Many thanks to SevenSwans252 for first editing and improving this story and to g1dnshwrgr1 for further editing that made it much better.
Tremendous gratitude to Ginger_Scent for discovering major flaws that, once fixed, raised the whole story to a higher level.
"Oh my god, it's Bozo! What in the world is he doing here?"
"Who's Bozo?" asked Don, looking in the direction where Ilinka was staring.
She didn't hear him because she had jumped out of her chair, run to the bar and screamed before she kissed a burly man in a baggy sweater on the cheek. She threw her arms around him and gave him a big hug.
Bozo, who sported a thick, shaggy beard, seemed to be just as shocked to see her, and for the next ten minutes Don watched them talking animatedly. Then Bozo said something, and she quickly turned to look at Don. He could see that she was embarrassed that she had forgotten he was there. She grabbed Bozo by the hand and pulled him to their table.
"Don," she said, "this big ugly bear is Bozo. The last time I saw him was fifteen years ago, and I thought I'd never see him again. But here he is in the United States, and he shows up in this restaurant. Bozo, this is Don, my husband."
"Pleased to meet you," Bozo said. His accent was so thick, Don barely understood him.
"Won't you sit down?" Don asked.
"I am sorry," Bozo said. "Must get back to work. Take break for drink."
"Maybe we can get together some other time," Don said. "How do you know Ilinka?"
"Bozo used to be my boss," she said.
A look of concern crossed Bozo's face, and he said something to Ilinka in their language.
"Don't worry, Bozo," she said in English. "Don knows. He's all right with it."
"Oh, he was that boss," said Don.
"Yes, Bozo's a director," said Ilinka. "He told me that a big web company brought him and his entire production team and a bunch of actresses over here. Their studio's a couple of blocks away. Isn't that amazing?"
"Ilinka wonderful lady," Bozo said. "You very lucky. She tell me she lucky to find you. Congratulations. Wonderful kids, too. You lucky man. Wish you much happiness. Must go now. Bye."
"You are wonderful, too, Bozo," she said, wrapping her hands around his neck and looking at him with her face inches from his. "I hope you find happiness in the States, too."
She kissed him on the cheek again and let him go. When she sat down, Don saw tears in her eyes as she turned to him and sniffled before she spoke.
"I'm glad I saw him again. I wondered what had become of him."
************
The first thing Don noticed about Ilinka was her stunning beauty. It was an unusual, striking beauty because of her Eastern European bloodlines. She said she didn't know much about her ancestry, but Don was sure there was gypsy in there somewhere. He told her that's why she was so passionate and also so mercenary. She told him he insulted her with his stupid stereotype.
When he asked her out, she was hesitant at first. On their first date, she said she liked him but that she was dating several other men and intended to continue doing so. They had a good time together, but she held back from emotional involvement.
After they had been seeing each other a few months, he hesitantly asked her about her other male friends and found out she was no longer dating them. She seemed embarrassed to tell him. He began suggesting that she move in with him, and a couple of weeks later, she agreed, but not enthusiastically.
As he got to know her in close quarters, he realized she had some strange personality traits. She didn't want to talk about her life before she came to the United States at nineteen. He figured that this reticence and her obsession with money came from growing up in poverty. Her suspicious nature and inclination to think the worst about people before she got to know them may have come from those days, too. He encouraged her to become to become more open and trusting, but he could tell it was hard for her.
The more of her human failings he discovered, the more his affection for her grew. He didn't tell her of his feelings because in the two years they had been together, she never indicated that he was more than a friend with benefits.
One day, Don woke up and realized that being with her exclusively was making him feel ready to settle down. He never thought it would happen, but he craved stability and security in his personal life. He even thought about having children. He wondered if she ever had similar thoughts and guessed that if she did, he was not part of them.
For weeks, he went back and forth in his mind about whether to say anything. If he told her how he felt, it might be the end of them being together. On the other hand, he yearned for something permanent. Finally, he decided to plunge ahead.
One night when they were having dinner at home, he asked her, "Have you ever thought of what you'd say if I asked you to marry me?"
She seemed to jump in her chair.
"Don't be silly," she said dismissively. "Aren't we happy together? Why would you want to destroy that?"
"I'm serious, Ilinka. On our first date, you told me you were looking for Mr. Moneybags, and I'm not him. Is that still the way you feel? Just tell me the truth, even though I may not like it."
"You're funny, Don. You say that to me, but I know what you tell your friends. You only like being with me because I'm exotic, strange, like from a different planet. I'm your alien plaything until you find a real human girl."
"Stop right there!"
"I'm not done."
