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“Seriously?”
“We need as many details as possible if we’re going to convince our interviewer.”
I sigh. “Fine, um… We were at dinner. After dessert, you got down on one knee and popped the question.”
“What was the name of the restaurant?”
I pinch the bridge of my nose and squeeze my eyes shut. “I don’t remember?”
“That’s not going to fly.”
“Pyotr, you have to be reasonable. If we’re too rehearsed, the interviewer will definitely know something’s up.” I nibble on my bottom lip. “Okay, fine. Let’s change the story because I’m hopeless when it comes to remembering the names of places. How about we say you proposed to me at the park? We went for a walk together. It was the middle of winter, so it was snowing like crazy. After I complained about my hands being cold, you took them in your own and instead of warming them up, you slipped a ring on my finger.”
Pyotr regards me quietly, something soft washing over his expression. “That… could work.”
Our waiter drops off our food, so we continue to iron out the details of our supposed romance around mouthfuls of our meal.
“How many siblings do I have?” Pyotr asks me.
“Three. Mikhail, Dimitri, and Luka. How many siblings doIhave?”
“Three, as well.”
I arch a brow. “What are their names?”
Pyotr grimaces, obviously struggling to recall. “I remember Yasemin…”
“Oksana and Nikita,” I prompt.
“Right, right.” He continues down the list. “What size is our bed?”
“That’s a question?”
“Evidently.”
“I mean… We have separate beds, so I’m not sure how to answer.”
“We’ll say we sleep in mine.”
“Okay, fine. A California King, then.”
Pyotr’s eyes flick up to me and I realize my mistake. “You’ve been in my room, have you?”
My heart stutters. Wow, I didn’t expect to be caught out like this. “Uh… yeah? That’s how I found the money I needed when I tried to, um…” I clear my throat, shifting uncomfortably in my seat. “When I tried to run away.”
“So, you’ve been through my things.” If he’s upset by this realization, Pyotr does a good job of not letting it show. “That’s how you knew about my hearing.”
“I didn’t mean to overstep.”
“I already told you it’s fine.”
I swallow, my throat suddenly dry. “Can I ask you why you don’t wear your hearing aid?”
Pyotr visibly bristles at my question. Neither of us were expecting to have this conversation today, but here we are. “A secret for a secret?”
I nod, leaning in. My heart is pounding; I’m so eager to learn the truth the rest of the world seems to fade away. I focus on Pyotr.
“This is going to sound stupid,” Pyotr confesses.
