Chapter 20 - Joyce

When he invited me on this date, I was expecting normal, like with any other man. But Anton wasn’t just any man. I should have seen this coming. But no, my mother always used to say I had blinders on. Now, I think she was right.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror as I finished the final touches. Anton said I must be ready by ten. I wasn’t sure why he wanted to leave so early in the day. Dates generally occurred in the evenings, but I assumed it was more of a lunch date.

Sitting back down at the dressing table, I applied a final layer of lipstick. I heard a knock at the door. Putting the lipstick down, I stood walking to the door. There stood Anton in a pair of jeans and a light blue shirt. He looked more handsome than usual, and his grey eyes were almost misty in color.

He stepped back, looking me up and down. “Are you ready?” he asked, sounding slightly short of breath.

I nodded, feeling the blush streaking across my cheeks. He held his hand out, and I took it. He always made me blush when he glanced at me up and down. He opened the truck door and waited for me to get in before closing it. After so much time together, it still felt out of place. But it was nice to be treated like royalty.

“So, where are we going?” I asked as he pulled out.

Glancing at me, he smiled and turned his head from side to side. “It’s a surprise,” he whispered, squeezing my knee. I watched him as he drove, his one hand on the gear lever and the other on the steering. He had a grace about him that was unmistakable.

His amazingly chiseled face led down to a muscular chest and more. I grinned as my mind wandered. As the truck came to a stop, I looked around. I had been so deep in thought I hadn’t noticed. “What are we doing at an amusement park? I thought we were going out?”

He jumped out and came around to open my door. “This is out, isn’t it?” he asked.

Smiling, he took my hand and started for the gate. “We are going on a date, a dinner date. But I thought we could have some fun first. Don’t you like amusement parks?”

I had never been on a date that consisted of an entire date and found it a bit unusual. Plus, going to an amusement park felt odd. After all, we were adults. Yet, keeping an open mind, I felt sure it could be fun.

“Just wait here,” Anton said as he headed to the ticket booth. “I’m getting us some tickets,” he added, looking back at me over his shoulder.

The place was quite busy, and there were many people around. Some stood watching their kids on the rides, others sat eating or drinking and chatting in little clusters. Turning in a slow circle, I felt excitement creeping up my spine.

I had only been to a carnival once and never an amusement park. My parents said it was filled with things that made children lose their way. Suddenly, Anton popped up next to me. The tickets were pealing out between his fingers.

“Wait,” I huffed, taking some from him. “Let me help before you lose them or tear them.” I giggled as he pulled a frowny face. Once the tickets were sorted, I held them out to him as I spoke. “You have so many we’re going to be here all week.”

Anton winked at me as he replied. “I had to make sure we have enough to enjoy this day.” He took the tickets back and grabbed my hand, pulling me towards the Ferris wheel. “We will do this ride first, as I want to show you something,” he said, handing the man some tickets.

The man opened the chain, and Anton stepped to the side, waving for me to enter first. I stepped past him and sat down in the iron basket. He took his place next to me and lowered the safety bar. The machine hummed as it prepared to move. It jolted before moving slowly forward, causing me to let out a small scream.

Anton laughed as he shifted closer and placed his arm around my shoulders. “You’re safe,” he whispered as we started moving up. As we moved higher, the trees began clearing, and we could see past them. Anton pointed out some of the places. As he told me more about each, he also told me why they were important.

Some of them his mother had taken him to, others were part of their businesses, and some were where he shared memories with his siblings. I was fascinated to see the happiness he felt sharing. He was so full of life that I felt happy. Seeing him this way made me see him in a different light. Maybe we could have something after all, I thought as the wheel moved us higher.

Anton looked at me as we reached the very top and the wheel stopped moving. He didn’t say anything, only sat smiling at me. This made me blush, and I looked away. He gently took my cheek and turned my head back as he rubbed my cheek with his thumb.

Placing my hand over his, I squeezed softly. Once we left the Ferris wheel, Anton dragged me from one ride to the next. He was like a child that couldn’t wait to try the next one. After a train ride, we also challenged each other with bumper cars.

Shortly after getting in, we received the signal that we could start moving. On the first lap, Anton rode next to me slowly. Once we passed the start line, I noticed a wicked smile forming on his lips. Without warning, he turned and bumped into my car. This caused mine to spin in a circle.

I looked over my shoulder as the car turned and pushed down onto the pedal as the car faced him. Hitting him with a bit more speed didn’t have the impact I had hoped for. We chased each other around, laughing every time our cars bumped. They were hard to drive, and I wasn’t fairing too good, but I enjoyed it.

He took me on a couple more rides. Some were fast, others a tad scary, but all were fun. Stepping off the swings, he grabbed my arm and turned me in a circle before pulling me into his arms. “Let’s get a snack,” he said, kissing my cheek. “I’m feeling a little hungry.”

“Only a little?” I asked, surprised.

Anton laughed as he placed his arm around my shoulders, walking towards the food court. “Okay, baby T-rex, let’s get you something big to eat.”

I pulled away slightly and gave him a shove. It felt nice being out with him and having some stability after all that had happened. We shared candy floss, and each had a slushy to drink. Anton wiped down one of the benches and sat down. He patted beside him, inviting me to sit.

As we shared our snack, I noticed he couldn’t keep his eyes off me. Teasing him, I placed a hand on my leg and slowly pulled my dress up as I pulled towards me. Exposing my thigh, I saw a sparkle in his eyes.

Moving closer to him, I broke off a piece of candy floss and fed it to him. Staring into his eyes, I licked off my fingers. Anton smiled as he leaned in and kissed my cheek. “Are you trying to seduce me?” He whispered.

“Trying?” I replied, licking my lips. “I don’t need to try. I can see it in your eyes.”

He beamed as he rose, taking my hand. We strolled through some of the vendors, looking at various items for sale. At each one, he bought me something. “I don’t need any of these,” I protested.

“It’s worth every penny for you,” he replied.

Walking towards the back, we happened to come upon the game tables. There was a variety of games. There were so many to choose from. I was looking around us from one to the other, trying to decide. Anton grabbed my hand and pulled me with as he moved forward.

I almost stumbled and took a few short steps to keep my balance. “Slow down, what’s the rush?” I asked as I pulled back.

“This is the one,” Anton said, pointing at one of the tables. “You only need to knock over the bottles to win a prize.”

“The more you knock over, the bigger the prize,” the man behind the counter added.

Moving closer, I took Anton’s hand as I stood on my toes and whispered in his ear. “You know most of these are rigged. Your chances are one to zero.”

Grinning at me, he replied cockily. “We’ll see about that.”

Anton exchanged tickets for three balls. He threw the first one. I watched in anticipation as it missed going to the right of the stand. His second ball also missed, going to the far left, and ended up between some teddy bears. He winked at me as he turned his arm and took aim again.

He twisted his head from side to side before lining up for the last throw. The ball moved with so much strength that it knocked over the entire stack, plus the one next to it.

My mouth dropped open. Looking at him astounded, he placed his hands behind his head and shrugged. His smile stretched from ear to ear. He pulled me into his arms and hugged me lightly.

“From which gifts can I select?” he asked the guy behind the counter. The guy pointed at a selection down the middle. Anton glanced at me and back at the selection before reaching out to me. He took my hand and turned me to face the other way. “Don’t look,” he huffed.

“You’re a little childish, you know,” I said.

“You may now turn around,” he replied. Turning around, all I saw was a gigantic pink unicorn with rainbow-colored hair. I giggled as Anton stuck his head around it. He beamed with happiness.

“Thank you for an eye-opening day,” I huffed, taking the bear and snuggling it. I noticed Anton watching me with a wide grin and felt my cheeks heating up again.

“Time for supper,” he said, checking his watch before taking my hand.

We were almost at the entrance when he stopped and turned. “Did you forget something?” I inquired.

“No,” Anton spoke over his shoulder. “Just give me a second.”

He walked to a group of kids sitting on a bench. I watched him remove the remaining tickets from his pocket. He held them out to the group of kids. “Thank you, sir,” they chimed in unison. We watched as they ran off towards the rides. I felt my heart melting. He was so kind and generous. He loved making others happy.

“There were so many tickets left,” I said, taking his arm.

“Well, don’t worry about how many was left. Those kids appreciated it and will have a ball.” Anton replied.

Holding his arm, I rested my head on his shoulder as we returned to the truck. “Dinner?” I inquired.

“Yes,” Anton replied, unlocking the truck and opening the door for me.

“I still can’t believe that we did all of this. You’re a daredevil with a flair for excitement. It was a perfect day,” I breathed out.

“Well, doll, there are many perks to being Bratva. You have a lot to learn and experience to have still,” he whispered, taking my hand and kissing my fingers. Closing the door, he moved around and got in behind the wheel. The drive to the restaurant was quick as it was just up the road.

I leaned over and kissed his cheek as he pulled into a dark parking lot. “Are we at the right place?” I questioned. It looked like an old run-down restaurant. “You aren’t going to kidnap me again?” I added, grinning.

Anton glared at me as he responded. “No, doll, why would you think that after the day we had?”

“I’m just joking,” I responded as I opened my door.

“Wait, wait…,” Anton spat as he jumped out.

By the time he got to my side, I was already out and closing my door. “I’m capable of opening my own door,” I said, patting him on the chest.

“Come on, where are we going?” I asked.

Anton locked his truck. Taking my hand, he led me inside. It looked like a hotel lobby, but there were no people around. It appeared as abandoned inside as out. Walking past a quiet, dark bar area, we headed to a desk at the back. Only a single light was burning, and a dark-haired woman stood waiting.

“Hi there,” Anton said to the lovely woman at the door. “I made a reservation under Dubow.”

She checked a long list and glanced up, smiling. “Yes, right this way, sir, we’ve been waiting for you.”

“What…,” I started saying but couldn’t finish as Anton lifted his hand.

“Shh, doll, wait and see,” he whispered.

I let out a sigh and rolled my eyes at him. The woman led us through a dark passage. At the end, there were two large wooden doors. She informed the man at the door of our arrival and table number.

The young man opened the big wooden doors, and light flooded out. I felt like I was walking into a fairytale. I stood frozen just inside the door. It was astonishing. Anton took my hand and guided me to our table. I looked around, enchanted by it all.

Our table was in the middle, surrounded by trees in full bloom. The tiny pink blossoms were perfect, and silver fairy lights hung between them. A little pond was by the entrance, and pathways between the thick, lush green grass.

The tables were covered with white sheets. In the center were some candles surrounded by light purple flowers. These looked like they were floating on a watery surface. Anton pulled out a chair and waved his hand so I would sit down.

Just as I sat down, Anton pulled a silver flat box from his jacket pocket. He placed it before me on the table, beaming like a ray of sunshine. “What’s this?” I asked, raising my brows at him.

“It’s a little something for you,” he responded.

I felt my breath catching as I opened the gift box. My eyes blurred as my emotions overwhelmed me. Inside was the most amazing necklace and earrings I have ever seen.

“Why are you crying? If you don’t like it, I can get you something else?” Anton said as he bent down beside me.

“No,” I huffed out, taking a deep breath. “It’s perfect.”

Anton took the necklace and placed it on me. “You outshine any jewelry,” he whispered, kissing my neck.

“This day has been amazing,” I spat, holding his hand and turning in half circles as we walked. “I’m not sure how you got to this place, but I’m glad you brought me here.” I felt exhilarated.

On the table was a bucket with wine and two glasses. We had barely sat down when the food arrived.

“That was quick,” I said, trying to figure out what was on my plate.

“I ordered ahead of time,” he replied. “Don’t judge the food. Close your eyes and try it.”

Anton was right; the food was to die for, but I wasn’t about to stroke his ego by admitting it.

On our way home, his phone rang. Anton pulled over and got out, taking the call. He appeared a bit upset as he got back in and started the truck.

“Is something the matter?” I asked, placing my hand on his knee.

“Something has come up, and I must leave after I dropped you off. But I will ensure you’re good before I go,” he stated plainly.

I kissed his shoulder as I replied. “It’s okay, I’ll take a bath and watch a movie. You don’t have to worry about me. Today was magnificent.”

Pulling up to the mansion, Anton walked me in. “If you need anything, just let one of the maids know,” he said, opening the bedroom door. “I’m not sure what time I’ll be back. But I will try and be quiet as a mouse.”

After kissing me on the forehead, he headed for the door. “Wait!” I exclaimed. He turned and looked at me as I hastily walked towards him.

Taking his face in my hands, I pulled him closer. I covered his face in an array of kisses before ending with a sensual kiss on his lips. Letting go, I turned and walked seductively back to the bed. Stopping beside it, I glanced back. Licking my finger, I spoke softly. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

Anton smiled, blew me a kiss, and walked out the door. I said I would wait for him even though he wasn’t sure if he would come home tonight. After pulling down the sheets, I fluffed up the pillows. Taking the remote, I lay down and turned the television on.