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In typical Lark fashion, he was dressed in a rainbow hoodie with a unicorn horn jutting from the hood, and he flashed us a big smile. “Not a problem. Want to come back to Nana’s with us? We’re having lots of fun.”
“I think we probably need to take Aleksei home so he can change,” I told him, “but I’ll be happy to join you later on.”
I was surprised when Aleksei said, “I do want to go home and change my clothes, but we can join you after that if you’ll be at it for a while.”
“Oh, we’ll be at it for hours,” Nana said. “There’s loads to do, since the event is in three days. It’s a fundraiser for the shelter a friend and I founded a few years back.”
Aleksei asked, “What kind of shelter is it?”
Nana’s brown eyes got a little misty as she said, “It’s for LGBT teens and young adults who were living on the streets, on account of getting kicked out by their families. That’s not right, so I needed to do what I could to help out.”
Aleksei listened intently while Nana told him about the shelter and its residents. When she finished talking, he made me so proud by asking, “How can I help?”
By the time we pulled up in front of his house, he’d agreed to be a platinum-level sponsor for the fundraiser. Nana beamed at him and said, “That’s swell. You’re a good guy, Aleksei. I should mention though, that we already made the signs and printed the programs, so it’s too late to add your name.”
He just shrugged and told her, “I always give anonymously. Why would I need to take credit?”
Our friends said they’d wait for us while Aleksei changed, so we hurried inside. I grabbed my messenger bag and waited by the door, and Aleksei joined me a couple of minutes later dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, with the borrowed clothes in a tidy bundle.
I pulled him close and planted a big kiss on him, and he grinned and asked, “What was that for?”
“It’s for being sweet, and kind, and generous.” I’d already known he was something special, but what he’d just done for Nana and the kids at the shelter was above and beyond.
“I’m happy to help, and I like your friends. I just have one question, though. Why a limo?”
“That’s just how Nana gets around. She says at her age, every day should feel like a celebration.”
He nodded and said, “She’s a very wise woman.”
We ended up spending several wonderful hours in Nana’s rainbow Victorian. There were ten of us in total. In between a lot of laughs and great conversations, we got a bunch of stuff done for the fundraiser, from folding programs and assembling party favors to putting together several prize baskets for the silent auction.
Around one a.m., we called a cab and said goodnight to our friends. Nana and her husband were both snoring on the couch, but everyone else gave us hugs and said they’d see us soon.
When we stepped out onto the porch, I grabbed Aleksei’s hand. He turned to look at me, and I said, “So, you’ll probably want to attend the fundraiser since you’re an official sponsor, right?”
“Definitely. Dinner and dancing, a retro prom theme, the chance to dress up—it all sounds fantastic.”
“For sure.”
“And it goes without saying that I want you to come with me.”
“I’d love that.” I took a breath and quickly added, “But I want to go as your date, not as your paid escort.” Before he could say anything, I pressed ahead with, “You’ve been so amazing and generous, but I can’t keep taking your money, Aleksei. I really like you, and I think it’s mutual. So, it’s time to stop pretending this is a business arrangement and admit we just want to be together.”
He looked stunned. “I never thought you’d want that.”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because you’re totally out of my league, and you’re not looking to settle down. You have all those plans to start traveling in just a few months, and—”
“The first thing’s not true, and plans can change. I know you started off by saying you didn’t want a relationship, but are you at least willing to try? Please say you are, Aleksei.”
And then the most amazing thing happened. In the glow of the neon rainbow over the door, he pulled me into his arms and said yes.
14
Aleksei
The next morning, I sat in my office sorting through all that had happened the night before.
Everything was different now. With just a few words, Timothy had completely redefined our relationship—and he’d been absolutely right to do that. What we had wasn’t a business arrangement. It had never been that. The money had just been an excuse, a way of allowing myself to get close to him, even though I was afraid of letting anyone in.
