~A Once and Again Series~
Now and Then Dimitri's Side
Okay, *after* this chapter, we get to finally continue on the story.. starting from where we left them, with August telling her he was married. What will Grace do now? But, okay now to this chapter.. Dimitri's side of their meeting in the café and such. OKAY. I have too much fun writing these things.. lol. Anyways, thanks as always for reading and reviewing. Oh, and I couldn't resist doing a flashback of the wine scene. :)
Chapter 12//Giving you the Truth
August couldn't believe he had agreed to meet Grace at this little café. But his heart felt too guilty for not having told her about his wife yet. He had come to school Monday, resolved that he was going to tell her as soon as he got a chance. He couldn't let her go on, without the truth. She had to know, and as much as it hurt him, he had to tell her.
August spotted her quickly as he entered the café. He slid into the seat across from her and remembered what she had said earlier, about moving out. "So, are you going to tell me why you moved out?" He asked, it was a better start than just blurting out that he was married.
After the waitress had taken their order, Grace said, "I got in a fight with my mother. And she kind of gave me an ultimatum. So, I chose to move out."
He knew there was move it then that, and waited patiently.
"I moved in with Eli.. my stepbrother.."
August faltered at that. He had never established whether Grace had a boyfriend or not, he realized. It was quite possible she did. And it was quite possible she didn't. But, August remembered the way Grace used to talk about Eli. It always sounded like there was something there.. August had been jealous of this 'Eli'. He remembered the night he first met Eli. It had been at the cast party at Grace's house. Grace had been missing in action, and he had drank a little too much of the wine he had discovered in Grace's parent's fridge. And then Grace came in, soaked with rain. Ah, he remembered it well, in spite of the red wine that had been making its way through his system.
(memory flashback***)
August had been in front of the open fridge, pouring another cup of the wine he had found, when Grace entered. Grace had looked surprised to see him and had let out a dazed "Hi."
"Hi!" August had said, suddenly aware of the stolen wine he was holding. And very, very aware of the way the rain had plastered her hair beautifully around her face.
Grace pulled off her wet coat, and hung it up. "I got caught in the rain. I was just.. walking."
If he had been in better senses, he would have asked her way she had been walking around, instead of at the cast party. But all he could think of was the wine. "Can you keep a secret?"
"Yeah. Well, depends."
"I, uh, helped myself to some of your parent's wine." He grinned, giddily, happy that she was finally there.
"Oh," Grace joined in his happiness and laughed slightly.
"Don't tell anyone." He smiled at her, delighted in seeing her laugh. She looked so beautiful. Her red shirt was the same color of the wine. Her face was still damp from the rain.
"I don't think they'd actually mind." Grace said.
August moved forward, wanting to see if she smelled like the rain. Wanting to be closer to her. "You know, you.. you're INCREDIBLE. You are an incredibly talented person."
"I am?"
"I, myself, am a fraud. But you are not. You're the real deal. And maybe I've been harsh on you but that's only because the world is harsh, Grace and I want you.. to be ready for it." The words came out without hesitation, guided by the wine, which was warming his belly. Guided by her beauty, which was warming his heart.
"What do you mean? You're not a fraud."
Oh, Grace.. "Tonight you let everything inside you actually show. Which I believe is the only thing in the world worth doing." August moved back. "Although, I've never been willing to do it.. myself. So how did you do it? Do you know? I mean, what made tonight so different?"
"You. You made it different. What you said," Grace answered and August was pleased.
"It doesn't have to be a secret," Grace said, looking intently at him. August looked to her, and his confusion must have been showing on his face, because she elaborated, "I mean, I don't think they'd mind. About the wine."
He had forgotten about the wine, "Maybe not."
Grace moved closer to him and asked softly, "Can I taste it?"
She gave him a sweet beautiful smile and reached for the cup. Her fingertips grazed his and he found himself staring at their touching fingers, with lust for her in his heart. If he hadn't drank the wine, he might be thinking straighter.. oh hell, maybe even if he was sober he'd still be looking at her this way. He didn't think it was possible to see Grace looking this beautiful and not wanting to kiss her. Kiss her.. yes, that sounded good. He looked up at her, and thought..
"Oh, great! You're still here!" Grace's mother, Lily, came into the kitchen, interrupting them.
Grace spun away from him, taking away the light touch of her fingers on his. August looked down at his sad plastic cup of wine and found himself needing to explain. "Oh, yes, I've helped myself to some of your wine."
Lily didn't even seem to hear, or maybe she just didn't care. "I didn't get to tell you what a wonderful, wonderful job you did!"
"Oh, it was my pleasure." August said.
Lily turned to her daughter, "Where were you sweetie? Everyone was looking for you." Lily put her hand on Grace's forehead and said, very motherly, "You looked flushed. Hmm."
August looked at his wine guiltily again, but then realized he had never given Grace the taste she had asked for.
"Wasn't Grace just, just so real tonight?"
August looked at Grace, remembering his babbling speech earlier, "Incredibly real."
"I got so caught up, I didn't even remember it was you."
Grace mumbled, "Me too."
The door opened again, and this time it was a young man coming in with the rain.
"Hey, where were you? We saved you a seat?" Lily asked of the newcomer.
August saw the man put his arm around Grace's shoulder out of the corner of his eye. "I'm sorry," The guy said and August decided he must be Eli. Lily distracted him by showing him the cake she had gotten out of the fridge and when he looked up again, he saw Grace shrugging Eli's arm off her. Grace moved to the table and picked up the forks her mother had forgotten. "Do you need any help?" Eli asked her, pleadingly.
"No, I got it." Grace said firmly and left.
August watched her go. He thought of the wine, and took a small sip.
"Sorry I missed the play. I heard it was good." Eli said.
August blinked, suddenly a clear thought coming to his head in spite of the wine. Eli had missed the play.. August had wondered many times if Grace had feelings for Eli. Eli missing the play.. the great performance that Grace had put on, suddenly displaying more emotion than she had ever done before. Funny, wasn't it, that the scene in which Grace had displayed the sudden emotion was the scene in which her character was upset when her love didn't come. No, not really funny. August was seeing things more clearly than he wanted to.
"So, you're Mr. Dimitri, right?" Eli, still there, still talking to him.
"Mmm hmm," August said with disdain. He was MR. Dimitri, why did he think he could ever be just August with Grace?
"I'm her stepbrother," Eli said.
August looked at the boy, seeing how classically handsome he was. This was Grace's Eli. "Oh, yes, she's mentioned YOU." Another sip of the wine.
"She's mentioned you too," Eli said uncomfortably.
"You're a musician, aren't you?" August asked, making small talk.
"No, not really. I, uh.." Eli answered and August had had enough of it, and walked away. He couldn't stay any longer.
(***end of flashback scene)
"I remember Eli," August told Grace softly as the memory danced in his head.
"The fight my mom and I had.. it was about my class with you. When she found out it was you teaching me, she wanted me to drop the class. But I refused, and so I ended up moving out."
So, did that mean she DIDN'T have a boyfriend if her mother was so worried about him being near her? August didn't take the time to ponder that question; he knew it was time to tell Grace about Angelina. "I guess how your mother feels is understandable after what happened," He said, and it brought up a memory of Lily's angry eyes at the end, as she came in and ended their goodbye talk in the classroom. "But, uh, if you just tell her how things have changed, I'm sure she'll be more accepting."
The waitress arrived and Grace delayed the evitable, by taking sips of her cappuccino. But she was a strong girl and August knew she wouldn't pretend to ignore what he had said. She would ask, and she did.. oh, sweet Grace. "What do you mean.. things have changed?"
Now, it was time to tell her. August delayed his answer by playing the same trick Grace did, and sipping his drink. Then he looked up at her, seeing the fear in her eyes, he let it out. "Well, I'm married now, Grace."
"Married?" Grace mumbled, her face ghostly white. Her eyes looked, searchingly, into his. He nodded, and she turned away.
"Grace?"
"I've got.. to.. go." Grace said, and like that, she was gone.
* * *
Now and Then Dimitri's Side
Okay, *after* this chapter, we get to finally continue on the story.. starting from where we left them, with August telling her he was married. What will Grace do now? But, okay now to this chapter.. Dimitri's side of their meeting in the café and such. OKAY. I have too much fun writing these things.. lol. Anyways, thanks as always for reading and reviewing. Oh, and I couldn't resist doing a flashback of the wine scene. :)
Chapter 12//Giving you the Truth
August couldn't believe he had agreed to meet Grace at this little café. But his heart felt too guilty for not having told her about his wife yet. He had come to school Monday, resolved that he was going to tell her as soon as he got a chance. He couldn't let her go on, without the truth. She had to know, and as much as it hurt him, he had to tell her.
August spotted her quickly as he entered the café. He slid into the seat across from her and remembered what she had said earlier, about moving out. "So, are you going to tell me why you moved out?" He asked, it was a better start than just blurting out that he was married.
After the waitress had taken their order, Grace said, "I got in a fight with my mother. And she kind of gave me an ultimatum. So, I chose to move out."
He knew there was move it then that, and waited patiently.
"I moved in with Eli.. my stepbrother.."
August faltered at that. He had never established whether Grace had a boyfriend or not, he realized. It was quite possible she did. And it was quite possible she didn't. But, August remembered the way Grace used to talk about Eli. It always sounded like there was something there.. August had been jealous of this 'Eli'. He remembered the night he first met Eli. It had been at the cast party at Grace's house. Grace had been missing in action, and he had drank a little too much of the wine he had discovered in Grace's parent's fridge. And then Grace came in, soaked with rain. Ah, he remembered it well, in spite of the red wine that had been making its way through his system.
(memory flashback***)
August had been in front of the open fridge, pouring another cup of the wine he had found, when Grace entered. Grace had looked surprised to see him and had let out a dazed "Hi."
"Hi!" August had said, suddenly aware of the stolen wine he was holding. And very, very aware of the way the rain had plastered her hair beautifully around her face.
Grace pulled off her wet coat, and hung it up. "I got caught in the rain. I was just.. walking."
If he had been in better senses, he would have asked her way she had been walking around, instead of at the cast party. But all he could think of was the wine. "Can you keep a secret?"
"Yeah. Well, depends."
"I, uh, helped myself to some of your parent's wine." He grinned, giddily, happy that she was finally there.
"Oh," Grace joined in his happiness and laughed slightly.
"Don't tell anyone." He smiled at her, delighted in seeing her laugh. She looked so beautiful. Her red shirt was the same color of the wine. Her face was still damp from the rain.
"I don't think they'd actually mind." Grace said.
August moved forward, wanting to see if she smelled like the rain. Wanting to be closer to her. "You know, you.. you're INCREDIBLE. You are an incredibly talented person."
"I am?"
"I, myself, am a fraud. But you are not. You're the real deal. And maybe I've been harsh on you but that's only because the world is harsh, Grace and I want you.. to be ready for it." The words came out without hesitation, guided by the wine, which was warming his belly. Guided by her beauty, which was warming his heart.
"What do you mean? You're not a fraud."
Oh, Grace.. "Tonight you let everything inside you actually show. Which I believe is the only thing in the world worth doing." August moved back. "Although, I've never been willing to do it.. myself. So how did you do it? Do you know? I mean, what made tonight so different?"
"You. You made it different. What you said," Grace answered and August was pleased.
"It doesn't have to be a secret," Grace said, looking intently at him. August looked to her, and his confusion must have been showing on his face, because she elaborated, "I mean, I don't think they'd mind. About the wine."
He had forgotten about the wine, "Maybe not."
Grace moved closer to him and asked softly, "Can I taste it?"
She gave him a sweet beautiful smile and reached for the cup. Her fingertips grazed his and he found himself staring at their touching fingers, with lust for her in his heart. If he hadn't drank the wine, he might be thinking straighter.. oh hell, maybe even if he was sober he'd still be looking at her this way. He didn't think it was possible to see Grace looking this beautiful and not wanting to kiss her. Kiss her.. yes, that sounded good. He looked up at her, and thought..
"Oh, great! You're still here!" Grace's mother, Lily, came into the kitchen, interrupting them.
Grace spun away from him, taking away the light touch of her fingers on his. August looked down at his sad plastic cup of wine and found himself needing to explain. "Oh, yes, I've helped myself to some of your wine."
Lily didn't even seem to hear, or maybe she just didn't care. "I didn't get to tell you what a wonderful, wonderful job you did!"
"Oh, it was my pleasure." August said.
Lily turned to her daughter, "Where were you sweetie? Everyone was looking for you." Lily put her hand on Grace's forehead and said, very motherly, "You looked flushed. Hmm."
August looked at his wine guiltily again, but then realized he had never given Grace the taste she had asked for.
"Wasn't Grace just, just so real tonight?"
August looked at Grace, remembering his babbling speech earlier, "Incredibly real."
"I got so caught up, I didn't even remember it was you."
Grace mumbled, "Me too."
The door opened again, and this time it was a young man coming in with the rain.
"Hey, where were you? We saved you a seat?" Lily asked of the newcomer.
August saw the man put his arm around Grace's shoulder out of the corner of his eye. "I'm sorry," The guy said and August decided he must be Eli. Lily distracted him by showing him the cake she had gotten out of the fridge and when he looked up again, he saw Grace shrugging Eli's arm off her. Grace moved to the table and picked up the forks her mother had forgotten. "Do you need any help?" Eli asked her, pleadingly.
"No, I got it." Grace said firmly and left.
August watched her go. He thought of the wine, and took a small sip.
"Sorry I missed the play. I heard it was good." Eli said.
August blinked, suddenly a clear thought coming to his head in spite of the wine. Eli had missed the play.. August had wondered many times if Grace had feelings for Eli. Eli missing the play.. the great performance that Grace had put on, suddenly displaying more emotion than she had ever done before. Funny, wasn't it, that the scene in which Grace had displayed the sudden emotion was the scene in which her character was upset when her love didn't come. No, not really funny. August was seeing things more clearly than he wanted to.
"So, you're Mr. Dimitri, right?" Eli, still there, still talking to him.
"Mmm hmm," August said with disdain. He was MR. Dimitri, why did he think he could ever be just August with Grace?
"I'm her stepbrother," Eli said.
August looked at the boy, seeing how classically handsome he was. This was Grace's Eli. "Oh, yes, she's mentioned YOU." Another sip of the wine.
"She's mentioned you too," Eli said uncomfortably.
"You're a musician, aren't you?" August asked, making small talk.
"No, not really. I, uh.." Eli answered and August had had enough of it, and walked away. He couldn't stay any longer.
(***end of flashback scene)
"I remember Eli," August told Grace softly as the memory danced in his head.
"The fight my mom and I had.. it was about my class with you. When she found out it was you teaching me, she wanted me to drop the class. But I refused, and so I ended up moving out."
So, did that mean she DIDN'T have a boyfriend if her mother was so worried about him being near her? August didn't take the time to ponder that question; he knew it was time to tell Grace about Angelina. "I guess how your mother feels is understandable after what happened," He said, and it brought up a memory of Lily's angry eyes at the end, as she came in and ended their goodbye talk in the classroom. "But, uh, if you just tell her how things have changed, I'm sure she'll be more accepting."
The waitress arrived and Grace delayed the evitable, by taking sips of her cappuccino. But she was a strong girl and August knew she wouldn't pretend to ignore what he had said. She would ask, and she did.. oh, sweet Grace. "What do you mean.. things have changed?"
Now, it was time to tell her. August delayed his answer by playing the same trick Grace did, and sipping his drink. Then he looked up at her, seeing the fear in her eyes, he let it out. "Well, I'm married now, Grace."
"Married?" Grace mumbled, her face ghostly white. Her eyes looked, searchingly, into his. He nodded, and she turned away.
"Grace?"
"I've got.. to.. go." Grace said, and like that, she was gone.
* * *