Coming in Handy

by Emilia Beaumont

  “Just keep doing what you have been doing. And don’t worry about the money—I’ll make sure you get paid. But let me know immediately if she takes any more trips. And next time follow her. I want to know precisely where she goes.”

  “Will do.” Big Jim ended the call and I stared up at a quizzical Josephine.

  “What was all that about?”

  “Hell if I know. But I’m starting to think there’s more to Anna than she’s letting on.”

  Josephine’s eyes darted away, unable to hold my gaze. Did she know something? What wasn’t she telling me?

  “Jo, do you know something?”

  “Me? Why would I know something? I haven’t even met the girl. Better get back to work, or the boss will tan my hide,” she said, forcing out a chuckle. Quickly Josephine left my office, closing the door behind her.

  I sat for a moment, dwelling on what Big Jim had told me. I tried to run the information through my mind, inputting all the data like they were part of some mathematical formula, hoping to glean some answers. All I could come up with were errors and dead ends.

  There was something not quite right… and what had Big Jim said about her accent? I couldn’t remember.

  I grabbed my cell and searched for the new entry I’d only hours before tapped in. Earlier I’d had Josephine acquire, set up, and courier over a brand new phone for Anna’s use and wondered if she’d received it yet. A quick glance at my watch told me she should have. That along with the flowers.

  Holding the cell to my ear I listened to the trilling, wondering if she would pick up. Did she dare? I needed some kind of explanation. What was she hiding?

  “Hallo?” came her voice, just as I remembered it.

  “Anna, it’s Sebastian. Just checking in, wondered if you got the flowers?” I said changing tact at the last moment. I couldn’t very well come out and ask her what she was doing out of the city. At least not over the phone, I still needed her after all. In more than one way, too.

  “Oh, yes. Very beautiful. Thank you,” she added curtly as if she would rather be doing anything else than speaking to me on the phone right then. In the background a loud horn screeched, and there was the distinct sound of traffic and everyday street commotion.

  “Anna, where are you?” I asked gently, careful not to arouse her suspicion.

  “Er…” I heard her breathing, the seconds passing as I imagined her trying to come up with an answer. Was she back in the car with Big Jim? “What?”

  I narrowed my eyes, was she pretending not to have heard my question? But before I could ask it again, she responded quickly in Russian. I couldn’t make head nor tail of it, except… it hadn’t really sounded like her. Feminine, yet deeper. But perhaps that was how she sounded in full flow of her natural language.

  “Sorry, I didn’t understand a word of that,” I said when the line when silent again.

  “Must go,” she abruptly replied then the call died.

  I held the phone away from my ear and simply stared at it, my mouth agape. What the fuck just happened?

  Chapter Fourteen

  Anna

  Oh shit.

  Was Sebastian on to me? No, he couldn’t be, I thought, trying to reassure myself.

  I hoped my little trick with my new phone worked, the one I’d found in the package that Sebastian had kindly promised and sent over. But maybe the ruse had taken too long, the pause between his question and my answer abnormally delayed?

  On the journey to the care home, I’d searched and found a translation app called Parlez-Voice that vocalized what you wanted it to say in the language you selected. The Russian female voice wasn’t quite like mine, more abrasive and raw than my normally breathy and light rhythm. It would do the trick though, at least I hoped it would, if I ever found the need to use it. After seeing Gran, and paying off a little of the arrears, that moment came sooner than I thought it would.

  When Sebastian asked where I was, my first thought was to come clean, tell him I’d ventured out of the apartment for a bit of fresh air, to explore, but then that would only lead to more questions. So in my haste, I opened my new app, typed in a string of words and tapped for it to translate it into Russian. It didn’t really matter what I put in, as far as I knew Sebastian didn’t understand a word of my supposed native language, just as long as it sounded convincing, like I had spoken the words myself.

  Thankfully he seemed to buy it, but my nerves got the best of me and I quickly ended the call.

  Back in the car, with Big Jim in the front, he kept shooting glances my way, catching my eye in the rearview mirror, then frowning as if I were a puzzle he was trying to solve. I paid him no mind. I was drained enough to wonder if he was onto me too but resolved to be extra cautious around him. I was sure I’d spotted him and his car earlier in the day, near the apartment. But the styling of the vehicle was too similar to others I’d seen. And really what cause did Big Jim have for following a seemingly innocent young woman around?

  My hand drifted to my neck. I was filled with sadness again. I sank deeper into the leather seats of the town car and tried to focus on the passing scenery. It was no use. Although I’d managed to stave off the wolf at the care home door, I felt like I’d lost a big part of my heart…

  Before calling for the car to come get me and take me up to see Gran, I’d taken a walk around the block. It had been then when I thought I’d seen Big Jim. But I was in a hurry and using my new phone, I navigated toward the nearest pawnshop with both the ring and dress. The smartphone had certainly come in handy today, I mused.

  As I walked, I made a bargain with myself. Every single penny that I took from Sebastian to keep my gran safe in the nursing home, I would pay back. With interest, if need be. It was the only way to quell the guilt about what I intended to do. And it was the right thing to do, of course, especially if I wasn’t going to marry him and ditch him at the altar.

  The ring felt heavy in my pocket, and I half-believed I was Frodo, weighed down by this precious gift… but I told myself everything would be better once it was out of my hands, and I handed over the cash to Mr. Kershaw. The relief would be worth it, even if I would have to tell more lies later on to cover my tracks. But no ring meant no engagement, right?

  I faltered at the pawnshop door, hand resting on the metal handle. Three golden symbols painted on the glass.

  Indecision plagued me. I could walk all this back, come clean. Tell Sebastian everything, maybe he would forgive me? Maybe he would even help. He seemed the generous sort… but I wasn’t sure who I was trying to convince. I’d been burned too many times before, and my mother always taught me to rely on myself.

  I couldn’t put my trust in him. It was on short supply.

  Back outside, I stood on the sidewalk, stunned by the direct sunshine in my eyes. It felt like a spotlight illuminating what I’d just done… or more precisely what I hadn’t done.

  As the transaction for both the ring and the wedding gown was almost complete, the clerk counting out the bills before my eyes, I’d backed away from the counter.

  Somehow when it came to part with these two gifts that essentially weren’t mine, I found myself unable to do it. The look on Sebastian’s face when he would find out what I’d done practically shattered my already-aching heart. I wouldn’t cause him that pain or betray him.

  “I’ve changed my mind,” I declared and snatched the ring from the glass counter, shoving it safely back into my pocket.

  The short woman glared at me from over her half-moon glasses, letting out a disappointing breath. “Well leave if you’re just going to waste my time,” she said with an impatient roll of her eyes. She began to put the money back in the draw, out of my clutches.

  My mind reeled. What was I doing? I needed the money. Sebastian wouldn’t miss it and I’d already betrayed his trust even if he didn’t know about it yet. However it was like I was stuck before an invisible barrier, I couldn’t break through. Maybe I was weak, letting my emotions overwhelm me. Yet somehow th
is man I’d only known for a few days had affected me. Deeply.

  “Wait. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

  But I did know what I needed to do. I couldn’t sell the engagement ring or the gown. They weren’t mine to sell.

  My hand hovered at my throat. Mom would be disappointed if I didn’t do this, she’d tell me to do whatever I needed to survive, or to protect the ones I love from ruin or pain. But she would also say to do no harm to others too. At least this way I was only hurting my own heart, and not Sebastian’s. She would want me to sell the necklace to help Gran.

  I unlatched the last remaining item I had of my mom and held out the thin gold chain, the locket dangling.

  “How much will you give me for this?”

  The woman smiled, revealing her remaining, yellow-blackened teeth.

  I’d held it together long enough until I was back in the apartment. There I collapsed in a heap by the door, my body wracked with sobs. I let myself grieve again, let the tears pour out of me until there was none left to give and the well was dry. Then like my mom had instilled in me from an early age, I got back up, then washed my face, and called Big Jim to come get me. Gran was my priority now.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Sebastian

  “What’s with the look on your face?” Gerard asked interrupting my thoughts.

  We’d managed to grab a few minutes together for lunch. I’d barely touched my food. His burger and fries were practically gone. Only a few short, crispy slivers, fries burnt at the edges, remained.

  “What?”

  “Is your new girl giving you trouble?”

  “Why would you say that?” I responded sharply, head snapping up to meet his eyes.

  Gerard paused, his easy smiling disappearing, and what was left of his burger stopped in mid-air before his mouth.

  “Er… no reason. Someone’s touchy. Are you sure you’re not the one getting married? I’m the one who’s supposed to be freaking out, getting cold feet and all that bullshit.”

  “I’m not freaking out.”

  “Could’ve fooled me.”

  Impatiently, I rolled my eyes and scowled at him. I wanted nothing more than to tell him about Anna, about our whirlwind romance and how for the first time in my life I thought that maybe I understood where he was coming from when he talked about Rochelle. But I was treading some dangerous waters. He couldn’t know, at least not yet, how we’d met and where she was from.

  But of course, that didn’t stop me from worrying about my earlier curt conversation with Anna and how it had left me feeling uneasy. The whole thing was putting me off my food.

  There was something about her that she wasn’t telling me, something that I was missing. And though I couldn’t slot all of the puzzle pieces together, I had a hunch I wasn’t going to like it and that perhaps Josephine, of all people, was involved. She had, come to think about it, become inordinately nice to me.

  I’d chalked it up to us finally gaining some mutual understanding and respect. But that call with Anna still bugged the hell out of me.

  “She’s nice, I have to admit. Not the kinda girl you normally go for though.”

  “What do you mean, she’s nice?”

  Gerard gave me a knowing smile. “You two don’t talk much, do you? Though, on the other hand, that doesn’t surprise me. One of these days you really need to have a relationship that doesn’t revolve around your dick.”

  The trickle of information worked its way through the processes of my mind and I felt my mouth part, brows furrowing. “You’ve met Anna?”

  Shit! The word rang out in my head, swirling around until it made me feel dizzy. If he’d met Anna did he already know about her situation? Had he put two and two together?

  I studied him carefully. If he had, he wouldn’t have kept quiet about it for this long. Gerard wasn’t one for suppressing what was on his mind or delaying reaming me out.

  “Yes,” he replied, drawing out the word warily. “I dropped off the dress, like I told you I would.”

  “And?” I said probing him for more information.

  “And what? You want me to give you top marks for scoring a hottie? Or maybe you want a gold star for actually making good on your promise to find a replacement bridesmaid?”

  “A pat on the back wouldn’t go amiss,” I replied, as my worry lessened and we sank back into our old banter. Gerard had no idea about what I’d done… or should I say what Josephine had put in motion. Thank goodness.

  “Well, she seems like a keeper, if you ask me. I don’t know where you found her but maybe this time you should hang on to this one? Give it a real shot?”

  I nodded. I intended to, as soon as I got to the bottom of Anna’s little excursions.

  “Josephine, cancel my afternoon meeting, will you? I won’t be coming back to the office today,” I said into the phone as I flagged down a taxi. Within seconds one arrived and I jumped in, quickly giving the driver my intended destination.

  “Sure, any reason why?”

  “I can think of several reasons, but none that concern you.”

  “Fine, be Mr. Mysterious.”

  I almost snorted, I didn’t deserve that title but I could think of two women who could wear the crown for whatever deceptive little game they were playing. Were Jo and Anna in on it together? I wondered. Pulling the wool over my eyes, and to what end? What would be Anna’s reasons? Jo’s was revenge and to get her greedy little hands on the fat bonus I’d promised her. But Anna’s motivations were a complete mystery to me.

  One thing I did know, emotion like that, between us, couldn’t be faked. Or at least, I hoped it couldn’t.

  “Oh, and I need you to make a reservation for two, around seven or eight, at that new swanky restaurant that just opened downtown. The one everyone is raving about. Call Keith, the manager, he’ll fit me in.”

  “Oh, I see,” she purred into the phone. “You’re taking Anna out on a date.”

  “So?”

  “Nothing. You should really thank me for being such a good little matchmaker, though.”

  “I should, should I? And maybe I should forget all about the bribery that went along with it too?”

  “Ugh, forget I said anything.”

  “Well since you’re so interested in Anna, I need you to gather all the paperwork she supplied when you signed me up to that site.”

  There was a silent pause on the line. “Paperwork?”

  “Yeah, you know a copy of her passport, her visa, and all that stuff. I presume that stupid site keeps records of all the important records. Surely they need all that info so everything is kept all above aboard? And you did say you did your due diligence.”

  “I guess… Mmm, what do you want all that for? Why don’t you just ask Anna?”

  “Because I’m asking you. So stop asking me questions and email me the copies, will you? Don’t you still want your bonus?”

  Again the silence on the other end of the phone loomed like an oppressive cloud.

  “Jo…”

  “I’ll get it to you as soon as I can, the big boss just walked in. Gotta go.”

  The click that sounded in my ear made me pause and lean back in the seat of the taxi. I tapped the edge of the smooth, thin phone against my temple, madly trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

  Josephine certainly did not sound pleased when I asked her for copies of Anna’s documents. The question was why? Were there no documents at all, and perhaps she hadn’t actually done what she reassured me she had? And if that was the case, was Anna Pavlov really who she claimed to be? And was she really a mail-order bride?

  The questions were spiraling out of control.

  If I let myself fall into that tunnel of thought, I was in danger of the questions never ending. God, was she even Russian?

  I shook my head, disregarding that ludicrous idea. I was there when the plane had landed, had watched her come through the security doors at the airport. That wasn’t faked, not with the protocols in place in t
his day and age. And granted she didn’t say much, but her accent sounded real enough. Though I couldn’t quite remember if she’d ever spoken in her natural tongue… other than when we were on the phone.

  The taxi pulled in and stopped outside a row of boutique shops. I paid the driver, got out, and with a quick glance, picked the first store at random and went in.

  It wasn’t long before I was in the elevator riding up to my apartment. I was early, far earlier than I would typically be home, and I wondered if I would catch Anna off guard. Perhaps she wasn’t even inside.

  Setting my purchases down, I sent off a quick text to her new phone, to test the waters. Missing you. Be home soon, can’t wait to see you. x

  Before I could tuck my phone away into my pocket, it buzzed in my hand. A reply from Anna. I’ll be waiting. Ask me what I’m wearing.

  I frowned at the quick reply and the grammatically correct responses. Yet the smile creeping onto my lips couldn’t stop my fingers from tapping out and sending her another message. What are you wearing?

  A few seconds passed. Meanwhile, the elevator doors glided back.

  Absolutely nothing.

  I sucked in a breath feeling the impact of her words jolt down to my groin. I was almost at the front door to the apartment but I paused. Tell me exactly where you are in the apartment. What are you doing?

  Come home and find out.

  I raised an eyebrow as the teasing dots wiggled, telling me she was typing something. The wait was torturous to watch. But then the dots stopped, disappearing altogether.

  My phone buzzed and instead of a message, an image popped up. My cock stiffened at the sight. The picture was a naughty selfie. A downward shot featuring Anna’s perfect, creamy tits, her arms beneath them acting as a supporting shelf. Boosting them, making them appear so round and full. Her sumptuous cleavage shone as if she’d coated herself with baby oil.

  Realization of where she was located dawned upon me as I spied the bubbles at the edge of the image.