So I know I'm awful for not updating, but here's the next chapter.
When Mina woke the next day, it was to someone knocking on her door. She climbed out of bed, pulled a jumper on and trudged downstairs. She opened the door, and Lucy bustled past, a huge bouquet of flowers in her arms. 'Arthur give you those?' She asked. Lucy shook her head and laid them on the kitchen table. 'Actually they're for you, delivery guy just gave them to me,' Lucy said and handed her an envelope. Mina shrugged and ripped it open. There was a card inside, with the words 'thinking of you' typed on it. 'From Vlad' was handwritten on it underneath, along with a phone number. Mina smiled to herself. 'So this the guy from yesterday?' Lucy asked her. Mina nodded.
'Mina, this guy seems a little forward. I mean, flowers already? That's pretty quick. Did you sleep with him?' Lucy asked. Mina shrugged. 'You did! Mina, really?' Lucy reproached her. Mina shook her head. 'No, I didn't sleep with him, actually. He took me for coffee, we chatted and then he walked me home. I invited him in, and he helped me with my essay.' She told her friend. Lucy looked a little put out. 'Oh, well alright.' She said. Mina smiled.
'And then he kissed me.'
'Aha! I knew it! No man sends flowers to a girl he just worked on an essay with! So, anything going to happen?' She asked. Mina shrugged.
'I don't know. Luce, I'm not like you. You and Arthur are so clearly meant to be. I mean, even with the interest from the other guys, you chose him. John and Quincey are nice guys, but Arthur is clearly your soulmate. I'd like to find mine too, but it's not my top priority. I'm going to get my degree, I'll find a teaching job maybe, or write a book. And I'll travel the world. If love happens, it happens. Vlad's nice, he makes me smile, he's not pushy, and I can relax around him. I think I'll tell him I just want to be friends.' Lucy looked aghast.
'What?! You can't do that! Just tell him you want to take things slowly. That you don't want to rush into a new relationship.' Mina sighed. She wanted to see Vlad again, but not like yesterday. 'Maybe I should invite him out for coffee again, and we'll just talk? That sounds better than having him here. Or I could invite him for dinner, with you and Arthur? That way its just friends?'
'Uh, yeah, although that seems like a double date to me,' Lucy told her. Mina wailed.
'Damn, you're right. Ok, well I'm inviting him to dinner anyway. No canoodling between you and Arthur in front of us, or sneaking off before he goes. I need your support Luce, he's gorgeous and hard to resist. What am I going to make?'
'Gnocchi, its delicious and it's your best dish. Plus lemon drizzle cake for dessert.'
'Ok, well I'd better hit the supermarket and get the ingredients. I'll go get dressed.'
Mina hurried upstairs and showered. She dressed in an off the shoulder black jumper and dark blue skinny jeans. She pulled on black ballet pumps, and stood in front of her mirror to do her hair and make up. Her hair fell down past her shoulders in loose waves, a midnight black shining in the light, it made her creamy skin look pale and luminescent. She applied eyeliner and mascara and smeared red lipstick on her lips. Her brown eyes blinked at her in the mirror. Was she dressing up for him? No, she decided, she'd always liked to do her make up, it applied a layer of confidence to herself.
She headed back downstairs grabbing her satchel and stuffing her keys and phone into it as she went. She heard voices in the kitchen, assuming it was Arthur and Lucy, she went in to say hello. Instead of Arthur, Vlad was sitting at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee in his hands. He was wearing a similar outfit to yesterday, black jeans and boots, but a red jumper instead. Mina caught the scent of man and something else equally as heady. Lucy smiled at her.
'Vlad knocked while you were getting dressed, so I invited him in to wait. I've gotta get to work, my shift starts in an hour, and the trains usually late. See you for dinner Mina, nice to meet you Vlad.' Lucy went out with a wave, and Mina sat next to Vlad at the table.
'Hi.'
'Hello, I wanted to see you again. I can't seem to keep away. I hope you don't mind.' Vlad murmured, looking at her intently. Mina smiled.
'It's ok, I was going to invite you to dinner. Thank you for the flowers, they're beautiful and I love them.'
'You're welcome. I wanted to send something to make you smile.' He watched as Mina smiled shyly at him. 'It seems my mission is accomplished.' Mina chuckled.
'Yes, I suppose so. So, would you like to stay for dinner? Lucy is bringing her fiance, Arthur.' She said, watching him carefully. Vlad smiled.
'I'd love to. What are you cooking?'
'Well, I'm actually going to pick up the ingredients now, if you'd like to join me?'
'Yes, I'd like that. Do you have a car?'
'No,' Mina shook her head regretfully. 'Can't afford one, unfortunately.'
'Well, I do, so I'll drive.' Vlad told her, taking her hand in his and leading her out the door.
They spent an hour trailing round the supermarket, Mina picking up the ingredients for dinner, and any extras they needed, more milk and bread and cereal. She chatted to Vlad about her life, working in the bakery down the road, university, her hometown and her parents.
'You like working in the bakery then?' Vlad asked her as they paid for the food.
'I do, I like to cook, and Molly, who owns it, is very good to me, she gives me as many hours as I can take, and always gives me free food. She's lovely.' Vlad smiled.
'I enjoy cooking too, although I don't do as much of it these days. Too busy I guess. I've been checking out the real estate around here, I'd like to buy myself a home. It's a wonderful town and I've met some interesting people. John, one of my recent acquaintances, is a doctor at a psychiatric hospital. He's extraordinarily clever, and we've been discussing the brain recently. I find it quite fascinating.' Mina listened as he helped her pack, before passing the money to the sales woman. When they left the shop, and put the bags in the car, Vlad turned to her.
'Perhaps you'd like to meet him, my friend, John?' He asked. Mina smiled.
'I'd like that, I'm interested in almost everything. I always like to learn something new.' Vlad beamed at her.
They arrived at Mina's house a little after 12, and Vlad helped her put away the food. She made lunch for her and Vlad, a cheese and tomato sandwich for her, and ham and pickle for Vlad. They chatted whilst they ate, enjoying each others company. Vlad couldn't take his eyes off Mina. He couldn't believe that after all these years alone, he had found her again. How could one man be so lucky? He wasn't sure how to tell her. He didn't want to freak her out, or upset her, and make her move away from him. He didn't want to scare her away.
'Well, I suppose I'd better start some cooking,' Mina said, glancing at the clock. 'Want to help?' She asked Vlad. He smiled.
'I'd love to, what do you want me to do?' He replied.
Mina and Vlad spent the rest of the afternoon cooking, first they made the lemon drizzle cake. Which resulted in the kitchen being covered in flour when Mina dropped the bag after Vlad kissed her. Blushing furiously she pulled out the dust pan and brush and swept the flour up. She stood up to find Vlad grinning at her.
'That wasn't very nice you know,' she huffed. Vlad's grin widened.
'No? You don't want me to kiss you again?'
'I, I. No, you know that's not what I meant!' Mina cried. Vlad took her hand and held her close.
'I'm sorry for making you spill the flour. But I'm not sorry for kissing you.' Mina sighed. Damn, she was falling for him big time.
'Ok, you're forgiven, now come on, let's bake this cake.' Vlad nodded and released her. Mina picked up the bag of flour and set it on the table. Vlad was reading her recipe, and Mina grinned mischeviously.
'Vlad?' She called, and he looked up. She threw a handful of flour at him. He blinked, and sneezed and Mina collapsed into laughter.
'Oh, that's funny is it?' Vlad asked, moving closer to her.
'Um, well, yes it is actually.' Mina gasped, between laughs. She edged away from him slowly.
'Really? That's the sort of thing you find funny, is it?' Vlad asked, a grin on his face. He moved closer, and captured her in his arms. 'Well, I think I'll just have to get you back then.' Vlad kissed her lips softly, and when he pulled away, Mina looked back up at him confusion written on her face. Without warning, Vlad held up an egg and Mina gasped. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but he was too strong.
'You wouldn't!'
'I would!' Vlad cried, laughing. Mina pouted, pulling a sad face in the hopes of distracting him. It didn't work. Vlad cracked the shell and dripped the egg over her, some of it going in her hair and down her face. Vlad took a hasty step back, chuckling, as Mina glared at him.
'Well, that was not nice at all. This means war!' She cried, grabbing an egg and throwing it at him. It hit him square in the chest, and exploded, running down his jumper. Mina giggled, and ran to the other side of the table, before he could catch her. It was silly, and childish, but they continued their food fight until they'd ran out of eggs, and flour. It left them covered in food, giggling and breathless. Vlad pulled her close to him and kissed her gently.
'Well, this isn't what I expected when you invited me to dinner,' he said, looking at her.
'Well, no it's not what I meant either. I guess I should clean up. And we're out of eggs and flour.' She said, laughing softly. Vlad grinned.
'Well I'll help you clean up, then I'll head home and change and grab some more eggs and flour. Ok?' Mina nodded.
Together they cleaned up the kitchen, putting all the egg shells in the bin, sweeping the floor and and mopping. Mina scrubbed the table, it had egg yolk all over it. Vlad kissed the only part of her that wasn't covered in egg, a small piece of skin by her ear, and headed out. While he was gone, Mina showered and dressed in a nice dress and leggings. It was a deep green and made her brown eyes stand out, and made her skin look creamier. She put make up back on, and brushed her hair and dried it. She headed back downstairs, and made herself a cup of tea. There was a knock at the door, and she went to open it, to find Vlad standing there, in jeans and a black shirt.
'You clean up well,' she said. Vlad grinned and kissed her cheek.
'As do you,' he said, handing her the bag of eggs and flour. They headed back into the kitchen, and Mina made him a coffee. He sat and watched her bake, filling the kitchen with the smell of lemon and sugar.
So what do you think? Let me know how you feel about this chapter. The next one will be the dinner party. i'm not sure when I'll have it up by, but I'll do my best to get it out asap. I've not had a computer for the last few months, and my home situation is a bit iffy, I'm currently living in a tent in my mums garden. Luckily, I like camping, and the cats come and lay with me to keep me warm :P Anyways, review my lovelys, and hopefully I'll get the next chapter up quicker.
Jorden xx
