Reality Bites - Wattys 2018 Shortlist

Chapter 99 - A Different Type Of Bling

I heard the key in the lock, and then Kirk clearing his throat a couple of times before he called out, "D? Rose? It's ten past four, and I'm back, and Lissa is here, too."

I was lying naked on my side under the covers in bed with Dimitri, holding him tightly against me. We'd spent an hour and a half worshiping one another. All our joy, fear and stress about graduation and the Promise ceremony poured out into tender and passionate lovemaking. And then we'd held one another, talking and kissing.

"Be out in a moment," Dimitri called out, giving me a last soft kiss. "Up you get milaya," he said tenderly. "You have a dance to prepare for!"

"You need to prepare too, Comrade."

"It will take me fifteen minutes to have a shower, shave and put my uniform back on," he chuckled pulling a clean pair of boxers out of his drawer and putting them on. "Bags first shower!" He went to have his shower and I grabbed my bathrobe from the back of Dimitri's door, wrapping it around myself before heading out to see Lissa.

"You look relaxed" she teased. "By the way, your parents are going to be here in a minute. They said they had a graduation present for you?"

"Europe is meant to be my graduation present."

"Well, apparently they've got you something else as well."

In a few minutes, Dimitri was out of the shower, just wearing a towel wrapped around his hips. God, he looked hot! I had no idea how I was going to be able to keep my hands off him tonight, especially after the couple of hours of delight we'd just had. He went back to his room to get changed.

There was a knock at the door, and Baba and Mom entered. "Hello darling! Your mother and I just wanted to drop by with some graduation gifts."

"I thought Europe was my gift?"

"It is – but we each wanted to get you a little something to commemorate the day."

Mom went first. "Your father gave this to me when I was only a little older than you are now. I had long hair, back then, so I wore it a lot." She opened a black velvet case to show a gold hair clasp decorated with diamonds and rubies. It was the sort that had a pointed stake that went through holes in each end to secure it.

"The stake part is silver, charmed and very sharp. I know it can be hard for a lady to carry a stake in formal wear, so I had it made especially as a backup weapon should your mother ever need it," Baba explained. "We've had the charms renewed."

"I thought it would go beautifully with your gown this evening, and after that, you can keep it," Mom concluded. It was just beautiful. Simple and classy Mom was right. It would look sensational with my dress.

"Thanks, Mom, Baba. It's beautiful." I put one arm around each of them.

"And I didn't think you'd be wearing a necklace with your gown tonight, so I thought perhaps a different type of bling?" Baba said, handing me another jewelry box. I opened it to see simple square diamond solitaire earrings. They were a close match for my tennis bracelet, which I had intended to wear tonight.

"Oh, Baba – they're beautiful. They must have cost you a fortune?"

"Probably? I didn't ask" he replied. "Every girl needs a set of diamond earrings - and now you have yours."

"Thank you, Baba. You spoil me too much!"

"Not at all. Lissa? Janine and I also have a little something to celebrate your graduation," he said, passing her a jewelry box.

Lissa looked like she might be about to cry. This was certainly unexpected. Opening the box, inside were nestled a gorgeous pair of delicate emerald earrings. I gave Mom a knowing look – I'd mentioned to her Sparky was giving Lissa an emerald necklace for her graduation gift. These had obviously been bought to match.