Sasha: The Wallflower (The Wallflower Series Book 1) Read Free Page A

“Would you mind refilling the lemonade?”
    Sasha placed a forced smile on her face. “No problem.” She walked over to the table that Dmitri and Teagan had walked towards. While grabbing the empty pitcher of lemonade, she spotted them standing close to each other, apparently in a private discussion. Teagan, once again, had her hand wrapped around his bicep and was looking up at him with admiration and lust in her eyes. Her desire for him was blatantly obvious but, to Sasha’s surprise, he seemed unaffected. Almost bored. He in no way reciprocated her physical contact and his gaze often strayed from Teagan.
    Sasha frowned at this discovery. Maybe Teagan was right. Maybe he was gay.
    Sasha made her way to the kitchen. In the process of making some more lemonade, she heard someone enter the kitchen from the backyard. Expecting to find Jaelynn expressing her impatience about the pitcher of juice, she was surprised to see Dmitri walk in. At first, he didn’t notice her. Instead, he seemed to be looking for something.
    Sasha gently cleared her throat. “Can I help you?”
    Dmitri turned to her with widened eyes. “Oh! I didn’t see you there. Sasha, isn’t it?”
    Once again, he seemed to be incapable of remembering her name. Slightly exasperated, she nodded her head. “Yup, that’s me.”
    “I don’t know if you remember, but I’m Dmitri. We met at the restaurant that one night with your friends.” He walked towards her with a gentle smile and offered his hand for  a shake.
    Taken aback by his politeness, Sasha almost forgot to shake his hand but eventually came to her senses. As soon as his hand grasped hers, she felt an electric spark race through her body. She looked up at him, in awe of his height. At only five feet, Sasha knew she was more than small in comparison but standing up close really set in how much of a giant this man was. Her head only reached a little above the middle of his wide chest and his hands dwarfed hers tremendously.
    “It’s nice to meet you again, Dmitri.”
    “Same to you, Sasha,” he replied, his smile widening to show off a perfect row of white teeth. “I came in here actually because I was in search of the bathroom. Would you mind directing me? I’d rather not get lost in a stranger’s home.”
    Sasha laughed at the slight pout he displayed and nodded her head eagerly. “Of course. The layout of this house is actually confusing. There are rooms everywhere!” She led him to the nearest hallway.
    “If you don’t mind me asking, how is it that such a young woman is able to afford a home with so much square footage and in such a nice neighborhood? I was only just able to buy my own home.” Dmitri walked behind her, making sure to take note of where she turned so that he would be able to find his way back to the kitchen.
    “Oh, Jaelynn is just an overachiever that way. She has a nice job at a law firm and has saved up quite a lot of money since college. Her plan was to buy a home as early as possible in order to start paying off the mortgage so that she would have full ownership before she retired.” She paused and looked back at him with a mischievous grin. “It also helps that her family is well off,” she whispered.
    Dmitri nodded his head in understanding. “What about you? Do you also plan on buying your home early?”
    Sasha shook her head vigorously. “I’m barely paying for graduate school. There is no way I plan on buying my own home yet.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Who knows? I may end up moving to another city in the future. There are so many possibilities.”
    Dmitri paused at this statement. “You are seeking a graduate degree in International relations, correct?”
    “Yes. I’m surprised you remembered.” Sasha’s eyes widened as she realized what she had said may have been interpreted as an insult. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. I-I j-just-”
    Dmitri stood closer to her with a grin. “No worries, Sasha. I know what you