roommate. I couldn’t imagine dealing with Elena and Liza on my own. Aubrey had been my best friend since we met at summer skating camp on the Cape when we were thirteen. She’d told off some girls who were making fun of my dress, and she’d had my back ever since.
Elena appeared at the kitchen door, and I gave her a little smile. “All unpacked?”
“Yes.” She came closer and glanced down at the salad before settling her eyes on me. “I need to speak about something with you.”
I lifted one eyebrow. “Okay.”
She threw a look at Aubrey, who returned it and then went back to gathering silverware.
“I know you and Sergei to be married, but I am not comfortable if he stay here with you at night. I do not want bad example for Liza.”
Aubrey snorted. “Like the one you set getting knocked up at seventeen?”
My jaw dropped, and Elena’s eyes crinkled, like she didn’t quite understand what Aubrey had said but knew from the tone it wasn’t good. I set down the silver tongs and coughed a little.
“Umm… Sergei doesn’t stay here. We’re–”
“Because Em stays at his place,” Aubrey piped up. “It’s more private.”
I gave her a what-are-you-talking-about look, but she kept going, “I’m sure Em will be here every night while you’re visiting, though. Right?” Her eyes appeared to be sending me a telepathic message.
“ Right ,” I said slowly.
“See?” Aubrey said to Elena. “Nothing to worry about.”
Elena continued to study her before backing toward the door. “I tell Liza to ready for dinner.”
I waited a moment and then peeked up the stairs. With the coast clear, I turned to Aubrey. “Why’d you say that?” I asked in a hushed voice. “I’m not ashamed that Sergei and I aren’t sleeping together.”
“I know, but Elena doesn’t need to know the intimate details of your relationship. She’s got nerve, coming into your house and telling you how things are going to be around here. Don’t give her any reason to feel like she has power over you.”
I picked up the pepper grinder and paused with it over the lettuce. “I wonder if Liza’s the only reason behind her request.”
“You think she doesn’t want to see you and Sergei together?”
“I don’t know.” I twisted the grinder. “She had a weird look on her face when she saw the picture of me and Sergei in my room.”
The doorbell rang, and I wiped my hands on a dish towel before bounding up the stairs. Sergei stood on the doorstep with a large pizza box.
He gave me a kiss on his way inside, and we went down to the kitchen. Aubrey smiled as she passed us with an armful of plates. “Hey, Sergei. You know, most people just bring back souvenirs when they go on a trip. You went a little crazy there.”
He slid the pizza onto the counter with a little smile. “Very funny.”
Elena and Liza came down the stairs, and Liza wandered into the breakfast area where Aubrey was setting the table.
“Do you wanna help?” Aubrey asked.
Liza answered by picking up the forks and placing them precisely next to each plate. Sergei watched her over the bar, looking pensive, and I put my arm around his waist. He gazed down at me.
“Everything going okay here?” he asked.
I thought about Elena’s concern over our sleeping arrangements but wasn’t going to mention that conversation. “Yeah. They’re just getting settled in.”
After we all helped ourselves to salad and slices of the veggie pizza, we had the awkward moment of choosing seats at the table. I shuffled around Sergei so he could sit at the head, closer to Liza. Elena sat next to her, and I almost had to laugh at how surreal the whole scene was.
Sergei cleared his throat. “Liza, would you like to skate at the rink tomorrow?”
She lifted her eyes from staring at her pizza. “Yes, sir,” she said quietly.
“Our rink’s pretty cool, huh?” Aubrey said.
Liza nodded, a smile appearing on her lips. Beside her, Elena took the tiniest bites of pizza
Elena appeared at the kitchen door, and I gave her a little smile. “All unpacked?”
“Yes.” She came closer and glanced down at the salad before settling her eyes on me. “I need to speak about something with you.”
I lifted one eyebrow. “Okay.”
She threw a look at Aubrey, who returned it and then went back to gathering silverware.
“I know you and Sergei to be married, but I am not comfortable if he stay here with you at night. I do not want bad example for Liza.”
Aubrey snorted. “Like the one you set getting knocked up at seventeen?”
My jaw dropped, and Elena’s eyes crinkled, like she didn’t quite understand what Aubrey had said but knew from the tone it wasn’t good. I set down the silver tongs and coughed a little.
“Umm… Sergei doesn’t stay here. We’re–”
“Because Em stays at his place,” Aubrey piped up. “It’s more private.”
I gave her a what-are-you-talking-about look, but she kept going, “I’m sure Em will be here every night while you’re visiting, though. Right?” Her eyes appeared to be sending me a telepathic message.
“ Right ,” I said slowly.
“See?” Aubrey said to Elena. “Nothing to worry about.”
Elena continued to study her before backing toward the door. “I tell Liza to ready for dinner.”
I waited a moment and then peeked up the stairs. With the coast clear, I turned to Aubrey. “Why’d you say that?” I asked in a hushed voice. “I’m not ashamed that Sergei and I aren’t sleeping together.”
“I know, but Elena doesn’t need to know the intimate details of your relationship. She’s got nerve, coming into your house and telling you how things are going to be around here. Don’t give her any reason to feel like she has power over you.”
I picked up the pepper grinder and paused with it over the lettuce. “I wonder if Liza’s the only reason behind her request.”
“You think she doesn’t want to see you and Sergei together?”
“I don’t know.” I twisted the grinder. “She had a weird look on her face when she saw the picture of me and Sergei in my room.”
The doorbell rang, and I wiped my hands on a dish towel before bounding up the stairs. Sergei stood on the doorstep with a large pizza box.
He gave me a kiss on his way inside, and we went down to the kitchen. Aubrey smiled as she passed us with an armful of plates. “Hey, Sergei. You know, most people just bring back souvenirs when they go on a trip. You went a little crazy there.”
He slid the pizza onto the counter with a little smile. “Very funny.”
Elena and Liza came down the stairs, and Liza wandered into the breakfast area where Aubrey was setting the table.
“Do you wanna help?” Aubrey asked.
Liza answered by picking up the forks and placing them precisely next to each plate. Sergei watched her over the bar, looking pensive, and I put my arm around his waist. He gazed down at me.
“Everything going okay here?” he asked.
I thought about Elena’s concern over our sleeping arrangements but wasn’t going to mention that conversation. “Yeah. They’re just getting settled in.”
After we all helped ourselves to salad and slices of the veggie pizza, we had the awkward moment of choosing seats at the table. I shuffled around Sergei so he could sit at the head, closer to Liza. Elena sat next to her, and I almost had to laugh at how surreal the whole scene was.
Sergei cleared his throat. “Liza, would you like to skate at the rink tomorrow?”
She lifted her eyes from staring at her pizza. “Yes, sir,” she said quietly.
“Our rink’s pretty cool, huh?” Aubrey said.
Liza nodded, a smile appearing on her lips. Beside her, Elena took the tiniest bites of pizza
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