The Fling (22 page)

“I’ll let you two get to know each other,” he said with feeling before he closed the door behind him.

“Sorry he’s—”

“He’s not Italian, is he?”

“No.” Oksana laughed. There was no point in lying. “He’s not.”

After making themselves comfortable on the couch, they talked for a while. Willow had been very helpful in bringing her information by. Some clients, especially famous, arrogant ones, loved lying about their health, usually to cover up some drug habit or some eating disorder. Oksana could tell from the get-go that Willow didn’t have either. They would have to get her below her normal weight from the look of things, but that wouldn’t be a problem.

Oksana was able to get a lot of information out of Willow to help in their workouts without coming across as being all business. Willow seemed to appreciate her approach. Oksana tried to ignore the fact that her new client was indeed flirting. The flirting was having the opposite of its intended effect. Willow was attractive, there was no doubt about that, but as the clock on Paulo’s desk continued to tick off the minutes, all she wanted was to get back to the big house. And Annie. Willow represented what drew people to Los Angeles, the glamour and the fame, but Annie was real.

Finally, after an hour, Willow seemed pleased with the initial ideas Oksana had to shed her excess pounds. Oksana humored her with a few more minutes of small talk, and as soon as Willow was out the door, Oksana booked it home.

Annie’s Prius was parked on the street.

She found Annie in the living room, sitting on the couch. Kat sat on the coffee table in front of her, her makeup kits spread out on all the available surfaces.

“Hey.” Annie beamed the moment she caught Oksana out of the corner of her eye. “Kat’s practicing for the play.”

“I’m almost done.” Kat added one more stroke. “Perfect.”

“How do I look?” Annie stood and gave Oksana a full view of the blue and green designs that swirled around Annie’s left eye and cheek. Kat had some serious talent, but at the moment all Oksana could think about was getting a kiss.

Annie bit her lip knowingly and stood on her tiptoes. “My butterflies are going crazy. I think they missed you too,” she whispered just as their lips met.

The Final Seal of Approval

After their adult sleepover on Monday night went so well, Oksana and Annie decided it would be a good idea if Annie stayed over on Tuesday night too. The little house was much closer to Annie’s office than her place. With the rising costs in fuel, it only made sense, even if Annie drove a hybrid.

Tuesday night was so much fun, Wednesday morning, they overslept again. This time Oksana was late for her first session and Kat was late for school. She came banging on the little house door fifteen minutes after she was due in homeroom.

“Where’s Baba?” Oksana asked as she scrambled around for her clothes.

“She already went down to the store.”

“Shit.”

“Do you need a ride?” Annie asked as she zipped up her jeans.

“Uh, yeah.”

“I’ll take her,” Annie said.

Oksana paused mid shoe tie. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, you’re late. Even if I drop her off, I’ll be early for work. I’ll get some paperwork done.”

“Great,” Kat answered. “I’ll go get my bag.”

“I’d love to argue that it’s too soon for me to be pushing off the kid-carting on you, but I’m real fucking late.” Oksana kissed Annie before she grabbed her bag. “Spare key is under the rock by the door. Bye.”

Ten minutes later, Annie was behind the wheel of her Prius, Kat at her side. There was no unease in the air, an impromptu pit stop for McGriddles killed any chance of that, but Annie didn’t want to say anything to make things awkward between them. She took the casual, let’s focus on you without trying to pry, approach.

“You hanging out with Erica after school?” she asked just after Kat directed her to take the next left. Annie knew of one high school on this side of town and Kat didn’t go there.

“Yeah. She’s going to come to play practice with me.” Kat inhaled the last bite of her breakfast sandwich then crumpled her trash into the bag. She was quiet for half of an ABBA classic before Annie felt Kat’s gaze on her.

“I don’t want to be that annoying little sibling. I’m not naïve. I know how these things work, but do you really like my sister?”

“I do.”

“For more than just her body?”

“Yes.”

“A lot of people like her for her body,” Kat said frankly.

Soon Annie saw Kat’s school just ahead. She stopped at the front curb.

“I can imagine. How do you feel about us?” she asked, turning to Kat. Her green bangs were out of her face, but tons and tons of black makeup surrounded her eyes. Annie realized in the three days she’d been hanging around, she’d never seen Kat with her makeup off. She had the same green eyes as her sister. A gorgeous girl, but Annie imagined she gave people the wrong impression of her every day. Annie stopped herself from smiling. She knew with Baba Inna and Oksana at her back, Kat probably never cared what those impressions were. The stud of her tongue ring darted out across her bottom lip before she answered.

“You’re still kinda engaged, right?”

“Yeah.” Annie winced. There were no secrets, but it was a little odd hearing that sort of thing from someone other than Oksana.

“I think you’ll really leave him. It sounds shitty, but I want you to. Did she tell you about her last girlfriend?”

“Some, but no details.”

“She was crazy. You’re much better.”

“I hope so.” Annie laughed.

“No, I mean she was nice in the beginning,” Kat went on. “She tried really hard to butter me up in front of Sana, but she seemed so fake. You seem like you just want to be around, not like you want to control everything. I don’t know. I like you and I like you for my sister.”

An instant smile broke out across Annie’s face. She needed Baba Inna’s approval, but after spending more and more time with the Gorinkov clan, she knew Kat’s approval was just as important. They were a unit, these three special ladies, and Annie knew wolfing down Baba’s cooking and helping with the dishes wasn’t enough. She had to get to know Oksana’s family and they had to get to know her. Annie loved their magic, and apparently, they had seen that Annie had her own something special to bring to the table.

“Thanks, Kat. That means a lot.” Annie let out deep breath. “I don’t really have much of a family so it’s nice just being around.”

Kat reached across the seat and hugged her. Annie was shocked at first, but she gave the hug right back and then did her best not to choke up like a baby. She cared about Kat. Not that she wouldn’t, but she never realized that she would. With all the effort she’d put into getting Oksana to give her a chance, she didn’t give much thought to what would happen if things worked out. But things were working out, and Annie was starting to love the whole family.

Kat sat back and reached for her backpack. “You’ll be home for dinner?”

“I think we’re going out to eat, but I’ll be over before we go.”

“Can I do your hair? I’d ask my sister, but…”

“The bald thing. Sure.”

“Cool.” Kat smiled. “See ya.”

She jumped out of the car as Annie said her good-bye. She also realized then that she wouldn’t mind driving Kat to school every day.

*

The night was warm, and as they stepped out of the little house, Annie was starting to see the perks of staying on this side of town. It was minutes from the office, twenty yards from Baba’s butter infused cooking, and just a short city light and moonlit walk to Señor Kim’s. Her hair looked fabulous, but after Kat had finished with the rockabilly do she called victory rolls, a style Annie had drooled over before with no label to attach to it, she wished she’d packed more than the T-shirt and jeans Oksana insisted would be more than enough for a night out with her friends.

Annie wore her glasses, per Oksana’s subtle, yet adorable request, and let Kat try out the eye shadow they’d picked out on Sunday. She thought she looked pretty decent, but Oksana looked better.

Annie had never really noticed, well, she’d never had the opportunity to notice, but where Annie looked like a sad, shriveled troll at the end of her workout even after she showered and hydrated, Oksana looked like some sort of Egyptian queen with her heat-blushed skin and exotic eyes. She wore a skirt like the pleated one she’d worn to The Maypole that night. This one was purple. Her plain T-shirt was white, and Annie couldn’t decide for a moment whether her nipple piercings showing through the fabric bothered her or not. She decided it didn’t. It did make her horny though, and gave her something more to look forward to after dinner.

“Your friend’s meeting us there?” Oksana asked. Megan had called to confirm that she’d be working a little late, but she was not passing on this chance to meet the one person to shake up Annie’s life.

“Yeah. She’s a little intense, but she means well. I think you’ll like her.”

“I better or we are so over.”

“Not funny,” Annie grumbled playfully.

She was strangely excited to meet Oksana’s friends. She’d been too out of it to get any real impression of Ronnie, but Noelle seemed really cool once Annie realized she wasn’t coming on to Oksana. There hadn’t been much talk about Scooter or his buddy Neil, but Annie imagined if they were important to Oksana, they had to be pretty good guys. Annie had it in mind to tease her about them a little as they walked, but not before she told Oksana about her day.

“I’ve been doing my research,” Annie said as they walked through Oksana’s neighborhood. This part of the city was quiet at the moment. Just the sounds of traffic on the main street a few blocks away.

“On what?” Oksana took her hand when they reached a crosswalk.

“Your tattoos.”

“And what mysteries did you unfold?”

“You were telling the truth about your tribute to Russia. The sunflower is the national flower. The birch is the nation’s official tree,” Annie said. “The pattern across your shoulder is a street map of Moscow, and the birds around your heart tattoo aren’t to show your American patriotism. I’ve learned that the Russians also value the eagle.”

“I’m impressed.”

“You should be. Wikipedia is made for people like me who paid absolutely no attention during world history,” Annie said proudly.

“Well, I’m kind of a closet history nerd. I can share more of my infinite knowledge with you any time you like.”

“Do you have a favorite?” Oksana looked down as Annie stroked her forearm.

“This one.” She pointed to the silhouette just under Annie’s fingertips. “Bears are misunderstood. We’re big, but really, we just like cuddles and honey.”

“I thought you would say the heart.”

“No, that was therapy and a reminder.” Oksana shook her head casually. “The bear is my spirit animal.”

“And another national symbol of Russia. I don’t think I have a spirit animal.”

“You’re a chickadee because they’re little and they never shut up,” Oksana said.

“Stop with this fitness thing. You’re a natural-born comedian.”

“I know. I’m funny.” Oksana paused just before they passed out of the residential streets and stepped into Annie’s arms. “Thanks for doing your research. It shows that you care and that you can read.” She kissed Annie sweetly on the mouth. For a minute, they stood there in the shadows, breath mixing, hearts beating. When they pulled apart, Oksana’s eyes were still closed as she sighed. Annie broke out in a smile.

“I’m giving you the giggly butterflies again, aren’t I?”

“Yes.”

“I’m glad.” Annie stepped forward and kissed her again. “So what’s so special about Scooter and Neil? I didn’t know lesbians hung out with men.”

“Typically, we don’t, but Scooter pays us to make him look cool in public.”

“Wait, I can get paid?”

They continued walking on to Hollywood Boulevard. Annie knew then exactly where Señor Kim’s was. She’d passed it dozens of times on random field trips to the post house. Just a few more blocks up, between a lingerie store and a tattoo shop.

“I met Scooter when I was in high school.”

“What about Neil?” Annie asked.

“He and Scooter are part of the same package. You’ll see.”

This time Annie stopped Oksana with a slight tug of her hand.

“Should I go home tonight?” she asked. Annie was having a great time, but the days were starting to blend together. She knew if she didn’t take a second to at least check in with Oksana, Wednesday would easily turn into Sunday without Annie so much as setting foot in her house for more than grabbing another set of clothes.

“If by home you mean my crotch, then yes,” Oksana said with a frown.

“I’m serious. I’ve been basically living at your house, driving your sister to school. I just don’t want to crowd you or whatever,” Annie said, trying to end on a casual note.

“I’ll let you know when I’m feeling crowded,” Oksana said while she caressed a curl hanging off Annie’s shoulder.