Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
It’s like a work of art and it is… divine.
Honestly, I’ve never tasted anything so delicate or delicious as the handmade ravioli filled with lobster and crab mousse sitting in its small pool of creamy saffron cream sauce. It’s my first taste of saffron and I’m in love with its flavor.
The first course is cleared away, and a bottle of red wine wrapped in a white napkin is brought to the table. It’s to be paired with our steaks.
“What’s your favorite movie?” I hear myself asking.
“I hardly have time for movies these days, but I was impressed with that old original ‘Alien’ when I was a kid.”
I stare at him surprised. “I love alien movies and I’ve seen them all, even the old black and white ones from the sixties and seventies. And ‘Alien” 1(omit) gave me nightmares. God, the way that alien burst out of his stomach and skirted across the floor. Ugh.”
He grins. “That was my favorite part.”
I shake my head. “You’re a philistine, Mr. Leshchenko.”
He looks at me over the rim of his glass, a strange look in his eyes. “Guilty as charged.”
“I was joking, obviously.”
“I know. What’s your favorite movie?”
I beam at him. “ET.”
He laughs. “I should have known.”
I laugh too, but I must admit I was a little worried it would be awkward between Viktor and me. We hardly know each other, and I couldn’t help thinking his offer of dinner had just been a polite gesture. Or a sort of charity. His original plan might have been to drop in, have a drink with his staff, then leave us to it.
I even thought he might have been secretly a bit pissed off with the idea of spending his Friday night with me, but so far it doesn’t feel that way at all. If he doesn’t want to be here with me, he’s hiding it very well. I’ve been watching him like a hawk, and he hasn’t surreptitiously checked his watch or his cell phone once.
In fact, he’s been extraordinarily charming, and somehow, he’s got me to a place where I’m so completely at ease I’ve barely stopped talking all night.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Viktor says.
I smile mistily. “I was just thinking what a really great night I’m having.”
“Me too,” he admits.
I feel my eyes widen. “You’re just saying that to be polite.”
His smile is mysterious. “Why not? The food is great, and the company is…”
“Is?” I prompt.
His eyes are liquid silver. “Intriguing.”
Just like that something in the air changes. Suddenly, there is a flutter in my chest, and I feel quite breathless. I need to change the subject. Get myself back in line. I should ask him about his business. I have a feeling it’s not exactly legit, and while it’s none of my business, I’m very curious about it.
“What exactly do you do for a living?” I ask, choosing my wording carefully.
A mocking look comes into his eyes. “You mean am I a professional thug?”
“Are you?”
He laughs. “I get why you would think that after the way we met. I suppose you could say I’m an entrepreneur, although I don’t like that word. It must have been invented by the same type of person who decided women were too delicate to see the prices on restaurant menus.”
“Sorry, but I’m not in your camp. I actually dream of chivalrous men who open doors for me and want to protect me from restaurant prices that are sure to give me nightmares.”
He regards me expressionlessly. “That’s not very Gen Z of you.”
“Gen Z or not, I wasn’t privileged enough to ever think like that. I was never given the opportunity to be offended because someone tried to treat me like a little Princess. I’ve seen too much loutish behavior to ever want more of it.” I shrug. “In fact, the lack of a father figure in my life made me dream of a man who would protect and care for me.”
Something flashes in his eyes, and I fear it’s pity, so I square my shoulders and quickly add, “In a way it was a good thing because I learned the invaluable lesson of independence and how to take care of myself, but we digress…” I sweep my hand in a circle. “What is it you do to afford all this?”
He leans back and pins me with his silvery eyes. “I have many businesses. You’ve seen some of the office blocks. I also own several nightclubs and a casino in Paris.”
I stare at him. “Paris? As in Europe?”
He nods. “Hmmm.”
I lean forward. “A casino in Paris sounds so glamorous and so far away from the goons I saw at the Pink Flamingo.”
He looks down at the table. “All of my businesses are legit now, but it wasn’t always so. I started as a teenager selling weed, before quickly moving on up to cocaine. Before I knew it, I was importing the stuff. In with the big boys and living it up. Hell, I was making so much money I didn’t know what to do with it. The danger and excitement in that kind of life is a power rush. It pushes you to be bigger, to control more and more. I lived on pure adrenaline, and I thrived on it. You could even say I was addicted to it, but even then, I understood it was only a matter of time before I made one little slip somewhere and ended up behind bars. The expiration date for the big-time drug lord is surprisingly short. Then something happened that hastened my departure from my life of crime. I used the money I’d made illegally to buy up legit businesses. That was five years ago.”