18. Lena
CHAPTER 18
Lena
T he following week at rehearsals is hectic, the busiest we’ve been since I started here. It’s probably because it’s the holidays, but it’s been good to be busy and then go home and crash—on my bed with my new mattress. I also got new locks installed thanks to Anya.
She’s a very prickly person, but, somehow, I still quite enjoyed her company. Weird.
It’s nice to have something to focus on, and because of our extra show times, I haven’t worked at the bar since the incident in the alley with the drunk guy. I still haven’t decided whether I want to go back.
I haven’t heard or seen Alek since that night we had Thai food at his place. Not that I expected to see him or hoped to. I just kind of thought I would. I still can’t make any sense of that night. He’s hot as fuck. Clearly deranged. Yet I was straddling him like my life fucking depended on it. The man can fucking kiss. And then he snapped shut. Switched off completely and was out the door. I don’t know if it has to do with his dislike of touching people or if it’s just me, but either way, the guy can go fuck himself.
I take a deep breath as I stand just offstage, waiting for my cue to re-enter and sing. Performing pulls me away from all the bullshit and crazy thoughts. When it’s time, I take my place at center stage. The lights dim, and I embrace this part of me. My warmth, my soul, my inner being. The part of me that must be shared with the world that I couldn’t even stop when I was forced to try.
I’m free.
I’m myself.
It flows out of me, this emotion and power of the song I’ve made my own. It’s about a woman who has lost her lover and is bidding him goodbye. It rattles me, consumes me, then comes to a stop.
There’s silence as I look out at the full house, then applause breaks out as people stand from their chairs. I can’t help but smile every time, and I’m relieved that I was able to connect with each and every one of them.
The other cast members flood the stage, and we stand hand in hand and bow before the curtain drops.
“A powerhouse as always!” Julie hugs me from the side.
I timidly smile, exhausted and exhilarated all at once. When I go to leave the stage, I spot Anya in the crowd right at the front. She offers me a nod with no smile as she walks toward the curtain as others make their way to leave. Matthew approaches Anya and escorts her backstage.
I’m surprised to see her but also thrilled and wanting to know what she thinks of the performance. I’m smiling when she comes into view.
“Anya, I didn’t expect to see you here,” I say honestly.
“Why are you smiling?” she asks, which makes me smile more. It was a very Anya thing to say.
“Did you like the show?” I ask.
“No,” she says, and Matthew flinches at her direct honesty. “But your voice is quite magical, and I stayed for that alone.”
“Wow, well, thank you,” I reply, knowing that’s probably as big of compliment as she can give. She turns to look at Matthew, as if shocked he’s still standing there.
“Please walk away now.” She shoos him off. He stutters, then nods as he’s quick to find himself elsewhere.
We both watch him hurry away, then I face her expectantly. Because Anya isn’t the type of woman to simply drop by unless she has something she needs or wants.
“Look, out of the women my brother has come across in life, you are probably the one I least hate.”
I don’t have the heart to tell her that apparently her brother doesn’t seem all that keen on me, since last time he all but ran out of the room after kissing me.
“You and your’ brother aren’t good at this compliment thing, are you?” I smile at her sweetly. She doesn’t smile back.
“As I was saying. River suggested for our birthday we do a small, intimate dinner. Alek hates celebrating our birthday, but we’re turning thirty, so why the hell not.” She puts her hands on her hips, as if it pains her to celebrate a birthday. “So your answer?”
“My answer for what?”
“Will you come?” She huffs, as if I should have known what her question was.
I remind myself I can’t outright laugh at how Anya asks for anything because it’s still an order. But she and her brother are alike in that sense .
“Look, last time I saw Alek, he didn’t seem too impressed about the house thing.”
She seems shocked that I haven’t said yes yet. “He loves it. I know because he hasn’t changed a thing. Twice, I had movers take his furniture out and replace it without his knowing. When he returned, he had everything thrown out and then he purchased the exact items he had before. He hasn’t done that this time.”
How do you kindly tell someone they have weird family dynamics and way too much money?
“So you’re coming,” Anya says, and this time she hasn’t tried for a question at all.
I throw my hands in the air, knowing there isn’t really a way to say no to Anya. It’s either that or I’m smuggled into the back of a car, which I feel is highly possible.
Besides, it’s not like I dislike them. I think.
“I suppose so,” I say, still not sure if it’s the right answer.
“Good. It’s tonight, so please get dressed.” She waves a hand, and I look at her, stunned. Surely not. But she has her serious face on, which is really how she always looks, and is waiting for me like I’m a lost child.
“Dressed? Tonight?”
“Do you have plans?” Anya pops a perfect hip .
“Well, I did.”
“Watching trashy TV and eating popcorn is not plans.” Before I can lie and deny it, she looks around. “Do you have a nicer dress than this?” She waves her hand up and down my body.
“You are really subtle with what you don’t like,” I say sarcastically.
“Oh no, not subtle. What you have on is trashy, and, frankly, it’s something I would have been forced to wear as a teenager who had no money. So, please, move along and get dressed. The restaurant is a five star.”
“I don’t have anything for a five-star restaurant. I literally just got off the stage from a performance.”
“Lucky that your hair and makeup are already done,” she says, glancing around. Just then, Julie walks out in a tight pink dress.
“You,” Anya says. Julie stops automatically, knowing who she is, and her eyes go wide. “Remove that dress now, and I will give you one hundred dollars.” Anya pulls out a hundred-dollar bill from her black clutch.
“It’s good to see you, Miss Ivanov,” Julie says rather formally as she begins to remove her dress.
“Not here, Julie.” I gasp, and Julie looks up at me, then at Anya. She really isn’t fazed as she continues to undress and then holds out the dress to Anya. Anya refuses to grab it, shaking her head.
“I’m not touching that. It’s for Lena,” she says as if it’s obvious.
I take it from Julie’s hand and apologize.
“Do you have other clothes?” I ask her.
“Yeah, I always carry two dresses with me, just in case. You never know what type of night it’ll be.” Julie winks as she riffles through her oversized bag and pulls out a loose dress and quickly puts it on.
I look at the dress she’s given me. Fuck, this is going to be tight on me, considering Julie is half my size. I tug on the material. Thank fuck it stretches.
“Good. Get dressed, put your hair up, and throw on some heels. I’ll be waiting in the car,” Anya says, then turns on her heel and leaves.
As quickly as Anya comes in like a fireball, she vanishes.
“Gosh, she’s bossy, isn’t she?” Julie says as she finishes getting dressed.
“That she is,” I agree, heading to the dressing room.
Julie should be used to it now since she’s worked for her a few times at the auctions, which I still don’t entirely understand. Had I been smarter, I should’ve asked about them, but instinct tells me I shouldn’t ask too many questions.
Another part reminds me I probably shouldn’t be involving myself further with the Ivanov siblings, yet here I am.
“Lena.” I look back over my shoulder at Julie. “I know you’re a smart girl, but be careful, will you?”
“Of course I will be,” I tell her, smiling. She nods and walks off without a second glance. What was that about?
Quickly changing—I’m always cautious about not leaving Anya waiting for too long—I pull the brush through my hair and tie it up so it’s out of the way, but not so grand in height and volume as it is from the performance. I inhale as I shift the dress down inch by inch, satisfied when it’s over my hips and ass. I rest a hand on the wall for a moment, feeling as if I achieved something monumental by getting this dress on. I find a nicer pair of heels and slip my feet into them.
I open the back door, and her sleek black car is one of the few that remain in the lot. Vance—I finally learned his name the day Anya and I went shopping—holds the door open for me. Clay’s waiting in the driver’s seat. Anya’s speaking on the phone in the back seat.
“Hello, boys,” I say cheerfully as I dip into the car .
They both offer me a smile, and Vance says, “Good evening, Miss Love.”
It always feels strange with how formal they speak. When Vance gets into the car, I say to them, “I don’t care what everyone else says about you two, I think you’re both all right.” They understand the joke, and I can tell they’re smiling as Anya finishes up her call.
When she hangs up and the car is moving, she turns to me.
“You don’t scrub up half bad.”
“Thanks, I think.” She tries to hide her smile and amusement at my response.
Is it a rule in this family not to show happiness or humor in something?
“Does Alek know I’m coming?” I ask.
“No, it’s best he doesn’t. It was a pain to get him to agree to attend in the first place, but as they say, you only turn thirty once,” she says, furiously typing away on her phone.
Great. Well, this is going to be awkward. I look down at my dress. I had to remove my bra because the dress wouldn’t fit otherwise. It’s fine now, but if it gets too cold, my nipples are definitely going to show through.
I watch her as she busily moves from one task to the next on her phone .
“You and Alek are so much alike,” I note, and her gaze swings to me.
“You say that like it’s an insult.”
“No, just a fact.”
“It’s an honor to be anything like Alek. He is the best man I know.”
“What about your husband?” I ask.
“Replaceable,” she’s quick to say, and I’m shocked. But then the corner of her mouth tilts up, and I realize she’s joking. “But River also knows that nothing will come between Alek and me. Our foster mother tried in the past, and let’s just say we had a family rift because of it.”
My eyebrows furrow as I recall Alek mentioning something about foster care. “What happened to your parents?” I ask, but I’m not entirely sure if she’ll answer. The siblings have being human vaults in common.
After a moment, she cautiously says, “If Alek wishes to tell you, then he will in his own time.”
I highly doubt that but don’t push any further. It’s not my place. Hell, I’m not even a family friend at this point. But I doubt the twins have such things anyway.
She nods as the car comes to a stop. “We’re here.”
I open the door and get out of the car before Vance can help me. Anya walks ahead and into the restaurant. I’ve learned not to be insulted when Anya does that. She’s just constantly on the go, and either I keep up or I meet her at the finish line.
The hostess greets us eagerly and leads us to the back of the restaurant, where I see him, sitting with his back to me. He’s hard to miss.
My heart starts pounding as heated thoughts from when I last saw him flood into my mind. That kiss. Grinding on his cock. Whimpering for more. His hand around my throat.
Even from behind, it’s evident in every way that it’s Alek. Anya walks straight up the few stairs, ignoring her brother, and to the man sitting across from him. She leans down and kisses him. And not in the friendly peck on the cheek. In the way someone wants to be fucking in a supply closet sometime soon.
I look away, feeling as if I’m intruding. I recognize him, however. He’s the man who was kissing her when I had to sign the papers for the gig at the auction.
When I step closer, Alek turns his head toward me. His eyes narrow, and he looks back at his sister.
“You said just us.”
Great.
“Yes, but it’s my birthday too. And I like her.” Anya takes her seat as the man next to her smiles at me.
“I’m River, pleased to meet you. Anyone who Anya likes, sure as shit is a winner in my book,” he adds. I pull out the chair next to Alek, careful not to touch him as I do, and take a seat.
“I’m Lena,” I say with a warm smile. “Happy birthday,” I say more so to Alek. He doesn’t look my way again. Just sits there, his gloved hands flat on the table, one finger tapping.
“Pleasure. Shall we eat?” River suggests.
“Sounds fabulous,” I say, trying to push through the awkwardness. “Is there a menu?”
“No, I asked the chefs to bring one of everything. The menu is small but fantastic. I’m sure you’ll find something,” River says. “Or do you have food restrictions?”
I’m quick to put my hands up. “No restrictions. That sounds delicious.”
I wring my hands under the table. I know Anya wanted me to be here, but it’s kind of awkward with Alek brooding like… well, like Alek.
I turn to him. “Is there anything you want for your birthday?”
“Want?” he asks with brows raised.
“Apart from Cinita. Sorry, I can’t get her for you,” I say with a shrug, and I have no idea why I even said it. Am I… nervous? Since when? The table falls silent, and when I look at him, I see his ja w is clenched.
Fuck .
The servers approach then, carrying plates of food and placing them on the table. The thunk of each weighted dish is the only thing to cut through the tension. One of them pours me a glass of wine, and I’m quick to thank them as I lift it to taste it. Damn, I need a whole bottle of this. The wine is sweet and crisp on my tongue. I lift my glass in the air to try to lighten the mood.
“Happy birthday. I hope this year is amazing for both of you,” I say cheerfully.
“Hear, hear,” River says, lifting his glass and clinking it with mine. Anya looks at Alek, who is still watching me, before she smiles and lifts a glass of water.
“Thank you, Lena,” she says, and I turn to give Alek my full attention.
“Mr. Aleksandr, are you not going to say thank you?” Anya reprimands.
“Why would I?” he asks, his mouth set in a hard line.
“That’s okay, there’s no need,” I say, forcing a smile. This was a mistake.
Fuck this guy and thinking he was capable of any type of human emotion.
I finish the rest of my wine and turn my attention to the food. My stomach growls, but I need to go. The tension from him and how much he hates me is off the charts. I read way too much into what happened between us in his living room. The last thing he probably wants to hear is birthday wishes from me since he clearly despises me. I push my chair back and stand. “I have to go, but thanks for inviting me.”
“Where do you have to go?” Alek asks.
I throw a thumb over my shoulder. “That way, out the door.”
His eyes are on my legs as he speaks. “No, you don’t. Sit back down.”
He can shove his demanding ways up his ass, because I’m not in the mood to try to figure out the mystery of Aleksandr Ivanov.
“Thanks again, wine was great, happy birthday. I hope you get lots of sex.” I smile at Anya, and that makes River smile. Anya’s looking between me and Alek, clearly furious with him.
With a final wave, I leave. And don’t look back.