Mark taxied the plane close to a waiting limousine. When he came to a stop Sam opened the door and lowered the stairs. As we walked up to the limousine the driver opened my door for me, then as he and Viktor walked around to the driver's side, I could hear Viktor giving him instructions on where to take us. Then Viktor got in and the driver closed his door. As we left the airport Viktor said: "Glory, are you willing to stay the night at my house? Or shall I get you a room in a hotel for the night?" I said: Viktor, I was going to ask you to get me a room, but I think I would rather stay with you at your house. I told you that I trust you Viktor! And I really don't want to spend the night alone in a hotel." Viktor said: "Thank-you Glory, I am glad you want to stay with me instead of a hotel. I will do my best to make you feel comfortable."

Before long our driver had us in front of a little restaurant near Fisherman's Wharf. Viktor got out and came around and opened my door for me. After helping me out, Viktor closed the door and slipped his arm around my waist. As the limousine drove away, Viktor and I walked into the restaurant. A man dressed like the Captain of a Fishing boat, looked up and said: "Good evening Mr. Anderson, Madam," as he came walking out to meet us, "I have your table waiting for you!" He shook Viktor's hand, then took mine and gave it a formal kiss.

The 'Captain' then led us to a table near the back of the restaurant which was very private. After seating me, he turned to Viktor and said: "Will you be having your usual tonight Mr. Anderson? Or shall I bring menus for you and the Madam?" Viktor said: "We won't be needing menus tonight Frank. Tonight I want you to bring us your very best, don't worry about the cost, just make sure it is the best dinner on the Wharf!" Frank's eyes lit up as he said: "Yes Sir, Mr. Anderson, the best on the Wharf!" Frank went to the kitchen where we could hear him talking with his Chef.

Shortly Frank returned with a bottle of champagne and hors d'oeuvrs. As he placed them on our table and poured our champagne he said: "Mr. Anderson, who is this beautiful young lady with you tonight?" Viktor said: "I am sorry Frank, this is Miss Glory Christensen. She owns the 'Cafe Love' in Sacramento." Frank turned to me and said: "It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Christensen. I am always happy to meet another restaurant owner," and gave me a little bow. Then turning back to Viktor said: "It has been a long time since I have seen you with a young woman Viktor, far too long. It is good to see that you have found such a beautiful young woman as Miss Christensen. I have to admit, I would have been willing to wait for such a beautiful Lady too!"

Viktor began to blush as he got that little boy look on his face again and said: "Yes Frank, I think Glory is the woman I have been searching for. She is everything I have been looking for in a woman!" Then Frank left us and went back to the kitchen. When we were alone Viktor turned to me and said: "Well Glory, tell me about yourself." I didn't say anything for a while, I just sat there sipping my champagne and watched the candle in the center of our table. Then I said: "I am sorry Viktor, but my life has not been very exciting. I grew up in Sacramento, after high school I went to work for an old woman in her restaurant. She took me under her wing and taught me everything she knew about the business. and let me buy it with no down payment. I remodeled it and named it 'Cafe Love'. I have been there ever since."

"Sometimes I go out with the 'Girls' for the evening and have some fun, but most of the time I just work at the cafe and then go home. I have never found a man that I wanted for my boyfriend or husband, and the cafe takes up most of my time anyway." Viktor looked very sad, and for a while just stared at his glass, when he looked up again said: "Glory, it is easy to see that under the beautiful smile you put on for the people, you are a lonely woman. There is a lot you are not telling me. But I am willing to wait until you are ready. For now, I am going to do everything I can to make that smile of yours for real. I hope you will understand that I will not reject you, no matter what has happened in your past!"

Viktor was the kindest and most handsome man who had ever shown any desire for me. But if Viktor really wanted me, he was going to have to accept me for the woman that I really am, not just some beautiful woman he could mold into whatever he wanted me to be. I knew it would be best if Viktor knew the other side of me that is not so beautiful.

Just as I was about to begin, Frank came with our dinner. He had prepared the best King Crab dinner I have ever eaten at a restaurant. Viktor said: "Thank-you Frank, this is perfect, I know I can trust you to be the best on the Wharf!" Frank answered: "Thank-you Mr. Anderson, I hope you enjoy it," then he left us and went to check on his other customers. For a while we ate in silence, I knew what I had to say, but didn't know how to start. As I sat there trying to figure out what to say, Viktor asked: "Is something wrong with your dinner Glory? You have hardly touched it and you have not said a word in a long time. Do you want Frank to bring you something else?"

I stopped picking at my dinner and said: "Viktor, you say that you want to know me, to know about those parts of my life that I have been holding back.I don't want to run our new friendship by telling you about things that might make you not want me around anymore." Viktor reached over and took my hand as he said: "Glory, there is nothing you can tell me about what you have done or even what you are doing now, that will make me not want you in my life. I know that most folks don't think it is possible, but the moment I first saw you in the 'Cafe Love', I knew without any doubt that you are the woman I have been searching for. I have dreamed of you so many times that it was like seeing an old friend. I will never walk out on you, I will love you and cherish you until I die, or you send me away!"

As I began to cry again, I asked: Viktor, do you really believe it is possible to fall in love with a man, when you have only known him for a few hours? Something happened when you walked into my cafe. As soon as I saw you I knew that I wanted you, more than I had ever wanted a man in my life." Viktor gave my hand a squeeze as he said: "Glory it takes most folks a long time to realize that they have fallen in love, but now and then a man and woman meet and know from the start that they have found the one they were meant to spend their life with. I believe you are the woman who was meant to be my wife. I know that I already love you Glory!"

I wiped my eyes and said: "Okay Viktor, if you are that sure that you really want me in your life, then there are a few things you should know. What I am going to tell you, no one else on Earth knows, I have kept it a secret from everyone. When I was in high school, I was raped by a man when I was walking home from school. It wasn't long before I knew I was pregnant. By wearng loose clothes, I was able to hide it from my parents. When my baby was born, I took her to a hospital late at night and left her in the waiting room. So, out there somewhere I have a fourteen year old daughter. I hated myself after that for a while, and hated men for a long time. I wouldn't even let my father touch me, no man was allowed to touch me for years!"

"I was an only child, and my parents are dead. I have a daughter out there somewhere, but no one knows I am her mother. I am alone in this world, I have no family and only a few friends." Viktor became very serious as he asked me: "Glory, do you want your daughter back?" I answered: Yes Viktor, of course I do, but she is a teen-ager now and already has a mother. It would not be right to walk into her life now after all of these years, and try to be her mother!" Almost before I finished speaking Viktor said: "Glory, I disagree with you! Your daughter deserves to know who her true mother is. If you will let me, I am going to find her for you." I said: "I will not stop you Viktor, maybe she should see the woman who abandon her when she was a new born baby." Then I started to cry again, all of the memories of my daughter and what I had done came flooding back and it was like being stabbed in the heart with a knife.

Viktor waited a while and let me calm down, then said: "Glory, no matter how you feel, I think you are a good and loving mother. A girl who didn't care about her daughter would have thrown her into a garbage can or had an abortion. It is only because you love her so much that you are still hurting so bad after fourteen years! I will find her and get the two of you back together again. You must remember Glory, that we all have things in our past that we wish had never happened. But that doesn't make us bad people. Now, unless there is something else that you feel I must know, I want you to stop thinking about things that make you want to cry. This is a night to be happy, it's the dedication to our life long friendship!"

We finished our dinner without talking much, then Viktor went and paid Frank for our dinner and called the chauffeur. Frank came back to our table with Viktor and said: "It was good to meet you Miss Christensen, come see me again whenever you are in The City. And you too Viktor, don't stay away so long this time!"