No warnings. Thanks for reading guys. Reviews are appreciated and feed the muse. Enjoy!
Ch 10
"So what do you think?" Madeline asked impatiently over the phone.
"Huh?" Amelia said focusing in her twin's voice once more as she broke out of her thoughts.
"About my idea for papa and dad on their anniversary," her twin sighed on the other side of the phone.
"Oh yeah it's great," she said hastily. "I can help with whatever you need me to do. Honest! Give me any job and we're gonna make this anniversary party rock."
"Something else is on your mind," Madeline said knowingly.
"It's kind of complicated," she said laying back on her bed, rubbing Gemini's belly as she spoke.
"Complicated is what sister talk is for," her sister said with a smile in her voice as Mia took a breath.
"Okay are you ready for this? I kind of have a thing for this guy. Aaaaaaaand he just so happens to play hockey with Matt. I think about him a ton. I used to spend way too much time thinking about what a jerk he was. But now it's gotten to thinking about how cute he is with his sister, that he looks real freaking good in a hockey jersey….I am in such trouble! I mean I think I like him but he's for sure not interested in me. So why do I have to get a stupid crush on some guy who's never gonna think of me as anything but a ditzy blonde Sandra Dee?"
"You're more hyper and less poised than Sandra Dee," Madeline said in amusement.
"Yeah you're twice the Sandy I am," she conceded rolling her eyes. "Back on topic here?"
"You really think there's no chance?" Madeline asked while Amelia nodded emphatically before realizing she actually had to verbalize her answer.
"Not a snowball's chance in hell," she said glumly.
She could still remember the other night when he'd helped her home. Granted anyone who wasn't a total creep would do that but it had just felt nice. The talking and walking. It made the physical attraction she'd always felt deepen and stir into the beginnings of something she wasn't sure she could stop.
"If I could just bang him one time I'm 87% sure I'd just move on," she said before her sister made an 'ewww' sound. "So where's my sisterly advice on how to deal with this?"
"This is huge. You're never shy about letting a guy know how you feel," Madeline murmured deep in thought about her sister's plight. "In fact I still remember before I asked Raoul out you told me to stop being a pussy and just tell him I liked him. And it worked."
"But Raoul actually liked you! Plus I'd seen him totally checking you out whenever you two were coming out of conferences together," Amelia pointed out before glumly rolling over on her bed. "Ivan isn't impressed by anything I do. Trust me I know."
"Maybe you should let dad set you up on a date," Maddie suggested hating the note of defeat in her twin's voice.
"Et tu Brute?" she said in a choked voice. "Maddie you know that's the last thing I want. I've been avoiding that for about a year and a half."
"Hear me out. It would help you get out and move on. At least see there are other guys," Madeline explained. "Plus you could always mention it to this guy and if he gets jealous you'll know there might be a chance. What have you got to lose?"
"I really hate it when you give good advice."
"Love you too sis."
XX
Of all the times that Amelia felt like disowning her family, having them try to give their opinions on how she should dress was climbing the charts for the coveted number 1 spot.
"This is classic and sensible," Arthur said holding up a dress with lace that looked like something Cyndi Lauper would have worn; if she had been a nun.
"She is not going to finishing school. She is going out with someone 'oo could potentially give us grand babies," Francis said dismissively as he sat on the bed, ready to shoot down any other choices that he deemed too dowdy for his petite.
"Okay you two are done," Amelia declared as she rummaged through her closet before pulling out a few choices and laid them out on the bed. Her parents stopped bickering just long enough to take in the outfits before they started up again.
"Amelia you can't wear that it's December. You'll catch your death."
"She 'as 'eard of coats ma cher," Francis said in exasperation as Amelia turned on them with a growl.
"Get out!"
XX
Matthew sat playing their game system in the living room as his sister headed downstairs and flopped down on the couch. Her fathers were under strict instructions to stay upstairs and out of sight when she took off. In fact Amelia had told her English father it was one of her conditions for this little date and it was non-negotiable despite his protests.
"You look nice," he said looking up at her before returning to the game.
"Thanks," she said looking around before frowning. "So Ivan couldn't come over?"
"He said he had other plans when I asked if he wanted to do something," he shrugged.
"Oh what a shame," she said moodiy, crossing her arms as she waited for her date to arrive.
She'd begged her brother to ask the Russian over to hang out and not ask questions or say that it was her who wanted him over. All so she could gauge how he felt when she came downstairs looking amazing and headed out for dinner with a guy. But it looked like that part of the plan had fallen through. Hell if he had plans maybe he was on a date too. The thought made her pout and tap her foot in irritation.
"Does he ever talk about me?" she blurted finally, grasping for straws.
"Not really," he said looking at her before returning to the game. "Why?"
"B-because I hate him duh. And I wanna know if he's talking shit behind my back," she stuttered worrying her bottom lip. As much as she wished she could tell Matt about her weird crushing it was just too complicated given him dating Kat and working with Ivan.
"I don't think he'd do that. In my experience on the team when he has something to say it directly to your face," he said admitted reloading his ammunition.
"Great," she said flatly picking some lint off her skirt. There goes plan A down the toilet she thought as the front door bell rang and Gemini started barking excitedly.
This sucked. Usually she had no problem getting the attention of her crush. She was a pretty girl, friendly, and outgoing. Just being herself was normally enough to attract the object of desire. Then Ivan had come along and completely thrown her off of her game.
With a sour look on her face she opened the door to be greeted by a nervous looking man an inch taller than her with brown hair framing his face as he held a carnation in hand.
"Amelia?" he asked with a smile, fidgeting just a little under her scrutiny.
"The one and only," she said forcing a smile on her face. Not this guy's fault he'd caught her during a weird mood. And now getting out of the house sounded very good to her.
"It's Toris right?"
"Yes that would be me," he said offering her the flower.
"Aw look at that. Matches my dress," she said taking the red flower with a hint of a smile.
XX
"What exactly did my dad tell you about me?" Amelia couldn't help asking as they were seated and given menus at the high end restaurant.
Her dad had been trying his hardest to get his little girl set up and Amelia could only imagine how he'd embellished his descriptions of her. If she was going to try and date this guy she needed to know the things her parent had spilled to the unsuspecting guy so she knew where to go from there.
"He did not tell me much accept that he thought we would get along well," Toris replied honestly. "And he did not exaggerate when he said you were beautiful."
"Smooth," she said as a smile threatened to fill her face. "Thanks for the compliment. You have no idea how much I needed to hear one."
"Long week?" Toris inquired as they peered at their menus.
"You could say that," she said before deciding now was a good point to leave her disappointments and expectations for the night behind. "Dad didn't tell me much about you either. Except that you're a teacher."
"Yes I teach middle school math," he explained perking up at the topic. "I never thought I would end up going to school just to spend the rest of my days teaching others but I like it. There's something very satisfying about helping students through equations and figuring out how to make it click. When you see someone struggling and then suddenly their face lighting up as they get it. It's why I'm in this job."
She smiled at him over the cutlery and water glasses. It was kind of corny but he seemed so genuine about it.
She already kind of liked the guy. He was pleasant, said nice things, and loved working with kids. This could go well as much as she was going to hate admitting it to her dad.
"What about you? I heard you were a teacher also," Toris prodded to keep the conversation going.
"Well yeah, but not like you. I teach beginning ballet at the local rec center," she explained lifting her water glass for a sip.
"I have no sense of rhythm. You have my admiration," he said making her shake her head.
"Hey I couldn't do what you do. I needed a tutor for most of high school math. We've all got something we're good at."
He shrugged and nodded. "It does feel that way. The world of dancing sounds very interesting. Not that I know much about it."
"Yeah we've got our own world alright," Amelia chuckled. "The pace is a little slower with preschoolers but I still like it."
"You found your calling. That is wonderful," he complimented her as her smile fell a little.
"Uh yeah I guess so," she said taking a sip of water. This was a first date and he was trying to be nice she reasoned. Not his problem you're in a funk with your career and life choices right now.
"I've never been to this place. My papa the foodie says the escargot is out of this world. But I don't know if I'm feeling like going heavy on the garlic and the butter tonight."
"I was too nervous to eat much," Toris confessed before turning his menu around. "Have you ever ordered every dessert on a menu before?
"No," Amelia admitted with a grin. "But I'm thinking we need to remedy that."
Their table had been filled up with every tart, bombe, and ice the restaurant had as they whiled away the time speaking about the kids they taught and the usual stuff about life dreams and their taste in music.
She had fun talking and getting to know the cute Lithuanian until he dropped her off at home and promised to call him. The night had ended on a good note she told herself as she toed off her flats and flopped down on the couch where Matthew was still engrossed in his game.
It was the calm before the storm when her parents would inevitably descend and beg for details like girlfriends rather than fathers.
"You have a nice time?" her brother asked hopefully as she rested her cheek on her arm and nodded a little bit.
"Yeah we're going to try heading out next weekend if he isn't swamped grading," she told him managing a brief smile.
She'd stick it out and see where it was going. He was nice. He didn't immediately make her gut twist or her heart pound. But there would be time for all of that to develop right? It's not like two people were introduced and just ready to jump one another in a frenzy.
She told herself to stop overthinking as he headed up to bed, ignoring the part of her that wanted a guy that made her temper flare and her body pop like a fire cracker.
XX
Yeah Mia is dating. Don't hate me! I want a few more things to develop before her and Ivan get over their shyness and fess up. Please let me know what you think lovelies.