I’m impressed that you can remember phone numbers,Rosie remarks.Apparently her father never drilled her in memory exercises.
The phone vibrates.Who is this?
Oh sorry.Evelyn.
Thank god you’re okay!What happened?I didn’t know who to call.I’ve sent you a million messages.
I really don’t want to explain further, so I add,This is Viktor’s phone, so I’ll explain when I see you.
I’m sure Annie’s brain is exploding now, but hopefully she’ll stop sending messages, especially incriminating ones.
Thank you.I hand the phone back to Viktor, and he glances at it.
Apparently, she’s going to kill me if I’ve harmed you.Now he sounds more like his normal sardonic self.
I stifle a giggle at the thought of tiny Annie taking on the large and fit Viktor.
Rosie smiles at me.I have to say, you seem to be taking all this very well.I was worried that everything that happened last night might have traumatized you.
I return a hazy smile.I can only remember a few things from last night.I felt really dizzy and I said I wanted to go home.That guy said he’d help me.The only time I got really scared was when I realized I was in a strange room and I had to escape, but I could hardly move.But as I was going in and out of consciousness, my guardian angel came to me.He told me that he would never let anything bad happen to me.He held me and he was so strong that I knew I was safe.Then I stopped fighting to stay awake.And I don’t remember another thing until now.
Rosie’s eyes are saucer-wide, so she clearly thinks I’m not making sense.
So you don’t believe that angels are assigned to protect each person on earth?I ask, too groggy to remember where the idea of guardian angels came from.Was it my mother or readings I’ve done on Slavic religions?
I do,Viktor’s firm voice interjects.But he’s facing the window, not even looking at me.Are you hungry?he adds, without turning around.
Not really.I take another drink from the bottle.Then I remember my manners.I’m sorry, I haven’t thanked you yet.Thank you so much for rescuing me and taking care of me.That was beyond kind.
Rosie holds up a hand.I did nothing except volunteer to be a female presence this morning.It was all Viktor.
Then, thank you, Viktor,I say.
You’re welcome.He finally turns around, his face returned to its normal mask of cool indifference.Obviously, he rescued me because it was the right thing to do, but I’m still an irritant to him.And I’ve inconvenienced him all night.
Would you like to take a shower?Rosie asks.And even if you’re not hungry, you should eat something.You want to flush all the drugs out of your system.
I agree to the shower, and Viktor leaves his own room, presumably for the sake of my privacy.Rosie shows me the bathroom and hands me towels.I shower, then have to don my party clothes again, which look even tackier in the sunlight.
Rosie clucks when she sees me and offers me one of her boyfriend’s shirts, but it turns out that he’s even taller than Viktor.
I hold out my arms like a scarecrow in the enormous top.It’s okay.I’m just going to go home and change.
She shakes her head.I think Viktor has plans for you.
Well, that sounds ominous.
Rosie dares to open Viktor’s perfectly organized dresser and finds a Mustangs sweatshirt that I don on top of my skimpy clothes.It almost entirely covers the skirt so now I look like I have nothing on but a sweatshirt, but at this point it would be rude to complain further.
I follow her down to the kitchen where there are four large men at a table, including Viktor.All conversation halts when I enter the room, and everyone stares.
Then a dark-haired man stands and extends his hand.Hi Evie, I’m Antoine Côté.He has a French-Canadian accent and a big smile.
I smile back and shake his hand.Thank you so much for rescuing me last night.
Ah, you remember me?he asks.
Not a thing.But Viktor explained what happened.
