Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 96714 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96714 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
“I don’t mind this big house. Honestly.” Charlotte kept avoiding my eyes.
On my way to this dining room, I’d already spotted the sticky notes on my office door. Hubert had informed me my wife explored the house and because of how big it was, she placed sticky notes letting her know which rooms she’d already been in. She hadn’t extended this into the gardens, but according to her guard, she liked to go out walking, not too far from the house. She also enjoyed taking a book out to the lawn, sitting down on a blanket, or lying down, and reading for hours.
Ivan kept up the conversation, drawing me and Charlotte into discussions about food, what we liked and disliked. Charlotte hated peas of all kinds. She also had an aversion to cauliflower and she hated the taste of raw onion. For me, I had no dislike of any food. There were some I enjoyed more than others, like meat and potatoes, but it didn’t stop me from eating.
After the main meal, Charlotte disappeared into the kitchen and came back holding a tray. There were three small plates with biscuits on each, beautifully presented.
“Charlotte, that is cheating,” Ivan said. “Go and get your biscuits. I’m sure Ive would like to try them.”
She disappeared a second time.
“Not that I have a problem with it, Ivan, but why are you here?”
“As you know, when the Bratva faces problems, I’m always aware. I think it’s time we talked about important matters.”
Charlotte returned carrying a plate with three more biscuits, only these didn’t look uniform or out of a box. These were different sizes and shapes, and they didn’t look great. They were homemade.
“I totally understand if you don’t want to try them,” Charlotte said.
“Then it’s his loss,” Ivan said, taking a biscuit and immediately having a bite. “Because they’re delicious.”
I wasn’t going to have my wife liking Ivan more. Taking a biscuit, I put it on my plate and sliced my knife through the center. I wasn’t a big fan of pasta or meatballs, but I did happen to love a sweet treat and some cream.
Charlotte had brought two small bowls with her, one with jam, the other with cream. Spreading jam onto both sides, I then added some cream so every bite had some of what I wanted. The biscuit was buttery, soft, and not too sweet. The jam fixed the sweetness for me, and I couldn’t keep my eyes open as I released a tiny moan. It had been a long time since food had made me do this. Food was merely fuel to me. I liked good food, but this was different. This was delicious and mouthwatering, and I couldn’t quite contain myself with the taste. It was so good.
Within a few bites the biscuit was gone. I complimented my wife and noticed how her cheeks turned a beautiful shade of red. It was rare to see a woman blush, or at least it was for me.
I had every intention of sending her away so Ivan and I could depart to my office. Ivan insisted on coffee, and only after we had a nice cup did Charlotte leave, and we went to my office.
Other than our wedding, that was the longest time I’d spent with Charlotte. Stepping into my office, I went straight to the hard liquor. “Can I interest you in a drink?”
“You refuse to spend any time with your wife,” Ivan said.
“Work takes priority. You know this.”
“Ah, I know this, but I also know the value of doing what I say. You and Charlotte are not expecting,” Ivan said.
This caused me to grit my teeth. Slavik already had a child with rumor of a second on the way. I believe Andrei and Adelaide were already pregnant and she was due soon, perhaps. I wasn’t sure on the finer details.
“Charlotte is not pregnant.”
“Ah, but you haven’t consummated your marriage either.” Ivan took the glass of whiskey I offered.
“She’s eighteen years old.”
“In case you’ve forgotten, Charlotte will be nineteen in a couple of weeks. She’s also legal.”
“She is young,” I said.
Ivan chuckled. “All women start out young, Ive. They are born as babies and grow into children, eventually teenagers, and then young women.”
“My wife is still a teenager.”
“True, but she is your wife, and if you stopped being anywhere else but at home, you’d see there is more to Charlotte than her age.”
“You had business to discuss with me.” I wanted to get off the topic of my wife. Eighteen, nineteen, it made no difference to me, she was still young.
Ivan smiled and after a second, he started to talk. “I have two candidates with potential for taking over Oleg’s territory.”
“Who are they?” I asked.
He finished off his whiskey and gave a yawn. “You know, after all this traveling, I suddenly feel rather tired.”