Page 43 of Dimitri
Placing a hand over hers, Jessica patted. "It happens to the best of us honey, take heart."
*****
She found several reasons why she should not call him. After returning to her office, she took out the files she had been working on. Armed with a pot of really awful coffee, she dove in. The administrator for the children's home was avoiding her. Every time she called, the woman was either out of the building or in meetings. Well, she was leaning towards ambushing her. Just showing up and demanding to be heard. She had been compiling a case against the home for the past six months and had no intention of giving up now.
After her third cup of coffee, she gave up and reached for the phone. Holding the device in her hand, she stared at the blank screen and tried to talk herself out of it.
She needed time to think. She had voiced several good reasons why it was crazy to pursue a relationship with a man like Dimitri. He would return home eventually and where would that leave her?
This might be a phase. A handsome man like him could have any woman he wanted. Maybe right now, his interest was waning. She had seen the way the women looked at him at that function. And it shocked her how much on thinking back, she wanted to gouge their eyes out.
"You're being ridiculous," she muttered. "He is not yours. Just because he said some romantic words does not mean anything."
Biting off a sigh, she dialed his number before she could change her mind. When it rang three times, she considered it a sign and was about to hang up when she heard his deep accented voice in her ear. It made her so weak, she had to lean back and take several breaths.
"Hi. Uhm." To her extreme mortification, she found herself at a loss for words. Going on the defensive, she plunged on. "Look, it sounds like you're busy..."
"How are you?" the quiet patience in his tone had her unraveling.
"Good. Fine." She fiddled with the crystal elephant paperweight. "Do you have plans for supper?"
"Nothing concrete. Why?"
"I'm not much of a cook, but I was thinking of picking something up at the market and preparing a meal. Are you interested?"
"That depends." The thread of amusement in his voice had her stiffening.
"On?"
"Do I get to bring the wine?"
She almost sagged with relief. "Naturally. See you around seven?"
"I'll be there. Don't work too hard."
She disconnected the call and grinned foolishly. Catching herself, she hissed out a breath and went back to work.
*****
"She invited me for supper." Dimitri felt like a schoolboy with his first crush. It was not exactly a date, but it was a start. She had made the first move. It was up to him to play it cool and surely that was not impossible.
"You want to bring her flowers," his grandmother told him briskly.
"Babushka, I don't want to appear too eager," he protested.
He was filthy, the jeans streaked with mud from a tussle with several horses that had broken through the paddock and wandered away. It had taken the greater part of an hour for the men to round them up to where they belonged. On top of that, the weather had turned nasty, very fast, with sleet giving the grounds an icy overcoat that was turning treacherous. He was going to have to take one of the four-wheel drives to Allison.
"Nonsense." She waved that away. "A woman likes to be romanced. We might make noises about not wanting the man to bother with such things, but we never mean it." She beamed at him. "Go on up and get ready, I'll get something from the hothouse. There are some lovely daisies and baby's breath that's going to be perfect."
"I told her I would bring wine."
"Wonderful." She shooed him away. "Go take a shower, you look like you have the entire farmyard on you."
With a happy smile, he turned and walked out of the room.
Clapping her hands in delight, she glided from the room to gather flowers.
*****
