LITMIR.BIZ

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but he’s a dull person, and he’s under the thumb of his wifey.» Oleg snorted. «Relax, pal, welcome to the U.S.A.!»

      They ordered their drinks and snacks, and continued talking, speaking English, so Nicholas could take part.

      «What a nice girl,» Ruslan said suddenly, watching the people at the counter.

      Oleg looked too. On one stool he saw a girl. He had seen her earlier, but, for his taste, she was too plain and stout, and the note of Ruslan surprised him.

      Oleg looked closer at her, and noticed that she was not fat at all. Yet she was still not his type of woman, and he shrugged his shoulders. «I don’t think so.»

      «No, really.» Ruslan smiled. «She’s a beauty.»

      «Forget about it, buddy.» Oleg pointed to a huge young man sitting next to her. «With a boyfriend like that you have no chance.»

      «He’s not her boyfriend, but a bodyguard,» Nicholas calmly explained. «What’s the matter?» he asked, as both Russians stared at him.

      «Bodyguard?» repeated Ruslan.

      «Yes, her daddy is a big cheese, and after dark she’s always under escort.»

      «You’re kidding.» Oleg leered at the girl again. «The children of rich people study at Harvard or Oxford, not in a city like this hole.»

      «First of all,» Nicholas spoke with irritation, as he felt offended. «Our University is one of the best in America. Second, many men, many minds. I think she’s just bored with her fancy life. You know, this is not the best bar in the city, but Lana, her name is Lana Limpson, comes here almost every evening. It’s stupid. No one will come near her. Everybody knows her father, and nobody wants trouble.»

      The Russians glanced at Lana again, and Ruslan sighed. «You’re right, Nick.»

      Oleg did not reply. He was thinking. Resolutely getting to his feet, he went to the counter and sat next to Lana Limpson. She looked at him with timid hope.

      «Hi,» he said. «Why is such a pretty girl so sad?»

      She smiled.

      «Wow.» Oleg gasped. «Your eyes are brighter than stars in the summer night sky. What is your name?»

      «Lana.» She chuckled. «Lana Limpson.»

      «I’m Oleg. Oleg Merkulov,» he said, to her surprise quite casually, and the girl realized he was new here.

      «You are Russian, aren’t you?» Lana leered at the man with interest.

      He was much older than she, yet he looked great. Very tall and athletic, broad-shouldered, this red-headed man with piercing brown eyes was simply handsome. She thought he looked like some ancient Roman god. All his movements were full of masculine grace, showing off his physical strengths. Though his legs were a little shorter than they should be for someone his height, they were well shaped and toned, and the powerful muscles of his strong thighs were visible even through the fabric of his jeans.

      Lana looked at Ruslan and Nicholas. She knew the American, as they had grown up in the same town, and she guessed that the other one was Russian.

      He was average, and his appearance did not impress, but surprised her, for Lana discovered that he seemed very similar to her. He also had dark blonde hair, and his eyes were the same olive drab color as hers. It was as if she saw her reflection in a mirror, and an open-eyed Lana inspected him with curiosity.

      «He looks tired.» She noticed surveying his exhausted face. «Definitely, he’s had a difficult past and probably went through some grief a short time ago.»

      Suddenly she met his gaze, and was amazed at how odd it was. This young Russian man stared at her with adoration and abhorrence at the same time, as if she was doing something extraordinary. As if she was eating spiders for a bet, for example, or dancing on the table stark naked.

      His glare intrigued her, and Lana waved. Ruslan and Nicholas just saluted back, but did not come close. Then, pursing her lips, the girl addressed Oleg again. «Why do people ignore me?»

      Oleg demonstratively looked at her bodyguard, and Lana winced.

      «I promised Dad that I’d take Tom with me if I go to a bar,» she explained with bitterness in her voice. «Tom’s just a good friend, like an older brother to me.»

      «Your daddy is right,» Oleg sighed. «Such a beauty as you are has to be under protection, like a rare, brilliant, sparkling diamond.»

      «You call me such funny names.» Lana tried to laugh, but she could not. She liked it. This man was talking with a strange, hard accent, and all these nice words sounded very unusual, with masculine sexual inflection.

      «I just said what I thought.» Oleg turned to the bartender. «John, give everybody a drink on me.»

      «Why?» asked Lana, astonished.

      «I want everybody to be as happy as I am now,» Oleg pronounced, gazing at her. «I met you, and it’s the best day in my life. I just want everybody to be happy.»

      «But it’s a lot of money.»

      «For happiness money does not matter.» Oleg took out a roll of bills and put it on the counter. «Barman, drinks for everybody!»

***

      Just a few days later he met her again.

      Downtown Oleg and Ruslan passed by the central hotel with a restaurant on the ground floor. The rain with snow had just stopped, and the streets were full of dirty water. Oleg Merkulov was wearing a wolf-skin coat. It was a very expensive and very warm fur coat and great for the Moscow frost, but now Oleg was hot and he walked with his coat open.

      A car stopped in front of the restaurant. A man opened the door to help a girl get out, and Oleg saw Lana Limpson, wearing evening pumps with high heels.

      She looked doubtfully at the wide puddle that was between her car and the sidewalk.

      Next Oleg threw his coat on the puddle. Lana gazed at Oleg and recognized him. «It’s you again.» She carefully stepped on the coat, and gained the sidewalk. «Oleg, correct?»

      «At your service, Your Highness.» He bowed.

      «My God!» She looked at the coat. «I know the price of fur coats. It costs a fortune!»

      «Just say the word,» Oleg uttered passionately, «and I’ll throw my life under your feet, as I did with the coat.»

      Lana did not smile; she gawked at him.

      «I have to go now,» she finally said. «Can we meet tomorrow? About 10 a.m., in the library. Is that okay with you?»

      «Any time, any place,» he replied emotionally. «Say it, and I’ll go to the edge of the world!»

      She smirked and left. Oleg picked up his coat.

      «Oleg,» Ruslan Grafinsky said coldly. «You are a bastard.»

      Merkulov grinned. «I’m just a businessman. And I strongly recommend you mind your own business. Maybe I feel real love, how do you know?»

      Ruslan didn’t reply.

      Chapter 6: A Pointless Waste of Money

      Next day, at 9:55 a.m., Lana Limpson went to the city library. Oleg Merkulov was already there. He saw her entering the hall, and he gasped, throwing his arms up.

      «Lana,» he addressed her, taking her hand and kissing it. «Milady, you came in, and it was like sunshine lit up this dull boring place.»

      Lana smiled at his reaction and looked around. She saw some people were reading and writing nearby, and she felt uncomfortable.

      «Let’s go somewhere,» she suggested. Lana liked how Oleg spoke to her, but she was ashamed that someone else might take it as a joke and make fun of her.

      «To a restaurant?» Oleg looked at her with

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