AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I blink at him, shocked. “Dinner? I’ve barely digested lunch!”
Shit, my heart didn’t just skip a beat. It’s launched itself out of my chest and is probably halfway to the moon by now.
A tableau that can only be described as a ‘Pinterest wet dream’ unfolds in front of us.
There, at the base of the hill and framed by the shimmering lake, is the deck. It’s illuminated by the soft glow of fairy lights, entwined around the deck’s rails, hanging from trees like glittering constellations brought down to Earth. In the middle stands a table laden with mouth-watering dishes, gleaming champagne flutes, and candles flickering gently in the evening breeze.
Hell, it’s so perfect it’s screaming for a #nofilter snap and at least a hundred hashtags.
#dreamy #sunsetdinner #goals and the lot.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so…Pinterest-perfect in my life,” I mumble to myself, half-laughing at the ludicrousness of the situation.
A woman who looks like she’s in her late sixties, wearing a maid’s uniform, with a full head of gray hair pulled back in a neat bun, is waiting for us by the jetty.
“Tetya Ekaterina!” Yulia’s shout interrupts the silence. The woman’s stern face softens, a smile lighting up her features.
Luka walks over to her, his gait relaxed. He envelops Ekaterina in a hug, then plants a soft kiss on her forehead. They exchange words in Russian, their language foreign to me, but their easy familiarity needs no translation.
There’s a layer of respect in his voice, an evident bond between them. Something tells me Ekaterina is much more than a maid to Luka.
She’s family.
He turns back to me, his arm still draped around Ekaterina’s shoulders.
“Sophia, this is Ekaterina,” he says, a fond smile warming his features. “She was my mother’s personal maid. After… Well, she’s now here, taking care of my mother’s resting place.” He turns to the woman. “And this is…” he falters for a moment, looking at me, “Yulia’s new nanny.”
Nanny.
The word slaps me across the face. I’m taken aback. Of course, that’s what I am. Nothing more. But why does it sting so much? What the hell did I expect? To be introduced as his girlfriend? His wife?
“Zdravstvuyte, I am Sophia,” I find myself extending a hand toward Ekaterina, proud that I’d managed to grasp at least this much Russian in my scant two days on the job. I chance a look at Luka, seeking validation for my effort. God, how desperate I am, trying to impress him with basic greetings.
You idiot!
But when he grins back at me, all perfect white teeth and dimples, something warm unfurls in my chest. It’s a heady feeling, a silent acknowledgment of my efforts.
“Privet Sophia,” Ekaterina responds, her voice soft and warm.
She takes my hand in hers, the touch gentle yet firm. There’s something comforting about her, something motherly, that instantly puts me at ease.
“Do you like the view from the hill?” Ekaterina asks me, her heavy Russian accent rolling off her tongue like a familiar song.
“It’s beautiful,” I admit, my gaze drifting to the picturesque scene around us.
“Come, let’s eat,” Ekaterina announces, herding us toward the laden table. She attempts to spoon-feed Yulia like a toddler, but the little girl bats her hand away, giggling.
“I’m not a baby anymore, Tetya!” Yulia protests, her laughter contagious.
“Yep, our little Yulia is turning eight next week,” Luka chimes in, ruffling Yulia’s hair fondly.
“When you were eight, Luka, you were still like a baby,” Ekaterina teases, her eyes twinkling. “Remember how you were too afraid to sleep alone? Ania – your mother – and I took turns accompanying you to the bathroom in the middle of the night.”
Laughter ripples out of Luka, deep and rich. It fills the air around us, causing my heart to flutter. It’s a sound I could grow used to.
“Enough, Tetya Ekaterina,” he mock-protests, shooting her a playful glare. “Don’t ruin my tough-guy image.”
Then, as if remembering I’m still there, he turns to me and winks. My heart does a strange somersault.
