She laid her headagainst his shoulder. Perhaps my smile hasn’t lost its magicafter all. “What about Veronique? She will be jealous, no?”
Viktor shot a lookacross his shoulder at Levi’s shop. “You have the wrongimpression. She is neither French, nor is her name Veronique. She andI are business partners. Nothing more.”
Anya raised hereyebrow. “Is this so?”
“It is, and perhapsafter dinner, maybe you would like to discuss a little business, aswell.”
Anya pulled away. “Ido not understand. I am actress, not businessperson. There is nothingI can do for you in diamond business.”
“That’s whereyou’re wrong, my beautiful Russian princess. You have no idea howperfect you are for this business.”
She pulled herselftightly against his arm again. “In this case, yes to dinner, andmaybe yes to business talking after, but what about my friend?”
Viktor gave Gwynn aglance. “Surely, she can find something to do in the big city, butif not, I have a young man—a scientist—who works for me and wouldlove to join the three of us for dinner.”
Anya turned to Gwynn.“Did you hear this? A scientist. You will come, yes?”
“He doesn’t weartaped-up glasses and a pocket protector, does he?”
Viktor laughed. “Ithink you will be pleasantly surprised. It is settled. I will pickyou up at eight.”
Anya nodded. “We willbe ready for you at eight, but we must not go to Russian restaurant.Gwynn does not like to see cow’s feet on menu.”
“No cow’s feet,”Viktor said, “although they are delicious. One scientist, onebusinessman, and two beautiful women. It will be a perfect night.”
11
AKH,KAPITALIZM
(AH, CAPITALISM)
At precisely eighto’clock, the telephone rang, and Anya lifted the receiver. “Da.”
The voice on the otherend faltered for a moment. “Uh, hello . . . This is, um, Edward,downstairs. Your limousine is here.”
“Spasibo, Edward.Please tell driver we will be down in five minutes.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The elevator doorsopened to the lobby, and Edward was even more tongue-tied in personthan on the phone.
Volkov’s driver stoodjust inside the double-door entrance. He watched Anya and Gwynn stepfrom the elevator and offered a slight bow. Then, he pressed hisindex finger against Edward’s chin, closing his mouth. “It is notpolite to stare.”
The driver held openthe door as Edward remained frozen in place.
Gwynn whispered. “Ihope your jeweler and my scientist are as impressed as young Edward.”
Anya giggled. “Howcould they not be? Just look at us. We are most beautiful girls inall of Big Apple.”
Once inside thelimousine, Gwynn smiled with enormous sincerity and relief as sheoffered her hand to the gentleman sitting beside Viktor. “Hi,there. I’m Gwynn.”
The young man took herhand and kissed it lightly, just behind the knuckles. “I am Sascha,and I am charmed. Viktor did not tell me you were an angel—onlythat you were without a date for the evening.”
She almost blushed asshe withdrew her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Sascha. Viktorsays you’re a scientist. What do you study?”
He waved a dismissivehand. “It is all so boring. I wouldn’t want to put you to sleep.What do you do?”
Gwynn gave the man along review from foot to head, and she liked everything she saw. “Mywork would definitely put you to sleep. I’m a boring lawyer.Nothing glamorous, I assure you.”
Sascha leaned forward.“Fascinating. In what area of the law do you practice?”
The slightest hint ofan Eastern European accent rolled from his tongue, but his Englishwas flawless.
“Contracts mostly,”she said. “It’s certainly not what I thought it would be.”
“And what were yourambitions prior to settling for contract law?”
The sting of the wordsettling didn’t sit well with Gwynn, and she laughed toherself that she’d been offended by an affront on her make-believejob. “Oh, I thought I’d be a big-city trial lawyer, but I’venever been inside a courtroom since I passed the bar.”
“I’ll wager amonth’s salary you passed on the first attempt.”
Gwynn looked away.“Well, you’d win that bet, but if I had it to do all over again,I think I may have done something different.”
“Fascinating,” hesaid. “And what would you become if you could undo all those yearsof college and law school?”
She ran a finger acrosshis knee. “I don’t know. Perhaps I would’ve been a greatresearch assistant for a scientist who’s too shy to brag about hiswork.”
Sascha leaned back inthe luxurious seat. “You’d quit on day one. Besides, it’s notlike I’m curing cancer or putting men on Mars. I’m a geologistand physicist. Basically, I study why rocks don’t move on theirown.”
Viktor laid a hand onthe man’s shoulder. “My friend is being modest. He is a doublePhD in physics and geology. Without him, I would be a peasant on thestreets of Leningrad, begging for bread and coins.”
Anya said, “Is SaintPetersburg now.”
Volkov sent her an icystare. “Is Leningrad to those of us who knew it in the gloriousdays of the Soviet Union.”
Anya returned hisstare. “Those days were not so glorious for me. This is why I amnow American capitalist.”
Volkov laughed. “Ah!Capitalism, indeed. I am also one of these.” He turned to theminibar and poured flutes of champagne for everyone. “Tocapitalism!”
Glasses were raised,and rims were touched.
Anya playfully bumpedVolkov’s shoulder with hers. “And also to Leningrad!”
“Leningrad!”
When the limousinestopped, the foursome stepped to the sidewalk in front of the formerMayfair Hotel on Park Avenue and into Daniel, New York City’spremier French restaurant.
Before offering his armto Anya, Viktor leaned down and whispered to Gwynn. “No cow’sfeet. I promise.”
She gave him a wink.“I’m holding you to that promise. And you were quite right aboutmy date. I am absolutely pleased.”
They were immediatelyseated at an elegant, quiet table with silver service spread toperfection.
The maître d’approached and offered a respectful bow. “Mr. Volkov, how nice itis to see you again. I see you’ve brought the two most beautifulwomen in the city along with you this evening.”
Volkov lifted a butterknife and exhibited swordplay toward the man. “How dare you insultmy guests like this. Their beauty cannot be contained within a cityof only seven million. It is possible they are the two most beautifulwomen in all the world.”
“My apologies, sir,but—and I have no reason to doubt this fact—if they are the mostbeautiful women in all the world, would that not also make them themost beautiful in the city?”
Volkov grabbed hischest. “Touché. Now,
