Chapter 6 - Clara
I was trying to listen to the conversation when I saw the guy. The one from the library came towards us. He waved at me, but I ignored him, hoping he would go away. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him pushing through the crowds.
“Clara, Clara, I was looking for you,” he huffed as he got closer.
“Great,” I replied. I could hear the sarcasm in my tone. “I’m a bit busy at the moment. Can we do this later?” I added, turning to my friends.
I moved with them as they headed to their dressing stations. I noticed he was still hovering around. I didn’t want to draw attention or make a big deal out of it. He seemed to just be a guy who couldn’t take no for an answer.
He stepped in before me as I was about to enter one of the dressing rooms with my friends. “Clara, please, can we just talk quickly?” he said.
Smiling at my friends, I nodded, indicating that I would be with them shortly. Grabbing his jacket sleeve, I pulled him to the side as I spoke. “Please leave. Can’t you see I’m with my friends?”
He smelled like cigars. But there was a minty odor as well. As he spoke, I could smell the liquor on his breath. I had to turn my head away to prevent myself from gagging.
“Yes, I can,” he replied. There was a hint of irritation in his tone. “But I don’t like the way you simply dismissed me.”
I tried moving back as he honed in, but my back was against the wall. “Please, I’m sorry, but let’s not do this now?” I pleaded. I was trying to push him back as I felt my throat closing.
“No,” he huffed. I could feel tiny droplets of spit landing on my cheek.
Closing my eyes, I prayed that someone would come out and pull him away. Then, the weight before me disappeared, and I heard him grunting. Opening my eyes, I saw Iosif standing there.
He was gripping the guy's hand, bending it back as he spoke. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” With his other hand, he grabbed the guy’s collar and started dragging him down the corridor.
The door he was heading for led out back behind the building. I realized that things were about to get really sticky if Iosif was indeed the man I thought him to be.
“Iosif,” I pleaded as I followed him out. “Please, let him go. He’s a nobody, please.”
He stopped and turned slowly toward me. I could see a fire raging in his eyes. He let go of the guy’s collar but held onto his hand. As he pulled his hand back further, he spoke gently to me. “Clara, please go back inside, let me take care of this for you.”
I didn’t want trouble. Heck, I couldn’t afford to bring attention to myself; Kolya would kill me if I did. “Please, Iosif,” I pleaded, moving closer. I gently took his arm as I continued. “He’s not worth it.”
Iosif looked at me, his blue eyes blazing. “Okay,” he replied softly as he let go. Turning to my co-worker, I huffed at him as he stepped forward. “Get out of here and stay away!”
The guy scrambled to his feet and headed off. We stood for a moment, watching in silence as he disappeared around the corner.