After I took a quick shower I called up Pavel.

"Hey, girly." I heard someone on the other end say.

"Hey." I responded simply.

"What are we doing today?" Pavel asked.

I smiled at this. "Well, I kinda want to go to the go-kart track...." I slowly said.

"YES!" shouted Pavel. "Be there in 20 minutes." I heard a click, meaning he'd hung up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The horn went off that signalled we could go. I pressed on the gas as hard as I could, and sped off.

After my second lap, Pavel finally figured out how to work the car.

On my fourth lap, one left, Pavel was finally halfway done with his first.

Finished, Pavel was only on his second.

When everyone else finished, Pavel was only on his third.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You...were...HORRIBLE!" I choked out through laughter. "Seriously, I never thought someone could be that bad!"

"There was a problem with my car!" Pavel defended.

"No-" I started to say, but a young boy had come up to us.

"Sir," he politely said. "Could I have your autograph, please?"

Pavel smiled. "Sure!" he said. After finding a sharpie, Pavel signed his Red Wings shirt he was wearing.

"Thanks!" the boy said, happily. He lowered his voice then said. "Your girlfriend is hot."

Pavel looked shocked. It took a lot to hold back my laughter. "Uh- thanks." Pavel stuttered. The boy smiled, then walked away.

After the boy was a little bit away I burst out laughing. Pavel's face went from shocked to smiling. Once I'd calmed down, which took awhile, Pavel said. "Come on, girlfriend! Off to lazer-tag!" Taking my hand we went off to play a game of lazer-tag, which Pavel, of course, sucked at.

~~~~~~~~

I felt my phone buzz as I stood by the sink washing dishes. I pulled it out of my pocket and tossed it to Pavel, who sat on the bar stools. "Answer it." I said.

"Who is it?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Don't know."

Pavel rolled his eyes, then answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"No," Pavel laughed. "This isn't Sammy."

"No, sir. We're just friends."

"Okay, here she is."

Pavel handed the phone to me. I shut off the water, and grabbed the phone. I instantly knew who it was after hearing Pavel.

"Dad!" I yelled into the phone, walking into another room. "You just don't say those things to people!" I yelled. I already knew what he had said. I could tell by Pavel's answers.

"Why? I was curious!"

"But-" I started to say, but my dad cut me off.

"Anyways, I was wondering if you'd like to some over for dinner." my dad asked. "And your boyfriend, fiance, whatever, can come too."

"DAD!" I yelled again.

"Is that a yes or a no?"

"Yeah." I grumbled.

"Great!" My dad said cheerfully. "See you at six!"

"Bye." I grumbled, then hung up. I shoved my phone in my pocket, then walked back into the kitchen where Pavel stood at the sink washing dishes.

I walked up next to him and shut the water off. "I can do this by myself, you know." I muttered.

"But, I can do it also! So, sit down." Pavel cheerfully said.

I rolled my eyes, walking over to the bar stools as Pavel continued to wash the dishes.

"I like your dad." Pavel simply stated.

"Good. Because your invited to his house for dinner tonight."

"Can't wait. I want to hear more embarrassing stories about your childhood." Pavel grinned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pavel pulled into the driveway of a small ranch house in Northville, Michigan. My parents... now my dad's house.

I stepped out of the car, as did Pavel, then we slowly walked up to the door, hand in hand.

Instead of knocking, I opened the door and walked in, Pavel trailing behind. My dad quickly showed up in front of us.

I smiled. "Hey, dad." I said, giving him a hug.

"Hey Sammy girl. Engaged yet?" My dad asked.

"Dad!" I yelled, Pavel laughed besides me. "You're such an ass!"

"I know." My dad laughed. "So, want anything to drink? Oh yeah, I forgot to say. I invited the Starkey's."

My mouth dropped. "DAD! How could you?! Why would you?! This is bad! And it's not even because of that, it's for other reasons too! What the hell?!"

"God." My dad mumbled. "I was just trying to be nice. I thought you were on good terms with Matt, anyways."

"I lied." I muttered. "Anyways, he could figure out my damn secret! He'll recognize Pavel!" I yelled. I grabbed Pavel hand and started for the door. "We're leaving."

But, before I could step out the front door I saw a red car pull into the driveway. "Shit." I muttered.

I tugged Pavel with me and we ran out the back door. Instead of going around the side of my house I headed straight into the woods behind my dad's house. We trudged through the woods until I found a small trail about a half a mile back.

I followed the trail until we came upon a small bridge over a creek. I walked onto it, coming across the missing boards, I sat down, sticking my legs through the gap. So did Pavel.

Pavel held my hand as we quietly sat there. I leaned my head on his shoulder. My mind buzzed with old memories.

Then, I realized that I'd just dragged Pavel out of the house, through the woods for three fourths of a mile, and now we're sitting here. Yet, he was so calm about it.

I picked my head up and looked at Pavel. He looked back at me. "Come on. I'll tell you my story on the way back." I sighed.

Pavel nodded, and we stood up and walking back the way we came.

"In my senior year of high school I started dating this one guy... Matt. Matt Starkey. Things were great then... I thought I was in love.... we both ended up going to college together... majored in the same thing... everyone thought we'd end up getting married.... until I went to his dorm one night to find him snogging some other girl..." I trailed off. I felt tears coming on. Pavel squeezed my hand. "I broke up with him after that... but, it wasn't easy. For at least two months he sent me texts, called me, even followed me around saying... things and...." I stopped. My heart pounded, and the first tear fell out of my eye. I quickly wiped it away. "I left school then to play hockey... and, I haven't heard from him since."

Right when I finished Pavel stopped me in my tracks, and turned me so I looked him in the eye. "Samantha," he started. I bit at my lip to keep myself from yelling at him. "First off, that guy is an idiot. Anyone would be more than lucky to have you. You're smart, funny, and beautiful. You're one of a kind. And I just don't mean that because of you're job." he smiled. "You didn't deserve this one bit. I'm sorry it happened to you, and I'm sorry I can't fix it. But, count on me to be the one to give him a broken nose if he comes close to you again." Pavel finished, then pulled my into a bone-crushing hug. I hugged back, shoving my face in his chest as the tears started coming.

Pavel pulled away and looked at me. I smiled. "Thank you so much." I said. "I'm so lucky to have you."

~~~~~~~~~

As we reached the edge of the woods by the house I sent a text to my dad.

Keep them distracted.

I quickly got a text back. Okay. We're heading into the basement right now.

Thanks.

Pavel and I quickly made our way past the side of the house and onto the driveway. We quickly got in Pavel's car and sped off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When we got back to my house I quickly made pancakes, and we stretched out on the couch to watch Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I am determined to make Pavel a Potterhead.

Authors Note: Not sure how I like this chapter... but this and the last are both set-ups for the future! YEAH! So, well... thanks for reading!