Chapter 18 - Katerina
Today, when that client came in and spent a few hours talking to me about what she wanted from me, it flipped a switch in my mood. How could it not? This is what I’ve dreamed of since I first discovered my passion for fashion design.
By the end of it, it sounded like she wanted me to have her entire wardrobe redesigned, all in my brand. She saw our matching outfits at the gala. She said she had to have me as her designer. She had to have that unique, powerful flair to her daily business life.
“Men already rule the legal world. For a woman to make a place for herself in business, she has to be unique. She has to stand out. She kind of has to be a bitch.” She laughed, adding the last bit, but I could see she also meant it.
I’m so happy I started interviewing and hiring additional staff members for my team.
I’ve got my assistant, Belle, and a very skilled seamstress to work alongside me.
If all goes well, I can grow the team even more over the next year.
After the new client left, it was hard to go back to worrying about the things I should be worrying about, and I decided that just for today, for now, I’m going to savor this moment.
Savor this small blink of a dream coming into existence.
I don’t know how long it will last. I don’t know when my brother will discover my design brand and snatch it away from me.
I don’t know anything at this point. But for now…
for today…I am a designer, being sought out by powerful women. And I’m really proud of myself.
Yulian didn’t waste a second in showing that he was proud of me, too. He suggested we celebrate almost immediately. I can’t believe how lucky I am that he’s here with me to share in these moments.
I rush upstairs, giddy with excitement, to get ready for our date.
Is it a date?
Whatever. I don’t care to overanalyze anything right now.
Glancing through my closet, I decide on the bright pink bodycon dress.
It hugs me tightly, accentuating my waist, curving over my hips, and lifting my ass in the most perfect way.
And I’m feeling so happy that the pink is a perfect reflection of my mood.
This morning, I wore black to the office because I was so somber.
But that moment is gone, and this moment is here. Embrace it. Enjoy it.
I pair the pink dress with a stylish black leather jacket with silver buckles and heavy-teethed zippers, along with a pair of black leather ankle boots, studded with rows of small silver spikes along the outside length.
I leave my hair up in a messy bun, pulling a few strands loose around my face to soften it.
I look fierce and bold and confident when I spin slowly in front of the mirror.
And my outfit will match Yulian’s black suit.
It’s perfect.
When I come downstairs, he’s ready and waiting, and his eyes grow wide at the sight of me, making me blush hard enough so that my cheeks match the dress.
“Wow, kitten. You look incredible. You’ll steal the show no matter where we go,” he says, a broad smile on his face that pushes dimples into his gorgeous cheeks.
Dammit, this man makes my heart spin sometimes. More than sometimes.
I step next to him and let him take my hand, leading me towards the front door.
“I’ve booked us a spot at a place that is sure to impress,” he says, pushing the door open for me and not letting go of my hand until we reach the car.
“As long as they have things like beetroot puree and chickpea sauce on the menu, I think we’ll be in the right spot,” I joke.
“That sounds like exactly the type of menu we’re in for.”
Yulian is full of surprises.
He somehow managed to book us a table, but not just any table—the best table in the restaurant—at a place that usually has a six-month waiting list. We’re seated right at the window of the Crystal Castle on the top floor of the tallest building in the city.
The views are insane, enough to spin my head a little as I lean too close to the window and vertigo teases me.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it,” he says, not looking at the view at all.
I smile, picking up my champagne glass and tilting my head to the side. “Everything really is beautiful. Thank you so much for this. I needed it.” I lift my glass and touch the lip against his.
It chimes softly. “To your very successful upcoming designs,” he grins. “And to you, for being as incredible as you are.”
He sips his champagne, and I giggle shyly.
“I mean it, Katerina. I don’t think you’ve ever had the opportunity to truly spread your wings and be yourself. And now that you have a glimmer of that, you’re already proving how incredible you are. I can’t imagine what magic you’d create if you had all the freedom in the world.”
My heart flutters at the thought. He’s right. This design studio he’s created for me is only a small beginning. Something I’m scared to lose. Something where I can’t even use my real name. Imagine if I were free to network and spread the word without worry.
“Well, I have you to thank for showing me that small steps lead to big things,” I say, my eyes catching his in the soft candlelight.
It flickers on the table between us, and there are more shimmering lights around us.
The romantic atmosphere is doing things to my heart as I stare into his eyes.
Those dimples are set in his cheeks as he watches me.
“I wish I could give you more, Katerina. You deserve the world.”
His words touch deep inside me, rippling through me like hope.
Imagine if I married this man. Imagine what a beautiful life I would have.
The waiter arrives and starts telling us about the specials.
He talks about steaks and vegetables and the fish of the day, but when he tells us the lamb comes with a chickpea sauce, Yulian’s eyes dart to mine, and we both start laughing so hard we’re crying.
The waiter stands awkwardly waiting for us to finish, but we can’t stop.
Eventually, he mutters, “I’ll give you a moment,” and hurries away.
When I can finally breathe again, Yulian reaches beneath the table and places his hand on my leg, grinning madly. “I guess I know what I’m ordering. How can we not try that?” he says.
“Now if we can find that beetroot puree…then I’ll know what to order, too,” I giggle, wiping tears of laughter from my cheeks.
The entire evening, we’re full of inside jokes, quiet giggles, and subtle touches. At one point, he decides I’m sitting too far away, and he pulls my chair up against his. After that, his hand doesn’t leave my leg, and I rather enjoy the warmth of his palm against my thigh.
The night is magical. It’s happy, and somehow, I feel like we’re in a bubble, removed from all the drama that’s been going on. It’s just us, and it’s perfect.
My heart is happy, and I’m daring to let it be.
We eat lamb chops with chickpea sauce, and it’s surprisingly full of flavor. We eat lobster with butter sauce and roasted beetroot—it was the closest we could get to anything beetroot related—and it’s also incredible.
The food is plentiful, and Yulian orders us a few starters even though we don’t finish our main course, because he wants us to taste more things.
By the end of our dinner date, we’ve had a culinary adventure and two bottles of champagne.
I’m more relaxed than I’ve been in a long, long time, and I’m struggling with how gorgeous he’s looking.
I keep telling myself not to do something silly that’s going to cause issues later, but it’s nearly impossible.
His gentle touches are enticing me to reach towards him as well.
My fingers thread between his as the waiters clear away our dinner dishes and Yulian pours us the last of the champagne.
I lean my head against his shoulder, and we watch the incredible views.
City lights glittering like stars beneath it.
After a beautiful, quiet moment, the waiter returns to offer us the dessert menus, but Yulian is quick to decline. He looks at me with a mischievous grin. “I have another idea,” he says.
He settles the bill and guides me from the restaurant with his hand around my waist, holding me against his side.
“Where are we going?” I ask, but he only replies with a grin.
In the elevator, riding down to the ground floor, I want to kiss him. It’s all I can think about as I stand next to him in the quiet, private space.
Champagne is bubbling through my thoughts and making me bold and impulsive. I turn towards him, slipping my hands around his waist, but just as I lift myself onto my tiptoes, the elevator door slides open and someone else gets in.
My cheeks flush, and Yulian chuckles. He holds me tighter, not letting me step away, but he lets me hide my face in the curve of his neck.
Outside, in the cool night air, we don’t walk towards the car. He takes my hand and leads me in the opposite direction. “Where are you taking me, Yulian?” I try again.
“It’s a surprise, but trust me, you’ll love it,” he says, smiling. “In the meantime, it’s the perfect night for a walk, don’t you think?” He pulls me closer.
We walk past other couples who smile at us, and I start to imagine that we look perfect together. That we look happy and in love.
We walk through the colorful streets, lit by store windows and neon lights, until we turn into a garden park.
Yulian leads me beneath an archway adorned by white jasmine that smells more beautiful than I can describe. He walks with me along a stone pathway, towards the center of the garden. Before we get there, we stop at a food truck, and he orders two bowls of nacho ice cream with everything on it.
This turns out to be tiny waffle chips, ice cream, caramel sauce, and a colorful variety of toppings. With dessert in hand, he guides me to the secret place he’s been teasing me with since we left the restaurant.