Page 39 of One of Them

“Just to be clear, we’re talking about the same one who winked at me in front of Malek and the others the very first time we met?”

“Exactly!” She slapped my shoulder. “That’s the story that’ll get told at family gatherings.”

“Right,” I dismissed her words with a grunt.

Alisa’s face still carried a knowing smile when she asked, “Where were we before you went off to raid the supplies?”

A story I’ve never told anybody sat in my mind for years. Not that it was a secret. Despite being a personal matter, there wasn’t anything vulnerable worth sharing. I just never had the chance or someone worth telling the tale to. Alisa was still a stranger, but somehow, she seemed like the right person to confide in.

“I met this guy in Ilya’s club. The one we were just at, downtown?”

She nodded.

I tucked my hands under both feet and recalled my first time. “It was a random Friday. Me and your soon-to-be husband just flew back from the West Coast after a week on the job. I wasn’t tired, still riding the high, so I stopped by for a few drinks. One led to another, and before I knew it, I was dancing on tables.” I recalled the wild feeling of unrestricted freedom.

“I just wanted to feel like a normal nineteen-year-old without the weight on my shoulders.” Something we can both relate to, I thought. “A strangerapproached me. I don’t think I ever saw a guy his size. And I would know, I’m surrounded by them daily.”

A military cut, a beard, and an earring. I briefly recalled his features.

“He came up to me. Picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. I thought, what an asshole. He was probably there to take me down, but he totally surprised me when he spun me around, and it felt like forever since I last laughed.” I remembered the carefree sounds escaping my mouth that night. “I couldn’t stop giggling. We danced and drank and fucked in the VIP bathroom, the marble counter digging into my ass. I never got his name, but I remember his smile to this day.” Warm and inviting, so rare between the snares of your everyday gangsters. “I later found out he was a part of some group from Siberia that fell under Ilya’s territory. It was so random, nothing planned, and I loved that.”

To this day, the memory of the night brings a smile to my face.

With that, I turned to Alisa for her story.

“Mine was a total disaster. I really hope whoever ends up with the guy sobers up and runs before it’s too late. We had dinner at this expensive restaurant. One of those you must make a reservation for months in advance. His father was a politician. Gosh, he wouldn’t shut up about it. We had good food, and he took me back to his place. I was so impressed and easily persuaded with the right words. The sex felt straight out of a manual. Like he looked up step-by-step what to do the day before. Methodical and so detached. Safe to say only one of us left satisfied,” she puffed out a breath with her eyes closed. “I’ve been compensating for that experience ever since.”

I raised my empty glass of wine in a toast. “To men who know how to fuck.”

“Amen.”

A regular moment, two women bonding and sharing stories, but to me, it meant the world.

Opening up to others didn’t come easily. How could it, when you know everything you share can be used against you if it reaches the wrong person? This city was flooded with them. Every fucked-up thing that ever happened was someone’s making.

“I think I’m hitting the pool next,” I announced. I headed to my room to change, leaving the comfort of the couch, and Alisa followed along. She remained in the doorway, leaning against the frame, anxiously chewing on her thumb while I unloaded the bag.

“Is he going to be up there for a while?” Her finger pointed above us.

I paused, gazing at where she stood. “Who, Enzo? No idea. Don’t let him stop you. It’s your weekend.”

“Ilya won’t be happy about him being here.”

“Ilya isn’t here. Besides, your chaperones will arrive soon.” I made it across the room and placed my hands on her arms. “Why don’t we forget them all? It’s just you and me.” I smiled.

“You’re right.” She grinned back.

It was rare to have time off to spend however you liked, so I planned on making the most of it.

“Okay. Help me pick a swimsuit. I over-packed.”

I held up an unworn pair I bought for the occasion, a dark blue two-piece.

“Scandalous.”

“Is that yes or no?”

“It’s heck yeah.”

---