“I’m going to go check on your food. Can I get you anything else while you’re waiting?”
“I’ll take another drink, please,” Ivan requests politely.
“No problem. I’ll be right back.” I smile as I retreat to the kitchen.
The rest of the lunch service goes smoothly. Ivan and his brothers stay until the end, practically having to be pushed out the door when we close for the afternoon.
“Do svidaniya, Emma,” Ivan says, taking my hand in his and kissing the top of my knuckles like he did last night. His lips are so soft and warm, and the action makes me blush again.
“Do svidaniya, Ivan. Pozhaluysta, vozvrashchaytes’poskoreye.Thank you for coming,” I reply.
“You speak Russian?” Ivan asks with surprise in his voice.
“Da.I grew up speaking Russian with some of my family, and I speak it with Boris when I’m working,” I reply.
“Hmmm.” Ivan looks thoughtful as he gives me a smile. “See you soon,lyubimaya.”Then he walks to his car.
I watch Ivan’s car pull away from the restaurant, and can’t help but smile as butterflies continue flying around in my stomach. I go back inside to finish cleaning up and get my things. I’ll visit Gran for a little while, and then go home to rest—maybe even watch some moreGilmore Girlson my laptop before bed.
CHAPTER EIGHT
EMMA
THREE DAYS LATER, we have a particularly busy day at the restaurant. I work the lunch shift as usual, and when we close for the afternoon, Boris shows me how to makegolubtsy. I’ve had cabbage rolls before. In fact, these cabbage rolls were the first thing I ever ate in Boris’ restaurant. When I started working here, I told him I wanted to learn to make them one day.
The dinner service is busy, and as I’m serving my largest table, I see a recognizable face enter the restaurant, followed by a bodyguard. My jaw drops slightly in awe at the imposing figure he cuts in the dining room. He stops to scan the room, smiling when his eyes meet mine. I motion to an empty table in my section, and he takes a seat.
“Privet,Ivan,” I say as I finally make my way over to his table.
“Privet,lyubimaya.” His greeting sounds incredibly sexy with his deep voice and accent. It sends a warm sensation through my chest.
“What can I get you?”
“Vodka, for now please.”
“Sure thing.” I turn away to go grab his drink and have to walk past my least favorite table of the night. A large group of men who are dressed like frat boys came in about an hour ago, and they have been getting progressively more handsy as they consume more and more alcohol. More than once I’ve caught them undressing me with their eyes. I’ve been running back and forth all night for every single little request for this table.
I take Ivan’s drink back to his table, grateful to see a familiar and friendly face. “Are you having dinner on your own tonight?” I ask him with a nervous smile.
“Yes. What do you recommend?” Ivan replies. It’s a silly question, because I know he comes in here frequently.
“I love thegolubtsy. It was my first meal here, and Boris taught me how to make them today.” I stop myself before I ramble about food.
“Then that’s what I’ll have,” Ivan says with a wink.
“I’ll be back with that as soon as it’s ready. Anything else?”
“Nothing comes to mind, but I’ll let you know,” Ivan says, the edge of his mouth turning up into a smile. As I walk away, I can feel his eyes watching every move. The action makes me blush like a school girl.
As I make my way back to the rowdy table, one of the guys apparently thinks it’s appropriate to get my attention my snapping his fingers at me and calling out “sweetheart.” I roll my eyes as I make my way to their table.
As I turn away from the table to get the refill they requested, another guy at the table grabs my arm and tries to pull me into his lap. I manage to shake him off and steady myself on my feet, but it leaves me feeling slimy.
“Don’t do that again. I’m not interested,” I tell him as I walk back to the kitchen. Ivan’s food must be ready by now, so I focus on what I can control.
I grab Ivan’s plate from the kitchen and return to the dining room, along with the drink refill for the other table.
“I hope you like it,” I say to Ivan as I place the food in front of him and give him a nervous smile.
