brite-full-story

A ROMANCE STORY

T 

Brite : 

PART I 

he alarm went off at 4:30 am 

a sound that Konstantin grew 

to love. To him it meant another day 

needed tackling and he was just the 

man to do it. He hit the off button, 

rolled onto his back and stared at 

the ceiling of his dorm allowing 

his eyes to adjust. As he created a 

mental checklist of the days to do’s 

he couldn’t help but smile. Early 

acceptance into Stanford Law and 

he did it all on his own. Konstantin 

took great pride in knowing he 

could provide for himself without 

his family’s money or connections. 

Although he was very close to his 

family the thought of accepting 

help almost made him sick. After 

all he wouldn’t be a real man if he 

needed help. From anybody. 

He chuckled at himself for having 

such serious thoughts this early and 

shook his head as he threw his down 

comforter to the side. He stood up, 

stretched his arms above his head 

then took a deep breath and leaned 

forward allowing his arms to fall 

to the floor to stretch. He did this 

every morning before going for his 

5 mile run. Nothing started his day 

off better. Although he’d grown to 

appreciate coffee he felt that being 

dependent on any substance to 

boost his mind showed weakness. 

It was March but still very cold in 

Manhattan, Kansas. He threw on 

his hoodie before putting in his 

earbuds and stepped outside. The 

music of choice was always classical. 

His favorite was Sonata Number 14 

by Beethoven. Something about the 

intensity of the instruments made 

him feel as though he was sharing 

the same feelings as the musician at 

the time he was composing. Drive, 

focus and determination are what 

created this piece he thought. Traits 

he appreciated and could relate to. 

As he ran off campus and into town 

he appreciated the quiet. It was as 

if the streets emptied themselves 

just for him. This was the time he 

allowed his mind to wander. He had 

been invited to a party on Friday 

by his buddy Colin but turned it 

down. A party on Friday meant an 

empty library and that was usually 

where he preferred to study. Even 

though he had been accepted into 

the program he still had finals to 

finish before heading back to Cali 

in the fall. 

Parties never fully interested him. 

Unless he was looking for someone 

to warm his bed that evening. 

Even then the experience was 

typically sub-par and awkward 

when the women would wear out 

their welcome. 

He liked women, after all he was a 

man but none had been able to hold 

his interest for long. He found that 

many women while beautiful and 

enticing had nothing more to offer. 

The last woman he had attempted 

to date became quickly attached 

and there was nothing he despised 

more than someone needing 

another to feel adequate. This was 

just another sign of weakness to him 

and although he had no intention 

on being married anytime soon 

he sometimes wondered if he ever 

would. Maybe his standards were 

just too high but he was not one 

to settle. If he was giving his best 

there was no reason why he should 

get less in return. Then again he 

was only 24 so maybe there was 

still time. 

Women had always fallen over 

themselves in his presence. On 

rare occasions he would find the 

giggling and ogling charming but 

more often it annoyed him. He 

was 5’11 built with lean muscle, 

brown hair and green eyes. He had 

chiseled facial features and full lips. 

He wasn’t oblivious to his alluring 

genetics but he wished it wouldn’t 

make it so easy. His was a mind that 

needed to be challenged otherwise 

he felt he never fully deserved the 

“prize.” He found his winnings 

most satisfying when he felt he 

truly earned it. 

He finished up his run slowing down 

to a light jog as he arrived back on 

campus and saw Colin standing 

at the front of his building with a 

ridiculous grin on his face. 

When Konstantin first met Colin 

four years ago he wasn’t sure if 

he’d keep him around. Colin was 

the kind of person who accepted 

mediocrity as a way of life. He 

was naturally gifted at every sport 

and extremely intelligent which 

afforded him the ability to not 

study and still obtain good grades. 

He was born and raised in Kansas. 

He would also most likely die there. 

A man with incredible talent and 

no ambition. The type of person 

Konstantin usually didn’t care for. 

He kept Colin around mainly 

because he fulfilled his need for 

intelligent conversation and also 

he always had the rundown of the 

latest social events when he needed 

to let off some steam. 

“I will never understand why you 

get up so damn early,” Colin said as 

Konstantin jogged up to him. The 

men exchanged looks and laughed 

as Konstantin began wrapping his 

earbud cord around his fingers and 

tucked it into his hoodie pocket. 

“Discipline my friend. No one worth 

mentioning ever became successful 

by partying all night and sleeping 

all day,” Konstantin answered. He 

had said this very thing to Colin 

several times before. 

They began walking into the 

building as Colin attempted one last 

time to change Konstantin’s mind 

about the party the following night. 

Konstantin gave Colin a sideways 

grin and said, “What if the best one 

night stand of your life is in the 

library Friday night? I suppose I’d 

be willing to step in on your behalf.” 

He waited for Colin’s response as 

he knew the one area Colin felt 

most threatened was with women. 

Colin, although handsome was not

very charismatic. Konstantin was 

happy to push his buttons when 

given the chance. 

Colin slugged him in the shoulder 

and said, “No playboy worth 

mentioning ever snagged the hottest 

girl by hanging out in libraries, sir.” 

They both laughed. “Well, I’m headed 

to class. If you change your mind you 

know where to find the crew,” said 

Colin as he turned to leave. 

“Same here,” answered Konstantin 

while unlocking the door to his room. 

He still had an hour to kill before 

his first class. After a quick shower 

he finished getting dressed then 

went to his favorite campus café 

and ordered a breakfast sandwich 

with a coffee. As he ate his meal 

he studied the people around him. 

Groups of friends chatting and 

laughing. Couples sitting close 

being affectionate and whispering 

to each other. 

He sometimes wondered why he 

never felt the need to socialize as 

often as other people his age. He 

would often evaluate his life trying 

to find where things may have 

gone wrong. 

Questioning his behavior always 

troubled him as it was hard to 

accept the thought that he may be 

the one with the problem. 

He was raised by his mother, Elise 

and father, Aksel. When they met 

his father was 20 and his mother 

was 18. His grandparents had 

always warned him and his older 

brother, Erwin, that a love like theirs 

was rare. They discouraged the boys 

from following in their parents’ 

footsteps as often as possible telling 

them marriage could wait. 

His parents were married 6 months 

into their courtship and his mother 

became pregnant 3 months later. 

They always held each other in such 

high regard. Their house always 

felt warm and full of love. The 

relationship his parents had was 

one he’d often see people attempt 

and fail at. He admired his parents’ 

relationship but also didn’t like 

the idea of submitting himself to 

another person. To him submission 

was another word of losing and that 

was not something he did or enjoyed. 

His brother Erwin and he always 

had a close relationship. Although 

competition and egos were a 

challenge at times as any household 

with 2 boys would have, they always 

had each other’s backs. They knew 

how to press each other’s buttons 

and would as often as possible for 

mere amusement but it was always 

good natured. 

The only area in his life he felt 

sore about was how his father and 

brother at times seemed to have 

a closer relationship. One that 

was only between them and never 

shared with him or his mother. 

Konstantin had always assumed it 

had to do with respect and favor 

naturally given to the eldest. 

As he got older he realized how 

successful his brother actually was. 

He was adored by friends, family 

and especially women. Erwin 

managed to have a new gorgeous 

woman every month it seemed. His 

colleagues worshiped him and he 

was the apple of their fathers’ eye. 

Konstantin began to form a life plan 

for himself to prove to his father 

that he too was capable of the same 

amount of success if not better 

and he wouldn’t allow anyone or 

anything to stand in his way. 

Maybe that was when he started 

separating himself from everything 

he saw as a distraction including 

friendships and relationships. He sat 

back and let his thoughts wash over 

him as he continued to sip his coffee. 

Meanwhile, on the other side of 

campus Naomi Brite was flustered 

at herself for running late. It was 

nearing the end of her first year at 

Kansas State and she had no plans 

on letting herself slip. She took one 

final look in the mirror, her wild 

blonde hair was somewhat tamed 

into a messy bun on the top of her 

head and her big brown eyes were 

accentuated with a little mascara. A 

dash of blush on each cheek and a 

berry colored lip balm would have 

to do. It had been a cold winter 

and the last bit of her tan had 

disappeared back in November. 

Grabbing her backpack and slinging 

it onto her shoulders she looked 

disdainfully at her alarm clock 

once more before heading out the 

door. “I know I set that stupid thing 

last night,” she huffed as she sped 

walked to the stairs. Her roommate 

Cyndi had already left for the day 

and she was slightly annoyed that 

she hadn’t taken the time to wake 

her. Although she didn’t typically 

need help as she was usually very 

organized and punctual. Still, Cyndi 

could have at least double checked! 

Naomi mounted her bike and 

started pedaling to the other 

side of the campus. As a pre-med 

student she had really enjoyed her 

first year at a university. She also 

enjoyed being away from home. 

Although she missed her father 

dearly, this had been her first taste 

of independence since…ever and it 

was delicious. 

She was born and raised in Crested 

Butte, Colorado. Population 1,487 

last she checked. Bottom line, it 

was way too small for her and her 

dreams of becoming a big city 

pediatric physician. Manhattan, 

KS was not her final destination 

but she was happy to have been 

accepted into their program and 

stay somewhat close to dad. She 

had gone home to visit during each 

break this year and was grateful for 

the time spent with him. 

She had decided to stay in town 

for a couple years after high school 

to help her dad at the hardware 

store he owned. He was only 55 

but the years of raising a daughter 

on his own and running his own 

shop seemed to have aged him 

tremendously. She took classes 

locally before submitting for a few 

pre-med programs. All out of state. 

Kansas had been the only one she

was accepted to. It didn’t matter 

to her because it meant she had 

potential. It was just the beginning. 

Naomi always felt a tinge of guilt for 

her dad’s lack of social or dating life 

but he always assured her it was the 

life he had chosen for himself. He 

said he could never imagine loving 

anyone more than her mother so 

there was no use in searching. 

Her mother had died shortly after 

delivering her. “Complications 

beyond anyone’s control,” her father 

would say whenever she’d tried to 

ask. When she was old enough to 

recognize the pain that reflected 

in his eyes when her mother was 

brought up she stopped asking. 

She decided to make peace with it 

and support her father any way she 

could from that moment on. 

Naomi was the only child and filled 

her days with reading. She began 

speaking and reading at a young 

age. Her teachers would always 

encourage her father to place her in 

the gifted classes. Steve (her father) 

had always been proud of her 

abilities but never wanted to push 

her to grow up too fast. In a way she 

was grateful he always wanted the 

best for her but she also wondered 

if maybe she would have been able 

to maintain closer friendships with 

kids her level. Even though she 

never had problems making friends 

she never seemed to really connect 

with anyone either. 

Naomi had a high school boyfriend 

she met her junior year and dated 

for 4 years. He was kind and she felt 

strongly for him but still had no 

problem breaking things off when 

she left to Kansas. She missed the 

companionship at times but knew 

deep down he was never the one 

she would end up with. Tim on the 

other hand had been shattered by 

the news. He didn’t see why they 

couldn’t maintain a long-distance 

relationship until she was ready to 

come back to Colorado. That was 

just it though, she never planned 

on returning to Colorado other 

than to visit her dad on occasion. 

Tim had his whole life planned 

and it all revolved around their 

hometown. Naomi refused to 

become a housewife and mother. At 

least for now. 

There had also been red flags with 

Tim she wasn’t sure she could get 

over. His jealousy for example 

always seemed irrational and his fits 

of rage were always embarrassing. 

She could recall on more than one 

occasion needing to talk him out 

of a fight because he swore another 

guy had been “undressing her with 

his eyes.” She hated that expression 

and it made her feel like she had 

done something wrong. 

Naomi never seemed to notice the 

attention she would get from men 

young and old. She was bright, 

beautiful and very charismatic. Her 

features although not striking were 

unique and the way she carried 

herself with humble confidence 

was refreshing to anyone who 

crossed her path. She had a smile 

that would light up a room and an 

infectious laugh. Still, she never 

could quite see herself the way 

others often did. 

As her mind got carried away in a 

flurry of thoughts she didn’t notice 

the backpack in her path until it was 

too late. She tried to hit the brakes 

but still hit the backpack which 

jolted her forward and made her 

lose her balance. She attempted to 

fall gracefully which only made the 

entire experience worse as the bike 

had a mind of its own. It toppled 

over and pinned her left leg. 

Completely embarrassed she 

noticed she was right in front 

of the café where most students 

grabbed their breakfast and 

beverages in the mornings. She 

was irritated this happened here of 

all places. No one even attempted 

to help her. They just looked on 

feigning concern. The whole 

episode just fueled her irritation 

even more. Especially when she 

noticed HIM watching her. 

He was sitting calmly at an outdoor 

table sipping his coffee and 

watching her with what, disdain, 

pity, glee?! It was all she could 

do to keep from yelling, “What is 

your deal?” She had noticed him 

on campus before and seen him 

at parties occasionally. “That’s 

Konstantin Price. The biggest babe 

here,” Cyndi had said when Naomi 

first noticed him at a school event 

earlier in the year. 

He was incredibly good looking but 

seemed to be the type that knew it 

and used it to his advantage. Ugh, 

what an arrogant jerk! Something 

about him just got under Naomi’s 

skin. The way he’d walk with his 

head and nose turned up like he 

owned the place just pissed her off. 

As his green eyes watched her, for 

a moment she thought he might 

have been checking her out but she 

quickly dismissed the idea. What 

would a guy like that see or want in 

a girl like her? 

What is there to check out Naomi? 

Your clumsiness? She thought to 

herself as she stood up and began 

pedaling again. As she passed by 

she realized he hadn’t taken his 

eyes off her the entire time. “So glad 

I could be your entertainment this 

morning,” she mumbled angrily as 

she whizzed past him. 

Now being 30 minutes late to her 

class she knew she’d be spending 

her Friday night playing catch up in 

the library. Man! She had actually 

been looking forward to a night off 

to unwind with Cyndi at the party 

everyone had been talking about. 

Oh well, there would always be 

more parties. 

Brite : 

PART II

Konstantin did a once over 

around the room to make sure he 

wasn’t forgetting anything. The 

library was on the other side of 

campus. If he had to make multiple 

trips, it would be incredibly 

inconvenient. It was 8:30 p.m. 

and the campus was quiet, serene. 

It was cold but he preferred to 

walk. He moseyed across campus 

enjoying the views. Breathing in 

the crisp night air, he thought of 

how fond he’d grown of this place. 

It was surprising that he dreaded 

the idea of going back to California. 

The traffic, the daily hustle and the 

same type of people everywhere. 

He’d grown to appreciate the 

simpler approach to life here. 

It had been a shock when he 

first arrived but it became home 

quickly. He loved having the option 

of engaging in outdoor activities 

without a two-hour commute. 

Everything he needed was within 

30 minutes of campus or less. Yes, 

he was definitely going to miss it 

here. 

Most of the other students had 

already gone into town to the 

nearby bars and restaurants, 

prepping themselves for the party 

later. He was glad he decided to 

stay in this evening. Konstantin 

hardly regretted decisions he 

made. Right or wrong, the outcome 

of his choices often satisfied him. 

He didn’t want to slack off as he 

neared the end of his last semester. 

He held himself to a very high 

standard and wanted to begin the 

law program with a running start. 

As he neared the entrance of the 

library, he noticed a sign that 

read, “Due to renovations taking 

place over the weekend, library 

seating will be restricted to a 

smaller area. We apologize for any 

inconvenience.” 

“They couldn’t have waited until 

the semester ended?” he mumbled 

to himself as he entered. Looking 

around, he noticed they had 

blocked off the majority of the 

seating areas limiting him towards 

the very back of the library. There 

were only two tables available— 

one near the window and one 

closer to the restrooms. He opted 

for the one near the window. It was 

widely known that the table closest 

to the restrooms quickly became 

subjected to any foul odors that 

wafted through the opening and 

closing of the doors. 

He opened his book bag and 

proceeded to make himself 

comfortable taking up the majority 

of it with his books, notepads, 

utensils, water and snacks. He 

took out his headphones and 

began listening to music while he 

started in on his first textbook. He 

was quickly engulfed and became 

oblivious to anything happening 

around him. 

As Naomi made her way to the back 

of the library, she wasn’t worried 

about the seating restrictions. 

She knew it would most likely be 

empty. After all, how many losers 

would be here studying while there 

was a party going on—one she had 

been excited to attend to let off 

steam had it not been for her alarm 

debacle. Missing half her class, 

she knew she couldn’t afford to 

fall behind nearing the end of the 

semester. 

She winced as she walked down 

the steps into study lounge area. 

Her knees were still bruised from 

her tumble off the bike. Being that 

there wouldn’t be many people 

on campus, she was casually 

clad in her grey sweat pants and 

a black tank with her favorite 

flannel hoodie. Her hair was in 

loose, golden braids. She decided 

to let her eyes rest and wear her 

reading glasses. She didn’t have 

any makeup on but her long dark 

lashes made it impossible to tell. 

The only beauty product she kept 

close was her repair lip balm. Cold 

weather made it nearly impossible 

to keep her lips moist. 

Glancing at the table options, she 

noticed that some greedy bastard 

had decided to take up the entire 

table by the window. Irritated, she 

fixed her posture and decided to 

head straight for the part of the 

table that hadn’t been occupied. 

When she got closer, she began 

to speak before realizing it was 

Konstantin and nearly choked on 

her words: “Hope you don’t mind 

but I’m sitting here.” She bit her 

lip, cursing herself for deciding to 

grow a pair now of all times. After 

all, she had made a complete fool 

of herself in front of this man 

just the day before. “Real smooth 

Naomi,” she thought. 

Konstantin hadn’t heard Naomi 

with his headphones in, but he 

saw a figure standing to his right. 

Annoyed at this person hovering, 

he whipped his head around, 

“Yes?!” 

Once his eyes fell on Naomi’s face, 

he felt himself falter. He clumsily 

removed a headphone, “Sorry, did 

you need something from me?” 

Naomi found herself trying to 

remain stubborn and yet caught 

off guard by Konstantin’s looks 

and confidence that seemed to just 

flow out from every fiber of his 

being. 

“I said, I hope you don’t mind my 

sharing the table,” she softened 

her words, relieved he hadn’t heard 

her the first time. 

“Not at all. Let me know if you need 

more room,” Konstantin smiled at 

her, surprised at the relief he felt 

for having company. 

While Naomi situated herself at the 

table, Konstantin glanced at her 

finding it difficult to concentrate. 

She was dressed like she had just 

rolled out of bed and threw on the 

closest garments she could reach. 

Her hair was falling out of two 

messy braids and her glasses made 

her look almost child-like. But he 

couldn’t help but feel drawn to her. 

When they’d made eye contact, he 

swore she could see right through 

him. The thought was unsettling 

yet captivating.

He shook his head and turned 

up the music, trying to wall off 

the unanticipated distraction of 

Naomi. “Stay focused, K. This is the 

wrong time to get hung up. You’re 

leaving soon anyways.” He tried 

pulling himself back to reality but 

found himself wanting to know her. 

Really know her. 

Naomi couldn’t help but feel proud 

of herself for keeping it together. 

She dug into her chapters taking 

notes and creating flash cards. 

Engulfed in her reading, she was 

oblivious to Konstantin who had 

been glancing at her on and off 

ever since she arrived. Every once 

in a while, she would look out 

the window and wonder what her 

friends were up to. Not once did she 

notice how flustered he was. 

Konstantin finally removed his 

headphones and went to the 

restroom for a quick break. Maybe 

he just needed to stretch his legs. He 

couldn’t seem to get comfortable or 

refocused on the task at hand ever 

since she arrived. 

Washing his hands, he looked at 

himself in the mirror in frustration. 

“What in the actual hell is your 

problem?! She’s not even asking 

to be looked at. Look at what she’s 

wearing for crying out loud!” He 

couldn’t help but laugh at how 

ridiculous he was acting. “I guess 

it has been a while,” he thought in 

regards to the last girl he’d been 

with. 

He was a little perturbed that his 

presence didn’t seem to have the 

same effect on her. At least HE 

looked nice. He was wearing a 

pair of dark blue jeans with a long 

sleeved grey shirt that showed off 

his physique. He ran his fingers 

through his hair and decided, what 

the hell, he wanted to know what 

this girl was about. She would 

probably even welcome a break. 

Konstantin walked around the 

other side of the table and sat in the 

seat directly across from Naomi. 

He pulled the chair in and crossed 

his arms across his chest (in his 

comfortable defense position) and 

asked, “So why aren’t you at the 

party tonight?” 

Naomi, startled, knocked her 

glasses off and looked up at him 

in surprise. Konstantin quickly 

reached across to hand them to 

her. She was looking him right 

in the eyes again. He felt like she 

had access to every secret, every 

success, failure and unspoken word. 

It scared him but it also made him 

feel like he was home. He didn’t 

want to lose her focus so he began 

cleaning her glasses with the inside 

of his shirt. He grinned at the look 

on her face. 

“Excuse me? Sorry, you don’t have 

to do that. I just cleaned them before 

I came here tonight.” She reached 

over waiting for him to hand her 

glasses over. When he looked at 

her, she noticed a hint of hurt in 

his eyes. “Thank you, I appreciate 

the gesture,” she said quickly, not 

wanting to seem unappreciative. 

“Sure thing. So what are you doing 

here tonight?” Konstantin was 

enthralled with this woman. She 

seemed independent and strong 

but fragile at the same time. He was 

curious as to what was going on 

behind those eyes. He could usually 

read people well, but couldn’t seem 

to get a hold of what this girl was 

about. He looked over her face. 

Light, soft and the pinkest lips he’d 

ever seen. Her eyes were a contrast 

to her skin. Dark, thick lashes 

framed her mysterious brown eyes. 

She literally took his breath away. 

“Oh….well, I missed half my class 

yesterday and can’t afford to fall 

behind. Not that I can’t afford it 

in the sense that I’m doing poorly, 

I just…. Well, I don’t want to slack 

off. Not that I’m a slacker….” she 

was flailing. Any ounce of control 

she had over the conversation had 

gone out the window along with 

her dignity. “Sorry, I’m obviously 

tired,” she smiled timidly, trying to 

regain composure. 

She didn’t even know why she was 

flustered; it’s not like she liked him. 

At all. She didn’t even know him 

and what she did know so far, she 

wasn’t exactly impressed. He was 

the exact kind of guy she typically 

stayed away from. 

“I’m Konstantin Price.” He extended 

his hand to shake hers. 

“Naomi Brite,” she replied. When 

he took Naomi’s hand, she instantly 

felt safe, at home. She looked up at 

him and quickly pulled her hand 

away. 

Her hand was soft and warm in his. 

He found himself wondering if the 

rest of her would feel the same. He 

flashed her his most charming smile 

and was relieved when she smiled 

back before quickly withdrawing 

her hand. 

“I’m nearly finished here for the 

night, would you want to get a 

coffee?” he asked. Not ready to 

leave her alone. He saw a pink flush 

wash over her cheeks and enjoyed 

having that effect on her. 

“I still have quite a bit of reading 

to catch up on, but thank you,” she 

replied only being half honest. 

She had about two chapters more 

to read and realistically could catch 

up on them in the morning. She 

wasn’t thrilled with the thoughts 

and feelings she had when they’d 

shaken hands. She’d heard of his 

reputation and knew that if she 

wanted to keep her self-respect, he 

would be the last guy she should 

get involved with. 

“Oh. Sure. Right. No worries,” 

Konstantin felt rejected. Not 

something he was used to feeling. 

“Well, have a good night.” 

He retreated and began packing his 

bag to leave. He was more pissed 

at how disappointed he felt that 

she didn’t want to be around him. 

Feeling embarrassed, he decided 

she was a lost cause and decided to 

head back to the dorm. 

“Thank you, you too,” Naomi 

hesitated feeling like she had

done something wrong. He almost 

seemed angry with her. 

She watched as he cleared his area 

and left without even another 

glance at her. Was he really so 

arrogant that he threw fits when 

he didn’t get his way? Naomi, 

annoyed, texted Cyndi: “You won’t 

believe what just happened!” 

Knowing she probably wouldn’t 

hear back for a while, she decided 

to call it a night. 

While walking back to the dorm, 

she replayed what happened over 

and over. She felt guilty for writing 

him off so quickly. Maybe she had 

him all wrong. It wasn’t like she 

could fix it now, there was no way of 

finding him or getting his number. 

Besides, she wasn’t about to be 

the one to cave or apologize. She 

hadn’t even done anything wrong! 

While showering, Konstantin 

couldn’t help but replay Naomi’s 

image in his head. Her eyes, her 

soft skin, her pink pouty lips and 

warm touch. Even though she 

seemed to try and hide her figure, 

he could tell she had curves he’d 

like to explore. He splayed his 

hands on the shower wall and let 

the cool water wash over him. He 

didn’t have time for this. Not now. 

As much as he hated to admit this, 

he knew deep down he wouldn’t be 

able to shake this girl. What got to 

him the most was how she made 

him feel. Like who he was wasn’t 

good enough. Like he wanted to be 

better, do better. No one had ever 

made him feel that way. Especially 

not someone he’d just met. 

The rest of the weekend seemed 

to drag by. Colin talked Konstantin 

into going out Sunday night, 

telling him it would help him get 

over Naomi’s unexpected arrival. 

“Dude, this isn’t like you. Maybe 

you just need a night out, a hot girl 

and a good night’s sleep.” It was 

always entertaining listening to 

Colin’s thought process even when 

it was completely ridiculous. 

“Yeah, you’re probably right. I think 

I’ve had too much on my plate 

lately. I definitely need to unwind.” 

Konstantin knew he needed to do 

something to get himself back on 

track. “Just a couple months and 

you’ll be back in California. Keep it 

together,” he coached himself. 

The guys grabbed a cab and 

headed into town. As they 

approached the entrance of the 

dance club, Konstantin allowed 

his eyes to roam. He was in a 

different mode now. His ability 

to compartmentalize work and 

play was admirable even to him. 

Naomi had filled his mind for long 

enough. He was ready to put all of 

his efforts into erasing her from his 

memory and reward himself for all 

the hard work he’d put in to getting 

into law school. 

Walking into the club, Konstantin’s 

eyes were pulled straight into the 

direction of a girl standing at the 

bar with a fitted halter dress that 

accentuated all the right areas. A 

cascade of golden blonde hair fell 

to her waist and her skin looked 

soft even from this distance. He 

hadn’t even seen the front of her 

yet and knew she was going to be 

his this evening. 

As he got closer, the girl turned 

and he stopped short. She was 

sipping her drink from a straw and 

even though she didn’t have her 

glasses on, he’d remember those 

eyes and lips from anywhere. His 

heart nearly skipped a beat as a 

choked whisper escaped his mouth, 

“Naomi.” What the hell was he 

going to do now? 

Brite : 

PART III 

“Dude she’s here,” Konstantin 

had to half shout over the music to 

his buddy. Colin looked confused 

at first then realization washed 

over his face as he mouthed, 

“Oh, my god.” He rolled his eyes, 

clapped Konstantin on the back 

and pulled him in the direction 

of the outdoor bar. “C’mon bro, 

I’ll get the first round of drinks.” 

Konstantin, somewhat reluctant to 

leave Naomi, turned back to look 

at her once more before following 

Colin outside. 

Naomi rolled her eyes as Cyndi 

giggled and flirted with one of the 

soccer players. Cyndi wasn’t exactly 

smooth or subtle when it came to 

flirting. It was amusing for Naomi 

to watch as the guys typically 

didn’t mind because Cyndi was so 

beautiful. She looked exotic and 

was very outgoing. She was half 

Spanish and half Filipino, a mix 

that created long, dark and curly 

hair, unique facial features and the 

greenest eyes Naomi had ever seen. 

Cyndi also maintained one of those 

naturally fit, curvy bodies while she 

sucked down beer like it was going 

out of style, ate like an NFL football 

player and never worked out a day 

in her life (barf). 

Naomi was on her third drink and 

decided she needed some water. 

She motioned to Cyndi that she 

was going to get some air. Cyndi 

made a pouty face and winked at 

Naomi as she continued her nonstimulating 

conversation with her 

prey. Naomi giggled and proceeded 

to make her way through the crowd. 

She hadn’t eaten much that day 

and was really feeling the drinks. 

She could always tell because the 

tingling sensation would spread 

from her face to her fingertips. 

As she shimmied her way through 

the crowd, she didn’t notice any of 

her admirers. Guys would look at 

her just hoping to catch a single 

glance but she kept her eyes on the 

doors that led to the outdoor patio. 

Naomi had never been one to seek 

out that type of attention, which 

made her completely oblivious to it.

Once outside, she breathed in 

the cool air and looked up at the 

sky. One of her favorite songs 

was playing from inside the club 

and she began swaying a little as 

she walked over to a bench to sit. 

When she neared the seat, she 

noticed someone in her peripheral 

staring at her. She looked over and 

saw Konstantin shifting his gaze 

from her back to his drink in an 

awkward attempt to seem as if he 

hadn’t been looking at her. 

Feeling braver than usual, she 

smiled and began to walk in his 

direction. His eyebrows shot up as 

his eyes fixed on hers and a small 

sideways grin began to pull at his 

lips. He could tell she was buzzed 

but more than that, she seemed 

genuinely happy to see him. He 

couldn’t remember the last time 

a girl looked at him that way. Like 

he had just made her night and the 

truth was, she had just made his. 

“Hey K,” Naomi said as she 

approached and maneuvered 

herself to give him a sideways hug. 

This was shocking even to her as 

she was not typically a touchy feely 

kind of person. Something about 

him made her feel comfortable. 

Although seemed somewhat hard 

and standoffish at times, it made 

her want to push through his rough 

exterior. Almost like an unspoken 

challenge he’d initiated and she 

was more than happy to accept. 

“K, huh?” Konstantin had never 

been called just “K” before. It 

wasn’t his favorite but he didn’t 

care what she called him. She 

giggled and said, “Well Kon, Stan 

and Tin wouldn’t make good 

nicknames so yeah, K!” She looked 

up at him and smiled wide before 

adding, “Plus, no offense but I 

think your whole name sounds 

more presumptuous than you 

actually are.” She winked at him 

and gestured to the bartender. 

Wow! Put a little alcohol in Miss 

Naomi Brite and she becomes the 

queen of truth. He would normally 

be put off by this, but the way she 

said it was so innocent and sexy at 

the same time. 

Naomi leaned in and asked for 

another water. When Konstantin 

heard, he objected and ordered 

her a shot of Tequila. “Excuse me, 

Mr. Price but just so we’re clear, no 

amount of alcohol is going to make 

me go home with you if that’s your 

intention,” Naomi narrowed her 

gaze trying to look like she meant 

business. Her hand lingered on his 

arm as he handed her the shot. 

Konstantin couldn’t help but spill 

out a deep, throaty laugh half out 

of embarrassment and also because 

he was really enjoying this girl’s 

feisty personality. Maybe there 

were more layers to Naomi than 

he’d imagined. He involuntarily 

began imagining how it’d feel to be 

the lucky guy who got to peel back 

each of those layers. 

“Absolutely not Miss Brite. I merely 

wanted to make a toast to this 

delightful surprise of an evening.” 

He leaned in and placed his left 

hand on the small of her back and 

whispered, “It’s also an apology for 

my abrupt exit from the library the 

other night.” He pulled away slightly 

while holding her gaze. Her big 

brown eyes gaped at him in surprise. 

Naomi’s breath hitched when 

he touched her. The proximity 

felt warm, safe and exciting. She 

was surprised at his apology but 

accepted it gracefully. She gave 

him a slight nod and smile as 

she lifted her glass in a “cheers” 

motion before throwing it down. 

The warm liquid burned while 

it made its way down her throat 

and she felt it instantly. Her head 

was fuzzy and her face tingly. She 

couldn’t remember the last time 

she drank this much. 

She swayed, slightly losing her 

balance and fell into Konstantin’s 

grasp. He helped steady her and 

said, “Okay, water for the rest 

of the night.” He gestured to 

the bartender who immediately 

handed him a glass. Naomi giggled 

as she took the water and began 

to drink it. She looked up at him 

apologetically, “It’s been a while, 

I guess. I can’t feel my lips.” She 

giggled again as she slowly bit 

her bottom lip trying to get some 

feeling in it. 

Konstantin couldn’t help but look 

at her lips as she bit down. They 

were plump, moist and pink from 

the alcohol. She had a slight flush 

in her cheeks and standing this 

close, he could smell her. She 

smelled like coconut and the sun. 

He smiled at her and in a husky 

whisper said, “I thought you were 

just trying to feel me up.” 

She looked up wide-eyed with her 

mouth half open, unable to say 

anything then swatted at his chest 

while dropping her gaze at the 

ground self-consciously. “Yeah, I’m 

sure you’d just love that,” she replied. 

Konstantin noticed that Colin 

had been oblivious to the entire 

exchange as he’d been busy 

pursuing a girl a few feet away. He 

thought about introducing Naomi 

but selfishly thought against it as 

he took her hand and said, “Let’s 

go, you’re dancing with me.” 

Before Naomi had a chance to 

object, he began pulling her back 

into the club and onto the dance 

floor. There was a remix of Mario’s 

“Let Me Love You” playing overhead 

and he pulled her into him. Instead 

of the typical club grind that most 

guys attempt, he actually danced 

with her. She was shocked at how 

easily their bodies moved together. 

She didn’t even have to think about 

the moves as he led her through the 

steps with such ease. 

She hated to admit it but his ability 

to dance was definitely something 

she was attracted to. 

Naomi had never felt this with 

anyone before. Their bodies were 

effortlessly in sync and she found 

herself wishing the music would 

never end. It was during this 

thought when she looked up and

noticed how intently Konstantin 

was holding her gaze. It was like 

he was looking right into her and 

could see what she was thinking. 

Konstantin grabbed her hands and 

pulled her into him. He placed both 

her hands around his neck, which 

brought their faces only inches 

from each other as he held her 

waist. He’d switch from smiling to 

gazing deeply at her. 

Studying every inch of her while 

they moved to the music, Konstantin 

was completely intoxicated by 

Naomi. He loved being this close 

to her and hoped she’d never pull 

away. The way her body felt in his 

hands and her hair flowed had his 

mind racing to thoughts he knew 

better than to have. 

Naomi felt her heart beating 

quickly as she attempted to not 

look into his eyes for too long. She 

was afraid of what might happen if 

she didn’t pull her gaze away. It was 

hard enough to look away. His face 

was incredibly handsome and his 

eyes made her melt. There was so 

much more to this man than what 

she’d originally seen. He tried his 

best to keep his shields up but she 

saw right through it all. She decided 

they needed a little distance and 

said, “I’ll be right back.” She quickly 

pulled away and began walking to 

an undecided location. 

She felt like she wanted to laugh and 

cry at the same time. This wasn’t 

possible. She was not feeling what 

she thought she was. How could she?! 

She barely knew this man! “Get a 

grip Naomi,” she tried telling herself 

as she tried to quickly put as much 

distance between them as possible. 

She ended up at the end of a long 

line to the outdoor restroom. While 

standing there, she tried to make 

sense of what had just happened 

and how she was feeling. Cyndi 

had told her that Konstantin was a 

playboy. She’d said he was a typical 

male with commitment phobia 

although he tried to explain it away 

as a personal choice. Either way, it 

wasn’t a promising future. Naomi 

couldn’t remember ever feeling 

drawn to someone so quickly. 

As she entered the restroom, she 

decided that she’d drank too much 

and the alcohol was probably 

making her feel more than was 

actually there. 

Konstantin bought another drink 

and moseyed back to the general 

area where they’d been dancing. 

He was taken aback by her abrupt 

departure. He couldn’t put his 

finger on what it was about this girl 

that had him so undone. He’d had 

his share of dancing, dating and the 

whole scene but this was something 

he couldn’t explain. She had a way 

of drawing him in and keeping him 

at a distance at the same time. It 

drove him nuts but he couldn’t help 

wanting more. 

He looked up while she made 

her way back through the crowd 

towards him. Every time he saw her 

it was as if everyone and everything 

else faded to the background. His 

senses became hyper aware when 

she was close. He set down his 

drink and walked to her, “Where’d 

you go?” 

“The ladies’ room. I thought it would 

have been quicker going outside 

but I was wrong,” she replied as 

she stood in front of him. He gave 

her his sideways grin as he grabbed 

her hands and pulled her back onto 

the dance floor. Her body gave way 

without any hesitation but her head 

kept telling her to be careful. 

After dancing for a while, Naomi 

gestured that she needed to take a 

breather. She led them back outside 

to a bench that was away from the 

crowd. He left to get them waters 

and she checked her phone for 

Cyndi. Sure enough there was a text: 

Cyndi: Hey girl, hope you and Mr. 

Price are having a good time…?! I 

want all the details in the morning!! 

Don’t wait up (wink wink). 

Naomi laughed and shook her head 

as she tucked her phone back into 

her clutch. 

“What’s so funny,” Konstantin asked 

as he handed her another water. 

“Oh, just my friend Cyndi. She 

managed to find herself in the 

company of a non-intriguing soccer 

player and informed me I won’t see 

her ’til the morning.” 

“Soccer player, huh? Well at least 

she gave you a heads up. My buddy 

Colin has been MIA for most of the 

evening and I’m sure I won’t hear 

from him until the morning.” 

Naomi held her glass up, “To good 

friends,” she said laughing. 

He laughed and clinked his glass 

with hers. 

Naomi took a long drink then set 

down her glass. Placing both her 

hands behind her she rested her 

weight on her arms and looked 

up at the sky. Konstantin did the 

same, interlocking one of his arms 

with hers. 

“I still can’t get over the sky here,” 

he said while gazing upwards. “On 

clear nights like this it feels like 

you can see every star.” 

Naomi smiled, “I know what you 

mean. Although, I’m from a small 

town in Colorado so I’ve kinda been 

spoiled with views like this my whole 

life. It makes it feel like home.” 

“Well, I envy you. I was raised in 

L.A. and you’re lucky if you can 

see the moon some nights. I’m 

exaggerating of course but it feels 

that way.” He looked at her, wanting 

to know so much more. 

An older gentleman walked over to 

them. Intoxicated and slightly slurring 

his words, he asked, “So how long have 

you love birds been together?” 

Before Konstantin could say 

anything, Naomi jumped in. With 

a southern belle type accent, she 

replied, “Going on three years next 

month.” She took Konstantin’s

hand and interlaced fingers with 

him. “Isn’t that right, sweetheart?” 

Glancing at Konstantin she had to 

keep from laughing at the look on 

his face. 

He stuttered before responding, 

“Uh, yeah…well, just look at her.” 

Konstantin squeezed her hand 

while giving her a “you are in so 

much trouble” look. 

“Well, ya better get on marrying 

her soon. Three years is a long 

time for a girl to wait around,” 

the man replied then walked away 

chuckling to himself. 

Konstantin’s face was flushed by 

the whole encounter. “You are so 

not normal, Naomi,” he laughed. 

He wondered when she’d realize 

they were still holding hands and 

pull away but was silently hoping 

she wouldn’t. 

She giggled while reaching her 

free hand towards his face to pull 

him in close. He tensed when he 

saw her reaching for him. She felt 

his resistance but looked at him 

reassuringly as she touched him, 

“You’re more fun than I would 

have guessed, boyfriend.” Her hand 

slid down his face and she pulled 

her other hand out of his and stood 

up. “Well, I should probably head 

back to campus.” 

Konstantin, disappointed, stood 

and asked if he could share a cab 

ride back. 

As they pulled up to the school, 

he offered to pay for the ride and 

proceeded to walk Naomi to her 

dorm. 

They walked at a slow pace. “You 

really don’t have to walk me back. 

I’m a big girl,” she said, secretly 

hoping he’d stay with her. 

Konstantin had to get up early 

to hike with Colin so he was half 

tempted to take her up on heading 

back to his dorm, but was having an 

internal struggle with not wanting 

the night to end. They stopped as 

he hesitated, trying to decide. 

Naomi watched him as he 

contemplated leaving. She’d swear 

she could see him struggle with not 

wanting to leave but needing to go. 

The thought warmed her heart and 

made it skip a few beats. Was he 

feeling something for her, too? She 

smiled softly at him, “Thank you for 

tonight, Konstantin. You surprised 

me and… I had a really good time.” 

Konstantin looked in her eyes and 

knew he wasn’t done with her. He 

needed her in his life. As a friend, 

a lover, anything! It didn’t matter, 

he just needed her. He’d never 

felt so safe to be himself around 

anyone else in his life. It was like he 

knew he could tell her his deepest 

darkest secrets and she would still 

accept him. “Go to dinner with me 

next Saturday?” His heart raced as 

he waited for her response. 

“I’ll have to check with Cyndi to 

make sure we aren’t still going to 

her parents’ house for dinner, but 

let me give you my number and I’ll 

let you know?” She took his phone 

and input her information under 

the name, Wifey. “That guy did say 

you’d better marry me soon,” she 

giggled as she winked at him and 

began walking away. 

“Oh, really...,” Konstantin said, surprised 

yet again by Ms. Naomi’s boldness. 

“Goodnight, Naomi. Thanks for 

the conversation.” Slowly walking 

in the opposite direction he 

thought, Mrs. Naomi Price actually 

has a nice ring to it. He smiled 

absentmindedly. What the hell was 

she doing to him? 

Brite : 

PART IV 

“So where are you taking the 

lovely Naomi tonight?” Colin asked 

as he watched Konstantin change 

his shirt 4 times. 

Konstantin was flustered with his 

wardrobe and made a mental note 

to update it as soon as possible. 

“I was thinking of Della Voce for 

dinner and then Radina’s for coffee. 

You think it’s tacky to walk there?” 

“Well, I mean you CAN afford a cab 

right?” Colin looked at Konstantin 

with a crap eating grin on his face. 

Konstantin tossed a pair of rolled 

socks at Colin, “Of course I can! I just 

think she’s the type of girl that would 

appreciate taking our time getting 

there. Walking and talking…” 

“How about you guys walk back to 

the dorm after instead? Let your 

food settle, reflect on the night and 

the stars will be out so that could 

be cool,” Colin tried to finish his 

thought nonchalantly. 

“Wow, that’s pretty romantic of you 

Colin. Thanks.” Konstantin chuckled 

as he sprayed a little cologne. 

“Don’t be lame. I’m not romantic 

bro it was just a suggestion.” Colin 

stood up and moseyed towards 

the door, “Good luck.” He gave 

Konstantin a wink and thumbs up 

before heading out. 

As Konstantin walked outside he 

looked up and saw Naomi walking 

towards him. His mouth went dry 

and he felt as if it was the first time 

he was seeing her. “What are you 

doing here Ms. Brite? I was just on 

my way to pick you up like a true 

gentleman.” He felt a slight threat 

to his manhood. This girl was 

unlike any he’d ever known. 

“Well, I was finished getting ready 

and thought it might be nice to 

showcase my talent of not being 

one of those girls you have to wait 

on.” She smiled at him and when 

he returned her smile she felt her 

stomach flip. “Keep it together

Naomi. Always stay one step 

ahead,” she told herself. 

Konstantin was actually very 

impressed and had to admit to 

himself it was refreshing to date a 

woman who seemed to be unaware 

of her beauty. She was in a pair of 

dark jeans, a black fitted top and 

her hair was down framing her 

gorgeous face with her long golden 

locks. He decided then that their 

night would end with his fingers 

running through her hair and his 

lips on hers. 

Sitting at dinner Naomi didn’t 

take any time to dive into the 

personal questions. She was 

incredibly kind and unassuming it 

made Konstantin feel comfortable 

opening up to her. He caught 

himself more than a few times 

offering more information than 

he’d intended. Something he’d 

never done before with anyone. 

He fought himself with trying to 

keep his guards up around her. 

This made him both frustrated and 

intrigued about Ms. Naomi Brite. 

He didn’t know how she was able 

to disarm him without even trying. 

“So, let me see if I can sum this 

up accurately. You have an older 

brother, Erwin, who is an incredibly 

successful entrepreneur & also 

a self-proclaimed ladies’ man. 

Your father is Aksel who is also 

very successful & loving but can 

also be hard/distant. Lastly, your 

mother is Elise Price who has 

played her role supremely well in 

supporting all the men in her life.” 

Naomi took another sip of her 

wine as she watched Konstantin 

register her cliffs notes version of 

his family dynamic. 

Konstantin shuddered slightly 

at the fact that he’d just opened 

himself up so much in a short time. 

He’d shared more about his life with 

Naomi than he had with anyone. 

He started to panic on the inside at 

how vulnerable he’d made himself 

with someone who he barely knew. 

Silently cursing himself he decided 

he needed more information on 

Naomi to even things out. 

As their dinner was set in front of 

them he asked about her family. 

She didn’t offer much information 

which left him asking the question 

if she was guarding herself from 

him. He found out she was raised 

by her father, Steven Brite. Her 

mother had passed while giving 

birth to her which was something 

she couldn’t help but periodically 

blame herself for. He could feel 

the weight of responsibility she 

carried to care for her father since 

he’d never re-married. 

Naomi felt herself being drawn to 

Konstantin in a way she’d never 

felt. He seemed so different than 

everything she’d heard about him. 

She could tell he struggled with 

letting her in at times but would 

eventually soften and open up. She 

was never one to pry into someone’s 

thoughts as she understood and 

respected the value of privacy. She 

figured it was this very quality he 

appreciated in her. 

She was impressed at his 

acceptance into Law school and 

admired his tenacity. He’d already 

accomplished so much and it 

brought her back to the reality 

of how she was at the beginning 

of her long career road. Naomi 

had promised herself that no 

relationship would distract her 

from her future. She hadn’t shared 

the 4 year relationship that ended 

before coming to Kansas State. 

At this point she figured it was 

irrelevant as she had no intentions 

to pursue anything more than a 

friendship with Konstantin. Or as 

much of a friendship as he’d allow. 

His reputation of female conquests 

preceded him so she was counting 

down the time before she’d have to 

put an end to this. 

“Penny for your thoughts Ms. 

Brite?” Konstantin had been 

enthralled with how focused she 

seemed to be while eating her meal. 

He figured she was processing the 

conversation they’d been having but 

couldn’t help but feel insecure. She’d 

been silent for some time without 

making any direct eye contact with 

him. She was obviously comfortable 

being in silence. Most of the women 

he’d dated could never shut up so 

this was a nice and yet unsettling 

experience. 

Naomi startled a little as she’d 

allowed herself to get lost in 

her thoughts. “Um, sorry. I can 

sometimes get lost in… the 

enjoyment of a meal. My father 

taught me how to appreciate food 

as an art form. It’s probably silly…” 

she tapered off realizing she was 

beginning to ramble. 

“Not at all. I’ve never thought 

of it that way but in fact this was 

someone’s vision and we are 

enjoying the fruits of their labor.” 

He smiled at her reassuringly. 

He felt himself catering to her 

feelings not wanting her to be 

self-conscious or uncomfortable 

around him. Yet another thing he 

usually never cared about before. 

He was battling with himself at 

how he’d never questioned himself 

before Ms. Naomi Brite walked into 

his life and now all he wanted was 

to be someone who was worthy of 

her presence. 

As they began walking to their next 

destination for coffee Konstantin 

took her hand in his and kissed 

the back of it. He’d been longing to 

touch her skin again since the night 

they’d danced together. Any excuse 

to feel her softness and stand close 

enough to smell her sweetness was 

worth it. He looked into her brown 

eyes and fought the urge to kiss her 

right then. Before he could even 

reconsider she dropped her gaze 

and thanked him for dinner. 

“By the way, I fully intend to have 

dessert. I hope you aren’t put off 

by a woman who actually eats?!” 

Naomi laughed. She’d never been 

the kind of girl to pretend she 

wasn’t hungry. When Naomi went 

to look up at Konstantin she felt 

her face caught in his hands, his

face was inches from hers. He held 

her gaze and she felt his breath on 

her lips. Her heart began to race 

and she was at a loss for words as 

she saw her reflection caught in the 

pools of his green eyes. She could 

feel his body closing in on hers 

and he breathlessly said, “Naomi,” 

before he kissed her. 

Konstantin couldn’t help it and 

knew he needed to feel more of her, 

to explore her. Without thinking he 

grabbed her and kissed her. Her lips 

were even softer than her skin and 

she tasted sweet. He was instantly 

addicted to her. Feeling her give 

herself to him was almost more 

than he could stand. He felt her 

tongue graze his, hungry for more 

of him and knew she felt the same 

way he did in that moment. 

He was normally not a fan of 

public displays of affection but in 

this moment it was just the two 

of them. Everything went quiet 

and everyone else disappeared. He 

could stay here forever. From that 

moment there were no other lips 

he could taste, no other woman 

that would satisfy him again. 

There would be no real happiness 

or fulfillment if she was not in his 

life. He’d relinquished all control to 

Naomi Brite and there was no going 

back. Not now, not ever. 

When Konstantin finally pulled 

back from Naomi she felt the heat 

in her cheeks as the dizzying feeling 

began to subside. She looked up 

at him surprised he’d kissed her 

and disappointed he stopped. She 

realized she’d been holding her 

breath and exhaled slowly letting 

herself get a grasp on reality again. 

He hadn’t let go of her right hand 

and interlaced his fingers with hers 

while gently pulling her into a slow 

stroll towards the coffee shop. 

Neither of them spoke a word 

wanting to prolong the moment 

they’d just shared. Both of them 

were aware of the reality of their 

situation. In just a few short 

months Konstantin would be 

moving back to California while 

Naomi continued her schooling in 

Kansas. The thought made Naomi’s 

heart ache. 

“I’ll have the slice of double 

chocolate cake and a glass of ice 

milk please,” Naomi said while 

handing the menu back to their 

waitress. She finally forced herself 

to look at Konstantin. She knew 

he’d been searching her since 

they’d kissed. She was fighting the 

internal battle of falling for him 

knowing it was not only the wrong 

time but the wrong person to let 

herself love. Love?! She didn’t even 

know him! Then when she looked 

him in the eyes all of her logic 

seemed to disappear. 

“What are you thinking about Ms. 

Brite?” Konstantin was nervous 

that she’d left him hanging since 

their kiss. She’d seemed happy 

and reciprocated the feelings in 

the moment but he swore he felt 

her pull away almost instantly. He 

hated that she seemed to be able to 

look right into his soul and yet he 

could never get a good read on her 

or what she was thinking. It made 

him feel weak, vulnerable and he 

fought the urge to resent her for it. 

“Before I started school in the fall I 

broke off a 4 year relationship with 

my boyfriend back in Colorado. I 

told him I had too much I wanted to 

accomplish and I knew I didn’t have 

it in me to also be in a relationship. 

I promised myself I wouldn’t 

let anything or anyone slow me 

down from the plans I have for my 

future.” Naomi paused to look at his 

reaction and he had an intense look 

on his face with a slight furrow in 

his brows like he didn’t know what 

to do with this information. 

“Huh, okay…. So why are you 

telling me this exactly?” Konstantin 

couldn’t help but be immediately 

defensive and felt his walls 

shooting up all around him. He was 

not used to being on the receiving 

end of a letdown. He couldn’t 

imagine this little speech having a 

good ending and prepared himself 

for her answer. 

“The truth is you’ve caught me 

by surprise. I’ve heard a lot about 

you and it wasn’t exactly flattering 

but I feel like I’ve seen someone 

different. Someone I truly enjoy 

being around and I just don’t know 

if that’s a good thing or not.” Naomi 

took in a breath as she waited for 

his response. 

Konstantin didn’t know what to 

think about her hearing things 

about him. Of course he had a 

particular reputation he couldn’t 

dispute but the truth was he WAS 

different around her. She made 

him feel like he wanted to be better 

and do better. He’d never felt like 

this before and wasn’t sure he was 

ready to let it go yet. 

“Why don’t we just take it a day 

at a time? We both know I am 

leaving to start school in the fall 

in California but I don’t think it 

should necessarily mean we throw 

in the towels now. I’ve been having 

a great time with you and even 

though life may call us in different 

directions it doesn’t mean we 

can’t be happy now. I really enjoy 

our connection and care deeply 

about you.” He smiled at her a little 

hoping she’d relent. 

Naomi smiled and in a snap 

decision said, “You’re right. 

We’re both adults and if we enjoy 

each other’s company there is no 

problem in enjoying the moment.” 

She reached out to touch his face 

and his eyes closed when she did. 

“What are you doing to me K?” 

She leaned in and kissed him on 

his cheek. 

Over the next several weeks 

Konstantin had become a ghost 

to his friends. He filled his days 

hanging with Naomi and his nights 

thinking about her. Although they 

hadn’t done more than kissed since 

they began their adventure he 

didn’t even mind. Her personality 

kept him on his toes and even 

though he was a man who wouldn’t 

turn down any chance to be with 

her it wasn’t what kept him around.

Naomi found herself completely 

infatuated with Konstantin. They 

had so much in common and he’d 

become not only a romantic interest 

for her but a friend on a deeper 

level than words could describe. 

She’d never been around anyone 

who she felt so comfortable with 

even in their extended moments 

of silence. He understood her on 

a level no one ever had. His touch 

made her feel lost and found at 

the same time. His kisses melted 

her heart. 

Naomi knew she loved Konstantin 

but vowed to never tell him. She 

feared if she said it out loud their 

safe little world they’d created 

would shatter. It’s also the reason 

she decided to not sleep with him. 

That was a level of intimacy she 

knew would break her if she gave 

herself to him and he left. This was 

a situation that felt amazing and 

impossibly terrifying but she knew 

this was all they could offer each 

other. Here and now. 

Konstantin had been planning 

a big day to celebrate Naomi’s 

21st birthday and was excited as 

the weekend was approaching. 

He was never a fan of romance 

but he wanted the entire day to 

be incredibly special. He’d even 

spoken to his family about Naomi 

and was considering having her 

meet them when they came to 

Kansas for his graduation. Another 

first he’d never pictured himself 

doing. At this point Konstantin felt 

like he’d be willing to do just about 

anything to keep her in his life. He 

just wasn’t sure if she felt the same 

and the idea broke his heart. 

The morning of Naomi’s birthday 

she woke up to a dorm room full 

of flowers and balloons. Cyndi sat 

on the edge of her bed with a big 

grin on her face, “Good morning 

birthday girl! Can you believe this?! 

Someone is smitten!” 

Naomi sat up slowly taking in the 

scene and smiled. “I can’t believe 

he did all of this,” she whispered. 

Brite : 

PART V 

“Cyndi balanced on the edge of 

her bed while handing an envelope 

over to Naomi. “Hurry and read it, I 

can’t take the suspense! I thought 

you’d never wake up,” Cyndi 

squealed with ridiculous amounts 

of enthusiasm this early in the 

morning. 

Naomi rolled her eyes and giggled 

as she opened the envelope. There 

was a handmade card inside with 

intricate drawings depicting 

some of the memories she and 

Konstantin had made. She had no 

idea he could draw so beautifully. 

Was there anything this man 

COULDN’T do?! She’d nearly 

forgotten there was an audience 

anxiously waiting to hear what he 

wrote but she was momentarily 

lost in their world. In his world. On 

the inside was written: 

These last couple of months have 

brought me closer to fulfillment 

than any other time in my life 

and I have you to thank for that 

Naomi Brite. You have managed to 

show me exactly who I want to be 

and what I need to do to get there 

without even trying. You somehow 

manage to push my limits, making 

me strive to be better while also 

being a place of peace and comfort. 

I am eternally grateful I have gotten 

this time with you and wouldn’t 

change it for the world. Today is 

all about you. I hope you’re ready 

for me to show you what you mean 

to me all day long! Get ready Ms. 

Brite, this will be a day you’ll never 

forget. -K 

Cyndi squealed and grabbed 

Naomi by the arm leading her to 

the bathroom. “He said to shower, 

put on what’s in the box and meet 

him out front in an hour!” 

Naomi lifted an eyebrow and 

smiled while she opened the 

garment box. Inside was a pair of 

new yoga pants, sports bra and 

fitted shirt all in Naomi’s favorite 

colors (hot pink and green). Next to 

the shower were a brand new pair 

of Nike’s. She smiled and shooed 

Cyndi out of the bathroom so she 

could get ready. 

As she finished tying her shoes she 

heard the voice that both startled 

and melted her. 

“Ms. Brite I believe you’re running 

late.” Konstantin stood at the 

entrance of her dorm looking 

incredibly handsome! She could 

tell he’d just gotten out of the 

shower. His hair still slightly damp 

and he was in his sports gear. He 

looked at her with hungry, soft 

eyes, a half crooked smile on his 

face and head tilted to the side. 

He held his hand out to her as she 

walked towards him and pulled 

her into him bringing them face to 

face. She could smell his cologne 

and feel his minty fresh breath on 

her. “There she is. Happy birthday 

beautiful.” 

Forgetting Cyndi was there smiling 

like a ridiculous schoolgirl, Naomi 

melted into his embrace and 

kissed him. She pulled back and 

let her hands rest around his neck 

gently rubbing the back of his head 

with her fingers. “I can’t believe 

everything you’ve done K. Thank 

you so much.” She smiled at him as 

he rested his hands on her hips and 

looked at her with a child-like grin 

on his face. Naomi could almost 

feel his excitement for whatever it 

was he had planned. 

“Naomi, you don’t know the half of 

it.” He interlocked fingers with her 

and began pulling her toward the 

door. “Thanks for the help Cyndi!” 

He winked at her as he and Naomi 

left the dorm room. 

Naomi struggled to keep up and 

squealed with excitement when 

she saw the new bikes waiting for 

them at the edge of the sidewalk.

“Is this mine?” 

“Hot pink just the way you like it 

Ms. Brite. Hop on and try to keep 

up!” Konstantin kissed her and 

jumped on his bike. He looked back 

and melted when he saw her riding 

close behind him with a big smile 

on her face. What he wouldn’t do 

to ensure he could see that smile 

all the time. 

Konstantin pulled up to a quaint 

breakfast place where he’d preordered 

Naomi’s favorite breakfast 

of French toast, bacon, eggs and 

fruit with a coffee. When they 

walked in they were walked to a 

table with more flowers and their 

meal already served with steam 

still rising from the plates. Naomi 

hadn’t realized how hungry she 

was until she saw it and proceeded 

to eat as if it had been weeks since 

she ate last. 

Konstantin laughed at her passion 

for food. “I will never understand 

where you put all the food you eat 

Ms. Brite!” He watched her in awe 

still questioning how she managed 

to look so sexy even while inhaling 

her breakfast. He handed her a 

glass of coffee with a smirk on 

his face knowing she’d need help 

washing down the last four bites 

she still had stored in her cheeks. 

Naomi’s face turned red as she 

took the cup from him trying not 

to laugh she sipped for a good 20 

seconds before tossing her napkin 

at him. “Alright ya jerk I can take a 

hint,” she said finally able to laugh 

out loud. “You can’t expect a girl to 

exercise first thing in the morning 

and NOT work up an animalistic 

appetite.” She playfully smacked 

his hand and before she could dive 

back into her meal he held her 

hand in his. 

Konstantin laughed as he motioned 

for the waiter to bring the check. 

“My goal today is to create a 

memory so meaningful that it will 

stay with you forever Ms. Brite. 

Only then could you understand 

what your presence has done to 

me.” He held her gaze and watched 

as his words washed over her. From 

the sparkle in her bright brown eyes 

to the twitch in her pink lips as they 

parted into a faint smile. 

She reached toward his face and 

touched him the only way she 

could. He’d grown to love her touch. 

It was kind, innocent and full of her 

love. She hadn’t said it but he knew 

because it was how he felt. There 

was no other way to describe what 

was happening between them. 

Konstantin planned a day full 

of adventure for Naomi. After 

breakfast they went for a hike that 

led them to a running creek where 

they stopped for lunch he had 

waiting for them. They swam and 

played the way only two people in 

love could. They splashed, laughed 

and kissed completely lost in each 

other. Oblivious to the real world 

that awaited them. 

There were moments when 

Konstantin had to push away 

feelings of guilt for his recent 

absence in his family’s lives. 

They told him they understood 

and sounded thrilled he’d found 

someone that was bringing him so 

much happiness. The last time he’d 

spoken to his brother Erwin about 

Naomi he was hesitant and awaited 

an onslaught of harassment about 

no longer being a real man but 

his reply had been something he 

hadn’t expected. 

“Baby bro’s in love huh? Well 

between the two of us… maybe 

you’re the real man.” 

There hadn’t been a trace of 

mockery or teasing in his voice and 

Konstantin wasn’t sure if he picked 

up a sense of longing from Erwin but 

couldn’t imagine it since he was the 

GQ man of the family. Successful in 

life, business and women. 

Konstantin laughed it off and 

changed the subject quickly to 

avoid any kind of uncomfortable 

exchange but since then anytime 

they spoke Erwin made sure he 

asked how Naomi was and how 

they were doing. His curiosity in 

Konstantin’s relationship was 

both endearing and unsettling 

as it was a side of his brother he 

hadn’t seen before. 

Konstantin had a special night 

planned as Naomi had agreed to 

spend an overnight evening with him. 

Dinner at a 5 star restaurant with a 

view of the city. It was attached to 

the resort they would be staying at. 

He booked a suite for them with a 

private Jacuzzi, chocolate dipped 

strawberries and anything else he 

thought Naomi would enjoy. Before 

dinner he had her spend a few hours 

at the spa getting massaged and 

pampered from the day’s excursions. 

When she emerged from the salon 

in the dress he bought her he lost 

his breath. Her blonde hair was 

down in loose curls, her brown 

eyes framed by those incredibly 

dark lashes and her cheeks flushed 

pink. Her lips were full with a 

natural crimson color and curled 

up into a lazy smile as she walked 

towards him. Her milky skin looked 

incredibly soft against the black 

dress that hugged her every curve. 

If he died in this moment he knew 

he wouldn’t mind. Not with her as 

his last image. 

After dinner Konstantin took 

her down the long route back to 

their suite. They strolled through 

the rose garden where he picked 

a single rose and gave it to her. 

As they stood under the stars 

and moonlight he couldn’t keep 

what was on his mind to himself 

anymore. He took her hands and 

looked into her eyes struggling to 

find a way to put his feelings into 

words. There was something about 

her that made him feel unable to 

get a grip. 

Naomi could feel Konstantin’s 

hesitation and felt her heart begin 

to race. She wasn’t disillusioned 

enough to believe he’d done 

everything today expecting them to 

cuddle tonight however she wasn’t

sure if she was ready to take that 

next step. She had promised herself 

a long time ago that there would be 

no distractions during college and 

she’d already broken that promise. 

Yet when she looked at him and 

how hesitant he still was around 

her she felt her heart swell with 

love. If he was faking this than he 

was better than she could imagine 

but something told her this wasn’t 

an act. She waited patiently as he 

gathered himself and squeezed his 

hands reassuringly. 

Konstantin had been thinking 

about how to word his feelings for 

Naomi without making her feel like 

he had high expectations for the 

evening. He could no longer keep 

from saying something that came so 

naturally to him. “You are beautiful 

Naomi, in every way a woman can 

be and you make me want to be a 

better person. Your presence scares 

the hell out of me and yet I’ve never 

felt so safe around anyone in my 

life. I love you. I am not saying this 

in hopes that you will sleep with me 

tonight. I just want to be with you. 

I don’t know what this means for 

our future but I just needed you to 

know that.” 

Naomi felt lost for words. She knew 

Konstantin felt strongly for her but 

never imagined him sharing it since 

he was planning on moving back 

to California in just a few short 

months. She knew she’d fallen for 

him but wasn’t sure she wanted 

to say it out loud. She thought it 

would help ease what was bound 

to be a terrible ending. Now seeing 

him so vulnerable she didn’t know 

how to feel or what to say. Her mind 

raced with every possible outcome 

of this conversation and was trying 

to keep from getting caught up in 

the moment but when she looked 

up at him she felt herself fall. 

“I…love you… so incredibly much 

K. You’ve hit my life like a freight 

train and I’m happy you did.” 

Naomi’s eyes glazed over with tears 

of mixed emotions. She felt relieved 

yet terrified that she’d taken the 

leap of faith and placed her heart in 

the hands of a man she wasn’t sure 

knew how to care for it. 

Konstantin pulled her in a tight 

embrace and kissed her slowly, 

passionately. He could feel her 

quiver in his hands and wasn’t sure 

if it was the breeze or if it was fear. 

He hoped it was the breeze. He 

couldn’t stand the thought of being 

the cause for her being scared. He 

wanted to be the one to make her 

feel safe. 

As the rest of the night unfolded 

Naomi exceeded every expectation 

Konstantin could have imagined. 

It was the first time he ever felt 

unsure of himself and yearned to 

show her how much she meant to 

him. He fumbled over his words and 

even lost his balance at one point in 

the evening but when he looked in 

her eyes he could see the reflection 

of a person he always wanted to 

be. He knew right then that if this 

didn’t work out he’d be a broken 

man forever yet he couldn’t stop 

himself from letting himself go. 

The next morning Naomi woke up 

feeling elated. She reached over and 

felt an empty side of the bed. As she 

rubbed her eyes and sat up looking 

around she saw a single rose with a 

note attached to it that read: 

Good morning beautiful. Don’t you 

dare get out of bed because I’ll be 

back with breakfast to refuel and 

then more… well, you know. Love, K 

Naomi’s face hurt from smiling so 

much but she couldn’t help it. She 

was a woman in love. Head over 

heels, fireworks, fairytale love. A 

love she never knew existed. This 

is what it felt like. This is what 

people waited their whole life for. 

She couldn’t help but feel lucky. So 

incredibly lucky that she found it. 

Konstantin strolled through the 

garden to the restaurant to pick up 

the breakfast he ordered. He kept 

smiling and even found himself 

whistling at one point. He laughed 

and pulled his phone out realizing 

he’d been MIA for the last 24 hours. 

Since he had a few minutes he 

thought he should make sure all 

was well in the real world. 

As his phone started up he couldn’t 

help but smile at the replays from 

the night before. Naomi Brite was 

going to be the end of him. As 

his phone lit up he saw 49 missed 

calls and a slew of 911 texts from 

his mom, dad and buddy Colin. 

As he dialed his dad’s number his 

stomach was in knots while he 

waited for him to answer. 

“Dad, I’m so sorry I was…wait, 

what?! WHEN?! Oh Christ… what 

are you saying?! No no no no….. I’ll 

be home soon. No, I’m on my way!” 

Konstantin’s phone fell out of his 

hands as he heard a ringing in his 

ears and an echo of his dad’s words. 

Erwin…accident…didn’t make it. 

Without even thinking he called 

his driver and had him take him 

straight to the airport. 

On the plane ride home all 

Konstantin could think was how 

disconnected he’d been from Erwin 

since he started dating Naomi. 

He couldn’t help but feel guilty 

about spending so much time 

with her. Maybe if he’d been home 

with Erwin this wouldn’t have 

happened. His thoughts grew dark 

and he found it hard to not resent 

her for the lack of time spent with 

his brother recently. 

Maybe his brother had the right 

idea after all. He never allowed a 

woman to take up his time and 

cloud his thoughts. Maybe this was 

life’s way of telling him this whole 

relationship thing was a bad idea. 

He decided then he would invest 

his time in his family and let Naomi 

go. Who was he kidding? It would 

only be a matter of time before she 

grew tired of him and left anyways. 

Over the next few weeks Konstantin 

finished school from California and 

was trying to decide if he’d return 

at all for graduation. His parents 

tried to convince him that it was 

important and Erwin wouldn’t

want him to miss it but he couldn’t 

stand the thought of Erwin not 

being there. 

Naomi had stopped trying to 

reach him and rather than allow 

himself to feel any kind of pain 

or disappointment he reminded 

himself that it was for the best. He 

built up a wall and decided he’d 

never let another woman penetrate 

it again. The first time he allowed 

himself to fall and this happened. 

He couldn’t imagine feeling normal 

ever again. He’d focus on his career 

and family. That would be enough 

to fulfill him. It would have to be. 

Naomi decided to head back to 

Colorado as soon as school ended 

and was preparing to move out of 

the dorm. In the meantime she kept 

herself busy going out as often as 

she could and drinking anything 

and everything to keep herself 

numb. What an idiot she had been! 

She saw all the signs and knew 

better but still tried to see the best 

in someone who was incapable of 

loving anyone other than himself. 

Cindy who was normally one for 

socializing and going out tried 

talking Naomi into staying in this 

coming weekend. She told Naomi 

she was worried about her & all the 

“distractions” were only postponing 

the pain she would eventually need 

to feel. Naomi shrugged her off and 

told her once she left she wouldn’t 

need to worry anymore. 

Konstantin finally pulled himself 

out of bed at around 1 in the 

afternoon and went into his father’s 

office. He poured himself a drink 

and sat in one of leather chairs. 

“I’ve decided not to walk in the 

graduation.” He sipped his drink 

letting the alcohol pour a blanket of 

numbing medicine down his throat 

and straight to his heart. He hadn’t 

slept well in weeks. Every time he 

fell asleep he had nightmares about 

Naomi and Erwin. 

His father, Aksel, looked at his son 

and felt burdened to share the truth 

with him. “Konstantin, Erwin loved 

you very much and knew how much 

you looked up to him. That being 

said, I need to be honest with you. 

Erwin suffered from crippling 

depression and anxiety. He has 

since college. He had a break 

during his sophomore year which 

is why he decided to finish at a 

local university.” 

Konstantin sat his drink down trying 

to clear his foggy, sleepless thoughts. 

“Wait, I thought he switched so he 

could learn more about the business 

from you? The internship and 

mentoring program…” 

“That’s what we decided to tell you. 

Erwin didn’t want you to know. The 

truth is despite his success he’d 

always longed to have something 

you had. He was incredibly relieved 

when you found Naomi. We all were. 

There was something in your voice 

when you spoke about her that 

made us feel at peace and hopeful 

for your future. Erwin would have 

given anything to be a one lady 

kind of guy but his state of mind 

was his kryptonite. Konstantin, his 

car didn’t lose control…he…Well, 

I don’t think he could stand the 

pain anymore...” Aksel’s eyes filled 

with tears and his head fell as they 

poured down his face. 

Konstantin shook violently as 

tears involuntarily streamed down 

his face. The anger, pain and loss 

that tore through him was more 

than he could stand. He stood up, 

smashed his glass into the floor and 

started pacing. “Don’t. Stop. Don’t 

you dare finish that sentence! He 

wouldn’t do that! He wouldn’t do 

that dad!” He slammed his fist into 

the wall repeatedly until it started 

to bleed before sliding to the floor 

in a melted heap. 

His father walked over and knelt 

down next to him. His mother, Elise, 

heard the commotion and came 

rushing in. She knelt down and 

took him in her arms and together 

they grieved the loss of their son 

and brother. 

Naomi had been back in Colorado 

for a couple of weeks and finally 

able to get through a day without 

crying. She kept busy helping her 

dad at the shop and planning the 

next step she would take. There 

was something healing about being 

back in her home town with her 

father. She took long walks every 

evening to clear her head. She 

decided she would focus on her 

career and taking care of her dad. 

She would never again allow a man 

to sidetrack her. 

As she neared her father’s house 

she saw a familiar figure standing 

on the porch and rubbed her eyes 

thinking they were playing tricks 

on her. How would he even know 

how to find her?! She stopped 

and stared at him for a moment 

then took a deep breath and 

slowly walked towards him. No 

matter what happened she wasn’t 

going to let her guard down. She 

couldn’t even begin to think of 

a good enough excuse for him 

having disappeared for so long 

with no contact. 

“What are you doing here?” Her 

voice sounded foreign even to her 

own ears. She stopped at the bottom 

of the steps and crossed her arms. 

She saw him take a few hesitant 

steps forward where the moonlight 

shone on his face and what she saw 

made her heart hurt. Although he 

was clean shaven his face looked 

drawn, hallow, his eyes looked sad 

and his shoulders were slumped 

with the weight of the world. It 

was all she could do to keep herself 

from running and taking him in her 

arms. She unlatched her arms but 

kept her distance. 

Konstantin wanted to grab her and 

take her home, to take her to bed 

and make up for all the lost time. 

He wanted to kiss her and show 

her how sorry he was instead of 

standing here struggling to find 

the words. He took one more step 

closer then stopped when she took 

a slight step back. His head fell 

and his heart ached knowing how 

bad he’d hurt her. He searched her 

eyes and knew she’d disconnected

herself from him. It wasn’t the look 

of a woman in love but a woman 

unattached & guarded. This hurt 

him the most. 

He cleared his throat and started, 

“There’s no excuse for what I did to 

you, to us. All I can say is that I found 

myself in a place I didn’t know how 

to navigate and so I defaulted to 

what I know how to do best which is 

to run. The night we celebrated your 

birthday, my brother died. I shut off 

my phone and didn’t find out until 

the next morning on my way to get 

us breakfast. Everything else is a 

blur. All I know is that even though 

I was home, a place where I once 

was always able to find refuge, I felt 

lost. Anything I’d done in the past 

that helped me find peace wasn’t 

working anymore. The one person I 

wanted to run to I locked out of my 

life. The more time that passed the 

more I thought there was no way 

you’d take me back. I know I don’t 

have a right to do this but I love you 

Naomi. It took me losing you and 

my brother to realize what is truly 

important in life and you are a part 

of it. You are my life. My life began 

when I met you and has felt like it 

ended since the last time I saw you. 

Please forgive me, marry me and let 

me spend the rest of my life making 

it up to you.” 

Konstantin slowly knelt down on one 

knee and took out the ring he had in 

his pocket. His heart was on the line. 

He knew very well she could either 

heal him or break him once and for 

all but he couldn’t go a day longer 

without knowing. He held his breath 

as he waited for her response. 

Naomi realized she was clenching 

her skirt in her hands and tears 

were falling freely down her face. 

The cool breeze made the liquid 

feel chilled on her cheeks. She freed 

her hands, smoothed out the skirt 

and wiped the tears off her face. 

She took a deep breath and walked 

right up to Konstantin. Standing 

this close to him she could smell 

his cologne and longed for him 

to take her in his arms. Her eyes 

moved from his face to the ring 

and back. She knelt down next to 

him and took his hands in hers. She 

knew now what she had to do, what 

she needed to do. She took another 

long steadying breath and looked 

him right in the eyes before finally 

pouring her entire heart out to him. 

She knew from this night forward 

their lives would never be the same. 

TheEnd 

Story by: Jessica M. 

“I’d like to take this time to say thank you to all of the UR IT 

followers who are reading my story. Your support is important 

and greatly appreciated. My inspiration comes directly from the 

readers. I am happy to share this journey of writing my first short 

story together. I hope you enjoyed the love story between Naomi 

and Konstantin.” 

- Jessica M.

brite-full-story

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