by Ivy Iverson
“Why did you stay with Greg so long if the two of you were not a good fit?” he asked it gently, as if he knew he was asking her to bare her soul as he had just bared his.
“He was charming,” she said quietly. “And handsome. I knew that if I gave him up, no man like that would ever want me again, and I was too scared of being alone or settling for less.”
“You know you can do better than that, Rae,” he said. “He is without a doubt an asshole who is too stupid to know what he has. Believe me, you don't want that type of man wanting you.”
“And what type of man should I be wanting?” she asked. “You? You're a criminal.”
He looked at her so angrily that a shiver of cold fear ran down Rae's spine. “No,” he finally said. “Not me. I know I am not innocent. But at the very least, I'd never treat anyone as if they were property.”
“Bullshit,” Rae said. “You know I did some research on you. You make your living on owning other people. You're nothing more than a big petty loan shark.”
“Not the same thing,” he hissed. “Yes, I have businesses in loans, but I am in no way a shark. I do not try to screw my clients, and I certainly never own them!”
Rae looked around and realized the employee from Java Joe's was looking up at them. She flashed him a polite smile before taking a slow, deliberate sip from her latte. “Please keep your voice down, Mr. Tonov,” she whispered. “We do not have complete privacy here.”
He sighed and muttered something in Russian. “I'm sorry,” he said finally. “I was out of line.”
“I think we both were,” Rae said. “Do you want to go to the football game, or have I been uninvited to that? Not that I would blame you if I was,” she added.
He looked at her then and Rae felt herself grow hot under his warm stare. “Why are you afraid of me, Rae?” he asked. “I am certainly not the first criminal you've interviewed. I am in my right mind, and I have no wish to hurt you, but you are still afraid.”
“How could I not be,” she said quietly. “Everything about you is intimidating. I mean, how much of a human side have I really seen of you?” she looked down, and studied his expensive suit, which he still wore, even on the weekend for a kid's football game. “What are you hiding?” she asked.
“From you? Only what I must,” he said. “Even off the record.”
“And you must wear long sleeves all the time?” she asked, smiling wryly. “It's eighty degrees outside. You're from Russia, not Hawaii.”
“I have gotten used to the heat,” he said. “And in a world that favors beauty, it's best to hide my ugliness in clothing.”
Rae was about to say that she couldn't imagine any ugliness ever being associated with his body when she saw his eyes. For the briefest moment, they betrayed raw pain, as if the conversation was hurting him physically. But it was gone in the next second, hidden under his almost indestructible poker face. “I think we should go to the game now,” she said. “We don't want to be late.”
“Of course,” said Valov. “You're absolutely right.” He smiled at her and stood up. Even though they walked out of the coffee shop in awkward silence, things were more relaxed by the time they got to the car. Valov made a comment about the weather, and how nice it was outside, and Rae agreed.
“But I'm pretty sure there's supposed to be a thunder storm later today,” Rae said. “Hopefully it will hold off until after the game.”
“Unbelievable,” Valov said. “The weather is so nice right now.”
“Welcome to Maine,” Rae said, flashing a genuine smile. “Mother Nature has ADHD here.”
“I guess I'll have to get used to it,” Valov said. “Seeing how I want to make this my home.”
“Are you applying for citizenship here?” Rae asked.
“Yes,” he said. “I have only started the process now. I am currently only on a tourist visa, but I have no intentions of ever going back to Russia.”
“Forever is a long time,” Rae said. “Won't you miss your homeland?”
“Probably not,” he said. “I've never been that sentimental when it comes to the nonliving.”
Rae drove to Cameron Stadium and saw a lot of cars in the parking lot and kids in uniforms warming up on the fields. She was surprised to see both teams warming up together, without any real tension between the players. They were even chatting as they ran a lap around the field.
“The teams are only for the game,” Valov said. “All of the children are part of the same league, and the players on the teams change each time. I would rather prevent bad blood between the kids as much as I can. After all, they come from a lot of different backgrounds, and many of them experience enough of that at home without needing to see it in their extracurricular activities.”
Indeed the kids looked very relaxed and seemed to be having a good time, as they got ready while the scoreboard was being hooked up and parents filed into the stands. Rae noticed two policemen standing near the entrance as Valov followed her gaze. “There aren't many, but there are a few people who are, ah, persona non grata, I believe you say. Like I said, the kids come from many different types of backgrounds.”
She nodded. She remembered many of her middle school and high school football games. She and Chloe went to them on occasion and she knew more than a couple of parents or relatives who showed up drunk or became too belligerent, and scared the kids and the parents alike. The policemen were definitely a good idea.
Even though she and Valov were in the back of the stands, a lot of the spectators saw them and called out his name, waving. A few came over to talk to him as well. “You're popular here,” said Rae after a chatty parent left after telling Valov about how her daughter was doing so much better in school since joining the league.
“These people know me,” he said. “I spend a lot of time with their kids every week. Naturally they like me as much as I like them.”
“Naturally,” Rae said dryly. “You realize that everyone can like you as much as these people like you if you showed this side a little more.”
“Ignorance is everywhere, Rae,” Valov said. “Just because we try to stem it doesn't mean that it won't be there. There will always be people who do not like or respect me, and I accept that. Trying to make everyone like me would spread me too thin, and all attempts would be fruitless. I'd rather make a few people like me and help them in return than make everyone like me.”
“Val!” A thin voice shouted. A little girl with messy hair and tattered clothes ran up the bleachers. She looked too thin, even though she couldn't be more than seven or eight. But she was grinning when she ran up to Rae and Valov. “How's it going?” she shouted.
“Hello, Victoria,” he said, smiling pleasantly. “This is my friend Rae. Rae, meet Victoria.”
Victoria looked at her, surprised. “Hello,” she said. “I've never met a mixed-race lady before.”
“Hey,” Val said, looking at her sternly. “That's not polite, Victoria. How would you feel if someone said they've never met a poor girl before?”
“It's all right,” Rae said. “I know she didn't mean anything by it.” She smiled at Victoria and held out her hand. “It's nice to meet you, Victoria,” she said. “I'm Rae.”
The girl took her hand shyly. “Nice to meet you too,” she said. “I am sorry I was rude.”
“I understand,” Rae said. “This is my first time at one of these games. Can you tell me what's going on?”
Victoria's eyes widened. “First time?” she asked, incredulous. “Well, the players are lining up right now and the quarterback on the red team-- that's my older brother, by the way-- is...” As the girl talked her through the finer points of football, Rae listened as attentively as she could. But she couldn't help but notice the way Val was looking at her, with a hint of pride, as if he had taught her all about football himself. There was also a protectiveness in his gaze, as if she was like a daughter to him, and he would try his best to make sure nothing would ever hurt her. Rae tried to join that picture of him with
the cold-hearted murderer who urged others to commit felonies for profit without shame. But it was getting harder and harder to see him that way. “... anyway,” said Victoria, “that's really all you need to know right now.” Her stomach growled loudly then, and the girl's smile vanished.
“Victoria,” Val spoke for the first time since chastising the girl earlier. “Why don't you go buy Rae and me hamburgers from the concession stand? You can use the rest of money to buy yourself something too, as a thank-you for getting us the food.” He produced a fifty-dollar bill from his wallet and handed it to the girl.
Victoria's face lit up as she took the money. “Can I buy candy?” she asked.
“No,” he said. “Sugar will kill you, remember? Make you a bad football player, too.” He ruffled her hair and she stuck her tongue out at him. “Tell you what, though,” he said. “If you buy yourself a burger and an apple and you can answer ten math questions in a row, then I will buy you a candy bar at half-time.”
“Yay! Thank you!” she said, throwing her arms around his neck in a brief hug before scampering off to where the smell of barbeque was coming from.
“Sorry about her comment earlier,” Valov said. “She hasn't quite learned all of her manners yet.”
“It really is all right,” said Rae. “Darker skin can draw looks all the time in Maine. She's really cute, though. Is she going to join the league?”
“She wants too, when she's old enough,” said Valov. “Her brother is one of the best leaders on the team and she really looks up to him. I think her parents will let her. After all, their son has a lot of fun, and he would look after her during the practices and games.”
“Are there a lot of girls on the team?” Rae asked.
“As many as I can get,” Valov said. “I want to make things as equal as possible for both genders, so I try to get as many girls as there are boys, and I treat them the same.”
“To help end sexism,” Rae said, nodding.
He smiled. “The sooner the boys see girls as their equals, the better.”
“So, where are Victoria's parents?” Rae asked.
His smile dimmed slightly. “Not here,” he said. “I don't know much, but I know the father isn't in the picture. According to Stephen, her brother, their mother hasn't been the same since the father left, and the financial situation at their house is shaky at best. Their time here is really the only stable part of their life.”
“Oh,” Rae said. “That's terrible.”
“Yes,” said Valov. He sighed. “I know the mother means well and wants the best for her kids. I've only met her once, but I could tell. However, she cannot take care of them the way children should be taken care of, so they are essentially raising themselves.”
“With a lot of guidance from you,” Rae said.
He smiled slightly. “I do what I can,” he said.
Victoria came back with cheeseburgers, apples, and waters for all of them. The three of them watched the game together. During time outs, Valov quizzed Victoria on simple math. Rae watched as Victoria thought about basic addition and subtraction problems, counting and recounting on her fingers before giving her final answer.
Valov would tell her if it was correct or not, and then ask her how many questions she had answered after she got the correct answer. He was very patient with her, and Victoria was having fun, even though she was struggling with the mathematics. At half-time, Valov gave her two dollars to get a candy bar. When she left, Rae turned back to Valov. “You're very good with kids,” she said. “It really is incredible what you do for them.”
He smiled modestly. “I am just doing what I wish was done for me in my childhood.”
“If you don't mind my asking...” she bit her lip. Asking personal questions was what she did for a living but she could barely bring herself to ask Valov these questions. Valov nodded for her to continue. “Did you grow up in a similar situation to Victoria?” she asked quietly.
He hesitated and then nodded. “Yes and no,” he said. “My father was very rich but he had no real attachment to us, and made us grow up similar to how he did, which was with nothing. We started at the bottom of the family business, working to meet our daily quotas of money, and then hopefully have some extra for ourselves. Even though I was born rich, I had very little education, and my brothers and I became self-sufficient when we were young, just like many of these kids.”
“What about your mother?” Rae asked, trying to imagine having a father who didn't care for his children. “She must have loved you.”
“Maybe she did,” he said softly. “She died when we were too young to remember her.”
“I'm so sorry,” Rae said.
He smiled at her faintly. “I did not tell you this to make you feel sorry for me, Rae. I am merely answering your question. Now you understand why I support the charities I do.”
She nodded. “Thank you for telling me,” she said.
“I would appreciate it if this was off the record,” Valov said. “Some things I prefer to keep among friends.”
“Of course,” Rae said. She didn't even question his use of the word friends, or why he would want something that would gain him sympathy to remain out of the papers. Sometimes things were best left alone.
“Rae!” Someone shouted. “Fancy seeing you here!”
She grimaced. “Damn it,” she said. She turned to see her colleague Kevin looking at her with a smile that looked more like a threat than a gesture of politeness. “Hi, Kevin,” she said. “Fancy seeing you here.”
“You know how I like to support local charities,” Kevin said. He held out his hand to Valov. “I'm Kevin Harold with the Bangor Daily News. Nice to meet you.”
Val looked at him with cool eyes. “And you,” he said, shaking the man's hand. “I am sure the kids appreciate your support.”
“Are you and Rae on a date?” Kevin asked. “I didn't mean to intrude or anything.”
“No, not at all,” Valov said. “We are simply acquaintances.”
“Really,” he said skeptically. “You had me fooled.”
“Kevin, the game will be starting back up soon,” Rae said. “Maybe you should go back to your seat.”
“Nice seeing you, Rae. I'll see you on Monday,” Kevin flashed his smile again and then went back to a seat that was two rows down.
Rae groaned. “Sorry about that,” she said.
“He seemed to look at you as if you were a target,” Valov said.
“That's because I am a target,” Rae said. “He wants my job. He's only a low-ranking reporter and it'll only take one more budget cut for him to be unemployed. My job's higher, and my column is popular according to online polls.”
“I see,” said Valov. “Is it going to be a problem, having him here?”
“Probably not,” Rae replied. “He probably doesn't even know you're the subject for one of my stories. Most likely, he's here to write an article about the game, or he really does like to support charity and he was bored. Definitely nothing to worry about.” She flashed him a smile just as Victoria came up, a half-eaten candy bar in one hand and her face covered in chocolate. Valov reached into his jacket pocket and produced a small, unopened package of tissues, which he handed to the girl.
“Here,” he said. “You can use these to clean up after you're done. You look like you've been in a mud fight.”
The girl simply grinned and turned back to the field as the game started again, eating the candy bar as if she didn't have a care in the world.
After the game was over, the players took off their jerseys and put them in a box that was marked “Dirty Laundry” before running to their parents in the stands, or talking with each other. Several came up and swarmed around Valov, talking all at once, about how the game went, what they should do differently, and when was the next game going to be anyway?
Valov invited all of the kids and their families to Bagel Central, a cafe five minutes away, for anything they wanted, on him. He grabbed Rae's hand to keep her from getting
lost in the crowd. Even the simplest of touches from him sent thrills down her spine.
All of them took a school bus to Bagel Central, and they piled in, packing the cafe with barely enough room for everyone there. Valov told the cashier that everything they ordered was on him and the kids and their parents got bagels and other baked goods as well as hot chocolates, tea, and waters. They sat down at the tables, talking amongst themselves. Rae and Valov sat down at a table for two near the window.
“So,” Rae said. “You've helped fight hunger, you've promoted education for our youth, physical fitness and sportsmanship, and gender equality, and now you're supporting a local business and cultural diversity by taking everyone to a local kosher cafe.”
“All in a day's work,” Valov said, smiling.
“Which one do you prefer? Your means of income or your charity work?” Rae asked.
“Charity work, by far,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Rae, I may make my living through illegal means, but I take no pleasure in it. Giving to others is what I love to do. It's a hobby of sorts, to me.”
“Why don't you change your line of work, then?” she asked. “You could work for a nonprofit, or even start your own. You would enjoy it more, and you wouldn't have to worry about the authorities.”
He gave her a sad smile. “Believe me, I have thought about it but unfortunately my current line of work is what I do best. It's what I was raised to do. And my brothers are also in this business. Things would get... complicated if I pulled out.”
“Sometimes complicated is worth it,” Rae said.
He raised an eyebrow. “And sometimes it is not.”
Rae nodded and took a sip of her hot chocolate. “I guess it depends,” she said. “On what is best for you.”
“Right now, being here with you is what's best for me,” he murmured.