Chloe was ready when Valentine knocked on her door later that evening. She had gone all out on her appearance, taking care with her hair and makeup while choosing a simple green cocktail dress that hugged her curves and black high heels that accentuated her long legs.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she opened the door with a smile.

Valentine stood before her, wearing a beautiful black suit that fit him to perfection with a blue tie for a bit of color.

"You look lovely," Valentine greeted.

"Thank you, would you like to come in for a drink before we go?" she asked, motioning to the apartment behind her.

"I have reservations for half past," he informed her with a smile.

Chloe nodded and turned to get her wrap and purse. "Where are we going?" she asked as she locked her door.

"I thought the Pink House. I have heard good things." The Pink House was one of the city's nicest and most well-known houses.

Valentine followed behind her as he led the way down the stairs, and when they got to the street door, he reached around her to pull it open. Chloe inhaled his scent, felt his warmth, and stopped, looking up at him.

"Is it odd that I'm so nervous?" she asked in a soft tone.

Valentine looked down at her with a serious expression. "No, I am too. We have both been waiting for this moment for a very long time. One I honestly never believed would happen and still don't believe I deserve."

"I feel like I'm nineteen all over again, and this is our first date." Chloe took a deep breath as she admitted that.

"You don't look nineteen. You look like a beautiful woman." He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "There, at least the awkward first date kiss is out of the way."

It was so like Valentine's old humor and charm that it made Chloe smile. "You didn't kiss me on our first date last time. I think you waited for almost a month."

"However, after that first kiss, it moved fairly quickly if I recall what happened correctly." His eyes met hers, and she felt herself blush.

"I knew what I wanted." Chloe shrugged.

"I was lucky that you did." Valentine held open the door a little wider, and they both moved onto the street. "Will you lead the way?" he asked.

Chloe nodded and started in the direction of the restaurant.

"I hope you don't mind. I put the reservation under your name. I thought it might draw less attention that way." Valentine took her hand in his, and the action made Chloe's toes curl.

"Do you mind?' he questioned, looking down at their joined hands.

"No." Chloe shook her head. Valentine was a powerful man, a man used to leading armies and waging war, and he was asking her for permission to hold her hand. Despite what he said, the gentle man was still there.

"Are you comfortable at Faye and Silas's place?" Chloe asked.

"I am. It's a nice apartment with plenty of privacy." Valentine nodded.

"Privacy," Chloe smiled. "That's important." She couldn't help but wonder if he was thinking about what they could do with so much privacy.

"A lewd mind, was that what you said you had now?" He laughed, and the rich sound made Chloe's toes curl.

"I don't know what you mean," Chloe said in her most haughty voice.

"The privacy is useful because I have nightmares, bad ones that sometimes make me call out. I don't want to wake anyone." Valentine said it in a matter-of-fact tone, but it popped Chloe's little bubble of the past that she had lived in since he arrived at her door.

He had said he was broken. Was this what he meant?

The atmosphere between them changed, and the rest of the walk was silent. They climbed the steps towards the restaurant, and as they reached the top, Valentine stopped and looked down at her. "Do you mind if we continue in Russian?"

"Not at all," Chloe agreed as he held open the door for her.

The restaurant was housed in an old 18th-century mansion. It was called the Pink House because the exterior of the building was pink and had been almost since the day it was built. The hostess counter was in the main hall, and Valentine moved them both towards her with his hand on Chloe's back. Chloe could feel all eyes in the lobby area focus on them. She wasn't sure if it was because Valentine naturally drew the eye or if he was recognized. The majority of the people waiting were in tourist clothing. The restaurant warranted dressing up, but many people didn't.

"We have a reservation under Chloe Lockwood," he said softly to the hostess.

The young girl looked at him with wide eyes. "Ummm, sure, let me check."

Chloe was doing her best to ignore the stares, and Valentine seemed oblivious.

"I never noticed all of this attention before when we've been out. Has it been happening since you got here?" Chloe asked in Russian, her voice soft.

"From time to time. I don't think I stand out as much when we are in a group. Of course, it could also be you that they are looking at. You do look stunning this evening." He gave her a charming smile and then turned his attention towards the hostess, who had stopped looking for the reservation and was staring at them.

"You do have our reservation?" Valentine asked as his smile faded.

"Umm, yes, it's here. Right, this way." The young girl grabbed a few menus and led them through one of the main dining rooms, where all eyes once again turned to them. She placed them at a corner table by a window that looked over the street below.

"Thank you," Valentine said as he held out a chair for Chloe that faced toward the restaurant. He, in turn, took the one across from her keeping his back to the room.

They were only seated for a matter of seconds when a waitress approached them, asking them for their drink order.

"May I see a wine menu?" Valentine requested.

The next twenty minutes were spent ordering, and even though Valentine spoke softly, his deep voice with its heavy accent carried in the quiet dining room.

"We should have eaten at my place. We're not going to be able to discuss anything serious here?" Chloe mused as she sipped her wine.

"We can discuss some, as long as we stick to Russian." Valentine leaned back in his chair, watching Chloe. "Has your father been in contact?" Valentine asked as his long fingers played with the stem of his wine glass.

"No, but I don't imagine he has much to say to me." Chloe shrugged, brushing away the hurt. "He loves me, he's my father, but we have never been close. If my mother hadn't died when I was young, I never would have gone to live with him, and I wouldn't know him at all."

Their food was delivered, and they ate as they talked about nothing important.

It was disheartening to Chloe. She was hoping to reconnect with Valentine, but it wasn't happening.

"It's alright, my love, we will get there," Valentine soothed as he studied her downtrodden expression.

"We connected more in Drevniye than we have here," Chloe set her fork down and wiped her mouth with her napkin, not bothering to pretend that she didn't understand him.

"We didn't have so many pairs of eyes watching us in Drevniye," Valentine noted.

Chloe couldn't disagree as the waitress approached them again to make sure everything was just as it should be.

A movement caught Chloe's eyes at the door, and she looked up to see Cindy Dunlop waving at her from across the room.

"What is Cindy Dunlop doing here?" Chloe asked with wide eyes as she stood to receive Cindy, who was walking across the room towards her.  Chloe noticed Don Fellows right behind her. As they reached the table, Valentine stood and turned towards the couple, and Cindy's eyes grew wide at the sight of him.

"Cindy, Don, what are you doing here?" Chloe asked as they hugged. Neither one attempted to greet Valentine with anything other than a nod.

"Don has an interview with one of the local hospitals tomorrow," Cindy explained as her eyes were pulled back toward Valentine. "I was so worried about you. We didn't know why you disappeared so quickly. Someone said that you had been abducted and killed, but we were told that you had to go home because of a sick relative." Cindy's eyes snapped back to Chloe.

"I'm fine, as you can see. You remember Valentine Juric, don't you?" Chloe asked to change the subject.

"Sure, Mr. Juric," Cindy greeted.

"Nurse Dunlop, or should I say, Fellows? I hear congratulations are in order, that you two married before you left Drevniye." Valentine gave them a smile that made Cindy blink.

"You're married. How wonderful!" Chloe smiled, giving them another hug.

"We are," Cindy blushed, "but you must have been pleased to hear about your father's marriage to Doreen Bisset too."

Chloe did her best to hide her shock at the news Cindy had just delivered.

"Yes, of course, I am," Chloe agreed, her eyes darting to Valentine, who was playing his cards close.

"Look, we're causing a bit of a scene. What's your number?" Chloe asked, reaching for her phone and turning it on.

Cindy gave her number to Chloe, then they said a quick goodbye, and Chloe sat down in her chair, watching Valentine as he signaled for the check.

"You knew about my father?" she asked.

"I did," he confirmed. "I take it you did not?"

Chloe shook her head. She was numb. She didn't know If she should be angry at him or her father, or both.

"What about Don having an interview? Did you know about that?" Her voice was so soft Valentine had to lean in to hear her.

"Not about the interview. Your father told me that he was good and needed a job once he got back to the states, so I mentioned it to Silas." Valentine threw some cash down with the bill and stood, helping Chloe as she stood and placed her wrap around her shoulders.

"I think I want to go home."

Valentine nodded and led the way out of the restaurant with all eyes still on them. It was a relief once they reached the sidewalk and moved into the shadows of the square.

"Why wouldn't he tell me?" Chloe asked Valentine.

"I don't know, Chloe." Valentine didn't reach out and try to comfort her. He somehow knew that was not what she wanted.

The walk back to her apartment was done in silence. The date had been a bust, and she felt much worse at its conclusion than when it started.

It was a poor beginning

"Goodnight, Valentine," she said when they reached her door.

"Would you like me to set up a call with your father?" he asked.

"No, I don't think there would be any point in doing that." Chloe gave him a sad smile. "I'll see you soon?" she asked, hoping he would offer to stay.

"You will," he promised, then he turned and walked down the stairs.

Chloe wanted to beg him to stay, but she didn't know how to ask him. What was left of her confidence had slid away with the knowledge that her father hadn't told her he had remarried.