“I know,” I sighed.
I opened the bag on the table to find Ada had made a batch of her blueberry muffins. Even though I wanted to keep them all for myself, I reluctantly offered one to Nas, who snickered at my obviously forced offer. She took one anyway. We talked over a cup of coffee and I realized time flew as the back door opened.
Both Nas and I turned to watch Lev walk inside. He looked down at his sister and his hard eyes turned warm. “Good morning, Nastasia. Are you joining us for lunch?”
“Lunch?” She perked up. I spun around and scowled at her. Her brows rose in surprise. “I guess not.”
“Next time,” he muttered before turning to me. “I need to shower. We’ll leave in ten minutes.”
“Okay,” I breathed, staring directly at his t-shirt-covered broad chest.
When he left to walk up the stairs, Nas pinched me and whisper-hissed, “You have a thing for Lev!”
“Ow, that hurt!” I howled, rubbing at my arm. “I finally got the guts to ask him to lunch. We’re going to get to know each other.” I vowed, “I’m not letting him avoid me anymore. We’re going to be friends.”
Nas warned, “Lev doesn’t do friendship.”
I looked toward the doorway he walked out of. I declared resolutely, “Well, I’m going to change that.”
Nas left before Lev had finished showering, giving me a moment to apply a tinted moisturizer, mascara, and clear lip-gloss. I brushed my hair and left it down. It was no longer straight, rather cascading down my back in loose waves.
I changed into the navy blue sundress I’d bought two days prior after talking Nas into taking me to another thrift shop, throwing an eighties-style white blazer over the top and slipping on my white, low-heeled mary janes. Nas acted annoyed that I made her come, but she left with a stunning vintage Glomesh clutch circa the seventies.
I grinned at her. She spat oversensitively, “Hey, these are back in fashion!”
As we were leaving, Mirella pulled up into the driveway. She brought Lidiya out, and the moment she spotted her daddy, her arms went out toward him and she started babbling, “Otet! Otet! Otet!”
He looked to me then back to her, and I knew I was losing him. There was no competition when it came to Lidiya. I understood that. And to be honest, I respected that.
Rather than losing my lunch date, I placed my hand on his arm and hinted, “Maybe Mirella could do with an afternoon off.” At his confused look, I suggested, “Let’s take Lidiya with us. We’ll bring a picnic blanket, some of her toys, get some lunch, and eat it in the park.”
He looked from me to Lidiya then back to me. “Are you sure? She’s demanding when it comes to my attention.”
I didn’t blame her. He was pretty wonderful. Smiling, I assured him, “I want Lidiya to come. I love her to bits.”
“Okay,” he stated with a firm nod. And when he went over to his daughter, he beamed, taking her chubby self into his arms, and I knew I had done the right thing.
Chapter Fifteen
Mina
Lev drove past three parks before he found one he deemed suitable. When I pointed out the first two, he lowered his sunglasses, peered out my window, shook his head, and muttered, “Too crowded.”
When he did things like this, I reminded myself that although it seemed strange to me, I didn’t know this man—hence the purpose of today. I would sit by and let him do things his way. I had all the time in the world for Lev and his eccentricities.