Love in E Flat (17 page)

“Yes, it is.” Agata reluctantly grinned. “What do I do?”

“About Lou?” Tom shrugged. “What do you want to do?” When Agata did not respond, Tom patted the cushion of the couch. Agata sighed and sat next to him. “Answer yes or no to the following questions.”

Agata hid her grin but nodded.

“Do you enjoy Lou’s company?”

“Yes.”

“Do you find her attractive?”

“Yes. In a juvenile way.”

“Just yes or no,” Tom said firmly. “No commentary. Do you want to pursue this?”

Agata bit at her bottom lip before answering. “If the situation—”

“Yes or no, Agata,” Tom interjected.

“Yes. I do.”

“Now you may elaborate.” Tom sat back, putting his feet up on the coffee table. “I have a feeling this will be long.”

Agata raised an eyebrow. “At least take your shoes off.” Tom laughed but kicked off his shoes. “My biggest concern is for the children. Mr. Dvorak made his opinion clear. He is furious that he has no control of Dmitry, and if he thinks I am having lesbian relationship, he will do what he can to take them away.” She put her head back and closed her eyes. “This cannot happen.”

“The papers will be filed, and you will have legal guardianship of Ana and Dmitry.”

“I know that. But he could still make it hard for me and the children. For what?” She lifted her head. “Because I may be falling in love with Lou?”

Tom raised both eyebrows. “You’re falling in love with her?”

Agata frowned. “No.”

“You just said…”

“What did I just said?” Agata asked, feeling the heat travel up her neck like a thermometer. “I said nothing.”

“Oh, yes, you did. You said you may be falling in love with Lou.”

“I didn’t mean it.” Agata quickly stood and paced in front of the coffee table. “What I mean was… She is…” She ran her fingers through her hair in a frustrated gesture. “Oh! I do not know what I mean anymore. What is wrong with me?” She held her hands up helplessly. “This is not like me. I always know what I am doing. I am focused and have purpose. And now I meet some insane American and I know nothing!”

“Agata, what is wrong?”

Agata and Tom turned when they heard Dmitry’s sleepy voice. He rubbed his eyes and yawned.

“Nothing is wrong, Dmitry.” Agata met him halfway. She kissed the top of his head. “Are you rested?”

“Yes. Ana is snoring,” Dmitry said with a wisp of a smile. “Or perhaps it is Brown Bear.”

Agata laughed along with Tom. “Are you hungry?”

Dmitry’s eyes widened, and he nodded.

“I am, too,” Ana’s sleepy voice called out from the doorway.

Agata nearly laughed at the disheveled appearance—black curls looking like a mop and rosy cheeks flushed with sleep. She had her stuffed animal by the hand, practically dragging it with her.

“You are hungry, as well?” Agata picked Ana up in her arms and kissed her warm cheeks. “And did you have a good rest?”

Ana nodded and yawned. “Demmi snored.”

“It was Brown Bear,” Dmitry said. “He was very loud.”

“Demmi, Brown Bear is a girl,” Ana reminded him.

Dmitry started to argue but merely shook his head. “I forgot.”

“That’s okay.”

“Well, what should we do for dinner?” Agata kissed Ana’s head, then set her down. “Should we go out or eat in?”

“Room service?”

Agata grinned at Dmitry’s awestruck question. “Would you like that? Ana?”

Ana shrugged as if she couldn’t care less. Dmitry nodded quickly.

“All right. But remember, we cannot do this every night.”

“A Christmas treat?” Dmitry said.

“Yes,” Agata said, smoothing back his hair, trying to avoid his bottom lip, which quivered. “A Christmas treat.”

Dmitry clapped his hands, and Ana, not to be left out, did the same, then did the same with Brown Bear’s hands.

“So what should we have?”

“Borscht!” Dmitry said, his Russian accent pronounced.

“McNuggets!” Ana argued.

“Ana, you cannot get that from room service. Besides, that is not food. It is not even real chicken,” Dmitry tried to explain as he took her by the hand. “Come. You need to wash your face and get ready.”

“If it’s not a chicken, what is it?” Ana asked quietly.

“You do not want to know,” Dmitry said with a devilish grin, pulling her into the room. “Come, little girl. I will tell you…”

“Agata!” Ana cried out and laughed as she struggled against him.

“Dmitry…” Agata called after him.

The evil laugh faded away as the bedroom door closed.

Chapter 13

“It’s after seven. I take it we’re not going out to dinner with Agata and the kids?” Edie asked.

“Nah. I don’t know what she’s doing.”

“Have you called her?”

“No.” Lou stood in the kitchen, staring at the red splotch on the ceiling. “I don’t think I will.” She squinted, trying to figure out what in the hell it was.

“Why not? You said you would.”

“I know. But…” Lou pulled out the kitchen chair and stood on it.

“But what? What are you doing?”

“There’s something…” Lou stood on her tiptoes to get a better look. “Hmm. How did I get spaghetti sauce on the ceiling?”

“What in the world are you talking about?”

“I can’t reach it.” Lou stepped off the chair with a groan. “What were we talking about?”

“Why you’re not calling Agata. You insane ass.”

Lou chuckled as she sat at the table. “Because she’s getting settled with the kids, and I think she needs time to be alone with them.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

Lou heard the disappointment in her voice. “We’ll see them tomorrow. And hopefully, we’ll see them until they leave for Christmas.”

“Them or just Agata?” Edie asked.

“I’m sorry. Did you say something?”

Edie laughed. “Hey. Would it be out of line if we got them a Christmas present? John and I were talking about it. Things are happening so fast, and we don’t want to intrude.”

Lou smiled. “I think they’d love it. I…”

“You what? Tell me.”

“I might get something for Aggie. Ya know, a Christmas present.”

“I think that would be nice. What will you get?”

“I have no idea. What do you get a famous cellist who probably has everything?”

“I’m quite sure Agata doesn’t have everything. And you’re starting to sound pissy. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I don’t know.” She stretched out and put her feet up on the other kitchen chair.

“There certainly has been a lot of activity in the past couple days. And think none of this would have happened if you didn’t go with me, kicking and screaming, to the concert.”

“I know. It really is all your fault,” Lou said.

“Probably.”

“Two days ago, I was fine.”

“Conversation taking a sharp left turn…Yes, you were.”

“I had my job, my life, and no worries.”

“True.”

Lou got up and walked to the refrigerator and took out the leftover pizza from the carton. She sniffed it and shrugged. “Now I meet this Russian, who by the way is a little on the egotistical side.”

“Yes,” Edie said sadly. “So unlike you.”

“I know, right?” Lou threw two pieces of pizza on a paper plate. She stopped. “Are you being sarcastic?”

“Completely.”

“Hmm.” Lou grunted and put the plate in the microwave and punched the buttons. She then took a bottle of beer out of the fridge.

“What are you reheating? Do not tell me you’re eating that pizza from last week… Lou!”

“What? It’s fine. There’s no mold on it, and it’s only been a few days.”

“You’re disgusting—”

“Thank you.”

“You should come over here. John’s making spaghetti.”

Lou glanced up at the ceiling. “No, thanks.” She leaned against the counter, taking a sip from the bottle while waiting for the timer to go off on the microwave.

“So you regret meeting Agata?” Edie asked softly.

The timer went off; Lou took the pizza and beer to the table and sat down. “No. That’s the problem.”

“Why?”

“Because I enjoy her company,” Lou said between mouthfuls. She washed the pizza down with a swallow of beer. “This tastes funny.”

“Throw that away!” Edie said firmly. “You’ll give yourself botulism.”

“Is that food poisoning?” Lou tossed the pizza into the trash can. “I’m hungry.”

“Come over here.”

“No. I’ll just drink.” Lou took another swallow.

“Lou, don’t do that.”

Lou laughed. “I won’t. It’s the last one anyway.”

“Now quit changing the topic.”

“What was the topic?”

“Don’t be obtuse.”

“That was the topic?” Lou laughed when she heard the growl from Edie. “Okay, okay. I don’t know. I really like her company, and there’s something about her that really…”

“You like her, don’t you? I mean really.”

“Yeah. Like a grown-up.” Lou laughed along with Edie. “What are the odds of that happening?”

“Call her. Don’t pass up any time you might have with her. You deserve—”

“Let’s not go into that.” Lou quickly finished the beer and tossed the bottle into the trash can.

“Call her.”

“Yes, Mom.”

“Good night,” Edie said softly. “Ass.”

Edie ended the call without another word. Lou chuckled and put her head back. “Really… How did I get spaghetti sauce on the ceiling?”

She stared at the ceiling and while she debated whether or not to call Agata, her cell phone went off. “Hello?”

“Good evening.”

And there was the end of the debate. Cursing her heart that beat wildly in her chest, Lou grinned. “Aggie?”

“You sound surprised.”

“I am, kind of.”

“Is this a bad time?”

Agata’s soft accent had Lou’s scalp itching; she shivered uncontrollably and scratched her head. “No, I’m not sure there can be one. I was going to call you…” She stopped and laughed. “That’s not exactly true. I was debating.”

“I was, as well,” Agata said softly.

“Why?” Lou’s voice mirrored Agata’s. She smiled and sat back.

“Why were you?”

Lou frowned. “Don’t you ever just answer a question?” She could almost see Agata smile.

“I have been answering your questions now for two days. What is problem?”

“I don’t know what is problem.” Lou laughed at the grunt she heard. They sat in silence for a moment or two. “You bewitch me, Agata Karetnikov,” she whispered, hating how her mouth had gone bone-dry.

“Bewitch?”

“Yeah, like the old song ‘Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered’.” Lou grinned, feeling happy and bewitched and…

“Ah, I understand,” Agata said. “Then you bother me, Louisa Preston.”

Lou’s grin faded quickly; she said nothing. Again, there was silence for a moment.

“Bewildered is better?” Agata offered.

Lou laughed then and so did Agata. “I don’t care as long as it’s good.”

“
Da
, Lou. Is good.”

“So what are you doing?” Lou could not get the stupid grin off her face; she stopped trying.

“The children and I had dinner. They are bathed and in bed.”

“It’s only eight o’clock.”

“They were exhausted. To be honest, so am I.”

“Oh,” Lou said, full of disappointment.

“Why? Did you have something in mind, Comrade?”

Lou grinned again. “Maybe.”

“Are you going to tell me or do I have to guess?”

“I thought we could see each other tonight,” Lou said. “Off the record.”

“
Da
. I think we had enough of the interview. I cannot leave the children.”

“No, you can’t do that. So what can we do?”

Agata chuckled. “You sound like little child. Come here. Have you eaten?”

Lou looked at the trash can and rubbed her stomach. “Not really. But I’m okay.”

“I did not eat much with the children. We can order from room service. They are beginning to love me downstairs. How is that?”

“That sounds great. An hour?”

“Yes, an hour is fine.”

“See ya, Aggie.”

Agata laughed. “See ya…”

Lou set the phone down on the table and stared at it. “What am I doing?” Lou nonchalantly walked around the kitchen, then waited the acceptable amount of time before making a mad dash to the shower.