LITMIR.BIZ

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have you been?’ she asked.

      ‘I’m well.’

      ‘That’s good.’

      She was as Russian as he. No emotion on display and her indifference was soothing, though Nikolai knew that at some point, if he kept in touch, questions would come.

      For now, though, there was no probing. At least, not from his left. To his right, Rachel, clearly less than impressed that his back was to her and he was speaking in Russian, was trying to squeeze into the conversation.

      ‘Anya...’ She leant forward and spoke around Nikolai. ‘I have to say I really want to—’

      ‘I’m just going to the loo,’ Libby interrupted.

      ‘Do you want me to come with you?’ Rachel offered.

      ‘Rachel,’ Libby warned. ‘You don’t need to hold my hand. I’m fine.’

      Now Anya and Rachel shared a look.

      ‘You’ve seen me perform, then?’ Anya deigned to address Rachel.

      ‘Many times.’ Rachel nodded. ‘I’d been to see Firebird a couple of times before you took the lead and I was very annoyed when Libby was there and I missed it.’

      ‘Vera was annoyed too,’ Anya smirked.

      ‘Vera?’

      ‘Atasha—the previous lead.’

      ‘I came for your second performance,’ Rachel said. ‘I wrote a piece on it.’

      ‘For who?’ Anya asked.

      ‘For me.’

      Anya wasn’t interested in that. Instead, she turned to Nikolai and spoke now in English. ‘You should come and see me.’

      Oh, so it wasn’t sold out for him!

      ‘I’m not interested in ballet,’ came Nikolai’s response.

      They were all so rude to each other! Rachel thought.

      ‘You should have said yes,’ Rachel hissed at him. ‘You could have given the ticket to me!’

      ‘Tickets,’ Nikolai said.

      ‘Tease.’

      Libby returned to her seat and it was she now who fidgeted.

      ‘Do you think you should do what Nikolai—?’ Rachel started, but Libby shot her a look.

      ‘The speeches are starting,’ Libby said.

      The father of the bride went first and that was very boring, Rachel thought. Then it was Sev, who made a toast to absent family and friends and raised a glass in the direction of Nikolai. Rachel was more focused on Libby breathing rather deeply beside her. But when Daniil stood to deliver the best man’s speech Rachel found that she was hanging on every word as he offered some insight into the time at the orphanage where Nikolai had been raised. She wanted to know more about the man who sat beside her. He fascinated Rachel. It was not just that he was so good looking, it was more the mystery that surrounded him and that he had offered no update to anyone on the intervening years.

      ‘There were four of us who grew up in the orphanage,’ Daniil explained. ‘Sev looked out for all of us. He would try to halt an argument or tell us when to pull back. He would also read to us,’ Daniil said. ‘Sometimes it was a book on cooking that he had found, or gardening. One time a carer had left a sexy book...’ The guests all started to laugh as Daniil explained how the boys had kept getting him to read it again and again.

      Rachel looked at Nikolai but his expression gave nothing away, even when Daniil spoke about how they had all hoped for a family.

      Had Nikolai hoped? Rachel wondered.

      But suddenly Rachel had no choice but to lose focus on Nikolai.

      ‘Rachel...’ Libby whispered, and she dragged her mind to the reason she was here—her very pregnant friend.

      ‘Are you okay?’ Rachel checked, and then saw that Libby’s eyes held urgent appeal.

      ‘No!’ Libby said. ‘Follow me out in a couple of moments but, please, Rachel don’t make it obvious.’

      ‘Okay.’

      She glanced at Anya, who appeared not to care—she was picking a tiny flake of chocolate off the top of a mousse and trying not to eat it!

      Rachel watched as Libby attempted a subtle exit but then, just as she went to stand, a low, deep voice asked her a question. ‘Did you bring gloves with you?’

      Rachel found herself smiling as she turned to him.

      ‘Er, no.’

      ‘But you have toffees,’ he pointed out.

      ‘I do,’ Rachel said. ‘She can bite down on them.’

      ‘You’d better go.’

      Rachel stood, and just before heading out she bent over and whispered into his ear. ‘If you hear screams—it’s me.’ And made her discreet exit.

      Only it wasn’t discreet to Nikolai.

      A blaze of orange, her hair had just brushed against his cheek in their whispered conversation and it was as if he could still feel it as her scent lingered.

      He watched her hitch her dress down her thighs as she walked out on very high heels.

      It would be foolish to get involved, even for one night, Nikolai told himself. Women came and went with ease in his life, but Rachel was connected to the people from his past and that complication he did not need.

      Daniil, having seen his wife leave, wrapped up the speeches and soon the dancing would start.

      ‘I have to go,’ Anya said to Nikolai. ‘You can walk me out.’

      He did, and gladly so, because now that the speeches were over he knew that soon Sev would be looking to speak with him and he was considering making his own getaway.

      They came out to the sight of Rachel holding Libby up and Daniil on the phone. ‘Daniil’s calling the hospital,’ Rachel explained, uninvited. ‘And his driver’s on his way.’

      ‘I’m just calling for mine,’ Anya said, and took out her own phone.

      They were so reserved, Rachel thought. Most people she knew would be panicking and as flustered as she was.

      Daniil looked a bit grey but that was as far as it went. Nikolai and Anya were chatting in Russian, as if a heavily pregnant woman wasn’t moaning close by them.

      ‘So,’ Anya asked, ‘do you think back to those days?’

      ‘I do all I can not to think of those days,’ Nikolai said. ‘Why did Sev think I had died?’

      ‘A body was dragged from the river a couple of weeks after you disappeared. Your bag had been found further upstream, with that wooden ship you built and the sexy book...’

      Nikolai swallowed.

      ‘Sev was devastated,’ Anya admitted. ‘He blamed himself.’

      ‘Why would he blame himself?’

      ‘That is what tends to happen when your closest friend throws themselves into a cold river rather than tell you there is something wrong.’

      It was a difficult conversation but it did not look like it to an outsider. Rachel couldn’t believe how easily Anya and Nikolai appeared to be chatting as Libby started to groan again. ‘You have the oddest friends,’ Rachel said as she rubbed Libby’s back.

      ‘I know they are.’ Libby came out of the contraction and they both shared a smile as Anya waved over to them as her car arrived. ‘I hope it goes well, Libby,’ Anya said, as her chauffeur got out and opened the car door.

      Libby

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