He chuckles. “He can’t make me do anything.”
“This is my good friend Isaak, who just might come and work for us, so you can treat him as a piece of the furniture,da?”
She blushes and scurries away, earning a chiding look from Isaak.
He glances around the study.
“Don’t tease her,” he says, picking up a book in Russian, then he flips through it and puts it down. “She’s very nice.”
“And you’re very annoying.”
“Nice pictures. Nice place. Very… Russian oligarch.” He picks up a golden statuette.
“Sit, sit,” I say, gesturing opposite me as I take my seat once more behind the desk.
I reach for the vodka—the cheaper stuff. It’s Belvedere, still top shelf but not Russian top shelf, but I like it enough at room temperature or chilled.
I pour two glasses. “Drink.”
“I can’t.” He wraps his hand around it anyway as I take a swallow of mine. “I have a meeting in the area, and since we were working out hard this morning, and I could only cram in a truncated session, I figure we should catch up. You were… moody.”
I roll my eyes. “Maybe you’re projecting.”
“Nah, I live through others, having no life of my own.” He glances around once more and whistles. “Aside from the heavy aesthetic of old-school oligarch, you’ve done well for yourself. This place is almost as nice as mine.”
I laugh. “Your triplex?”
“Mansion in the sky.”
“This is humble, but… early days.” I sit back and take another swallow of the vodka.
Whoever his meeting’s with must be big, because normally, given the hour, Isaak would have a small drink. But I don’t push it.
“I delivered the bridesmaid home safe and untouched, just so you know.”
“Didn’t ask,” I say.
“And the bride?”
“You didn’t deliver her anywhere.” I narrow my eyes at him, take another sip.
He nods slowly. “How are things going there? I only ask because you were moody.”
This time I sigh. “Not great,” I admit with a wince. “We, ah, kissed.”
Isaak waits.
“It scared her off, exactly what I was afraid of.”
“Scared her off, or maybe you just suck at kissing?” The teasing note in his voice is clear.
I throw a pen at him and hit him in the chest. “I’m aware this is your way of trying to see if I’ll kiss you, but it’s still a no?—”
“Hey, you want to kiss me, but with reports like that, I’m giving it a miss and sticking to pretty girls.”
“I’m a more than adequate kisser. They always come back for more.”
“Except this one.”
