12
KOMMERCHESKOYEPREDLOZHENIYE
(THE SALES PITCH)
Viktor Volkovreturned the diamonds to their velvet homes, and Sascha did the samewith his collection. With the bags back where they’d been when thefoursome walked in, Viktor led them from the vault and back into thelavishly appointed sitting area. “You said you are an actress,yes?”
Anya glanced quickly atGwynn and then let her gaze settle on Volkov. “Yes, I am actress.”
Volkov inspected hisfingernails for a long moment. “And acting . . . Does it pay well?”
Anya felt the warm,familiar feeling of her prey falling perfectly into her talons.“Sometimes, yes, and sometimes, no. When I have part in commercialor television show, I am paid far more than back in Russia.”
Volkov crossed hislegs. “And when you’re paid for a role, how many nights could youafford dinner like we enjoyed earlier?”
Anya feignedembarrassment. “I think maybe only once, and I would then be hungryuntil next time I have job.”
Volkov watched the toeof his shoe as he made figure eights in the air. “Do you ever takeprivate acting jobs, or is all of that done through an agency?”
Anya’s curious smileturned to stone. “Are you asking if I am devushka legkogopovedeniya?”
Volkov waved adefensive hand. “No, no, of course you’re not a prostitute. Iwould never suggest such a thing. I’m only asking if you would liketo have a part-time job working with Sascha and me during the timeswhen you don’t have an acting job. A little extra spending money isnever a bad thing, in my experience.”
He took the bait,but I cannot jump immediately into his boat. I must put up at leastsmall fight.
“I will have toconsider this offer, but I must first know what you will ask of meand how much is ‘a little extra spending money’?”
Volkov uncrossed hislegs and leaned forward. “The money depends on how good you are,and what I will ask of you is that you continue to do exactly whatyou did inside my vault tonight.”
Anya wrinkled herforehead. “You want me to match diamonds to others? This is child’sgame of ob"yem pamyati.”
He nodded and leanedback in his chair. “Yes, indeed it is a game of memory, but you’rebetter at it than anyone I’ve ever seen.”
“I have very goodmemory, but this thing you ask, it is not acting job. It is merelytedious work inside prison cell with good lighting.”
That spawned a chucklefrom the jeweler. “We’ve not gotten to the acting portion yet.First, you must memorize your lines.”
Anya turned to Gwynn.“This is not against laws, is it?”
Gwynn offered herpalms. “How should I know? I’m a contract attorney, not aprosecutor.”
Anya turned back toVolkov. “This is not illegal?”
Volkov scoffed. “Howcould it be illegal to memorize stones? You’re just helping mematch diamonds for earrings or multi-stone pieces where symmetry isimportant.”
“This is all we aredoing? Matching stones?”
Volkov gave Sascha ahalf smile. The hook was set, but Viktor Volkov believed he was theangler. “Yes, of course. This is all I want. You have a beautifulmind and a perfect memory for diamonds.”
Anya frowned. “I cando this for you, but is not a performance. Is only remembering.”
Volkov took her hand inhis and gently kissed just behind the first diamond she’d everworn. “We will get to the performance in time. You saw Veronique onstage this afternoon, and you, my angel, you are going to be twicethe actress she could ever dream of becoming.”
Anya feignedembarrassed humility. “I do not know. She is very beautiful.”
Volkov snapped hisfingers and shot a point toward the former Russian assassin. “Andthat is exactly why you are perfect for this.”
Still playing thefrightened child, Anya said, “There is payment for me if I do thisfor you, yes?”
Volkov couldn’t dousehis grin. “How much did you make on your last acting job?”
Anya bowed her head asif humility hindered her response.
“Just tell me.There’s no reason to be shy now.”
“I am not shy,” shesaid. “It is just that it sounds like I am bragging, and I do notdo this.”
“You’re notbragging, my darling. You’re merely telling the truth. So, let’shave it. How much?”
One of the world’sdeadliest assassins stared at the fibers of the rug between her feet.“I have small role in Canadian television show, and I am paid tenthousand dollars for three episodes, six days in preparation, andseven days in filming.”
Volkov drummed hisfingertips against the pad of his thumb. “That is roughly fivethousand dollars per week. I will pay the same five thousand dollarsper week, but the workweek is only three days of four hours each day.No one can stare at diamonds longer than that without having each ofthem begin to look identical.”
Anya’s eyes becamefascinated orbs of disbelief. “This is four hundred dollars everyhour. This cannot be true.”
“Oh, I never telllies about money. Never.”
Anya bounded from thechair and threw herself around Volkov. “I am a thousand times, yes.I will do this for you, and when this is done, you will teach to menext job, like Veronique.”
Volkov reveled in theaffection from his beautiful comrade. “I feel you will need nolesson of any kind to outshine her. When would you like to start?”
Anya kissed both ofViktor’s cheeks and embraced him again. “I have already started.I found seven matching diamonds tonight.”
As Volkov encouragedher to stand, he allowed his hand the liberty of exploring the curveof Anya’s hip. “That, you did, my dear. That, you did.”
She gave him theglancing brush without resisting, but only for a moment before shestepped away.
He rose from his chairand returned to the vault. When he emerged again, he placed a bandedstack of one-hundred-dollar bills in Anya’s hands. “This is tenthousand dollars because I trust you to keep your word. I think youand I understand the meaning of the word trust better thanmost. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Anya offered up aperfect smile and tossed the cash to Sascha. “Trust can never be ariver. It must flow in both directions. I will do for you what youask, and you will pay to me what you promise. You trust I will dothis, and I trust you will also keep promise to me.”
Sascha
