Luka shook his head in disagreement as he knotted his tie around his neck and tucked it under the collar of his blue shirt. Abby was grinning as she pulled the red tights up around Lauren's diaper and slipped her chubby feet into shiny black shoes. She fastened the velcro straps and grinned as she stood the little girl up in the middle of their bed. She brushed down the folds of the green dress that was smocked across the chest with red and gold threads and adjusted the green satin bow on her half pony tail.
"I am just saying that you weren't paying much attention to anyone in that waiting area in Paris," Abby said again. "Did you see any of the women at all?"
"There weren't any women, Abby," he said. "They were all guys and they were all ogling you." She stopped and put her hand on her hip as she held Lauren's hand with the other. The little girl was trying to bounce on the bed.
"More than half of them were women and they all had their eyes on YOU." Abby sat Lauren down against the pillows and then tucked her own white satin shirt into the black slacks she wore. She knotted the satin belt at her waist. 'Beside, I'm not the kind of person guys will...ogle... for very long. Nice looking, semi okay body...but really kind of plain." Luka stopped with his jacket just over his shoulders and stared at her. Abby looked up and caught his gaze in confusion.
"You're making a joke, right?" he asked. She snorted and picked up her black dress jacket from the bed. Luka slipped his suit coat on and then circled the end of the bed. He tipped her face up to his and kissed her lightly on the lips. His hands rested possessively on her slim shoulders.
"Something happens when I see you some times...especially when you are with Lauren," he said quietly and tucked a strand of her hair back into the knot at the back of her head. 'You are mesmerizing. Other men see that too. You know they do." She looked up at him with a disbelieving frown and studied his face. Then she smiled and looped her arms around his neck.
"And you are just the person to make me believe that line," she laughed.
"It's not a line..." he said quietly as he drew her lips closer to his. They separated as there was a knock on the door.
"We'll be right there, Tata," Luka called. His father muttered something on the other side of the door and Luka chuckled.
"He is not in the mood to wear a tie either," he sighed. Luka scooped Lauren up off the bed and waited at the door for Abby. She checked the diamond studs that she wore in her ears and grabbed her bag off the bed.
It was just a short ride to the restaurant Andro and Valerija had chosen in the exclusive and older upper town district of Zagreb. Abby was fascinated with all of the lights in the city. She sat in the back seat of Tata's little car and played with Lauren's hand as she listened to Luka and his father talking to one another in the front seat. She could catch enough to at least know what they were talking about. She opened the car door and stepped out onto the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. It was nippy out...but not at all like Chicago would have been at this time in December. She pulled her jacket closer and leaned in to unbuckle Lauren's car seat straps. The little girl held out her arms as Abby lifted her from the seat and out of the car. Luka took the little girl from her and adjusted the blanket they had wrapped around her even more snugly. He grinned and pressed a kiss to the top of her silky hair and held out an arm for Abby. They followed Tata into the restaurant after he'd handed the keys to a uniformed valet.
Abby glanced around the inside of the restaurant in awe. It was old and beautiful. Glass chandeliers gleamed in the low evening light. There were white table cloths, gleaming gold and silver and crystal everywhere. Definitely way out of her comfort zone. She nudged Luka.
"What do we do if Lauren throws spaghetti at someone or something?" she whispered. Luka chuckled softly and shrugged.
"Let Andro handle it, I guess," he whispered back. "He is the one who wants to impress people."
"Well, I'm impressed, so let's go home," she sighed and tugged on his arm. Luka suppressed a laugh. Tata looked at her and frowned but his dark eyes were dancing. Abby grinned. Luka's father offered his arm as the maitre d' signaled them. The two of them led Luka through the tables to a semi private room in the back of the restaurant. Zoran and Jelena were already there. Abby smiled at a glum Natasya, who brightened when she saw Lauren in Luka's arms. She jumped up from her chair and hurried around the table to take her from him. Luka did a double take of the fitted dress the girl wore, the nylons and heeled shoes. He glanced at Abby in alarm, tipped his head toward his daughter and mouthed silently, 'thirteen'. Abby's eyes were dancing as Zoran came forward to kiss her cheek and then pulled her toward the couple standing near the windows watching for something.
"Andro, Valerija," Zoran said. "This is Abby." They turned around and Abby smiled. Andro grinned and stepped forward to kiss her cheek. Luka had said that he was the one that took the most after their mother. He was shorter than his brothers and his father. His hair was lighter but the razor straight nose and dark eyes were all Kovac. Andro passed her to move toward Luka and she turned to Valerija. The blonde woman was surveying her with icy blue eyes. Abby's smiled faded somewhat as their eyes met. Was that disapproval? Abby shrugged uncomfortably and then Valerija glanced toward Lauren. Natasya had taken off her jacket and the little girl was struggling to get down to the floor. Abby hurried over and lifted her from Natasya's lap. She kissed the little girl and then set her down on the floor so she could walk around for a bit. Abby pulled a chair out from the table and sat next to Natasya. Valerija crouched down to be eye level with Lauren and smiled at her. A perfectly manicured finger traced the smocking on the little girl's dress and she fingered a strand of the baby's silky soft hair.
"Ona je lijep," Valerija sighed as her eyes followed Lauren as she pushed past her and made her way around the table to Luka.
"She is beautiful..." Valerija said in English as she stood up again. She grinned broadly as Luka swung a giggling Lauren up in to his arms and made his way toward her. He wrapped an arm across her shoulders and Valerija nestled for a moment against his chest.
"You have lost weight again," she scolded.
"You just try working in a busy ER, chase after a not quite two year old and stay fat," he laughed. He winked at Abby and she smiled. Abby looked up as Jelena sat in the chair on the other side of her.
"It's not you," she whispered. "Her sons are late. When people don't follow her directions she can be...crabby?" Jelena's eyes were dancing and there was a smile teasing the corners of her mouth. She reached over and squeezed Abby's hand.
If she was upset with them, Valerija showed no sign of it when Javor and Viktor finally arrived. They were sturdy and healthy young men, just home from their colleges, and lovingly teasing everyone at the table. Natasya took the brunt of it but seemingly gave as good as she got. And they adored Lauren, who was an inexhaustable flirt when it came to the men around her.
Abby enjoyed watching them all...sitting quietly as the conversation swirled all around her. There was more English spoken than she had expected. Andro was fluent - as were his sons. Tata tried to keep up. She allowed Luka to order for her and the food placed before her smelled delicious. Their eyes met several times across the table and he smiled proudly at her. It felt...right...to be in the midst of this family. The only thing that disconcerned her were the looks she was getting from the beautiful Valerija. Abby had to admit that she was a gracious and competent hostess and that she openly adored Luka ...and Lauren. There was just something...off...about the manner in which she treated her. Luka was laughing as he argued with Valerija about something and it shook Abby from her thoughts. She looked up from Lauren sleeping in her arms.
"Tata has the ingredients already," she was saying. "It's your contribution, Luka. You must do it."
"But I don't have the time to make the Badnji Kruh this time," he whined. "That bread takes forever! I want to show Abby around the city tomorrow. I need to show Abby around the city."
"You are the only one that knows Mati's recipe..." Valerija responded cooly as she took a sip of her after dinner coffee..
"I'll write it down for you," he argued. "I want to take Abby shopping tomorrow. I am not doing it this time, Valerija." Abby wilted a little as everyone at the table looked at her. She glared at Luka and he shook his head with a laugh.
"Don't fall for it," he said to her. "It's black mail. Who makes the Christmas eve bread when I am not around?" He looked around the table and everyone stared back at him.
"Tata?" Luka frowned. Tata held up his hands in innocence.
"Do you mean to tell me that if I am not here to bake it, this family does not eat Mama's Badnji Kruh on Christmas? All these years I thought that was a joke." There was silence and Luka's shoulders drooped. Valerija set her cup down and gazed across the table at Abby.
"Here is a solution," she said. "I have some shopping I need to do. Tomorrow I will take Abby to the shopping district. Javor can drive us." Spoken as an order more than a suggestion, Abby wasn't sure which one amused her more. - the anguished look on Luka's face or on his nephew's. Neither of them said anything.
"It's settled then," Valerija said as she folded her hands in her lap. Abby shivered a bit as Valerija smiled at her from across the table.