"That's the cream." She sets the ivory down and hands the cream to the woman with the binder, who nods and makes a note. "I knew it. I told them the cream was warmer."
There is a flurry of banter and activity as I pull away from the door and look up the hall, turning to ask, "Roman's upstairs?"
"He's waiting for you." Mila gestures with her hand then cautions me, "Don't keep him long. I need him to approve the seating arrangement before these go out."
"I'll do my best."
She waves me off and turns back to the table, already pulling another sample from the pile. I leave her to it and take the stairs up to the second floor, where the hallway's quiet and Roman's study door is open at the far end.
He's standing behind his desk sorting through a stack of papers when I walk in. Loose black hair falls in his face, and he doesn't look up until I close the door. When he does, his blue eyes are already locked in on whatever conversation he's been building in his head since he called me over here.
"Sit down."
I take the chair across from his desk. He drops into his own and slides a folder toward me, tapping it a couple of times. "The American is locked in, Kaz. We've got a great fight on our docket."
Hearing how Roman secured a heavyweight boxing champ to step into our ring has the whole family looking forward to the fights. It's a shame things worked out the way they did with his wedding and being rushed to the altar. But the marriage bringsa strong alliance for us, and I'm more than capable of handling these few things while he's gone.
"I hear he's good."
"The best," Roman says, leaning back. "Which is why I need you at your best." He pushes a folder toward me, and I open it to see a flight itinerary and instructions for the boxer, and behind that one for him and his wife to be.
"Italy and the Spanish coast, huh?" I look up at him, grinning. Roman is happier than I've ever seen him. It's catching. I want to feel that same happiness with a woman I love too. Maybe Zora's the one, or maybe not, but I'm ready and I think everyone knows it.
"It'll be in the high twenties the whole time, just beautiful weather."
I close the folder and suck in a breath. The air relaxes my chest as I breathe out slowly. "You have nothing to worry about, Ro. You and Mila enjoy your honeymoon. Timur, Stepan, and I have this locked in."
He holds my gaze for a few seconds and then reaches for the glass of whiskey sitting on the corner of his desk and takes a sip. I see his wheels turning and know he's about to get personal. I'm sort of used to it. Since my old man keeled over, Ro has become like a big brother to me, or even a father. I've learned to read his moods like I read the news.
"So." He sets the glass down. "Tell me about her."
The heat comes up the back of my neck before I can do a thing about it, blooming under my collar and crawling toward my ears. I rub my jaw and look at the desk because looking at Romanwhile I talk about this makes me feel like I'm seventeen again and asking permission for something.
"Her name's Zora."
"I know her name. Stepan told me." He tips his chair back and crosses one ankle over his knee. "What I want to know is what she's done to you, because I haven't seen you like this since we were kids and you spent the whole summer chasing Yelena Pavlova around the neighborhood."
I chuckle at the memory and rub a hand over my face. "That's not the same thing."
"No?" He's smiling now. "Okay. Then tell me what it is."
I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees and lacing my fingers together. The words are harder to find than I thought they'd be. I've liked other women before, but I've never had a woman as gorgeous as Zora look my way. It's not just about her looks, either. When she speaks, her voice is a siren's song. I'm addicted already and I don’t even know her.
"When I'm not with her, I'm thinking about the next time I will be." I press my thumbs together and stare at them. "And when I am with her, I don't think about anything else. I really like her, Ro. She's funny and beautiful."
Roman sighs heavily and drums his fingers on the desk.
"Good, Kazimir. You deserve that." He more than anyone understands what I've done and what I've been through to get to where I am. I'm ready to have what life wants to give me, and I'm open to receiving the best things it has to offer.
"Just don't let her cloud your thinking while I'm gone. I need your head clear."
"It will be."
"Alright, well, we should get down to busi—" Mila's voice rings out down the hallway as Roman is mid-sentence, calling his name. He pauses, looking annoyed for only a split second before he smiles and stands. "Apparently, duty calls. I'll be right back. Now you look through the file, and we can go over logistics for when I'm gone." He starts walking, moving toward the door while I chuckle at him.
But the logistics for business while he's away is the last thing on my mind. I want to see Zora again, and I want it to be soon, so I pull out my phone and dial her number while I wait.
She picks up sounding as sweet as sugar, and it makes me smile.
