Page 18 of Floodgates

“Are you going to pass out?”

“Hopefully not,” I answered Iosif Bazin, one of the guys who worked with Dimah on the logistics end.

“You have so much trust in him, in Dimah. Why?”

“Because he’s trustworthy,” I answered softly. “We’re partners.”

“You are strange man not to listen to others, only yourself.”

I had no idea why that was odd. “He’s a good man.”

“You are what keeps him so.” He bumped me gently in the shoulder as the table dissolved into laughter that was cut short by a sharp command.

“Ataide.”

When I sat up, I found Dimah hovering over me, staring down at Iosif, who had taken his spot. He must have gone to wash his hands before dinner, because his coat, suit jacket, and tie were off, and his sleeves were rolled up.

Iosif said something under his breath in Russian without meeting Dimah’s eyes and then moved quickly to walk the few feet to the bar.

It was weird; you could feel the tension in the room.

“The bathroom is yours, dorogoi,” Dimah whispered.

I was being excused, so I didn’t argue, just got up, a little unsteadily, and walked back to the bathroom. It was nicer than I expected, so I washed up, even ran cold water on my face, before trudging back to the table.

“Nye-zaboyteya,” Dimah was saying as I flopped back down beside him.

There were two new guys sitting across from me who I had seen around the office, coming and going, but whom I had never met.

One of the strangers addressed me. “You look tired.”

I nodded.

“I am Vassi Leshev,” he said, tipping his head at the man beside him. “And this is Danya Kudrin.”

Immediately I offered him my hand.

His eyes flicked to Dimah, who gave him the slightest nod. Vassi then took my hand in his, covering it with his other in the two-handed shake I always found so warm and genuine. Danya did the same thing, his gaze locked on mine as he did.

“Pleasure to meet you both,” I assured them, smiling.

“And you,” Vassi returned hoarsely. “It is not everyone Dimah lets meet his partner.”

“Tracy.”

I gave Dimah my attention.

“You know I would have never left you alone in the office if I thought for a moment it was not safe.”

“No, I know,” I replied, bumping him with my shoulder.

He grunted. “Eat now.”

I was about to point out that there wasn’t any food on the table when everything arrived, hot and steaming and smelling amazing.

“I think he’s drooling,” another man said, teasing me, and Dimah chuckled.

“Here, you will like this.”