Dimitri
This was something new to Dimitri.
As a doctor he had been trained to expect the unexpected but this was something different entirely. He'd been taught to always be prepared when it came to his career but as for his personal life there was rarely a time that he was caught off guard.
With Rose around, though, this seemed to be happen to Dimitri a lot lately.
First he surprised her with her sudden admission of feelings and now here she sat. Dimitri racked his brain suddenly remembering that wasn't the first time she'd surprised him.
When they'd first come across each other in the coffee shop, he realized she had surprised him then too.
It was a little more than two weeks ago that they had met. It had been a particularly good day because it was one of those days that Tasha had left on one of her trips that morning. Dimitri was happy to just have the house to himself. He even found himself whistling on his way to the coffee shop he frequented before going to the clinic.
He was in such a good mood he bought a newspaper out front even though he was one of millions of people to believe that newspapers were dead. Normally he walked briskly by the newspaper vendor without so much as a glance but he was in a good mood, the weather was just right, and he couldn't think of anyway this day could get better.
He walked into the coffee shop skimming the front of the newspaper, not noticing the girl walking toward him.
"Oh!" She shrieked once they'd collided.
The two coffees she'd been holding sloshed against both the girl and Dimitri and dripped onto the floor. Dimitri lifted his soggy newspaper up and down and just decided to toss it.
"Well, I guess I won't be reading that," he muttered.
He took the napkin the girl extended out to him without looking at her.
"Damn and I just bought that coffee," he heard her huff.
They both tossed their soggy napkins and coffee cups into the trash and simultaneously shared a look.
The girl didn't look like she was ready to apologize at first glance but upon setting eyes on Dimitri her expression softened a bit. Dimitri could feel his expression doing the same. She was unmistakably beautiful. She had long hair that fell in waves cascading down her shoulders, bright brown eyes, and a pair of plump lips that looked as if they were often turned into a smug smile.
The girl shook herself from the staring trance she'd been sharing with Dimitri and searched her empty hands.
"Crap I dropped my wallet."
She turned in circles searching the floor. Dimitri spotted it under one of the tables.
He picked it up, glancing at the I.D. inside.
"Rose, that's a beautiful name," he said handing the wallet back to her.
"Do you use this line on every girl you meet?" she asked laughing softly taking her wallet back.
"You're the first Rose I've met."
"But not the first girl, surely," she said raising her brows pointedly. "So back to my initial question, does that line work."
Her directness caught him off guard for a moment but he quickly recovered.
"On a good day," he answered honestly.
Her smile widened a bit.
"Then you must be having a good day today."
Dimitri had returned her smile with a similarly smug one. He didn't think his day could get any better but the possibility of having a little bit more fun on the side while Tasha was gone was too appealing and too great of an opportunity to pass up. Dimitri tried to think back to what he had done that had earned him this much luck in one day, luck he hadn't had or believed in since he was a child.
He remembered then that he didn't believe in luck.
He controlled his own fate.
"I'm Dimitri," he introduced.
They shook hands and with that, Dimitri thought it would be another fling that would soon be forgotten.
He was stirred out of his memories and brought back to the present with Rose sitting across from him staring back and forth form Tasha to Dimitri. Little had Dimitri known that when he first met Rose, this would be the fling that wouldn't be easy to get rid of or forget. He'd never expected to be sitting at a table reluctantly surrounded by his fiancé, her nephew, his girlfriend who sat with her eyes downcast, and the girl he had slept with but couldn't seem to get rid of.
Yes, today wasn't one of my luckier days, he thought. But since I control my own fate I might as well have a little fun.
Rose laughed silently to herself finally averting her gaze from Dimitri's.
Christian, also taking notice of Rose's sudden sense of humor, spoke for the first time since they'd all sat down.
"Something funny?"
Dimitri noticed the warning glare Lissa shot Rose.
"No, not really. It's just how small this world really is. I mean what are the odds of all of us knowing each other," she smiled turning her gaze back to Dimitri.
"Well, considering we're cousins I think the odds are pretty good," Lissa answered staring down at the table.
"Not you and me Liss. I meant what are the odds of Christian's aunt's fiancé being the guy that bumped into me at the coffee shop and ruined my nice blouse by the way. It sounds like some twisted soap opera where everyone is connected," she laughed with forced amusement.
Dimitri waited to see where she was going with this. This was the first real conversation since they'd all sat down around the table waiting for the waitress to return.
"Are you drunk again?" Christian asked.
Lissa slapped his arm.
"You're a drunk?" Tasha asked with a slight smirk on her face. "Does your cousin share the same habit?"
Lissa squirmed in her chair uncomfortably.
Rose only sat up straighter in her chair, flicking her long hair over her shoulders.
"Lissa hardly drinks and I only drink to avoid certain moments and unfortunately our waitress has yet to supply me with enough liquor," Rose answered.
"Ah," Tasha nodded, sipping her water.
"So Christian must be older than I thought," Rose says.
"Why would you say that?" Tasha asked intrigued.
"Well, he told Lissa and I earlier that you two were close in age and you look pretty good for your late thirties so I can only assume…" Rose let the sentence trail off after that.
"Hmm…. you mentioned before that Dimitri ruined your blouse when you first met. We'll have to reimburse you since it was probably only one of two blouse you own," Tasha muttered.
"Your fiancé already reimbursed me with something a little better than money."
Natasha glared and Dimitri could fight the smile tugging at his lips.
"Well I hoped you relished in it because remember, simple beauty like yours is sure to fade."
"I believe it. You're the living proof," Rose shot back.
There was a slight pause before Natasha spoke again.
"It must not have been memorable, whatever…reimbursement or encounter you and Dimitri shared. He didn't even mention it."
Dimitri could tell Rose was biting the side of her mouth. It was such a simple insult but to have someone tell you that you were unmemorable and easily forgotten stung. Dimitri had once experienced the same feeling.
"You know what lady-" Rose started. Lissa grabbed a hold of her cousin's wrist sitting her down from her half standing position.
The waitress took that as her cue to reappear.
"Ready to order?" she asked, oblivious to the thick tension around the table.
Everyone ordered a meal and then it came to Rose and Dimitri to order.
"You first," he offered.
She feigned surprise.
"How courteous of you. I don't remember kindness being one of your better qualities," Rose said glaring at Dimitri.
He figured she was referring to their last encounter. Dimitri figured she had the right be upset and feel used and cheap but in all fairness, in his defense, he had warned her ahead of time.
So why do I feel slightly guilty.
The thought was fleeting and he focused on avoiding similar ones.
"What will you have Miss?" The waitress asked.
"A bottle of your strongest liquor," Rose ordered.
"Rosie," Lissa chastised her.
"Oh yeah and…who's paying for this lunch?" Dimitri heard her ask.
"Aunt Tasha's treat," Christian answered. "Why?"
Rose ignored him and turned back to the waitress. "The most expensive entrée on the menu to go with the liquor. You could just wrap my meal up to go though, I don't really have the stomach to eat anymore."
Whether or not that last comment was directed at Natasha or Dimitri, he wasn't sure.
The waitress took Dimitri's order and left the five of them in another awkward silence.
"So…Aunt Tasha. How are things?" Christian asked hoping to spark conversation.
Tasha flicked out her napkin spreading it over her lap.
"I've been better," she answered.
Christian nodded, unsure of how to respond. Dimitri vaguely remembered during the few times he met Christian; the boy had a flippant and sarcastic attitude. Christian probably figured that wouldn't help the current uncomfortable situation.
"Have you two set a date?" Christian asked.
"Soon I hope. I want a nice, classy wedding, nothing rushed but we've been engaged for so long, I think people are starting to think we're never going to get married."
Always worried about what everyone else thinks.
Another quick thought that appeared in Dimitri's head. This unavoidable tense situation was really making him squirm, mentally anyway. He decided he'd distract himself as Christian asked a few more vague questions trying to form a conversation between his aunt and his girlfriend.
First he tried staring out at the view but Natasha had assumed he was staring at her and she'd smile, making a show of running a hand along Dimitri's leg under the table.
Then he tried just watching the table, thinking of whatever work he had waiting for him at home but that didn't really help because he couldn't actually do any of the work until he was home.
Lastly. His distraction was Rose.
He figured the reason for his discomfort would make a good distraction or at least that plan sounded better in his head.
He could hear their voices in the background but all of the noise dulled to a nice buzz as his eyes narrowed in on Rose. It was almost like she was moving in slow motion as she reached for the large glass of liquor the waitress set in front of her and the bottle to go with it. Dimitri examined her tan; almost ivory skin, her curvy figure that shaped her business blouse nicely, but her most striking feature would always be her eyes
Dimitri remembered their few encounters in the motels and each time he couldn't bring himself to look away from her striking bright eyes so he had distracted himself but burying his mouth against her neck running fervent kisses along her smooth skin.
She sat quiet now, sipping her liquor lightly. He noticed Lissa would cast a worried glance at her cousin and then would roll her eyes almost disappointedly saying nothing.
Dimitri found it odd, almost surreal, that Rose had a family, or knew people besides him. It made her someone real and that was never the way he wanted to think of the women he was sleeping with but this girl had become so very real.
He found himself watching her, looking her up and down in almost a pattern, head to toe which he could see through the glass table, as if he was trying to memorize every bit of her and figure out why she was here, how she was real, and how she had as odd affect on him that even he, a doctor, couldn't explain.
After around the fiftieth time he'd done so, he realized she was dressed pretty nicely, almost formal and he remembered that she was suppose to be the assistant he hired as a favor.
This was where his bit of fun could kick in.
"I hear you're looking for a job," he says, cutting into the meal the waitress sets in front of him. Natasha and Christian are engrossed in a conversation and don't notice Dimitri trying to stir a conversation with Rose.
Lissa glances up from her own plate and looks from Dimitri to Rose but doesn't say anything.
Rose looks up from the glass gripped tightly in her hand for the first time. She stares over at Dimitri; surprised he's spoken directly to her. She pushed the Styrofoam of food aside to see him clearly across the table.
"I am," she answered curious as to where Dimitri was taking this. It sounded like she wanted to say more but Dimitri realized the liquor was taking it's affect and she wasn't speaking coherently.
"The spot is yours if you want it," he offered, getting straight to the point. Dimitri was never one to beat around the bush.
Natasha, catching wind of what was going on, spoke up.
"Perhaps we shouldn't rush into hiring anyone just yet. I'm sure there are candidates that are well suited for the job," she piped in.
"I'm sure there are but we don't even have to search for Rose. She's right here," Dimitri said taking a bite of his steak.
"I'm still qualified. I could still work as your secretary until we find a suitable replacement…one that isn't sloshed preferably."
"I wouldn't want my lovely wife to work when she doesn't have to or want to. Rose, the job is yours," Dimitri finished.
"I'll take it," Rose answered clearly enough.
"Then it's settled."
Dimitri was satisfied that he had his fun and he figured it was also a sort of warning to Natasha. If there was one thing Dimitri hated, it was being controlled as if he couldn't speak for himself.
Natasha was silent for the rest of the evening.
The entire table was silent until they stood in the parking lot ready to leave.
"Well, I cant say it's been fun," Tasha muttered. "You and I will have a little private luncheon of our own sometime to discuss a few things," she said to Christian but was watching Lissa.
Christian nodded. He shook hands with Dimitri and gave his aunt a hug before pulling Lissa away toward wherever Rose had parked.
"A pleasure meeting you," Rose said slowly following behind her friends. "And Dimitri, you already have my number. You can call me later so we can have a little chat of our own. And we'll talk about the job."
They disappeared across the street leaving Natasha stiff and tense and Dimitri highly amused.
Dimitri had classified Rose as one of the clingy girls he couldn't get rid of but now, with the prospect of fun and excitement brewing between them, he wasn't sure he wanted to.
