“That is very generous of you,” Viktor said. “I am not familiar with your name. Have you always done business here?”
I kept slicing the bread, trying to be quiet so I could hear every word.
“Not until recently,” Ronald replied. “I have real estate here, but I conduct most of my business in New York City. That’s where my biggest clients are. I’m spending more time here these days, so I’ve got a lot of people knocking on my door. I’ll be running out of spaces soon. No pressure,” he added with a chuckle.
“Don’t let Ronald’s enthusiasm intimidate you,” Lenore said. “He hearkens to his clients and understands their unique needs.”
“Sweetheart, you don’t need to sell me,” Ronald said, making me wish I could see the expression on Lenore’s face. “I don’t want to give Viktor the impression that I break confidentiality. My clients have absolute privacy. Lenore is patient and puts up with all my emergency calls and business trips. Until we get a soundproof room, we can’t have any—”
“Darling,” Lenore interrupted. “Let’s not bore the man with our personal affairs.”
I finished slicing the last piece and then arranged the bread in one of Kira’s breadbaskets.
“I would very much like to hear more about your job,” Viktor put out there.
We all would, I thought as I carried the bread into the room and set it down.
“Spasibo.”
Ronald twisted around to look at me. He was wearing a nice suit and smelled like cologne. It usually wasn’t until I was around a human that I realized how… other they were. I was used to the lower energy levels, but there was just something infinitely different about the look in their eyes and their mannerisms. And yet strangely, it wasn’t that long ago since I myself was human.
“Isn’t this your guard?” he asked.
Lenore’s lips twitched. She had some of her blond hair twisted around her head like a crown with the rest of it loose. A tendril hung alongside her face, and she played with it while watching me. She’d once mentioned Christian liked braided hair, and he denied having any preference. It made me wonder if she had worn it that way back when Christian was her loyal sidekick.
Perhaps to better aid him in suckling her bony neck.
She tugged on the tips of her elbow-length silk gloves, slowly pulling them off. “Raven is a jack-of-all-trades.”
Lenore had pulled out all the stops in looking her best to see Viktor. The white pearls around her neck were a nice touch. She also had on a dress, though I could barely focus since I was trying to avoid giving her the attention she craved.
“Viktor, I forgot to bring up the wine,” I said, glancing at the empty table to my left where we normally stocked alcohol. Light filtered through the window above it, but the sun was too high to cast beams through the west-facing window. “Do you want me to bring out some orange juice instead?”
Viktor shook his head. “Nyet. Christian?” he called out.
Christian appeared a moment later. “Aye.”
Viktor wiped his mouth with a napkin, a small plate of fruit in front of him. “This is Mr. Ronald Frazier, a very important guest of mine. Mr. Frazier, this is one of my trusted people. Christian, please escort Mr. Frazier down to my private cellar. Today is a special occasion. Give him unfettered access.”
Ronald looked highly flattered. His eyebrows popped up, and he grinned with delight. “How big is your collection?”
Christian cleared his throat and dipped his chin. “Are you certain about no restrictions? Perhaps not your most prized collection.”
Ronald stood and kicked back his chair. “Well, now Ihaveto see this. What’s your oldest bottle?”
“Wine does not last indefinitely,” Viktor informed him. “I do have some spirits distilled by Breed five hundred years ago. Their technique was unparalleled, and perhaps there is a little magic in those bottles to explain why it only gets better with each century.”
I returned to the kitchen and sighed as if unimpressed, which I was. Nothing bored me quicker than hearing people ramble on about aged wine. Not all of it aged well. Viktor had cracked open some horrible bottles a time or two, all in the name of nostalgia. I hummed quietly, hoping Lenore might block me out entirely.
“Da. We will enjoy whatever he chooses. I do not have guests very often. If you don’t mind, I would like to also speak to Miss Parrish privately for a moment.”
“Sure thing,” Ronald said. “You two catch up.”
Lenore chuckled softly. “You men and your alcohol. I suppose you’ll be breaking out the cigars later? I should warn you that Ronald loves a good cigar. I’m not fond of the offensive smell and will never understand why breathing smoke is an enjoyable pastime. I do enjoy a little absinthe now and again though.”
I rolled my eyes and took the caviar out of the fridge. After opening a box of crackers, I dumped them into a basket.
“This is not easy for me,” Viktor admitted. “Apologies if I am not myself.”
