Page 54 of Dance with Me
Okay, so that’s how this was going to go. “Is Papa with you?”
“No, he went to Florida to visit Nik on his tour.”
Divide and conquer, huh? “Why are you at the restaurant?”
“I was hungry. Come meet me.”
He’d just left there a few hours earlier, and he’d already eaten, but he couldn’t say no to his mother. “Fine. But I can’t stay long. You have a hotel already?”
“Yes, a good one. Don’t worry, I won’t intrude on your love nest.”
Ne bylo pechali.His love nest? “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“Was that sarcasm?”
“No, of course not. See you soon, Mama.”
He dashed into his room for shoes and sat by Natasha in the living room to put them on.
Her eyebrows drew together. “Where are you going?”
“Emergency at the restaurant.”
“You were just there.”
“This can’t wait. I’m sorry. I’ll be back soon.”
Her lips pursed in a worried frown. “I have to leave early tomorrow for the dance class.”
“I won’t be late.” He kissed her forehead, paused because he wanted to do more, then thought better of it. If his mother got tired of waiting, she’d come here. “I promise.”
She shrugged and turned back to her laptop. “See ya.”
He ran out to the car and prayed for no traffic. He felt bad leaving Natasha at home alone. He knew she was bored, and pissed off at having to sit around doing nothing. She was used to working all the time and wasn’t the kind of person who handed idleness well.
If he could convince her to move in, to let him take care of her, she wouldn’t have to work so much. Sure, she could still work as much or as little as she wanted, but he didn’t think the constant cycle of money-making gigs made her happy. He got it, and he’d been in that position himself, but now he had enough sources of income that he could live comfortably and take care of the people he loved. Really, it was all he wanted out of life. He loved dance, loved being a dancer, but it was secondary to his love for his family and desire to make them comfortable.
Natasha fell into that category now, whether she believed it or not.
She obviously didn’t believe it. But she hadn’t pulled away from him, so he was trying to give her space. Being there, but not pushing. When he pushed, she retreated.
But now they were locked in this weird stalemate. She didn’t seem like she was about to run away, which made him happy, but their relationship was no closer to where he wanted it to be, and that worried him.
What if it never got to where he wanted it to be? What if she just didn’t want that with him?
It was the fear that kept him from laying all his cards on the table. It was the same fear that had him avoiding his cousin, Alex.
What if he put himself out there and was rejected?
He didn’t know how to proceed with Natasha. Did she needmorespace? She seemed fine with sharing his room, but she’d made a really big deal about it in the beginning. Maybe she wanted her own space back, but didn’t want to tell him.
Bringing his mother into the equation wouldnothelp matters, that he was sure of. Natasha had enough issues with her own mother. He didn’t know what the woman was like, but his mother was likely the opposite. Oksana Kovalenko did not hold back her opinions, and he’d gotten his pushiness from her. If Oksana met Natasha and liked her, she’d be planning their wedding by the end of the week.
And while he liked that idea, he’d bet Natasha wouldn’t, and it would ruin all the progress they’d made. As much as he wanted his mother to meet the woman of his dreams, it wasn’t the right time. He had to find out how Natasha felt first.
So, ask her,Alex would say.
Alex was the pragmatic one. Dimitri was the dramatic one, although he preferred the term “passionate.” It was the kind of thing he might have asked Alex about, if he weren’t actively avoiding him.
