Prologue
Anastasia
Olivia, Scarlett, and I swayed to the music in the Russian Orchid, laughing and carefree. This nightclub in Moscow was a must, according to tips Scarlett received. It has been the best summer ever; it would stay with us forever. I couldn’t remember the last time all three of us felt so happy and relaxed. We were having the time of our lives. Our last hurrah before life would take us all away and back to reality. There was a young Russian singer on the stage singing, and even though we couldn’t understand a single word, the beat drove our bodies as we danced.
“One more round,” Scarlett yelled, slightly drunk, a big smile on her face. She just couldn’t wait for her mysterious man to show up. Olivia and I were looking forward to meeting the guy who enthralled her so.
Scarlett’s sparkling silver dress offset her long, dark hair, which made her seem more petite than she really was. A look that would knock the socks off her lover boy tonight. She was the cuddle bug of our group, despite the fact that she looked like a petite sex goddess. She was beautiful, but it was her warm brown eyes and her kind personality that got her sucked into the friendship Olivia and I had since we were small children.
I glanced at both my best friends and smiled with affection. Olivia’s short, black sparkling dress with an open back wasn’t what she preferred, but Scarlett insisted she dressed hot. And she certainly did look drop-dead gorgeous. She had a magnificent abundance of red hair and baby blue eyes that made men fall all over themselves. She had this vulnerability about her, and it matched her life to a tee. We have been best friends forever, just like our mothers.
I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror behind the dance floor under dim lights. Unlike Olivia and Scarlett, I opted for tight, gold color satin shiny shorts that showed my long legs. I combined the short with a skimpy black top tied into strings on my back, leaving my back exposed. My mahogany hair fell down my back in soft curls. My frame was petite, although with my four-inch heels today I felt rather tall. My own green eyes stared back at me.
It always amazed me how well our eyes were at hiding the turmoil happening inside of us. So much had changed over the years, so many things happened and were still happening. It was as if I was waiting for chess pieces to fall into place, but we were running out of time. Olivia was sacrificing herself to save her mother and Scarlett’s family arranged a marriage for their daughter nine years ago with a man she had never met. She was barely seventeen and they decided to tie her to a perfect stranger.
Not the time nor place, we are having a good time.
Instinctively, I knew there would never be another moment like this. We were young, carefree, and happy at this very moment.
As we walked to the bar, the crowd dispersed for us, like we were some important celebrities. It almost made me chuckle out loud. We were treated to another round of free drinks. I opted for a glass bottle of beer while Olivia and Scarlett went for the shots. These Russian men were really something, staring at us in fascination. It looked like we were the only three foreigners in this place but they acted like we were the only Americans they’d ever seen.
“Thank you,” I smiled sweetly to them.
We had a pact never to leave with men when out together. If they knew that, they’d probably give up being so catering and putting us ahead of everyone else when ordering drinks. I debated whether we should tell them they stand no chance with us. Shrugging my shoulder, I decided against it and we headed back to the dance floor.
“Anytime, baby,” one of the men replied.
I cringed hearing that endearment. I hated being called baby. My dad was the only one that called me that and got away with it. But I was adamant not to let anyone ruin my night so I ignored it. Glancing at the door, I saw my security escort there. He was really good at blending in. I waved to him then blew him a kiss. The shock in his eyes had me laughing. Brian was my favorite security escort by far. It was surprising he didn’t stand out and nobody paid attention to him, but then, he was fairly young. In fact, he was the youngest bodyguard in my family’s employment.
He was twenty-five when he became my security protection, and I was fifteen. I remembered how giggly I was when I met him. But he quickly became an annoyance since he ensured I stayed within the bounds dedicated to me. Sometimes I just wanted to be a normal and carefree teenager, although within safety. Brian, on the other hand, took his job extremely seriously. He was far better than the guard I had for the five years prior to that, hands down.
The music stopped as we got back onto the dance floor.
“Song for our American friends on the dance floor,” the young woman announced. In unison all three of our heads turned to the stage. The tunes started and she added, “The song is “I Hope” by Gabby Barrett. Hope you like it.”
“Why would they know this song here?” I wondered.
“Exactly. So weird. Country songs shouldn’t be sung by anyone but country singers.” Scarlett had certain ideas and some of them could be quite snobby but I loved her regardless. “It’s like me not shaving my bikini area and deciding to wear a bikini.”
Olivia and I shook our heads, laughing at the comparison.
The woman had a good voice. But no sooner the tunes started and the first words of the song left the young woman’s lips, all three of us cringed.
“Ugh, this time I’m going to have to side with you, Scarlett,” I muttered softly so nobody else could hear me.
The three of us tried to move to music but couldn’t quite get into it knowing the song was sung all wrong… tunes and the accent were working against the singer. The three of us locked eyes and shook our heads. There was no way we could dance to it. We stopped and turned in sync to leave, when the music stopped again.
“You don’t like it?” The young woman asked, prompting everyone’s eyes to turn to us.
The entire room went quiet; I swore the only thing we heard was our own breathing.Talk about an awkward situation!The three of us exchanged looks, uncomfortable with being the center of attention.
Finally realizing neither Scarlett nor Olivia would say anything, I answered, “We just like to hear it sung a bit differently, but we like the song.”
I tried to soften the blow with a smile. She really did have a nice voice, it just didn’t work for this song.
“Can you sing it?” While I tried to decide whether the suggestion in her voice was mocking or she was sincerely asking, Scarlett laughed and answered.
“Yes! Let’s do it.” Taking my hand, she dragged me towards the stage.