All In

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Alexei drives us out of the city and even past the little town that The House sits in. We start driving into the countryside, where hills roll for miles. 

After a bit of time, he turns onto a dirt driveway, and in front of us sits a huge winery with floor to ceiling windows at the front and the back, so you can see all the way through it. 

We're the only car in the parking lot. "It's closed", I whisper to myself.

"It's not closed", Alexei chuckled. "Tonight is just for us."

After turning off the car, Alexei comes over to my side of the car and helps me out. 

Instead of what he normally does when guiding me somewhere, when he hold me at my hip, he grabs my hand instead and laces his fingers through mine. 

Together, we walk slowly past the winery building and into the rows of grape vines. When we reach a second path, small vases of white daisies sit in perfect symmetry. "Alexei. The daisies-".

"Dina got it out of you this week that they were your favorite."

In front of us, a gazebo sits in the middle of all of the grapes. Small twinkling lights hang from the rafters and on the poles, and a small table sits in the middle of it with more daisies on it. 

"Alexei", I stop to take everything in. "I don't deserve this."

He pulls me into him, nuzzling his lips into my hair. "You deserve everything in the world, and this is also my apology to treating you so poorly."

Before we can get too lovey-dovey, he pulls me along the path up to the gazebo. On the table is a bottle of wine sits in an ice bath, and a charcuterie board of cheese, fruit, crackers, breads, meats, and nuts. 

Alexei pulls my chair out for me, then on his way to his seat, he stops, opens the bottle of wine, and pours us both a glass. I study the board of food as he settles himself across from me. 

We both start to eat off of the plate, making mini cracker sandwiches and spreading soft cheeses onto various fruits. 

"I still can't fathom it", Alexei starts. "How long have you known Russian? Because you're quite good."

"I was born in St. Petersburg. My father died, and my mother and I moved here before I turned two." 

"How did your father die?" He takes a sip of his wine to wash down the disgusting blue cheese he chooses to eat. 

"He was killed in some sort of military thing, I think. I never asked Mom, she hated to talk about it."

"I'm sorry", he replies to me.

We finish the board, and a server, dressed just like I do, or did, appears out of no where. She picks up the empty plate, and leaves again. A second server comes up and places out main entrees in front of us. 

In a shallow bowl, a lobster bisque sits with two huge chunks of lobster claw in the middle. 

"This looks amazing", I look up at the server. She smiles. "Thank you so much."

The soup is beautifully made, even better than the restaurant I worked at. That one was amazing. The server brings us each two small plates of slices of bread, so I dip them right in. Alexei is hesitant at first, as if because it's our first date, he should be polite and well mannered. 

For the first time, I feel like Alexei and I can talk like two normal people going on a date. We tell each other stories of how we grew up and the events that made us who are now. 

The one topic we do avoid is Carson, or Sasha, or whatever his name is, as well as Sergei. A lot of things have been clicking in my head the more I think about it. Just certain things that happened while we were together, but also how he found me in the city. He had probably known I was there for months before he came, because not even my mother had my address. 

The server comes back with our dessert, a slice of almond cake with a blueberry compote. She also brings us a glass of sweet pink wine to go along with it, balancing out the entire meal.

Alexei takes his last bite, wipes his mouth with the cloth napkin, then drinks the rest of his wine while he waits for me to finish mine. After I wipe my own face with my napkin, the server comes back and takes the plates away. 

I watch Alexei shift around in his seat, and then he pulls a box from his pocket. 

"What the fuck are you doing?" I literally start to get out of my seat. I will not get engaged to someone I met a week ago. 

"Calm down. It's not a ring", Alexei chuckles. He opens the black box and sets it in front of me. "Well, it is, but."

I lean forward to look closer in the box. The ring is laced with a silver chain, like the ring is the charm. 

"I was hoping you would wear this, this necklace." Alexei takes a hold of my hand. "This ring was my mother's, and when I left, she told me to give to the woman I believe I will marry. So, for now, I'm asking if you would wear this necklace, because I know you would not want to now. And, when you choose, you can wear the ring on your hand."

"Alexei", I gleam. I start to take the necklace out of the box. But he stops me. 

Alexei gets out of his chair, helps me take the necklace out of the box, then clasps it behind my neck. I play with it between my fingers as Alexei holds his hand out to help me to my feet. 

"Come on", he places a kiss on my cheek. "I want to show you one more thing before we head home."

Alexei shows me down a path towards a hill. I allow him to go ahead of me as I do my best to walk up the hill in my heels, which is only semi-successful. 

When I get to the top, I'm bathed in the golden sunlight of the sunset beyond the rolling hills we look over.  

"This is beautiful", I tell Alexei. As I stare out over the vines and the sun, I feel Alexei's eyes on me. When I look up, I wish I had a camera to take a picture.

Alexei's eyes reflect the sun like amber gemstones, and they beat down on me as the sun does. 

In every aspect of the word, this man is perfect. He is the sexiest man on this planet, I know he will protect me from everything, and I could genuinely see myself loving him just a short time from now. 

I play with the necklace in my fingers as we watch the sun set over the farthest hill. Just after the sun sets, and we no longer gleam under the purest light, he turns us together. I wrap my arms over his shoulders, one hand goes up into his hair. 

"If you would allow me,  Жизнь моя", he rests his hand on my cheek. "I would like to try again. Pick up where we left off last week."

"Alexei", I try. "I don't want to freak out on you again."

"I know it wasn't you, Darling. But if you want to try, I would love to show you how perfect you are."

I think that love thing is going to come sooner than I thought.