Enzo, on the other hand, with the streaks of silver in his otherwise black hair, and visible crow's feet at the corners of the green-gold eyes he'd passed on to his daughter, easily looked like the fifty-four year old man that he was - a man who had traveled the globe too many times to count, and who made it a point to live every day to its fullest. At the hotel suite last night, he'd confessed over an after dinner drink to Matthew that he had admittedly drank too much, partied too hard, and seduced too many pretty girls over the years, but that the only real regrets he had in his well-lived life revolved around Katya and Sasha.
"I should have been there for both of them more," he'd lamented drunkenly. "I should have forced that hard head Katya to marry me when we found out she was pregnant, should have chained her to my side. And we should have made a real home for our little girl, instead of carting her around the world with us like a piece of luggage. That was why, when she insisted on living with my sister-in-law, I stood up for her against Katya. My Sasha - she deserved those years with Linda after everything her mother and I put her through. She's a good girl, my daughter, you know?"
"I know," Matthew had assured him. "She's kind and compassionate and never judges people. She has the patience of a saint, and the disposition of an angel."
Enzo had grinned wickedly. "In other words, not a thing like me or Katya! I used to wonder sometimes if the babies were switched at birth, and we got the wrong one. Sasha is so calm, so gentle, while her mother and I are like the hurricane and the tornado meeting up. And my daughter is the most important thing in the world to me, Matthew. I may not call her or see her as often as I should, but I think of her every day. And wish all the time that I'd done things differently."
"Well, she turned out just fine under the circumstances," Matthew had told him. "I think that Sasha is the woman she is today because of the way she grew up. So - thank you, Enzo, because I happen to love your daughter just the way she is."
"Love, eh?" Enzo had regarded Matthew a bit warily, running a hand through his unruly mane of dark, curly hair, the same sort of curls Sasha had. "Hmm. Sasha tells me that you already have a wife, no?"
"No." Matthew had given an emphatic shake of his head. "That is, not in any way that still matters."
He had explained what the current situation with Lindsey was, an explanation that had seemed to satisfy Enzo and assure him that Matthew's intentions toward Sasha were all above board.
"My Sasha needs a good man in her life," Enzo had confided. "She's too independent, too afraid of commitment. But it's a good sign that she wanted me and Katya to meet you. Sasha has been alone too much in her life already, so I'm happy that she has someone like you to take care of her. And you're a good man, I can tell. You take care of your woman and her parents, and Sasha tells me you're a very good father as well. You can always tell the measure of a man by how he treats other people, Matthew. And by the quality of the alcohol he provides for his guests."
Enzo had winked then, toasting Matthew with his nearly empty glass of a very expensive Cuban rum, before downing the rest in a quick gulp.
Enzo sauntered out of the bathroom lazily, his hands in the pockets of his tailored black trousers, whistling cheerfully. He slipped an arm around Katya's waist, and made a big show out of planting a sloppy kiss on her cheek. She, in turn, merely glared at him, letting him know in no uncertain terms that a temporary truce might have been called between them, but that the war was far from over.
After several glasses of a very expensive French champagne, however, Katya was in a much better mood, and actually laughed and smiled throughout dinner. At Sasha's gentle urgings, Katya even ate heartily of her food, which she admitted was delicious.
"You have good taste, Mathieu," Katya acknowledged, pronouncing his name in the French manner, more like mat-tue. "Aleksandra told me the dress and shoes she is wearing this evening were a gift from you. A big improvement from what I usually see her in. She looks beautiful tonight, truly lovely."
Enzo reached across the table and picked up Sasha's hand, bringing it to his lips. "You mean more beautiful than usual, Katya," he corrected. "Because our daughter is always lovely, no matter what she's wearing. Though I must agree with your mother, bebé. That dress is quite spectacular. Excellent choice, Matthew."
Matthew merely acknowledged Enzo's compliment with a smile and toast of his champagne flute. Not for anything would he admit to having enlisted the help of Tessa Gregson in choosing an outfit for Sasha this evening, given the fact that he knew absolutely nothing about women's clothing. At least, he consoled himself, he'd asked one of Sasha's closest friends for assistance, instead of relying on a sales clerk or personal shopper. And after initially protesting that he had spent far too much on her, and that she was perfectly capable of buying her own things, Sasha hadn't been able to resist the gorgeous sage green silk gown. It had a halter neck and was cut low in the back, with a satin waistband and close fitting skirt. But what she had loved the most about the dress had been the subtle butterfly print patterned into the delicate silk fabric, and in the end hadn't been able to resist wearing it tonight.