slacks and then carefully folding them into thirds and laying them in her suitcase, Emily considered her plan with relish. The real question was whether or not she even wanted Ivan anymore. Twenty-four hours ago she would have said yes. Her life was so boring. It was filled with duty to her brother and business decisions. She hadn’t allowed herself to really have fun in so long. Maybe this was her chance? Maybe she could have fun with Ivan, and force him to abandon this plan to ruin her brother all at the same time.
She closed the suitcase and zipped it up with a sound resembling finality. “Or I’m going to alienate my brother and completely lose my self-respect by throwing myself at a man who only wants to use me for some petty revenge scheme.”
Emily sat down on her bed and put her face in her hands. She thought about the previous night and the way she had felt in Ivan’s arms. The expression on his face had been real. She was sure of it. In that moment, he had been the same guy she had known eight years ago. She had been too young and naïve to fight for him then. Maybe this was her second chance to make everything right.
Standing up, she turned and took a long look at her room. Nothing about it had changed, probably not even since high school. It was time to grow up. Either that or it was time to accept that she’d given up on ever having her own life.
***
Ivan parked his car in front of Yuri’s laundromat. He couldn’t help but notice that Sergei’s car was parked there as well. Perhaps Sergei had come to complain about Ivan. That would make Ivan’s day.
Getting out of the car, Ivan swaggered through the front door of the laundromat. He winked at the young woman working the counter. She blushed and looked down at the stack of dry clean tickets she was organizing. Olga hadn’t been in the US long, but her English was getting better.
“Did the cat get your tongue, Olga?” he asked. He’d been working with her on her American slang. So far she was a pretty quick study.
“No, I just didn’t want to stroke your ego and give you a big head,” she replied with a grin.
“Nice!” Ivan said approvingly. “Is the boss in?”
“He’s with Sergei.” She made a face. “He’s in a bad mood.”
“He’s usually in a bad mood lately.” Ivan started walking back. “I’ll just wait back here.”
“Uh-huh.” She pointed at him with one long red fingernail. “I wasn’t born yesterday. I know what you’re up to.”
“Another good one,” Ivan told her. “You’re going to start beating me at this game before long.”
She made a noncommittal noise and went back to her stack of tickets. Ivan went through the curtain that separated the part of the store with washer and dryer units from the dry cleaning operation. Before he’d gone ten feet he could already hear Sergei’s whining.
“What do you mean you won’t sanction him?” Sergei said. “The man is sleeping with my sister! You and I have all but agreed upon a marriage between Emily and your youngest son! This is as much of an insult to you as it is to me.”
“Your sister is a grown woman.” Yuri sounded annoyed. Ivan slowed his walk, not wanting to burst in on the conversation and lose the opportunity of hearing more. “I’m quite certain if she’s sleeping with Ivan Dedov, she’s a willing participant. If Emily wants to come in here and complain that Ivan is taking advantage of her, I’ll reconsider my position. But really, Sergei…” Yuri’s pause said everything his words did not. “And the marriage plans between my son and your sister are hardly fixed. In fact, sometimes I believe you are the only one who will nag until that happens.”
“Ivan Dedov is ruining my business.” Now Sergei sounded curt. “You know he’s doing it on purpose. And I know he gave a tip to the FBI about my dealers. I’m out ten guys, Yuri. How am I supposed to do business without manpower?”
“If your men were worth a damn, they would
She closed the suitcase and zipped it up with a sound resembling finality. “Or I’m going to alienate my brother and completely lose my self-respect by throwing myself at a man who only wants to use me for some petty revenge scheme.”
Emily sat down on her bed and put her face in her hands. She thought about the previous night and the way she had felt in Ivan’s arms. The expression on his face had been real. She was sure of it. In that moment, he had been the same guy she had known eight years ago. She had been too young and naïve to fight for him then. Maybe this was her second chance to make everything right.
Standing up, she turned and took a long look at her room. Nothing about it had changed, probably not even since high school. It was time to grow up. Either that or it was time to accept that she’d given up on ever having her own life.
***
Ivan parked his car in front of Yuri’s laundromat. He couldn’t help but notice that Sergei’s car was parked there as well. Perhaps Sergei had come to complain about Ivan. That would make Ivan’s day.
Getting out of the car, Ivan swaggered through the front door of the laundromat. He winked at the young woman working the counter. She blushed and looked down at the stack of dry clean tickets she was organizing. Olga hadn’t been in the US long, but her English was getting better.
“Did the cat get your tongue, Olga?” he asked. He’d been working with her on her American slang. So far she was a pretty quick study.
“No, I just didn’t want to stroke your ego and give you a big head,” she replied with a grin.
“Nice!” Ivan said approvingly. “Is the boss in?”
“He’s with Sergei.” She made a face. “He’s in a bad mood.”
“He’s usually in a bad mood lately.” Ivan started walking back. “I’ll just wait back here.”
“Uh-huh.” She pointed at him with one long red fingernail. “I wasn’t born yesterday. I know what you’re up to.”
“Another good one,” Ivan told her. “You’re going to start beating me at this game before long.”
She made a noncommittal noise and went back to her stack of tickets. Ivan went through the curtain that separated the part of the store with washer and dryer units from the dry cleaning operation. Before he’d gone ten feet he could already hear Sergei’s whining.
“What do you mean you won’t sanction him?” Sergei said. “The man is sleeping with my sister! You and I have all but agreed upon a marriage between Emily and your youngest son! This is as much of an insult to you as it is to me.”
“Your sister is a grown woman.” Yuri sounded annoyed. Ivan slowed his walk, not wanting to burst in on the conversation and lose the opportunity of hearing more. “I’m quite certain if she’s sleeping with Ivan Dedov, she’s a willing participant. If Emily wants to come in here and complain that Ivan is taking advantage of her, I’ll reconsider my position. But really, Sergei…” Yuri’s pause said everything his words did not. “And the marriage plans between my son and your sister are hardly fixed. In fact, sometimes I believe you are the only one who will nag until that happens.”
“Ivan Dedov is ruining my business.” Now Sergei sounded curt. “You know he’s doing it on purpose. And I know he gave a tip to the FBI about my dealers. I’m out ten guys, Yuri. How am I supposed to do business without manpower?”
“If your men were worth a damn, they would
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