Page 37 of Forced By the Bratva

“I couldn’t decide what to wear,” I replied, winking at her.

Piotr and Konstantin glanced at each other and shook their heads. “Well, I think you made a good choice,” Mila added as she handed me my cup of coffee before taking her seat. With a nod, I thanked her.

Once the breakfast dishes were done, Piotr and I headed out. He had to borrow Konstantin’s car as my attire wasn’t suitable for the bike. As we drove, I wondered why we were leaving so early. As I understood, it would be a dinner date, and it was still morning.

We passed through town, and I thought the date was maybe in another state. We had driven for about an hour when I saw the airport sign. Piotr pulled into a private hangar. Inside was a private jet waiting for us.

“Oh, wow,” I remarked as we got out. It appeared Piotr was taking me on a thrilling date. I had not expected this, and the amazement was clear in my voice as I spoke. “Are we not having dinner in town?”

Getting onto the plane, Piotr smiled as he responded. “No, princess. I am taking you somewhere special.”

It was like stepping into a fantasy. The jet's interior was more amazing than I could have ever imagined. The seats had metal and wood finishes that looked suitable for royalty. Sitting on the long, lavish leather couch, I felt like a princess.

Piotr sat down next to me and held my hand as the pilot readied the jet for take-off. My stomach turned as the plane took the air. Once the plane was stable, two waiters entered. One was carrying an ice bucket with champagne. The other one brought a bowl of fruit salad and cream with two forks.

Placing it on the table before us, the women smiled and returned to where they had hidden behind the curtain. Piotr poured us each a glass. As he handed me one, he smiled. His eyes appeared to be shining as he softly spoke. “To my princess, only the best.”

My heart was pounding rapidly. I blinked, making sure I wasn’t dreaming. It all felt so surreal. After taking a sip of the champagne, Piotr picked a strawberry out of the fruit salad. He squirted cream onto it and held it out to me. Leaning in, I bit off half the strawberry.

He smiled as he ate the other piece. We shared a variety of fruit this way as we flew over the ocean. I don’t know how long the flight was, but we managed to watch a full movie. I even took a nap.

Piotr gently shook me as the plane started its descent. “Princess,” he said. “We are here.”

After rinsing my face, I joined him at the door as it opened. Pulling up my hands, I placed them over my mouth as I gasped. Standing at the door, I could see the Eiffel Tower in the distance. We were in Paris, the city of love.

The sun had not set yet, but dusk was approaching. I had never thought I would get to see the city with all its lights. But there it was laid out before me.

The sight of it was overwhelming. I was filled with so many different emotions that I couldn’t help the tears in my eyes. Piotr must have noticed them. He placed a hand around my shoulder hugging me to him. “What’s the matter, princess? Don’t you want to see Paris?” he asked.

“It’s not that,” I replied, swallowing the knob that was trying to push up into my throat. “It’s such a surprise, I love it.”

“Good, then let's get going,” he added as he took my hand and walked down the stairs. At the bottom was a long, sleek limo waiting for us. As we drove through the city, I practically hung out the window. It was all so spectacular; it was hard to believe I was actually in Paris.

As we drove up to the Eiffel Tower, I glanced back at Piotr. “Are we…,” I huffed before looking up at the enormous building before us.

“Yes, we’re eating at the Jules tonight.” Piotr waited for the driver to open his door before he came around and opened mine. Holding out his hand, I took it eagerly. If I had known that we were coming here, I thought. I might have dressed fancier.

As we moved around the limo to the bottom of the tower, I strained my neck back, trying to see to the top. It was so high I couldn’t; it was breathtaking. Beaming, I couldn’t stand still as we took the elevator to the top. I turned and turned, trying to see everything as we moved up into the sky.

Piotr stood against the side, watching me intently. He appeared to be beaming. As the elevator stopped, he pulled me into his arms. We kissed tenderly before exiting and entering the restaurant.

It was as graceful as the city itself. The atmosphere was filled with calmness. Everywhere, couples were having romantic dinners. The tables were decorated with colorful flowers and candles.

“Oh, Piotr,” I said as we followed the waiter to a private booth. “This is perfect.”

We had starters, a main meal consisting of a meat platter for two, and dessert. It was one of the most fabulous meals I had ever had. I assumed we would be heading back after dinner. But I was delighted to find out I was mistaken.

I didn’t want the day to end. We drove through the city. Piotr showed me some of the amazing sights it had to offer. “I asked the driver to stop at the park for us. I thought we might have a stroll before returning.” Piotr said as we neared a busy park.

Pulling up to the curb, he rolled down his window. “It’s not as quiet as I thought it would be. There seems to be a festival.” He said, glancing at me. “Would you like to go?”

“Oh, yes,” I exclaimed. “I don’t want to go home yet. This is so amazing.”

The park was decorated with hanging lights and lanterns. There were vendors along each path selling a selection of goods. We started down one path and came up the next one. In the middle of the park was a stage with different bands taking turns to play.

Piotr bought us cappuccinos, and we sat there listening for a while. It was magical. We held hands and had ice cream. I stopped at every booth, admiring the display of items on sale. Piotr walked up ahead as I stopped to peruse through the figurines at one of the tables.

He returned shortly with a large bouquet. It contained all the colors of the rainbow and smelled divine. I had bought him a figure of a fighting man. We exchanged gifts and ended up kissing passionately.

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