by Raven Rivers
Alek smiled a slow, lazy smile over his coffee cup. “So I am guessing with all your experience being around mobsters, you probably already know I am involved with the Russians here in New York?”
“I would have guessed that, yes.”
“Oh?”
“You fight in the kickboxing matches every other weekend. My family has fighters in the bare-knuckle matches,” she explained. “But apparently really good kickboxers are difficult to come by. Honestly, it’s all the men in my family talk about. They’re kind of obsessed.”
Alek laughed and responded sympathetically, “That must be a bore for you.”
She took a drink of her coffee before replying, “Well, I know our fighters, so I guess hearing about it is kind of interesting. My brother has been trying to get me to go to the matches with him and his redheaded bimbo fiancé for months now.”
Alek sat up in his chair. “Anthony Nash is your brother?”
She nodded and corrected him, “We call him Tony, but, yes, he’s my brother.”
“Do you have an aversion to watching fighting?”
She leaned over and said lowly, “No, I don’t. One of my favorite pastimes is sparring. I just don’t want any of my step-father’s fighters to think I’m interested in them, you know? Women usually go to support their love interests. They dress in the same color as their fighter and all that. I would have to be careful what I wore, I guess.”
“My colors are black and red. If you come to watch one of my matches, you should wear my colors since it is an honor I have never experienced.”
“Are you trying to start a mob war?” she laughed.
“Not at all. I am simply trying to capture a beautiful woman’s attention.”
She smiled as she began readying herself to leave. “I’ll make you a deal,” she said as she stood and slung her purse over her shoulder. “If I come and wear your colors, will you make sure I don’t have to watch anyone hit you too much? That would break my heart.”
“Maybe knowing you are there and do not wish to see me get hurt will give me the extra motivation to make sure my opponent does not land his punches.” He thought for a moment and asked with a small smirk, “If I can make it through an entire evening without being hit in my pretty face even once, would you consider leaving the match with me? There is a big tournament next month I would love for you to attend.”
She smiled at the thought of taking him home with her and nodded slowly as she debated it. “From what I hear that’s nearly an impossible feat, but if you manage it, I’ll consider it. I won’t go to your place, though, so pack an overnight bag.” She turned and left him with a rather stunned and happy expression on his face.
Chapter 11
Embarrassing Myself to Death
Sharon
Walking out of the ER the following Friday, Sharon drove home eager for a couple of days off. After sleeping for ten hours straight, she woke to the sound of her phone ringing. It was her best friend, Stacy, reminding her that tonight was Robin’s birthday. They had planned to go out to dinner and maybe enjoy some clubbing. Sharon immediately called her brother to send a car for her since she never drove when she was planning to drink. He teased her but had the car there right on time.
It took her most of the day to wake up, get a bite of breakfast down, and create the perfect present for her friend. Remembering her sister’s advice, she decided on a black spandex mini dress with sleeves that slid off the shoulders, black stiletto heels, and white gold jewelry with no gaudy jewels. She pulled her hair up in a messy cute style that really worked for her and stood examining her effort in the mirror.
She had enough coffee-colored skin showing to make a prostitute blush. All her almost-embarrassing curves were on full display. The dress was a little tight, but workable. Placing both hands on her dresser, she spoke out loud, “Tonight, you aren’t mousy little Sharon, the physician who gets stuck with all the worst cases in the ER. No, tonight you’re a badass bitch dead set on meeting the man of your dreams.” Pointing to herself, she stated sternly, “You’re not going to settle for an accountant, a banker, or an attorney. You’re going for a hot and sexy badass that’ll make your heart thump in your chest and your panties come flying off with just the tone of his voice.”
Repeating her new mantra over and over again in her head, she headed out to the limo. Robert and Evan were her drivers for the night and also served as her bodyguards. The uninvited escort was the price of getting the limo for the night and a drill she knew all too well. Sharon found her brother’s overprotective streak extremely annoying.
Shooting appreciative glances in her direction and making cat calls under their breath wasn’t the ego boost they apparently thought it was. “Grow up,” Sharon snarked as she flounced into the car.
Fifteen minutes later they picked up Stacy and Robin who were roommates and both looked totally fabulous. Dolled up in sexy dresses with heels and flashy jewelry, Robin even had a tiny little tiara worked into her updo for her special day. It was just enough to be cute without having ‘birthday girl’ written in a gaudy script. Sharon was glad she took the time to dress up. Her friends were in a good mood and seemed intent on partying like there was no tomorrow.
Having dinner at The Braziana was a fabulous idea. Sharon went easy on the food but did eat enough to ensure she wouldn’t be dry heaving five drinks into the night. Pulling out a birthday present for her friend, she slid the decorated envelope across the table. Robin squealed her delight at getting two weeks of free lodging at her family’s ski lodge. Stacy gave her a gift certificate for her favorite jewelry store.
They headed to The Avoy, and that’s when the party really began. They had a private table in the VIP section reserved, and dropped down onto the nice wrap-around leather sofa. Waving over a hot server, Sharon ordered Ace of Spades champagne for her friend. They danced some, then watched others dancing for a bit as they loosened up with more alcohol. Hitting the dance floor again the three danced together, turning heads in the process.
Robin raised her arms above her head, dancing provocatively. It left Sharon envious that she couldn’t let go of her inhibitions that way. Maybe she hadn’t drank enough, she thought. Just then, Stacy quipped, “I know that I’ve only had four shots, but I wish they had poles for us to dance on.”
Sharon laughed at her seriously out of control friend. “Who needs poles when every man in the place is smoking hot?” The mood lights were slowly changing color all night and the music was cutting edge, with a good thump for dancing. Downing another shot and throwing caution to the wind, Sharon eventually managed to relax.
After dancing in a group, they took turns dancing with a half dozen men before returning to their table for more drinks. Three tequila shots were dropped in a neat little row down the center of the small glass coffee table in front of their seating. Needless to say, they didn’t last long.
Feeling like a party girl on training wheels, Sharon drank way more than she ever had in her life. What was the harm? She was with two girlfriends, and her brother’s henchmen were standing guard. To her, it was a set up where nothing could go wrong.
Sharon wasn’t sure exactly when it happened, but at some point they grabbed their attractive male server, took his shirt off, and laid him back across their table. Robin scrubbed him clean with ice water while Stacy kissed him. Robin was a woman on a mission and it definitely showed. After he was nice and clean, she sprinkled some salt down his naked torso. Clearly not thinking correctly, Sharon applauded her friend’s ingenuity. They took turns drinking tequila shots, sucking lemon wedges, and licking the salt right off his chest.
Their server seemed to be having the time of his life as well. It might have had something to do with them making him try sips from each shot to make sure it wasn’t poisoned. Hell, Sharon wasn’t even sure what had started that little bit of paranoid thinking, but it seemed really important to Robin. Hence, she eagerly went right along with the two of them like the little sheep alcohol apparently t
urned her into. What a shameless follower she was at heart, she noted in her drunken mind.
It hadn’t escaped her that other people had noticed their outlandish behavior and that some of them were capturing video of it on their cell phones. The fact was, in her alcohol-induced haze, she couldn’t find it in her heart to care what anyone else thought.
At some point the frustrated manager came over to get the waiter back. Sharon gave her a wad of cash to let him continue serving only their party for the night. In nightclubs money talks and bullshit stalks. Stopping for a brief moment, she realized something was wrong with her train of thought there, but she couldn’t figure out what it was.
Alek
Alek was present with about four of his friends, casually drinking as they kept an eye on the place. They were watching the whole scene from one of the catwalks above for a good five minutes before he realized his new friend was among the women bent on enjoying themselves. Rushing down, he monitored the situation from a safe distance. That’s when he noticed a male who seemed to be her brother, driver, or perhaps her bodyguard trying to get the three women to leave. Unfortunately, they were far too intoxicated to entertain the idea of leaving the party. Sharon yelled at him about ruining her friend’s birthday or something along those lines. It was hard for him to hear over the booming music.
He was slightly amused until another male entered the scene and began moving towards the women in what he considered an aggressive fashion. Alek approached cautiously to see Sharon standing toe to toe with the guy. Poking him repeatedly in the chest with one well-manicured finger, she spoke forcefully. He could tell the man was barely managing to control his temper.
“Rob… I don’t work for you… you work for me… this little guy is our love slave… we caught him fair and square and we’re not giving him up,” she said with slurred speech. “Go away and come back later… we are not ready to leave, fucker.”
The man responded with no small degree of frustration. “Good God, your brother is going to have my ass. You have all had your fair share of booze. I’m certain Robin has had a wonderful birthday. It’s time to go now.”
Sharon pushed him backward, further irritating the man. Alek decided to step in, knowing there was little chance she’d remember anything tomorrow anyway.
When Sharon saw him she gushed, “Alek! Come and play with us! You can lick salt boy, too.”
Trying not to look as embarrassed as he felt, Alek tried to talk her into leaving. “Your driver is correct about it being time to leave, Miss Sharon. Come, I will walk with you.”
She took a step back and folded her arms over her chest. “Don’t rain on our party, gorgeous. We’re making birthday fun out of regular things we find in the bar and you have no right to stop us.” He glanced at salt boy and determined that he was a fairly regular thing, to be sure. In fact, Alek had the strong suspicion that if Sharon were not thoroughly intoxicated, she would never consider putting her tongue on the little man. He looked from one exasperated driver to the other, then to Sharon who had gone back to doing shots off her salt boy along with her extremely intoxicated friends.
Trying to make himself heard over the pumping music, Alek said into one of her male companion’s ear, “She cannot be left alone at her apartment. If I can get her and her friends in the car, can we take her to her family?”
Robert nodded curtly and replied, “Good luck with that, dude. I’ve been trying to accomplish that task for the last twenty minutes.”
Alek meandered over and drank a shot of tequila without licking salt boy. “The bar is closing,” he stated pleasantly. “Time to move the party. Don’t worry, we can take your little salt boy with us if he wants.”
The man nodded an enthusiastic yes.
Though Sharon eyed him suspiciously, she didn’t object when Alek wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.
“We have more alcohol in the limo,” he told them all with a smirk. “Now let’s go, ladies. The first one there gets double shots.”
Her friends made for the door and the others followed. Someone opened the door to the limo and they drunkenly piled in. Robert warned, “I don’t think Tony will be very happy that we are taking salt boy to his house.”
Alek leaned in and replied quietly, “We are dumping him with the two girlfriends.”
Alek pulled Sharon close to him and could tell she was getting sleepy. He watched her two friends sitting on each side of salt boy. They were both taking turns kissing him.
“Salt boy, how do you feel about going home with two beautiful women?” Alek asked. “You can see that they are okay tonight.” The man’s incredulous stare and rather large smile communicated his agreement.
When they pulled up at Robin’s house, Sharon woke up in drunken confusion and asked where everyone was going.
Alek responded playfully, “Sorry, kotyonok, salt boy is going home with your friends tonight because you lost the coin toss.”
She cuddled on his chest and murmured, “Thank goodness. He tasted funny… like too much something or another. We need to find more love slaves to lick salt from. I want a whole bunch of them. One has to taste good.” Looking up at him, she yawned and asked, “Did I fall asleep?”
Alek whispered, “Shh, time to rest your pretty little head.” She dropped her head back down on his chest and promptly fell asleep again.
After depositing her two friends and their new boy toy, the driver seemed relieved to finally be taking Sharon home. It had been a long, annoying night and the man was clearly ready for it to be over.
“I don’t know what got into her tonight. Sharon is normally the quiet one,” he said over his shoulder.
Alek had a pretty good idea it was related to her sister telling her to stalk a new man like a big game hunter. He asked the two men up front, “Can you tell me where we are going? I would like to have a car waiting so you good gentlemen don’t have to take me home as well.”
Robert gave him Tony’s address but cautioned, “Whoever is picking you up should wait at the end of the driveway. I don’t know how to say this so I’ll just come right out with it. Your little friend is the daughter of a very prominent member of the community and I am aware that you are Chensnokov’s man, so… separation would be better.”
Alek nodded and replied respectfully, “I understand but I do not care about all that shit. I am a little protective of my friends so I will be carrying her into the house and her brother will need to show some ID before I leave her there. I do not think you would leave a lady friend of yours in a questionable situation with a bunch of strange men you did not know, and neither will I.”
The other man, who Alek believed was named Robert, got on his cell and chuckled at the response. Moments later, Tony answered the door himself.
“I’m so sorry,” he began in irritation, “but I had to come downstairs and meet the thick bastard stupid enough to make me show ID just to drop off my own sister.”
Alek didn’t seem fazed and replied, “Then if you could actually show the ID, that would be nice.”
Tony shook his head and flipped open his wallet while muttering obscenities under his breath.
Alek responded tiredly, “Good enough. Where do you want her?”
“Evan, can you show them the way to the guest room?” Tony replied. “I don’t know who in the hell you are, but you drop her and get the fuck out of there. I mean it. No messing around.”
Tony looked familiar to Alek. He was sure he’d seen him before at the fights. Tony, however, didn’t seem to recognize Alek as a fighter. He likely saw so many fighters that they all began to look the same, he decided.
Alek followed the man identified as Evan into the room. The man pulled down the blanket and Alek sat her down, unzipped her dress, slid her under the blanket, then gently pulled the dress over her head.
“You are good,” Evan commented.
“Unfortunately, I drag home intoxicated women and put them to bed all the time for the family who employs me. Women a
re the same the world over, I am afraid. They can never seem to hold their alcohol.”
He reached down and slid her heels off, then asked Evan, “If you will bring me a glass of water and some aspirin, it would help.”
Evan said incredulously, “Dude, she’s unconscious.”
“I want it for her bedside table when she wakes up in the morning.”
“Smart,” the man replied as he went into the adjoining bathroom, returning seconds later with the items.
Alek motioned to her purse. “Put her cell phone on the bedside table as well. I will want to speak to her tomorrow morning. Please ask her to call or text me when she wakes up.”
Evan retrieved the cell phone and glanced at it. “It looks like it has a good charge.”
Alek gently turned her over into the recovery position and pulled the blanket up around her before instructing the younger man, “Keep an eye on her tonight but if you value your life, do not touch her.” Returning his attention to Sharon, he gave her a gentle kiss on her temple and whispered, “Goodnight, my little kotyonok.”
He stood to leave and noticed her brother leaning on the door jamb, looking rather amused.
Tony commented casually, “You fuss over my sister like an overprotective boyfriend. Is there something I should know?”
Alek stood looking at the man who was reputed to be an Italian mob boss. Fearing Tony would be upset to discover his sister was involved with someone like him, he quickly explained, “I came to make sure she was alright when her car crashed and waited with her until the ambulance came. I barely know her and am no man to be trying to capture the heart of a beautiful doctor.”
Tony looked at the one named Robert who shook his head slightly, indicating that was not quite correct information. “A little late for that. She invited you to party with her and her friends and slept on your chest the whole way here. What’s more, she actually listened to you when you asked her to leave the club.”
