“Dimitri this is a wonderful apartment. I can just imagine a couch over here and a table over there…” Anya looked around with her eyes glittering. She was truly excited. Dimitri on the other hand wasn’t. Anya was royalty, she wasn’t suppose to live in a teensy weensy little apartment.

“I’m not so sure. I mean is it big enough?” Dimitri said looking around. There were no Grand staircases; there were no stairs for that matter, just the fire escape. There weren’t any furniture and the floors were damp looking. Dimitri knew that if they used their imaginations they could make it look better. Right now it looked like a poor family could live in there.

But then again, they were poor. They had no many. They had just eloped a few days ago, came back, met up with their friends, and are now looking for an apartment.

Anya sighed, would he ever understand that she herself could never be a Romanov again? She walked over and put her arms around his neck and he put his arms around her waist.

“Now you listen here.” Anya looked at him “I am no Grand Duchess and I am not a Romanov anymore. I am your wife Anya Leongard and that’s what I want to be. And I love this apartment. It has great character and as long as I am with you I will be happy and content.”

“I suppose you’re right. But if we ever do need a castle, just let me know because I can earn money very quick.” Dimitri teased her.

Anya face grew serious and then said, “That’s another thing I want to talk to you about.” She pulled away from Dimitri and walked around the apartment. “You won’t con anyone will you?”

Dimitri walked up beside her and put his hand on her shoulder “Never. I learned my lesson. Never con anyone or you’ll fall in love with a beautiful girl.” He leaned towards her and gave her a kiss on the lips.

Anya knew he was just joking. He joked more than he used to. Maybe he was happier. At that moment the super walked into the apartment with his wife. They were an older couple.

“Hello Mr. and Mrs. Leongard. My name is Francis and this is my wife Nicole.” Francis introduced himself.

“Hello Francis,” Dimitri shook his hand “You know we really like this apartment. What does the furniture look like?”

“How am I suppose to know?” Francis asked with a questioning look “I don’t know what you like in furniture. I didn’t even know that you’d buy furniture before you got an apartment.”

Dimitri thought for a moment “This apartment is furnished, isn’t it?”

Francis shook his head “No. You’ll have to provide your own furniture.”

“We don’t have any.” Dimitri muttered.

“Well, I am sure that is fine.” Anya said cheerfully. “I like the apartment anyway even if it isn’t furnished. It’ll be fine dear.”

“See I told you Francis,” Nicole nagged “We should have furnished it. But nooooooooo. ‘Don’t worry it’ll be cheaper this way.’”

“Don’t start nagging with me!” Francis raised a finger.

“I nag if I want! You aren’t the boss of me!” Nicole yelled back.

Dimitri and Anya watched in awe as the old couple fought with each other. The couple didn’t seem to mind that total strangers were watching them fight. Then all of a sudden they stopped and smiled back at Anya and Dimitri.

“So what do you think about ten dollars a month?” Francis asked.

Dimitri and Anya looked at each other and Anya answered “Yes, that will be fine.”

“Good. Now as you know rent is due at the end of the month and we don’t allow smoking, drinking, loud noise like music…” Nicole went on. Anya and Dimitri nodded their heads until they heard Nicole say “no dogs.”

“No dogs,” Anya echoed.

“Yes that is right.” Francis nodded “She is terribly allergic and breaks out into hives if she is even twenty feet away from a dog.”

Dimitri knew how much Anya loved Pooka. He liked Pooka himself, but he’d never admit to that. “Let us think about it.”

Anya and Dimitri left the apartment. “So what should we do?” Dimitri asked. Pooka was sitting outside in the grass and Anya picked him up.

“I don’t know. I love Pooka and I don’t want to give him up.” Anya declared “But we do need a home. I mean we can’t live at Vald and Sophie’s forever, right?”

Dimitri didn’t reply. He didn’t know what to do. Then an idea came into his head. “Anya, I have an idea. I’ll meet you at Vlad and Sophie’s in an hour.”

“Dimitri, wait!” Anya called out to him. But it was too late. Dimitri was already gone. What was he up to?

~*~

Dimitri ran to the apartment and ran in. Francis and Nicole were still there.

“Hello Mr. Leongard, have you decided what your decision is?” Francis asked.

“Listen, we really like this apartment. We can afford it and we can get our own furniture, but I have a problem with the dog situation. My wife Anya has a little puppy and she loves him very much. She can tell me all she wants that it won’t hurt her to get rid of him, but I know she will be very heart broken if she does.

“I know you are allergic to dogs, Nicole, so am I. But I promise you if you let us keep the dog, we’ll keep him far away from you. And we’ll keep the apartment clean and make sure he doesn’t destroy anything.” Dimitri promised.

Nicole and Francis looked at him strangely for a minute. Then Francis piped us; “You love your wife very much don’t you?”

“Yes, I love her so much and I’d do anything for her.” Dimitri told them. Where they listening? Did they understand?

“How come you don’t love me like that?” Nicole nagged at Francis. Francis rolled his eyes, but then Nicole said. “You may keep the dog.”

Dimitri wanted to jump and down with joy. Anya would be so happy and proud of him. “Thank you so much.” He shook their hands and ran out the door.

~*~

“Maybe you should ask Vladdy what he thinks,” Sophie advised when Anya told her about Dimitri running from her.

“Yes, he know Dimitri longer than any of us has.” Anya agreed. Just then Vlad walked in to the room. Good timing.

“Vladdy, Anya needs to ask you something.” Sophie got his attention. And the jolly old count seated himself at the table where the two girls were sitting.

“Yes, Anya what is it?” Vlad asked nicely.

“Well, this afternoon we found this perfect apartment,” Anya said, “We like it very much, but the lady is allergic to dogs and said we couldn’t keep Pooka. We told them we’d think about it and that we’d be back. While we were talking about it, Dimitri exclaimed that he had an idea and he rushed off. You don’t think he’s doing a con do you?”

“Anya, Dimitri loves you. He’s never do that again.” Vlad assured her “I believe that his idea was good, not bad.”

“Good.” Anya smiled “I just thought I’d ask you since you’ve known him for a long time.”

Just then Pooka was prancing around and that meant he had to go out. So Anya took him. While the two were outside, Sophie broke the silence.

“Are you sure that Dimitri isn’t doing anything bad?” Sophie asked.

“Yes of course.” Vlad was surprised at what she said. “Why would he do that if he loves her?”

Sophie looked down “I thought you loved me and you tried to trick me.” Vlad wished he could just dig a hole and die.

“Sophie, my pet, I am so sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I was just very messed up and I swear to you I’ll never lie to you again.” Vlad promised and Sophie knew he was telling the truth.

~*~

As Anya led Pooka down the steps she knew this would probably be one of their last walks. She couldn’t bare the thought of giving him away. Just thinking about it, made her want to cry.

Then Dimitri saw Anya walking Pooka and he dashed over to her like a speed of lightning.

“Anya,” Dimitri began between breaths “I,” pant “have some,” breathing “thing to,” caught his breath “tell you.”

“Dimitri calm down,” she led him to the porch and the three sat down “what is it you want to tell me?”

“I have a surprised,” Dimitri said happily “we can keep Pooka. I talked it over with Nicole and Francis and it is okay with them.”

Anya threw her arms around his neck, “Oh Dimitri thank you!” then she pulled away “When you left I thought you were off to do another con, but I am so glad I was wrong!”

Dimitri wasn’t sure what she just said. He was still a little out of breath, but he thought he heard her say something about a con.

“What?”

“I thought since you left so quickly that you were going to go con someone or something. But I am so glad I was wrong. And I am so sorry I doubted you. It won’t happen again!”

“Anya, I should have told you what I was planning to do.” Dimtiri admitted. “I guess I was just so happy because I knew you would be pleased if we could keep Pooka. But I promise you I’ll never con anyone again.

“I almost lost you once and I don’t ever want to do that again.”

~*~

“So how are the happy couple?” Teased Vlad. The four of them were sitting down in Sophie’s parlor.

“Well Vlad we decided that we are right for each other and we’re getting a divorce.” Dimitri teased back with the most serious look on his face. It even took Anya while to notice that he was just joking.

“That’s wasn’t funny Dimitri; you have me going for a moment.” Vlad smiled. It was nice to see them two so happy. Vlad was almost certain that he’d never seen Dimitri or Anya as happy as they were now.

“You had me going too.” Anya laughed.

“Oui, me also.” Sophie agreed “To change the subject, what does you wedding picture look like?”

Anya and Dimitri exchanged glances. What picture? Were they supposed to get one?

“We didn’t get one yet.” Anya admitted. “I guess we forgot.”

“But I’m sure we will get one.” Dimitri said. How could they have forgotten something so important? That picture was going to be a keepsake and they’d show that to their children someday.

~*~

“Are you certain this okay?” Dimitri asked looking around the apartment. Anya was in his arms and they were sitting on the floor against a wall with their arms around each other with a blanket on them. “I don’t like the idea of you here with no furniture.”

“Dimitri, it doesn’t matter to me. I like this apartment. And before you know it we’ll have furniture and everything.” Anya smiled thing of their dreams that they shared.

“But I’m not sure what my job will pay. What if we don’t have enough money to pay the rent before it’s due?” Dimitri asked. Anya rolled her eyes. He worried about everything, didn’t he?

“You worry too much.” Anya sighed. “We have only been living in this apartment for two days and you’re worried about getting kicked out. Besides with my income we’ll have enough money.”

Dimitri’s forehead creased, “What income?”

“The income from my job, of course. I’ll tell you one thing Dimitri, no man’s going to support me. I don’t care what you think about women not working, I’m going to do it anyway.” Anya said bluntly.

She didn’t want to start a fight, but she was no stay at home wife. No way, no how. This was the 20th century and Anya loved Dimitri, but she wasn’t going to be submissive about everything.

Dimitri sighed and kissed her cheek, “That’s one thing I love most about you. Your determination.”

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© 1999 - 2001 AnyaCI@aol.com