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“Very handsome,” Alex agreed and she giggled.
I moved to the next set of photos. “And look at that cutie.” There was a great shot of his parents out the front of what must have been their first house, holding baby Alex, along with a series of shots of the four children from school days all the way through.
“Yeah, I was a cute kid, not much has changed,” The Russian agreed.
“Alexei, you were a beautiful boy,” his mother agreed, embarrassing him this time. “Ladies on the street would stop me to look at you.”
“You should have stopped at perfection then,” he said, teasing his sisters.
“They did,” Nikki added. “One boy broke the mold. After that, Mom and Dad only wanted girls, far less trouble.” She made a face at her brother.
Lana placed the large dish of steaming stroganoff in the center of the table and James began to serve it. Next to her Russian specialty, she placed some homemade corn bread. Nikki followed with two large bowls of salad. I was ravenous and it looked delicious.
“Please be seated,” Lana said, and The Russian pulled out a chair for me and then sat himself down beside me. The table was nicely set with a navy blue tablecloth and white dinner set. The family didn’t say grace like my family always did, but I said my own few words privately. Then the bowls began to fly around the table.
“This is wonderful Lana, thank you. I haven’t had a home-cooked meal since I went home after last season.”
“We’ve checked you out,” Nikki piped up, “you’re an amazing basketball player. You could beat Alex at it.”
“I’d hope so,” Alex said, “since I play soccer.”
“Thank you,” I said, sheepishly. “Although this is my last season.”
“That’s sad about your injury,” Ana agreed. “Do you have a degree to fall back on?” I noticed Ana—the eldest daughter—glanced at her parents as she said this ... given she was college age, I suspected there had been some debate about her continuing on to study.
I nodded in the affirmative. “I’m a qualified journalist. I’m doing some sports reporting at the moment, including reporting the Saints games.”
“Always good to have a qualification behind you that you can fall back on,” James added in the way you’d expect parents to do and with a glance to Ana.
“Yes, that’s what my father says,” I added. “What are you studying, Ana ... I’m guessing you’re at college?”
“Law,” she said, “but I’m only in my first year.”
“That will be very handy, especially for Alex with his contract,” I said.
“If she hurries up and gets enough skills to be useful,” he said, teasing her. “At the rate Ana’s going, my career will be over before graduation.”
“Alex won’t be able to afford me, but I’d love to do sports law, particularly basketball contracts,” she threw back at him with a grin.
I felt so at home even though the family was three times the size of my small family unit. Lana asked about my family and James asked about my remaining basketball season. The Russian looked at me with what looked like pride on his face ... like we were boyfriend and girlfriend and he was proud of me. I wondered when we’d officially become that.
I smiled and looked away before I self-combusted with passion and desire, and set the table on fire at the same time. His hand touched my knee under the table and I swear I nearly shot up to the roof. Luckily Tia was holding court at the time and no one noticed. Then she turned her attention back to me.
“Will you marry Alex?” she asked.
Everyone laughed, except Lana.
“Tia, what did I tell you about asking personal questions?” Lana asked her daughter.
“That it’s rude and I am not to do it,” Tia said, with a sigh again.
“That is correct. Apologize to Carla please,” Lana said.
“Sorry Carla. But I want to be a flower girl ... if you marry Alex, have you got a little sister or will you need a flower girl?”
“I will need one if I ask your brother to marry me,” I teased.
“But he has to ask you!” she said.
