“Sergei, Dimitry, and Nikolai are not violent,” Sonia defended us and Anastasia almost scoffed out loud although she didn’t contradict her.
“Do you think they are violent?” Sonia was adamant to get an answer from her new guest.
Anastasia muttered her response with a heavy sigh, “I don’t know but they are certainly different.”
“That is not necessarily bad,” Sonia retorted. “There are different kinds of violence. Some are cruel, some are to protect, and some are unnecessary.”
Anastasia looked at her pensive. “Maybe you are right. Although I would argue they are all unnecessary. But you are right, it is us humans that cause all the violence and usually violence causes more violence.” A shadow of sadness passed Anastasia’s face.
“So you are not learning Russian for a man. Then why?”
“I figured if I have to be in Russia for five months, I might as well learn the language. Besides, my grandfather always told me that I shouldn’t expect others to speak English if I was on their turf. Of course, Olivia and Scarlett disagreed during our European trip.”
“Who are they?”
“They are the girlfriends I was traveling with this summer. We’ve been friends a long time. You’d like them and they’d love you,” she smiled at her. “Totally get you in trouble though. Scarlett went to that stupid etiquette school, that’s where Olivia and I met her during our first year of high school. Olivia and I grew up together. Our mothers were best friends so by default so were we. Her dad is into power, status, and politics.” Disgust was written all over Anastasia’s face.
“You don’t like her dad?”
Anastasia lifted her head and her eyes gazed out the window, a pensive look in her eyes. “No, I don’t. Striving for power and status changes people, makes them do some stupid things. Her dad made many stupid decisions and Olivia is paying for it. I guess I was lucky, at least my family always has my back. Hers used her to cover their backs and pay for their mistakes. It’s fucked up really.” Her eyes went to Sonia. “Sounds stupid, right?” Sonia shrugged her shoulder as if unsure. “It’s ironic really. All three of us would kill for a chance to have a normal life, and here we are.”
“What’s a normal life?”
“You know, I’m not sure anymore,” she muttered softly. I was seeing a completely different side of Anastasia Manciatti. I got the sense this side of her, she kept hidden. After finding out the last bit of information on her, I admired this woman even more. Surviving Boris Jovanov was a huge ordeal for a grown man, nevermind a child. No wonder she had a nightmare last night, after everything she went through.
“So what kind of man should I look for, if not Italian?” Sonia asked, trying to lighten the mood. “And seems not Russian since they are too violent?”
Anastasia’s soft laugh echoed through the kitchen. “Okay, now that you say it that way, it sounds a bit discriminatory. I know there are hot Russians roaming around.”
“You haven’t seen a hot Russian yet?” Sonia asked her in shock. “There are at least five in this house.”
“That many, huh?” Anastasia avoided answering her, her eyes lowering back to her phone. “About the kind of man you should go for… Hmmm, I don’t know. British maybe. Their accents are sexy but insist on seeing them first. It could be some perverted old man with a sexy accent.”
“Speaking from experience?” Sonia asked her.
“Actually, speaking from Olivia’s experience. And all of us paid for jumping onto that bandwagon with her. On second thought, maybe not British men either.”
“I’d like to hear that story,” I finally interrupted their talk, and Anastasia’s head whipped to me. Whatever the doctor gave her was helping her bruising, I noted. Her ivory skin was slowly getting its color back.
Her shoulders instantly tensed and her walls came up.
“When did you guys get back?” Sonia asked, her light blush coloring cheeks, matching Anastasia’s.
Anastasia clammed up, good at hiding her feelings, the only thing betraying her was her blush.
“Just now,” Sergei lied but she bought it.
“Did you guys eat already?” Sonia asked us. Anastasia observed us all warily, her eyes returning to me and staying on me. I liked her eyes on me.
“No, not yet,” I answered Sonia.
She got up. “Should I bring food to the dining room?”
“Why don’t we just eat here?” Nikolai suggested and I liked the idea.
“Here, Sonia,” Anastasia followed her. “Let me help you.”
“No, you stay and talk to them,” Sonia objected.