Russian Persuasion

by Laura Hart

  “Don’t eat any of my pops while I’m gone.”

  Max laughed. “I think your treasures are quite safe.” He’d never warmed up to the joys of a chocolate Tootsie Pop and found Sadie’s love of them rather amusing.

  Sadie was back quickly with her bag. “Okay let’s go.” As they turned to leave, she looked again at her gift and added, “You know, two dozen chocolate pops are worth a lot in thank-you’s.”

  Max gave her a knee-weakening smile and replied, “And I intend to collect on every single bit of it.”

  My Hand Was Restless

  Having Max in her life seemed so natural to Sadie now that she could barely remember what it had been like without him. They spent as much time together as possible, sometimes just doing nothing and other times talking seriously about their different lives or making love for hours.

  Today they were at Sadie’s house, and when she walked into the kitchen, she saw Max squatted down looking at something under the sink.

  “What are you doing?”

  “You have a small leak. I think I’ll go get some plumber’s tape and tape it up.”

  “Well, aren’t you handy? I didn’t know you were fluent in sinks.” Before he could get up, she came over and leaned against his back, fitting herself to its curve. “How about this? Can you work like this?” She put her arms around his neck and tickled ever so slightly.

  Max laughed, grabbed hold of her hands, and stood up, bringing her with him hanging on his back. Then he put his hands back one at a time and pulled her legs around to the front, leaving her against him in piggyback style.

  “You’d better put me down or you’ll hurt your back.”

  Max laughed again. “Are you talking to me, featherweight?” He trotted out of the kitchen with her on his back as if she were five years old, ducking in the doorway so she wouldn’t slam into the wall above.

  “You seem mighty experienced at this,” remarked Sadie. “Do you carry people around often on your back?”

  “Only beautiful women.” He carried her into the bedroom and turned around with his back to the bed, bent his knees and lowered her onto it. Then he turned around and pinned her to the mattress with a leering smile. “It seems you’re my captive.”

  “Giving a piggyback ride does not bestow unlimited privileges.”

  “Perhaps not, but having the superior advantage I have right now does.” He kissed her lightly and then again more deeply. “I have a much better way to attach your body to mine.”

  “I’m sure you do, but I thought you wanted to go get some tape.”

  “Tape can wait.” He unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them off, then did the same to her polka dot panties.

  “Are you in a hurry?” asked Sadie with a mischievous little laugh.

  “You have no idea.” He squatted down again so his head was almost bed height and then pulled her forward, taking hold of one leg in each hand so they were spread apart on either side of him and leaving his face staring at her vulnerable privacy.

  “Max! I feel like a pair of scissors.”

  “But very special scissors.” He smiled and then leaned forward and buried his head between her legs.

  “Max!” Sadie started squirming in reaction to the most marvelous sensations as he caressed every inch with his tongue and tiny kisses. “Oh my god!” It was one of the most incredible things she’d ever felt, so intense that she could barely stand it. She gasped and bit her lip, wanting to protect herself from the almost unbearable feelings and yet praying they wouldn’t stop. As she tossed her head from side to side, completely at Max’s mercy, the tingling tension started, teasing her until she was breathless as it captured all of her body

  “Max!” she heard herself scream as she completely succumbed to a tsunami of pleasure. She tried to twist to alleviate the intensity, but he had her held tightly and continued to tease and kiss and nibble, all the while enjoying her frenzied reaction.

  Finally, he took pity on her and let her float slowly back to normalcy. She lay there limp, drained of all energy. She knew Max was there, and yet he seemed hazy. He lay down on the bed and propped himself up on an elbow to look down at her.

  “That’s what I do with women who climb on my back.”

  Sadie looked up at him and smiled slowly. “Works for me.”

  * * *

  Max had been on a call for almost half an hour now. He was speaking Russian, so Sadie had no idea what was being said, but it was obvious that it was more than just an everyday conversation. Max was shaking his head, and he didn’t look happy.

  Sadie sighed and got up to go get something to drink. It was Sunday afternoon, and they were at his place for the weekend. They’d been out earlier for lunch at Etoile and were now lounging around working on their laptops. She’d been surprised when he’d started speaking Russian, because St. Petersburg was nine hours ahead of Houston, meaning it was the middle of the night over there. She poured herself an icy cold Coke, an occasional guilty pleasure of hers, and returned to the living room. Max was done talking now and turned to look at her as she came in.

  “Sorry about that.”

  Sadie gave a little laugh. “What are you apologizing for?”

  “Because the call was so long in the middle of our afternoon.”

  “Max, I know your life doesn’t stop just because we’re together.”

  He crossed the room and kissed her. “More’s the pity.” He looked at her glass and said, “That looks good. I think I’ll get one, too.”

  Sadie was surprised, because he almost never drank Coke. “I’ll get you one.”

  Normally, he would have declined her offer and got it himself, but today he said, “Thanks” in a distracted way. He seemed to still have something on his mind.

  Sadie brought him his Coke and then sat down near him on the sofa. “Was that call from Russia?”

  “Yes, it was my father.”

  “It’s the middle of the night over there.”

  “He’s a bit of a night owl, and this was important.”

  “It sounded like you weren’t very happy. Were you two arguing?”

  Max frowned at her. “Why would you think that?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Well, he and I are fine, but there is a business problem. It’s kind of a long story, though, so let’s not worry about it now.”

  “Whatever.” She scooted around so she could lay down with her head in his lap. “Maybe I should take Russian lessons. Then I’d know what you’re saying when you talk on the phone.” She gave a little giggle. “I might learn some interesting things.”

  “Or you might hear some remarkably uninteresting conversations.” Then he added, “Russian can be a difficult language to learn.”

  “Are you saying you don’t think I can learn it?” demanded Sadie indignantly.

  “I absolutely did not say that. I simply said it could be difficult. A very thorough understanding of grammar is necessary, plus you’d have to learn the Cyrillic alphabet, and Russian doesn’t have a Western European sound to it.”

  “No, it has the sound of spies plotting some dastardly deed.” She giggled again.

  Max put his hand on her tummy and tickled. “Do you remember when you asked me why I used my Swiss passport and not my Russian one?”

  “Yes,” she answered, trying to push his hand aside.

  “You just answered your own question.”

  “Because you don’t want anyone to know you’re a spy?” Her eyes danced with playful glee.

  “No, mishka. Because there are too many stereotypes.”

  * * *

  Sadie and Max were apart for the next three days. She had some appointments in Galveston but he had some business matters, including an evening meeting that required his presence, so they lived in their respective locations alone. It had been a very long time since they’d been apart that much time, and neither liked it. They had long phone conversations, but there was no snuggling or making love. Finally, on the fourth day, Max head
ed south in his Porsche and, with a sigh of relief, turned into Sadie’s driveway. God, he’d missed her!

  She met him at the door with a big smile on her face, and he gathered her tightly into his arms. “Let’s not do that again.”

  “It wasn’t my idea to start with,” she replied pointedly.

  Max looked at her sharply. “It was both of our schedules that didn’t work well,” he reminded her.

  “Well, you should have changed yours.” She was only half kidding.

  “Are you going to waste time being difficult?” He gave her a swat on her backside and continued, “If you are, tell me right now so I can take care of the problem and get it out of the way.”

  “Hmph. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

  “No, mishka. What I’d like is to spend the time making love to you. I missed you.”

  Sadie softened. “I missed you, too.”

  Max kissed her deeply. “There’s that wonderful Sadie taste again. You’re better than any dinner.”

  “Not right now,” she answered, pulling back. “Right now, I’m so hungry I could eat my own arm.”

  Max laughed. “Can I watch?”

  She pinched his arm. “No, you can take me to get something to eat.”

  “Do I need to teach you about pinching?”

  “No, you need to give me a menu to read.”

  Once they were settled on the patio of Trattoria la Vigna and had given their orders, Max looked across at Sadie and asked, “Do you have a passport?”

  Sadie looked at Max strangely. “Of course. I told you I’ve traveled with my dad, and I’ve done other traveling, too.”

  “But is it still current?”

  “Yes. I wouldn’t let something like that expire. Why? Are you taking me somewhere wonderful?”

  “Yes. What would you think about a trip to St. Petersburg?”

  “Now or in the winter?”

  Max laughed. “Are we feeling delicate? St. Petersburg is actually very beautiful in the winter, but I was thinking of sooner than that.”

  “Is this a business trip?”

  “It’s everything. When I go that far, I take care of both business and personal. I’d like you to meet my family, and I’d like you to see where I come from, but I also have some serious business to deal with.”

  “When?”

  “Well, you’ll need a visa, but I’m sure I can get the consulate to expedite it. Would it be possible for you to go the week after next, assuming I have your visa by then and can get tickets?”

  Sadie’s mind was whirling, and she didn’t answer immediately.

  “Sadie?”

  “Not to be too rude, but how much do you think it will cost me?”

  Max looked at her in amazement. “How long have we been together now?”

  “A while.”

  “Have I ever invited you to go someplace and then made you pay? I know early on you tried several times, but do you really think I’d invite you to travel all the way to St. Petersburg and expect you to pay for your own ticket?”

  “I wasn’t really thinking about the ticket,” replied Sadie with a small frown. “There are lots of other costs too, like the visa fee. There are always things that come up when you travel.”

  Just then the waiter appeared with their dinners, veal scaloppini for Sadie and osso buco for Max, but once they’d started eating, Max continued the conversation.

  “Sadie, I’m sure you’ll find something somewhere to spend money on, like a gift for your mother, but I’m inviting you to come to St. Petersburg as my very special guest, and all the costs related to that trip are mine—the tickets, your visa, whatever. All you have to do is accept my invitation and pack your suitcases.”

  Sadie looked at him silently for a minute, and Max wondered if she was going to resist, but then a big smile spread across her face, and she said, “Spasibo. I accept.”

  Max laughed. “Have you been saving that for just the right occasion?” Spasibo was the Russian word for ‘thank you.’

  “Yes, but I didn’t expect to use it for something as big as a trip to Russia. How cool!”

  “It’s a really great time to be in St. Petersburg, too. We’ll be there during the White Nights Festival.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I assume you’ve heard about the midnight sun. St. Petersburg is far enough north that they experience the sun’s barely setting for about three months. It’s daylight until about ten or ten-thirty at night, and then it gets light again about three-thirty in the morning, and the dark hours aren’t all that dark. There are all kinds of outdoor celebrations, and one very special night when a boat with scarlet sails appears on the river. It’s a really fun time of year.”

  “Should I bring anything in particular?”

  “Just you and your camera.”

  “Does your family know about me?”

  Max smiled mysteriously. “Oh, they know. My sister is dying to meet you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I told her you’re independent and opinionated and sometimes downright naughty.”

  “Max!”

  “Do you deny it?”

  “I deny the third.”

  “Did you or did you not pinch me when you demanded to go eat?”

  “My hand was restless.”

  Max smiled at her. “How interesting. Sometimes my hand gets restless, too, and do you know what it does then?”

  Sadie giggled. “Probably something obscene.”

  “Guess again.”

  “Something cruel?”

  “Not at all. Something very loving. Should I demonstrate when we get home?”

  “No. I think you should keep it for another day.”

  As it turned out, that day came sooner than Sadie would have wished.

  I Love You Too

  Sadie went into action to plan for her trip to St. Petersburg. She started getting clothes together, she picked her dad’s mind, she spent endless hours online looking at pictures and reading articles, and she tried to get ahead on her various work projects. Meanwhile, she noticed that Max sometimes seemed distracted.

  “Are you sorry you invited me?” she asked one afternoon.

  “What kind of question is that?”

  “One that needs an answer.”

  “I shouldn’t even have to say this, but no, I’m not sorry, and I don’t know why you’d think I was.”

  “Because you seem so distant sometimes.”

  Max looked at her in surprise and then patted his lap. “Come here, mishka.”

  She came and sat down on him, and he pulled her close, nuzzling her hair. “I do have some things on my mind, but it has nothing to do with you. You’re the best part of my life now.”

  “How come you don’t tell me what’s bothering you? You keep it all to yourself.”

  Max sighed. “There’s nothing at all you can do about the situation, so I don’t want to fill your head with unpleasantness.”

  “But if I knew what the problem was, I might take pity on you and then do nice things to help distract you.” She flashed him a mischievous smile and started playing with the front of his shirt.

  Max enveloped her wandering hand in his large one and laughed. “That’s certainly an incentive to talk, I must admit.” He was silent a minute and then continued. “Maybe I should tell you a bit of what’s going on. You’ll probably overhear some things while we’re in Russia.”

  “Not if it’s in Russian, I won’t,” she reminded him. “The ten words I’ve learned are hardly going to allow me to eavesdrop.”

  Max kissed her. “As you know, our family business is an old one going back to the first generation that went into exile, my great-grandfather. Over the years there have been different family members involved in the business in its different locations. Recently a distant cousin has popped up and is making trouble. He’s not anyone we’re close with, and he has some very unsavory friends. He claims that his branch of the family was pushed out of the business, and he wa
nts compensation. He’s been trying to pressure my father to work with him in various ways, all of them quite dubious.”

  “What kinds of ways?” interrupted Sadie, sensing a good story here.

  “Being an international enterprise, we regularly move items of value across borders, and, as far as we can tell, this cousin and his cohorts would like to piggyback some of their questionable activities on our legitimate ones. To put it in blunt terms, at the very least I think we’d be laundering some money for them, plus god knows what else.”

  “Why doesn’t your father just tell him no.”

  “He has, many times, but the cousin is quite insistent. There have been several recent incidents of vandalism against our properties that we’re sure are their doing. Besides the vandalism, I’m worried about my father. Several years ago, he had a minor heart attack, and I’m concerned that the stress of this situation could lead to another one.” He stopped talking and held her tightly.

  “Is it dangerous there?” Sadie asked.

  “No, mishka. I wouldn’t take you if I thought there was any danger. It’s an annoying situation, difficult and without an obvious solution, but it has nothing to do with you.” He kissed her again.

  “Are your cousin’s friends like gangsters? I’ve read about the Russian mafia before, and they’re bad news.”

  “The friends are definitely unsavory, but I don’t think they’re that extreme. If they were, someone probably would have been shot by now, just like with the mafia here. We don’t know exactly who his friends are, but I suspect they’re low-level criminals and wannabes. We’re not big enough to launder the kind of money the mafias deal with.”

  “Is this why you’re going to St. Petersburg now?”

  “Partly. Also, as I told you, I’d like you to meet my family. I know yours, and it’s time to level the playing field.”

  Sadie was silent, thinking, and then she asked, “I should bring gifts for people, shouldn’t I?”

  “You don’t need to.”

  “But you’ve said several times that in your world it’s not polite to go somewhere without a gift.”