by Blake Haugen
Persephone stood up, hopeful for the first time nearly three years. She had some research to do. With any luck, she’d soon be saying goodbye to the city she’d come to regard as a dull detention center.
Chapter Four
December 31, 2018
“You need this!” Yulian shouted above the swarm of club goers. “I heard you barely looked at the girl we sent you out with last week. This shit is getting ridiculous and I won’t stand for it.”
The post-renovation reopening of the Pravdins’ premiere club was an obligatory event for Vanya. He felt he was above appearances like this now, but Mikhail was in town and he had insisted that Vanya join him. The twins had been trying to egg him into a cheerier mood with no avail.
“For once, Yuli and I are on the exact same page.” Mikhail yelled behind Vanya as they ascended the stairs to the mezzanine. The bouncers didn’t hesitate to make way for them once they reached the landing. Heads turned immediately to take in their presence – vultures, sycophants, opportunists – everyone. Vanya supposed they did make a striking trio. The twins were wearing the fitted tailored suits Peng had gifted them for their birthday – black for Mikhail and grey for Yulian. As usual, they wore the same haircut; not due to any desire to look alike, but out of a genuine love of confusing those that didn’t know them well. Their dapper side swipe cuts necessitated the frequent use of a pocket comb. Mikhail gave Yulian grief about the excessive grooming, but it didn’t keep him from borrowing the comb whenever they went out together.
Vanya had chosen a simple black dress shirt and grey slacks. He felt somewhat underdressed and sensed the stares of the patrons that milled around the mezzanine. He dreaded speaking with any of them and sped up his gait to make it to the refuge of the private rooms. Yulian halted his progress with a firm hand on his shoulder.
“Hey, not so fast there, coz. We’re here to actually hang around people, remember?”
“Yeah,” Mikhail chimed in, “in fact, here’s some company now.” He turned to three women who smiled as they confidently made their way over to the men. The first to arrive was a tall, voluptuous Asian woman with long auburn hair. She wore a royal blue cap sleeved bandage dress. She embraced Yulian at his side, ever careful not to spill her grape fruit looking cocktail..
“Yulian! Thanks for giving us passes! This place is amazing! Clubbing isn’t usually my thing, but this so much fun! I’ve never brought in the New Year this way.”
“What, girl? You’re crazy! We’ve got to make sure we show you a good time! Guys, this wonderful young woman is Emma Ma. She’s the new Communications Director of the Pravdin Watch and Jewelry Co. These two lovely ladies with her are…?”
“My friends from home, Gina and Maite,” Emma flourished her hand to introduce her girlfriends.
“Where is home?” Mikhail asked leaning forward.
“California,” Emma’s brunette companion provided. She held out her hand to Mikhail. “I’m Gina. Come dance with me.” Mikhail simply smiled and let her lead him downstairs to the dance floor. He kept his eyes on her ass which was just barely covered by her black sequined dress.
“Dang, woman knows what she wants! That means you’re Maite. I’m Yulian, that was my twin, Mikhail, obviously, and this is my cousin Vanya. How long are you guys in town?”
“We’re leaving on Saturday to have all Sunday to recover. We’ve decided to make a week of it. It’s nice to meet you guys. Em loves her new job! It’s all she can talk about.”
“Oh, shut up. It’s not all I talk about,” Emma laughed nudging her companion’s shoulder. Vanya thought the two women must have some inside joke. He found he didn’t care to know what it was, and tried to think up a way to extract himself from the situation. Smiling and nodding at appropriate times, he glanced down to the main floor and saw Mikhail and Gina dirty dancing.
“I always hate it when New Year is during the work week. It seems like less of a party,” Maite stated, interrupting Vanya’s perusal. The chatty Latina directed her comment to him. She looked at him expectantly, but he just gave another half-smile and a disinterested “yeah.” It wasn’t that the girl wasn’t good looking; it would be a lie to say that she wasn’t smoking hot.
Her long sleeved, metallic mini dress was sexy, futuristic, and sophisticated. The tall, thin topknot bun on her head was straight out of a sci-fi movie. The dark blue highlights of her hair were barely noticeable against her dark black hair, but catching a glimpse of the blue in the light was intriguing. She looked up at him with her big brown eyes, and it hit a little too close to home for Vanya. He knew then he didn’t have any business in the club.
“Let me guess – you’re not the dancing type, right?” Maite shrugged.
“Heh, something like that,” Vanya answered.
“Or maybe you want to sit down and talk?” Maite said. She stepped closer and played with the top button of his shirt. “Hmm, or not.”
Vanya took a deep breath. She was hot. Years ago, he might have easily accepted such a come on. However, now he knew most girls coming onto him like that in his family’s clubs had some kind of agenda. Even so, her red wine fingernails on his chest sent tremors straight to his dick. With a tight smile, he gently removed her hand.
“No, I’m afraid I’m going to take care of something in the office. The club has always been more of Yulian’s domain. I’m sure he’ll show you all a great time. Enjoy your stay in the city.”
With a curt nod he turned toward the elevator, not waiting for a response. He could hear Yulian making excuses for him. Vanya didn’t think his cousins would ever understand his current outlook on things. For better or for worse, his relationship with Persephone had changed him. He’d hoped Yulian might come to understand that with Sophie someday, but her engagement to some other jeweler settled that matter.
When he reached the offices, he asked Dunya and the guys from the security team not to let anyone bother him. The twins knew he was a lost cause and wouldn’t leave the party. There was a computer in the back office and he’d be able to gain proxy access to the real estate company’s network. As of late, whenever Vanya was frustrated, he threw himself into work. It was extremely productive and the satisfaction of accomplishment was a decent distraction from other desires. He opened the presentation for their most recent development project and began to read.
An hour passed and there was a short knock on the door. Dunya entered without permission and closed the door behind her. Vanya’s interest wasn’t piqued until he heard the click of the lock. He assessed her with an arched and questioning brow.
Dunya dressed in her typical uniform of sexy and professional. Her long-sleeved black blouse was simple and semi-sheer, hinting at the black bustier underneath. It was tucked into her long, tight, teal leather pencil skirt. Her legs were accentuated by her nude four inch pumps. She sat in the seat across from his and crossed her legs.
“You know, Vanya, you probably hurt that little girl’s feelings, and all because she wanted to have a good time,” she stated simply with her perpetual smirk.
“That was no girl. Why are you all snooping on me anyway?”
“Oh, don’t flatter yourself. We snoop on everyone and anyone interesting; that’s our job, or part of it anyway. You haven’t been here in the longest and whenever you do come, you act like a complete ogre.”
“Sure,” Vanya replied skeptically.
“Let’s see. A couple of months ago when you were here you threatened to fire Oliver over changes we made ages ago. Tonight you turned that poor girl away, and now you’re reviewing paperwork on New Year’s Eve.”
“And?”
“And nothing. You could read all night, but it wouldn’t make that tent in your pants go down.”
Vanya let out an exaggerated sigh. “Jesus, Dunya. I could have sworn I asked not to be disturbed.”
“I’m not disturbing you; I’m trying to help you. It’s been a while since your –” she stopped when he threw her a heated look, “ – since you finished law school
. It’s all been work, work, work. Never play; and before you lie to me, remember that I monitor all your playgrounds. You’ve been noticeably absent.”
“Dunya, I’m not getting involved with anything or anyone right now, and I don’t want any entanglements.”
Without warning, Dunya rose swiftly and took hold of the bulge in his pants. Her caress of his cock was stern and circular. Her other hand massaged the insides of his thigh, and Vanya took deep breaths as tremors moved over his skin. Dunya looked up at him and smiled, her grey eyes sparkling with mischief.
“See, Vanushka, that’s where you’ve always had me wrong. I’m not looking for entanglements. I just want your cock.”
Vanya pursed his lips. His body shuddered and he realized he was holding his breath. It felt really good. He’d been intimate only twice he finished law school; both were one night flings of desperation. It just wasn’t worthwhile without love. Even so, he was a human. There were times, like now, when he thought he’d go crazy.
He stared at Dunya as if in a trance and only vaguely heard what she was saying. She unzipped his pants and removed his fully erect cock. She spoke as if she wasn’t working both hands up and down his shaft and balls – twisting, stroking, and making him loose his focus.
“This way I get what I want, and you’ll calm down and stop giving your colleagues and employees hell. Besides, I have a little secret that I want to tell you when I’m done. Something tells me that after you hear it, you’ll be off the market again, and I want my taste while I can get it.”
“What?”
“Ah, ah, ah. Pleasure first, then business.” With that, she worked precome-slicked hands up and down his shaft. There were no pretenses of romance. She stroked him quickly and expertly, making delicious moans that drove him to his climax faster. It was no time before he grunted and jerked signaling his orgasm; her waiting mouth engulfed him at the last second. Dunya swallowed eagerly and tortured him with licks and strokes as he came down from his high. She carefully placed his cock back in his pants and zipped him up.
“There,” she gave him a satisfied smile and gentle pat. “That should leave you more agreeable for a while. I imagine you’ll want a cool head for your meeting. There’s someone here to see you.”
“Who could be here for a meeting?” Vanya said wiping his face. Strangely enough, he didn’t feel as strange or guilty as he usually did when something like this happened. There was some kind of pressure valve inside him that had just let off a tremendous amount of steam. His body was relaxed in a way it hadn’t been in over three years.
“An old acquaintance of yours. He’s been trying to see you for a couple of weeks, but I had to determine his intentions before I granted him an audience here. He refused to see you anywhere else,” Dunya said through muffled lips. She used a compact mirror to reapply her lipstick.
“Who?”
“Timothy Ja-hoon Kim. He said he’s with your law school, but some digging revealed he’s an operative attaché of the State Department with ties to the CIA. No doubt he’s come to talk to you about your woman. I’m having Alexey and Martin come in with you. I’d never hear the end of it from your father if you got your ass kicked. He came with two men and an unmarked car parked down the block.”
“I can handle myself just fine,” Vanya remarked defensively as he rose and straightened his lapels.
“That’s perfectly alright, but you’re no match for a Navy SEAL. That’s just the truth of it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me as soon as he tried to contact you?”
“Like I said, Vanya, I had to determine his true intentions. I’m a sucker for true love, and I’d love to see you back with your girl, but there are plenty of people who would love to take advantage of that. Part of my job is making sure that doesn’t happen. Your father loves you, but he loves revenge even more. I don’t want to be one of the ones he comes back for if shit goes badly.”
Vanya sighed, “Well, thanks, I guess. Just send him in.”
His heartbeat accelerated and his blood pumped erratically through his body. Fucking Tim Kim. The weight of the meeting was on him in an instant. It had been years since Vanya had seen Timothy Kim. Persephone was the only reason a man like that would reach out to him; she was the only thing they had in common.
Suddenly, an old, forgotten pang of jealously shot through him. If Timothy Kim was here, that meant he had some information pertaining to Persephone. Had he been in contact with her? Before Vanya had too much time to analyze the realization and his feelings, two large men – Alexey and Martin – stepped into the office followed by Timothy.
“Ivan, it’s been a long time. I’d like to speak with you privately,” Timothy opened, without reaching for Vanya’s hand.
“The boys will leave, but I stay,” Dunya said, entering the room. “That’s about as private as you get.” With the flick of her wrist, Alexey and Martin left – no doubt waiting just beyond the door.
Vanya attempted to get himself under control before he spoke. Things he didn’t know he still felt were coming to the surface. What was the extent of Timothy’s relationship with Persephone? Did he have one with her? Was he just coming to say he’d seen her?
“Aren’t you going to ask me to sit down?” Timothy gestured at the black quilted sofas and chairs around the office.
“No. Why are you here?” Vanya demanded. So much for playing it cool. He saw Dunya roll her eyes from where she stood by the door.
“Fair enough. I came here because I think my organization can bring Persephone back to the United States – safely.”
Vanya pursed his lips. Was this bait? It was simply too good to be true. He fought the urge to get up from his chair and shake Timothy until his brain addled. “And what organization is that? Whoever you are, you’ve been damn good at hiding her from me. I can’t even prove Ryan Trask exists, much less find an organization that wants him behind bars.”
“You aren’t that easy to get a hold of yourself. I couldn’t get you alone when I first wanted to, and getting a meeting with Dunya even took weeks. I’m sure she told you I’m working with the Department of State.”
“Yes, among other things. Why does this involve me? You not telling me a big, bad, government agent like yourself needs help from me after all this time. What makes you think I want her back?”
Timothy gave him a leveled look and crossed his arms. “Look, Ivan. This would all go a lot faster if you cut the bullshit. Persephone is yours. I know that – it’s a fucking undisputable fact. Now I need your help. If not, then tell me now, and stop wasting my time.”
It was the most forceful Vanya had ever seen Timothy. The fact that the man admitted that Persephone was his stroked his ego. He sounded so sure of it. It was clear Timothy had had some kind of contact with Persephone. Perhaps she had made it clear that she wanted one man. The truth was all over Timothy’s face; it was just what Vanya needed to hear.
“Okay, I’m listening.”
☐
June 20, 2019
Vanya hung up the phone and sat solemnly in his office. His stomach was a complete mess. That phone call was the call that started it all. The next couple of weeks would be some of the most interesting in his life. He was afraid to hope for he best. It was pathetically superstitious, but he didn’t want anything to endanger his plans.
Never in a million years would he have thought he would collaborate with Timothy Kim on anything, but time had proven him wrong. His heart told him he was doing the right thing. He’d be damned if he turned back now.
“Mr. Pravdin,” his receptionist’s voice came through his speakers after a ping. “I thought you’d like to know the museum called to let us know that everything has been staged for the gala on Saturday. Florists will finish arranging at three that afternoon just as catering and security arrive. I’ve scheduled your arrival for seven so you can finish the press interviews early on if you wish.”
“Thanks, that sounds great. I’m still meeting those Learning Law people for l
unch on Friday, right?” Usually, Vanya didn’t care to hear the logistical details of a fundraiser. The Learning Law event was an exception.
“Yes, sir. I believe their main donor and the managing director will be in attendance. I emailed you a packet if you want to refresh on any details.”
“No, I’ll be fine. After Saturday, I’ll be the main donor. If anyone needs to refresh on anything, it’s them.”
“Are you sure about that, Vanya?”
Kirill appeared in Vanya’s doorway, looking as grumpy and superior as ever. Vanya cut the line with the receptionist and gave his father his attention. Kirill had responded to Vanya’s assertiveness in the business over the past four years with begrudging acceptance. Vanya was a respected business leader and Kirill had no choice but to acknowledge that fact. Still, there were times when Kirill felt it was necessary to correct some imagined slight on Vanya’s part. Vanya had no doubt this was one of those times.
“Sure about what, Papa?” he asked wearily.
“You want to have a big party at a time like this? We should be keeping things normal. Affecting the appearance of business as usual – not gallivanting with reporters and socialites for all the world to see! It’s childish and irresponsible.”
“First off, the Learning Law gala is not just a party. It’s a charity benefit for an afterschool program I used to volunteer for – one of the best in the city – and this even is going to extend their outreach astronomically. It’s been in the works for months and it poses no threat to any business dealings you’re concerned about. As far as everyone else is concerned, it is business as usual. You want me to cancel a huge society event? Now that would cause attention.”
