Dmitry's Closet by Nelson, S. (read people like a book .txt) 📕

put up the Christmas tree now. You know, I’ve been dying to do it?” She grabbed a napkin and blew her nose.

“Even better than that.” He smiled. “I’m going to take you to Moscow for Christmas and New Years.”

Royal looked up at himstunned. “Excuse me?”

“Well, you’ve always said that you wanted to go.” Dmitry was confused. Did she not want to?

Royal was quiet for a moment. She moved the comfor-ter from her legs and stood up. “Does this mean that I’ll actually see it all? The Red Square? Kremlin? Lenin's Mausoleum and St Basil's Cathedral?” She finally smiled brightly and jumped on top of Dmitry. He caught her in his embrace and kissed her.

“I was hoping that you would be happy.”

“I’m thrilled. I’ve never been anywhere outside of the South. Now, I get to see a new country…I just can’t imagine.”

“You know why I like doing things for you?” he asked, moving the hair out of her face.

“Why?”

“Because you are the only woman in my life who truly appreciates and deserves it.”

“No, that’s not why you do it,” she said, in a matter of fact tone.

“Really? Then why?”

“Because you love me,” she said,kissing his lips and hugging him tight. “And I love you too.”

He looked her in her eyes and shook his head. “Dah, that’s why I do it for you. I love you.”

“Does this mean that you’re going to make love to me?” she asked with her legs wrapped around his back.

“No,” Dmitry laughed. “You’re still sick.” He tried to pull her off of him. “I don’t want you to get any sicker.”

“I’m not that sick.” She kissed his checks and coughed.

“Ugh! You are, too.” He laughed.

“Baby, I can’t believe that we’re going to Moscow!” She screamed as she wrestled him down to the bed.

Chapter 17

Royal had never been out of the country. She had never been above the ocean, the clouds, so near to the heavens. And above all, she had never been in a luxury private jet. There was a certain amount of prestige that came with such a thing. It was far richer that she could ever describe.

Earlier that morning after a hardy breakfast and a hectic packing session with the maid and Renée to help, she had been escorted in a limo from her house to the private airstrip, where she and her entourage of Russian men, Dmitry and Anatoly included, boarded a swank, LearJet 60 and set out on a trip to a land that she had never seen.

Dmitry and Royal sat in the interior forward leather off-white chairs beside each other looking out of windows and listening to television that played in front of them on the flat screen.

Dmitry was thinking of the tasks that lay ahead upon his landing, and Royal was literally in awe of the beauty of the clouds and the blue sky. The stewardess bent down to Royal and offered her a glass of champagne. She took it happily, inwardly thinking that champagne was a great way to celebrate her new lifestyle. However, when offered, her companion quickly waved the woman away.

Royal looked over at Dmitry, who was completely apa-thetic of the entire trip. He had traveled the world over and found it the same, whereverhe went. It baffled her how a man of such wealth and affluence found her so interesting.

“What are you sighing about?” he asked, taking his eyes of the window. He looked over at her and tilted his head.

“It doesn’t move you anymore, does it?” she asked, setting down her glass.

“What?” He looked around.

“Any of this.” She kept her voice low, so that the oth-ers could not hear them. If they overheard her, it would only prove more how unworthy she truly was.

“It is my life, Royal. You’ll get used to it.” He leaned over the arm rest to her. “Does it bother you? The way that I live?”

“Hell no,” she retorted, and then smiled a little, revealing her perfect white teeth. “It fascinates me. I wake up everyday and pinch myself.”

Dmitry liked that. His eyes sparkled. “Then it is all worth it.”

“Tell me…how you find me…”

“Yes?”

“Interesting? When you live like this? I just can’t un-derstand what I bring to the table that blows your skirt up.”

“Sincerity. Genuine sincerity. It’s a hard thing to come by when you have money. Plus, you’re stunning and smart and hard working and….if you just wanted a compliment, my dear, you should have just said so. This is quite a long way around the bush.” They both laughed.

Royal reached out and touched Dmitry’s golden bronze face. “You’re such a good man.”

“I am just a man.”

“No. You are so much more than that to me,” she said, leaning in to kiss him. Her eyes were bright with conviction. “Do you know that I’ve never had one meaningful relationship with a man in my entire life? No dad, no brother, no decent boyfriend. But you are, in a way, all of those things.”

Dmitry didn’t smile. He looked her dead in her eyes and listened carefully.

Royal allowed him to kiss her forehead. It was all that he could do to express his gratification for her honesty.

“Was that too heavy?” she asked, sitting back. “You know how I am. I just…get caught up in the moment sometimes.”

Dmitry sighed. “No. We are just very much alike, you and I. For us to have come from such different back-grounds and cultures, we share the same perils.”

Royal agreed with Dmitry, but she could count on her hands how many similarities that they shared versus the countless things that she could not relate to him about, mostly surrounding money. No one ever prepared her for this in her many fairy tale stories as a girl. The knight in shining armor showed up, just as the story promised, but there were no details of what happened during the ever after. She was completely and utterly clueless. With a shake of her head, she looked back over at Dmitry, whowas studying her.

“I like