“Pottery?”
“Yeah! I’ve always wanted to try it, and we can make ugly little pots. Who doesn’t want useless, ugly trinkets around their house?”
We plop onto a couch, and as soon as we do, I realize just how much I hate the heels I’m wearing. As soon as I get home, I’m getting rid of them. I don’t care how pretty they are.
“You know, if we really looked, I bet we could find a pottery class that encourages drinking. Like one of those paint and sip places,” I tell her.
As if summoned by the mention of alcohol, a server appears before us with a bottle of champagne.
“Oh my god, you’re so right.” She grins, nodding eagerly as she pours herself a glass. “We’re doing that. Let’s get drunk and play with mud.” We both laugh, and I feel younger than I have in ages.
I’m only twenty-seven, but some days I feel like I’m ancient. Trying to raise a child on top of everything else that’s been going on has run me ragged for years, and most days all I want to do is fall into bed and sleep before it’s time to get up and do it all over again.
Over the past month, that’s changed.
Dates with Andrei give me something to look forward to, and I didn’t know how much I needed that until I had it. And beyond that, he does so many little things that help ease the burden of running the house and taking care of Niko.
He takes out the trash, he makes me laugh, and he’s incredible in bed. Not to mention the fact he manages to get Niko to go to bed on time without a fight. I don’t know which devil hesold his soul to in order to make it happen, but I’m so fucking grateful for it I could weep.
If he wasn’t insisting on taking me out every week, I’d probably be askinghimon dates.
But I don’t have to. He makes time for me, and I’m determined to enjoy it for as long as I can, doing my best to ignore the persistent thought at the back of my mind that he’s not planning on sticking around longer than he has to.
“So, what’s going on with you?” Nadya asks when we’ve settled down, startling me out my thoughts. “Things going alright with Andrei?”
“We’re great, actually,” I find myself saying. “He’s been taking me out every week, and he’s just…” I can feel my cheeks turning pink. “He’s pretty fantastic when he wants to be.”
“I told you he was one of the good ones.”
“If I recall, you said he was good-looking, too.” I take a sip of champagne while she throws her head back with a loud bark of laughter.
“Well, I wasn’t wrong, was I?”
I laugh as I shake my head. No, she wasn’t wrong. Even more so now that I’ve gotten to know him, Andrei is the most attractive man I’ve ever met. And like she guessed, he’s a fucking beast in bed. Not that I’m going to tell her that.
I twist the rings on my finger, smiling down at my lap. “He’s… he’s pretty great, actually.” And I don’t know what to do with that. If he were distant and barely around, this whole situation would be so much easier. It’d be no problem to hold him at arm’s length and live my life. Instead, he’s endearing. And sweet. And I hate to keep reminding myself that he isn’t doing it because he likes me, but because he’s trying to keep me safe.
“Oh, wait, when we left your brother’s place you were saying something about work stuff?” I ask, just to distract her. Based on the way she immediately takes a long sip of her champagne, it works.
“They say you shouldn’t work with family, but I’m an idiot, so I didn’t listen.”
“So, you work with Alexei?”
“Unfortunately. I balance the books for this place.” She gestures around at the impressive club. “And I’ve needed him to give me a few forms fordays, but if something has numbers on it, mydarlinglittle brother’s just as likely to toss it in the trash as he is to remember he needs it.” She rolls her eyes. “He needs to get his shit together after he’s done with his meeting, or I’m not going to be able to do my job.” She pouts, looking surly as she crosses her arms, and I almost regret bringing it up.
“I mean, seriously, he can’t tell the difference between a balance sheet and a cash flow statement, but will he try to organize things to make my life easier? Of course not! Why would he bother with that?” She waves her hands around as she rants, and I smile.
I don’t understand half of what she’s saying, and from the sound of it, neither does Alexei, but she makes it fun to listen to.
Halfway through a story about what happened last tax season, she trails off, looking annoyed. I can’t figure out why until a voice I’d love to never hear again rings across the lounge.
“Nadya! It’s so good to see you again,” Emiliya croons, sitting primly in the open seat next to me, crossing one toned leg over the other.
Her pretty brown hair is perfectly styled, delicate waves framing her impeccably made-up face. I glance at what she’s wearing, and have to resist the urge to squirm. In comparison to her classy, designer dress, my outfit feels garish and too revealing.
Contempt practically drips from her fingertips, but is it any wonder Daniil was attracted to her? I blame him for more things than I’d like to admit, but not for that. She’s everything I’m not.
Instinctively, my shoulders fold forward, trying to make myself as unnoticeable as I can.
