Four Broken Pieces ✓

Seventeen

They weren't at our table. For a second my heart dropped as I realized I'd ruined this once again. God, why was she always there to ruin things between the four of us? That was before I noticed the three boys standing near my mother's table, talking to the man she'd come here with. Ivan looked stiff and tense as he seemed to be arguing with the stranger and for a second I wondered if he'd somehow connected the dots. Alexei stood behind Ivan, his hand on Ivan's shoulder as if he were restraining him and Mikhail stood a bit away from them, a glass of wine in his hand as his eyes roved the entire restaurant before landing on me. Almost immediately, a smile lit up his face as I walked over. I didn't fail to notice how he tapped Ivan on his shoulder when I neared and how Ivan immediately stopped talking.

"I'm sorry for the delay. Who's this?" I asked, looking to the stranger. After years of receiving lustful glances from men much older and much younger than him, I'd recognize that look anywhere. I internally shuddered and in a flash, Ivan was in front of me, his eyes narrowed on the stranger and for a second I genuinely feared for his life. Yes, he'd been looking at me oddly but that was no reason for cold-blooded murder.

"Can we get out of here," I asked, suddenly sounding a bit too meek to my own ears. I'd just noticed my mother leave the front of the restaurant with my grandfather but I still didn't want to stay here. I'd stay for these boys, but with the look Ivan was giving this man, I knew he wanted to leave as well.

"Yeah let's go," said Mikhail, gently tugging at Ivan and Alexei who followed suit with me close behind them, my hand gripping the back of Alexei's shirt. I don't know whether Alexei felt the slight unease and disappointment radiating off me at how badly this evening had gone but for whatever reason, he reached back for me to grab his hand. I took it, and he fell into step beside me, lowering his lips to my level, his lips missing my ear and grazing its shell making me shiver slightly.

"Don't worry darling. This date's far from over," and I let a smile cross my face. I could only hope the rest of the evening would allow me to keep that smile.

"You know when I first imagined this dinner, it had been far more extravagant," announced Alexei, as he planted himself on my couch beside Ivan. Mikhail seemed to like my carpeted floor for some odd reason and was currently sprawled across it with his hands behind his neck and his eyes tightly closed. For a second, I thought he'd fallen asleep and almost jumped when he spoke.

"Oh yeah. He wanted to drive down to the city for a meal at Origiano's." My eyes widened. Origiano's was one of the most expensive restaurants in the city.

"Seriously Alexei," I asked, looking at Alexei with incredulity. We'd known each for such a short time and he wanted to go to such a fancy place?

"Anything for you darling," said Alexei, sending a wink in my general direction before peeling himself off the couch to walk around the room. He didn't lose his footing once and I could see Ivan's soft smile at that, which he quickly hid when he saw me looking his way. Alexei's hand passed over the piano I kept near the fireplace in the dining room. The room was empty now since I'd found no use in keeping a dining table for one person. He paused suddenly, his hand hovering over the piano and looked up towards us.

"Do you mind if I play," he asked, with the excitement of a five-year-old. He didn't wait for me to say yes before planting himself down on the stool and tracing his fingers almost lovingly over the tiles.

"We don't have a piano back home so that's why Alexei looks like a lovesick puppy," informed Ivan with a snort but there was excitement in his eyes as well as he looked to Alexei. Mikhail had sat up, a dazzling smile lighting up his face. I realized why as soon as Alexei played the first notes of Marriage D'Amour.