Page 23 of Finding Alexei
I finish folding the blankets and stack them neatly inside the laundry basket. It’s been a huge blessing to have a washer and dryer here. My apartment doesn’t have one, and shuffling a baby out in the cold to a laundromat several times a week isn’t my idea of fun. That’s a reality I’ll have to face soon enough—well, as soon as I can get my back rent paid up.
“Can I ask you something?” he says.
“Of course.” After I move Ella to a blanket on the floor, I walk to the counter and pour myself a cup of coffee.
“If you didn’t work there, what would you like to be doing instead?”
That’s easy. “I always wanted to be a teacher. I finished my first two years of college on scholarship and with loans from my parents. Then the accident happened, and my parents . . .” I stop for a moment, looking down at my toes. “I lost my focus, I guess, and with it, my scholarship. That was two years ago now. I’d love to go back and finish my degree. But I make good money at the club, and now with Ella . . .”
He nods. “I get it. But for what it’s worth, I think you’d make a wonderful teacher.”
I smirk and mutter, “Thanks.” His words wrap around me like a warm blanket, comforting me and giving me hope at the same time.
• • •
After breakfast and a shower, Alexei drove me to my place so I could pick up my car. I also managed to sweet-talk my landlord into opening my apartment so I could pack up some of my belongings, and get more clothes for Ella and me. He agreed, but only after I handed over several hundred dollars toward my back rent. Then I spent six hours in my underwear serving cocktails to men.
When I finally arrive home, the first thing on my agenda is a long, hot shower to wash the grime and regret off of me. Alexei gave me the code to his underground parking garage, and as I ride up the elevator, I smile, my anticipation at seeing the two of them bigger than you can imagine. The doors open, and nothing could have prepared me for what I find.
The first thing I notice is the classical music playing. Interesting choice. The second thing I notice is the aroma of roasting chicken. It smells delicious.
“Alexei?” I call out, not seeing them in the kitchen or living room.
“In the bedroom,” he calls, already heading down the hall toward me.
“Where’s Ella?”
He grins at me and places a tender kiss on my forehead when he gets close. “Sound asleep.” He chuckles like this amuses him. “I’d like to get her on a regular schedule that doesn’t include a nap right at dinnertime, but for now, it is what it is.”
I follow him into the kitchen, more than a little amazed he’s even thought about her schedule, let alone the fact that he’d like to make improvements to it. Why does that make my belly tingle?
“But she’s been awake for the last several hours,” he says, checking on something inside the oven. “As she grows, that time frame will eventually increase.”
I nod, accepting the wineglass he hands me like this all makes perfect sense. When did this big, strapping jock become a 1950s housewife?
I blink and take a sip of the chilled white wine he’s handed me.
“Welcome home.” He smiles.
My insides twist. This isn’t my home. Ella isn’t our baby. None of this is real and playing make-believe like this is dangerous.
“Thank you,” I murmur, my eyes on Alexei’s.
“You want to take a shower before dinner?” he asks. “There’s time.”
“Sure.” I take another sip of my wine and set the glass on the counter before making my way to the guest bath.
My knees are trembling, and it’s not from the wine. It’s from the drop-dead sexy man who’s babysat all day, cooked me a hot meal, and was thoughtful enough to remember that I like a shower when I get home from work.
What am I going to do when it’s time to leave this fairy tale and return to the real world?
I don’t even want to think about that tonight. And if I’m being brutally honest with myself, I don’t want to think about that ever.
• • •
After my shower, I dress in a pair of leggings and a tank top that hugs my curves. I apply moisturizer and light makeup, even taking the time to dry my hair so it falls in soft waves over my shoulders. I hate how I feel so dirty and grimy when I leave work, and now I feel fresh, clean, and worthy of the man who is waiting on me down the hall. Smiling one last time at my reflection and giving my hair a fluff, I head off.
