“I would love to,” he readily agreed.
Brenda retrieved one of her photo albums and sat down next to him. She had just opened it when Amanda came back to sit with them while she waited for the water to boil.
“Mom, what are you doing?” Amanda asked, seeing her with the photo album.
“I’m just showing Viktor your baby pictures.”
“Oh no, this already?” she lamented.
“What? You were adorable,” her mother replied a little indignantly.
“All mothers think that about their children. It doesn’t make it true,” Amanda reasoned.
“Well then Viktor can be the judge,” Brenda replied.
“He’s biased too,” Amanda objected.
Viktor laughed. “Hush.”
“You know this means you have to show me your baby pictures,” Amanda warned.
Viktor grinned but didn’t pay her any attention. Brenda had shown him a few pages before the kettle began to scream and Amanda left to prepare their tea. When they had finished looking at the album, Amanda suggested they get on the road, hoping to stave off another album viewing. Brenda agreed since she was already beginning to feel tired.
“So Viktor, Amanda tells me you’re in real estate?” Brenda asked after they got on the highway.
“Ah, yes,” he agreed. “I negotiate real estate purchases for my company.”
“What kind of properties does your company buy?” Brenda then asked.
“Typically large revenue properties like hotels and apartments. Some shopping malls.”
“Wow, they must have to truck the money in,” joked Brenda.
Viktor chuckled. “Last year we grossed over 700 million.”
“No wonder they can afford to send you around the world,” Amanda remarked.
“Would it be impolite to ask how much you make?” Brenda asked what she knew Amanda never would.
“Mom!” Amanda glowered at her. “What does it matter?”
“I’m just asking,” Brenda said defensively. “He doesn’t have to answer.”
Viktor seemed unsettled by the question. “I’d prefer not to discuss that.”
“I’m sorry, Viktor,” Amanda apologized. “Please excuse my mother.”
“It’s fine,” Viktor reassured her with a smile. “I’m not upset.”
They spent the next few minutes in awkward silence before Viktor decided to shift the focus to the dinner party the next day and began asking questions about who would be attending and what would be served.
When they finally arrived at Amanda’s apartment building, Brenda was extremely tired and showed it. Amanda helped her walk while Viktor carried her luggage.
“Well, I think I need to go straight to bed,” Brenda declared once they were inside.
“Where do you want this?” Viktor asked.
“In the bedroom,” Amanda answered. “I’ll be on the couch.”
Amanda followed Viktor into the bedroom and directed him to place the suitcase on the dresser. Brenda met them at the door.
“I’ll say goodnight now,” Brenda said. “You two do what you like. I’ll be asleep.”
Amanda gave her mom a hug. “Let me know if you need anything.”
Brenda turned to Viktor who bent down to hug her. “Goodnight,” he said. “Perhaps we could all go out for breakfast in the morning?”
“That sounds wonderful,” Brenda agreed.
He smiled. “Good.”
“Goodnight, mom,” Amanda said as her mom shut the door. She turned to Viktor and smiled.
He grinned back and then leaned in to kiss her. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a few hours,” he admitted.
“Yeah?” She took him by the hand and led him away from the bedroom door and into the living room. She then wrapped her arms around his neck and reached her lips up to his. He pulled her closer as they kissed again.
“Will you stay for a drink?” she asked.
“I will stay as long as you want me to.”
“That could be dangerous,” she teased.
He flashed a broad, charming smile. “I mean it.”
He then watched as the smile slowly faded from Amanda’s face and her expression morphed into distress.
“Too much?” he asked. Wondering if he was coming on too strong again.
Amanda found it difficult to vocalize what she was feeling. She hardly understood it herself.
“Talk to me,” he said softly, with his arms still around her.
“I don’t know how to explain it.”
“Start with how you’re feeling right now.”
She was silent for another minute as she tried to formulate her thoughts and emotions into words.
“My heart aches when you say things like that. I like you very much and I care about you very much ... I find myself wanting to be with you all the time. And it’s a little painful when we part … but at the same time, this is all still very new and we are still getting to know each other …”
She looked up into his eyes to see if he understood what she was trying to say. His expression was calm, confident and compassionate.
“Am I crazy?” she asked.
He let out a light laugh and smiled warmly. “No. You’re perfectly normal.”
“Sometimes I’m scared that I care for you too much,” she confessed.
“And you’re afraid you’ll be hurt,” he surmised.
She nodded.
“There’s only one solution,” he stated.
“What’s that?”
“We take things slow.”
“Aren’t we taking things slow now?” she asked.
He chuckled. “Not really.”
“So what needs to change?”
“This,” he said as they were still enjoying each other’s embrace.
“Oh.” Amanda was a little surprised by his suggestion and wasn’t really fond of it as a solution. “Do we have to?”
He slid his arms around her back and squeezed her tight. “I think the long term benefits will outweigh any longing we may experience now.” He then pulled away from her and took a step back. “I care for you very much too,” he assured her, “and I want you to be happy and feel secure.”
“What do we do now?”
He took a deep breath and exhaled. His eyes fell on a marble chess set that was on her bookshelf. “Why don’t we have some tea and play chess?”
“That sounds really nice, actually.”
“Good,” he agreed. “I hope you’re not a sore loser.”
“You think you’re going to beat me?” she replied with a tone of defiance.
“No ... I know I will,” he taunted, with a devilish smirk.
“Them be fighting words,” she laughed. “We’ll see about that.”
She went to the kitchen to brew the tea while Viktor set the chess board on the coffee table.
Chapter 17
The next morning Viktor picked Amanda and Brenda
