I went back to my room and looked around. Blue jeans weren’t quite right, but a pair of un-pressed tan chinos would probably work. And I had a blue work shirt which seemed to fit in pretty well. I found a pair of older brown shoes that hadn’t been shined in a long time to complete the outfit.
Lara had done her best, but she didn’t really have anything that didn’t look good on her, even if it was tan or brown.
Still, we managed to look pretty low-key, except that Lara had her hair done up, which made her stand out from the crowd. It was a warm and sunny day, perfect for strolling around the neighborhood and sitting at a bench in the local park.
Breakfast had been pretty huge, so we didn’t need lunch, although we did have coffee at a sidewalk table at one of the local snack bars. We didn’t end up heading home till about 4:30.
When we got back, I told Lara I was going to be making dinner for us. I had bought all the materials to make meatball stroganoff, including wide egg noodles, sour cream, and lots of dill. I had also bought a loaf of Russian brown bread, along with container of whipped butter. Lara was delighted at the idea, and was happy to pitch in to help me get everything cooked and ready. I suppose the appropriate drink would’ve been straight vodka, but I decided to stick to red wine.
Dinner was delicious, and I even had some Russian pastries for dessert. We ate dinner at the table in the kitchen, but then went to the living room and sat on the sofa with our wine.
We had taken a long time over dinner, and were in no rush to finish our wine.
* * *
Even though it was starting to get late, I thought we would change back into our formal outfits for waltz or two before moving onto the next phase of events.
Lara surprised me when she said, “It’s been a long day. Why don’t you just come with me to my bedroom?”
I was more than happy to oblige. Being in conventional clothes meant it was a lot faster and easier to get undressed and into bed. Even without the formal outfits in the waltzing, we still felt the romantic afterglow of the long day we had just spent together. Making love was beautiful and romantic and tender. It was all part of what we had built up to for so long.
This time, after we’ve made love twice, Lara said, “Yuri, I think you need to return to your room. It’s a weekday tomorrow.”
I got up and went back to my room. I was feeling relaxed and slightly exhausted from the events of the weekend, and still feeling the glow of my new connection with Lara.
It was a lot of work, being perfect and romantic. Still, it was the only way to be with her.
* * *
The next morning at breakfast we were Brandon and Ellie again. We still had some pastries left over from yesterday, and there didn’t seem any reason not to have them for breakfast. Then Ellie left for work and I settled into a day of working from home.
All morning I found myself thinking about the weekend. From time to time, Lara’s Theme from the movie would take over my brain. I had never experienced, in any relationship I had ever had, that kind of epic romantic sensation. It was memorable and beautiful and perfect. What more could anyone want?