There are four seated, but I can only see the faces of three. All of them have different colored eyes, and from how tall they are while seated, they must be at least six feet tall or more. The fourth man at their table has his back to me. He’s got dark-blond hair and is definitely the tallest in the group. They’re all dressed in suits, so this must be a business lunch of some sort.
“Privet,” I say as I get to the table. Four pairs of eyes turn to look at me, and I immediately recognize the last pair. It’s Ivan, the man who saved me from my attacker last night. My heart flutters as heat starts to pool in my lower abdomen.
“Emma,” I hear him say.Holy goodness, his voice is even deeper than it was last night. “What are you doing here?”
“Hello Ivan. I, uh…I actually w-work here,” I stutter as I feel a blush creep up my cheeks. I shouldn’t be feeling this nervous; I barely know this man. “I usually work the dinner shift but recently I’ve started working the lunch shift too.”
“Wait, do you two know each other?” one of the other table guests asks, pointing back and forth between Ivan and I.
“I helped Emma last night with a little problem she was having,” Ivan replied. “These are my brothers: Dmitri, Maksim, and Grigory.” Ivan points to each of his brothers as he introduces them.
“Pleasure,” I say, giving my best smile I can while nodding at the table. I’ll probably forget their names as soon as they leave, but what a vision I’ll have while they’re sitting here. “What can I get you gentlemen to drink?” I take their drink orders and retreat to the kitchen.
“Hey, Boris, you want to hear something funny?” I ask as I get the drinks prepared.
“I always want to hear funny,” Boris responds.
“There was a man who helped me last night with my attacker. Right now, he’s currently sitting at the corner table with his brothers for lunch,” I tell him.
“Oh good. Ivan is here with the boys. They come every week. Tell him I make him something good for saving you last night. He doesn’t order from menu.”
“Who is this guy?” I ask as I finish putting the drinks on the tray to take back to the table.
“He is good friend, and good man. He is like son to me and Marina,” Boris says with a warm smile.
My eyebrows shoot to my hairline. I don’t hear Boris talk about someone with so much love and respect in his tone unless he’s talking about his wife. I pick up the tray and return to the dining room.
“Here you go,” I tell them as I serve their drinks. “Boris has told me that you’re not to order from the menu, because he will make you something good.”
“Boris is a good man,” Ivan says as he chuckles, taking a sip of his drink.
“So what was this problem that Ivan helped you with last night?” one of Ivan’s brothers asks—as I have already forgot their names.
“Dmitri, it is none of your business,” Ivan speaks before I can answer.
“I can answer. I don’t mind.” I look at him, practically at eye-level even though he’s sitting down. “I was attacked last night on my way home from work.”
“You wereattacked?” Grigory asks, setting his drink down a little harder than he probably meant to.
“Yes. Your brother pulled the guy off me and then walked me home.”
“Oh he did, did he?” Dmitri sends a sly smile Ivan’s way while his other brothers give their own looks.
“Yes, I did,” Ivan confirms. “You know Mama raised us to help women, not harm them.”
“She did,” Dmitri agreed.
“How is your cheek today?” Ivan asks, directing his attention back towards me. His jaw clenches when he sees the slightly darkened area of my face where the bruise is still showing through the layers of makeup.
“It’s better, sort of. It doesn’t really hurt at the moment, and I found some makeup to cover the bruise,” I tell him. “I put ice on it to help with swelling, like you suggested.”
“Let me see, Emma,” Ivan tells me. I can feel heat spreading across my chest as Ivan takes in the side of my face. I’ll never get through lunch if I start blushing every time he looks at me.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asks again.
“I’m fine. Boris has already given me what for about working today. I’m only working the lunch shift, and then I’m off tomorrow at his insistence.”
“Good,” Ivan says, keeping his eye on my bruise.
