Carina pinched her lips together, pulling something invisible out of her mouth, and tossed it to the ground. Then she stomped it flat with her heel. “Done and dusted.”
Our laughter echoed as we walked through the east wing toward the exit. The guard, Viktor, was supposed to be outside. When the doors opened, the car waiting wasn’t the one I had expected. A sleek Land Rover Discovery gleamed under the light.
Carina let out a dramatic gasp. “Looks like Rodion has it all planned. That’s my dream car. I’m sure I’ll save for half my lifetime, but one day, I’ll drive this.”
I shook my head. “You make me laugh. I feel better. Anyway, see you later. Go eat. You could join Matvet again?”
She rolled her eyes. “The man looks at me like I’m going to assault him just by showing up. He doesn’t realize I’m only trying to appreciate the fact that he saved me once.”
“Matvet is a sweetheart,” I said. “You have no idea.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I’ll be in the room writing. I’ll make him a villain in my novel.”
I laughed and waved as Viktor opened the car door for me. I slid inside, glancing back. Carina was still grinning, her gaze stuck on the car.
The car rolled out of the territory. Tonight would be amazing.
The drive was quiet. My thoughts filled the silence, circling only on how the night would go. I imagined Rodion’s smile, the one he was showing more often. He didn’t know what it did to me, how that simple curve of his mouth erased the hard, cold mask of a mafia boss he always wore.
The restaurant wasn’t far. We pulled up, and Viktor wasalready at my door, opening it before I could reach for the handle.
“Thank you, Viktor,” I said.
“You are welcome, Miss. The boss said I could leave, but call me if you need anything.”
I nodded. “Yes. He could be here.”
“Alright. Enjoy your night.”
I walked toward the entrance. The doors swung open for me, and a woman greeted me. After confirming the reservation, she led me upstairs to the quieter level.
The room was washed in dim light, candles flickering on every table. Glass walls framed the city outside, its lights scattered like jewels against the night. A few couples were in the space. The air smelled faintly of wine and polished wood.
Rodion wasn’t here yet. A small part of me had expected him to be waiting, but I reminded myself that I was the one who asked him for the date. I sat at our table by the window, letting the glow of the city pour into me.
This was real. I was on a date.
A deep voice caught me off guard, and I turned, hope rising, but it was another couple being guided to their table. My smile lingered. I looked back outside, then down at my phone. It was a few minutes before seven. I arrived early—no need to rush my thoughts.
I opened our chat to double-check the details. The location I sent him was correct. His reply was still there:Received, Little Gem.
The words eased me. I locked the screen and set it down. My eyes drifted again to the entrance, then back outside. Cars slid along the streets below, headlights glowing in neat lines. A group of people hurried by with their coats pulled tight, the weather already turning colder than it had been last week. Rumors said that the rain would be worse this year, harsher.
Footsteps caught my glancing up quickly. But it wasn’t him. My phone buzzed with a message from Carina asking how it was going.
I typed back, telling her not to distract me, and smiled to myself.
Half an hour passed. Rodion should have been here by now. My hand twitched toward my phone, wanting to call him, but I held myself back. I wanted to see him walk through that door with his smile aimed only at me.
The thought made me lower my head, lips curving faintly.
But the minutes crawled. People began to leave while others were shown in. My eyes kept darting to the entrance, each time disappointment settling heavier. I grabbed my phone, ready to call him. It had been an hour, so I couldn’t exaggerate by calling him. I did, but the call didn’t go through.
It could be due to a network failure. I called again, and still nothing. His phone was off?
I typed a message.
My excitement bled out, and stress wrapped around me instead, clawing at my stomach. Why wasn’t he here? Why was his phone turned off?