Page 7 of Working Out West

“You have read?”

I screamed from the sound of his voice behind me, dropped the book, and clutched my heart like some damsel in distress. Facing him, I quickly cleared my throat, dropped my hands, and picked up his book.

“Um, yes, I’ve read it. I’ve read the whole series; it’s one of my favorites. Have you read them all?”

“Nyet, just that.”

“Did you like it?”

He shrugged. “It was okay.”

I liked this night more than the first because he seemed more talkative. Yet, I still enjoyed being around him when he was silent.

Wait. No, I don’t. He’s quiet, ugly, and horrible.

Turning back to the bookcase, I replaced the book. While I ran a finger down its spine, I told him, “I’m sure you’d love the other ones. They only get better and better.” Stepping back, I smiled at the bookcase. “So many books. Since I’m a lover of reading, of course I checked out a few titles.” I laughed, grinning over my shoulder at him. “I didn’t understand any of them since they are in Russian.”

“Most are. Some are in Spanish.”

Wide-eyed, I spun back to him. “You speak Spanish also?”

“Da, and Chinese.”

“Holy shit, that’s amazing. The only language I know besides English is French, and it’s not much.” I moved over to sit on the floor near the chess game. “I can count to ten.”

“That it?”

Chuckling, I nodded. “Yes. Somehow that stuck with me when I was taught in elementary school.”

Adrik sat opposite me again on the couch. He made the first move and then asked, “You want to know some Russian?”

“Yes,” I cried a little too enthusiastically.

His lips twitched and he nodded. “What?”

Cocking my head to the side in confusion, I asked as I made my move, “What would I want to know? Do you mean what sayings or words?”

“Da.” He nodded, moving his piece.

“Well, I already knowdameans yes andnyetmeans no…. Hmm… okay, how do you say, ‘I love chocolate’?” I smiled.

He grinned.

Adrik grinned, and my breath caught in my throat. If I thought he was handsome before, it was nothing when he smiled. Even my stomach tingled at it.

“Ya lyublyu shokolad.”

“Fuck,” I whispered. He sounded like a wet dream.

“Blyad'.”

I slapped a hand over my mouth and laughed. I hadn’t thought Adrik had heard me, but obviously, he had. “Seriously?”

“Da.” He glanced down and moved. Only, the game was forgotten on my part. I just wanted to lie back and listen to him speak his own language over and over.

“You lose,” he stated with a smug smirk an hour later. I wasn’t sure what had happened, but something had changed in Adrik, and I liked it a lot. Especially with him smiling and smirking. His eyes even seemed lighter than usual.

“Wait, what?” I looked down and noticed I’d made terrible moves while he distracted me. “That wasn’t fair. I wasn’t paying attention,” I told him with a mock scowl.

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