“Okay, but nothing extravagant,” she conceded. “No big parties. Just you and me. Deal?”
“Deal,” he answered softly. Then he drew her close again, content for the time being to just hold the woman he loved.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Maggie stood glaring at her outfit in the mirror. It was the third thing she’d put on and still she couldn’t bring herself to be satisfied with it. Sighing, she tugged the red dress off over her head and threw it down on the bed. It just wasn’t right and everything tonight had to be perfect.
It didn’t help that she had no idea what sort of celebration Anatoly had in mind for her. He had been tight-lipped about his plans to the point that Maggie had almost begged him to spill the beans. Only pride had stopped her.
The only hint he had given her was to wear comfortable semi-formal shoes, which didn’t tell her anything useful except that she was expected to be on her feet. She stood pouting in her underwear, hoping that something would spring from her wardrobe that would be fun, but comfy with just a touch of sexiness.
Unfortunately, nothing quite spoke to her and so she worked her way to the very back of the closet, digging through old things that she’d not worn in years. That’s when she spotted it, a blue and white floral sundress that she’d bought on a whim and never had occasion to wear; the tag was still on it.
She frowned in contemplation. It wasn’t really the right season, but she could put a jacket on over it until they got to wherever they were going. He hadn’t told her to dress warmly after all, so perhaps it would be exactly what she needed right now?
“Hell with it…” she mumbled and snatched it off the hanger. She’d try it on and see how it felt and looked. It had flowy, off the shoulder sleeves with spaghetti straps to hold it up and once she had it on, the way it swished around her knees brought a soft smile to her lips.
“Okay, girl,” she said to herself in the mirror, “but what are you doing with your hair?”
Maggie tried styling it up and down, wondering which way Anatoly would prefer it for just a moment before she decided to do the best of both worlds. A few minutes later, she’d fixed it partially up so that it wasn’t in her face, but still flowed down her back.
Then it was time to do her make up, which she kept simple; a little eye shadow, mascara, and lipstick went a long way, she thought. Finally, she slipped into her comfiest pair of matching pumps.
Once she was finally ready and standing in the mirror, she actually smiled, liking what she saw for the first time in years. If she was being honest, it was the first time ever that she felt free to be herself. Even if she wasn’t sure where they were going or what they were doing, she knew she could trust that Anatoly wouldn’t put her in an uncomfortable situation.
She was still swishing the dress and watching it flow and twist in the mirror when there was a knock at the door. Her grin broadened and she hurried out of her bedroom to go answer it.
“Just let me grab my coat!” she shouted, snatching the long coat out of the living room closet and hurrying to slip her arms into the sleeves. When it was buttoned up and her hair pulled free of the collar, she swung the door open to reveal Anatoly waiting on the other side.
He was wearing his usual dress shirt and slacks, shiny black shoes, and a beaming grin. “Z dnyom razhdenia!” he proclaimed and offered her the bouquet of blue roses that he was holding.
Maggie’s cheeks flushed pink and she smiled back at him as she took the flowers. She couldn’t resist smelling them, which seemed to please Anatoly all the more.
“They’re beautiful, thank you,” she said, gesturing for him to step inside. “Let me put them in some water before we go, okay?”
“Da, we have time,” he answered as he moved over the threshold.
It only took her a few minutes to find a vase, rinse the glassware out as it had been sitting for who knew how long, and then fill it with water. Once she was done, she put the roses where Gremlin hopefully wouldn’t mess with them and hurried to rejoin Anatoly.
“Sorry, I’m ready now,” she told him, grabbing her purse from where she’d thrown it on the couch.
“Do not apologize, we are not in rush,” he reassured her, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before he stepped to open the door. “But if you are ready, then we can depart.”
She nodded and followed him out into the hall. After locking up, they were on their way. Anatoly held her hand all the way to the car, squeezing it and flashing her an excited smile that made him look almost boyish.
“So, where are we going?” she asked once they were in the car, but he simply shook his head and turned the engine on. “Come on, not even a hint?”
“Nyet, patience, Maggie,” was all he would say.
She couldn’t help but pout a little at that, which only made him chuckle as he pulled the car out of the parking lot.
Snow had fallen the night before, blanketing the side of the roads in a thin layer of white. It had already melted off the streets, leaving them damp but clear. After having been in Anchorage all this time, Maggie was used to reading the road conditions and caught herself focusing on such mundane issues to take her mind off the wait.
She felt weird not being the one to drive and she wanted to keep holding Anatoly’s hand, but he needed both just in case they hit black ice. When she finally couldn’t take the growing anticipation, Maggie reached over and laid her hand on his leg instead, just for the reassurance of his touch.
Without taking his eyes off the road ahead, Anatoly smiled over at her. “We are almost there,” he declared a few moments later, and sure enough, he pulled into the lot of a strip mall that Maggie didn’t recognize.
Her eyes scanned the various signs, trying to guess which one was their destination. She could rule out the smoke shop and the discount store, but then her eyes landed on a sign that read Roxanne’s Dance Studio and she deduced that’s exactly where they were headed.
