“You smell like perfume,kiska. How?”
She shrugs her eyebrows and opens the cupboard. Her finger taps a bottle of vanilla.
I laugh. Pretty resourceful, as per usual.
I make omelets and blini with butter and raspberry jam. She devours everything, and then she puts her hand on her side and rubs.
“What’s wrong?”
She glances over and announces, “Egorov starves me to keep me skinny. I am going to get fat enough so I do not feel my ribs one by one.”
This makes me chuckle. It reminds me of little guys in the gym who talk constantly about bulking up and compare protein powders.
“What? You do not like fat girls? Too bad.” She says this so defiantly, my smile widens.
I push the leftover blini at her.
She picks it up and takes a big bite, chewing slowly and nodding. “Delicious. Thank you for my help.”
Close enough, I think, deciding not to correct her English.
My phone chimes, intruding on the moment. Her playfulness disappears, and she pushes away from the table with a suspicious look at the device.
The alert is just to let me know boxes have arrived at the front desk, but she doesn’t wait to hear. Natalia retreats into the living room, straightening up like it’s her final act of valor.
I move to the living room doorway. “The clothes I ordered for you are downstairs.”
She relaxes. “Oh, those clothes. All right.”
“Stay inside while I’m gone.”
A small smirk plays at the corners of her mouth. “You are good cook, Alexei. I may run away, but not before lunch.”
That almost makes me chuckle. “I meant keep the door locked. I’ll use my key.”
Her gaze darts to the door. “You think Egorov will come to steal me?”
“I don’t know what he’ll try, but we’ll be careful for the next few hours. After that, you won’t need to worry about Egorov for a few days. We’re going out of town.”
“Oh? To where?”
“The Finger Lakes.”
She glances at her hands for a second. “Lakes shaped like fingers? This, I have interest to see.”
“They’re northwest of here. I have business meetings, but there will also be a party. We’ll be with powerful men. Egorov won’t make a move against us there.” Studying her face, I add, “I bought you a party dress and had it shipped to the hotel. Pink and gold with lots of beads. You’ll like it. Assuming it fits after all the blini.”
“If it’s small, I can squeeze. Squeeze, this is funny word. Another girl told to me. Her costume was not fitting her.” She stretches. “I’ll make the bed and start the washing.”
“The washing?”
“So the house will be nice by the time we have to leave. Then later when you come home it will be all clean. You will like it.” She goes into the bedroom.
I don’t bother to tell her I have a cleaning woman who does the laundry and anything else that needs doing. Natalia seems to need to feel busy and useful, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Especially since seeing her animated and hopeful brightens the whole place.
* * *
Natalia
