Anya thought aboutGwynn’s story. “This is what they mean when they say AmericanDream, yes?”
Gwynn shrugged. “Iguess so. I mean, I got a good education by working hard and takingmy studies seriously. Now, I’ve got the coolest job in the world.”
Anya cocked her head.“You think being policeman is coolest job in the world?”
She took the Russian’shand. “No, working with you is the coolest job in the world.Honestly, my job was pretty boring before you came along.”
Anya let her eyesexplore the ceiling. “I think I would enjoy boring job insideoffice with telephone, typewriter, and a boss.”
Gwynn laughed. “Yeah,right. You wouldn’t last a week in an office. You’d stab yourboss in the throat the first time he yelled at you.”
Anya smiled. “Thatwould make office exciting for everyone else.”
“It certainly would.Speaking of exciting, how about we freshen up and go shopping?”
Patrick had the carwaiting for them by the time they reached the lobby. Unlike theirdriver in Miami, the Town Car had an Indian gentleman in his thirtiesbehind the wheel.
“Where would you liketo go, ladies?”
Anya slid onto the rearseat. “We would like to buy clothes.”
The driver eyed Gwynn,hoping for something a little more specific.
“Let’s start atBloomingdales on Lexington and East Sixtieth,” she said.
“Yes, ma’am.”
The remainder of theafternoon and early evening was spent collecting shopping bags andboxes and racking up points on Uncle Sam’s American Express.
When their driverdropped them off back at the apartment, Anya said, “We cannot carryall of this up to the apartment. It will take two trips.”
Patrick opened the doorof the Town Car, and Gwynn decided to have a little fun with theIrishman at Anya’s expense. “Hi, Patrick. I’m afraid we’vemade a huge mistake. We bought too much stuff to carry in one trip.Do you think it would be safe to leave half of it in the lobby longenough for us to make it upstairs with the first load?” She gavehim a wink.
“Oh, missy, you’regiving an old man another laugh. I’m going to have to keep me eyeon the two of you troublemakers.”
Anya sat confused byeverything happening around her, so Gwynn continued the game. “Youknow what? I don’t think I want to carry any of this stuff upthere. Let’s just forget it and buy more stuff some other time.”
Anya stepped from thecar and eyed the doorman. “I do not understand.”
Patrick threw up hishands in mock surrender. “The lady said she doesn’t want to doit, so I reckon you should go on up, and I’ll find something to dowith all of this stuff.”
Gwynn took Anya’sarm. “Come on. Let’s go up.”
The Russian lookedbetween the car, the building, and the doorman in rapid succession,but Gwynn kept pulling her toward the door.
Completely baffled,Anya followed Gwynn into the elevator. “What is happening? Whywould we buy all of those things and then leave them on the street? Ido not understand.”
Gwynn had carried thecharade as far as she could, and she burst into laughter. “You mayknow everything there is to know about being an assassin, but you’vegot a lot to learn about being a New Yorker. I’ll make a deal withyou. You keep teaching me what you know, and I’ll teach you aboutlife in the city.”
Anya scowled. “Whatare you talking about?”
Gwynn pressed thebutton for the seventeenth floor. “This is a whole new world foryou, isn’t it? Patrick will have someone bring our bags up for us.It’s part of the service.”
The Russian drew ablade from somewhere Gwynn hadn’t noticed and bounced it againsther palm. “If you do this to me again, I will pretend you are bossyelling at me inside office, and I will stab you in throat.”
6
MATRYOSHKA
(NESTINGDOLLS)
Federal agent GwynnDavis and former Russian assassin Anya Burinkova spent the eveningputting away their trophies from the day spent shopping in Manhattan.Both were exhausted from the arduous day that had begun atSupervisory Special Agent Ray White’s breakfast table andculminated with the two women settled into their new Big Appleapartment overlooking Times Square.
Gwynn joined Anya onthe couch with a bottle of water in one hand and a stack of papermenus in the other. “Something just occurred to me.”
Anya looked up. “Whatis it?”
“Do you remember thename of Viktor Volkov’s favorite Friday-night restaurant?”
“Of course Iremember. It is Matryoshka. This means—”
Gwynn cut her off. “Iknow what it means. Matryoshka are Russian nesting dolls. I think wequalify. We’ve been nesting all afternoon, and just look at us . .. we’re definitely dolls.”
The two shared a laugh,and then Anya said, “If doormen—I mean, if thedoormen—carry our packages for us, do they also bring for us foodwhen we want?”
“You’re gettingbetter at this English thing. Pretty soon you’ll sound like a NewYorker.”
Anya rolled her eyes.“I have been in New York for several hours, and I have never heardtwo people who sound the same. I do not believe there is a New Yorkaccent.”
“Actually, you’reprobably right,” Gwynn said, “but you’ll notice somesimilarities over the next few days. It really depends on where youare in the city. And yes, food will magically appear whenever wewant.” She slid half of the menus across the center cushion of thecouch. “Do any of those sound good to you?”
She picked up the menusand shuffled through them. “Where did you get these?”
“They were in thedrawer in the kitchen. I guess the previous tenant left them. Do youlike Chinese?”
“The people, or theirfood?”
Gwynn shook her head.“I was specifically asking about food, but now I’m curious aboutthe other.”
Anya pulled out aChinese menu written in Mandarin and ran her finger down the page. “Ilike all of it, but this is my favorite.”
Gwynn leaned towardher. “Are you kidding me? You can read Chinese?”
“Only Mandarin. NotCantonese. And yes, I like the people, but I do not trust thegovernment.”
“Be honest,” Gwynnsaid. “Do you really trust any government?”
Anya looked up from themenu. “Is interesting question coming from government policeofficer.”
Gwynn giggled. “Yeah,I guess it is, huh?”
Anya extended her hand.“Give to me phone. I will make order.”
Gwynn handed over hercell phone, and Anya dialed the number. Two minutes later, Gwynn waseven more
