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She kissed him with all the strength she had left in her, knowing full well the feeling was mutual.
When they left her office, she felt like everyone who looked their way knew what they did. Even though she was a little paranoid, she was just happy that they left without her boss seeing them.
They didn’t go far for lunch. Instead, they ate at a steakhouse Andrei liked that was around the corner from where she worked. He said it was one of his favorites, and she had no intention of arguing with him.
She didn’t even complain when Andrei ordered lunch for both of them, a T-bone steak for him and grilled pesto chicken for her, along with baked potatoes and a side salad.
“That’s a lot of food for lunch,” she said after the waitress left them.
“You know that my beloved child is not going to starve, my love,” he said. “Not while I’m around to ensure that baby grows up strong and healthy.”
Victoria didn’t know how to process everything he said. If it had been any other time, she would have been upset with him taking so many liberties about what she ate, but what kept her silent the most was how he said the word love. Did that mean he loved her? Or was it like when a waitress called you honey?
That was the problem with having the mind of a lawyer. She was used to always over-analyzing things, even the simple ones. He just used the word love. It wasn’t like he actually said he loved her.
She didn’t know how to take it. From the way he said it, Andrei probably didn’t even know the word had slipped from his lips.
A man next to them had ordered raw oysters, and the smell of them made Victoria and queasy. She covered her mouth.
“Oh, God,” she thought! “Please don’t let me puke in this restaurant in front of Andrei.”
When their waiter returned, she asked, “May I have a glass of ginger ale with a lot of ice please? Quickly.”
The woman looked a little confused, but she still hurried off to get a drink.
Andrei looked at her with concern in his eyes. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”
“I am fine.” She glanced over to the other table with the oysters, and Andrei followed her direction. “Just a little nauseated.”
The ginger ale arrived just in time. She gulped it down like it was the last drink she would ever have. She took deep breaths so she didn’t get sick.
“Can you move us to another table?” Andrei asked. “My girlfriend’s pregnant, and I think the smells around us are getting to her.”
She had never been more grateful to him and she was not moment, and she got an odd thrill at being called his girlfriend. They’d never talked about labels before or what exactly they were to each other. They were just taking it in stride.
“Of course, sir,” the waitress said. She left briefly and came back. “Right this way.”
They moved through the restaurant and followed her. That’s when Victoria noticed a few other patrons staring at them. She couldn’t help but wonder if it was because they were being moved through the restaurant, or if people stared because she and Andrei were an interracial couple. She hoped it was the first, because the second didn’t sit well with her at all.
They had never been on a date before, at least not a public one. New York was a diverse place. Interracial couples weren’t hard to spot, but uneasiness still settled in her chest.
After they sat down in a private booth, the waitress asked, “Is that better, ma’am?”
“Yes, thank you.” She waited until the woman left before she spoke to Andrei again. “Thank you for doing that.”
“Anything for you,” he said.
“So I’m your girlfriend, huh?”
“Did I say that?” His tone jested with her.
“I’m pretty positive that’s what you said.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“I haven’t decided yet, but I like the sound of it, boyfriend.”
“I like you calling me that, too. Maybe we should try it out more often.” He flashed a grin at her that showed off his white, even teeth.
