Ivan Knight
It was time, I wished to talk to my dad about meeting Val. I hope he didn't change his mind, because I already told her, so fingers crossed.
He's constantly busy, and he works all day, I barely ever see him. He drowns himself with all his work, I miss hanging out with him. But ever since mom left us, he stopped doing all the things that made me feel better, like sitting on the dining table together and talking about our day. I wish things could've stayed the same, but there's nothing I can do about it.
It was Sunday, so he doesn't go to his marketing company, yet he worked at his home office. He needed a break.
I walk to the door and knock three times.
"Come in." He announces shortly.
I open the door and he shoots his eyes up looking at me and giving me a small smile.
"What a great surprise." He was shocked I was here, I never talk to him when he's working. "Is something wrong?"
"No, I-". I seat myself on the chair in front of him because I couldn't stand up and ask him while I'm anxious. "Remember how you said you'd like to meet Valeria, my girlfriend?" I compose myself and start talking without fucking up all the words.
"Yes, I do." He replies placing his laptop to the side, giving me his full attention.
"Well, I asked her if she'd like to, and she said yes. If you still want to, and you aren't busy, can you tell me when we can make this happen?" I pursue, being negligibly less nervous. His eyes were the same as mine, but I hope my look wasn't intimidating like his.
"Of course, I'd love to meet her. If she wants to, she can come today, I almost completed all my work. I have a bit left, but I can leave them for another time." His eyes softened, and he looked happy about the whole thing. It warmed my heart.
He cares.
"Great, I'll speak to her and ask her." I attempt to hide my enthusiasm, but I failed miserably. I wanted to compose myself but I couldn't so I shuffle to his chair, lower my body and give him a small hug while. "Thank you, father."
"That's what dads are for. But you're suffocating me, Ivan." He cackles while hugging me back.
"Oh sorry." I stand up. "I'll go call her."
"Perfect."
I pace out of the office and pull my phone out of my back pocket. I unlock it, then go to the phone app and dial Valeria's number. She responds after a few seconds thankfully not ignoring my calls or not hearing them.
"Hello, baby." I hear her delicate voice through her phone instantly getting butterflies as she talked. I'm embarrassingly whipped.
"Hey angel, how are you?" I answer arriving into my room and closing the door behind me.
"I'm great, how are you?" She continues.
"I'm good now that I heard your voice," I smirk to myself.
"How romantic." She declares sarcastically.
"I need to ask you something," I murmur walking in circles around the bedroom.
"Sure, what is it?"
"Can you meet my dad today? I asked him and he said he wasn't busy, so if you're free, I can pick you up." I ask hoping she'd agree because I was freaking out.
"I have nothing to do, I'll just have to ask my dad, and I'll text you to come."
Thank goodness.
"Great, I'll wait for your answer."
"Ok, I love you."
Oh lord.
"I love you more." I had the biggest grin on my face.
"I don't think so." She chuckles. "I'll go to my dad."
"Ok, bye baby."
"Bye."
What has your love done to me, angel?
/////
Valeria Campbell
I am freaking the fuck out. I have to meet Ivan's dad, and my social anxiety definitely won't help.
I wander down the stairs and see my dad sitting in the living room watching a movie. I think it was "The Age of Adeline", one of my favorite movies. He's the reason I adore it so much.
"Dad!!!" I run towards him and settle beside him on the sofa. "I need to ask you something."
"Sure honey, what is it?" He asks pausing the film and looking towards me.
"Ivan's dad wants to meet me today, can he come and pick me up," I ask twisting the purple ring on my finger.
"Of course you can."
"Thanks, da-" He interrupts me.
"Under one circumstance, I have to come together with him one day as well. He's been all you talk about, and I've never even met him. I just know he's your cute boyfriend." He continues. But he has a point.
"Fine, I'll talk to him about it. Thanks, dad." I kiss him on the cheek and get up to go to my room, text Ivan and get ready.
I take my phone from my bed to message him.
'He said yes' -to Ivan
It didn't take him long before he texted back.
'Great, I'll be here in an hour <3' -from Ivan
The real problem now is, what should I wear? I go to my closet and stare at it. After five minutes, I take a floral white and light blue dress with spaghetti straps that was slightly flared on its lower part. I put it on and it wasn't too short thankfully, it rested just above my knees.
I look at myself in the mirror, and I felt beautiful.
I hope Ivan would take it off me.
Fuck, did I just think that?
Happy? Now I'm thinking about it, I admit it. Thank god I didn't say that around somebody.
You better keep my confidential secrets safe.
I walk to my dresser, splashing some perfume and putting some mousse in my hair to make my curls nicer. And I initiate applying some makeup. Nothing too fancy, just the base, black eyeliner, and a light pink lipstick.
I put on my small thick silver hoop earrings and a matching necklace with a paper airplane on it. I keep my silver purple ring on, though it might not match, but I never go out without it.
I grab my white vans, wearing them as well. I wanted to take a bag, but I don't need to put anything in it, and the dress has pockets, so I can keep my phone in it.
I go back downstairs seeing Ivan talking with my dad. When did he get here?
"Hey, Val. I arrived a few minutes ago, so I thought I'd say hi to your dad while you got ready." He explains.
"Cool." Was that all I could manage to say? Where's my brain when I need it?
"I guess we should get going. It was a nice meeting, you sir." He addresses me, then to my dad.
"Please, call me Sebastian. And take care of my daughter, she's all I have." My dad answers. He must like him since he didn't kill him yet.
"I sure will." Ivan smiles, and he glimpses at me, scanning me from head to toe. I then walk ahead, standing next to him.
"We have to go. I'll see you later dad." I say to my dad holding Ivan's arm so that he goes to the door, I open it and start walking out.
"Bye, sweetie." He waves at us with a smile, and I wave back. He closes the door, and Ivan and I were next to his car. He opens the door to me, and I seat myself. He goes to the driver's seat, putting on his seatbelt, and turning the ignition.
"Seatbelt." He says pointing at mine.
"Oh yeah, I forgot." I do as he says, and he starts driving. But Iheart thee he phone suddenly buzz, it was a message from dad. 'No need for another meeting. This boy is perfect for you.' I smile like an idiot and send him a heart.
"Is everything okay?" Ivan murmurs glancing at me for a second before looking back at the road.
"Yeah, everything is perfect."
*thirty minutes later*
"Here we are, home sweet home." He mumbles as we were both out of the car standing in front of what looked like a fortress.
"It's huge."
Fuck me. Why do I say these things and embarrass myself?
"I mean, it's nice." Too late bitch, the words already came out of your mouth.
We head to the door, and he rings the bell twice, and I was about to shit myself. I'm internally manifesting I don't fuck this up and say something stupid as always. The door opens after a few moments, and we see his dad standing there with a big smile on his face. He was intimidatingly tall, and he had a nice body, muscular but not bulky. He had short white and grey hair, but what caught my attention were his eyes. They were the same green emerald eyes I was more than familiar with at this point.
"She's still in one piece dad. Told you I can drive." Ivan snaps me out of my thoughts making me cackle.
"You're still a shit driver son." He claps back. "It's nice to finally meet you, young lady, I've heard a lot about you." He brings his hand forward so I can shake it, and I notice Ivan hiding his face with his hand.
"It's nice to meet you too sir." I smile at him. He seemed like a nice man.
"Please, call me Robert." He murmurs. "Come in." He invites us to get inside the house. Ivan and I both start walking as he had his Hanson on my back guiding me. I was captivated by this house, it looked majestic on the inside. The furniture, the decor, the painting, even the walls. It was breathtaking. He invites us to sit on the grey sofa in what looked like the living room. This house was so huge I didn't know what was I was looking at. We both sit down next to each other, while Robert was on the armchair to our left.
A lady and a man come to our direction with juices, cookies, brownies, fruits, and other desserts. If his dad wasn't here, I would eat every single thing on these plates, they looked delicious. But for now, I need to sit gracefully and contain my desires. They both put them on the glass center table, Robert thanks them and they both leave.
"I've been waiting to finally meet you since forever because I've never seen my son more excited about someone than you. It's the first time he brings up someone he likes in front of me." He starts talking. Thank god, I didn't know how these things work.
"Well, the feeling is mutual. And I hope the things he says are nice." I try to compose myself and talk without turning this into a second-hand embarrassing conversation.
"Let's not bring that up, shall we." Ivan pops out of nowhere. Why did he have to say that? I wanted to know what he says about me.
"Are you talking shit about me to your dad mister Knight?" I raise my brow suspiciously.
"He talks about how much he likes you, he sounds like a hopeless romantic. Should write a love poem about you at this point." Robert says sarcastically, making me laugh. He's really nice.
"For heaven's sake," Ivan mutters. "Thank you so much for bringing that up dad. Really appreciate it."
"Anytime son." He says back trying to contain his smile. "But I see why, he wasn't exaggerating when he talked about you darling." He continues.
"Thank you." I'm sure I'm as red as a tomato at this point.
"I'm your son by the way." He waves at him.
"I've always wanted a daughter anyway."
"Ouch, this hurt." Ivan puts his hand on his heart pretending to be stabbed or something making me laugh.
This was going better than I expected.
"Sucks to be you," I say looking at Ivan acting sympathetic.
"I love her already," Robert mumbles with a chuckle, and I've never felt more relieved.
"I can see that," Ivan says acting annoyed.
"Anyway, what kind of juice do you want Valeria orange, apple, or strawberry?" Robert asks me leaning to the table and grabbing a cup to pour me something.
"Strawberry please," I answer, and he hands me the cup, then gives Ivan an orange one, before grabbing a strawberry one as well.
*thirty minutes later*
This was going amazing so far. I managed to not humiliate myself and chattering normally.
For the last thirty minutes, we've been discussing our families, weird things Ivan did as a kid, and eating all the food on the table. Robert made sure to stuff me with more than enough sweets. And I wasn't complaining, they tasted amazing.
Ivan's dad was an extremely friendly person, and I can see how much he loved him. He cared so much about him, he even declined five business calls because he didn't want work to interrupt us, and ruin the great vibe.
But I needed to get back home, I stood at the door waiting for Ivan to get his car from the garage. Someone parked it there instead of him.
He came back and honked for me to get in the car.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Valeria, I hope to see you again soon," Robert declared with a warm smile.
"The pleasure's all mine." I step to the car and wave at him before seating myself, and Ivan proceeded to drive once I was inside.
"Your dad is an incredible person Ivan."
"I know, he liked you. And he did treat you like he would if he had a daughter." He holds my hand that was resting on my thigh, keeping his other one on the steering wheel.
This worked out better than I foresaw.