Chapter 15 - Kolya
I woke up feeling irritated. My sleep was plagued with nightmares I couldn’t even remember. The guilt inside me was almost unbearable. But I couldn’t stay away from Sophia. She was like a drug. I needed to be around her just to breathe properly.
Deciding to skip breakfast, I headed straight to my office. Sitting down before my computer to check emails, I couldn’t get rid of the frustration inside. It’s been a couple of days since we made love.
The guilt of taking her virginity just like that was eating at me.
How could I do such a thing? I knew from the start that it was a hands-off situation.
Yet, I had to go and fuck it up. Even with the guilt eating at me, I couldn’t stand avoiding her.
The yearning for her was unbearable. I missed her conversation, fighting with her, and just being in her presence.
I know I was the first one to avoid her, but since the first day, she’s been avoiding me as well. I skipped breakfast and dinner the day after. Since then, I’ve started having my breakfast in my office.
The kitchen staff assured me she was having breakfast. They also informed me she was taking her dinner up to her room. She no longer strolled in the garden or sat by her window. Not that I could see. She never seemed to be around when I was. I missed seeing her, even just fleetingly.
Most of my days have seen back-to-back meetings, with me grabbing dinner on the way home or eating alone. However, I wanted to be around her. I craved being close to her. So, today, I decided enough was enough. I was taking her out. I was going to spoil her.
Once I was done with my emails, I made a list of her favorite places. I wondered if there was anything I could add. The list looked short. I don’t even know if she has hobbies, enjoys sports, or very much about her come to think of it.
“Well, then,” I huffed as I rose and shoved the paper into my pocket. “Let’s see how the morning goes, and then we can decide.” Heading out of the office, I went looking for Sophia.
Walking to her room, I felt confident that she would love a day out. Her door was half open, so I didn’t knock. Pushing it all the way, I found an empty room. Heading downstairs, I checked the dining room, the small living room, and even the kitchen. But Sophia wasn’t in any of them.
Turning to head back upstairs, my eye caught a glimpse of her.
She was in the garden. Walking to the door, I stood watching as she picked some roses.
She was so beautiful. The sun touching the top of her hair made it shine like dark gold.
My heart skipped a beat. I was falling for her, falling hard.
Walking over, I called out to her. “Sophia.”
She turned slowly, smiled softly at me, and stood waiting. “Sophia,” I repeated as I got closer. “I was wondering if you’d like to go out for the day. We can do some shopping, maybe visit new places, and have lunch out. After that, we can see what the day holds. What do you think?”
She turned her head to the side, biting her lower lip as she considered. “It sounds fine,” she replied hesitantly.
Avoiding her for so long hasn’t been one of my brightest ideas. I wasn’t even sure if she knew why; no, I knew she didn’t know. But I couldn’t tell her. It’s not something I know how to explain. But I knew this was what was causing the slight resistance. I wanted her to be happy.
“Right,” I said, feeling better already. “You head in, dress in something nice. But make sure it’s comfortable as well, and once you’re ready, we can head out.”
Sophia nodded as she started towards the house. “Okay,” she mumbled as she passed me. Before entering the mansion, she turned and held out the roses she had cut. It was a perfect picture of her. She was as lovely as the roses. I took them and went to the kitchen, where I placed them in a vase.
“Take these to Sophia’s room,” I said to one of the staff before heading to the foyer. I hadn’t waited long at the door before Sophia made her appearance. She looked elegant yet casual. She wore a white blouse, which was tucked tightly into the high-waisted suit pants.
The low brown heel boots complemented the outfit. Her hair was tucked away in a high ponytail. No matter what she wore, I was sure she would always look stunning. “Ready to go?” I asked.
She gave me a stiff smile as she nodded. I hoped the day would be good. I wanted her to feel welcome and at ease around me. The drive was quiet. There were a couple of shops I wanted to stop at. I was glad I had followed her around that first week. I knew what she liked.
I parked close to a couple of shops that were all within walking distance of each other. As we headed up the street, I took her hand. She looked at me but didn’t protest. Nearing one of the tea shops I added to my list, I gently pulled her inside.
She looked at me, surprised. I could see a hint of excitement in her eyes. We barely entered when she started scanning the flavors available. One of the shot assistants came over to speak to us. “Good day,” she said. “Would you like to try some of the new flavors we have?”
“No, it’s fine…” Sophia started to say when I interrupted. “Yes, please, we would.”
The lady nodded and headed to the back. Taking Sophia’s hand, I followed her to the table where they prepared the tea. “We do not have to taste all of them,” Sophia said softly as we stood before the table.
“We have time, let’s try it. It’ll be fun. I’ll try them with you,” I replied.
She smiled as the woman handed us the first cup. I could see her mood changing. We tried four different flavors. I didn’t enjoy any of them much. But I kept that to myself. I had no idea how people could drink it.
“This is fabulous,” Sophia huffed after the third cup. “I’ll have to have a look at all the new ones in the shop.”
“Sure,” the woman replied. “Follow me, and I’ll show them to you.”
Sophia walked with her without even glancing at me. She was in a world of her own. Heading over to the manager, I placed my order. “Good day, could you possibly prepare a packet of each tea in the shop for me?”
“Yes, sir, right away,” he replied, grinning. “That is a lot of tea.”
“I know,” I said, glancing at Sophia. “It’s for a special lady.”
He quickly assembled a team and prepared the box of teas. Walking over to find out if Sophia was ready to leave, she turned to me. “You have to try this one,” she blurted out, holding a cup up.
Not wanting to offend her, I took it and sipped at the contents. “It’s nice,” I lied.
“Yeah, maybe I should get some of this,” Sophia said, turning back to the sales lady.
The woman nodded and headed to the back. She wasn’t gone long. As she returned, she spoke. “Your order is ready.”
We walked to the counter so I could pay. There were a couple of neatly wrapped gift boxes waiting for us. At first, Sophia didn’t notice it was ours. After paying, I cleared my throat as I spoke. “Could you have them delivered to this address?” I handed the manager my card.
He nodded and gave his staff their orders. “Are all these ours?” Sophia sked. She looked at me with wide eyes. Her smile lit up the room.
“They are all yours. I took a packet of each flavor so you can try them all,” I replied.
For a moment, it looked like she was about to burst into tears. But she kept them in. Instead, she made a cute puppy dog face as she responded. “Really, promise?”
“Yes,” I said, nodding. I could feel my heart swelling, filling with joy.
“Thank you,” She whispered as she squeezed my hand. I felt a warm sensation spreading through me. I didn’t want to let go of her hand.
“Shall we check out the other shops around here?” I asked as we left the tea shop.
She nodded excitedly. Moving on, we passed most of the stores. But when we reached the bookshop, I stopped. “You want to see if they have something you like?” I asked, pointing at the door.
Sophia pulled me inside this time. She passed most aisles, and we ended up in the romance section. I never really enjoyed reading, so I just followed her around. She skimmed some before holding up two. “May I?” she asked, holding them out to me.
I noticed one of them was the first in a series. “Let’s take the entire collection. Then you’ll have a couple to keep you busy.” I replied.
She wanted to protest, but I walked to the shelf and took all six of the remaining ones. “I really don’t need all of them,” she said as I walked to the counter. Standing at the counter as they wrapped each book, I felt her lightly bumping into me. “You really didn’t have to,” she whispered.
Glancing at her, I saw the appreciation in her eyes. “Yes, we have to,” I replied softly.
We paid and left. I carried the books back to the car. As I placed them in the back, I noticed her rubbing her stomach. “Are we going to get something to eat?” I asked.
“Yes, that’ll be nice,” she replied quickly.
I felt happy seeing her enjoying herself.
We headed to the corner restaurant and sat outside on the veranda.
We had a delightful meal and conversation about tea and books.
As we ate, I wondered what else she would enjoy.
I had only planned this far and didn’t want the day to end.
I was having a lot of fun. Seeing her so happy made me happy.
“Do you have other interests or hobbies except for tea and books?” I questioned as she sipped her berry tea.
“Tea is not a hobby,” she replied, smiling. “I haven’t had much time for hobbies with my work. But I used to paint, and I enjoy swimming.”
“Do you like sports? Have you done sports?” I asked as the waiter brought us the dessert.
“Not really. Sports weren’t one of my strong points. I spent most of my time in the library or at home studying,” she replied. I watched her for a moment as he ate her pudding.
“Why not?” I questioned.
Sophia laughed at me and rolled her eyes before answering. “All the sweating, being out of breath, sore muscles, none of that sounds like fun.”