"Rose?" Tasha Ozera came over to me at the Guardian luncheon.
"Yes Tasha?" I responded politely.
"I hope you won't be offended, but I've requested you. And Dimka." Uh oh. She didn't just go there.
"Tasha, Dimitri revoked his reassignment request two days ago. He's staying as one of Lissa's guardians."
"Is that why I can't find him?"
"Who can't you find Tasha?" Dimitri came up from behind to wrap his arms around my waist and kiss my cheek.
"I though you were on duty, comrade?!" I giggled. "As it is you're driving away potential charges."
"Hmm. You already know that it doesn't matter if anyone else wants you." He spun me in his arms to speak against my lips.
"Screw you!" I whispered. All that earned me was a kiss that was not G-rated.
"I love you, you know that right?"
"Hmm. Yeah, I do. I love you too Dimitri."
"Dimka? What just happened?" Like it wasn't obvious Tasha.
"Nothing of importance, just telling my girlfriend here just how much I love her."
"Girlfriend?" Surely she'd heard the gossip that had started the second we'd started PDA's.
"Yes Tasha. Roza is my girlfriend."
"But she's your student." God, we weren't going to ever be able to escape those roles apparently.
"No. She was my student." I heard the silent 'never'. "Past tense." It was past tense before it began. There was a reason he'd saved my butt in the first place.
"I didn't think you'd sink so low, she's too little Dimka. She's still a child." Tasha whined
"She is not Tasha. She's been eighteen for months, is more mature than me at times, and more capable of processing things those twice her age can't. She is not a child Tasha, she's a woman, she's my woman." Aww, I loved that man, my man. And damn straight! I was his woman.
"Unbelievable." Tasha just shook her head and walked off.
"She's just a tad pissed, don't you think?" I asked, leaning back into my man's embrace.
"That I chose you over her offer? Yes."
"I bet she still thinks she can give you everything."
"I wouldn't be surprised. Little does she know."
"I really hope Christian and the others can keep it to themselves until we say otherwise."
"Hmm. So do I."
"You know it's going to come out when I refuse to drink when off duty at Priscilla's dinner?"
"Reputations," he chuckled and I could just see the eye roll.
"Are you rethinking yours?"
"No. Are you rethinking yours?"
"Comrade, I've been rethinking mine since the night of the lounge."
"Did I really get in that deep way back then?"
"Did you not see the tears threatening to spill? And you were already in that deep."
"Point taken. And I'm sorry I took it-"
"Dimitri?"
"Yes love?"
"Shut up!" I playfully reprimanded.
"Yes ma'am." That caused me to hold back laughter.
A few short hours later we were on Abe's private jet and headed off to Baia. We landed in Novosibirsk about eleven hours later, only to have a fifteen hour drive await us. So, we were at the Belikova's door, just me and Dimitri, five days after graduation. God, life had gotten interesting. "Just knock Dimitri. They're our family, and they love you to bits." That snapped him out of his stupor, causing him to knock.
