Dmitri was a keen listener. He paid special attention to what Virginia said about her life. He was also an excellent cook, who didn’t necessarily have a vast knowledge of the wines and cheeses that his fiancé adored so much, but he told Virginia that he was open to finding them out from her.
Dmitri wasn’t just a visual artist, he was a poet and he also played the violin. It was one of the things that came with his paintings and art supplies.
“Dmitri, you’re amazing,” Virginia said when she saw the first piece that he unpacked. The colors were dark, as she expected them to be, but he never used black. He expressed extreme darkness in grays and greens in shades so dark that even Virginia didn’t know what to call them. The whites were never so stark. No color just was. Faces were a worn yellow; the blush of someone’s cheek could have been used with an orange, and with paintings of the vast outdoors Dmitri managed to sneak in purples and shades of blue in blades of grass and forests. He had a way with colors the same way that Virginia had a way with color. He was right when he said that they were both artists.
On Sunday morning, Virginia woke up to a familiar smell. She could pick up eggs, and bacon, and something else that smelled sweet that she couldn’t quite tell. She was going to guess waffles. Even with a maid and her own personal chef, Virginia gave them some time off so that she could be alone with Dmitri.
Virginia groggily got out of bed. The smell was too enticing to ignore any longer. She made her way down the spiral staircase. Her eyes were still a bit foggy, but she could clearly see a shirtless Dmitri getting better acquainted with the kitchen.
“Good morning,” Virginia said through a yawn. She stretched her arms overhead and twirled her wrists in an attempt to better wake her body up.
“Shit. I knew the smell would wake you. I wanted to bring you breakfast in bed,” Dmitri said. He smiled down at her, and she tiptoed to give him a kiss good morning.
“That’s sweet of you. This all looks delicious,” she said.
“I hope it tastes as delicious as it looks,” Dmitri replied. “I wanted to get an early head start. Today’s an important day for us.”
They both stood awkwardly in the kitchen for a bit. It had been a wonderful few days, but they still hadn’t properly wrapped their minds around the fact that they were getting married in just a few hours. They were both giddy, and nervous, and excited, and curious. They had only dipped their toes into the vast pools of each other’s minds.
The two ate their breakfast in relative silence. They sat on the balcony outside, taking in the late morning New York sun. They were so high up that they couldn’t hear what was happening in the street below. The wind whipped around them. The air was cool, but Virginia could tell her face was warm. She hadn’t been able to stop smiling since Dmitri had come. He was so down to earth and unmoved by how much wealth that she had. He always offered to pay for something if the time came, but she told him not to be silly since he hadn’t actually gotten a job yet.
No matter how calm he made her, or how funny he was, Virginia couldn’t shake the nerves she was feeling. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She wasn’t sure she was ready for this, but there was no turning back now.
*****
The wedding ceremony was simple. Nancy was there as the couple’s witness, and she was more dressed up than either of them. Dmitri wore a simple black button up with black slacks. He almost looked the same as the day they had met. Virginia couldn’t help but melt a little when she saw him. She wore one of her own designs, like she had always wanted for her wedding. It was a short white lace dress with intricate patterns and long sleeves. She wore her hair down adorned with a flower crown that Nancy had picked herself.
Even if the ceremony wasn’t like a traditional wedding, Virginia seemed happy. It wasn’t until they left the courthouse that the true nerves kicked in. There was absolutely no turning back from this point. The only option would be to annul or get divorced. She wanted her private life to stay private, especially if something went wrong, but it would be difficult now with a husband.
“How are you feeling?” Dmitri asked when they had gotten back to her apartment. They hadn’t said much to each other during the car ride, even though they held hands the whole way back.
Virginia wasn’t having doubts, but she was full of worry.
“I feel ok,” Virginia said. Dmitri had a puzzled look on his face. He was searching her eyes for an honest answer. She wasn’t being dishonest, but there were things on her mind she wasn’t sure she could tell him.
“I hope you’ve been having a good day. I never imagined a wedding that quick and painless before. And Nancy said we saved so much on catering,” Dmitri said. Virginia smiled. That certainly did sound like something Nancy would say.
“It’s been a beautiful day. An unexpected day, but it’s definitely a good day,” Virginia said. “I guess I’m worried about the future.”
“Ahh but why worry about the future when right now is when you’re worried?” Dmitri asked. That was an interesting question. It made Virginia stop to think for a while. He was patient, and he waited for her to speak. Virginia looked in his eyes. He stroked the side of her face with the back of his hand and leaned in to kiss her.
It was different from their other kisses. This kiss was filled with passion. His tongue teased hers, and he softly nibbled on her bottom lip. Dmitri’s hands had found her neck and he tilted her head more upward towards his. She held onto his wrists and moved in closer to him.
Virginia’s hands traveled down Dmitri’s arms and onto his firm chest. She paused and felt his breathing as he kissed her. He moved one hand from her neck and ran it down her arm and to her waist. They were sitting on the couch, so she couldn’t press her body against his even though she knew that she wanted to.
As if he were reading her mind, Dmitri very cautiously moved his face forward. They continued to kiss and bite and tease each other until Virginia was lying on her back on the couch. She was becoming more and more turned on when Dmitri’s hands had moved from her waist to her stomach and then very seductively along her thighs.
Virginia sighed when she had a chance to breathe. Dmitri was nibbling on her neck. His hand had traveled to her inner thighs. Virginia spread her legs slightly and let out another soft sigh. She ran her hands through his hair and took a firm grip with both hands. Her soft sighs turned into purrs and light moans as he kissed lower down.
Dmitri was kissing her breasts through her lace dress and his hand had moved up and underneath her dress. She could feel his warm hand on her bare stomach. He snaked up her body with his fingers. His touch was warm and they made Virginia tingle. Her nipples were erect with longing, begging to be licked and squeezed.
Dmitri once again brought a hand down her body and to her panties. He reached in between her legs, and let out a satisfied grunt when he found that she was wet. He teased the wet spot of her panties with the tips of his fingers, and moved up to play with her clit.
He was now kissing back up her neck and to her cheeks, and then finally her lips. She moaned with pleasure when he moved his hand into her panties to feel how wet she really was. When he slid a finger inside her, her head tilted back and she sucked in a breath. He slid his finger as deep as it would go and kept a slow and steady rhythm. He could feel his wife’s pussy getting more and more wet as he continued to finger her.
“Dmitri…” Virginia moaned. He kissed her cheek and was picking up the pace of his movements a bit. He slid another finger inside her; enjoying the sounds of her wetness, and enjoyed the way she was moaning his name even more. He cupped his hand so that when his fingers went inside of her, the palm of his hand rubbed against her hardened clit. Every movement of his hand brought Virginia a pleasure she had not yet felt before from anyone.
“Yes pet,” he whispered back at her.
For some reason, hearing his voice almost alarmed Virginia. She was so caught up in ecstasy that she forgot that she didn’t really know this person. This man who was
now her husband.
She could still feel how amazing his fingers were inside her, and how willing he was to please her sexually, but she couldn’t help but think that this was too soon. She still wanted to know him before the sex and the pleasure.
“Dmitri,” she moaned again, but this time it was to get his attention. He could tell right away by the difference in her tone. He stopped thrusting his finger in and out of her and instead focused on her clit.
“Is everything ok?”
Virginia looked at him and nodded.
“Would you like me to stop?” Dmitri said. He didn’t sound hurt or upset. He sounded concerned. He looked like he was afraid of hurting her. She let him know that he wasn’t causing her any pain, but she also needed to let him know that she wasn’t ready for this.
“I just…I think we should wait. We still don’t really know each other yet,” Virginia said. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was scared. At any point in time one of them could stop wanting this, and it was too soon for them to be thinking about sex. She didn’t want to be rejected later down the line because of a misunderstanding they could have avoided if they hadn’t taken such a bold leap of faith.
“I understand,” Dmitri said. He immediately moved his hand away from her, and helped her to pull down her dress. He now felt too awkward to look at her directly in the eye. He was ashamed that he had moved too quickly. “I should have asked first. I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s not that. I liked it. I would just like to get to know you a bit more before I know how well you can finger me,” Virginia said with a weak laugh. She hadn’t looked him directly in the eye either.
They had more awkward silences on their wedding day than any other time they had spent together. The rings they had on their fingers solidified their bond, but brought something else.
Virginia was getting nervous to talk to her husband. And this was something that Virginia couldn’t shake.
Chapter 6
Virginia had stolen away into her office the following Monday morning. She was too embarrassed to face Dmitri. If he was in one room, she’d sneak off into another. Her laughter became awkward, and she’d dance from one foot to another. It was an uncomfortable motion to show that she wanted to leave the space at any time. She couldn’t bring herself to talk it out either. She didn’t think this was a mistake, but she did think she needed to set up boundaries. She wanted to do little things like dates and trips away, and the natural order of things. She didn’t want to just jump into bed with a man because he put a ring on her finger. One week of marriage and almost everything about being close to her husband made her afraid.
The phone ringing made Virginia almost jump out of her skin. She pushed a button and let the phone get on speaker.
“V, it’s Dmitri,” Nancy said. The sound of her voice floated through her office. Virginia hesitated. She didn’t know what to say. She just wanted to go back to how it was with him. She wanted things to be normal.
“Ok, I got it,” Virginia said. She waited a few seconds before the sound of her new husband’s voice came on the line.
“Good morning, beautiful. I didn’t see you leave for work this morning. I wanted to know if you’re having a good day,” Dmitri said. He was so sweet. She hadn’t forgotten that. The corners of Virginia’s mouth curled up in a smile.
“I’m ok. It’s just a very hectic time of year,” Virginia said back to him. “How are you?”
“I’m doing fine. I’ve set up my easel and am working on a painting. It’s almost finished.”
There was silence over the line.
“Look, Virginia. I wanted to apologize.”
“Apologize for what?” Virginia was bemused. He had nothing to be sorry for. If anything, she was the one who should be sorry for sneaking off and not being able to let one man she felt understood her in on how she was feeling.
“For last week. I feel I overstepped a boundary. I should have asked you.”
“What? No! Oh my goodness, Dmitri please don’t apologize for that. It felt…wow, it was amazing what you were doing. I just wanted to take it slow. I freaked out because now the man of my dreams is something real, and I’m not sure how long it’ll last,” Virginia said. She felt utterly exposed. Dmitri had cast a spell on her that made it impossible to hide any of her true feelings from him. In a way, she was grateful to be out with it and say how she felt, but on the other hand she wasn’t sure how he would take it.
“It would only not last if we stop communicating with each other. This is very new and very scary for both of us. I don’t want to run from this or run from you. And if it doesn’t work out, it would be that way because we both tried and both fought to keep us together. No matter what happens, Virginia, I’m going to always want to be in your life.”
Virginia was close to tears. He was right. She couldn’t help but realize that it was because of all the pain from her family and the other men in her life that brought this new surge of terror in her heart. She could handle any situation if she was in control, and she could handle any man because she knew they were vapid and she knew in the deepest part of her heart that there would be an expiration date to those relationships. This was different, and she didn’t want to let it go because she was afraid. It was time to face her fears and really welcome love into her life.
“I’m very happy that I’m here with you Virginia. And this is only the beginning,” he said. “Are you coming home tonight? I can order something for you, or perhaps make you some dinner.”
Virginia laughed silently through her tears. She didn’t want him to know that he had made her cry with his words. The most powerful woman on the East Coast and all she needed was someone to tell her that he cared about her as a person for her to turn into mush. It was too much.
“We can order something when I come home,” she said. She was planning to make an excuse to stay at work late like she had been doing last week, but now she couldn’t wait for it to be 6 o’clock so that she could get home to her adoring husband.
*****
Virginia came home to find white rose petals at her feet. There was a trail leading from the doorway and into the open kitchen, and moved across the floor like a sea of petals into the living room and up the stairs. She smiled and followed the trail. No one had done anything like this for her before.
She walked into the kitchen where a platter of chocolate was kept. There was a folded note written on it.
“Moy Milyy,
Welcome home. These are special chocolates I arranged to be made for you. I know you say you like coconuts and almonds. Enjoy them and follow the roses upstairs.”
Virginia almost squealed with delight. She picked up a chocolate and put the whole piece into her mouth. It melted the moment it touched her tongue, and she could feel the flakes of chocolate and what could have been a hint of lime. She let out a moan of satisfaction as she took another one. They were a mix of milk chocolate and dark chocolate. They tasted homemade because she was sure she’d never had chocolate like this before. She had taken up three before she stopped herself and decided to keep following the trail.
When she got to the foot of the stairs the music started. The lights had dimmed as well. That meant he was watching her from somewhere in the house. She looked up at the security cameras that were discreetly placed around her open planned first floor and smiled at them. Virginia made a little heart with her fingers at the camera and ascended the spiral stairs.
Billie Holiday’s voice was heard throughout the house. Virginia hummed along to The Very Thought of You. She wondered if he had chosen it from her collection, or a song that he himself liked and picked out.
At the top of the stairs, the rose petals split. There was a trail leading left, a trail leading right, and a trail in front where her bedroom was. Even after their nuptials, Dmitri opted to stay in the guest room on the left. There was another guest room and a study to the right. Beyond that was another balcony of sorts that acted as a home gym. She didn’t know which
trail to take first until she saw another note on a console table near the landing.
“Zvezda Moya,
Please go to your right first.”
Virginia did as the note instructed and went towards the second guest room. She opened the door and was surprised to see the room completely altered. Her usual furniture had been pushed along the walls. In the center of the room was a large easel and a stool. The easel was facing the other way, but Virginia could see that someone had been painting in there.
She didn’t know what to expect, and so she took tentative steps towards the painting. She held her breath, as if whatever was on the easel was sleeping and she didn’t want to wake it. She walked around the stool and turned to face the painting and her jaw dropped.
Before her was a large magnificent piece. It was so expertly done that she didn’t know where to start looking. What caught her eye was the figure. It was a painting of her. It looked so different, but she knew it could only have been her. The dark brown skin with the curly hair cascading along the figure’s shoulders. It was a close up view of Virginia from her head down to about her waist. The figure was dressed in what looked like Victorian era clothes; her neck was adorned with all sorts of pearls and jewels. The figure in the painting representing her was holding a single white rose and looking longingly to her right outside a window. The waves of the sea crashed below. There was something mournful about the figure, but Virginia could tell she wasn’t sad. No, the figure was hopeful.
Virginia was completely numb that she almost felt her knees buckle beneath her. It was gorgeous, and it would have still been just as beautiful to her even if it were not meant to be her. There was a note on the stool that she didn’t even notice. Her eyes kept going back towards the painting even as she opened the note.
The song had changed. It was still Billie Holiday, but now it was I’ll Be Seeing You.
Carry My Baby Page 19
