The Only Way is Up

Part Twelve

"I NEED to do this Maxim, I really do."

He nodded, "for you." When she nodded again he smiled, "you deserve better than a man you have to earn Nicole."

Suddenly emotion threatened to overwhelm her, and she hated that display of weakness. She'd cried so many tears, and the fact that they were still so close unnerved her. "I'm not the sort of person who gets married lightly."

"I wouldn't think that about you. But you deserve a man who worships the ground you walk on. A wife should be adored, cherished."

Those tears were there, still tweaking at her eyes, had Vincent ever cherished her. Sometimes it was hard to remember the good times, the things he did for her. But she had been happy; she was sure about that, she had to think that.

Taking a deep breath, she smiled, "I wouldn't be trying to work this out if he didn't."

But she knew there was little conviction in her words, and consequentially, there was a lot of understanding in his eyes.

"So this dog..."

They both glanced to the side of the table and the little animal that was curled up with her head on one of Maxim's outstretched feet.

"She is a stray who follows me."

It was Nicole's chance to turn the tables back on him, "a stray who sleeps with her head on your foot? I think not." Reaching for her phone she tapped at the screen. "What did you call her?"

"Gryaznyy," he offered with a smile.

Laughing she turned her phone to face him, "sobaka." She struggled to pronounce the word, "that means dog. Not the name that you used."

He stared at her for a moment then smiled, "ok. You've got me. She's homeless; I took her in a couple of weeks ago."

Chuckling she sipped her coffee and then said, "she's not what I'd expect for you."

He reached down and scratched the dog's ears, "ignore her harsh words lady."

"Well, she's a kind of unkempt version of an IT girl's bag dog."

He gave a mock horrified look then reached down to cover the dog's ears. "Do not listen to her dorogaya."

She looked at him and smiled as he says, "that means my love."

"So the Devil has a heart?" She'd already seen signs that he was far more than the selfish man she'd thought she'd first met, so she didn't need an answer.

But he gave one anyway, "it's what my name means."

That pricked her attention, and she leaned forward, her elbows resting on the table in front of her, "you're called the Devil?"

He nodded, "Chertov...kind of translates to Devil man, man of the Devil. Someone worked that out when I was in college...the nickname stuck."

"And you do little to change that?" When he shrugged she added, "Man of the Devil?"

He laughed, "look the British name Cooper - means barrel maker, yes? Or Turner...that is a woodworker."

"But none of them mean the Devil reincarnate on Earth!"

Again he laughed, "that maybe, but it's an old name in my country."

"What was your mother's name?"

"Bella Houghton. She was from Birmingham. I've been to her childhood home once, but unfortunately there are no remaining family members."

"Do you have any siblings?"