Vengera, its open, garden-like front was strategically set off from a continuing parade of the curious by an array of closely-grouped potted greenery. Starz was where everyone wanted to be seen late at night. Inside the music was deafening, outside the chatter nonstop. Everywhere nothing but beautiful people — and those who could afford to pay for them.
Vladimir would sit until dawn at his favorite table next to the front door, a few steps above the masses squeezed into tables in the garden below, and study those lucky enough to pass through the velvet rope guarded by lovely women. From there he’d watch them for hours, indulging in his favorite pastime: fantasizing how much everyone envied his life. It gave him more pleasure than sex, sometimes.
Tonight he felt particularly confident. Perhaps because he’d been to church, something he rarely did anymore. He stared at the tall, white wall enclosing the far side of the courtyard. Above the garden, and slightly in from each end, the wall sloped sharply up to form a triangle jutting into the sky. It reminded him that a kindred spirit shared this space. Few, maybe none, realized the other was here. But all anyone needed do was look up, for at the top of the triangle stood the sign of His presence: a simple, white stone cross atop the church bounding the garden courtyard.
Vladimir stared at the cross the and smiled. ‘Don’t worry, you take care of the hereafter and leave the here and now to me.’ He’d spoken his thoughts aloud.
‘What was that?’ Katerina asked.
He kept staring at the cross. ‘Just a private conversation with God.’
Katerina nodded. It was after four and she’d been sitting next to him the entire night. Vladimir knew she’d love for him to show interest in her, but not a chance — even if she were twenty years younger. Make that thirty. There was just too much available without complications. He’d come to the conclusion that it was best to use hooker types. Not to pay them for sex, but to pay them to leave.
Vladimir looked down from the cross. A fat, sixty-year-old man at a table across from him was groping two twenty-year-olds in strapless cocktail dresses. From the bags at the women’s feet and similarity in their dresses, it was obvious they were wearing the fat man’s purchases. Vladimir watched the man take the hand of one girl and press it to his crotch. She rubbed, as the other kissed him on the lips. Vladimir couldn’t help but laugh. Just who did he think he was impressing?
‘Disgusting, that old man over there with those two young girls.’
Obviously, Katerina had caught the subject of his interest. ‘Jealous are we, my love?’
‘Not of them. They’re classless, and,’ she gave what must have been her most coquettish, cleavage- emphasizing smile, ‘I’m sure lousy in bed.’
He smiled, and squeezed her thigh. ‘I’m sure.’
Suddenly, faces began turning and several people headed toward the velvet rope, led by the owner. Paparazzi started flashing away.
Vladimir gestured for the attention of one of his bodyguards. ‘Find out what’s going on.’
Katerina put her hand on Vladimir’s. ‘I like it when you touch me like that.’
He smiled and held her hand.
The bodyguard was back. ‘Nothing to worry about, sir. It’s just a pretty woman everyone seems to know.’
‘Really, I think she should meet me.’
‘I don’t think it will be a problem, sir.’
‘Why’s that?’
He turned and pointed to a couple the owner was leading toward the VIP table across from them, as two members of the club’s staff hurriedly relocated the obnoxious fat guy and his two ladies to a place on the terrace.
Vladimir stared at the woman: ice-blue eyes, long auburn hair, almost as tall as he, and more gorgeous than a dream. He pulled his hand away from Katerina’s, waved to the couple, and said in English. ‘Andreas, my friend, how nice to see you again. Please, come join us.’
He turned to Katerina. ‘Please, move over to make room for your friends.’
Katerina’s anger was obvious. ‘She is not a friend of mine.’
‘Too bad, then perhaps you should leave.’ It was time for him to reassert control over the here and now and all its beings.
The gorgeous woman smiled at him, said in perfect English, ‘Thank you very much, but we’re expecting friends,’ turned away, and sat down in the power seat at the next table. ‘Darling,’ she said, waving to Andreas and still speaking English, ‘come sit here,’ patting the seat next to her. People started flocking to her table.
Andreas shrugged and said to Vladimir and Katerina, ‘What can I do, but please, won’t the two of you join us? I’d love for you to meet Barbara.’
Vladimir paused and drew in a breath. He was the one who gave audiences. He stared at Andreas, then glanced up at the cross, and brought his eyes down so that they lingered on that gorgeous woman. He willed her to catch his eyes, but she never looked his way. Vladimir swallowed and smiled. ‘It would be our pleasure.’
19
Big dogs ruled. So when Vladimir moved over to Barbara’s table everyone made room for him to sit beside her, on the other side from Andreas. Katerina pushed herself in next to Vladimir, but she might as well have been in Siberia for all the attention he paid her. He kept trying to start a conversation with Barbara but she treated him as if he were a waiter pressing for her order, and kept leaning forward to speak to her friends around the table in Greek.
Andreas kept a sideways watch on the Russian’s eyes. They hadn’t moved from Barbara since he sat down. Every time she leaned forward he stared at her face, every time she sat back to laugh or sip her wine he closed them as if inhaling the scent of her hair. Rarely did his eyes stray down to her backless, turquoise sundress. A feat Andreas admired, considering his own inability to resist peeking at her virtually exposed breasts far more than he’d like Lila to know.
Barbara had deflected Vladimir’s overtures enough times to make him look frustrated, but hopefully not enough to make him decide to give up and leave. Andreas put his hand on Barbara’s bare back and gently nudged her forward. Then waved to Vladimir to lean in, over her back. His face was there in an instant.
Andreas shrugged and said in English, ‘I’m sorry that everyone is speaking Greek.’
‘Don’t worry, it’s no problem.’
Andreas knew he wasn’t serious. Men like Vladimir never expected to be left out of any conversation. ‘Still, I’m sure you’d be more gracious in your country.’
Vladimir smiled, sat up, and said something in Russian to one of his bodyguards hovering nearby. In seconds three bottles of ice-cold vodka appeared, shots were poured, and lifted in a toast. ‘To Greece,’ Vladimir said.
‘To Russia,’ added Andreas.
The two men smiled at each other, clinked glasses, did the same with Barbara, and downed their shots. That became their ritual over the next hour and a half. Vodka shots separated by animated conversation in English over Barbara’s naked back, with both men gesturing and touching her in the process. She didn’t seem to mind; it was as if she didn’t even notice.
It now was five thirty in the morning and the place was jammed. Vladimir’s head was halfway across Barbara’s back, his hand down about her waist, just resting there, until needed for a gesture. Both men clearly were feeling the vodka.
‘So, my friend, what was it you wanted to ask me?’
Andreas smiled. ‘I see Katerina can keep a secret.’
Vladimir laughed. ‘Yes, so I’ve noticed.’ They slapped high fives and Vladimir let his hand slide along Barbara’s back to its resting place below. ‘No, really, if I can help you, it would be my honor.’
Andreas shook his head. ‘No reason to get you involved. The investigation has been shut down. No one wants to touch it.’
‘Sounds interesting.’
