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)
“Ive, I didn’t hear you come in,” she said. Her hands were clasped together and one quick look over her shoulder, and I knew Ivan was expecting something. I didn’t know what they’d been talking about, but I’d need to make sure these little visits were few and far between. I couldn’t help but wonder if Ivan had done this on purpose. To make sure my boss and my wife were not alone, I’d have to take Charlotte with me.
She put her hands on my shoulders, went onto her tiptoes, and kissed my cheek. “It’s good of you to come home. Dinner won’t be long now.” There was a smile on her lips, but this time, it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Ivan stood and held out his hand for me to shake. I took it without hesitation. His grip was tight and I couldn’t help but feel like he was warning me.
I helped my wife into a chair before rounding the table and taking a seat opposite her, seeing as Ivan had taken the head of the table. This was my house, and the head of the table should be my seat. Silence descended on the table. Charlotte kept her gaze averted from mine.
“When did you arrive?” I asked, turning toward Ivan.
“This afternoon. Your lovely wife had taken over Michael’s kitchen and was in the process of making some delicious biscuits. You’re going to have to try them.”
“Yours are delicious, mine are…”
“Homemade, sweetheart,” Ivan said.
“You’ll have to show me how you get them so uniform,” Charlotte said.
“You baked?” I turned to Charlotte but was more curious to hear that Ivan could bake as well. This was news to me. I knew he was a man of many skills and talents. He’d survived a great deal in his life.
Even though he and I went way back, I knew he also had history with Slavik, Andrei, Victor, and Peter. Each of us had a tale that involved Ivan Volkov. Our stories connected in all different ways. Oleg had always been the odd one out. From what I had learned, Slavik had been with him first, in the beginning when they were kids. I didn’t meet Ivan until my early twenties.
Pushing the past aside, I focused on my wife and my boss. Both seemed to share a secret smile. This was new. What the fuck was going on? I knew my wife hadn’t cheated, and that wasn’t Ivan’s game, but I didn’t like feeling out of the loop.
“The key, my dear, with all things, is to have a little patience. If you have that, then everything else is a piece of cake.”
Charlotte chuckled. “I see what you did there and don’t think for a second you can leave before you show me your famous lemon cake.”
Ivan winked at Charlotte. They were sharing a secret moment. I couldn’t help but watch the two of them. This was the first time Charlotte had come out of her shell.
Three women came out of the kitchen and put plates in front of each of us. Staring down at the food, I saw a huge bowl of pasta with what appeared to be spaghetti sauce and meatballs. I’m not going to lie, I’m not a big pasta fan. I’m more of a meat-and-potatoes lover. Pasta was okay, but I hadn’t eaten it in a long time.
“Eat up, Ive. Your beautiful wife made this.”
“You made this?”
“Yeah, it’s, er, it’s my favorite meal. I wasn’t going to cook for you but Ivan insisted that I do.”
I also noticed she referred to him as Ivan. Most women were quaking in their boots around Ivan, and yet Charlotte seemed comfortable. In fact, she appeared more comfortable with him than she did with me. I wasn’t the one who’d married her off. That was all Ivan’s idea.
Picking up my fork and knife, I slice into a meatball, and it did appear to be buttery soft. I pierced it with my fork and then took a bite. Flavors exploded across my tongue and I couldn’t help but close my eyes at the taste. They were delicious, and considering I didn’t like meatballs, this was indeed a shock to me. I finished the meatball and decided to try the pasta. It was the first time I actually enjoyed the meal.
“What do you think?” Ivan asked.
“It’s delicious.”
“You know, Charlotte happens to love Italian food,” Ivan said.
Turning my attention to Charlotte, I see her offering Ivan a smile. “Come on, it’s not a big deal. I’m sure a lot of people love Italian food.”
“True, true. A lot of people do, but it just so happens we have an Italian restaurant. I’ll put a word in with the chef, and I’d love for you to visit sometime.”
“That sounds lovely.”
“It would be nice to see you and Ive going out on a date. It’s not healthy to stay in this big house all the time.”