Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Lunch
"Damn baby!!! What are you wearing???" asks Gemma as I enter the kitchen. Then she makes some hand gestures about my boobs. I can't help but roll my eyes at her.
The kitchen is as big as a restaurant kitchen, white, shiny cabinets, big island in the middle. Seven chairs along the island, big dining table, it stretches the width of the room with long benches and chairs. All of my friends are sitting around having snacks. An older lady stands by the counter and on it are all the ingredients I had in Plovdiv, all arranged like I had them arranged. Ivan comes up behind me. "I have a photographic memory!" he whispers.
"Well well, I see he talks to you!" says the older woman in the kitchen. "All I get is grunts and scowls!" she laughs a belly laugh, the wrinkles by her eyes becoming prominent with her smile.
"You must be Marta! I am Elena!"
"Ok baby girl, show me what I am doing wrong. I have been making this soup since he got home and it's not good enough." she smiles.
Ivan lets some pink flush his face before going back to his cold face. One of the armed guards in the room smirks. There are four, it really does seem like too much. My friends are talking amongst each other. All of them but Gemma, she is watching us.
I show Marta how I cut the onion and carrots. I crush the garlic, the egg and breadcrumbs that go into the ground pork. We start to stock and slowly add the vegetables, then we roll the tiny meatballs. Drop them in the stock.
"You cooked for him?" asks Gemma raising her eyebrows.
"It was not for him, he wasn't even back at the apartment. I was missing my grandmother and this was her favorite soup to make."
"You lived with Sergey for a month but you never cooked for him. You don't even cook for us!" she grins.
I don't look up to see if Ivan is making a face. "Can we not talk about Sergey!" I turn to Ivan and he is grinning. "Have you met Gemma, she loves to stir the pot and bring up all sorts of shit!"
I pick the parsley and start to tear it, I ask Marta to add the noodles.
"All I am saying is...this.." she points to me and Ivan. "It's making sense now!" she continues to irritate me. "Has he said it yet!"
Marta snickers like she knows what Gemma is saying. "Put your hand down Vince!" Gemma purses her lips at him and turns to me. "One hundred..he says it in the next week!"
"Fuck you Gemma, a thousand he doesn't!"
"Five grand!" she counters.
"Ten grand!" I double down and pray to Baby Jesus he doesn't.
"Deal!" she says as everyone watches us like we have lost our minds.
I put the parsley in the pot and stir. Then I put the lid on and turn down the heat. "Another fifteen minutes and it's done!"
"I can't wait to try it!" says Marta.
Marta and I stand around making small talk about cooking. Nick and Vince are staring at me, I can feel their eyes on me. Ashley refuses to look at me, which is great, I hate her fucking face and I no longer feel like she looks better than me. I am hoping the girls in Ivan's friend group are not model like, let's see how I handle that.
"Fuck!! It smells good in here!" brown hair, green eyes, Greek God speaks as he walks around the corner. He smiles at me. "You must be Elena! I am Miroslav, the best friend!" he tries to take my hand but Ivan smacks it away.
"No touching!" his velvet voice echoes and all eyes are on him.
More guys pile in behind him. All European, jeans, sweatshirts. They are all tall and handsome with lots of tattoos and then here come a few girls. I gulp, I was right. All tall and tan in all varieties. I don't want to think it but the thought passes, which ones has he slept with. They all wave, no one tries to touch me again. My friends all introduce themselves and get into conversations about all sorts of things. Miroslav sits next to Gemma, watching us like she is. Ivan is still standing by the fridge. Marta brings drinks for everyone from a fridge in the patry. His pantry is as big as my livingroom and kitchen back home.
"So...what do you do Ivan?" asks Gemma like I didn't already tell her.
"We have an accounting and money management firm!" smiles Miroslav and hands her a business card.
"I didn't know your name is Ivan too!"
Ivan laughs. "He is not going to talk to you, he doesn't talk unless he absolutely has to!"
"Why does an "accountant" need all these security. All you are missing is bullet proof glass!" she laughs.
"Don't fucking do it, please man!" says Miroslav but his pleas fall on deaf ears.
Ivan pulls his gun, flipping the safety off. His eyes don't leave mine as he shoots at the glass. Everyone is ducking, the sound of the gun bounces off of the walls. Some people cover their ears. The armed guards don't budge, don't flinch, like it's an everyday thing. One bends down and picks up the flattened out bullet and hands it to Ivan.
"It's bulletproof inside and out. Only the best for our mafia prince!" laughs Miroslav.
"Fuck you!" spits Ivan. "Don't fucking call me that."
"I was kidding, chill. We do not work with his dad but he if you have been shot at as much as Ivan...you will have all this security too."
I turn and take a spoonful of soup. I close my eyes, it's good. It doesn't need anything else. Ivan closes the distance between us and I already know what he wants. I give him a spoonful too, he holds my hand like a few weeks ago. My skin pebbles again from his touch and once more I grab his mouth and blow inside. He put it all in his mouth like he did last time. His eyes close, his lips shut and brush against mine. Ivan cups my face.
"Move over you two! That was adorable but it's my turn!" says Marta. She tries the soup, her eyes pop. "What else can you make? This is amazing, I hope I can replicate it."
"Get my number from Ivan, call me anytime. I do only live a few hours away!" I laugh but something scary flashes over his face, making the butterflies in my stomach bash around mad with lust.
"Oh my man, you are in so much trouble. The Duchess and the gangster!"
"That's what I said!" beams Gemma.
"Not a Duchess!" I point to myself.
"You were supposed to get the title from your grandmother!" says a deep voice.
Ivan turns around so fast he almost knocks me over. All of Ivan's friends stiffen up.