Chapter 12 Danica
DANICA
The cab drops me back at the diner and I pay the driver. And the instant I walk in Mina, looks up from behind the counter and her eyes go wide. She abandons the coffee pot and rushes over to grab my arm.
"What happened?" She pulls me toward the back. "You look terrible."
"I need to finish my shift." I try to pull away but she's not letting go.
It's no doubt I look awful. I feel awful.
Twenty-seven trips around the sun and I've never had to deal with police for anything other than when I had to bail Dusan out of lock up for petty theft.
Now Vadim is dragging me back into that world and I hate it.
"The tables will be fine for a minute." She drags me into the kitchen. "Talk to me."
I lean against the prep counter and run a hand through my hair to smooth flyaways. Zoran glances over from the stove but doesn't say anything when Mina waves him off.
"The police stopped Vadim and made him call me." I don’t have to hide my frustration with her. I can let it all come out, so I do. "And so he called me and I had to go pick him up like a lost child on the side of the street."
Mina's face goes pale. "What did he do?" She leans in conspiratorially and raises her eyebrows.
"He was selling a car." I twist my wedding ring nervously, wishing I could take it off. "They were just being annoying, I guess, but it makes me mad I had to leave work for it." I'm walking a fine line here, and I know it. I just feel trapped. I wish I could really vent and get this off my chest.
"Why would the police care about someone selling a car?" She crosses her arms.
I sigh hard and push down every thought I have about Vadim and his situation.
I know he was doing something illegal and using me to bail him out, just like Dusan used to do, but there's nothing I can do about it now.
And with Mina being skeptical, it's even worse.
She's smart enough to know something's going on but not rude enough to pressure me.
"I think because he's foreign…" I say, turning to put my apron on.
Mina hovers for a few more seconds, staring at me, but after having to put her in her place a few times about my personal choices, she's sort of backed off a little.
Though as I tie my apron strings, I think about how she probably feels hurt that I've pushed her out of my life lately.
We're good friends, and I usually tell her everything, but this situation is too extreme.
If she even catches wind of what's going on, Zoran will know and then the boss, and before I know it someone will get brave and tell the cops and I'll end up being dragged in for questioning about a marriage that is very much not real at all.
It's better this way.
The afternoon rush has died down and only a handful of tables are occupied.
I grab the coffee pot and start making rounds and by the time I reach the last booth, I'm almost feeling normal.
There's something about the routine of work that helps me get out of a bad place mentally sometimes. Yet another reason I need this job.
But when Petr stalks in and takes his usual table, I'm immediately annoyed. He's the one dark cloud in my otherwise sunny sky. But life likes to keep me humble, and he is the device life is using at this moment. I amble over to his table and fill the mug after he turns it over.
"Good afternoon, Petr." My greeting is as stale and stiff as normal. "What can I get you?"
He looks me up and down slowly and his eyes linger on my chest. His sandy blond hair is slicked back with too much gel, making it look crusted and hardened into place, more like a helmet than a hairdo. And it appears he dropped his lunch on his shirt earlier.
"You can get me your number." He grins and leans back. "I've been asking for weeks, and it seems you gave it to someone else before me. Why's that?"
Of all the things for him to ask, he's finally gotten the bravery to be direct instead of groping me and insinuating himself into my personal space. But this time, I have a real reason to keep him at arm's length, and it's more than just an excuse.
"I'm married." I hold up my left hand and wiggle my fingers to make the gold band shine. "So that's not going to happen."
His eyes drop to my hand, then he glares at me and grabs my wrist hard.
His grip is crushing as he pulls me closer to him and examines the ring on my finger.
I wince and instantly remember why I thought flirting with Vadim was a good idea.
Despite the horrible way Vadim forced me to obey him, he's not like this.
He would never lay a hand on me and hurt me like this.
"When did this happen?" I wince as he continues. "Who did you marry?"
"That's none of your business." I try to pull my hand back but he's holding it too tightly. "Let me go."
"I've been coming here for months," he growls in a dangerous register. "Waiting for you."
"I never gave you any indication that I was interested." My heart is racing, and I still tug at his grip but he won't ease up a bit. "Please let go, Petr, you're hurting me."
Instead of releasing me, he stands up and uses his grip to pull me closer. He's taller than I realized and he looms over me with his angry glare and grabby paws.
"Maybe you need a reminder of what a real man feels like." His fingers dig into my flesh harder while his free hand rests on my hip. "Before you make more stupid decisions."
The touch sends rage flooding my veins. I can't believe he'd be so forward when I already told him I'm married. What the fuck is wrong with men today? My free hand comes up and I swing to slap him. But he's faster and catches my wrist before I make contact.
Now he's holding both of my arms, his face inches from mine, and I can smell coffee and cigarettes on his breath.
"You little—" he starts, but someone cuts him off.
"I think you need to let her go right now." Zoran's voice cuts through the tension as his shadow appears on Petr's chest and he comes to a stop behind me.
I look over and see the cook standing behind me with a meat cleaver in his hand. His gray hair is sticking up and his brown eyes are hard and trained on Petr. Zoran is quiet most times, but he's like a father to me and Mina, and when the boss isn't around, Zoran does that job too.
Petr's grip loosens slightly. "This doesn't concern you, old man."
"She works with me and you're harassing her." Zoran takes a step forward. "That makes it my concern. Now let my friend go."
"She's been leading me on for months." Petr finally lets go, and I stumble backward. "Making eyes at me."
"You're disgusting," I hiss as I rub my wrists where red marks are forming. "Being polite doesn't mean I want to sleep with you."
Petr's face turns red and he points at me with one shaking finger. "This isn't over. You hear me? This isn't over."
He storms past me and slams the door hard enough that the bell clatters against the glass and the neon sign on the windows shakes a little. Through the window I watch him climb into his car and peel out.
The other customers are staring and whispering, and I can feel my face burning. Zoran walks over and gently touches my arm.
"You okay?" He sets the cleaver down and gently puts his hands around my biceps like he's checking me out. "Did he hurt you?"
"My wrists are sore but I'm fine." I lean against the counter behind me. "Thank you for stepping in."
"That guy's been trouble since day one." Zoran shakes his head. "We should've banned him months ago."
Mina appears in the doorway and with wide eyes she glances from me to Zoran. "What happened?"
"Petr happened." I look at her. "He didn't take the marriage news well."
"Did he touch you?" Mina's voice goes sharp. "Because I'll call the police."
The mention of police makes my stomach turn. The last thing I need is more attention from law enforcement.
"He grabbed my wrists, but Zoran scared him off." I push away from the counter and pick up Petr's coffee mug to take back to the kitchen. "I'm fine."
"You're not fine." Mina crosses her arms. "You're shaking."
She's right. My hands are trembling. Between the police encounter and now this, I'm completely drained. I hate the feeling of terror that has been my constant companion for the past several days. My nervous system needs a break from all this stress. I can't keep up with it.
"Can I go home early?" I look at Zoran. "I can't keep working tonight."
Zoran studies my face and then nods at me. I'm sure if the boss comes in later, they'll explain what happened. "Go. Mina and I can handle it."
"Thank you." I untie my apron and hang it on the hook, then collect my house key and purse and start toward the front door.
Mina walks me out to the parking lot and waits while I call for a cab. The sun is starting to set and the sky is turning orange, and I'm glad to be heading out early. After all of that, the longer walk to Vadim's house would seem too scary.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Mina touches my shoulder lightly, letting her hand rest there for a second. "You can stay with me tonight if you don't want to be alone."
The offer is tempting but I can't accept it. Vadim will be expecting me at the house and if I don’t show up, he will immediately assume the worst. I can't be pissing him off like that. He's more dangerous than Petr, though I won't admit that aloud.
"I'll be fine." I squeeze her hand and she pulls it back. "My husband will take care of me."
The words sound hollow and Mina doesn't push. She gives me a hug and heads back inside, leaving me to wait for the cab as she finishes serving my tables for the evening.
As frightened as I was just then, it was nothing compared to how I felt when Vadim's men chased me down.
Yet here I am returning home to him instead of going to my own house.
It contradicts everything I just told Mina about how I feel, and I hate that I am a liar.
I'm no better than Vadim or Petr, lying to my only friend in the world about something that I really could use her help with.
It's only a matter of time before I explode, and when I do, I hope she understands why I had to keep secrets from her.