Chapter4
Heather was in a panic. Although she had sounded very confident when she spoke to Yuri on the phone about their date – it was dinner, that was all – now she was having a nervous breakdown about what to wear. Heather very rarely went out these days, preferring to keep a low profile and get on with work and her studies. Janey suggested she go out and buy a dress, which threw Heather into an even bigger panic. Not only had she not kept up with fashion, she also didn't have a clue what a person should wear to what she assumed would be a fancy restaurant.
Yuri had wanted to pick her up but she insisted on meeting him there. Their compromise was that he would send a car to collect her; this she accepted. The car stopped outside a new and trendy French restaurant. She had seen a review about it in a newspaper and had even gone online to take a quick preview of what to expect on the menu.
When Heather arrived, she was greeted at the door.
“I'm meeting someone,” she said. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yuri. He stood and was smiling. The girl at the door looked Heather up and down and said, “You’re Mr. Kozlov's guest?”
The question shook Heather. She wondered if perhaps she'd made a mistake about her outfit. She'd chosen a cherry red dress with a deep v-neck and buttoned all the way down the front. The sleeves were long with buttons at the cuffs. She was going for a mix of sexy but sophisticated and had rounded the outfit off with a pair of very high heels that altered the way she walked to the point of being seductive.
She was very aware of how she was walking and the expression on Yuri's face as she got closer. He kissed her cheek as she arrived at the table.
“Wow,” he said. “It's been two days and I didn't remember you being so beautiful. You seem to have gotten more attractive.”
“That's so flattering,” Heather said as he held her seat out for her.
She sat and put her hands under her chin, her elbows resting on the edge of the table. It was her attempt to look cool but inside, she shook like a delicate flower in the breeze.
“I tried describing you to Susan,” he said, shuffling his chair under the table.
“Susan?” she asked.
“Oh, my good friend. She's my PA too, actually, and these days, she tries to organize my private life as well as my work life. Susan is like the sister I never had. Like my big sister only I'm older than she is. She's actually the one who set me up at the matchmaker club.”
“Oh, I see. So both Susan and Laura had your interests at heart when they threw me into the mix. I wondered if you'd chosen me to make some kind of statement to Laura Madison.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, the only black face among all the others.”
“Yeah, well, they told me to stay away from the blond bimbos but that isn't why I chose you.”
“Seriously?”
“I was instantly attracted to you,” Yuri said. “I know it's going to sound like a cliché but I feel like I already knew you.”
“We've met already, that might be why.”
“We have?”
Just then, a waitress came to take their order. Yuri was obviously curious about her last statement but Heather kept him waiting until after they ordered.
“It was weeks ago now,” Heather said, sipping the wine the Sommelier had recommended. “I was walking home through Central Park, something I never normally do, and I saw you. You were running. You ran right past me and didn't notice me but I looked at you. You were concentrating deeply.”
“I can't believe I ran past you.”
“Of course I wasn't all dressed up like this.” She giggled. “I was in jeans, most probably, and tatty ones at that. At the moment, this is the only dress I own.”
“You're a bit of a tomboy then? I would never have guessed.”
“No, I'm not really. It's just I'm spending everything I earn on my education. Eventually, I'll put myself through college.”
“You missed out on going?”
Heather put her head down. Her mind drifted to the past, ten years ago to be precise. She was fifteen and met a guy four years older and fell in love for the first time. Falling for him had ended with her life falling apart. She never got a chance to start over until just a few years ago. But she couldn't tell him about those days; she couldn't tell anyone what really happened.
“Let's just say things don't always work out the way they should,” Heather said. “I'm making up for lost time.”
“Well, that's a good thing, I commend you. Not many people would have the will power to go back to education. It's refreshing to hear.”
Their meal was served and conversation turned to the mundane. Heather was happy to be making small talk so she didn't have to go into detail about her life. But as the evening drew on, she could tell Yuri was likely to ask her out for a second time.
“I still can't believe you saw me running.” Yuri laughed. “I recently started running home as well as doing my usual morning run.”
“You run every day?”
“Mostly yes. I find it eases the stress of work away. You should try it.”
“I walk a lot. Besides my running shoes have seen better days.”
“Get yourself a new pair and we'll go together.” His eyes lit up as he smiled.
“I don't know, Yuri. I mean I've had a wonderful time but I'm not sure how far this can actually go.” All of a sudden a wave of seriousness came over Heather.
“You're breaking up with me already?” The sparkle in Yuri's eyes dimmed slightly.
“No,” she said. “It's just, I had someone spurring me on to join the matchmaker club, my friend Janey from work. Well, one of the places I work.”
“You have two jobs?”
“That's the thing, Yuri. You and I come from different worlds. Let's face it. This...me and you, it was a nice idea but this isn’t the real world.”
“I don't get you.”
“It was silly of me to think I could pull off dating a guy like you.” She put her head down. “Perhaps I should go.”
“And that's it? Will I ever see you again?”
“I would like to say yes but … I just don't want to disappoint you. You say things like 'buy a new pair of shoes' and you have no idea how hard that would be for me.”
“Can I just say something here?” It was Yuri's turn to become serious.
“Sure.”
“Every girl I've ever gone out with has made no secret of what they want out of me. You could have all the things you want from me but you'd never ask.”
“Of course not, why should I? You worked for your money, who am I to meet you on a first date and start putting in requests. That's horrible; I could never do that, not ever.”
“I'm so happy to hear you say that. This is exactly what Susan and I suppose, Laura, wanted me to avoid – another gold digger. I know you're not like that.”
“Well, it's a start that you can now tell the difference. Susan would be proud.”
They both began to laugh. Yuri reached over and took her hand in both of his.
“I didn't always have money, Heather. I was lucky in my life and maybe you were unlucky in yours but that’s past. We've got now and we've got the future and I don't know about you, but I'm not going to let money prevent us from seeing each other again. I hope you'll agree.”
Heather smiled and bit her bottom lip. She was enjoying the feeling of his hands holding onto hers, it made her feel safe. The past and all it's nightmares slipped straight out of her mind as she dared, once again, to entertain thoughts of having Yuri in her life.
“I hope that smile says you want to see me again,” Yuri said, bringing his face closer to hers.
She nodded.
“What about Sunday? How would you like to come running with me?”
“I'd like that but I'm not as fast as you, especially in my dilapidated sneakers.”
“That's okay. We'll work around that. What size do you take anyway?”
“I'm a nine but trust me when I say they're old shoes, Yuri.”
“It doesn't matter to me, Heather, you must know that about me by now. We'll meet at Manhattan Avenue, the entrance on 100th? Is that close enough to where you live?”
“It'll do. What time?”
“Seven in the morning?”
Heather pulled a face.
“No later than eight or it just gets to busy,” he said waving a finger and looking like a drill sergeant.
“Busy is good, it'll slow you down.”
Heather had visions of herself, trundling along beside Yuri in her battered sneakers and tatty sweats. At least she'd been honest with him. He shouldn't be expecting her to turn up looking like she was a catwalk model parading the latest work out gear. She hadn't had the latest anything in a long time.
“You're the first woman I've ever asked to come running with me who said 'yes'. I like that,” Yuri said.
She felt his hand on hers again. This time, he leaned forward and kissed her. It was tender, on the lips, but it lingered. Her eyes were still closed as he pulled away. She opened them to find him smiling at her and about to kiss her again but a waiter came along and asked of there'd be anything else.
Yuri looked at Heather who shook her head, no.
“We'll just have the bill,” Yuri said. “I insist on escorting you home, Heather.”
“And I accept.”
They held hands in the car. Both of them had the sense that something was happening, like a good feeling of opposites attracting and sparking a flame. She wanted to ask him up but resisted. She was afraid to burst the bubble and thought taking it slow might save a broken heart, especially if Yuri decided that he couldn't get blond bimbos out of his system after all.
“What are you laughing at?” he asked as he walked her to the front door of the building.
“Nothing, just looking forward to Sunday.”
“It's a day away.”
She felt his arms wrap around her and hold her close. She felt her feet almost lift from the ground as they had a long, good night kiss.
“Until Sunday,” he said and walked away, still facing her until he reached the edge of the sidewalk and almost backed into his car. They both smiled and waved. Yuri waited until Heather had let herself into the building before he let his driver pull away.