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Let her trip up her straight garden path wearing a bridesmaid’s dress and a few love bites, not entertain thoughts of letting her in on his twisted life; treat her coolly today so that by Monday she had got the message—only he couldn’t.
Couldn’t actually bring himself to do it toher.‘Annie...’ As she turned around and hopeful eyes shot to his, he wanted to tell her that in future she shouldn’t be so optimistic, that when some cad, some bastard called her name, she shouldn’t appear so open. That she was opening herself for hurt.
‘I do have an appointment today but if I can swing it with Marshall, perhaps we could have dinner tonight.’ She shouldn’t be nodding. Iosef winced. She should be telling him she’d get back to him about dinner, or pulling out a bleeping mobile, not smiling and waving and wearing her heart on her sleeve as he drove off.
Not being Annie.
* * *
‘Where didyou say we’re going?’
Sinking back into her seat, Annie looked out of the window as his sleek car silently gobbled up the miles, the city a golden glint in the rear-view mirror as the sun set over the bay.
‘I know a really nice restaurant—right on the water. It’s a bit of a drive, but worth it.’
It was.
Tucked away in a secluded cove, the restaurant sat on the end of a pier, the food so fresh Annie half expected to look out and see the chef casting his line. But it wasn’t the food or romantic surroundings that made the night special—it was the company.
Sharing a sumptuous seafood platter, washed down with icy glasses of tonic water with dashes of lime, they chatted easily.
‘The experience was good, I guess.’ Iosef shrugged when she asked about his work in Russia. ‘I learnt to think for myself—make the best use of the facilities available.’
‘Is that why you don’t like asking for help?’
‘I guess,’ he answered, then shook his head. ‘I know if I do it myself that it’s done...’ His voice trailed off and Annie smiled.
‘You’re a control freak.’
‘No!’ He actually smiled back at her rather bold statement.
‘You need to delegate.’ Annie dipped a massive tiger prawn in citrus mayonnaise. ‘Or you’ll burn out.’
‘If I was ever going to burn out, I think it would have happened in Russia. As busy as it can be here, the facilities are good and there is always back-up.’
‘Would you go back?’
‘Maybe. I miss the kids.’
‘The kids?’ Annie repeated, and he actually laughed as she clearly misinterpreted his words.
‘There is no ex-Mrs Kolovsky. In Russia I volunteered on my days off at the detsky doms—children’s homes,’ he translated.
‘As a doctor?’
‘Absolutely—these children have a lot of physiological problems as well as psychological ones. There’s always a lot to be done. Still, it was the right time to come back.’
‘Because of your father?’ She watched his face stiffen, watched his hand pause for a fraction as he raised his glass to his lips, but he quickly righted himself, answering her with a dismissive shrug and a casual voice that Annie was sure was false.
‘I guess—there are a lot of changes happening at the moment. And Levander was getting married. My father wanted to discuss what would happen with the business. Probably Aleksi will take over.’
‘How come Levander isn’t?’ Annie pushed. ‘I thought he was the eldest.’
‘He doesn’t want it,’ Iosef answered tightly, ‘and I can’t say I blame him. Anyway, enough about my family...’
‘Please, no!’ Annie moaned. ‘You really don’t want to know about mine.’
Actually, he hadn’t been about to ask, was just trying to drop the subject of his own family, but she had him curious now.
