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I stand on instinct, shocked onto my feet. “Eileen?”
She smiles sweetly, the corners of her eyes crinkling. “Hello, Pyotr. It’s certainly been a while.”
Chapter 19
Alina
“Flowers? For me?”
I take the bouquet of freshly cut roses from Ben with the biggest smile on my face. I don’t think I’ve ever been gifted flowers before. Such a small gesture, yet it makes my whole face light up with barely contained glee. The arrangement didn’t come with a card, but it’s pretty obvious who the sender is.
“I’ll have to put these in some fresh water. Thanks for bringing them up, Ben.”
“Of course,” he says. “But before I go, I wanted to apologize.”
I arch brow. “What for?”
He shakes his head with a huff, his eyes cast down in disappointment. “For what happened at the gala. I keep screwing up. I’m really worried Mr. Antonov is going to fire me.” Ben shifts his weight uncomfortably from foot to foot as he scratches sheepishly behind his ear. “That was an oversight on my part. I shouldn’t have let you leave the ballroom without me. Mr. Antonov isn’t without enemies, and I honestly should have known better.”
I reach out and pat his arm in a comforting manner. “Just relax, Ben. Pyotr isn’t going to fire you.”
“But this is my second screw up in just as many days. I really don’t know what I’d do without this job. Not to mention I’d be embarrassing my aunt. I couldn’t let her down like that, you know? Especially when she stuck her neck out to vouch for me.”
I shake my head. “You’re worrying about nothing. I promise Pyotr isn’t upset in any way. Neither of you could have predicted Richard would accost me.”
“See, that’s the thing. I’m supposed to protect you from the unpredictable.”
“That’s too tall an order.”
“That’s the job,” Ben counters gravely.
I offer him a gentle smile. “I was the one who went off to the bathroom by myself, so you’re really not to blame. Besides, I would have felt weird if you were standing just outside waiting for me.”
“But—”
“Let it go, Ben. I’m fine, Pyotr’s not angry, and your job is still safe, okay? Nice deep breaths.”
It takes him a moment, but Ben does take a breath and visibly relaxes. “Yeah, okay.”
“Can you help me find a vase or something to put these flowers in?”
“Of course, Mrs. Antonov.”
“Alina, please. That’s way too stuffy for my taste.”
Ben chuckles. “Alright, Alina.”
We head into the kitchen together. I gingerly set the flowers down on the island counter while Ben sifts through the cupboards in search of a glass tall enough to house my bouquet.
“Do you think this’ll do?” he asks, turning to show off a tall, far too narrow glass.
“I don’t think it’s big enough. Here, why don’t you snip the ends off for me and I’ll just…” I slip behind him, hopping up onto the counter without a second thought.
“Be careful!” he warns. “I could have just gotten it down for you.”
I wave him off. “Remind me to go and buy a step ladder later.” I rifle through the very top shelf and manage to find a tall, frosted vase. It’s covered in dust, but it’s nothing a quick rinse won’t fix. I pass it to Ben and hop on down from the counter with a triumphant grin. “See? No need to freak out.”
He puts a hand on his heart. “You’re not making my job easy, Alina.”
