“Victoria, this is Sarah, my assistant.”
“And only real friend,” Sarah adds with a grin, pulling Victoria in for a hug. “Believe me, I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Sarah, please can you tell Victoria who my last girlfriend was?”
She chuckles, then falls silent when she sees my face. “Oh, you’re serious?”
“Very. Who was the last woman I had anything to do with?”
Sarah clears her throat as she turns to Victoria. “Well, let’s see…” She purses her lips, her eyes shifting up and to the left. “He mentioned someone called Karen once.”
Victoria’s gaze moves to mine, doubt in her eyes, and I hate that expression. I never want to see it again in my life. I almost growl as I speak to Sarah: “Karen was my sister’s girlfriend. Six years ago.”
“Oh, yes, that’s right. Well, I only met Polina twice, I can’t be expected to remember every name of everyone. I have no idea then. Why do you want to know?”
I turn to Victoria. “Is that enough?”
She nods, a thin smile on her lips, and I finally relax.
“Sarah, that will be all for today.”
Sarah smiles, and I don’t think anyone could read her expression as anything other than completely honest. “Victoria, it’s lovely to meet you. I sincerely hope we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other. Good night, both of you.”
“Good night,” Victoria murmurs as Sarah swivels on the spot and marches out of the room.
“Are you satisfied?” I ask when she’s gone, and Victoria nods.
“Thank you.”
“I’ll never lie to you, my heart. Believe that.”
“I do, but there’s one more thing I need to know.”
“Anything, just ask.”
“Did you set up everything? Did I really earn that job at the restaurant or did you arrange it so that I’d get it?” She pulls herself into my arms. “I won’t be mad, but I need to know if I’m good enough on my own or if I need help.”
I sigh. “I met with your teacher, Mr. Dudley. He told me what happened with the school and I knew about the restaurant opening. I booked to go there on the opening night so that I could see you, but otherwise?” I shake my head. “It was all you, baby. I would never try to interfere in your life like that. You earned that job, as both I and Mr. Dudley knew you would.”
Victoria’s grin is genuine as she pulls herself out of my arms and takes a slow walk around the table. “You know, this food looks delicious. But I’m not really that hungry.” The light sparkles in her eyes as she looks across at me. “Not for food, anyway.”
11
Victoria
EPILOGUE
Five Years Later
THE PRIDE SWELLS INSIDE me as I watch Dimitri holding Isabella on his shoulders, Dimitri, Jr. standing next to him, gripping tight to his hand, as I put the finishing touches on the family dinner.
“See how Mommy braises the lamb chop, searing the outside…” He does a play by play of my cooking, which the kids listen to as though he’s telling them a story.
Every Valentine’s Day in the five years since that first one, we take the night off and always cook at home, inviting friends and family for a special meal we design together and I cook.
We have become a strong unit. Dimitri’s already successful business has taken off to another level with me by his side.
Our children have only brought us closer, and he is the most amazing father. I met his mother and father not long after those first weeks, and they are a delight—albeit a bit crazy; I finally got the story of how two Russians named their son Dimitri Dolce Cossack.
Seems Dimitri’s mother always had a deep love for Italian cooking. The passion, the flavors, the romanticism. She even introduced him to romance by reading him the less steamy parts of her Harlequin novels as a child. He said he never believed in that sort of all consuming love until he met me.
Dudley is here as well, as has been every year. He is one of the reasons we are together and we want to honor his effort as the years pass and our gratitude only grows.
My mother is now an administrative assistant within our company, and as she’s learned new skills she’s proven herself time and again. Honestly, she’s become a leader, in her own way. All my brothers are here, of course, the oldest in high school now and on track to go to culinary school himself.
The strength I found with Dimitri by my side, cheering me on, has been a miracle. I still struggle with my disability, but it hasn’t held me back in my cooking and my dishes are on the menus of every restaurant in the portfolio.
I no longer feel less than, in any way. I feel individual, my disability for me really creates other strong abilities that others wouldn’t cultivate if they didn’t have to compensate for a brain that doesn’t see things the way most do.