Authors: Tia Siren
Soon they stood naked in front of each other. His penis prodded into her as they kissed, and he felt her nipples hard against his chest. He ran his hand down her back and cupped her buttocks. ''You've got a perfect ass,'' he whispered. She kissed his neck and put her hand onto his shaft. Andrey sighed and let his head fall back. Soon, however, he picked her up and carried her to the bed. He put her down gently and opened her legs.
''I want to taste you,'' he said as he put his mouth onto her womanhood. She gasped as he licked up over her clitoris and down again. ''Oh that's nice, do that,'' she instructed when she felt him press her clit between his lips. He continued as she'd asked, and soon she started to pant. The noise she was making turned him on more and he felt his rock hard shaft sticking painfully into the bed. When she shouted, ''now, now,'' he kept up the pressure, and she came.
''Was that nice?'' he asked. She only nodded and held out her arms for him to come up and make love to her. The scent of her was driving him wild, and he quickly accepted her invitation. As he pushed into her, they kissed deeply and passionately. She pushed her pelvis up to greet his thrusts and rubbed her hands over his back. ''You are more than beautiful,'' he whispered into her ear. His words pushed her further towards another orgasm, and when he increased the speed of his thrusts, she clung onto him and cried out.
''God your hard,'' she moaned as she came down from her plateau. ''You're so big and hard, and I love it.'' He was covered in sweat now, and she liked the ease with which her hands could slide over his skin. When she dropped her hands onto his buttocks, she felt him twitch inside her. She leaned into his neck, ''come on, give it to me.'' When he came, she felt his hot semen shooting into her in a jet like bursts. She put her legs around his back and held onto him. It was only then that she really took any notice of how beautiful their bodies looked together. Black and white.
''You want to do what,'' Andrey said as they lay next to each other. He pushed himself up, leaned on one arm and listened more attentively.
''I want to do an interview with Maxim Sokolov. He owns this place doesn't he? Which means you must work for him.''
''I don't work for him. I work with him and soon I won't be. I'm going on my own. Why do you want to interview him?''
''Because he's the big boss. The one who got away and the only one anyone is interested in anymore.''
''You're mad. Absolutely mad. A young woman like you has no chance with him. You won't even get in the door. In fact, he's more likely to murder you.''
''Well, I can try,'' she said defensively.
''Get your clothes on and leave now. And let this be a warning to you. If I hear that you have been anywhere near him, I'll finish you off myself.''
''But Andrey it was so lovely this evening, why are you suddenly so...?''
''Because you're pissing me off, now get your ass out of here.''
*****
''Hello Mr. Sokolov,'' Mel said as the short chubby man arrived in the Crab and Lobster. ''What can I get you.'' He was fifty-three and as round as he was tall. He'd been a boxer in his youth, a good one. He'd built up a fearsome reputation, and that had lasted all these years. To date, no younger man had dared challenge his authority.
''Vodka and ice.'' It hadn't been a good day. He'd lost three hundred thousand at cards and what was worse, he'd lost to Graham Sander, a small-time crook from Newark.
''Here we are,'' Mel said as she put the glass and bottle on the table. ''Shall I get them something,'' she asked him, referring to the two large men at the door.
''Coffee,'' he grunted. Mel never felt at ease when he was in the restaurant. He was unpredictable and explosive. Once he'd pulled her hair when she'd spilled some water on him. She'd apologized a thousand times, but it didn't matter, he'd made her suffer.
''So what's happening Mel?'' he asked after he'd thrown back two shots.
''Steady away really Mr. Sokolov. As always.''
''Tell me, who was that black woman that was here the other evening?''
How the hell does he know about her she thought? Then she realized, he had eyes and ears everywhere. ''I don't know Mr. Sokolov,'' she said trying to cover Andrey's back.
''What do you mean, you don't know? Are you blind, deaf or dumb or all three?''
Mel knew she had to tell him now. He knew she'd been at work then, and he probably knew that Andrey had taken Nicki upstairs. ''It was a journalist, I don't know anymore.''
He stood up and walked over to the bar. ''Come here,'' he said gently. Mel walked up to him on the other side. ''Lean over, I want to tell you something in confidence.''
Mel leaned over to him and waited for him to whisper. He didn't. He grabbed her by the collar and pulled her over the bar. Her blouse tore, revealing her overflowing bra. 'Nice,'' he muttered.
''Now you tell me who she was, and what she was doing here. Otherwise, I might just have to see a bit more of what you've got to offer.''
''Please, Mr. Sokolov, I'll tell you all I know.'' He laughed when he noticed her shaking. ''She came to the restaurant about four o'clock, I heard her saying to Andrey that she was a freelance journalist.'' She hated doing this to Andrey; she liked him, but what choice did she have? ''They seemed to get on well. They had a couple of drinks and something to eat.'' She didn't want to tell him that they'd gone upstairs, and the whole restaurant had heard them having sex.
''And, what else?''
''That's it, Mr. Sokolov. I don't know anymore.'' She cried out when he slapped her across the face.
''What else? I won't ask again.''
''They went upstairs together.'' Mel burst into tears.
''Jesus Christ. What next? I thought I could trust him.'' He tightened his grip on Mel's blouse. ''Screwing a journalist is going too far, but screwing a black journalist in my restaurant is disrespectful and deceitful. Tell him I want a word with him as soon as he comes back.'' Mel nodded and attempted to cover herself up.
*****
''Jesus, what the .....'' Lela exclaimed just as she was about to take the boiling kettle from the stove. She ran upstairs and banged on the bathroom door. ''Nicki, what's the matter. Are you okay?''
Nicki didn't reply; she was sitting on the edge of the bath with her head in her hands. If only she hadn't stopped taking the pill during her stay in Moscow, Nathan hadn't been with her, and she'd had no intention of sleeping with anyone casually so she'd just stopped. Andrey had worn a condom, yes he had, she remembered distinctly.
''Nicki, Nicki, let me in.'' Lela was getting frantic. Nobody screaming like that could be alright. She jumped back to one side as the door opened and Nicki ran passed her. Inside, Lela picked up the pregnancy tester and read the text on the tiny display. Pregnant 2-3.
*****
Why the hell do you still work with him? Andrey asked himself as he drove up to Sokolov's mansion. You have enough cash to last you a life time. You're a fool to have anything to do with him. All because you love the Crab and Lobster. Buy it off him and then tell him to F-off.
''I hear you wanted to seek me, Maxim.'' Sokolov's mansion was on the edge of Brighton Beach. It was just like one would expect a man of Sokolov's breeding to own. Brash and full of gold.
''Andrey, come in and sit down.'' Sokolov was sitting in his favorite chair next to the fire. It was another cold day and under normal circumstances, the sight of the burning logs would have raised anyone's spirits. But Andrey wasn't in the mood for cozy fires. He hadn't liked what Sokolov had done to Mel. Mel was just a kid, and she didn't deserve the kind of treatment he'd afforded her.
''What did you do to Mel? The poor kid couldn't stop bubbling when I came back yesterday evening.''
''What did I do to Mel?'' he retorted sarcastically. ''It's your fault.''
Andrey looked around trying to calm himself. It was a pretentious house. All the sofas in the large sitting room were gold, and the carpet was a different shade of gold. The wallpaper was gray with gold stripes, and all the pictures on the walls had gold frames.
''How is it my fault?''
''Andrey, how much money have you got in the bank?''
What the hell has that got to do with Mel? ''About thirty million.''
''And how did you come by all that money?'' Sokolov was being smug and coy, and Andrey hated him for it. Sure he'd helped him a lot during the early days, but there was no need to keep reminding him.
''Real estate deals.''
''Yer, real estate deals. And who gave you the first piece of real estate?''
''You.'' This was what he always did. Whenever he disliked something Andrey did, he'd call him in, and reminded him that it was he who had given Andrey a property to get him going. Sokolov was also from St Petersberg and when he'd bumped into Andrey they'd chatted about the city. Sokolov had been impressed by Andrey's physique and given him a job as one of his rent collectors. Some of the things Andrey had done, he was not proud of. Evicting men and women with young children had never been his thing, but he'd done it. He'd seen Sokolov's real estate gift to him as justified payment for the sleepless nights he was still having.
''Me indeed.'' Sokolov looked at the fire for a while then jumped up and took Andrey by the throat. ''What the fuck were you doing screwing that black journalist in my restaurant the other evening?''
''It was just that, a screw, so what's your problem?'' Andrey thought he was strong enough to push Sokolov from him, but he wasn't sure he could beat him in the boxing match that was bound to ensue if he did so.
''My problem is two fold. First she's a journalist and second; she's black. I don't want a person like that snooping around in my life. If I see her again, she's a goner. Got it?''
''So what if she's black, you racist pig? She's hotter than any slut you've ever had.'' Andrey fell back onto the sofa as Sokolov landed an upper cut to his chin.
*****
Nicki stood outside the Crab and Lobster for half an hour before she got the courage to go inside. Mel looked at her and turned away.
''Mel is Andrey here?''
Mel had nothing against Nicki but she didn't need another confrontation with Sokolov, and she was scared he would do worse than tear her blouse next time. ''Upstairs, but leave now. You're not welcome here.''
''I need to speak to him. It's important.''
Mel turned to her. When she saw Nicki's face, feminine intuition told her why Nicki had come to the restaurant, and she felt sorry for her. ''You know the way,'' Mel said pointing to the stairs.
Nicki knocked on the apartment door and turned the door handle. When the door opened slightly, she saw him lying on the bed. ''Andrey.''
When he looked across at her, she saw he had two back eyes and a lump on his chin. He jumped off the bed and ushered her inside. ''What are you doing here? It's too dangerous for you to be here now.''
Nicki didn't understand why, it had been fine a few nights ago, but now it was dangerous. ''Why?'' He didn't reply. ''Andrey, I need your help. I'm pregnant.''
''You've got to leave. I don't want to see you anymore.''
''Did you hear me, I'm pregnant,'' Nicki sobbed.
''I heard you, now go or I'll carry you out of here.''
''But you can't treat me like this.'' Her sobs became stronger. ''But we had.........such a lovely time.......I know you........care about me.'' She put her hand on his shoulder trying to pull her to him.
''No, Nicki, I don't want you, I'm not interested in you or your baby. Now go. I won't ask you again.''
This can't be happening. Three weeks ago everything was fine; now her life had become a living hell. Her tears went, replaced by anger. ''How can you do this, you heartless bastard. You could look at the very least offer to help me look after the child financially.''
He took hold of her by her coat, marched her to the door and pushed her through it. She heard it close and the lock turn. When Andrey lay on the bed, he put his hands over his ears to block out the echoes of Nicki's sobs as she went down the stairs.
Before Nicki left the stairwell, she wrote a note. When she went through the restaurant she handed it to Mel. ''Give him this will you?'' she said.
*****
Betty's tea room wasn't busy. Nicki counted four people. Two elderly ladies, deep in conversation, a young mother struggling to keep her toddler quiet and a man in a business suit. Betty's was the premier tea room in New York and usually impossible to get a table at. Nicki wondered what she was doing in such an expensive place. She had precious little money and not much prospect of getting any in the near future.
Nathan came in through the main entrance and looked around for her. When he spotted her, he smiled and wandered over to the table in his usual casual manner.
''Can't stay away from me,'' he said hopefully.
''Nathe I called you because I need your help.'' She knew it was a liability contacting him after she had dumped him, but she was getting desperate.