I manage to hide my revulsion from his lips touching me, solidifying in my mind that there could never be anything romantic between us.
“Please, my dear, take a seat,” he says, moving around to pull out my chair. At least he has manners.
Once we’re both seated, I start eating, unsure what to say to this man or what he expects from me. I think about howRobert taught me to speak at the dinner table, and my upbringing forces me to talk to him.
“How was your day?”
His eyes light up as if he’s pleased with the question. And for once, someone’s approval doesn’t do anything for me. I kind of hate it.
“It was long, lots of meetings. But it’s much better now, thanks to present company.”
I try to offer him a smile, but it feels fake…because it is.
When I don’t say anything, he speaks. “Your brother tells me that you’ve never dated anyone before. Is that true?”
I nod my head and swallow before responding. “Yes, that’s correct. I’m not allowed.”
“You’ve never been romantically involved with anyone? Even someone he might not know about? A pool boy, perhaps? Maybe you got a little too close to one of your guards?” he asks with a raised eyebrow.
I pull my head back in shock. “Of course not!”
“I promise anything you tell me will be kept a secret; I wouldn’t betray your trust by telling your brother.”
I shake my head adamantly, not that I trust his word in the slightest. “There’s been no one,” I tell him honestly.
His eyes hold mine for a moment as if he’s seeking the truth there. Finally, he nods, seeming to believe me.
“Besides, it’s not like I could do anything before I’m married anyway,” I add, more to myself than anything. I think about that woman, Lily, I saw in the kitchen this morning. Robert couldn’t have been sleeping with her.
“Why not?” Ivan asks, confusing me for a second until I remember what I had just said out loud.
“Because it’s against the law.” I frown at him before it hits me. “Is it different in Russia?”
He studies me a moment before nodding. “Yes, in my country, you are allowed to have sex before marriage.”
“Oh.” I turn back to my food. That’s interesting. I wonder if most other countries are like us or like Russia? It seemed like a strange law to me anyway. Did people actually go to jail for having sex? I frown, thinking how stupid that sounds. When Robert told me, I was only twelve, and the thought of sex was gross.
But now… well, there’s nobody in my life I’d consider doing that with, at least not anyone I’ve met in person.
The rest of the dinner goes by with more questions from Ivan that I answer as swiftly as possible, and as soon as he’s finished eating, I excuse myself to clean the dishes. He just laughs and says goodnight as I scurry from the room, thankful I’m not required to spend any more of my evening with him.
I rush through the dishes, knowing there’s an envelope burning a hole in my pocket that I’m incredibly anxious to get to. It arrived while I was preparing dinner.
When I finally get myself locked in my room and ready for bed, I rip open the envelope and pull out the four pages, skimming them to make sure all four names are there, and a sigh of relief hits me when I see them all.
Picking up Sly’s note first, I read the first line, and tears start to well up in my eyes.
To my little bird,
Happy 26th Birthday. I hope your day is brighter for knowing I’m thinking of you from behind these walls.
I grab a tissue and wipe my nose, clutching the letter to my chest.
They remembered.
Even my own brother, who’s raised me, forgot my birthday, not that it mattered since he hadn’t celebrated it once since my parents passed away.
And here, these four men, whom I’ve never met and have never met me, are sending me letters filled with birthday greetings and kind words. If only they weren’t stuck in prison for the rest of their lives.
