Love in E Flat (18 page)

Chapter 14

Agata gently hung up the phone and stared at it and kept staring. She drummed her fingers on the table, shaking her head.

“This is big mistake. What am I doing?” she asked herself. This would lead to nothing but heartache. She glanced at her watch. “Oh, my God. She will be here soon…” She ran to the bedroom. “I have no idea what to wear.”

After a hot shower, which did nothing for her racing heart, Agata finally decided what to wear. She opted for a simple black dress and sexy silk stockings—she would worry later about that particular decision; she wore little to no makeup. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and ran the brush through her thick hair, cursing the wayward blond curl she tried to brush off her forehead; it was a losing effort. She put on a simple pair of earrings and took a deep breath. When she heard the knock at the door, she nearly had a heart attack. “God help me with this crazy American.”

Walking with a purposeful gait, she opened the door to see Lou standing there, grinning.

“Hello,” Lou said.

“Good—”Agata cleared her throat. “Good evening.”

“Good evening.” Lou matched her solemn tone. “Comrade.”

Agata raised an eyebrow. “Again with the joke?”

“Sorry.” Lou laughed nervously. “Um…May I come in?”

“Oh,” Agata said. “Of course.” She stepped back and offered the couch. She took Lou’s coat and laid it on the chair. “Sit, please.”

“Thanks.” Lou sank back against the plush cushions. “I have to figure out how to get this to my apartment.”

Agata laughed while looking at the menu on the desk. “What would you like to eat?”

“Whatever you’re having is fine, Aggie.”

“Wine?”

“Sure. That’s fine.”

After she ordered, she sat in the chair next to the couch. “It will be here soon. I hope you are in the mood for Italian.”

“I’ll eat just about anything,” Lou said. “Kids okay?”

“Yes, thank you. Ana loves the bathtub and bubbles. They are sound asleep, the poor things. It has been such a hectic time for them.”

“And for you?”

Agata didn’t know if she should be thankful Lou sat on the end of the couch; she was closer, so it seemed natural for Lou to reach over and place her hand on her knee. And God help her, Agata loved the feeling. “You’ve been through a lot, too, Aggie.”

Agata looked down at Lou’s hand, feeling the warmth spread through her body; she smiled and patted Lou’s hand. And naturally, entwined her fingers with Lou’s. Everything is seeming so natural, Agata thought.

“What are you thinking?” Lou asked. “You seem miles away.”

Agata felt the tears sting her eyes; she quickly blinked them back. “Nothing.”

Lou smiled then. “I think you were thinking something…”

“You are pest,” Agata said, but she smiled, as well.

Before Lou could respond, the dinner arrived. The young man rolled the tray in, and as Agata instructed, he placed it by the two chairs in front of the long window. Without further instruction, he pulled the floor-to-ceiling curtains back to show the lights of the city below.

Agata scribbled her signature while Lou examined the table.

“Looks great.” Lou picked up an olive and popped it in her mouth. “Love antipasto salad.”

“I do, too,” Agata said. “I am hungrier than I realized.”

“Madam Karetnikov, you have a wonderful appetite.”

“I am taking it as compliment. Sit, please. Would you open the wine?”

“Sure.”

Lou concentrated on her task as Agata watched her. Such a pretty face, she thought. Her gaze traveled to Lou’s hands as she uncorked the wine. Agata raised an eyebrow as myriad erotic scenarios flashed through her mind. She quickly picked up a piece of cheese.

“Here we go,” Lou said, pouring two glasses.

As Agata picked up her glass, Lou offered hers in a toast. “I was just telling Edie a few days ago I had my life. I worked. I played. I was happy or so I thought. And now…”

“And now?” Agata asked softly as she watched Lou. The tears that welled in Lou’s eyes shocked Agata; she said nothing.

“And now I meet this Russian woman, who has me thinking my life might not have been as happy as I thought.” She smiled and gently touched Agata’s glass. “Thanks.”

Agata took a sip of wine. “It is mine turn, I believe. I too thought my life was complete. I had my passion for my music. I tried to fulfill my friend’s wishes with Dmitry and Ana. I had success on many levels.”

She smiled, and Lou’s heart melted. “And then?” Lou asked.

“And then I meet this crazy American journalist who in a few days has showed me many things.” She touched her glass to Lou’s. “You have lifted my heart, Lou.”

“It’s been fun, hasn’t it?”

Agata ran the back of her hand, gently swiping a blond wave from her forehead. “It has,” she said, looking out the window.

Lou took this unguarded moment to study Agata. She wore a simple but elegant black dress; a simple silver unobtrusive chain adorned her neck with earrings to match. Lou noticed a diamond ring on her right hand; it looked antique in its platinum setting. When she looked up, Agata was watching her.

“Is there something wrong, Comrade?” Agata asked with an arched eyebrow.

Lou chuckled. “Not a thing. I’d like to tell you, you look beautiful.”

Agata said a quiet “thank you,” then took a drink of wine.

“May I tell you that?” Lou asked softly.

“You may.”

“You look beautiful.” Lou grinned when she saw a slight blush in Agata’s cheeks.

“
Dzikuj
,” Agata whispered.

“Jenkooya?” Lou repeated. “Is that Russian?”

“No. It is Polish. I had spent so much time with my grandmother after my parents died, I spoke Polish almost exclusively for many years. It means thank you.”

Lou nodded. “You’re welcome.” She hid her grin. “That’s English.”

Agata chuckled and shook her head. “Again with the jokes.”

“Always.” Lou laughed along and took a drink. She glanced at Agata. “So…”

“Tell me about your parents.”

Lou blinked and sat back. “And now for something completely different.”

Agata hid her grin. “A safe topic for now.”

Lou glared playfully and picked up another olive. “Okay. Not much to tell. They’re good folks. I don’t see them very much.”

“And why is that?” Agata absently prepared a plate of meats and cheeses for Lou, then one for herself.

“Thanks.” Lou accepted the plate. “Dad is always golfing, and Mom is busy playing in a senior tour with tennis. I doubt I’ll see them this Christmas. They’re in Hawaii.”

“You will be alone for Christmas?” Agata asked as she wiped her mouth with the napkin.

“I suppose. But I’ll have Edie and John. They’re like family.”

“I like them. They seem very much in love.” She stopped and glanced at Lou. “I find it curious, though, she found the time to join you when you followed me but had no time to complete our interview.”

Lou had the fork up to her mouth; she slowly set it back on the table. “About that…”

“Yes?” Agata asked, cutting the meat on her plate.

“Well, you see…” She had no idea how to continue; she took a drink of wine. “Okay, the truth.”

“That would be advisable.” Agata set her fork down and picked up the bottle of wine, refilling Lou’s, then her own. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Lou grimaced. “Edie and my boss thought I could write the story a little better than Edie. But we needed more from you, and given the way our first meeting went, we thought you’d never agree. So we…”

“Lied.”

Lou started to argue but sighed. “Yes. We figured if I just showed up and told you Edie was busy, you wouldn’t mind.”

“I could have said no when I saw you.” Agata raised an eyebrow, giving Lou a smug grin.

“Yes, you could have.” Lou leaned forward and offered a grin of her own. “Why didn’t you?”

Agata felt the color rise in her cheeks; she hoped it was the wine, but she knew better. She tried to hide her grin while she drank her wine.

“Time for the truth, Aggie,” Lou said.

Agata looked into Lou’s blue eyes, which sparkled annoyingly with amusement. “Perhaps I did not mind so much it was you.”

Lou adored the broken English and the soft accent. “Not so much?”

“No,” Agata said. “Not so much.”

“I’m glad I met you,” Lou said.

“
Da
, Lou.” Agata’s bottom lip quivered. “I am too glad.”

“So tomorrow night…” Lou took a deep breath.

“The concert, yes. I must be at the hall at six. I can leave a ticket for you if you like. And for Edie. Perhaps John, as well. It was nice for them to offer to take Ana for the day.”

“I had hoped you’d say that. Edie and John are infatuated with the kids. They’d love to see them and you.”

“I am glad of this, as well. It is good for Dmitry and Ana to have other friends and adults than the ones at the center. Not that Mrs. Penkov isn’t a good influence. She has been a godsend. I do not know what I would have done without her help or Thomas’s. But the children…” She stopped and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I just want them happy. To have time to grieve but also time to be happy. They are so young, so helpless.”

Inexplicably, Agata buried her face in her hands and wept. Lou immediately ran around to her and knelt beside her.

“Hey,” she said softly. “What’s wrong?”

Agata tried to turn away from her as if embarrassed. Lou would have none of that. She gently held her shoulders, turning Agata back to her. “Aggie, please, sweetie.”

Agata cried, the tears flowing so hard, she thought they’d never stop. “I do not think I can do this. What was I thinking? I know nothing of being a guardian much less a parent.”

Lou stood and pulled Agata into her arms. “Shh, now. Please don’t cry. You’re doing a wonderful thing. The children adore you, I can see that.”

Agata pulled back and sniffed. Lou grabbed the linen napkin and handed it to her. Agata tried to grin as she took it and dabbed her eyes. “I am sorry. That was unfair of me to do to you.”

Lou smiled. “I’m glad you did. And I’m glad you feel comfortable enough.”

“I hate crying.”

“Strong Russian stock,” Lou said in a dour voice, hiding her grin.

“Oh, shut up.” Agata tried to hide her grin, as well. “But I am serious. I know nothing of being a parent. I want to do as Inga wished. I only hope I do not fail.”

“You won’t.”

Agata faced her then. “How can you be sure? You barely know me.”

“I know we’ve only met a few days ago.” Lou shrugged. “I just know. Things will be fine.”