Danica POV“Congratulations.” Dmitry said in a smooth voice.I closed he car door and just stared at him.“What?” He asked.“How did you know I got the job?”“Come on. Anyone could see that goofy look on your face from a mile away. You look….happy.”I smiled. “I am happy. Truly happy. Now I can start saving money. I can get my own place.”“What? You don’t like staying with me?”His question surprised me and I wondered if I was coming off ungrateful. “Yes. I mean no.” I laughed and gathered my words. “What I am trying to say is that I hadn’t thought about it that much.”He nodded and pulled out of the parking lot.Now I really did feel ungrateful.“Are you hungry? I was thinking brunch.”“Brunch?”“Yes. You know that meal that comes after breakfast but before lunch.”I laughed. “I know what brunch is, I just never had it.”He laughed along with me. “Well, there is a first time for everything.”Dmitrys cellphone rang and ignore the call. That was the first time I’d seen him do that. He
Dmitry POV Nancy was becoming relentless. I saw her last night. It was supposed to be a guys night out and she was supposed to be on a flight somewhere headed to Utah. But somehow, she ended up at the same club we were. I tried to ignore her. This was supposed to be me and Cory. I’d spent the entire week hanging with a girl, and tonight I just need some good ole drunken fun with my best friend. Not that I haven’t been having fun with Danica. I was. Surprisingly. But I felt that maybe I was enjoying myself too much. I had to remind myself that this girl wasn’t really a friend a mine. But as soon as she mentioned the job interview, I started to regret the day she would leave and that day wasn’t even here yet. I almost entertained the thought of calling Maci myself and telling her not to hire Danica. I know. Selfish. I mean it was crazy enough how she ended up in my life. But now we were living together. And somehow I find myself being happy about that. I was already more than happ
Danica POVI watched the windows of Dmitry’s office fade to a white foggy color for privacy just after an older man walked in and sat on the other side of his desk. He was dressed in a full suit, like it was Monday morning and not Saturday afternoon.“How did you meet Mister Hardin?” Caroline walked into the conference room with two brown paper bags in hand.She placed them on the table. They were from Luxe. The restaurant Dmitry asked her to order from.I pondered on her question for a minute. What was I going to say…’Oh I stole his bike. Wrecked his bike. And met him when I woke from my concussion.’ No. I couldn’t say that.“I met him at my dads auto garage.”She unpacked the brown bags. I could smell the food before she opened the boxes. My stomach growled and I almost thanked myself for not taking Maci up on her offer for a muffin once the interview was done.She said I could have one free pastry a day and all the coffee I wanted.“Oh. Your dad owns 360 Bike Repairs?”“No. My dad
Danica POV Sunday has always given me mixed emotions. Or not always. Just the past few years. I was happy to be able to get away from Rick and evenly sadden to know I was going to school. I was literally running from one lion’s den to the next. But that was my life. And now its not. For one of the first times ever, I found myself only sad. Sad that I had to go back to school and sad that I had to eave this house. Dmitry has done everything to make me feel at home here. And as we were sitting on the living room floor eating takeout for the fourth time this week, I thought about our conversation yesterday. He joked about me not liking being here in this amazing home with him. Then I casually said, I hadn’t thought about it. “I lied.” My eyes steadied on his, letting him know I had something to say. He paused the spoon full of food next to his mouth. Long enough to ask, “About?” “About staying with you. I had thought about it. I just wanted you to know, I had.” I stuffed my mou
Dmitry POVThe smell of cheap, loud perfume hit me the moment the night air crept into my home. Her beautiful red hair was pinned up in a low bun. She wore a white blouse and a tight blue skirt. Similar to her uniform.In this outfit, she reminded me of the day I first met her. No doubt that was her intention. To bring back just enough nostalgia to remind me why I ever messed with her in the first place. To drag me into her game.But right now, the only thing on my mind was, “What are you doing here, Nancy?”She peeled herself in between the tight space I created when I opened the front door. “I knew I would find you home. That assistant of yours said you were in meetings all day.”She shrugged her shoulders and held up a thin wine bottle.“Well, I couldn’t help myself. I thought, now here is a man who doesn’t know when to let loose and have a little fun.”She wasn’t wrong. I did work to much and letting loose wasn’t in my vocabulary. Or at least in the way she wanted me to. I new how
Danica POVI assumed Nancy made a quick exit after I retired to my room. As if last night wasn’t weird enough, Nancy comes. The last few times I saw her, I have to admit it wasn’t pleasant. Last night, I should have felt the same feeling. Especially when disgust for me was all over her perfect face.Yet, last night I found myself grateful to her for interrupting.Though I wasn’t sure what she was interrupting.The next morning, I didn’t bother saying goodbye from fear that he might want to continue the conversation from the night before.Instead, I hurried out the door like a coward.As soon as I made it to school, my mind was no longer on Mr. Dmitry. Instead, it was on Lucas. I entered the hall to see him standing near my locker.“You didn’t call me this weekend.”“I was busy.” Suddenly I remembered I was supposed to call him to discuss a meeting spot.“Too bus to work on our project?”Ready to be dismissed from his presence I blurted out, “Do you know the small coffee shop near down
Danica POVThe next few days started and ended the same. With me rushing out the door early in the morning before Dmitry could say a word, and then with Lucas in the back corner of the coffee shop. My training shifts today and yesterday weren’t that long so we were able to start at six instead of eight, giving us more time to work on our project.We were only half way through our project which is due next Monday and it was all my fault. The first two days, I’d managed to keep Lucas talking about himself. Even tonight, it was easy to keep this attention on my questions.By now, I knew almost everything there was to know about Lucas. Right down to his birthmark on his inner thigh. He said it remined him of Texas.Lucas’s life was exciting for an eighteen year old boy. His family summered on an island outside of San Diego. Since he was always out of town for his birthday, his parents allowed him to have a back to school party and invited the whole school.It was a standing tradition that
Danica POV The next morning, Maci text me giving me the day off and when I relayed that message to Dmitry, he said he was taking me out for dinner. We had eaten dinner together almost every night for a little over a week now. Though I knew tonight would be no different, I still felt the flutter of butterflies in my stomach. I’d never been out with a guy before. Not a dinner date. I tried to clear my head of the thoughts forming. This was not a date. Just dinner with my new friend. I rode my bike home for the first time in a few days. Dmitry met me at the coffee shop after closing. I pedaled faster when passing my old home. Ricks home. The auto garage door was down, which was unusual for four in the afternoon. But no matter. I kept pedaling. I didn’t want to risk seeing my father walking down the driveway. I made a mental note to find another way home. Even if it took me an extra thirty minutes, I didn’t care. Anything not to see that man again. When I got home, I decided to clea