Chapter 2 - Clara #3
“Well, glad to meet you then, Clara. I’m sure we could get to know each other in time,” he replied, sounding confident. “Are all those ladies from the club your friends, or are there some who didn’t come?”
His question was a bit odd, but maybe he was just curious. “Yes, they are all of my friends. They are all the friends I need,” I replied. A smile spread across my face as I thought of their last words to me. I surely followed directions and had some fun.
“That’s nice. Do you all go out together regularly, to bars, shopping, movies, or not?” he questioned.
I suddenly felt like I was being interrogated.
Why was he so interested in my friends? “No, we only go out when…” I stopped talking and looked at him.
Could I tell him that I was the reason we only got together once a month?
“Yeah, we go out regularly, and every time we do something else,” I said, hoping my answer would be enough to drop the subject.
Looking at him, it seemed his mind was somewhere else. Then he smiled and shook his head. “It’s good to have loyal friends. What are their names, if I may ask?”
“Well, I don’t think that’s important, I mean, why do you want to know?” I questioned, sitting up in the chair. Something felt off, but I wasn’t sure what.
The doorbell rang. Iosif nodded at me. “Maybe I could meet them sometime,” he added as he got up and headed to the door.
I wondered why he wanted to meet my friends. We barely knew each other. I couldn’t shake this feeling, suddenly that he was after something else. I watched him pour us coffee before he walked back to his chair.
“Thank you,” I said, taking the cup from him. Sipping the hot coffee, I studied his face and composure. He wasn’t just a rich guy; there was something familiar in the way he carried himself.
“So,” he said, sitting back down. “Tell me more about you. Are you also a model then?”
“No, oh hell no. At the moment, I am doing some volunteer work. The photographer and I grew up together; that’s how I became friends with the rest of them.
But you don’t understand,” I said, shaking my head.
How could I ever tell anyone who my family was?
Why I couldn’t just set up meetings and go as I pleased.
“I come from a very different life from yours. I need approval for most things. You are free to do as you please, I am not.”
“We might not be as different as you think, try me, I’m sure I can match your revelations,” he huffed. There was a dare in his tone, and that always got me stirred up.
“Well, to be honest,” I said. “I’m not sure how we managed to get out without my guards noticing. By now, my family is looking for me.”
The expression on his face changed instantly. “What do you mean, guards? Are you being kept against your will?” he heaved out as he got up. There was a look of confusion on his face.
“No, nothing like that,” I replied quickly. “It’s just that my brothers are very overprotective. I’m not allowed to go anywhere without their knowledge, especially my eldest brother.”
“Okay, so where is he? Maybe we can have a chat. I’m sure he would be understanding,” Iosif said, sitting beside me.
Something in his tone made me a tad uneasy. “No, don’t worry, it's fine, I’m just messing with you,” I replied, smiling broadly at him. “Let’s just leave it at that, okay?”
“Okay, message received loud and clear,” he responded as he yawned. “You’re right. Let’s first see where this goes.”
As I spoke, I got up and held out my hand. “I’m tired, and I can see, so are you. Let’s go to bed. We’ll talk more in the morning.”
“Yes, you’re right,” he said, taking my hand. He got up and led me down the short hall to the bedroom.
I lay down on my back, looking up at the ceiling as he went to the bathroom. Iosif came back and got in beside me. “I had a lovely evening,” he said, turning to face me.
“So did I, thank you,” I replied.
“Spend tomorrow with me,” he mumbled as he pulled me closer.
Turning on my side, I lay with my back to him.
“Let’s do breakfast and see,” I replied softly.
As I lay there, I played back the evening.
Why was he, why was he so interested in my friends and my family?
I remembered that I had never bothered to ask him his last name, but now I am curious.
“Iosif,” I said over my shoulder. “What’s your last name? ”
He moved a bit, then mumbled at me. “Chernykh.”
I stared at the ceiling. Chernykh, I’ve heard that before, but couldn’t quite place my finger on where. Then I remembered hearing my brothers talking of the Bratva family they were looking into. I felt sure it was the same last name.
Looking at him, I wondered if I had heard right. He was still mumbling something as sleep started taking over. I must have heard him wrong, I convinced myself. I was exhausted and needed to rest. Breathing in deeply, I pushed the thoughts away. Snuggling back, I felt his arm tighten around me.
I woke to find Iosif staring at me. Covering my face with my hands, I spoke into them. “No, don’t look at me. What are you doing? You’re making this weird.”
He laughed as he spoke. “I couldn’t help it. You look so lovely while you’re sleeping. A sleeping beauty.”
I rolled over and sat up on the side of the bed. Stretching my hands out over my head, I turned slightly, smiling back at him. “Thank you, but believe me, it’s not always the case,” I mumbled.
Then I remembered our last conversation and wondered if I had heard him correctly. “I didn’t hear you clearly last night as I was half asleep, but you said your last name is Chernykh?” I asked softly, trying to keep my tone innocent.
“Yes, that’s correct, and yours?” he asked. He sat there like his last name meant nothing. To most, it wouldn’t have. But to me, it meant a lot. In that moment, I knew I couldn’t tell him mine.
I got up and headed to the bathroom. I was about halfway when I heard him asking again. “What’s your last name?”
Stopping in my tracks, I swallowed hard.
Glancing back, I replied lightly. “Brown, it’s Brown.
” He nodded, placed his hands behind his head, and flopped back, smiling.
I quickly moved into the bathroom and closed the door.
I couldn’t believe what I had gotten myself into or that he so easily believed me.
Well, this was it. Now was the time to split.
I knew I had to get out. He was asking about my friends all night.
But now I was sure he was actually looking for me.
He hadn’t realized it yet. But I wasn’t going to stick around until he did.
I knew the situation had gone from normal to horrid in seconds.
If my brothers heard of this, there would be hell to pay.