Page 14 of Meet Odin
IknewexactlywhyKatalina had picked Little Foxes. If you didn't know anything about the restaurant's history, you'd think that it was a quaint little place with really good food. It was, but there was so much love and romance infused within these walls that it made me think I could have something similar.
I walked into the restaurant with my guard trailing behind me. I'd been here plenty of times since it opened, and the hostess recognized me immediately. She said hello and led the way to where Katalina was waiting.
After I was seated, my guard made his way to the bar. Over the years, he'd caught wind of plenty of conversations that weren't his business. After about the third awkward one, I made a deal with him on the way home that night. He could make sure I was safe, and I wouldn't leave his sight. However, he had to give me space to be with my friend without censoring our conversation. It worked well unless my family was in the room.
"Hey!" I smiled at her. "Good choice."
"It's your new favorite," she smiled. "It's also a reminder that not all arranged marriages are awful."
"Tell me how Little Fox's came to be."
"I've told you a million times." Kat's smile became bigger.
"Tell me again. I like hearing it."
"Toula's club is almost two-years-old. You know how it is though. My father won't acknowledge that her club is the most successful business in his legitimate portfolio. If someone asks, he'll say it's a family business. That's bullshit. Toula put it together and made it what it is. So, before the wedding, Toula wasn't sure she wanted to be involved in the daily operations anymore. It has a management team, so it's not like they really need her. She just has to monitor it from afar." Kat took a sip of water from the glass in front of her. Setting it down, she traced the rim of the glass with her finger catching the droplets.
"It wasn't a big secret that she was thinking about stepping back. I actually think my father wanted her to so that he could say she cracked under the pressure." Kat coughed slightly. She took another sip of water and continued, "This is my favorite part. At one of the family dinners, Ilya makes an announcement that he's planning on expanding his businesses.
"Ilya literally pulls out a leather-bound portfolio and hands it to Toula. My father wanted to shit bricks when he figured out what it was. My mother puckered her cheeks like she had something sour in her mouth. It was hilarious, but of course, no one laughed openly.
"Ilya hired a realtor to photograph and make notes on all of his undeveloped properties. I'll never forget when the Russian turned toward Toula and told her to pick a place, develop it, and move on to the next one." Kat grinned from ear to ear, as she'd shifted forward in her chair. Her elbows were on the table, and she was clapping her hands excitedly. "This was the first property she chose, and Ilya named it Little Fox's."
"Don't leave out the best part."
"Ilya's pet name for Toula is malenkaya lisichka. Russian for little fox," Katalina ended the story on a sigh.
"Do you think they were really an arranged marriage?"
"No," Kat answered. "I can't prove it, but I am sure they had history. They're happy, so it doesn't matter."
The waiter appeared at our table, and we didn't say anything further.
"Good evening, ladies," he said. "My name is Dino, and I'll be taking care of your every need. What can I start you off to drink?"
"Just water, please," I said. I didn't bother looking up at him. His tone had been flirty, and I wasn't in the mood to be the third wheel. I should have warned him about how this night would go if he kept that up. He'd flirt, she'd flirt back while he was at the table, and at the end of the night, he'd be fired for flirting with the owner's sister-in-law. Kat wouldn't think twice about it. I'd asked her before why she does it, and she always tells me that they had it coming. We were mafia princesses, and there was no pathway for us where an outside relationship would be accepted.
When no one spoke, I raised my head and assessed the situation. Kat was staring at me with her mouth slightly open. I shifted to look at Dino with a slight smile on my face. I wasn't sure what I was going to say, but I had to break the sudden tension. When I met his eyes, the first thing I noticed was that they were bright blue. I was caught off guard. He was very handsome, but his direct focus on me was unnerving. I'd never been in this position before. Quickly grabbing my menu, I pretended to be enthralled with it. It didn't matter that I had been here more times than I could count and already knew what I wanted.
"Are you new?" I heard Katalina ask him. I knew her better than that. We'd both been trying to come up with something to say, and she'd gone with the first asinine thing she'd thought of. If I had to guess, she didn't really care if he was new or not. He'd be gone as soon as she told her sister what happened.
"Yes. I've been here a few days," he answered.
"Oh, that's why I don't recognize you," she said. "I'll stick with water too." She raised her glass and smiled at him.
"Thank you, ladies. If you need anything else, please let me know. I am at your service." He turned towards me and winked as he walked back to the kitchen.
"Did you see that?" I asked Kat as I looked up from the menu.
"He winked at you," she rubbed her hands together again, like there was going to be gossip to spill.
"It was strange."
"No. It's not. He's good looking. You should go for it."
"Seriously?" I laughed. "I am to be married in six weeks."
"He must be a lucky man," Dino said as he appeared at my shoulder with two pitchers of water. I was at a loss for words. I didn't think it would be appropriate to tell our waiter that my grandfather believed my marriage was a good business deal.
