laughed.
He smiled slightly. “Sounds like an interesting life,” he said. “How’s the dinner?”
Helen took another bite of the tender chicken in a lemon, butter sauce. “This is very good. I’m impressed. I wouldn’t think a man of your size and position would be able to cook this well.”
“I don’t get a chance to do it often, but I like it whenever the opportunity arises.”
“Well, please feel free to do so anytime with me,” she said, then realized what she’d said. “I mean…well…I know you’re very busy,” she stammered. She felt foolish offering to allow this man to cook for her. “I’m sorry, I mean I know you’re busy and don’t have time for cooking…” she trialed off.
He smiled at her stammering but wouldn’t save her. “I’d love to cook for you whenever you’d like it,” he said and took a sip of wine. “Just say the word.”
Helen smiled back nervously, then looked down at her plate. “What are your parents like?” she asked, hoping to change the subject and cover her little social gaffe.
“They are nice. My father is like me, I guess. My mother is nice.”
Helen laughed. “You’re one of the wealthiest families in Europe and yet you describe your mother and father as just nice? I’m guessing they have more dominating personalities, something that would elicit a different adjective from others.”
“My mother is extremely nice,” he laughed. “Believe me, she’s not like other society wives.”
Helen sensed that there was more to his comment than he was going to say. “What do you mean?” she dared to ask.
“Not many society marriages are good,” he said. “My parents are different. They love each other very much. My marriage will be the same,” he said, his gaze never leaving her face.
Her stomach flipped and her heart ached painfully at his statement. She hated the idea of him marrying someone. It would probably be someone tall and blond with a perfect figure, just like the women he currently dated. They were perfect and would fit into his world perfectly and give him lots of beautiful children. “That’s very honorable of you.”
His next words only confirmed that there would be no way Helen could fit into his world in any way. “It has nothing to do with honor. I believe a good marriage raises strong, healthy children. It’s essential to build a family.”
Helen’s throat constricted and put down her fork, scrambling for some way to ease the pressure. “I agree,” was all she could say. She took a long swallow of wine and fought back the emotions welling up inside her chest. Life wasn’t always fair and not everyone got what they wanted. But over the years, she had made hers bearable, she reminded herself.
“The ships that are almost completed,” she started off, changing the subject to something more mundane and less emotionally charged. They spoke of business for the rest of the meal and by the time Dimitri stood up to leave, she had better control of herself. She was able to politely walk him to the door and even stand there while he looked down at her face without cringing when he asked, “Are you going to be okay? Do you need to take some time off tomorrow?”
“No, really,” she hurried to add. “I’m fine. Really.” Helen didn’t want him to think a few rude comments could hurt her so completely. He was strong and she had to show him her own strength. She didn’t want to be perceived as some sappy personal assistant with personal issues. It wasn’t good for one’s career, and really, when it all came down to it, that’s all she had; a great, satisfying career. One she wasn’t going to throw away simply because a few senseless females had spoken some painful truths.
Helen closed the door when she could no longer see his brake lights down the street. She quickly loaded the dishwasher with the plates and glasses, feeling a pang of something painful in her stomach as she looked at the two sets of dishes. Normally, it took her a long time to fill up the dishwasher, since she only had her own lonely plate to clean. Tonight, with all the pots and pans Dimitri had used to make dinner, it was practically full. That had never happened before, she thought.
Wandering into her bedroom, she carefully hung up her suit and tossed her underwear into the laundry basket, tidying up her small house. What was she doing with her life? Where was she going?
As she