She tiptoed quietly down the stairs and into the dark kitchen. She fumbled for the light switch that would illuminate the counter over the sink. Alex had a beautiful, expensive cappuccino machine on the counter. She prayed for a simple coffee pot, but found a French press instead. Good enough, she thought. She’d never be able to figure out that fancy machine without waking Mikhail. She set a small black kettle on the stove and waited for the water to boil. Alex’s kitchen was beautiful. It had cherry wood cabinets with dark granite counter tops and a dark backsplash. The cool, stainless steel appliances really stood out against the warm richness of the wood. She searched the cabinets for coffee and found it quickly. It smelled good and strong. She found a beautiful set of china, white with blue and gold trim, that couldn’t possibly be for everyday use. She searched further and chose a plain red mug that she’d discovered in the next cabinet. She put the coffee in the French press and poured the nearly boiling water over it. The aroma rising from the press was making her mouth water. She pressed the grounds and poured the coffee into the cup. Her mother used to make coffee this way in their small kitchen on that farm. The press was one of those things that her mom used every day when she as a little girl. She had loved to watch her use it. Sophie smiled at the memory.
The sun was obviously peeking over the horizon, because there was a soft light in the back yard. Sophie walked over to the big windows with her coffee and watched as the grass and trees woke up. Alex had a beautiful pool with water so blue that it reminded her of his eyes. He had a large deck with a vine covered pergola that promised to offer shade in the afternoon. She took a deep breath and greeted the day.
“Доброе утро, Sophia,” said a voice from the doorway. Sophie jumped. “I did not mean to startle you.”
“Oh, Mikhail, good morning. I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“No, no. I was surprised to see you standing there. You were quiet like mouse.”
She smiled at him. He had already showered and was dressed in jeans and a plain blue t-shirt. His jeans were not filled with holes, however, which meant he did not share Alex’s fashion sense. He moved around to the fancy cappuccino machine and began to make a cup. He noticed the press sitting on the counter and glanced up at her.
“I’m pretty simple,” she said explaining herself.
“I thought maybe Alex left it out. He uses it. He hasn’t even tried to use this yet,” he gestured to the machine. She smiled to herself, imagining him fumbling with all the parts that Mikhail was working with at the moment.
“Your English is very good, Mikhail. Do you stay in the states during the summer?” Alex had told her that his accent was always very thick when he returned to DC from Moscow.
“I do. I go home for visit, but I have job here. My life is here.”
They chatted a while about Mikhail’s job as a basketball recruiter. But he excused himself to work on the computer and she was left to wander the house. She went back to Alex’s room and showered. He had incredibly soft, white spa towels. They smelled of lavender and ginger. She pulled one of his t-shirts over her head and then wrapped her wet hair in a towel. He had things set out on the counter randomly, toothpaste, brush, hand soap, and some cologne. It was Dolce. She picked it up and sniffed. She closed her eyes and took in the scent. She remembered the first day he showed up on her doorstep. He’d worn it then and every evening that he spent with her. It smelled so good, but it was missing something. It must be the way it combined with his natural scent that made it just right. She found herself missing him and he’d only been gone a few hours. She ended up spending the day out on Alex’s deck in the sunshine reading her book. It was very relaxing and she nearly fell asleep twice. Mikhail had roused her just before seven o’clock asking her to come down for dinner and to watch the game.
Dinner was pizza. Mikhail said that it was his routine to get pizza and watch the game. He insinuated that Capitals Hockey was the reason for the small, spare tire he carried around his belly. Sophie settled in with a couple of slices and they watched the game together. Alex was in his usual form, checking people as often as possible. He had three really good checks in the first couple of minutes. Sophie flinched every time he smashed someone into the boards. The play went back and forth for a while and then Tallinder knocked Backstrom into the boards pretty hard with a borderline back check. Alex came to Nick’s defense and went after Tallinder. They dropped the gloves and went at it. Sophie held her breath as the fight went on, letting out a sigh of relief when they were finally led to the penalty box with 5 min majors.
“You really care about him, yes?” Mikhail startled her.
She smiled and blushed before answering, “Yes, I do.”
He just smiled at her and went back to watching the game. She somehow got the impression that he approved. Just then Alex scored and her attention was directed once again to the dynamo dominating the ice.
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