“Hi.” I greeted her and shook her hand. “I’m Avery.” Once she let go of my hand, I pointed my finger at Vlad and me in a back-and-forth motion. “We’re not dating.”

The lady raised her brows as if asking, Are you sure. “Oh?”

“I’m his little sister’s best friend.”

“Oh, that’s interesting,” Lilly quipped. “No matter, dear. Come, sit down.”

Soon Vlad and I found ourselves sitting face to face at a table in the corner of the restaurant. There was a baby grand piano at the front of the room, next to a medium-sized Christmas tree. Mistletoe hung from the top of the ceiling, right in the middle of the room. The whole place was clean and something about it made me feel like I was at home, despite it looking nothing like our house, which looked more like a bland corporate office, all cold glass and stainless steel and nothing like this place, with its warm wood and colors.

Since I had no clue what was good here, I let Vlad order the food for me. A moment later, Vlad stood with the menu and walked to the counter to let Lilly know our order. When he came back and was seated in his chair, I quickly asked, “Why did she call you Vovochka?”

For a second he looked slightly embarrassed, almost sheepish. “It is one of the diminutives for Vladimir. Lilly loves to use it, especially since it’s closely associated with a long-running series of jokes featuring a naughty schoolboy.”

I laughed. “Now that you mention it, I’ve always wondered why your name is Vladimir. Aren’t you Greek?” He nodded. “Isn’t Vladimir a Russian name?”

Lilly came back with a young boy who was carrying a tray. “I’m sorry. I interrupted something, didn’t I?”

I felt the heat of a blush on my cheek as I heard the tone she’d used and the way her eyes sparkled as if she knew she was intruding on a special moment.

“No, you didn’t. Don’t get any ideas, Lilly.” Vlad turned his attention to the boy. “Do you need a hand with that, Jake?”

“Nope,” Jake said. “I’m good, thanks.”

They served our drinks, and I thanked them before they left us on our own again.

“Why? Does my name not suit me?” Vlad asked.

“I did not say that.”

“Most of us Hellenicus are doomed to have weird names, whether it’s our first name or our middle name. The names our parents choose are supposed to represent a blessing or a hope.” He shifted in his seat. “Actually, I was named after my great-great-great-grandfather. I don’t think they cared whether the name sounded Greek or not, as long as it had a good meaning. But I think Kris lucked out while I got the short end of the stick.”