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“Not when they find out you’ve been skimming 15% off their cut for the last eight months,” I fire back, cursing myself for tipping my hand.
His mischievous eyes go wide at the revelation. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you’d better keep your lies to yourself if you know what’s good for you.”
I take a step closer to him. “You threatening me, Gregor?”
He attempts to stand his ground, but he averts his eyes unable to maintain my gaze. “I’m just saying watch what you say.”
“Likewise,” I warn him, staring him down as our breath fogs the bone-chilling air.
He backs down with shoulders slouched. “It’s cold out here,” he mutters, then turns to head back inside. Before he enters the banquet hall, he turns and gives me a sinister look that drops the temperature a few more degrees. And now I know that when it came to Gregor Orlov, it was kill or be killed.
With hands buried in my pockets, I remain outside a few minutes longer contemplating my next move. When I return to the reception hall, I’m pleased to see Madison chatting with a young woman I recognize as my cousin, Kylie. She’s also lived in the U.S. for most of her life having recently graduated from NYU with a computer science degree. I was hoping they’d have the opportunity to meet here.
I walk over to them and greet her, “Glad to see you could make it, Kylie,” I say and peck her cheek.
“Bash, where have you been hiding this one,” she says, gesturing at Madison. “Since when did you start dating gorgeous doctors?”
Mads rolls her eyes. “I still have to graduate medical school in—”
“Please, you’ve cut people open in the OR, you’re a doctor,” Kylie laughs it off. “You could do way better than this lug.”
Madison chuckles but slips her arm through mine. “Yeah, but I saved his life and now I can’t get rid of him.”
A bark of laughter escapes Kylie. “That’ll teach you.”
“Hey, I’m standing right here, you know,” I say, giving Kylie a playful scowl. Her blond hair is pulled back into an austere bun. She’s wearing stylish glasses giving her a bookish look. All of this contrasts with her natural beauty and figure, which she’s showing off in a tight black cocktail dress.
“Kylie and I both attended NYU,” Madison says. “But she entered the year I graduated.”
“Thank God,” I joke.
“What?” Kylie laments. “Madison and I would’ve been fabulous friends.” She leans in conspiratorially toward Madison. “I could’ve filled you in on all the dirt on my cousin.”
“When?” I retort. “In between all your partying? Remind me, how long did it take you to graduate.”
She laughs again. “Screw you, Bash. I had a hell of a good time and still earned a top-notch degree. We can’t all be uptight, model students like you.”
Madison turns a mock incredulous look on me. “What? Not my Bash.”
“Hey, I was focused so I could finish early,” I grin and shoot a look at Kylie. “Some of us actually wanted to get on with our lives instead of becoming career students.”
Just then, a tall, good-looking man of partial Asian descent walks up placing a hand on Kylie’s back. “Babe, it’s getting late, you ready to go?”
“Sure, hold on,” she looks at us, a slight flush in her peaches and cream complexion. “Cousin Bash, this is my boyfriend Zhi Davis, of Davis Industries on Wall Street.”
Zhi extends his hand, I clasp it firmly and say, “Nice to meet you. And this is my fiancée, Dr. Madison Graham.”
He shakes her hand too. “Nice to meet you both,” he says. “We’ll all have to get together soon for dinner. Kylie has told me so much about you.”
I cut my eyes at Kylie. “Really?”
“Don’t worry,” she winks at me. “I left out all the hair-raising stuff, but it’ll make for great dinner conversation.”
“As will your exploits, dear cousin,” I reply and return my gaze to Zhi, “I look forward to dinner. Meanwhile, good luck with this one.”
Zhi chuckles nervously. “Thanks…I think.”
“He’s teasing you,” Madison says in the awkward silence. “Kylie, give us a call this week. My schedule is crazy, but I’d love to get together soon.”
