“Can I see the directions one more time, please?”
He brought the phone up and set it on the page with directions, my eyes skimming through each step to ensure I don’t miss any traps. Ten minutes later, I had the first pancake ready.
“I’m scared to offer it to anyone as food,” I mumbled looking between three men that looked hungry. “What if it tastes bad and makes you sick?”
“I have an iron stomach,” Nikolai volunteered. “Let me try it.”
Hesitantly, I offered it to him and he took the first bite. Holding my breath, I waited for his reaction and then he smiled.
“This is really good,” he praised. “We’ll need more of those.”
“Oh my gosh, wait until I tell-” I cut myself off. The girls and dad always gave me a hard time about cooking. “Hold on. I have to take a picture of it.”
I quickly wiped my hands and pulled the phone out of my back pocket. “Want to be in it?”
“Why?” He almost sounded suspicious.
“So I have proof someone is eating something I made.” I smiled wide like a fool. “I should probably record you eating it. Because the girls won’t believe me otherwise.”
“Girls?” Dimitry asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes, my girlfriends. They refuse to eat anything that I bring to a party, unless it is still in the store container.”
Nikolai laughed. “I guess I am lucky then. Ok, picture or record, whichever you want.”
I nodded chuckling. “You have no idea how lucky you are. The last thing I cooked gave some people an allergic reaction. Or could have been a slight case of food poisoning. But honestly, it wasn’t my fault the guy sold me bad food.”
Nikolai grimaced at that very moment and I snapped a picture.
“Damn, it looks like you are being poisoned Nikolai,” I muttered looking at the photo and all three of them laughed. “We’ll have to redo it. Look pleased, like you are in pancake heaven.”
He did and I smiled happily. I couldn’t wait to show my dad and girls this.
I went on to make the next pancake and thirty minutes later, I had a large pile of pancakes for everyone. Sergei’s bodyguard men came and grabbed plates with food, each one of them thanking me with big smiles.
When I finally finished, I grabbed a cup of coffee along with toast and sat down next to Dimitry.
“No pancakes?” Sergei asked.
“I don’t like to eat a lot in the morning.” Dimitry was sipping on his black coffee and reading something on his phone. Looked like news. I cleared my throat, which had him raising his head. “Um, I was going to ask if it’s safe to call my dad.”
I felt the air in the kitchen shift. “Last time, I didn’t get to ask-” I cleared my throat again, uncomfortable that I had to ask to call my dad but I didn’t want to unnecessarily jeopardize these men either. “I wanted to check if the girls… my girlfriends I was traveling with are safe back home.”
Dimitry closed the app he was using and handed me his phone.
“Thanks. Do I have a time limit?”
“No, but it is safer to keep it under five minutes.”
I nodded and took his phone, dialing my father’s number. I stood up as soon as I pressed the call button to find some privacy.
My father answered on the first ring. “Dimitry.”
“No, it’s me, Dad.”
“Anja, you okay?” He always worried about my safety. Ever since that night fifteen years ago.
“Yes, everything is ok,” I stepped outside and the men guarding the house stepped away giving me some privacy. There was a little bench by the house and I sat down. “Just wanted to hear your voice. Are you okay?”