Russian's Innocent Love (Drobilka Family Series #1)

by Lee, Leona

  Pointing to the flyer that was no longer in her hands, she replied, “It says that you are looking for servers.” As the men continued to talk, Bethany began to fume, as she listened to them discuss her too thin body, too tall height, and the relative merits of her breasts. As she crossed her arms and stared at them in agitation, she realized that the second guy was still standing in front of her. Shifting her gaze, she blushed when she saw him staring at her. “Um, is there something I can help you with?” she asked, unsure what else to say.

  “Have we met before?”

  Shaking her head, “I don’t think so, I haven’t been here that long,” she answered and then inwardly winced at giving too much away.

  “Oh? Where were you before?”

  Deciding that it was best to be honest, but not too honest, she answered, “I got my bachelor’s degree from Barnard, in New York.”

  “Isn’t that a women’s college?”

  “What difference does that make?” she demanded as she stared at him.

  Shrugging his shoulders, he turned back to the men at the table. “She’s hired. We’ll see how she does.” As the men nodded in immediate agreement, he turned back to her, “You’ll start Friday. Be here at seven to be fitted for a uniform and training. If you don’t work out, you won’t be back.”

  Realizing that she was dismissed, Bethany turned toward the exit. As she passed the same bouncer, she stopped to ask him about filling out an application, but he started to laugh.

  “They do not care about such things,” he told her, as he continued to laugh as though he’d been told a grand joke.

  “Um, don’t they even want to know my name?”

  “You’ll get a new name when you start,” he told her before walking away.

  Walking out into the late afternoon sun, Bethany stopped to wipe the steam off her sunglasses. She swore that she would never again get used to this humidity.

  Chapter 5

  When Friday rolled around, Bethany was filled with dread at the prospect of working at the Rubicon. She had checked out the uniforms while she was in there and while they were skimpy, she should be able to keep most of her torso covered. Having been given the go-ahead from Marci, excitedly so, to take the job, she had managed to talk her out of wiring her up until she had worked there for a while. They agreed to meet again to go through the photos on the different members of the cartel the following Monday.

  As she drove into the parking lot, she saw a separate lot off to the side marked “employees only.” Parking her car, she took a quick inventory of the cars before walking inside. She was met by a woman who introduced herself as Sasha and proceeded to give her a quick tour of the place. As she walked through the main area, Sasha pointed out the various VIP sections, where she would pick up her drink and food orders, as well as gave her a quick rundown of their limited food offering, which comprised mostly fried finger food.

  “Have you ever worked as a server before?”

  Bethany nodded. “I worked as a waitress at a small restaurant when I was in high school, and I volunteered at a soup kitchen.”

  Rolling her eyes, Sasha turned around to look at her. “Well, expect to be groped regularly, so never carry too much on your tray at any one time. If someone becomes too pushy, flag down one of the bouncers and let him take care of it. Never, ever try to handle it on your own. And don’t ever drop anything on a customer’s lap. Some of these people are danger…. Well, let’s just say that you don’t want to piss them off. Smile politely and get out of there. The dancers will take care of the men when they aren’t on stage; that is NOT your job,” Sasha finished, as they ended up in back. Pointing to a series of tables and lounge areas to the left. “That will be your station. Come, let’s get you a uniform.”

  Entering the employee area, Sasha pointed out the break room along with a large dressing area that was for the dancers only. Walking past, she entered a room that looked more like a gym locker room. Along one wall were racks of costumes ranging from togas to slave costumes. She sized Bethany up and pulled a simple slave costume off the rack.

  “That should fit you. Go get changed and put your things in an empty locker. Be sure to take the key.”

  As Bethany found an empty locker, she quickly shed her clothes and slipped the uniform over her head. Stepping in front of the floor-length mirror, she adjusted the simple sheath to accentuate her waist and what curves she had without showing too much skin. Sweeping her hair up into a cascading ponytail, she finger-curled her hair.

  She jumped when a deep male voice interrupted her thoughts. “You will get more tips if you show more skin.” The man who hired her was standing at the end of the aisle looking at her.

  “How…how long were you standing there?”

  “Not long,” he answered with a smile. He reached to adjust her costume as he stepped forward. Bethany froze when his hand brushed across her, as his touch seemed scorching. Looking up at him startled, she could see that he wasn’t unaffected. As he parted the costume along her belly, her hand popped up to cover his. Swallowing her now dry mouth, she stepped back to adjust the dress, but not before he caught sight of her skin beneath. He readjusted the costume so that all her skin was covered again.

  “We all bear some sort of scars,” he murmured as he stepped back to make sure that nothing was showing. “But some are worse than others.” Looking up at him, Bethany wasn’t sure how to respond as she suddenly felt more vulnerable than she had in years. She nodded her head in assent, not sure she could speak.

  “You need a name.”

  “Bethany.”

  He shook his head. “Not here it isn’t. Something else.”

  Closing her eyes, she began to offer names, “Sapphire, Seneca, Sheila…”

  Grasping her chin, he tilted her head up as she opened her eyes. “Your eyes aren’t blue enough to go by Sapphire. Seneca doesn’t suit you. Sheila it is.” Bethany kept staring at him, still too shocked to move. As he continued to look at her, she suddenly wondered what it would be like to kiss him, but he dropped his hand, stepped back and started to leave.

  “And you?” she asked.

  Turning around, “What?”

  “Your name…what should I call you?”

  “My name is Vadim, and I will see you out on the floor.” And with that, he was gone. After he left, Bethany sat back down on the bench, too flustered to move. Never in her life had she ever been affected by a man like that. Let alone from him barely touching her. Closing her eyes, she went through the list of known cartel members, but she couldn’t recall anyone by the name of Vadim. If that was his real name.

  Gathering herself together, she looked at herself in the mirror one more time before heading out.

  When she got out on the floor, Sasha was waiting for her. Handing her a mini tablet, she showed her how to use the point of sale system to take orders and where to wear it on the belt to avoid dropping it.

  Customers were starting to arrive and from the looks of it, there was a bachelor party already in full swing. Bethany was glad they weren’t in her section as she spotted a table with two older men sitting in hers. Turning, she went to greet them. As she walked up, she could hear them talking as she greeted them in Russian. Taking their orders, she stopped to speak with customers at another table before going to retrieve her order.

  Her first night was uneventful, as she made a point of learning everyone’s names and spending some time with the customers, which the older men seemed to eat up. Everyone in her section was respectful, unlike some of the customers in other sections, and they seemed to appreciate it when she spoke to them in Russian, although the conversations often ground to a halt when she walked over to check on them.

  As she changed back into her street clothes in the locker room, she rubbed her sore feet, wishing that athletic shoes would be acceptable footwear instead of the high-heeled gladiator sandals. As she headed toward the employees’ exit, Vadim was waiting for her in the hall. He handed her an envelope with her night’s
pay along with her work schedule. The club was dark Sundays and Mondays, so other than a private party, she would be expected to work Wednesday through Saturday from seven until close.

  Nodding her head, she quickly sidestepped him before practically running out the door. Once outside, she took several ragged breaths. That man is hotter than a Texas summer day, she thought as she rushed to her car. Once inside, she turned on the air conditioning to max before driving out of the lot to head home. She was so lost in thought that she didn’t see the car tailing her.

  Chapter 6

  Vadim couldn’t explain his decision to hire the young woman, as she didn’t fit the profile of their usual servers. For one thing, she was far too smart. If it wasn’t for her mastery of the Russian language, he would not have even considered her. Yet, he couldn’t seem to get her out of his mind. He was sure he had seen her someplace before, but for the life of him, he couldn’t remember. She had said that she hadn’t been in town long; perhaps he had seen her in a club in New York.

  He didn’t anticipate his response to her when he attempted to adjust her uniform. He hadn’t even touched her skin, but it felt as though she had scorched his very being. That look of surprise she gave him, clearly she had been affected, too. But those scars…that, too, he did not anticipate, as it was all he could do to keep from demanding the name of the bastard who did that to her.

  She would have to be more comfortable in her own skin if she was going to handle working at the Rubicon. Shaking his head, he watched as she headed to her car, motioning to one of his men to follow her. This one wanted to know more about.

  ###

  Bethany woke to the insistent ringing of her phone. Reaching groggily for it, she answered, “Hello?”

  “It’s after ten, why are you still sleeping?” demanded a male voice.

  Looking at the blocked ID, she asked, “Who the hell is this?”

  “Sanderson.”

  “I worked until four and I’m not due to see my handler until Monday.”

  “Go to your window.” Curious, Bethany did as she was told as she flipped the curtains to look out.

  “What am I looking at?”

  “Across the street, blue car, pile of cigarette butts.” Tapping her camera app, she took a few pictures of the car, driver, and butts before getting back to her boss.

  “One of ours?”

  “Nope. Thought you should know that you have generated some interest. Keep up the good work.” Bethany stared at the phone before rubbing her head to wake herself up. Making up her mind, she slipped on her flip-flops and headed downstairs. When she got to the entrance to her building, she peeked out to see if the car was still there. Sure enough, there was smoke coming from yet another cigarette. She took a few more pictures before opening the door and storming outside. She waved madly at the driver and started yelling at him as he quickly started the car and drove away. Getting a wild idea, she grabbed an errant grocery bag lying tucked against a car and scooped up all the butts. Tying the bag in a knot, she turned to go back into her apartment.

  Later that evening, on her way into work, she stopped at a drug store to use their photo booth. Printing out the photos of the car and driver, she went into the club. The same group of men was sitting at the same table as she walked by. Dropping the photos and bag of cigarette butts on the table in front of Vadim, “The next time you have someone follow me, tell him to clean up his own damn trash,” she demanded as she kept walking to the locker room.

  Bethany wasn’t sure what to expect when she pulled that stunt, but she wasn’t expecting the men at the table to roar with laughter as she pushed the door open. As she grabbed her uniform and prepared to get dressed, she was surprised to see Vadim standing there.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “For what? Having me followed or that you got caught?”

  Smiling at her response, “For offending you,” he answered. “He wasn’t supposed to be seen.”

  “Do you regularly have your employees followed?

  “Nyet,” he replied as he enjoyed her outrage. “But you aren’t a typical employee.” Bethany was about to respond, but he turned and left the locker room as the other girls came walking in. Shaking her head, she continued to fume as she got dressed, although she had to admit that it was a good thing that there was no evidence of her real job anywhere accessible. At least she hoped.

  Since she would have the next two days off, Bethany redoubled her efforts to get to know everyone who sat in her station. While it was mostly the same men from last night, there was a new party. When she attempted to speak Russian with them, they told her they preferred English, although she could detect Russian when she walked up to check on them. Smiling brightly, she tried not to be too intrusive while sticking close by, but they seemed continually aware of where she was at all times. Deciding that it was best to back off, she spent more of her time with other customers.

  As she was leaving that night, she saw Vadim standing in the hall handing out envelopes as the girls were all leaving. Stopping in front of him, she crossed her arms and looked up at him, “I’m heading straight home and am going out tomorrow night, in case you have plans to follow me again.”

  “Duly noted,” he replied, as he smirked at her.

  Vadim watched as she exited the building. A search of her locker, two days in a row, produced nothing out of the ordinary, and her cell phone only seemed to have personal contacts and pictures. Nothing to call attention to herself as anything other than a graduate student. And he had to admit that he liked it when she was pissed off.

  Her eyes lit up, and he imagined what she might be like in bed when aroused. But judging from the way she covered her body and acted around him, he doubted if she had any experience around men. Scars had a way of isolating people.

  Chapter 7

  Bethany woke the next morning to a bunch of text messages from Charlotte reminding her that they had plans to meet tonight. She groaned, rolled over, and pulled the blanket back over her head, glad that was several hours away. Realizing that she couldn’t sleep, she rolled over onto her back and thought about Vadim.

  She would have to check the database of known members of the cartel, but she didn’t recall seeing his face in any of the files, and his name wasn’t familiar. Perhaps he was new or maybe he used an alias. It wouldn’t be the first time.

  As she thought about him, she blushed. Why did he have to be so good looking? While her experience with men was, well, non-existent, he was her male fantasy. From his chiseled looks to his, oh so touchable, body, Vadim Sannikoff, had already been the subject of at least two fantasies. Well, three, if she counted the one she was about to have.

  Closing her eyes, she pictured him leaning over her, his hands freely roaming over her body as she writhed beneath him. As his warm hand slid up her leg, he reached for the hem of her t-shirt and began to raise it up as she arched her back up to help. As she waited for him to touch her, she stole a glance up at him, only to see that look of horror on his face when he saw the scars marring her body.

  Sitting up, Bethany pulled her shirt over her knees as she hugged herself. Why can’t I at least be scar free in my own damn fantasies? Sighing, she got up to take a shower. Not even in her fantasies could she seem to get laid. Would she always be a virgin?

  ###

  Arriving at the bar, Bethany was surprised that the parking lot was already full. Glad she had arrived early, she circled around, hoping to find a parking space not too far away. While it wasn’t a terrible neighborhood, there were enough alleys and dark areas that she wished she at least had pepper spray with her. Finding a spot two blocks away, she parked under a streetlight and hopped out. When she got to the bar, Susan and Charlotte were already waiting for her, and they squealed in delight before dragging her inside.

  “You are going to love this place,” Charlotte declared as they settled at a pub table. “It is quintessential Texas.” Looking around, Bethany had to agree, at least on a stereotypical level. From the lar
ge dance floor to the rodeo motifs – this was definitely a cowboy bar. As the waitress came around to take their order, the girls ordered margaritas while Bethany chose orange juice. She had not had a drink since that night she had celebrated her graduation, and she didn’t want a repeat of her actions because it was clear that she couldn’t hold her alcohol.

  Once their drinks were delivered, Susan looked around the bar before elbowing Bethany. “Check out those yummy morsels,” she told her as she indicated a group of college guys staring at them.

  “You did not just call them yummy morsels,” Bethany replied as she peeked at the guys. “Okay, so maybe they are good looking, but I don’t have time to date.”

  “Who doesn’t have time to date?” Charlotte interjected. “Heck, it’s cheaper than buying our own drinks and a good way to take the edge off, if you know what I mean.”

  Twisting the glass in her hands, Bethany sighed, “Between school and work, and those hours, I…I just don’t have time. Besides, I work in a strip club. I see the worst side of men, which doesn’t exactly endear the rest of the population to me,” she added as the girls laughed.

  “Fair point,” Susan replied, “But you really should give it a try. Not every guy is an asshole.”

  Nodding her head, Bethany swallowed hard. She wasn’t going to that place in her head. Not now. Not tonight. While logically, she knew that not every male was cruel or abusive, it didn’t help that the few times she did get close to someone, they would find a reason to end the relationship. In high school, she had gone to great lengths to hide her scars from her classmates, but some girls from gym class saw them and rumors spread quickly that she was damaged goods.

  None of the boys would look at her after that. She concentrated on her studies and was able to get a scholarship that covered most of her education, so she got the hell out of Texas as quickly as possible. She wasn’t thrilled about returning as it dredged up a lot of bad memories for her, even if it was to work undercover.