hot and cold around you. Well, mostly hot, but my work is important to me. It took me too many years to get to where I am today and I had to work for every penny. I know you had to wonder why I brought you to Miami given that most everything took place in Russian, but selfishly, I wanted you by my side.”
Alanna’s mouth opened and closed at his admission.
Shaking his head in frustration. “I’m terrible at, how do you say it, wooing a woman. I wanted tonight to be all about you. Does that make sense?”
He looked at her expectantly, as Alanna wondered how to respond. He’d shared so much of what she’d been thinking, she was overwhelmed.
“I…don’t know what to say.” Alexander suddenly sagged and she reached out to take his hand, as he looked at her expectantly. “I’ve been attracted to you since the day you interviewed me,” she confessed. “You had to have noticed, I must have behaved like a smitten teenager. I couldn’t concentrate on anything you were saying to me. I’m embarrassed just sharing that but I have Roman to think about and I worry about what would happen if we were in a relationship and things don’t work out.”
Smiling, he took her hands in his and kissed them. “You did seem distracted during the interview. I thought it was nerves.”
Alanna laughed as she tried to pull her hands free, but he wouldn’t let her. “I was a bit nervous, but that wasn’t it. I kept fantasizing about you naked and the more I tried to stop, the worse it got.”
Alexander laughed, as he kissed her lightly on the lips. “I had similar thoughts about you and if you had worn anything like you have this evening, I doubt I would have been able to speak.”
Resting her head against this shoulder, “So, what now?”
“For now, let’s take things one step at a time. Okay?”
Nodding her head in relief, “Okay.”
“Come into the kitchen,” he demanded as he walked backwards, tugging at her hands. “We’ll have some wine while I finish making dinner.”
Following him into the spacious kitchen, she sat down at the bar and accepted the glass of white wine he handed her. Smiling, they clinked glasses, as Alanna took a sip of the wine. She made a face, as she set the glass down.
“You don’t like the Chablis?” he questioned as he finished putting some items on a plate before setting it down before her.
“It’s a bit dry,” she answered as she touched the base of the glass.
“True, but try it with this.” Pointing to the plate, as she looked down.
“Well, I recognize the lox, but what’s this?” she asked pointing to the doughy item. “It looks like a crepe.”
Nodding his head, “Sort of. It’s a blini, which is a Russian pancake, of sorts. It is delicious with the fish. Try it,” he coaxed.
Placing a bit of crème fraiche on the blini, he placed a piece of lox on top followed by a slice of jalapeno. “Taste,” he told her as he held it to her mouth.
Leaning forward, Alanna took a bite, as her eyes lit up in appreciation. “Good?” At her nod, he gestured to the wine. “Try the wine again.”
Picking up the glass, she took a small sip. “Oh, that’s much better,” she confessed, as he laughed. “Where did you learn all this? Russia?”
Shaking his head, he turned back to the stove as he stirred at the contents of a pot. “Nyet, Amelia. When we came to New York, we were both very young. I had just finished college and she had yet to start. She wanted to take some English classes before she started at the university, but she was very shy at the time. So she started with cooking classes. She is quite the…what do you call them…foodie. I learned from her,” he answered proudly.
Alanna stared at him deeply impressed and a bit embarrassed. In all the years she’s lived in the city, she never thought to take any enrichment classes. Rich smells broke her out of her reverie, as he prepared a dish that started to smell like heaven. She studied his confident movements
Alanna’s mouth opened and closed at his admission.
Shaking his head in frustration. “I’m terrible at, how do you say it, wooing a woman. I wanted tonight to be all about you. Does that make sense?”
He looked at her expectantly, as Alanna wondered how to respond. He’d shared so much of what she’d been thinking, she was overwhelmed.
“I…don’t know what to say.” Alexander suddenly sagged and she reached out to take his hand, as he looked at her expectantly. “I’ve been attracted to you since the day you interviewed me,” she confessed. “You had to have noticed, I must have behaved like a smitten teenager. I couldn’t concentrate on anything you were saying to me. I’m embarrassed just sharing that but I have Roman to think about and I worry about what would happen if we were in a relationship and things don’t work out.”
Smiling, he took her hands in his and kissed them. “You did seem distracted during the interview. I thought it was nerves.”
Alanna laughed as she tried to pull her hands free, but he wouldn’t let her. “I was a bit nervous, but that wasn’t it. I kept fantasizing about you naked and the more I tried to stop, the worse it got.”
Alexander laughed, as he kissed her lightly on the lips. “I had similar thoughts about you and if you had worn anything like you have this evening, I doubt I would have been able to speak.”
Resting her head against this shoulder, “So, what now?”
“For now, let’s take things one step at a time. Okay?”
Nodding her head in relief, “Okay.”
“Come into the kitchen,” he demanded as he walked backwards, tugging at her hands. “We’ll have some wine while I finish making dinner.”
Following him into the spacious kitchen, she sat down at the bar and accepted the glass of white wine he handed her. Smiling, they clinked glasses, as Alanna took a sip of the wine. She made a face, as she set the glass down.
“You don’t like the Chablis?” he questioned as he finished putting some items on a plate before setting it down before her.
“It’s a bit dry,” she answered as she touched the base of the glass.
“True, but try it with this.” Pointing to the plate, as she looked down.
“Well, I recognize the lox, but what’s this?” she asked pointing to the doughy item. “It looks like a crepe.”
Nodding his head, “Sort of. It’s a blini, which is a Russian pancake, of sorts. It is delicious with the fish. Try it,” he coaxed.
Placing a bit of crème fraiche on the blini, he placed a piece of lox on top followed by a slice of jalapeno. “Taste,” he told her as he held it to her mouth.
Leaning forward, Alanna took a bite, as her eyes lit up in appreciation. “Good?” At her nod, he gestured to the wine. “Try the wine again.”
Picking up the glass, she took a small sip. “Oh, that’s much better,” she confessed, as he laughed. “Where did you learn all this? Russia?”
Shaking his head, he turned back to the stove as he stirred at the contents of a pot. “Nyet, Amelia. When we came to New York, we were both very young. I had just finished college and she had yet to start. She wanted to take some English classes before she started at the university, but she was very shy at the time. So she started with cooking classes. She is quite the…what do you call them…foodie. I learned from her,” he answered proudly.
Alanna stared at him deeply impressed and a bit embarrassed. In all the years she’s lived in the city, she never thought to take any enrichment classes. Rich smells broke her out of her reverie, as he prepared a dish that started to smell like heaven. She studied his confident movements
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