Chapter8
Olivia spent another day in the cabin, dreaming of Ruslan. They had less than a week left, and time was going faster than ever. When she first arrived, she thought that the vacation would drag by with her stuck in the cabin. After meeting Ruslan, that all changed as she wasted the day away remembering his deep brown eyes and soft thick lips. The way he kissed her made her feel like they were the only two people in the entire universe. That’s what she wished was true, at least.
Before they got into the car, Vera was giving attitude again to Olivia, telling her she wouldn’t let her wear a dress to the dinner because she “didn’t have anything to share.” Olivia was the one who unpacked her luggage and knew this wasn’t true, but after a bit, Vera stopped her tantrum and loaned Olivia another dress.
She could quickly tell Vera was getting jealous of Olivia getting fair treatment among the rest of the family. Ruslan was the one that invited her, so Olivia didn’t know why Vera was throwing such a fit over it all. Well, she knew why, of course, but didn’t believe Vera had a legitimate reason to treat everyone so nasty.
Olivia just reminded herself that Ruslan was the one who spent the previous night kissing her body and touching her all over. She hated feeling the rivalry with Vera, but she wondered if that kind of unexplained jealousy was what it was like to have a sibling. She always got jealous of other people who had sisters growing up, so even though it wasn’t all good interactions, she still felt something positive being a part of their family, if only for a moment.
They pulled up to the same building they had gone to the club the first night and Olivia suddenly realized that not only did Ruslan own one of the largest buildings in Moscow, but he also lived inside it as well. They walked into a different entrance this time and towards the elevator. It was still early so there weren’t people waiting in a line out the door, but Olivia wondered how soon people would start to gather in front of the building.
The family of four rode the elevator to the top floor of the building, and Olivia realized they were headed straight for the penthouse. She was thrilled to get another chance to see an amazing view of Moscow.
When they entered Ruslan’s apartment, he greeted all of the girls with a kiss on the hand, holding his lips on Olivia’s skin for a bit longer than most.
“You look stunning tonight Olivia,” he told her with a smile.
“It’s my dress,” Vera interjected.
“Well it certainly looks lovely on you,” he told Olivia. “Please, Margot and Joseph, Olivia and Vera, make yourself at home. There are drinks in the kitchen and appetizers in the living room. I’m so glad you could all join me tonight.”
Olivia had helped set up some of the fancy dinner parties that the Touhy’s had hosted in the past but had never been a guest herself. She still felt like she was in work mode but wasn’t afraid to help herself to a glass of champagne in the kitchen. She suddenly felt guilty that she was excited to be there. If Margot were healthy, Olivia wouldn’t have even been in Moscow. She would have never met Ruslan. Her bliss was cut short by her feelings of guilt, knowing that she didn’t wish illness on Margot, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t benefitting from that.
Olivia was taking care of Margot less and less anyways, as Joseph was stepping in more. He was really helping her out and doing his best to make her feel comfortable every day. Margot was in high spirits that day and was actually mingling with the other dinner guests instead of planting herself at the table. Olivia felt like she should stay close, but she couldn’t help but wander around the apartment, taking in everything she saw as it taught her more and more about the man she thought she might be falling in love with.
The apartment was a pretty open layout just like the cabin. It was a perfect square, with one corner being the entrance and formal sitting area, diagonal to the dining room. The kitchen sat in between the two, diagonal to a more relaxed sitting area with a large TV planted above a fireplace.
Off the kitchen was a long hallway, and Olivia decided to check out what might be down there, though all the other guests were mingling in the kitchen and living areas. On the left, right away, was a bathroom larger than her first apartment out of college. Across from that was an office. Olivia wondered how often Ruslan actually worked in there versus his million-dollar offices.
She passed by two more bedrooms before entering what could easily be identified as the master suite. She stared directly at one of the largest beds she’d ever seen, adorned in white and fur. He had a very minimalist and clean style that intrigued Olivia. She thought of him more as a classic man, but there was still so much to be learned about him.
As a nurse, Olivia was always nosy to check out the medicine cabinet of the people whose houses she visited. You could tell a lot about a person by what medications they were taking. She sneaked into the master bathroom and hunted around for more clues about her mystery lover.
“A bit nosy, huh?” Ruslan asked, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, causing Olivia to jump.
“I can’t help my curious mind. Do you blame me?” she teased back.
“I was looking for you. I’m so glad you could come,” he told her, grabbing her waist and planting a deep kiss right on her mouth. She wondered why they couldn’t kiss out in the open but remembered it wouldn’t look good for either of them. If someone was after Ruslan, would they come after Olivia too knowing they’re connected? She leaned back in for another kiss but was cut off by the sound of Vera’s voice.
“Olivia? Olivia?” Vera shouted. She eventually made her way into the bathroom too.
“So, yeah, I actually laid every single one of these tiles myself,” Ruslan told Olivia, creating a clearly fake cover-up for their bathroom rendezvous.
“Wow, can you believe that, Vera? Ruslan was just showing me some impressive craftsmanship. I love stone tiles like these,” Olivia said with a cheesy smile, touching the tiles on the wall.
“Oh my gosh me too,” Vera said, touching the tile as well. “Olivia, Mom is looking everywhere for you.”
“Right, I should go help. Thanks for showing me your bathroom. I’d love to see more of your work later,” Olivia told Ruslan.
“I’d love to show you. Let’s head back to the guests, right?” he said to both girls.
Olivia made her way back down the hallway, followed by Ruslan and Vera. She approached Margot who was mid-conversation with another couple.
“Margot did you need me?” Olivia asked her.
“No dear, I’m feeling fine actually! Just enjoy yourself,” Margot told her. Of course, Vera had made up the story. Olivia knew she was having trouble seeing her with Ruslan. When she turned around, Vera had him cornered in the kitchen laughing about something that probably wasn’t that funny.
There were probably about 25–30 people at the dinner party, but Ruslan was the only one Olivia had any interest in talking to. She imagined what it might be like if they could be a public couple that held each other close all night, laughing with the other guests. Many of them spoke Russian, though she heard plenty of English conversations happening as well. She walked towards the dining room where several servers were setting the table.
“Can I help?” she asked one of the servers.
They gave her a strange look and replied, “No English.”
Helping set up the dinner was the only thing she wanted to do at the moment. She felt out of place standing in the middle of the apartment, not talking to anyone. She was in a room full of wealthy people. What could they all have in common?
Olivia started to feel insecure wondering what Ruslan saw in her. Was he interested in the wealthy lifestyle everyone there had lived? Did he ever look at Olivia and just see her as one of the staff? She turned around and walked towards the window in the dining room. It looked out over the city of Moscow and Olivia was amazed.
She hadn’t seen such a breathtaking view of the city just yet. The architecture amazed her, and the snowfall made it look all the more gorgeous. If only she could have Ruslan to herself on that scenic night, she would have felt perfect.
“Dinner is ready!” one of the servers called, and the guests made their way to the long dining room table, Olivia wondering where exactly she might fit in.
****
The food was incredibly prepared, but Olivia spent most of the dinner wondering which utensil to use instead of enjoying the food. There were conversations about business, the economy, and certainly a lot of money talk. She had no problem keeping up with what they were talking about, but nothing they had to say was really that interesting to her.
Normally, she could at least have a semi-intriguing conversation with Vera at these events, but she was too busy ignoring Olivia for them to be able to have a real conversation. It was clear she was feeling bitter about Ruslan giving more attention to Olivia than her. If only she knew that they had already made love twice, she might not be so competitive.
Although Olivia didn’t know the future of her and Ruslan’s romance, she was certain he was no longer interested in Vera, if he ever was in the first place.
The servers came and took everyone’s plate and set dessert plates in front of the guests.
“For those of you interested in a cigar instead of dessert, you can join me on the balcony,” Ruslan told his guests. Olivia was prepared to join but realized quickly only the men were headed for the smoke break. All of the ladies sitting at the table snickered to each other, Olivia realizing there was an unspoken rule that the boys and girls needed a separate post-dinner time. Olivia made herself comfortable again, giving Ruslan a half-smile as he walked away.
They were given cups of pudding on top of their fancy plates, and Olivia wasn’t really interested, though she pretended to be. The women discussed their husbands, their purses, their shoes, and their hair. Olivia loved girl time, but not necessarily with these types of women. She liked vulgar sex gossip or jokes about ex-boyfriends, not comparing who had the most expensive purse.
It made her sad to think that this was the fate that awaited Vera. The other women took turns asking Vera if she had met any “husband-material” in college, as if that was the point of her education. Vera certainly didn’t need school, but Olivia admired her for attempting to educate herself, even if she didn’t have a specific degree. Olivia heard the staff laughing from the kitchen and wondered if they were making fun of the women at the table.
She was heading back to the States soon, so it seemed silly for her to imagine it, but Olivia couldn’t help but wonder if this vanilla wife was what Ruslan was looking for. She was the only black woman at the table all night, so it was hard for her to picture Ruslan interested in a girl like her. She couldn’t let these worries get to her, and instead decided she needed to break away from the stale air that had taken over the dining area.
“I have to use the restroom,” she told the ladies at the table. No one else seemed to care too much, however.
She slipped away from the table. Instead of entering the bathroom right off the kitchen, she took a quick look around to make sure no one noticed her jog down the hallway and back into the master suite that held the balcony the boys were smoking on. She stood next to the door and realized she could hear what they were discussing if she stayed perfectly still. It was risky, but certainly the thrill she needed after the dull dinner.
****
“How are you feeling, Joseph?” Ruslan asked.
“As good as I can. I’ve been doing my best to accept Margot’s fate, but it isn’t easy,” he told Ruslan as well as Pasha and Nikolai, who were standing next to him. There were several other men on the balcony as well, having their own conversation.
“What about financially? Any troubles there?” Ruslan asked, hoping for an honest answer.
“Medical bills are never cheap, even for the wealthy. I’m still doing decent. Having a daughter with a shopping addiction is almost as bad as having a wife with cancer, at least for my wallet.” Joseph laughed. The other men didn’t, thankfully, but Olivia knew the joke was just a coping mechanism. It was the first time she really heard him talking about his wife like that.
“Any leads on the robber?” Nikolai asked.
“Not really. They were in and out pretty quick. My daughter’s already working on replacing the stolen goods!” Joseph and the men laughed. Olivia realized she really wasn’t missing all that much by not partaking in the after-dinner smoke.
She could tell it was Ruslan’s chance to get more information out of Joseph. Even if he were as broke as his bank statements had said, was he really going to tell Ruslan right then and there? Olivia knew it looked as though Joseph was the one who murdered Peter, but Ruslan’s refusal to believe that was a little sad. He was clearly reaching for any reason to think that Joseph was innocent, but he wasn’t finding much. There still wasn’t enough evidence against him that Joseph had been the one to do it either.
Olivia was frustrated not knowing the truth of the situation, but she imagined Ruslan was probably feeling much worse about it all.
Olivia still wasn’t so sure that anyone had even murdered Peter. It was declared to be a suicide, and though there were skeptics, there always seemed to be in high-profile deaths like Peter’s. He was a brilliant mind, and brains like that don’t always function smoothly. It was likely that someone who thought so deeply experienced depression and suicidal thoughts. As a nurse, Olivia knew that that was common among men like Peter.
The coroner might have stated discrepancies between the weapon found and slices on his wrists, but coroners were making mistakes all the time. They weren’t perfect, and Olivia couldn’t be Joseph’s judge based only on that minor infraction. She could hear the men’s murmuring getting closer and realized they were done with the break and heading in. Not sure what to do, she dodged behind the curtain that was placed outside of the balcony doors. Not the greatest hiding spot, but it would have to do as the men made their way back into the apartment.
Ruslan was the last one to go in, and Olivia tugged his back as he walked through the door. He lingered behind and waited until all the men were out of his bedroom before turning back to Olivia and planting a hard kiss on her plump lips.
“That dinner was so boring! I’m sorry Olivia,” he told her, grabbing her waist. “What are you doing sneaking around here?”
“Just listening for more clues. I still am not sold that Joseph killed Peter,” she explained.
“Me neither. I don’t think I ever will be though,” Ruslan said.
“I forgot to mention. When I asked the family about the black box that you found the knife in, they all didn’t know what I was talking about,” she told Ruslan. “If it was just a collector’s knife or family heirloom, wouldn’t someone have reported it missing?”
“That’s certainly strange. Perhaps someone else planted it there? I still don’t know what to believe,” he told her. “But we better get back before we get caught!”
He grabbed her hand and led her down the hallway, holding tight until right before they entered back into a group of people. She almost got a sense of what it felt like to enter a room as Ruslan’s date.
“Olivia, there you are. We better get going. Margot’s not feeling too hot,” Joseph explained.
“Of course. Ruslan, thank you so much for allowing us to enter your home. It’s truly stunning,” she told her secret lover.
“Ruslan I can’t wait to see you tomorrow,” Vera stated. “I’m really looking forward to the ball.”
“Ball?” Olivia asked confused. She wasn’t aware of all the events they had going on during the trip and certainly didn’t remember there being a ball.
“Yes, of course, the annual charity ball we hold for the company’s scholarship program,” Joseph told Olivia. “I thought I had mentioned the event when we were planning the trip.”
“It must have slipped my mind,” she responded. He easily could have told her, and she wouldn’t have remembered. She didn’t always pay the best attention to how these wealthy people spent their time when she was left at home doing their dishes.
“Well Olivia, I hope to see you there as well,” Ruslan stated.
“Yes, of course, Olivia you should come along. You’ve been such an angel this trip,” Margot told the group.
“Well, only if you’re feeling up to it, Mom. If you’re not, Olivia will have to stay home and take care of you. But me and Daddy will be there for sure!” Vera said enthusiastically.
“Of course. As always, Margot, I hope you’re feeling in high spirits tomorrow, and Olivia, I look forward to seeing you,” Ruslan explained. This certainly displeased Vera as a disgusted grin made a quick appearance on her face.
“Ladies, shall we?” Joseph asked, gesturing towards the door.
“Always a pleasure,” Ruslan told them all, kissing their hands once again as they left, leaving Olivia’s soft palm for last. As he slipped his large hand over hers, he also managed to pass her another note without anyone seeing. He kissed her hand longer than anyone else’s as well, leaving her wishing he had actually planted the kiss on her lips.