Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 92957 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92957 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
“May I help you?” A petite young woman with light brown hair gives me a winning smile, looking right past Anissa.
“Yes, I’d like to pick out a signature set for my wife.”
Her face falls. Jesus. I can tell Anissa notices the saleswoman’s chagrin when her eyes narrow. I tug a lock of her hair to remind her to behave.
“Your wife?” she asks, giving Anissa a not-too-subtle once-over. “What’s the occasion?”
“For behaving herself and being a good girl for me,” I answer, meeting Anissa’s eyes.
Her cheeks flush, but the brightness in her eyes tells me she likes that answer. Unfortunately, so does the sales girl. She giggles like a little girl and goes to the back of the room, bringing out a case that locks with a key. I lean in and whisper in her ear, “Ya dam tebe nagradu za to, chto ty vela sebya khorosho.”
I’ll give you a reward for behaving so well.
“Then, in this case, perhaps something from our regal collection. We call these pieces our regal collection because they’re befitting a queen.” But she’s still looking at me.
She opens the case with a flourish. Anissa gasps. “Those are gorgeous,” she breathes out, taking in the intricate works of art. “You say they’re enamel?”
“Mmm,” the salesperson says with a frown. “But wouldn’t you know? You’ve been here before.”
Anissa flushes. “I’m sorry, I don’t—I don’t remember,” she stammers.
“But it was only last week. You were with another man,” she says, her head tipped to the side. “Does that trigger your memory?”
Rage tears through me. “That’s impossible,” I seethe, glaring at her. “We were married last week.” I turn Anissa away from the counter. “We’re all set, thank you.”
“But sir!” she calls after us, but we’re halfway out the door.
I’m breathing too heavily. Anissa’s holding onto my arm but hobbling because she can’t walk straight. Wordlessly, I lead us down the street. I don’t even know where I’m going.
“It’s alright,” she says softly after we’ve walked a block. “Really, Rafail. Remember what I said. It’ll turn right in the end.”
I blow out a breath. “I’m sorry,” I say, shaking my head. “You deserved one of those gorgeous pieces.”
She laughs and waves a hand at me. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter, not really. They were gorgeous, but she wanted to sink her claws into you, so I’m happy she missed that sale. Too bad,” she says with a petty little upturn of her chin. “Could’ve made good commission on that and maybe invested in some etiquette school. God, what is it like?”
I give her my elbow and slow my walk before I open the door to a coffee shop and hold it for her.
She shakes her head. “Looking so much like a god that people treat you like one.”
I roll my eyes at her. “Exaggerating doesn’t become you, Anissa.”
Her giggle is worth the whole damn trip into town.
I order us coffees and pour cream into hers and take the paper bag over to where she sits, waiting, her hands folded in her lap with a look of unadulterated bliss on her face.
Jesus, I wish I could keep her there. Right there, unperturbed and at ease, without a care in the world.
“You got me a cupcake,” she says, clapping her hands together.
“Of course. You told Zoya they looked delicious when you saw it on that cooking show the other night.”
Her eyes twinkle as she takes a large bite, painting her upper lip with icing and licking the crumbs from her lips. “I didn’t think you were paying attention. You were too busy lecturing Rodion on not ignoring your curfew rules.”
I grunt and take a sip of my coffee. “I still paid attention. I’m so used to lecturing him on my curfew rules I can multi-task at this point.”
She snorts. “He really does push your buttons.”
I shrug. “More when he was younger. He does a lot better now.”
We lean back in our chairs. “You’ve done a good job, you know. I don’t know if anyone’s told you that often enough, Rafail. You’re hard on them but protective, and I don’t know how anyone would’ve handled what you did better. They’re close. Resilient.”
My chest tightens. She’s right. No one’s told me that at all.
“Thank you. But it’s far from over.” I sip my coffee thoughtfully.
Anissa’s eyes grow a little misty as she sips her mug in turn. “And that feels familiar too. What doesn’t feel familiar is knowing who I’m meeting tonight. You’ve got your Aunt Irma and Uncle Eduard, who, unfortunately, I know all too well…”
I nod. “The six of us. Vadka, who you’ve met. My cousin Gleb and his brother Matvei.”
“Are they Eduard and Irma’s boys?”
“Mmm.”
Anissa frowns. “Your grandfather?”
I nod. “My grandfather, yes. Maybe a few other cousins.”
“Good. I love your grandfather, even if he wipes the floor with me every time we play chess, and one day, I will convince him there’s more to the world of music than Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev. One day, I’ll introduce him to composers who aren’t Russian—and he might even like it.” Her eyes twinkle before she sighs. “There’s so much to remember,” she says. “How will I keep track?”