“Yours,” he answered. “I know my feelings won’t change.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I’m me and I know how I feel,” he replied as if it was a silly question.
“What if you don’t like me in 3 months?”
“Amanda, I liked you from the first day we met. Since then my feelings for you have only gotten stronger. It is simply not possible that I will like you less in the months to come.”
“The first day?” she repeated, as a fierce smile overtook her face.
“Does that surprise you?”
“It does. What could you possibly have seen in me?”
“I’ve already told you that.”
“Right, I’m genuine. But how could you have seen that after just a few hours with me?”
“Because it’s who you are. And you don’t hide it very well.”
She shook her head finding it hard to believe him but she still couldn’t wipe the smile from her face. Viktor savored the look of exquisite joy on her face. But then her smile slowly faded, replaced with a look of curiosity.
“What is it?” he asked.
“The day we met. When I asked you if you wanted to go to Glen Coe.”
“Yeah?”
“Were you really planning to go when I texted you?”
“Yes. Because you asked if I wanted to go.”
Amanda felt like he was trying to dodge the question. “I don’t understand. You were either planning to go or not when I texted you.” She sat up and crossed her legs, facing him. “Are you saying you weren’t planning to go until I texted you and asked if you wanted to go?”
Viktor followed suit and sat up feeling nervous about the repercussions that an honest answer might have. “After we met outside the restaurant and you told me what your friend had done. I planned to do whatever you wanted to do. When you asked me if I wanted to go to Glen Coe, it clearly was what you wanted to do. And I knew I had a better chance of getting you to come if I said I was already going.”
“So you lied?”
Viktor’s pulse increased and his mouth was suddenly dry. “If I had said I wasn't planning to, but that I would like to go. How would you have answered?”
“I don’t know,” she quickly replied, feeling uneasy with the thought that he had lied to her.
“Yes, you do.”
Amanda couldn’t deny, she knew exactly how she would have responded. “I would have said ‘Nevermind’.”
“Are you angry with me?”
“No.”
“But you trust me less,” he observed as her body language gave her away.
“I don’t like being deceived.”
“I did not mean to deceive you. I just … I felt bad. You seemed so sad. I wanted to cheer you up.”
“Is that the only thing you’ve lied about?”
A voice in Viktor’s brain was screaming for him to come clean about his wealth. But that voice was completely drowned out by his fear of losing her. He knew he was on rocky ground with her and one more revelation could mean the end of it. He was desperate to regain his lost ground and win back her trust. Besides, he wasn’t lying about his money, he reasoned. He simply wasn’t disclosing it.
“Is it really a lie if I decided to go after you mentioned it?”
“Would you have gone without me?”
“I would have changed my mind.”
“Can we agree, it was dishonest?” she then asked.
“Do you understand why I did it?” Viktor asked defensively.
“Yes, I understand.”
Viktor felt frustrated and confused. He couldn’t understand why she was so upset about it. He took a deep breath and looked away to try and gather his thoughts. Amanda sensed his confusion and realized he needed an explanation and that perhaps she was overreacting a little.
She reached forward and touched his hand, bringing his attention back to her.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “You did a nice thing for me.”
He breathed a sigh of relief and squeezed her hand.
“My father,” she began to explain, “was a very dishonest man. It’s ... uh … it’s scarred me.” She dispatched a few tears that broke free and looked away, trying not to get more emotional.
Viktor gently tugged on her arm, wanting to hold her. She readily accepted and moved into his arms. He wrapped them tightly around her as she dried another tear.
“Parents can be the best or worst influence in our lives,” he said.
“Tell me about it,” she agreed.
The sun was just above the horizon, saturating the world around them with golden yellow and orange light. She remained in his arms as the sky transformed into an artist's palette of red, purple, pink, yellow and blue.
“Can we just stay like this forever?” she asked as the sun slipped out of view.
He squeezed her tightly and kissed her on the cheek. “Anything you wish.”
“Is it crazy that we met?” she wondered out loud.
“I’d say so.”
“Really?” She wasn’t expecting a real answer and was surprised by his view.
“So many random things had to happen. Your mother had to get sick. Your friend had to abandon you. I had to be here, finalizing a deal. I had to close the deal without long negotiations or else I wouldn’t have been at the restaurant that early,” he explained. “You had to choose that restaurant to eat alone at the same time I was there. I think it’s pretty remarkable that we met.”
“That is pretty crazy.”
“Mmm. So you understand why I say I feel lucky to have met you.”
“Because we so easily could have not met.”
“Precisely.”
“I’m really glad we met,” Amanda said.
“Me too.”
Amanda chuckled and looked up at him. “My mom is gonna freak.”
“In a good way, I hope.”
“Yes, in a good way.”
“I’d like to meet her when I come to Boston.”
“She would love to meet you!” Amanda agreed. “We’ll definitely arrange it.”
“We should probably head back to the hotel,” Viktor said as darkness fell upon them.
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“Will you have tea with me?”
“Absolutely,” she said. “I was going to ask if you didn’t.”
Chapter 12
On the boat ride back to Venice, Amanda began
