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Andrei's foot still ached from the earlier jab of Ekaterina's high heel. He thought she'd been furious—he had, after all, openly stared at Annie—but now, everything was even more confusing. Not only had Annie recognized him, but she'd brought over her classmates and professor like it was some fan club meet-and-greet for a Soviet war hero.
And then came the misunderstanding. Annie had seen Ekaterina and Ivan at the table and assumed they were Andrei's wife and child. And now? Everything was spiraling.
He glanced at Ekaterina from the corner of his eye. She calmly tucked her bangs behind her ear and looked Annie in the eye. "Yes, we came out to eat together," she said evenly.
She didn't correct Annie.
Was this her way of retaliating for Andrei's distracted stare earlier?
What about Ivan? If the kid piped up with something innocent like "he's not my dad," the entire act would fall apart. Andrei looked at the boy, who was currently devouring a mountain of teppanyaki. The iron plate was already half empty—his appetite was baffling for such a small body.
"Sister-in-law, you're stunning," Annie said sweetly. "Honestly, you've kept such a perfect figure even after having a child. We're all a bit jealous." Then, with a wink to the crowd, she added, "Let's toast the hero!"
Drinking? Andre wasn't one to back away from a drink—he was Soviet, after all—but he'd just been discharged from the hospital. Vodka was not on the recovery plan.
Before he could object, Ekaterina took the wine glass from Annie. "Captain Andrei needs a clear head to fly his fighter jet," she said firmly. "So he won't be drinking tonight. I'll drink this one for him."
With that, she lifted the glass and drained it in a single go. Her cheeks turned pink almost instantly.
Annie blinked in surprise but followed suit, drinking her own glass. "To the hero," she said.
And then, grinning, she poured another round. "The first was for the hero. This one is for his wife—because behind every great man, there's always a strong woman."
The second toast was laced with meaning, and the smell of the strong vodka filled the air.
Andrei shifted uncomfortably. This was going too far. Ekaterina wasn't really his wife. What if her real husband showed up? What if word got around? This wasn't the sort of thing that stayed private in Vladivostok.
He opened his mouth to object.
Ekaterina glanced at him with that same unreadable calm and downed the second glass in a single, defiant gulp.
She wasn't letting Annie get the last word.
"Alright, students," the professor at Annie's table finally interrupted. "Let's give the hero and his wife some space. We're not here to crash their dinner."
Annie seemed reluctant, but with the professor's cue, she returned to her table with her classmates.
Andrei leaned closer to Ekaterina, voice low. "Are you okay?"
"Of course," she replied smoothly. "But you can't drink—not with a head injury and fresh out of the hospital. And someone had to save you."
Her tone softened just a little. "I didn't expect I'd still be taking care of you."
Then take care of me for the rest of my life.
Andrei wanted to say it—but he looked at Ivan again, his cheeks greasy with meat, and stayed silent. What if Ekaterina was married and her husband was just away on duty? He didn't want to be the homewrecker in someone else's life.
The students behind them were still laughing and chatting. The noise filled the room.
Ekaterina quietly cut the grilled meat into neat pieces, chewing with a grace that suggested she'd eaten in far fancier places than this Japanese knockoff. Andrei chewed in silence.
Then she looked at him with a mischievous smile. "Open your mouth."
He blinked. "What?"
"Come on."
She reached across the table with her fork and fed him a piece of perfectly grilled meat. Her fingers brushed his lips. The gesture was intimate, sudden—and not at all what he expected.
His heart thudded in his chest.
Then he noticed Annie watching from across the room. Of course.
Ekaterina had seen the stare too. That had been for Annie's benefit, not his.
Still, something fluttered in Andrei's chest.
The meal, which should've taken half an hour, stretched on for more than two. Ekaterina gave no signal to leave, and Andrei understood why. She didn't want to stumble out drunk while Annie was still nearby. She was proud, strong—and maybe just a bit vengeful.
Finally, when the last of Annie's group had left, Ekaterina stood. "Come here, help me. I'm a little dizzy."
Andrei caught her gently. Her legs wobbled, and she leaned against him instinctively. His arm went around her back. Her head rested on his chest.
God, he thought, are you testing me?
He caught a whiff of her hair, soft and floral, and felt the swell of warmth in his chest as she leaned closer.
"Mom, why'd you drink?" Ivan asked, oblivious. "The meat's the best part!"
A taxi pulled up just outside the restaurant.
Andrei tightened his grip slightly.
Whatever this was—whatever line they were toeing—tonight, it was real. Even if only for show.
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