By the end of our dinner date, we’ve had a culinary adventure and two bottles of champagne.
I’m more relaxed than I’ve been in a long, long time, and I’m struggling with how gorgeous he’s looking. I keep telling myself not to do something silly that’s going to cause issues later, but it’s nearly impossible. His gentle touches are enticingme to reach towards him as well. My fingers thread between his as the waiters clear away our dinner dishes and Yulian pours us the last of the champagne. I lean my head against his shoulder, and we watch the incredible views. City lights glittering like stars beneath it.
After a beautiful, quiet moment, the waiter returns to offer us the dessert menus, but Yulian is quick to decline. He looks at me with a mischievous grin. “I have another idea,” he says.
He settles the bill and guides me from the restaurant with his hand around my waist, holding me against his side.
“Where are we going?” I ask, but he only replies with a grin.
In the elevator, riding down to the ground floor, I want to kiss him. It’s all I can think about as I stand next to him in the quiet, private space.
Champagne is bubbling through my thoughts and making me bold and impulsive. I turn towards him, slipping my hands around his waist, but just as I lift myself onto my tiptoes, the elevator door slides open and someone else gets in.
My cheeks flush, and Yulian chuckles. He holds me tighter, not letting me step away, but he lets me hide my face in the curve of his neck.
Outside, in the cool night air, we don’t walk towards the car. He takes my hand and leads me in the opposite direction. “Where are you taking me, Yulian?” I try again.
“It’s a surprise, but trust me, you’ll love it,” he says, smiling. “In the meantime, it’s the perfect night for a walk, don’t you think?” He pulls me closer.
We walk past other couples who smile at us, and I start to imagine that we look perfect together. That we look happy and in love.
We walk through the colorful streets, lit by store windows and neon lights, until we turn into a garden park.
Yulian leads me beneath an archway adorned by white jasmine that smells more beautiful than I can describe. He walks with me along a stone pathway, towards the center of the garden. Before we get there, we stop at a food truck, and he orders two bowls of nacho ice cream with everything on it.
This turns out to be tiny waffle chips, ice cream, caramel sauce, and a colorful variety of toppings. With dessert in hand, he guides me to the secret place he’s been teasing me with since we left the restaurant.
In the center of the garden park is a ring of trees, grown in a special way so that they form a dome. When you step into this dome, you are stepping into a fairytale world. It’s massive, and every single tree is decorated with soft, warm fairy lights that flicker and glimmer around us like a million bright stars. I stare in disbelief for a moment, unable to take it all in. Yulian laughs at my wide-eyed surprise and takes my hand to lead me towards a bench.
Sitting there, I’m in awe of him. He’s chatting happily about how proud he is of me, and I’m just staring at this beautiful man, wondering how he became this thoughtful and patient and kind, wondering if he’s like this with everyone, or if it’s just me? And why me? Why does he do so many sweet things for me?
Suddenly, I can’t hold the question back, and it blurts out unfiltered. “Why do you spoil me so much, Yulian?” I ask.
He chuckles. “I’m not spoiling you, not really. I’m just happy when you’re happy, Katerina. I want to see you smile.”
“It’s been a difficult few days,” I sigh. “And I really appreciate it. I appreciate everything you do for me, Yulian. Thank you.” My heart spins as I think about kissing him again.
His warm, chocolate-brown eyes lift up towards me, but he’s not smiling anymore. He sets his half-eaten dessert on the bench next to us and turns fully towards me. “Katerina, I met with your brother today,” he says, his voice tense.
“You met with Artur? When, what happened? Why didn’t you tell me?” I say in shock.
“He called me. I went to speak to him on neutral ground, but it didn’t go well.”
Yulian tells me everything that happened, and I sit quietly, sinking into myself. So that’s why he really took me for dinner. It wasn’t to celebrate. It was because he needed to soften the blow of this news. He just wanted to ease my disappointment. My brother is hell-bent on making me marry that stranger, and it doesn’t seem like he’s willing to see it any other way. All of the hope drains from me, and all of the fluttering butterflies that were growing towards Yulian and his romantic date night fade, too. This wasn’t a date. It was a pity party for me. The same reason he’s offering to marry me—out of pity.
“Please, will you take me home?” I whisper, unable to bear it for another second.
“Are you sure?” Yulian stammers, disappointment in his voice.
“I’m sure. I want to go home,” I insist.
Yulian doesn’t argue, and we leave the beautiful starry tree dome and walk heavy-footed back to the car. I don’t let him hold my hand this time, because I don’t want someone giving themselves to me out of pity. It’s the last thing I want. I don’t need to be saved from my own troubles. They are mine to bear. Not Yulian’s.
When we get home, I head straight upstairs to shower and get into my sweatpants. What’s the point of wearing a cheerful dress when my heart is miserable?
I don’t go to bed, though. I can’t stand to face Yulian. So instead I go upstairs to the top floor to sit on the balcony in the cold night air and watch the pale sky, filled with stars.
I sit there for almost an hour with my misery weighing heavier and heavier on my shoulders. I hate that he pities me. I hate that he feels sorry for me.
