“Good! Viktor, I have been thinking about this. It sounds like from what you said, they know it was a boy, but probably don’t know who. I talked to Peter, and knowing how important this is to you and your family, he will say he was the one who broke into the training complex.”
Peter didn’t hear a response from Mr. Alexandrov and moved closer to his dad hoping that would help. Peter looked at his dad, who shook his head as if saying Mr. Alexandrov was thinking about it. Peter sat patiently, before overhearing, “Tom, I von’t accept zis kind offer. I take blame. Dmitri did vrong, I handle.”
“Viktor, I’ve walked on the moon and nothing can top that! This is your first mission!” His father continued to press until Mr. Alexandrov finally accepted his proposal. However, Mr. Alexandrov promised he would never forget this generous offer and would always be indebted to him and to Peter.
Tom ended up being reprimanded by NASA for embarrassing his country, but was left on the mission. Nonetheless he was told by his superiors this would be his last mission, and therefore he never flew the Shuttle. Peter did have to leave for home and was not allowed back to visit his dad. Viktor went on to fly the U.S.-USSR mission, as well as two other missions to the Salyut Space Station. Because of Viktor’s roots and successes in the early part of the Soviet space program, the door opened for Dmitri to become a cosmonaut, and he ended up flying two missions himself.
JOHNNY STOPPED BY THE TABLE to see if Peter and Dmitri were ready to order. Dmitri responded he had not reviewed the menu and asked for a few more minutes. As Johnny winked and walked away, Dmitri turned to Peter and whispered, “Does he think we’re a couple or something?”
Peter laughed. “Not sure where he would get that idea.”
Dmitri gave Peter a quizzical look before studying the menu. Since Peter planned on getting his usual, he leisurely scanned the restaurant. An incredibly attractive lady entered from the adjoining dining room, escorted by a gentleman. Peter couldn’t help but stare at this beauty. She looked to be in her mid-thirties with jet black hair falling past her shoulders. She wore a short, form-fitting black business skirt and a white blouse, unbuttoned aggressively low. She completed this classy yet seductive ensemble with a beautiful pair of sexy high-heeled black boots; Peter’s favorite. She was dressed to impress. This was a woman Peter wanted to meet.
As Peter continued to stare, the lady turned and looked his way. To his surprise she seemed to smile in his direction. Does she know me? She turned to say something to the gentleman before rotating back around, flipping her hair in a titillating manner as she started walking Peter’s way. Wow! She walked with a mesmerizing air of confidence. He assumed she must be a woman he had met in the past, maybe a past lover, or one of his one-night-stands. He scanned through his rolodex of past woman in his mind. Come on Peter, you’ve got to be able to remember this hot babe! No luck. Peter prided himself on his ability to remember faces, especially women he had dated. He frantically continued searching but he was still coming up blank.
As she approached he felt he should be a gentleman and stood from the booth with a smile to give the impression he knew her. He was preparing to give her a hug, but to his surprise she walked right past him as if he wasn’t even there. She bent over and gave Dmitri a kiss on his cheek. Peter, feeling a bit silly, smiled. Dmitri, you lucky dog. He couldn’t help checking her out from behind—she looked good from all angles. Dmitri leaned away from the kiss, jerking his gaze from his menu, but upon seeing who it was, quickly stood and gave her a big hug, grinning.
Peter, still standing next to the two, watched awkwardly. Finally he interjected with some jealousy, “Dmitri, aren’t you going to introduce me to your beautiful friend?”
Dmitri looked at Peter with a big smile. “Peter, don’t you remember Anya?”
Peter stared, open-mouthed. “Anya your baby sister?” The last time Peter had seen Anya she was fifteen years old with braces and acne. He’d been around twenty-three at the time—right after the wall fell.
“Yes, my little sister.” Dmitri looked at Anya and asked, “You remember Peter, don’t you?”
Anya turned, her face alive with a youthful spirit as she stared in Peter’s eyes, saying nothing. A chill raced through his body, a feeling he hadn’t felt before. She had the most piercing blue eyes he had ever seen. “Oh, yes. Hello, Peter.” Her voice had a softness of a sweet song as she spoke with a slight Russian accent.
Peter said hello and was going to give her a hug, but as he moved in she abruptly turned back to Dmitri and continued their conversation, as if not interested the least bit in Peter. It was not every day he was brushed off by a woman, especially one so attractive. A rueful smile came across his face. He took her brush off as a challenge, and he loved challenges. She was definitely a woman he wanted to get to know better. Feeling third-wheelish, he continued standing next to the two as they spoke.
After a few moments the guy Anya was with walked up holding a coat and tapped her on the shoulder. In a groomed Virginian accent, he said, “I have your coat, are you ready?”
“Hello, I’m Peter, an old friend of the family.” Peter angled himself squarely toward the other man and put out his hand.
The man looked at Peter, as if sizing him up too, before switching the coat to his left hand and taking Peter’s hand. “I’m Dean.”
Anya turned back to Dmitri and said, “I got to go, call me tomorrow,” and gave him one last hug. She turned to Peter and said, “It was nice seeing you again.”
Before he could respond she turned and walked away, her date following close behind. As Peter watched, he was impressed with everything about her.
Both men sat back down in the booth as Peter still stared in her direction. “Wow, your sister has grown up. What in the world is she doing here?”
“She’s visiting Dean. Ten years ago she left Russia to go to Georgetown University to get her doctorate in physics. That’s where she met Dean. After finishing school, she got a job with Zaftra, thanks to her dual citizenship.”
As Anya walked out the door Peter looked back at Dmitri. “That’s right—I forgot she was born in America.”
“Yeah, when you and I first met. Remember our families were at Disneyland as part of the goodwill tour promoting the U.S.-USSR mission. Mom asked not to travel to America because she was eight months pregnant. But senior Soviet officials insisted that she go. Anya lives in Russia now and is Zaftra’s liaison with NASA, so she travels often to the States.”
“How come you never told me she came out to America, especially dealing with NASA?” Peter couldn’t help the frustration in his voice. He felt there were missed opportunities of getting to know her better while he was at NASA.
“I guess I probably should have. But Peter, I know how you are and this is my little sister.”
“Dmitri, knowing she is an Alexandrov, you know I would treat her with utmost respect. Besides I wouldn’t want to do anything to cross your family.” Peter took a sip of his drink as he looked in the direction of the exit saying, “She sure is beautiful. I guess she got the looks in the family.”
Dmitri smiled. “And the brains.”
Focusing back on Dmitri, Peter asked, “So what’s her story with that guy?”
“They’re engaged. They have been together forever, engaged for six years, I think. Not sure why they haven’t taken that next step, probably because neither one is willing to give up their current job and move. He seems okay to me, kind of a stuffy and boring though.”
“Since she lives in Russia, I guess you and your dad get to see her.”