to spend said money without hesitation. That isn't to say she was reckless, she just never felt the guilt that an average person did when splurging on a $2,000.00 dress.
I'd met her in boarding school, St. Vladamir's Academy. I attended because my divorced parents couldn't be bothered with me, and she had attended because she had no where else to go. Lissa's parents had died and her guardian, her family lawyer, had enrolled her to keep her busy until she graduated turned 18 and legally could take over her inheritance.
Since neither of us ever went home during the holidays, she became my surrogate family. I had missed her when we separated for different colleges, but was glad that we'd be able to rekindle our friendship now that we were both in the same city.
When I could no longer stop the yawns from coming, I slipped out of my clothes and into my bed letting the down softness envelope me.
I awoke to the shrill sound of my cell phone, cotton-mouth and dried drool on the side of my face.
"Hello?" My own voice barely a whisper.
"Good morning, Sunshine! I brought breakfast. I tried your bell but it doesn't seem to be working, you probably want to mention that to the building manager. Can you buzz me in?" Lissa chirped happily.
"God Lissa what time is it even? And why are you yelling?"
"I'm not yelling, and its after 10. Come let me in already, the neighbor is giving me a funny look."
"Give me two seconds, I just need to throw on pants."
After struggling into yesterday's jeans and tying up my birds nest formerly known as my hair into a messy knot, I went to the buzzer and unlocked the front door. A minute later, Lissa appeared holding out two coffees and a bag full of pastries from the coffee shop on the corner.
"Oh this place is cute, Rose. I love the exposed brick, almost makes it worth the fact that your building lacks an elevator. The stairs are going to be great for your ass though."
"Less talking… more coffee." I said stealing one of the cups out of the tray and downing a large gulp, not caring that it scalded my tongue.
Personally, I had always an affinity for hot chocolate, but late night study sessions with Sydney in college taught me the importance of caffeine. When I finished my coffee and polished off two chocolate croissants, I started to feel more human.
"How much wine did you drink last night Hathaway?" Lissa said arching a blonde brow while looking at my recycling.
"It was only two bottles, besides I got everything unpacked."
"Alright, well go take a shower because you smell like a teenage boy's locker room and I'll drive us out to the furniture store so we can get you setup. I took the liberty of booking us lunch reservations at my favorite place over on Newbury. They have the best salads. While we are there we can pick you up some outfits for your new job as well."
"Calm down, lets take it one thing at a time. Give me twenty and I'll be ready to head out."
True to her word Lissa drove us out to two of the larger furniture chains. The better part of the morning was spent testing couches and recliners. Eventually, we settled on getting a sage colored sectional and coffee table for the living room, a dresser for my bedroom and some bar stools for my kitchen island. My apartment didn't really leave enough room for a proper dining table and I subsisted mostly on take out anyway.
At 1 o'clock Lissa had dragged me into the restaurant, my feet were killing me and my stomach was growling loudly enough for the skinny blonde hostess to look at me funny.
"Dragomir, party of 2." Lissa said coolly.
"Of course. Right this way, Ms. Dragomir."
We were lead to a table by the open windows where we could feel the breeze and the sunshine on our skin.
Our waiter came over Lissa ordered some sparkling water with a twist of lemon, I however ordered a Bloody Mary. Hair of the dog and all that. He brought us our drinks and asked if we knew what we wanted to order.
Lissa politely ordered the signature salmon salad and handed him back her menu. When he turned to me, I think his jaw unhinged.
"Can I get the house salad, an order of calamari and the Jumbo Sirloin burger medium-rare?
"Will you like plates to share?" He said tentatively.
"No that's for one." I smiled back at him, daring him to comment further.
"Okay… very well, I'll be back with your food shortly."
As soon as he walked away Lissa started shaking her head, "I don't know where you put it all. I still maintain that you have a tapeworm."
I smiled lifting up my tank top and patting my flat stomach. "No Tapeworm Liss, just good genes."
When our food arrived, I started tucking in. Forcing myself to eat the salad first, before consuming the spicy calamari. I was even nice enough to offer Lissa a few pieces.
I had just bitten into my burger that was roughly half the size of my head when the restaurant erupted in excited chatter. From what I could tell someone famous had just walked in.
"Who is here?" I murmured around the burger.
"Gross Rose, don't talk with your mouth full. I think its one of the Bruins players." She said craning her neck to get a better look.
A pit settled in my stomach. Hockey. Hockey player. I avoided them like the plague for the past five years, which is no small feat when you live in Montana. I sunk down into my seat on reflex and tried to focus on chewing.
Glancing upwards, my eyes met the gaze of someone I worked so hard to forget.
"Rose, why is Dimitri Belikov staring at you?" Lissa murmured under her breath.
I swallowed the bite doing my best not to choke, and placed the burger down on my plate. Self-consciously I began wiping at my mouth with the linen napkin and trying to look anywhere but directly across from me where he sat.
"Rose?" Lissa prodded again.
"Maybe he was thinking of getting the burger as well?" I joked and downed the rest of my Bloody Mary.
"What's going on? You're acting strange."
"I've got to go to the restroom, I'll be back in a minute."
I sprang up and immediately made my way towards the back of the restaurant, one wrong turn nearly had me in the kitchens before I found the sanctuary of the women's room and splashed cool water on my face.
The last time I'd seen him he'd been putting on his clothes after he'd taken my virginity when I was seventeen. And now here he was five years later, looking even better than I remembered. He'd cut his shoulder length hair and was sporting a bit of a goatee and looked more like a GQ model than a rough around the edges college kid from Russia, but my body reacted much as it always had.
After hiding in the bathroom for a solid 15 minutes, I braved heading back to the table. Fortunately Lissa had settled the bill in my absence and had the presence of mind to ask them to box up the rest of my meal.
She steered me outside and we were halfway down the block before she pushed me into an alley.
"Talk, Hathaway. What the hell just happened in there?"
I took several deep breaths, trying to articulate what I wanted to say. I'd never told Lissa about how I lost my virginity. I thinks he still assumed it was Jesse Zeklos who Id dated senior year.
"Remember the Summer I went to stay with my Dad? Well… there's something's I left out about that vacation."