manicures.”
“Is that so?” I grinned mischievously.
Glancing around the sink, I soon found what I was looking for, and my grin widened. Grabbing the detergent bottle with both hands, I quickly turned and squeezed, letting out a shriek as the soapy liquid shot out in Beth’s direction. Or, better said, where I thought she was.
“Oops!” was the only thing I was able to say before I doubled over, laughing hysterically.
Instead of Beth, Alex was standing in front of me, bright green liquid streaking the white t-shirt he’d apparently changed into, and a few drops of the same hanging from his chin. I was sure I‘d never seen a more peculiar sight in my life, but what really threw me was how utterly astonished he looked. He was probably determining the most painful way to strangle me, but I laughed my ass off all the same.
I was aware that Bethany was close by, giggling mercilessly in her high voice, but I couldn’t make out where exactly because tears of laughter got in the way. I was just trying to catch my breath, when a torrent of cold water came down over my head with a splash.
Letting out a scream, I jumped back, almost slipping on the wet kitchen floor.
“You jerk!”
With an empty vase in one hand and a bunch of wilting tulips in the other, Alex was standing in front of me, looking me up and down with blank expression on his face.
“You are a dead man!”
Paying no mind to my shouting, he set the empty vase down on the table and leaned over me, reached out and tucked a single red tulip behind my ear. Then he turned and casually exited the kitchen without a word.
“Sasha, are you alright?” Bethany half mumbled and half snorted, bursting into laughter again.
Slowly turning to her, feeling my face redden in anger, I threw her a look that threatened violence. She, of course, didn’t pay attention at all, writhing in laughter as she was, one hand supporting her weight against the wall.
“And you, my best friend in the world!” I hissed and ran to my room, squelching as water trickled behind me on the floor.
***
The afternoon was scorching, so Bethany and I agreed to spend it lounging on the balcony, hoping to catch some rays. My hair was still wet from washing it after the trick Alex had played, so lying about in the sun saved me using the dryer.
I couldn’t figure out how he’d dared to act like that. Apart from Vova, Nikolai’s people had always sort of kept their distance. If any of them had so much as looked at me funny, he would have ended up in a ditch pretty soon, probably in more than one bag. Nonetheless, it seemed like Alex had some special status in my father’s eyes, a fact he was obviously aware of. I wondered what he’d done to earn that.
“Would you believe it? Look at what that no-good’s doing .” I shook my head and looked towards the living room.
Sunk into a couch in front of TV, Alex was gripping a joystick with obvious enthusiasm, blasting at zombies on the screen.
“I'm pretty sure that’s what you were doing all last weekend.”
“So what? Unlike me, he’s...” I started, but stopped short.
It was obvious that I was starting to lose my grip, because I almost blurted out that Alex wasn’t being paid to play video games. I’d caught myself in time, thank God. There would have been a lot to explain if I didn’t.
“What?”
“Nothing. Forget it.” I quickly dismissed it and leaned back in my lounger.
Apparently, the whole this situation didn’t throw Alex off kilter much. I, on the other hand, found myself on tenterhooks thanks to this stranger in my apartment. It wasn’t that I thought he might hurt me, though. If Nikolai had any special talent, it was in judging character. What drove me nuts was the constant anxiety I felt in his presence, a feeling that intensified when he walked around shirtless. I was sure he was doing it on purpose.
“You know, to me Alex doesn’t look lik e a guy who’d be interested in Art history at all,”
“Is that so?” I grinned mischievously.
Glancing around the sink, I soon found what I was looking for, and my grin widened. Grabbing the detergent bottle with both hands, I quickly turned and squeezed, letting out a shriek as the soapy liquid shot out in Beth’s direction. Or, better said, where I thought she was.
“Oops!” was the only thing I was able to say before I doubled over, laughing hysterically.
Instead of Beth, Alex was standing in front of me, bright green liquid streaking the white t-shirt he’d apparently changed into, and a few drops of the same hanging from his chin. I was sure I‘d never seen a more peculiar sight in my life, but what really threw me was how utterly astonished he looked. He was probably determining the most painful way to strangle me, but I laughed my ass off all the same.
I was aware that Bethany was close by, giggling mercilessly in her high voice, but I couldn’t make out where exactly because tears of laughter got in the way. I was just trying to catch my breath, when a torrent of cold water came down over my head with a splash.
Letting out a scream, I jumped back, almost slipping on the wet kitchen floor.
“You jerk!”
With an empty vase in one hand and a bunch of wilting tulips in the other, Alex was standing in front of me, looking me up and down with blank expression on his face.
“You are a dead man!”
Paying no mind to my shouting, he set the empty vase down on the table and leaned over me, reached out and tucked a single red tulip behind my ear. Then he turned and casually exited the kitchen without a word.
“Sasha, are you alright?” Bethany half mumbled and half snorted, bursting into laughter again.
Slowly turning to her, feeling my face redden in anger, I threw her a look that threatened violence. She, of course, didn’t pay attention at all, writhing in laughter as she was, one hand supporting her weight against the wall.
“And you, my best friend in the world!” I hissed and ran to my room, squelching as water trickled behind me on the floor.
***
The afternoon was scorching, so Bethany and I agreed to spend it lounging on the balcony, hoping to catch some rays. My hair was still wet from washing it after the trick Alex had played, so lying about in the sun saved me using the dryer.
I couldn’t figure out how he’d dared to act like that. Apart from Vova, Nikolai’s people had always sort of kept their distance. If any of them had so much as looked at me funny, he would have ended up in a ditch pretty soon, probably in more than one bag. Nonetheless, it seemed like Alex had some special status in my father’s eyes, a fact he was obviously aware of. I wondered what he’d done to earn that.
“Would you believe it? Look at what that no-good’s doing .” I shook my head and looked towards the living room.
Sunk into a couch in front of TV, Alex was gripping a joystick with obvious enthusiasm, blasting at zombies on the screen.
“I'm pretty sure that’s what you were doing all last weekend.”
“So what? Unlike me, he’s...” I started, but stopped short.
It was obvious that I was starting to lose my grip, because I almost blurted out that Alex wasn’t being paid to play video games. I’d caught myself in time, thank God. There would have been a lot to explain if I didn’t.
“What?”
“Nothing. Forget it.” I quickly dismissed it and leaned back in my lounger.
Apparently, the whole this situation didn’t throw Alex off kilter much. I, on the other hand, found myself on tenterhooks thanks to this stranger in my apartment. It wasn’t that I thought he might hurt me, though. If Nikolai had any special talent, it was in judging character. What drove me nuts was the constant anxiety I felt in his presence, a feeling that intensified when he walked around shirtless. I was sure he was doing it on purpose.
“You know, to me Alex doesn’t look lik e a guy who’d be interested in Art history at all,”
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