"Did something happen?" she asks cautiously, because it's just like her to want to help me even when I refuse to open up. I love her to death, but if I start down that path, it'll lead nowhere good.
"Yeah," I tell her, forcing a smile. "We'll have an August wedding."
"This August?" she says, still tiptoeing around the subject hesitantly. I nod because what else am I going to do? I'm going to be Mrs. Maksim Orlov one way or another, and I have to get used to that fact.
"Oh, girl." She sighs. "I'm so sorry. I know how much you don't want to go through with this."
"It's alright," I tell her. "I'm really okay." My words are total lies. I'm really not happy about it, so this is my way of convincing myself to at least pretend to be okay. "Maksim is a good man and he'll provide for me. Plus, he lives here in Perm too, so I don't have to move away from you." I wink at her and she bumps me with her shoulder.
"You need to have an adventure before you tie the knot. You know... see the world, or have a fling or something." It's hard to keep the grin from stretching over my face as she speaks.
Stepan is the fling I want, and I want it soon. He's been texting me every morning saying good morning calling me his "Sweet Marina" and again at night to say he’ll dream of me.
I hardly think Maksim is the sort of man to do any of that. I can’t even remember the last time he used my first name other than when ordering me to do something.
"What?" she says conspiratorially and leans in. "Tell me now."
My cheeks flush, I can feel the heat, and I shrug again, almost giddy inside. "It's nothing," I mutter, but I know it's not nothing. If I'd have told Papa I was staying over with Elira after shopping, I'd have had the night of my life. What kept me from doing thatwas my nerves. What if I'm not what he thinks? What if my inexperience is a turn off to a man his age? It's not like I've been having sex with someone to have practice.
"Tell me. Now," she repeats emphatically, and I snicker.
"There is someone," I tell her, and as if on cue, my phone buzzes. I look down at it, lying face up on the table next to my hands drying under the light.
Elira's light switches off and she snatches my phone, grinning at the screen. "Who's 'S'? Is he a secret? Does your father know?"
I pull my hand out prematurely, risking a smudge on the nails, and take my phone back from her to see the message.
S: 3:47 PM: Hello, Sweet Marina, would you like to join me for coffee?
"How do you know it's a man?" I ask her, locking my phone and laying it down. I slide my hand under the light to finish the curing and she clicks her tongue at me.
"Because you don't get rosy cheeks and doe eyes when you think about a woman. Unless…" Her hand flutters to her mouth and I knock my knee into hers.
"I'm not a lesbian, Lira. You know that." I roll my eyes and she laughs.
"So it is a man! I knew it. Who is he? What's he like? Is that why you wanted me to cover for you the other day?" She's leaning in now, hanging off every facial expression since I'm not saying much.
"His name is Stepan and he's so amazing," I whine, letting the pressure off my chest. I glance at my phone to see anothermessage and decide my hands have had long enough to cure. "And he's so handsome too."
S: 3:49 PM: Have you heard of XXX? Meet me there in about half an hour?
My heart flutters as I read his invitation. But I'm supposed to be with Elira for dinner and then a movie later tonight. I'd feel awful canceling on her.
"Is he texting you? What's he saying?" she peeks over my shoulder as I lock my phone for privacy.
"He's asking me to go to coffee. God, Lira, he's so fun and smart. And he's strong." I bite my lip as I remember the feeling of his body grinding on mine. God, he turned me on so much, there is residual arousal swarming my lower half right now just thinking about it.
"So go! When is he wanting to meet up?" Elira relaxes back in her seat and picks up her purse, sorting through it to pull out a few rubles to pay the nail tech.
"Now.... Like thirty minutes." I wince at her and hang my purse over my shoulder, but she's still grinning.
"You deserve a fun adventure, Rina. You should go and have fun, and I swear if he kisses you, you'd better tell me everything." She stands and I stand with her, pecking her on the cheek.
"Are you sure? We had plans." I still feel guilty. And if my father finds out I'm ditching my friend, he'll kill me, and that's before he even learns why I've ditched her.
"Go," she insists. "I'll be fine. We have decades of life as lonely housewives to drink wine and do playdates with our kids. Youhave less than six months to go have the fling of your life. Just use protection!" she says, winking.
I chuckle again and head for the door, having already paid for my manicure, then I pull out my phone and type a quick response.