she allowed what happened to stop her, she was letting everyone down, but she felt as if she was caught in a whirlpool.
He pulled into a parking spot outside the restaurant and switched off the engine. Relief that he hadn’t lied calmed her racing pulse. The restaurant’s name was written in gold letters on a glass panel set over double wooden doors. Blue canopies shaded tinted windows. It looked expensive.
“Nervous?” Nik asked.
“No.” Her stomach disagreed.
It was larger inside than it looked from outside. Katya shivered in the air-conditioned chill. A woman in a short black dress stepped forward.
“Dimitri’s expecting us,” Nik said.
“He says to go through and start playing.”
Only four tables were occupied. Katya stood against the wall, tightened her bow, checked the tuning of her violin, and began.
After a few minutes, an older guy dropped in the seat next to Nik, his black hair slicked close to his head. Dimitri? She felt him staring but while she was playing, she could zone out. She segued from a Russian ballad into a classical piece and finished with Lara’s theme from Dr. Zhivago . As she took her violin from her shoulder everyone in the restaurant applauded, including the waiters. Her cheeks heated and Dimitri smiled. With a wide mouth full of teeth, he reminded her of a shark.
“Come into the office,” he said in Russian.
She put away her violin, loosened the bow and fastened it in the case.
“That was fantastic,” Nik said at her shoulder.
“Didn’t you believe me?”
“Of course. Nice girls don’t lie.”
That almost made her smile.
Dimitri sat behind his desk. “You really played for Putin?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Seven months ago at a concert in Moscow.” There had been no need to reveal that and she told herself to be more careful.
“How long have you been in America?”
“Not long.”
“How long?”
“Less than seven months.”
Dimitri stared and Katya stared back. He radiated danger in the same way that Nik oozed flirtatious charm.
“Here legally?”
She took her work permit from her violin case and flashed it in front of him. “How about you?”
Dimitri laughed. “Okay, we’ll try you out tonight, Miss Smart Mouth. See how the customers like you. Eighty dollars a night.”
Wow. “Including a meal,” she said.
Dimitri nodded. “Meal included.”
She held out her hand. He wrapped his huge fingers around hers and held on a little too long. “You dump the guy who did this to you?”
“Yes.”
“Good girl. Get her something to wear.” He peeled off three hundred dollar bills from a wad and offered them to Nik.
“I can buy myself a dress.”
Dimitri smiled and took the money back. “Suit yourself, but wear something pretty. Be here by seven.”
“Thank you.”
Nik grinned once they were outside. “You should have let me take the money. I could do with a new dress.”
That won him a little smile. They crossed to his car.
“Dimitri’s an important man,” Nik said. “He likes to be generous. Better not to offend him.”
“All Russian men think they’re important. Most aren’t.”
Nik sighed. “I’m wounded.”
“You’ll survive. Anyway, why would a restaurant owner think he’s important?”
“He knows important people. Makes him feel important.”
Her heart thumped. “Is he a criminal?”
“No one’s an angel. Look where we came from. The state taught us too well. Avoid paying more than you need for anything. Evade taxes. Look after number one. Don’t tell me you’ve never done anything illegal, not if you lived in Moscow. One of the few pleasures of our miserable existence was to disobey rules and rip off the government.” He glanced at her. “I’ve found other pleasures over here.”
“Eating?”
Nik laughed and took the turn for the Aventura Mall. “I’m guessing you don’t have a dress in that backpack. So do I take you to your boyfriend’s or you buying another?”
“I’ll buy
He pulled into a parking spot outside the restaurant and switched off the engine. Relief that he hadn’t lied calmed her racing pulse. The restaurant’s name was written in gold letters on a glass panel set over double wooden doors. Blue canopies shaded tinted windows. It looked expensive.
“Nervous?” Nik asked.
“No.” Her stomach disagreed.
It was larger inside than it looked from outside. Katya shivered in the air-conditioned chill. A woman in a short black dress stepped forward.
“Dimitri’s expecting us,” Nik said.
“He says to go through and start playing.”
Only four tables were occupied. Katya stood against the wall, tightened her bow, checked the tuning of her violin, and began.
After a few minutes, an older guy dropped in the seat next to Nik, his black hair slicked close to his head. Dimitri? She felt him staring but while she was playing, she could zone out. She segued from a Russian ballad into a classical piece and finished with Lara’s theme from Dr. Zhivago . As she took her violin from her shoulder everyone in the restaurant applauded, including the waiters. Her cheeks heated and Dimitri smiled. With a wide mouth full of teeth, he reminded her of a shark.
“Come into the office,” he said in Russian.
She put away her violin, loosened the bow and fastened it in the case.
“That was fantastic,” Nik said at her shoulder.
“Didn’t you believe me?”
“Of course. Nice girls don’t lie.”
That almost made her smile.
Dimitri sat behind his desk. “You really played for Putin?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Seven months ago at a concert in Moscow.” There had been no need to reveal that and she told herself to be more careful.
“How long have you been in America?”
“Not long.”
“How long?”
“Less than seven months.”
Dimitri stared and Katya stared back. He radiated danger in the same way that Nik oozed flirtatious charm.
“Here legally?”
She took her work permit from her violin case and flashed it in front of him. “How about you?”
Dimitri laughed. “Okay, we’ll try you out tonight, Miss Smart Mouth. See how the customers like you. Eighty dollars a night.”
Wow. “Including a meal,” she said.
Dimitri nodded. “Meal included.”
She held out her hand. He wrapped his huge fingers around hers and held on a little too long. “You dump the guy who did this to you?”
“Yes.”
“Good girl. Get her something to wear.” He peeled off three hundred dollar bills from a wad and offered them to Nik.
“I can buy myself a dress.”
Dimitri smiled and took the money back. “Suit yourself, but wear something pretty. Be here by seven.”
“Thank you.”
Nik grinned once they were outside. “You should have let me take the money. I could do with a new dress.”
That won him a little smile. They crossed to his car.
“Dimitri’s an important man,” Nik said. “He likes to be generous. Better not to offend him.”
“All Russian men think they’re important. Most aren’t.”
Nik sighed. “I’m wounded.”
“You’ll survive. Anyway, why would a restaurant owner think he’s important?”
“He knows important people. Makes him feel important.”
Her heart thumped. “Is he a criminal?”
“No one’s an angel. Look where we came from. The state taught us too well. Avoid paying more than you need for anything. Evade taxes. Look after number one. Don’t tell me you’ve never done anything illegal, not if you lived in Moscow. One of the few pleasures of our miserable existence was to disobey rules and rip off the government.” He glanced at her. “I’ve found other pleasures over here.”
“Eating?”
Nik laughed and took the turn for the Aventura Mall. “I’m guessing you don’t have a dress in that backpack. So do I take you to your boyfriend’s or you buying another?”
“I’ll buy
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