It was a cold, rainy night as a young woman with short, brown hair as well as dark brown eyes gazed out at the falling rain. She could hear the people she called family cheering in the other room. She sighed as she continued gazing out the window. She thought about her past as she replayed the day she was adopted in her mind.
She was young when she was given up by her real family and was found on the doorstep of the orphanage. She had spent thirteen years at the orphanage until the Gudors decided to adopt her. They seemed nice the day they took her to their home.
“ALICE!” Mr. Gudor’s voice thundered.
Alice was quick to respond and leaped to her feet. She stood in front of a man with short black hair and beady brown eyes. He smiled a small, evil smile as she stood at attention.
“Be a good girl and get us some champagne! George was very successful in his first robbery!” Mr. Gudor ordered.
Alice merely shook her head and began to work. The Gudor’s all smiled slyly as Alice handed them their glasses of champagne. When she was done she sat at the table waiting for her next task.
The Gudor family were notorious thieves and were always proud of their so-called achievements. They would often travel to other countries to throw the police off their trail. When they adopted Alice they taught her all their tricks and always brought her around on their excursions. She wasn’t the best though; as she listened to her conscience more than they ever would.
After the festivities, Mr. Gudor went to his office to make sure the cops were still clueless and to see if there were any other events they could sneak into. He soon called the family together once more but for a family meeting this time. Mr. Gudor waited for his family and soon began to speak
“We are still in the clear from the police, but that does not mean that they won’t find us. I’m sure they are getting restless of their constant failure. Fortunately, there is an event we cannot miss.”
“What event would that be?” his wife asked kindly.
“An award ceremony in a place called Kyiv in Ukraine. This event is for all the rockstars in the country of Ukraine and Russia. That is the perfect score for us! Priceless jewels and watches! I’m sure we could even find an anniversary gift for you, my dear.” he smiled at his wife.
The Gudors cheered and smiled at each other. Mr. Gudor then looked at Alice and smiled at her.
“You will be coming with us,” he said sternly.
Alice simply nodded her head.
“You will be helping us steal whatever you can this time,” he glared at her.
“I will try my best,” she said softly.
“Either you steal something or you will be left in Kyiv,” he stated firmly.
Alice swallowed nervously as she looked at Mr. Gudor.
“Do you understand?”
“Yes,” she said softly.
Mr. Gudor nodded and soon went to bed and Mrs. Gudor followed. George sat on the couch and looked at Alice. George was a spitting image of his father, even had his father’s temper. Alice sat at the table and looked out the back door.
“I know you will fail us,” George sneered as he got up.
Alice simply sat in silence as he walked away with a scoff. When she knew that she was alone she sighed. She knew better than to steal from anyone which meant she would be left in a foreign country with nothing but the clothes on her back.
Within a few weeks, the Gudor’s and Alice made their way to Kyiv. They stowed away with the luggage on the plane. For many hours they all sat there until they could feel the plane land on the runway. Once the cargo door was opened they all snuck their way out and looked for an empty van.
For three days they prepared for the award ceremony. They managed to acquire a van and a place to stay. They even placed a catering logo on the van to lessen people’s suspicion. On the night of the event, Mr. Gudor rallied his family to go over their plan. He then called Alice over and looked at her sternly.
“This is your last chance to be a part of this family, and our family trade,” Mr. Godur spoke harshly.
Alice simply nodded her head as she put on her shoes.
“I hope you know your part in this plan,” he sneered.
“I’m the pickpocket,” she answered glumly.
“If you have nothing, don’t even bother coming back to us. This place will be your new home.”
Mr. Gudor got in the van and Alice sighed as she opened the car’s back doors. Once she climbed in she closed the doors and they were on their way. Once at the building for the event, the Gudors got out and blended in with the other caterers. They were each handed a plate of either appetizers or champagne.
Alice walked slowly out into the crowds and saw all the people attending this event. On the outside, she looked like a silent yet diligent worker. Inside her mind was a different story. She had anxiety when there were crowds, and this event was driving the anxiety up with every passing second. As she walked around she heard music playing. She did enjoy the music of Russian or Ukrainian origin, and as she looked around she saw some of her favorite musical artists.
The hours passed on as she continued to walk around offering whatever was on the plater she was given. She was supposed to be pickpocketing the guests during this time, but her heart told her not to and she always listened to her heart.
Mr. Gudor had noticed that she was not doing her part and slowly made his way to her. Alice saw this and began to move in the opposite direction. She began to look behind her to see if Mr. Gudor was close, but the moment she turned her head she felt herself run into someone and soon fell onto the floor.
“I’m so sorry,” Alice said frantically.
She was about to stand up when she felt someone pull her up, and she knew who it was. She looked to see Mr. Gudor glaring at her. She looked back at the person she ran into and panicked when she saw who it was. He was wearing a black, silk shirt and matching dress pants. He looked at Alice with his brown eyes and smiled lightly.
“You clumsy oaf!” Mr. Gudor shouted as he smacked the back of Alice’s head.
The man glared at Mr. Gudor.
“You hit your daughter?” the man asked suspiciously.
“You speak English?” Mr. Gudor asked in return.
“Yes, I spend a fair amount of time in Los Angeles.” the man explained.
Mr. Gudor nodded his head as he let go of Alice’s shirt. She avoided eye contact with everyone and looked at the floor.
“I’m really sorry Sir,” Alice said softly.
“You better be sorry!” Mr. Gudor shouted. “How many times have I told you to watch where you’re going?”
Alice continued to look at the floor without even a glance up. The man glared at Mr. Gudor once more.
“I think that’s enough with all the yelling,” the man said kindly.
“We will take this outside then.” Mr. Gudor grumbled as he grabbed Alice’s arm.
“She should clean up before going outside, wouldn’t you agree?” the man asked.
Mr. Gudor stopped quickly and looked at the man then forced a smile.
“Of course,” he muttered as he let her go.
Mr. Gudor glared at Alice before he walked off. Alice quietly knelt down and began picking up the bits of food off the ground. Everyone else resumed to their leisurely party as if nothing happened. As she picked up the food she saw that the man had knelt down to help her.
“I’m really sorry I ran into you, Sir,” she stammered.
“You call me ‘Sir’ and that’s polite and all, but you can call me Mark,” he said kindly.
“I know, but I want to be polite,” she explained.
“Are you a fan?” he asked.
Alice nodded her head and smiled weakly.
“I’m not mad at you, I promise,” he said kindly with a smile. “Accidents happen, and I know what it’s like to be a waiter. I worked at a bar before I started singing. I got fired for being clumsy, but something tells me that’s not your situation. You were trying to get away from your father, weren’t you?”
“He’s not my father,” Alice stated as she looked up at Mark. “He adopted me but doesn’t really care that I exist. I’m just a failure to my adoptive family.”
“Either way, he shouldn’t be hitting you. No one should hit a woman.”
Alice smiled weakly as she nodded her head. She placed the last of the mess on the platter and stood up. Mark stood up with her, smiled, and stopped her before she left.
“Do you think you can stick around for a bit?” he asked.
“I guess I can stay. I don’t really want to go outside.”
“I’m about to go perform one of my songs and thought that you’d like to watch.”
“Ok, yeah.” she smiled as she started to walk off.
“One more thing I need to ask you,” he called out.
“What?” she asked confused.
“Will you wait for me to walk you out?” he asked.
“I-” she stammered.
“If you go out by yourself he will hit you again, won’t he?”
Alice simply nodded her head glumly. Mark looked at her kindly and smiled warmly at her.
“I won’t let him hurt you, I promise,” Mark whispered.
“So just wait for you then?”
“Yeah. I’ll take you back to wherever you’re staying.”
“I’m staying with them,” she explained.
“Not anymore.”
Alice looked at him puzzled but smiled at him as he smiled back.
“You promise to wait for me?” he asked with a smile.
“You have my word.” she smiled back.
They both heard someone call for Mark so he slowly left, but he did tell Alice that he would return. She smiled as she went back to the kitchen and replaced her platter with fresh food. The time trickled by as she walked around and got to see the musicians perform their songs. After a few minutes, Mark soon found Alice and managed to convince the catering manager to let her have a break. He led her to his table and pulled out a chair for her and soon sat down next to her.
“You’re very nice,” Alice said kindly.
“I do try to be a kind person.” he smiled. “So you get a thirty-minute break, and I would love to know why you and your adoptive family came to Kyiv.”
“I don’t know,” she said quickly.
Mark looked at her and smiled.
“I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,” he said kindly.
Alice smiled nervously.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t meaning to come across as being rude. I’m very nervous right now with the crowds and Mr. Gudor,” she explained.
“Is that the man’s name, Mr. Gudor?”
“That’s what I am to call him.”
Mark looked at her puzzled.
“Do you have anywhere else you can stay tonight?” he asked.
“No. I can just find somewhere outside and hidden from sight.”
“No, I want to make sure you’re safe. If that means getting a hotel room or staying with me then so be it.”
“I can’t stay with you, I’m sorry,” she said nervously.
Mark smiled nervously at her.
“I didn’t mean the same room or anything like that. You see, I have an apartment here in Kyiv and I don’t mind giving you a place to stay.”
“I-I’m still not sure.”
“I would be somewhere else in my apartment, I assure you. I don’t really want you out by yourself, especially if that man intends on hitting you.”
“Can you promise me separate rooms?”
“I would sleep on my couch and you would get the bed,” he explained.
“I will hold you to your word then, but the moment I feel uncomfortable I will leave.”
“Do we have a deal?”
“Да, we do.”
Mark smiled and chuckled lightly.
“Do you speak Russian?” he asked curiously.
“Not a lot,” she answered nervously.
“But you understand it enough to know my music, да?”
Alice chuckled nervously.
“Да,” she replied.
“Perhaps tonight you can show me just how well you can speak Russian?”
“We’ll see.” she smiled.
They both smiled at each other.
“You’re very kind and sweet,” Mark said kindly.
“Do you really think that?” Alice asked curiously.
“Да, I think you’re a very sweet woman in a horrible family situation. Now I know you’re not telling me everything, but we did just meet so it’s not a problem at all. I just wish I knew how I could help you.”
“You are though,” she said kindly.
“Да?”
Alice looked up and smiled at him.
“I should get back to work,” she said nervously.
“Of course, just don’t leave without me.”
“I know. I made a promise, and I keep my promises.”
Alice went back to work and continued walking around. Thinking he was being sneaky, Mark would follow her at a distance to make sure Mr. Gudor didn’t harm her. Though he wasn’t as sneaky as he thought since Alice knew that Mark was watching over her. When the party was over Alice gave her platter back to the kitchen manager. She walked over near the door to wait for Mark as she promised. To her surprise, he was already waiting for her. Once he caught sight of her he smiled and waved as she made her way to him.
“Are you ready?” he asked as he held out his arm.
“What are you doing?” Alice asked kindly.
“Walking you to the car. You can wrap your arm around mine,” he explained.
Alice nodded her head and slowly wrapped her arm around his. He looked at her and smiled kindly.
“You haven’t been treated right by anyone, have you?” he asked.
“No, I’m used to getting yelled at and Mr. Gudor hitting me,” she answered.
“You don’t have to worry about that right now,” he said kindly.
He began to walk outside with Alice by his side. They barely made it two feet when Mr. Gudor started yelling Alice’s name. Mark could feel her fear rising as Mr. Gudor came closer to them.
“Just where do you think you’re going?” Mr. Gudor snarled.
“I’m giving her a place to stay tonight,” Mark explained.
Mr. Gudor was taken aback at Mark’s response.
“You’re joking right?” Mr. Gudor chuckled.
“No, I’m letting her stay with me tonight.”
“She already has a place to stay,” Mr. Gudor stated firmly.
Mark smiled slightly as he looked at Mr. Gudor.
“No disrespect intended, but I don’t want her to stay with you and your family tonight. I know you hit her and I will make sure that she is safe.” Mark stated.
Mr. Gudor glared at him but Mark stood his ground. Mark could hear Alice inhale sharply and knew that they needed to leave.
“I wish we could stay and talk more, but it is very late and we should get going,” Mark stated formally.
Mark led Alice to the limousine and opened to door for her. Once she got in he soon followed.
“You’re very brave to stand up to him,” Alice said as she exhaled.
“I’m not afraid of him, but I understand why you would be afraid,” Mark said kindly.
“Thank you for being so kind to me, it really does means a lot.”
“You’re a very sweet woman, Alice. I think you just need someone who will treat you right.”
“Thank you,” she said again.
“How long are you here for?” Mark asked.
“As of tonight, this will be my new home,” she said glumly
“Why is that?”
“I made a mistake, and now I’m stuck here.”
“Is this because you tripped and fell?”
Alice remained silent, but Mark got his answer.
“Alice, I’m willing to help you. If you need a ticket back to America, I can do that for you.”
“You don’t understand,” she mumbled.
“Then help me understand. You can trust me, I promise,” he said kindly.
Alice looked at him and saw the kindness in his eyes.
“I was supposed to do something, but I chose not to because it’s a bad thing to do. As punishment, the Gudors will leave me here in Kyiv,” she explained solemnly.
Mark looked at her and smiled at her.
“Why don’t we talk about it tomorrow, Да?” he suggested kindly.
“Talk about what exactly?”
“I’d like to know your story, and we can figure out what we are going to do to get you back home.”
“So you’re really going to help me?”
“Да, I’m going to help you.”
Mark smiled at her as they drove in silence. It wasn’t a long drive until they arrived at Max’s apartment. Once there he showed Alice where she would be staying. She waited on the couch while he was in the room changing clothes and when he was done she went to bed. He laid on the couch and smiled as he drifted off to sleep.
When the sun’s light shined through the windows they knew it was morning. After breakfast, Mark invited Alice to come with him to the beach, and she accepted the invitation. She lived in Arizona and had never really gone to the beach before. She had seen beaches while on the Gudor’s travels but never got to experience it for herself.
The two walked along the shore side by side. Alice often went further into the water and Mark would smile as he saw her enthusiasm shine every time the waves crashed onto the sand. Whenever she went further into the ocean he would stop walking and watch her have fun or he would look for shells. After a few hours of this Alice got exhausted and just walked along the shore with him.
“I’m guessing you’ve never been to a beach before,” he observed.
“No, I love it though,” she answered as she looked at the horizon.
“It is a very calming place. I’ve always loved beaches, and I often try to go whenever I can; especially when I’m stressed.”
“I bet you see such beautiful beaches.”
He looked at her and smiled.
“Да, I do,” he soon answered.
They walked in silence for a few minutes.
“Could you tell me about yourself?” he asked.
Alice smiled nervously.
“Well, obviously I’m an orphan. I was given up as a newborn, so I never met my parents. The Gudor’s adopted me when I was thirteen but clearly, it wasn’t for good reasons.”
“He’s hitting you, Alice, he shouldn’t have adopted you.”
“Yeah,” she said softly.
“What do you like?” he changed the subject.
“I love animals.”
“Да?’
“Да, I got interested when I was six and befriended a stray cat. She would follow me to the orphanage, walk me to school, and she would always curl up in my lap. She was so kind to me that I became more interested in animals. I would go out in the desert and just watch all these amazing creatures. I was never around for possible families to meet me and I was considered weird.”
Mark stopped in his tracks and slowly grabbed Alice’s hand. Alice instinctively looked at the ground, but Mark placed his hand under her chin and slowly pulled her head up.
“Look at me, Alice,” he said softly, “ There’s nothing wrong with you and you’re not weird. You’re just lonely and it doesn’t have to be like that.”
“What do you mean?” she asked solemnly.
“I wouldn’t mind if you stayed with me for a little longer. I have been invited to another little gala and you could be my plus one, that is if you’re interested of course.”
“You really want me to go with you?”
“Only if you want to. I will say that it is a very formal, fancy event so we would have to buy a dress for you. You won’t have to work at this thing, so you can sit next to me and actually enjoy the festivities,” he explained.
“It does sound nice.” she smiled weakly.
“Would you be interested at all?”
“I don’t know how I would pay . . .”
“Oh, no, you don’t have to worry about a thing. I will take care of everything.”
“Then I’d have to pay you back, and I don’t have anything.”
Mark smiled kindly at her.
“It’s my treat, Alice. You don’t need to worry about a thing, I promise you.”
“Are you sure?”
“Да, I’m positive that everything is ok. Then after that gala, I’m going to my home in Los Angeles. Maybe we can find you a job there and get you taken care of.”
“Ok, yeah. I’d like to come with you if you’re really ok with this.”
“I would love to have you with me at this gala, and I’d like to get to know you a little more.”
“You really want to spend more time with me?”
“Да, and you can ask me any question you may have.”
Alice smiled nervously as she looked at him.
“Why were you so nice to me last night?” she soon asked.
Mark smiled kindly at her before answering her question.
“There are a few reasons, but the biggest reason is that I feel that we connect very well with each other. You were so nice and sweet about running into me. Others would have blamed me instead of owning their own actions, but you apologized to me repeatedly.”
“I was in the wrong since I wasn’t paying full attention.”
“Another reason is that I want to protect you from Mr. Gudor. I don’t like him, and I don’t really want you near him since he’ll just hurt you.”
“You’re very sweet Mark,” she said softly.
They continued walking along the shores until it began to get crowded. Mark then offered to show her around Kyiv. They visited many stores and went out to eat for both lunch and dinner. Late at night, she was exhausted and fell asleep in the car. Mark woke her up gently and helped walk her to the apartment then to the bed. Once her head hit the pillow she was out like a light, and Mark carefully pulled a blanket over her.
“Спокойной ночи и сладких снов. (Good night and sweet dreams)” he whispered.
As the days went by, Mark continued to show Alice the city of Kyiv. Her enthusiasm and wonder encouraged him to show her more of the city. They would spend all day and most of the night out in the city. On one occasion, Mark brought them back to the apartment after dinner to watch a movie. On this night he realized that Alice was comfortable enough to sit right next to him through the whole movie.
Overtime Alice grew more trusting of Mark as she slowly began to share more details about her home life and her little quirks. He was never disrespectful about her quirks. Whenever she told him about a quirk he would simply smile at her and tell her to be herself. Every time she heard this her trust in him grew.
The award ceremony crept up and they left for Moscow, Russia. The day after they arrived Mark showed Alice around as well as look for a dress for her to wear for the event. After many hours of looking, she finally found a dress that caught her interest. While she went into a dressing room to try it on, Mark stayed close by and continued to look around. When he heard the door open he looked up and saw her in a black dress and smiled at her.
“You look very beautiful,” he said kindly.
She chuckled and smiled nervously.
“You have never worn a dress before, have you?” he asked.
“Нет. (No.)” she answered nervously.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
“I kind of do,” she answered nervously.
“Alright. You can change back into your normal clothes, and we’ll buy it for you.”
Alice quickly changed back into a T-shirt and jeans. She felt much more comfortable in her casual clothes. They spent many more hours shopping, but soon went to a beach and walked the shores.
“Are you excited about tomorrow?” Mark asked with a smile.
“I’m really nervous,” she admitted.
“It’ll be ok, I promise. I’ll be right next to you the entire time.”
“I’m more concerned that if people talk to me I won’t know exactly what they are saying to me.”
“I’ll translate for you. You truly don’t have anything to worry about.”
“Promise?”
“Yes, I promise you. I’ll take care of you and all your little worries.”
“Forgive me,” she said solemnly.
“You’re forgiven.” he smiled kindly at her.
She smiled back before looking at the horizon. She soon looked at the ground when she felt something strange near her foot. She bent down and saw it was a shell with light gray and light blue colors. Mark smiled at her as he walked over to look at it.
“Beautiful isn’t it?” she asked.
He simply smiled at her without saying a word. Alice soon grabbed his hand, placing the shell on his palm, then closed his fingers carefully over the shell. He looked at her puzzled.
“This is yours, Alice. You’re the one who found it,” he said, attempting to give the shell back.
Alice carefully and gently pushed his hand away and smiled.
“Consider it a thank you gift. You’ve been so kind to me when you never had to in the first place. That and I actually got to live my life for a change. I’ve lived a somewhat sheltered life, always had to be in the shadows avoiding people, but I’ve always hated that kind of life. With you, I can be me and I got to explore these places. It means the world to me to actually have a friend,” she explained.
Mark smiled at her as he took ownership of the shell, placing it in his pocket.
“You’re very sweet, Alice.”
“It’s extremely easy with you.”
He looked down at his watch then back at Alice with a smile.
“Would you like to go dinner with me?” he asked kindly.
“I thought that was the plan?” she asked in return.
He smiled nervously.
“I meant as a date. Would you like to go on a date with me?”
Alice smiled nervously and smiled. She was unaware that she was blushing a little bit.
“Yeah, that sounds wonderful.” she smiled.
Mark held out his hand and smiled as Alice slowly held his hand. They walked to the car and he opened the passenger side door for her. They were soon off to find a restaurant to enjoy their dinner. After being seated, and ordering their drinks, Mark pulled out the shell and placed it on the table.
“It is a very beautiful shell, Alice. Thank you,” he said kindly.
“You’re welcome.” she smiled.
They soon ordered their food and Mark slowly stood up from his seat.
“I’m going to wash the shell then I’ll return. I promise,” he said with a smile.
Alice nodded her head and smiled as he slowly walked off. She sat back in her seat and began to relax, but it was short-lived when she saw Mr. Gudor take Mark’s seat. She sat upright as fear filled her heart.
“You don’t really believe him, do you?” Mr. Gudor sneered.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
Mr. Gudor scoffed and laughed.
“You truly believe that he likes you! You’re mistaken.”
“He’ll be back soon,” she stated.
“Don’t believe whatever he tells you. He isn’t going to help you. He’s a rockstar! Once he gets what he wants, he’ll forget about you and throw you away.”
“You’re wrong,” Alice squeaked.
“I will help you get back home.”
“No, you won’t.”
“I am a man of my word. Steal something from him then find me. You don’t have to live with us anymore. You can be free, but all you have to do is steal from him.” Mr. Gudor said as he left.
Alice took a shaky breath and looked down at the table. A few minutes later Mark sat down, but she jumped fearing it was going to be Mr. Gudor again. Mark looked at her curiously as she recomposed herself.
“Is everything alright?” he asked.
“Да, everything’s fine.” she stammered nervously.
“Are you sure? You’ve gotten a lot better about being so jumpy.”
Alice sighed as she looked at him.
“I saw Mr. Gudor,” she said quietly.
Mark looked at her with concern before looking around the restaurant.
“Did he hurt you?” Mark asked.
“Нет (No). He just wanted me to go back to Arizona with him.”
“Did you say yes?”
Alice smiled at him.
“Of course not. He gave me an ultimatum, but I declined,” she answered.
“Ok, I was worried that you didn’t want to go to LA with me,” he confessed.
“Truthfully speaking, I’d go anywhere with you.”
“Yeah?” he smiled.
“Да, I enjoy being with you.”
“That’s great to know because I love being with you. You’re so enthusiastic and curious. Your kindness is another thing I like about you.”
“Да?”
“Да. I know I promised you that we would find you a home and a job in LA, but I wouldn’t mind having you stay with me instead.”
“Like in Kyiv?”
“Да, like we did in Kyiv. Maybe, if you’re interested, I can show you around LA too.”
“I’d love that,” she smiled.
Their food soon arrived and they both asked each other questions about their past or of their hobbies. After dinner, they spent more time at the beach. This time Mark looked for a shell to give to Alice but had no luck. When it got much later in the night they both retired to their own room.
The next day was spent mostly relaxing before the main event. They went to the beach again, and this time he found a light blue shell for Alice. He smiled as he placed it in her hand and saw her smile.
“It’s beautiful Mark,” she said.
He smiled even brighter as he slowly ran his fingers through her short hair, moving some stray hairs away from her eyes.
“Not as beautiful as you though,” he whispered.
Alice smiled nervously as she looked at him.
“Do you really think that?” she asked.
“Absolutely,” he answered.
He reached for her hand and held it gently.
“It’s amazing that you’ve stolen my heart,” he said before kissing her head.
“If it means anything, you stole mine too,” she said softly.
He smiled at her lovingly.
“You just made my day, sweetheart,” he smiled.
As the hours passed by it soon was time to get ready for the event. They stopped near Alice’s room.
“When you’re ready come to my room, ok? I have something for you,” he said.
“Ok,” Alice said nervously.
“It’s nothing bad,” he said as he walked to his room.
Alice soon began getting ready, and true to her word, when she was done she knocked on Max’s door. He soon answered the door and invited Alice inside.
“You really are beautiful in that dress,” Mark said as she walked in.
“Thanks, I guess,” she said nervously.
Mark smiled at her.
“I just have to fix my hair, then give you a gift for tonight’s event.”
Alice nodded and smiled as Mark walked off to get ready. She was about to sit down, but Mr. Gudor’s words still swam in Alice’s head. She was worried that Mark wouldn’t help her, but she also didn’t trust Mr. Gudor. She saw something on a table and went to get a closer look. She saw a silver necklace with a small wolf pendant.
“I was hoping you couldn’t find it so easily,” Mark said.
Alice spun around with fear in her eyes.
“I promise I wasn’t doing anything,” she said quickly.
Mark smiled as he walked over and stood next to her.
“It’s for you, Luv,” he said as he picked it up, “I saw it the day we got here, and when you went to your room to get some sleep, I went back out and bought it for you. I know you love wolves and thought it would be perfect for you.”
“You didn’t have to,” she said nervously.
“I wanted to, Alice. May I put it on you?”
Alice nodded and smiled. Mark stepped behind her and slowly put the necklace on her.
“It even goes with your dress,” he smiled.
Alice just looked at him and smiled nervously.
“Mark,” she said slowly, “I kind of need to tell you something.”
Mark looked at her and smiled.
“I think I know what you’re about to say,” he answered.
“I don’t think you do.”
“We’ll see.”
Alice sighed as she looked at him.
“I’m not a good person, Mark,” she stated.
Mark smiled.
“Alice-” he started to say, but Alice cut him off.
“I have been involved in a lot of crimes.”
“Alice,” Mark said kindly.
“Mark, I’m not who you think I am.”
“I know about the Gudors, Alice,” he said with a smile.
Alice was shocked and just looked at him.
“How did you know, and for how long?” she asked nervously.
“I’ve known since the night we met. Mr. Gudor seemed very familiar to me, but I couldn’t quite figure it out. So after you fell asleep, and after I tried to sleep, I finally looked it up on my phone. I had seen his face on a wanted poster in Paris a few months back. I didn’t say anything because I knew that when you trusted me enough that you would tell me.”
“I’m sorry,” she said softly.
He smiled kindly at her and walked over to her and hugged her.
“You’re a good person sweetheart. I wouldn’t have fallen in love with you if you weren’t.”
Alice looked up at him with a puzzled look.
“Fallen in love?” she asked.
“Да.” he chuckled nervously. “I think you might be my soul mate. I connect with you so easily, and your kindness drew me in.”
Alice smiled brightly.
“I can’t believe you fell in love with me,” she said kindly.
“How could I not?”
Mark looked at Alice and hugged her once more, then leaned in and kissed her. She smiled brightly at him.
“We should get going or we’ll be late. There will also be another surprise at the award ceremony,” he said with a smile.
“What’s the surprise?” she asked.
“You’ll see, trust me everyone will see.”
They soon walked out the door and made their way to the ceremony. Alice stayed close to Markas they walked through the crowds of musicians and those lucky enough to be invited by said musicians. True to his word, Mark explained to those who asked that Alice was an American and didn’t speak Russian fluently. To her surprise, he made sure that they wouldn’t talk to her directly. They soon sat at their designated table and the ceremony began.
As time passed by, everyone was treated to a three-course meal, but when Alice saw their waiter she began to panic. Mr. Gudor glared at her and Mark, but Mark simply waved his hand as if trying to get someone’s attention. The security team came over and grabbed Mr. Gudor. Mark explained that Mr. Gudor was the notorious thief that many police officials have tried to capture. They dragged Mr. Gudor away with him struggling and screaming. Mark sat back down next to Alice and smiled at her.
“You knew he’d be here?” she asked.
“Да, I figured if you saw him the night we had our first date that he was looking for an event to steal from people.”
“He is good at what he does.”
“Well, he’s gone now. They all are, and you will be safe from them.”
“You’re lucky they tried to teach me their tricks because Mr. Gudor almost left with your wallet.” Alice smiled as she gave Mark his wallet.
“You pickpocketed Mr. Gudor?” Mark smiled.
“I don’t mind stealing from bad people like him.”
Mark smiled and gave Alice a kiss.
“I have a question for you, Alice,” he said.
“What is it?” she asked kindly.
“I’m on a vacation right now, but I will start touring in February of the upcoming year. I was wondering if you’d love to join me. You can travel with me and we can explore all the different cities I’ll be performing in. Are you interested?”
“I would love that.”
He smiled as he reached out to hold her hand and she rested her head on his shoulder.
