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I stepped over to him and ran my fingers around the edges of his collar, making sure it wasn’t folded up. “You look fine. Everyone sweats in here. That’s the point.”
“You’re not wrinkled.”
“I just had my clothes pressed. Would you like me to send the launderer to your home?”
“No,” he answered quickly, grabbing his phone from the top shelf and sliding it in his pocket. If he noticed anything amiss, he didn’t comment on it. “You’ve done enough. Seriously.”
I gave him a nod and gestured to the door, following him out of the locker room.
“Don’t be nervous,” I whispered over Marek’s shoulder as we entered the dining room. “He’s just a man, like everyone else.”
“I’m not nervous,” he whispered back.
From the change in his posture, I begged to differ but I didn’t want to argue and make him any edgier. Thankfully we were the first ones to arrive at the table. Being late never made for a good first impression on anyone, but with Sergei, it was one of the highest insults.
While we waited for him to arrive, Marek perused the menu, the tablecloth bouncing away. I slid my hand over the top of his knee and squeezed it. He looked up at me and blinked, setting the menu down. “Sorry. I still don’t understand why I’m here. Seems like a setup from a mob movie.”
“It’s lunch,” I squeezed his knee one more time before removing my hand. “He wants to get to know you. The general manager position is more than just… the club. He wants to know it’s in good hands.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I get that. But why now?”
“As I said, he’s been busy.”
Sergei arrived a few minutes later, which meant he was fifteen minutes early for the time he’d set. My jaw clenched the moment I saw Dimitri with him. His presence would only add unnecessary tension to an already stressful conversation, since I was sure he wouldn’t make things easy for Marek—or me.
“Misha,” Sergei said as I stood, extending my hand. He clasped it firmly and gave it a shake before turning to Marek. “And you’re the new general manager.” Sergei shot me a look, slipping into Russian as he shook Marek’s hand. “He looks like he’s ten. Where did you find him again?”
“Dalton’s.He was one of their best,” I lied, watching Marek’s smile tighten at our exchange. It wasn’t a complete fabrication. Hewasone of their best but the switch to Delirium had absolutely nothing to do with my head-hunting skills.
“My English not so good,” Sergei lied right back, patting Marek’s hand before releasing him. “Forgive me.”
Marek merely smiled and gave him a nod. I’m sure the little voice in his head was screamingBullshitat that very moment. Sergei’s English was flawless when he wanted it to be.
Dimitri, on the other hand, was as welcoming as a snake. Silent, unmoving, and staring with a venomous glare. His beady black eyes darted between Marek and I, like he was trying to decide which one of us he wanted to strike at first.
“Dimitri,” I said, drawing his attention away from Marek. “I’m surprised to see you here. You so rarely concern yourself with this aspect of business.”
“Consider me concerned after the last one,” Dimitri replied as we took our seats. I didn’t know if he meant Sasha or the manager.
“That’s in the past,” Sergei said, waving off the two of us.
“The past is what concerns me.” Dimitri shot me a nasty look. “Men with shadowy pasts cannot be trusted.”
“Is this going to be a lunch or an interrogation?” The question was meant for Sergei but I glared at Dimitri.
Sergei ignored both of us and turned his attention to Marek. “So, Marek. Tell me about you. Your family.”
“I don’t really know how to answer that,” Marek replied, shifting in his chair. “I’ve been bartending since I turned eighteen. There isn’t much family to speak of. Just my siblings.”
“No girlfriend?”
I kept my gaze narrowed on Dimitri, who in turn watched Marek like a hawk.
Marek smiled. Convincingly. “No, no girlfriend. Too busy just surviving.”
“Give it time,” Sergei said. It sounded like he was oblivious to the real answer, which gave me a fragment of hope. Dimitri hadn’t said anything yet, which was surprising, but it also meant he hadn’t found anything concrete.
“He seems to have an issue with time,” Dimitri said under his breath.
