Act Two

V

Yakov offers Lilia a ride back to her home so she does not have to walk alone in the cold. Lilia is hesitant but accepts the offer anyway. The two settle in his car, buckling in and driving down the road while Lilia gives him directions. "Thank you for the ride, I appreciate it." She smiles softly, looking over at the tall man. Yakov grins and glances back at her, nodding. "Of course. I would not feel comfortable letting you walk home at this time of night. Plus, I would not be doing my job." He responds, stopping at a light. "And what is this job?" Lilia asks, crossing her right leg over her left. "Making sure you're all right and safe." Yakov smiles at the woman. His butterflies have not left at all. Not even for a second during the date.

Lilia's cheeks get visibly pinker underneath the minimal blush she wears. She only put a little makeup on for the date. Nothing too over the top for Yakov. She wants him to know what he's getting himself into from the get-go, no high expectations. "You really are the dream man, huh?" Lilia teases, leaning her head back as she watches Yakov drive down the nearly deserted street. Her smile only grows when she catches his similarly red cheeks under the passing street lamps. "That seems a little too far-fetched but I'm trying to be." He replies, chuckling a bit.

Lilia hums to herself, turning her gaze to the windshield to watch the buildings move by. "Left at this upcoming intersection. My building is the second one on the left." Yakov nods and yields to traffic before making the turn. He parallel-parks across the street from the little but tall building, getting out to open Lilia's door. "Thank you, Yakov-Ivanovich." Lilia looks up, swinging her legs out to step on the ground. Yakov holds out his left hand which the woman takes, getting up on the sidewalk after fully exiting the vehicle. "Thanks again. You must stop being so perfect and making me look bad." She chuckles, shivering slightly from the wind. Yakov laughs a little and bites on the inside of his cheek. "I don't know how to not be polite. It's just who I am." He holds his elbow out like he's done once before. Lilia grins and links her arm through, following Yakov as he leads her across the street to her building's front door.

"I'm okay from here. Thank you for the ride again and the date. I had a lot of fun. Let's do this again sometime?" Lilia stops to turn around to look up at Yakov. The man starts to smile for the one-hundredth time that night. "Me too. Thank you for coming, I missed seeing you." He answers, looking back in her pear-green eyes. "Give me a call the next time you want to go out." Lilia opens her clutch wallet, fishing for something to write on and write with. Luckily, she has a wrapper and a pen to write her home phone number on. Once she finishes, she holds it out for the older man. Yakov takes the wrapper and looks down at her pretty handwriting. "Thank you. I will most definitely reach out soon." He looks up again, not wanting to leave. "Have a good night, Yakov-Ivanovich." The woman says sweetly, clasping her hands together. " (1) *Спокойной ночи, just Lilia." The woman opens her mouth to say something but only chuckles. "Go home, Yakov-Ivanovich. Before we stand out here talking all night and freeze into ice cubes."

Yakov nods, his cheeks beginning to hurt from the smiling. He waves to the woman and starts his way to the car. Lilia watches as Yakov crosses the street to leave. "You better get inside before you turn into an ice cube!" He shouts from across the road. Lilia chuckles and waves to him. "Just doing my job, making sure you're safe!" She learns to love teasing this man and Yakov is puddling from it. Before getting back in his car, he looks at Lilia again. "Call me Yasha." He calls out. Lilia blinks twice, growing a small grin. "I will." She answers, waving him bye as he finally leaves. "Good night, Yasha." She whispers under her breath, retreating to her flat.

For the next week, Yakov can not stop thinking about how perfect his first date with Lilia went. He could not have asked for anything different. The outcome was more than he anticipated, thankful for it. His parents eventually call in, checking on their son. "Yasha, how is everything? Sorry for not reaching out sooner. We've been fairly busy going to doctor's appointments and whatnot." His mother sighs, sitting at the kitchen table while she talks. "No worries, I'm great, mama. Guess what?" Yakov starts, on his couch. "Don't make me guess, Yasha." The older woman sighs heavier, earning a small laugh from her son. "Papa gave me advice a while back and I used it to ask Lilia on a date." The man has to pull the phone away so the shriek his mother lets out does not make him lose his ability to hear.