Where the heck are we?
Nik smiles big at my obvious confusion. He takes my hand and we walk inside. Upon entering, the smell of food assaults my taste buds.
It’s divine.
It smells of assorted roasted meats and sauces. I’m salivating. Nik walks me from the hall to another room and I see we’re actually at a restaurant.
I’ve never been to a restaurant like this before. This is too classy for the likes of me.
We’re approached by the host and Nik speaks to him in what I assume is Russian. The host smiles widely at him and he motions for us to follow him.
The dining area is stunning. There are small tables, large tables, and booths. The chairs look hand carved and alone would cost a few hundred dollars per each. There are white tablecloths one way with black tablecloths thrown the opposite way on the tables. You can just see the corners of the white tablecloths sitting underneath the black. The plates all have gold rims. The cutlery is definitely silverware.
I’m a little intimidated, to tell you the truth. I don’t want to embarrass myself but mostly I don’t want to embarrass Nik.
Nik helps me into my seat then seats himself and asks, “Do you trust me to order for you, sweetheart?”
I answer immediately, “Yes, of course. You know what I like. ”
He takes my hand and kisses it. I notice his body stiffen slightly as he looks over my shoulder but tries to cover it.
The waiter comes to our table and takes our orders. I’m just about to thank Nik for the beautiful evening when I see him smile behind me and I hear heavily accented voice say, “Privet bratu. ”
I look to my right and there are two men smiling with genuine affection at Nik. Nik stands, hugs and kisses both men on both cheeks. They converse for a minute or two in Russian and I smile up at both men as my greeting.
The younger man is medium height with blonde hair and striking blue eyes. He looks around my age. When he notices me for the first time his face turns awestruck, he puts a hand to his chest and kneels next to my chair. He whispers an accented, “An angel. An honest to God angel. ”
I can’t stop the giggle that forms in my throat. I look at Nik to see he is shaking his head and smirking at his friend.
The older man is tall but not as tall as Nik. He has messy brown hair, soft brown eyes and an easy smile. He smacks the younger man across the head and says a heavily accented, “Get off the floor, you are embarrassing the angel. ”
I don’t know who these men are but I can see Nik hold them in high esteem and I can see why. They’re sweet and hilarious.
Nik raises a brow at me in question. I smile and nod. Nik invites his friends to sit with us a while which they do.
They introduce themselves. The younger man is Alexei and the older man is Lev.
Alexei asks Nik something is Russian and Nik replies in English, “You can talk in front of Tina. We don’t have secrets. ”
Wow.
I love this man. I feel warm all over.
Alexei smirks and nods his head ,“So, she is not a date, huh? She is a wifey. ”
Nik looks thoughtful and replies, “Yes. She is. ”
I reel back in my chair. My face pales and my heart beats faster.
Holy Hell…Nik and I are married?! When did that happen?!
Nik sees my face and chuckles. Lev and Alexei smile at me and Lev explains, “A wifey is what we call a woman who is important to us. She may not be an actual wife. ”
I can breathe again. I respond a breathy, “Okey Dokey. ”
Nik, Alexei, and Lev all smile at me but the looks on their faces say you’re a dork.
Alexei starts, “We hear you’ve had some problems with the Sixes. ”