Christina was barely aware of her surroundings when the truck pulled into the parking lot. She stepped out of the door and closed it after Steph had exited. Immediately crossing over to Andrei, Steph inserted her arm through his.

        Christina studied the Inn as they approached. It was a two-story stone building that seemed both elegant and ancient. Christina thought it was the oldest building she'd seen anywhere on the mountain. She folded her arms to ward off the cold, and a chilly wind blew her long blond hair sideways. She was relieved to feel the embrace of sweet smelling, warm air as she entered the lobby. The air was filled with the scent of burning lamp oil and something delicious being cooked in the distance. The inn had tall ceilings and hardwood floors covered by exquisite rugs. The walls were adorned with old paintings of the mountain and the town. Oil lanterns hung, glowing romantically, from the posts. Christina now understood why Steph was so excited and so nervous; this was not just the best restaurant in town, it was the most impressive restaurant Christina had ever been to.

        As Richard approached, Christina's astonished gaze slid into one of annoyance. He was well dressed, as usual, in a perfectly lined suit, and he was carrying a single rose. He held the rose out, and Christina begrudgingly took it. Richard leaned in to kiss Christina on the cheek, but she took a step backwards and whispered, "There is NO kissing."

        Christina motioned towards her cousin and said, "Richard, this is my cousin Andrei ... Andrei, Richard," She motioned to Steph and continued, "And this is-"

        Richard stepped forward and interrupted, "Miss Holly Golightly. I'm sure we've met before."

        Steph grinned and held out her hand which Richard took and kissed in a gentlemanly fashion. "Right you are, Mr. Bond. We met at the fireworks. I'm Steph."

        "Yes; of course," Richard grinned. "I helped your parents file the paperwork to set up your salon."

        "Oh that's right!" Steph responded. "I totally forgot."

        Richard inserted his arm through Christina's and said, "Shall we? Our table is waiting."

        Steph nodded and they walked through the lobby to the main dining room. Christina and Richard led the way with Steph and Andrei walking a few steps behind them.

        "What's with the rose?" Christina growled out of the corner of her mouth. "This is a fake date, remember?"

        "Yes, of course," Richard said in mock seriousness. "I apologize. The store was out of plastic flowers."

        Christina gritted her teeth and looked away. She could tell it was going to be a long night.

        Christina was surprised by the size of the main dining hall. She would not have guessed that the old building held such a large room by it's outside appearance. She saw only two other couples in the dark corners of the room as they crossed the dance floor. Soft, classical music filled the room from unseen speakers.

        Richard held Christina's chair out for her.

        Christina shot the man an annoyed look before taking her seat at the large marble-topped table.

        Taking the cue, Andrei held out Steph's chair.

        Christina noticed the elated expression on Steph's face as she took her seat. At least Steph was getting her dream night, Christina thought.

        All of them, except Richard, picked up their menus and began scanning. Christina decided that Richard looked too comfortable for this to have been his first time at the Inn. Looking over the menu, she was unhappy about the prices next to all the entrees. She wondered if Andrei could afford them. A pang of jealously swept though her, and for a moment, she was glad that the flowers and dinner would cost her cousin a small fortune.

        An extremely well-dressed young man came to the table and introduced himself as William. "Is there anything I can get for you to drink while you are perusing the menu?" he asked politely.

        "Actually," Steph interjected, "If everyone is ready, could we just order now? I'm a little hungry."

        "Me too," Andrei concurred, without looking up from the menu. Jumping from one line to the next, Andrei tried to make sense of the strange names. What was Polenta? And why was it soft? He saw a listing for "Roast Free Range Chicken." Chicken, he thought. He knew what that was. It came with mashed potatoes, and roast garlic jus. Jus? What was that, he wondered. They must have meant "juice." At the prices they were charging, Andrei thought, they could have at least proofread the menu. "You go first," Andrei said to Steph. "Get anything you want."

        Steph smiled at William and said, "I'll have the sautéed skate, and a glass of the house wine."

        "And for you sir?" William said to Andrei.

        Andrei gave the menu one last desperate scan. He let out a sigh of relief and said, "The twenty-ounce black angus rib eye." Though it was one of the more expensive things on the menu, Andrei was grateful that the restaurant had something he could understand. "And a wine too."

        "Very good," William said. "Would you care for an appetizer?"

        Steph leaned up against Andrei and pointed at a line on the menu. Andrei read, "And this ... sautéed baby calamari."

        "And for you?" William asked, as he turned to Richard.

        "To start, we'll have the charcuterie plate. I'll have the jarret d'agneau braise." Richard's French accent was impeccable.

        Christina put down her menu and started to order, but Richard cut her off, adding, "The lady will have coq au vin de bandol au tagliatelle. And bring us a bottle of the Clos du Bois cabernet sauvignon."

        Before Christina could yell at Richard for ordering for her, William announced, "Ladies, could I please see some identification?"

        Steph produced her driver's license and presented it to William.

        "Identification?" Christina squeaked.

        "Yes. In order to serve you an alcoholic beverage, I need to see some identification."

        "I ... uh ..." Christina panicked. Though she was under-aged, that's not what worried her. Her driver's license clearly read "Christopher Chase."

        "She'll just have a water," Steph said, diffusing the situation. Christina grinned nervously at William.

        "Very good," he said. "I'll be back with your drink orders in a moment." William collected all the menus and walked through a free swinging door into the kitchen.

        "Christina isn't legal yet," Steph explained, "She's only twenty."

        Richard looked genuinely surprised. It was perhaps the first time Christina had seen his impenetrable charm fade, if only for an instant. "Christina's twenty years old?" Richard asked across the table.

        "Yes." Andrei said sternly, resuming the role of his cousin's protector. "How old are you?"

        "I'm thirty-one."

        Andrei's eyes went wide with astonishment.

        Christina blushed as she looked up at Richard. It was no wonder all of Misha's advice about handling boys fell short with him- Richard had her outclassed.

        Steph playfully flipped her gloved hand in Richard's direction and did the same with her other hand towards Christina. "Sugar Daddy, meet Lolita," she quipped to Richard. "Lolita," she said to Christina, "I believe you've already met Sugar Daddy."

        Richard laughed, but Andrei did not look pleased. Christina felt a sickness in her stomach. Somehow the knowledge that Richard was eleven years her senior made her doubt her ability to keep him under control.

        "Correct me if I'm wrong," Richard started, addressing Steph and Andrei, "This is your first date?"

        "Why yes it is," Steph answered. "What gave it away?"

        "Nothing at all," Richard said suavely, "I would have thought you two had been together for years when I met you in the lobby. It's just that the last time I had the pleasure of taking out Christina, she was playing matchmaker."

        "I guess it's officially a trend," Steph grinned, falling under Richard's spell.

        "In that case," Richard said, rising to his feet and holding out his hand to Christina, "Perhaps you would like to join me on the dance floor so these two can be alone."

        Christina looked at the older man as though she was a deer caught in headlights. She felt Steph give her a sharp kick to the shin and exclaimed, "Ow!"

        "Excuse me?" he smiled.

        "I said no! Absolutely not. I don't dance."

        "Nonsense," Richard said decisively. He took Christina's hand and pulled her to her feet.

        Christina shot a scared look over her shoulder and saw Steph mouth, "Thank you."

        Andrei, however, was shooting daggers from his eyes into Richard's back.

        As Richard and Christina reached the center of the dance floor, Christina was forced to face her captor. "I don't know how to dance," she confessed.

        "There's nothing to it," Richard soothed as he guided Christina's hand to his shoulder. He placed his hand on Christina's hip and said, "This is just a simple waltz. Follow me, and you'll be fine."

        Christina nodded and allowed Richard to lead her around the dance floor. She felt a little clumsy, but Richard kept the steps simple. After a few minutes she began to feel more confident, and Richard took her through a few more difficult moves.

        "You have a natural grace," Richard complimented. "I would have expected that you studied dance when you were younger. Perhaps ballet?"

        "Not hardly," Christina said as she self-consciously watched her feet. "I used to play baseball."

        "You played baseball?" Richard laughed. "I can't picture it. You must have been quite the tomboy."

        "You have no idea," she said in an annoyed voice. Casting a glance towards the table, Christina prayed that Andrei would put a stop to all the dancing. Her hopes sank when she saw her older cousin actually talking to Steph. From the look of things, Steph had found some way of breaking the ice. They were sitting close together, their faces edging nearer. Christina's attention returned to her dancing when she felt her body being pulled up against Richard's.

 

        William came to the table holding a large tray. He placed two bottles of wine on the table and poured everyone's drinks. Next to Christina's place setting, he placed a bottle of spring water and a tall glass. Next he put the appetizers in the middle of the table and asked, "Is there anything else I can get for you?" Andrei shook his head, and William went back into the kitchen.

        Andrei stared at the plates of food. One plate looked like a pile of fried rings, and the other resembled a plate of cold cuts with bread and vegetables.

        "Which one is ours?" Andrei asked uncomfortably.

        Steph pointed at the pile of rings and said, "The calamari." Steph took a piece and tossed it into her mouth.

        Andrei cautiously took one of the rings and took a bite. He choked a bit then took a sip of his wine. "Those aren't onion rings," he coughed.

        Steph laughed. "It's squid," she explained as she ate another ring.

         "Squid?" Andrei asked incredulously.

        Smiling devilishly as she took another piece of calamari off the plate with her fork. She held it up to Andrei's mouth and said, "You shouldn't be afraid to try new things, otherwise you won't know what you're missing."

        Andrei took the ring off Steph's fork and returned her smile.

        "You know Andrei," Steph said as she moved her chair closer, "All those years, you used to come into my Dad's hardware store, you bought a lot of stuff. You know, I always wondered what you were working on. I'd like to see the other side of that story."

        "Yeah, you should come over and I'll show you all my stuff."

        "All of it?" Steph said with a wicked grin.

 

        Christina's heart sank as she watched Steph and Andrei, It looked as though they were actually hitting it off.

        "This piece," Richard explained, "Is more of a slow dance." He held her tightly and continued, "It's simpler than waltzing. Just stay close to me and you'll be fine."

        Christina bit her lower lip and held onto the older man. Staying close to Richard, she thought, was the opposite of fine. She waited for the song to end; it was worse than waiting for microwave popcorn. Christina felt a sickening chill shoot through her body as she felt an unmistakable hardness grow in Richard's pants against her tummy. She wanted to push free from the embrace, but she couldn't muster control of her limbs. Looking pleadingly over Richard's shoulder at the table, Christina begged Andrei with her eyes to rescue her. It was pointless; he was enthralled by Steph. Christina felt Richard's embrace slacken as the song faded away. Pushing herself away from the older man, she held her hand to her throat and lied, "I'm really thirsty, can we take a break?"

        "Certainly." Richard said, as he took Christina by the waist and led her back to her seat.

        Christina could feel the beginnings of a headache as Richard held out her chair for the second time that night. She smoothed out her short skirt underneath her as she sat.

        "You guys were great out there," Steph said, never looking away from Andrei.

        It was not lost on Christina that Andrei's hand was resting on top of Steph's.

        "Christina's a natural," Richard remarked.

        Christina kicked Andrei under the table. Though she put a good deal of force into the thrust, it barely got his attention. Holding her water to the right side of her face so that Richard couldn't see her lips, she mouthed, "Take me home!"

        "I think ..." Andrei started, obviously torn between helping his cousin and staying to enjoy his night with Steph.

        "You think what, Andrei?" Steph asked.

        Andrei saw that William was coming with a large platter and recovered, "I think the food is here."

        William set up a folding table and placed the large tray on top. While William was placing plates of delicious smelling food in front of everyone, Andrei was watching Richard closely. However, rather than scrutinizing his behavior to protect his cousin, he was observing him for cues on how to act.

        Andrei's new found manners were not lost on Steph, though she would not have cared if Andrei had stuffed his napkin into his shirt and unbuttoned his pants. She was thrilled to be the center of his attention for the first time in her life.

        Christina spent the meal in agony. On one front, she had to face Andrei and Steph, who were quite obviously falling for each other. They didn't say much, but their body language told the entire story. It was as though Andrei had woken up and realized that he'd always wanted Steph. Christina thought she could handle losing Steph to Andrei, but being forced to watch it unfold was unbearable. On the other hand, she had to field questions from Richard about the city, her job, what she wanted to do with her life, and all sorts of other topics. Doing her best to deliver indifferent answers, she wondered if there were anything she could say that would make Richard lose interest in her.

        They were almost finished with dinner when Christina felt a poke from Steph under the table.

        Steph motioned with her eyes towards Andrei, then towards the door.

        Christina took a bite of her chicken and scrunched her brow in confusion. Steph made the same gesture again and it dawned on Christina that she wanted to leave. From the look on her face, Christina got the impression that she wanted Andrei all to herself. Christina held up her glass again and mouthed, "You can't leave me!" Steph didn't offer any response other than her pleading eyes, but Christina was adamant.

        Stretching her arms, Steph yawned. "Man, am I getting a tired. I think maybe you should take me home, Andrei."

        Christina kicked Andrei very hard in the shin, evoking a visible response on his face. "Nooo." she mouthed with tense lips.

        "It's no problem," Richard offered, "I'd be happy to take Christina home."

        Andrei was well aware of the look on his cousin's face. He turned to Steph and said, "Why don't we wait until everyone's finished?"

        "Because ..." Steph searched, "Because I think I left the oven on." Steph gave Christina a pleading look.

        Jamming her foot into Andrei again, Christina insisted, "I'm pretty sure I checked the oven before we left." Christina watched in horror as Steph dropped her hand from the table and onto Andrei's thigh.

        Steph looked at him seductively and purred, "If you take me home and the oven's not on, we could always turn it on together."

        Even Andrei was not so dense as to miss a suggestion like that. He stood up so fast that the table rattled.

        Christina averted her eyes to avoid the obvious bulge in her cousin's pants.

        "Steph's right," Andrei coughed, "You can't be too careful." Reaching his hand into his pocket, Andrei pulled out a wad of cash. He dropped the money on the table without counting it and took a thrilled Steph by the hand.

        Christina sat up high in her chair and followed them with her eyes as they escaped across the dance floor, then out of sight. She couldn't believe that men could be so single-minded and so easily manipulated! Sinking back into her chair, she looked back at Richard.

        Richard could barely contain his amusement at the whole situation. He took a sip of wine and joked, "I think those two have the right idea."

        Giggling anxiously, Christina stuffed her mouth with another bite of food. She tried to keep her mouth full for the rest of the meal, not only took prevent her from answering any more of Richard's questions, but also to speed the date by.

        When William came back to ask the couple if they wanted anything for desert, Christina asked him for the check before Richard could order anything else. Once the plates were cleared away and Richard had paid the bill, Christina said meekly, "It's getting late; I really think you should take me home now."

        "The night's still young," he said hopefully, "Are you sure you don't want to try your hand at dancing again?"

        "No," Christina said as she held her tummy. "You know, the food was great, but I think maybe I just ate a little too much."

        Richard held out his hand as he stood up.

        Christina put her hand in his and let him help her to her feet. She put on her pea coat and buttoned it up.

        Richard opened his large trench coat and draped it around his date. "You know, it's far too cold for that," he said, referring to her jacket.

        Christina only nodded and did not cause a scene when Richard put his arm around her waist and led her to the lobby.

        The attendant behind the podium called out, "Have a great night, Mr. Masters." Richard waved genially in response.

        Christina felt the rush of ice-cold air as they stepped out into the parking lot. She clutched Richard's coat tightly around herself as her fingers went numb. All day, she felt as though she was waiting on death row; this was the final walk to the electric chair. The first flecks of snow tumbled down from the sky. The clouds were merely dusting the parking lot, but she knew that, just like her date, the storm would easily get out of control.

        Richard held open the passenger side door of his convertible, and Christina reluctantly stepped in. Terrified, she watched Richard slide into the driver's seat out of the corner of her eye. She was afraid of what Richard wanted from her; she was afraid that he would find out that she wasn't who she appeared to be. What really churned her stomach was the thought that her family might learn the truth as well. She wanted to be angry with Steph and Andrei, but she could feel nothing but the paralyzing fear.

        As Richard started the car, Christina buckled her seat belt, regretting the feeling of constriction it caused. She stared into the darkness, doing her best to keep her eyes away from Richard. She noticed that they were heading further up the mountain; the opposite direction from town.

        "Richard," she said in a tiny voice, "I think we're going the wrong way."

        "We have plenty of time. I thought we'd take the scenic route."

        Christina sank into her seat. She wanted to scream at Richard, but she couldn't find the courage. This was the first time she had ever been truly alone with the man. In the grocery, she'd had Boris by her side. When she yelled at him last July, she was standing safely on her own front porch. Now, she was stranded in his car and at his mercy. Reaching into the overcoat, she held her necklace tightly and prayed for strength.

        The car climbed higher up the mountain until they were nearly at the peak. Richard pulled off down a dark, gravel road that plunged them deep into the forest. The Lexus absorbed most of the shock of the country road, but Christina could hear the sound of the gravel grinding in her ears. The road ended in a bald spot between the tall pines. The trees pulled back, and Christina thought she could make out the edges of a rocky cliff in the pale light that reflected off the clouds. Over the edge, the valley, and miles beyond, stretched out in front of them. The lights below twinkled beneath the starless sky that poured forth silent snow.

        Christina gathered her courage, reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone. "Are you going to take me home, or do I have to call my uncle to come and get me?"

        "I need to say something first," Richard said, " I owe you an apology. I was a little ... forward with you the last time I took you out. I didn't realize you were only twenty."

        "Oh, so it's okay to be a complete jerk if I was a few years older?"

        "I suppose not," Richard conceded. "I think you owe me something too, though."

        "I owe YOU something?" Christina growled.

        "Just an explanation. It's obvious that tonight was never about you and me. You were using me to get Andrei and Stephanie together."

        Christina actually felt a little guilty. There was a disappointment in Richard's voice that she'd never heard before. She thought about how he'd acted tonight, and though she had not wanted to go out on a date with him, she had to admit that he had behaved himself. Looking him in the eyes, for perhaps the first time that night, she said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to use you."

        Richard broke out his characteristically charming smile and said, "You most certainly did. And furthermore, I was more than willing to be used."

        "Why?" Christina asked.

        "Because," Richard said, inching ever so slightly closer, "I really wanted to see you again. I've never met anyone who I just couldn't get out of my mind. I was sure I'd blown it, but when you offered me another chance to be near you, I couldn't say no."

        Christina was floored. There was a sincerity in Richard's voice that was utterly disarming. No one had ever said anything like that to her before, much less meant it. She blushed and grinned slightly as she looked away. She brushed her hair back over her ear and looked back at Richard. "Why did you bring me up here?" she asked.

        "I just want to talk to you."

        "We talked all night," Christina objected.

        "No, I talked. ... You avoided."

        Christina nodded then took a deep breath. "What did you want to talk about?"

        Richard inched even closer and said, "What I want to know is, why did you ask me out tonight, even though you obviously don't like me. Did you go through all that just to fix up your cousin? Why would you do that?"

        Christina responded, "Because, you know, I really love him. He's a great guy, and Steph sees it too." Christina paused then continued, "It may not look like it, but the Levchenkos are amazing people. They're really special, and when I'm around them, it makes it almost like I'm special too. There's nothing I wouldn't do to make any of them happy."

        Richard put his arm over the seat and tenderly said, "You are special."

        Christina shook her head and said, "No, I'm really not. They took me in, and they treat me like I belong. I'm just lucky."

        "Family is very important to you, isn't it."

        "Yeah it is." Christina admitted. "After I lost my family, I never thought I would have one again. Now I do, and it's like a miracle."

        "How did you lose your family?"

        Christina was surprised that there was still a single person in Oak Grove who wasn't familiar with her entire life story. "There was a fire when I was very young. My father died, and we lost everything." Not wanting to revisit her past yet again that was all she was willing to share about that day.

        "That must have been terrible," Richard said. "What about your mother?"

        "She's still around," Christina shrugged, "Just not for me."

        "I guess you've had it kind of rough."

        "I really can't complain," Christina insisted. "Even though my Dad is gone, and Mom and I don't talk, I still remember a lot of good things."

        "What sort of things?"

        "The little stuff. You know, the stuff that never seems important until later? I remember my Dad teaching me how to throw a baseball. The smell of my mom's pancakes in the morning." Christina closed her eyes and smiled broadly. "This one time, my Dad missed my birthday. I was nine I think. He couldn't get away from work, and I was just crushed. But the next day, he spent the entire day with me. We got up early to go fishing, not that I was any good at it. And I remember that night we played mini-golf, like three times in a row."

        "Miniature golf?" Richard smiled.

        "Yeah." Christina said. "It was a lot of fun. Honestly, I just liked seeing him."

        "I take it he wasn't around very much."

        Christina shook her head. "Not as much as I wanted, anyway. You know, things were always going to be better someday, ... and then ... he was just gone."

        Richard nodded. "I think I can understand that. My parents are no longer here either."

        Christina put her hand on his and asked, "What happened to them?"

        Richard looked down and shook his head. "They moved to Florida."

        Christina broke out in laughter. "You jerk!" she said playfully as she shoved Richard in the chest.

        Richard looked back up with a huge grin and continued, "It's very sad. They stay inside all day and watch Wheel of Fortune. It's no way to live."

        Christina couldn't stop laughing. Once her deep, belly laughs subsided, Christina said, "Look Richard, you're almost a decent guy, you know, when you're not being a complete ass. I'm sorry I used you tonight. And I guess, you know, I don't really hate you exactly."

        "I don't know what made me think you hated me," he joked. "Perhaps it was when you screamed, 'I hate you,' on your front porch. Or maybe the time you tried to have your dog kill me."

        She winced. "Yeah, sorry about that ... But," she continued forcefully, "In all fairness, I think there's something you need to know."

        "What's that?"

        Christina paused to collect herself. "I'm not actually a ..." she said, motioning over her body with her hands. "See, I'm really a ..." She struggled to find a way to break the truth to him gently. "I'm not attracted to you. See, I'm not attracted to men ... understand?"

        Richard stared into Christina's eyes trying to connect the dots. "You're saying you're a ... lesbian?"

        "Almost?" Christina shrugged. "I like girls, that's for sure."

        Richard continued to stare at her, searching for some sign that she was kidding. His eyes widened, and he nodded his head in recognition. "That's why you were looking at Stephanie so strangely tonight. You're attracted to her."

        "I hope it wasn't too obvious." She put her hand on Richard's and said, "You can't tell anyone, okay?"

        "All your secrets are safe with me," Richard promised. His eyes resumed their confident gleam, and he asserted, "One thing is for certain though. You aren't a lesbian. At least not entirely."

        "What do you mean?" Christina asked, worried that Richard had caught on to the deeper truth.

        "You can't really be a lesbian since you're attracted to me." Richard took the opportunity to flash his award winning smile and inch even closer to Christina.

        "Excuse me?" Christina squeaked. "Did you come in during the intermission or something?"

        "You say you're not attracted to men, but you are definitely attracted to me."

        "You know, you're not nearly as charming as you think you are."

        "Tell me," Richard grinned, "Is it more than I think?"

        "Don't you ever quit?"

        "Maybe I think you're worth the effort."

        Christina's mouth dropped in response to both Richard's determination and the compliment.

        Richard explained, "On our first date, when you kissed me, I could feel it. That's how I know you are attracted to me."

        Christina put her fingers to the crest of her nose as though she was fighting a migraine. "Okay, number one, we did not go out on a date. We have NEVER been on a date!"

        "We're on one right now, Princess," Richard crooned.

        "A FAKE date!" Christina corrected in an exasperated voice. "And number two, YOU kissed ME. I did not kiss you. And number three, I hated it! I'm not attracted to you- not even a little bit!"

        Richard laughed and asked, "Then why did you give me your phone number?

        "Because ... I did because ..." Christina grasped for a rationale and found that none came to her defense. "That didn't count! You tricked me! I didn't expect ... a kiss ... and it wouldn't matter who you were, you just caught me off guard!"

        "Fair enough." Richard said as he closed the remaining distance between them. Their hips touching, and his arm around Christina, Richard pressed, "I'll make you a deal. Kiss me right now. No surprises. If you honestly don't feel a thing for me, I'll leave you alone forever."

        "Yeah right," Christina balked sarcastically. She paused to consider Richard's proposal and asked, "And if I do feel something, then what?"

        "Then you and I will go on a genuine, non-fake date. Just the two of us."

        "So you promise you will leave me alone forever if I kiss you?" Christina asked seriously.

        "Honest. I promise. Unless of course, you are still attracted to me."

        Christina paused, weighing her options. "Okay. Deal."

        Richard's gaze pierced through Christina's eyes.

        The churning in the pit of her stomach told her she'd somehow fallen into a clever trap. She felt paralyzed as Richard leaned ever so slowly towards her lips. His arm slid off the seat and onto Christina's shoulders, pulling her close to him. Christina felt his other hand glide gently from behind her right ear down to her chin as it tilted her face up to meet his. The trail of his fingers created a wave of sensation that traveled down Christina's body. She could now feel Richard's hot breath against her face as he closed in. Closing her eyes, Christina minutely parted her lips. She felt his upper lip brush against hers; it caused all the same tingles as their last kiss.

        Christina opened her eyes. Placing both of her hands against Richard's chest, she slowly pushed him away. She turned her head away from his and mumbled, "I'm not allowed to be out this late."

        Richard released his grip, but his self-assured smile never left his face. He hadn't exactly won their little power struggle, but Christina had certainly lost.

        Pulling Richard's overcoat tightly around her, Christina said, "My uncle wants me home by ten." Christina spoke as though she was in a trance; she was deeply confused by what had almost happened between them. The one thing she knew for certain was that she wanted out of the situation.

        "Do you always do everything your uncle says?"

        "Yes. Take me home right now." Christina stared out the window; her view was now completely obscured by large white snowflakes.

        "Of course, Princess," Richard said as he slid back into his seat and started the car. He cast a few gazes towards his date on the silent ride home, but Christina kept her focus out the window or in her lap.

        The drive seemed to take forever to Christina. In her current, jumbled state of mind, she didn't have a good sense of time. Feeling the car stop, she looked up to see her family's house. She sat there, dazed, until she felt a blast of cold air when Richard opened her door. She took his hand and stepped out into the fresh layer of snow.

        Richard put his arm around her waist and led her to the front door.

        Christina stood in front of her front door and looked at Richard. Her long blonde hair was dusted with snowflakes and her cheeks had a natural blush from the cold. Her hand was on her chest, resting over her necklace. Standing there in shock, she wasn't certain what she should say.

        Richard stepped close to her and said, "I had a wonderful time with you tonight."

        "Thank you for dinner," Christina responded in her haze. "And for teaching me how to dance."

        "When can I see you again?"

        "Um ... I won't be back until Christmas ... but-"

        "I'll be waiting." he said confidently.

        Richard took Christina's hand in his and gently kissed the back of it. "Goodnight Princess," he said as he took his coat off of Christina and draped it over his shoulder.

        Christina stood there as she watched Richard return to his car and drive away.

---

Edited into coherence by Holly H. Hart.
Thanks to Sephrena Miller for taking an early read.
Hope you enjoyed it. If you liked it or hated it, please leave a tasty comment.
Krunch Away!