Vadim looks down at the paper and then back up at me. His expression doesn't change, but something shifts in his eyes that I don't understand. Does he think I'm too young for him too? Or is he shocked that a woman would give him her number? I turn and walk away before he can say anything, and I make sure to pass directly in front of Petr's booth.
Petr's face is red and his jaw is clenched tight enough that I can see the muscle jumping. I meet his eyes and let my expression go cold for just a second before I paste the customer service smile back on. He looks away first, and I feel a small surge of victory as I continue toward the counter.
Mina is waiting for me with her eyebrows raised so high, they disappear under her bangs. "Did you just give that man your number?"
"Yes." I'm still riding the high of Petr's angry face and I can't stop grinning. "I did."
"Why?" She leans closer and lowers her voice. "Oh my God, you don't even know him."
"I know." I peek over my shoulder at the corner booth where the man is staring into his coffee. "But Petr was watching and maybe now, he'll leave me alone."
Mina's expression shifts from confused to delighted and she grabs my arm. "You're using the hot foreigner to make Petr jealous?"
"Not jealous." I shake my head. "Just to show him I'm not interested."
"That's brilliant." She squeals quietly and pinches my cheek. "Smart girl… But what if the guy actually calls you?"
I turn back to look at the man who is now fingering the paper, studying it carefully. The thought makes my belly flip as I shrink back into the kitchen and cover my face with both hands in embarrassment.
"My God, I don't know." I still feel giddy. Would I go out with him if he really did call me? I mean, he's so handsome, but she's right. I don't know anything about him. He could be a serial killer. The thought makes me chuckle.
"What?" Mina asks, nudging me with her elbow. "Spill it."
"If he asked, I'd go out with him."
She rolls her eyes at me. "You'd date an older man… that much older?" Her eyebrows bounce in amusement while I shrug and twirl a strand of hair from my ponytail.
"Yes… I think I would."
"Order up!" Zoran barks, and both of us snap to the counter where he slides a plate of toast and waffles still steaming from the grill.
"What about his age?" Mina hisses, and Zoran scowls at us both. He's pushing sixty, belly so big he can't walk through the door straight, and his wife probably has to beat him to get him to take a shower. The idea of it makes me giggle.
"Shh!" Both of us are snickering so loudly, it makes the cook glare harder.
"You two get to work and stop gossiping like school girls or I'll have all your tips for the day!"
His bark sends both of us scurrying but still snickering as we go.
Mina snatches the plate and heads out to the table while I notice that Petr is now missing from his table—restroom, maybe, or maybe he left for good. Either way, I can stand and admire Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome as he reads over my number again.
Yes. If he calls me, I will definitely answer him and I will definitely be going out with him too. I've made up my mind. I need a little adventure in my life, and the glamor of dating a foreigner just might be the spark my life needs.
3
VADIM
Danica walks away, and I watch the sway of her hips beneath that stained uniform. The slip of paper sits on the table next to my coffee cup, and I stare at the messy handwriting for ten seconds before I pick it up and study it. A smiley face next to the last digit looks up at me as I admire the way she uses tiny hearts to dot her I instead of a dot, and I wonder if she draws those for every customer or if I'm supposed to feel special.
I'm forty years old. I stopped thinking about women as anything other than a convenient release a long time ago. Relationships require vulnerability, and vulnerability gets you killed. But this girl is young and she was desperate enough to give her number to a stranger. Doesn't she realize strangers can be dangerous? The thought makes me smirk to myself as I suck in a breath and blow out some tension.
That desperation could be useful to me, almost like pennies from heaven.
I drain my coffee and catch Danica's eye from across the diner. She flushes and turns away quickly, pretending to wipe down the counter while her coworker whispers something that makes both of them giggle. They're so young, almost too young. If I were just a few years older, I could have a daughter that age, but telling myself that doesn't negate the fact that I'm just a man, and she is a gorgeous woman. My dick twitches just thinking about why someone so young and beautiful would single me out.
My leg throbs, and I shift position to ease the pressure on the gash left from that fence the other night. It's not infected, though it probably should've had stitches, and the pain keeps me focused. I think of it as a good friend who realigns my thoughts to my real purpose as I pull out my phone and check the time. Seven a.m. It's late enough in the morning to be decent, though I know the boss is up because he never rests.
Yuri doesn't sleep anymore since the day his son died. I don't think I'd rest well if my son were murdered in cold blood either, which is why he deserves an update. I tap his contact and hold the phone to my ear while I watch the sexy waitress refill sugar containers with trembling hands.
