Chapter Twenty-Five
MILA
I stood off to the side of the kitchen, waiting for Axel to get off the phone so I could wish him a good night. Ever since the night Giselle had shown up here and I had gone a little bit crazy, things had been different between us. More brittle, more careful, and more surface.
I didn’t like the feeling, but I didn’t know how to shift the energy between us.
I studied my husband. He was dressed in an expensive dark suit with a crisp white dress shirt, and he was obviously heading to another business dinner. I knew from his conversation in Russian that he was on the phone with my uncle. He sounded colder and more robotic than he had in weeks.
“Because he purposely went into their bar and started a fight.”
Another long pause while he listened. “I understand that, but I’m taking away his authority over my men. No one is willing to work for him.”
He listened for a long time, then shrugged. “You can negotiate all you want, but I’ve already outlined my terms. If you can’t accept that, then tell me now.”
Another pause. “Fine. I’m putting him on cleanup detail only and restricting most of his access until further notice.”
He hung up and let out a long breath as he stared at the ceiling.
“Everything okay?” I asked in a small voice.
He looked over, but his expression was hard to read. “Of course.”
I knew he wasn’t telling me the truth, but I didn’t know why. “Are you going out for dinner?”
He looked at his watch. “Shortly.”
I wondered why I bothered. I started to pack up my bag. “Okay, well, have a good night.”
He watched me for a moment. “Where are you off to?”
“Oleg is taking me to David’s.”
His eyes narrowed for a moment, and his voice was low and calm. “Who’s David?”
I glanced up at my husband, wondering why he always caught me off guard and made me feel nervous. “Not who, what. David’s is a giant craft store.”
He looked at his watch. “It’s past Oleg’s regular hours. Why’s he taking you now?”
I slung my bag over my shoulder and picked up my keys. “He took time off earlier so that he could take me there tonight.”
“Why do you have to go tonight?”
“Because there’s a sales blitz. It’s one night only, and I’ll be getting three hundred dollars’ worth of crafts for just a hundred.”
He stood up and straightened his cuffs. “Why not just buy three hundred dollars worth of crafts on your way home from school?”
“That makes no sense.”
He studied me, his expression cool. His cheekbones looked chiseled in the light, and his gaze was hard to read. “Actually, I need you to come to dinner with me tonight.”
I froze. “Tonight?”
“Yes.”
“What about the sales blitz?” I could hear the complaint in my voice. “I set everything up with Oleg, and he’s giving up his night to help me out.”
Something hardened in his eyes. “I’m not asking.”
I knew that look.
“My time is important too, you know.” I felt my cheeks get hot as my frustration spilled over. “You couldn’t have given me any notice? I got a VP invite to the sale, and I’ve been waiting for this for two weeks.”
He looked like he was going to relent for a moment and then, to my surprise, his voice softened. And his statement became more of a gentle request. “I’m sorry for disrupting your life, but I’d like you, please, to join me tonight.”
I knew it was stupid, but in that moment, the idea that he wanted me around was intoxicating. I forgot why I was trying to resist.
My voice came out breathless. “Give me ten minutes.”
I wore a blue velvet dress with a demure neckline and a fitted bodice that flared at my hips. I pulled my hair into a low chignon, and my makeup was as subtle as my jewelry. My only concessions on sass were my high stilettos that had a matching blue bow on each heel.
He stood at the bottom of the steps and watched me walk down, taking all of me in.
When I got near the bottom, he held his hand out to me. “I’m selfishly glad I convinced you to join me tonight. You look stunning.”
That feeling inside me glowed bigger. How was he able to shift the energy between us by simply turning a fraction of his attention toward me? How did he go from making me feel ignored to making me feel like I was the most important person in his world?
“Thank you.”
He helped me put on my coat, and his gaze lingered on my mouth. “What did you want to buy at the craft store?”
I loved trying to replicate DIY videos that I watched online, but I also loved how his fingertips grazed the nape of my neck when he assisted with my coat. His touch was addictive. Dangerously so.
“Just something I saw on my feed.”
He looked curious. “What?”
“You really want to know?”
“I do.”
We walked out to his truck. The night was crisp and clean after a day of rain. “It’s called the fluffy Christmas tree.”
“Which is?”
“You take a wire tree and cover it with felt or Styrofoam balls, but you customize each ball before you build it. So maybe one has white faux fur glued to it, or little decorative balls to make it look like cute little Christmas sheep. Anything works as long as it’s fluffy.”
He looked over at me in the dim cab light of the truck. “I didn’t know you were into that kind of stuff.”
“It keeps me busy.” This was a newer hobby of mine, but he didn’t have to know that. Besides school, I had a lot of time on my hands, and I needed to fill it somehow.
“So how big is this fluffy tree?”
“Not that big.” I tried not to sound defensive. “It’s something cute that can sit on the mantel.”
“I can’t wait to see it.”
I doubted that. “So where are we going?”
“Iron and Ember.”
I scrunched up my nose. “The steakhouse?”
“The one and only.”
I mourned the fact that we’d be eating there. It reminded me of Russia with its old money vibe. I hated the dark mahogany paneling, the heavy silverware and the silent staff that moved like servants in the shadows.
“Anything else I should know?”
“Giselle will be there.”
My warm feelings toward Axel immediately evaporated.
What the hell? Didn’t he remember that the last time I had seen Giselle, I had accused her of sleeping with him? He had shown me the texts afterward proving his innocence, but this was the second time I had accused Giselle of trying to steal my husband.
I didn’t even want to face her. “Are you for real?”
“Yes.” His voice was calm. “I’m for real.”
I didn’t even bother to hide the dismay in my voice. “Why do I have to be there, tonight of all nights?”
“Giselle was very apologetic about getting her wires crossed. She doesn’t blame you for getting upset. Just give her a chance.”
Him simply saying her name washed a swirl of emotions over me that I struggled to contain. “So I sacrificed the sales blitz just to choke down dinner at Iron and Ember with Giselle?”
He looked amused. “Those are strong words for a dinner priced at two hundred dollars per plate.”
“Glad this is funny to you.” I looked out the window, keeping my face away from him.
“It won’t be that bad.” His voice sounded gentle again, but this time I wasn’t falling for his tricks. I’d get through tonight, but I wasn’t even going to pretend to be civil to her.
Giselle was already sitting at the private corner table with the business guests when we arrived, and they all looked expectantly at us when we approached the table.
“Good evening.” Axel started the introductions as he helped me take off my coat and held my chair for me. “This is my wife, Mila.”
Giselle smiled warmly at me. “Hi Mila, nice to see you again.”
“Hi Giselle.” My cheeks flamed with embarrassment.
Giselle remained friendly, professional and kind despite my last outburst. I sat quietly beside Axel, sipping my drink and listening to everyone make small talk around me. After we ordered our food, the conversation moved to business.
I tuned out completely. Trying to be discreet, I used my phone to do some craft research, mainly trying to figure out how many foam balls I’d need.
When I lifted my head, Axel was watching, focusing all his intensity on me.
He leaned over and spoke in a low voice. “Who are you texting?”
Without thought, I turned my phone toward him beneath the table. I watched his face as he looked down at David’s craft website.
Then he looked at my face with regret and nodded. “Okay.”
I didn’t know what that meant, but he stood up and excused himself with his phone pressed to his ear. A few moments later, he returned, wearing an apologetic look.
“I’m sorry, gentlemen. I’ve had something important come up that needs my immediate attention.”
I looked at him in confusion, but he was already holding out my coat for me.
I stood up and slipped it on.
The men exchanged looks and then one of them spoke up. “We’d be happy to book another time when you’re available, Axel.”
Axel shook hands with them. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
And then, as quickly as we had arrived, he was ushering me out of the stuffy restaurant.
I didn’t speak as I walked beside him back to the truck. I inhaled the cool night air deeply into my lungs. I felt like I had just dodged detention. Our life was a constant stream of Axel’s emergencies, but sometimes they really did work to my advantage.
I was focused on my phone when the truck came to a stop.
I looked up and was stunned to see we had pulled into the David’s craft store parking lot.
“What about your important situation?” I asked, confused.
He killed the engine. “Is there anything more important than the fluffy Christmas tree?”
I couldn’t hide my shock. “Are you for real?”
“I’m for real,” he said with a serious expression.
“What are we doing here?”
He looked at the big box store in front of us. “We’re getting crafts for your fluffy tree.”
I wasn’t prepared for Axel to collide with my secret crafting world. We stood in the seasonal section while I tried to estimate how many foam balls I would need to cover a tree frame that stood two feet tall. Axel interrupted my mental calculations.
He pointed at the wire tree in my cart. “Why that one?”
“I thought the smaller one was a bit too small.”