“I’m happy you didn’t have to spend the day alone. What can you tell me about him? What does he do for work? Where is he from?”
“Before you get your hopes up, Mom, there’s nothing there.”
“I didn’t say there was,” she innocently replied.
“I know you.”
“So?” she said and then waited for an answer.
“He is from Russia,” Amanda informed her, “but has been living in California for the last 3 years. He works for some sort of real estate company and he was here on work.”
“What kind of work was he doing there?”
“Mom, I didn’t ask. It’s none of my business.”
“No need to get defensive, I was just inquiring. I thought maybe he told you, that’s all.”
“How are you doing?” Amanda asked, hoping to change the subject.
“I’m all right. Could be better but could also be worse,” she answered honestly.
“You had your follow-up today? What did the doctor say?”
“Everything looks good so far. He was happy with my progress and floated the possibility of reversing the colostomy in a few months if all goes well.”
“That’s great news!” Amanda responded excitedly.
“Yes, it was a good day for me.” She smiled and it made Amanda feel so happy. “So what are your plans for tomorrow?”
“Viktor is going to pick me up in the morning and we are going to Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle.”
“That sounds like fun. Just the two of you again?”
“Sheila and her new boyfriend may join us. But Viktor and I are going separately. Being around those two is nauseating.”
“Well, with Viktor there I’m sure you’ll have a great time no matter what.”
“I think so too. And you’ll never guess!” Amanda was suddenly energized.
“What?”
“He’s going to be in Italy at the same time as us! He said he would meet up with us in Venice! Isn’t that wild?”
“What a coincidence!” her mom agreed. “You sure he doesn’t like you?”
Amanda gave her mom a look. “I’m pretty sure. And I doubt he would rearrange his entire schedule and plan a spontaneous trip to Italy just as an excuse to see me again. That’s a little farfetched.”
“Okay, okay,” her mom surrendered. “I hope you have a really nice time tomorrow. Send lots of pictures and let me know how it went.”
“I will. I love you.”
“I love you too, sweetheart.”
Viktor made a phone call as he drove away from Amanda’s hotel after dropping her off.
A man answered, “Hi Viktor, what’s up?”
“David, I need you to cancel my trip to Germany and get me back home on the first flight available after tomorrow.”
“Is everything all right?”
“Yes, I just need to postpone the deal for a few weeks. I also need you to book a trip to Italy, arriving on the 23rd and leaving on the 1st.”
“Anywhere in particular?”
“Venice, then Rome on the 27th.”
“Can I ask what’s going on?”
“You can, but I won’t answer.”
“As usual,” David chuckled. “I’ll take care of that right now and email your itinerary.”
“Thank you.”
“You got it, Boss.”
“Oh.” He suddenly remembered something. “Make sure the car rental isn’t anything fancy.”
“What do you mean?” David asked, unsure of the instruction.
“Just get me a regular rental. Nothing high end.”
“Going incognito?”
“Something like that.”
“As you wish,” David agreed. “Is that all?”
“Yes. Thank you. I’ll see you when I get back.”
“Sounds good.”
Viktor hung up the phone and seemed to get lost in his thoughts as he drove back to his hotel.
Chapter 6
Viktor picked up Amanda a little after 7:00 A.M. and they headed on their way to Urquhart Castle.
“Is your friend going to meet us?” Viktor asked as they got on the highway.
“Yeah. I told her we would get there around 1:00. I figured even if we stopped to eat that would give us at least an hour without them.”
“Unless they arrive early also.”
“True,” Amanda acknowledged. “I didn’t think of that.”
Viktor just smiled. “It will be fine.”
Amanda hoped he was right.
Around 9:00 they were both starving and opted to stop and eat breakfast. Viktor found a diner that had decent reviews and was also along the way. By the time they got back on the road again, their ETA was noon.
“I was looking online and they have boat tours that take you along the coastline. Would you like to do something like that?”
“How much does it cost?” she asked.
“They’re free. We just have to sign up.”
“Free?” she said with a raised eyebrow.
Viktor sheepishly smiled. “Free for you.”
“Uh huh,” she said, trying to decide whether to let him pay or not.
“Well … I already signed us up,” he admitted. “We don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. But if you do, it’s too late. I already paid.” He had a devilish grin on his face as he awaited her reply, feeling satisfied that he might finally be able to pay for something.
“I see.” She gave a look of feigned displeasure. “I guess I have no choice.”
“You have a choice. We don’t have to go,” he assured her.
“I don’t have a choice about who pays,” she clarified.
“Oh. Well. No, you don’t,” he agreed with a massive smile.
“I would love a boat tour,” she finally said. “That was very sweet. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
The weather had been a little bit drizzly in the morning but by the time they arrived at the castle, the sun had come out and the rain dried up. It was bright and sunny with just a few fluffy white clouds in the sky. There was a strong breeze coming from the water that made it feel a little cool. If the sun hadn’t been out, they would have felt cold.
Excitement swelled in Amanda as they walked towards the entrance and paid for their tickets. It was crawling with tourists. There was a large visitor center with a cafeteria, gift shop and other touristy things that neither of them were interested in at the moment. They continued outside and down a stone pathway that led to the ruins of the ancient castle.
“This place is amazing!” Amanda declared as they passed through a lush green field getting closer and
