The Maestro | RusAme |

Ten

The three sitting at the table were done eating. There was no more conversation as they were waiting for their checks. Roderich had to leave the table to take a call from his peeved girlfriend.

"Yes, yes I hear you. I'm going home right now." Roderich held the phone away from his ear when his girlfriend started yelling at his through the phone.

Amelia laughed as he walked away to talk outside. "He's somethin' else, that Roderich... He begged me for a week straight to see you perform, y'know." She quickly added, "Not that I didn't want to, he just didn't tell me what it was... I'm glad I went."

All Amelia could do was facepalm on the inside. Shut up, you'll make a fool of yourself!

There was a brief silence for a moment, but it felt like years until Ivan finally spoke up. "Thank you for going, it means a lot."

Amelia looked up, noticing that he wouldn't look her in the eye. "No problem..." She mumbled, kind of curious and also a bit hurt.

Then she blurted out, "You're just visiting, right?"

"Well, I live here, but I'm not going to be here all the time." He answered.

'Damn it, damn it, damn it!' she thought, knowing this was going to haunt her in the back of her mind. She just wanted to move on!

But then she realized she still really loved him, deep down. Ugh! Her life was going to be thrown so off course if she left this to brew in her mind, she knew she couldn't ignore this issue.

"Well, if you're here a while, I'm not always busy, if you want someone to just hang out with. As a friend, obviously." She gave him a smile, and he smiled in return, giving her a short laugh.

He looks at her, still smiling. "Thanks, I guess I know who to call when I'm bored... Wait, do I even have your number?" He asked.

She shrugged. "Idk... Here, just make a contact for me and text me, I'm too lazy to make a new contact."

As soon as they were done, the waitress came back with three checks. "Here y'all go... Just come up front when you're ready to pay, have a good evening." She said, leaving the table.

Roderich started walking back to the table. "I really hope you two can find a ride home, I have to leave." He said, though behind his exasperated look, he hid his devious plots to get them together again. "I have to go now, I'll see you Monday Amelia, I'll call you later Ivan."

And he was gone as soon as his meal was paid for. Amelia and Ivan merely exchanged looks of surprise and slight horror, and realized they'd be forced to figure out something together.

"Um, I'm going to call an uber-"

Ivan interrupted, "That won't be necessary, my house is not that far from here, it's a couple blocks to walk. I can give you a ride... If it's not any trouble." Ugh, Ivan, keep your mouth shut! He had no idea why he said that...

"Not at all, let's just go now..." Amelia replied, becoming quiet as she grabbed her card from her purse. Ivan reached for his wallet, and they walked out of the restaurant as soon as they had paid.

And thus begins the awkward walk to his house, that will lead into a more awkward car ride to Amelia's.

There was utter silence, a silence that was putting more and more distance between them. Someone was bound to say something at one point...

That someone was Amelia, which was predictable. She was always the one who broke the ice, seemingly doing it with ease. She always seemed flawless in every aspect, yet she saw herself as far from graceful.

"This is probably better than an Uber, even though there's some walking involved. I feel a bit safer with you, since I know you. Thanks." She said, offering a smile.

He returned it. "My pleasure, I'm glad to be seeing some familiar faces. I didn't make many friends when I went back home... A couple, but it was still lonely." He said shortly.

"Well, like I said, you're welcome to talk to me anytime."

"Thanks." He said shortly. They were coming up on his neighborhood, walking up the hill it to his house, but only one car was there.

Ivan sighed. "She is always gone so late..."

Amelia didn't say anything, trying to keep to herself. She felt awkward, since he was obviously kind of put off by his s/o being out at this hour. So she kept her mouth shut as he went to the front door and let her in.

It was, again, a smaller home. Mostly because only two people lived there, but it was also kind of frigid here as well. She didn't like this feeling of emptiness that it gave her.

Ivan pocketed his keys from off the kitchen counter. They were in the house for less than a minute and Amelia still got the cold vibes from it..

They went back out, and stepped in the car. Ivan started it and back out of the driveway carefully.

"Could you tell me where your place is?" He asked.

She nodded, still very tense. "Yeah, of course."

Half way there, Amelia finally decided to break the silence. "So, I've noticed you speak more formally now..."

"Really? Oh, I guess not exercising my English would have to do with that... Sorry." He laughed shortly.

"No no, you don't have to apologize. It's fine. It's very... you. Not using contractions and things, that is."

'What the heck does that mean?' was all Amelia could think after saying that.

Ivan laughed again, not feeling as tense but still keeping his guard up. "Yes, I guess that you could say that... But I have to apologize again, for this situation. It is, uh, quite weird.."

Amelia laughed as well. "You don't have to apologize, it was out of our own control. I'll make sure to scold Roderich on Monday, ya know? Ha ha." She looked out the window. "Take a turn up here on Riverview." She instructed.

There was an apartment building on the left side of the road she told him to pull up into.

"Here it is... Listen, like I said. Just call when you aren't busy, I'd like to hang out again soon." She offered. "Goodnight, and thanks." She stepped out from the car, and after getting about fifty steps away from his car she waved back at him.

Ivan waved back. "Yeah, uh, goodnight."

AN: If this chapter made you feel awkward too, then I'm doing my job right. 'Ivan, my dude, Amelia is trying. so. hard. just to make small talk and you just blanked outttttt' is the vibe I was going for :^)