Seth's Cravings: An Endless Series: Book 2 (13 page)

     “I’ll take some water and some of that chocolate milk
if it’s not too much trouble.” He said. Walking over he seized the paper towels
and placed them on the table. I raised my brow at his facilitation with setting
up the table…which he caught.

     “It might be difficult to believe of five guys but we
all work together at the house during meal time.” He retorted with his own
raised brow.

     I did find that difficult to believe, but I had heard
some talk while working at the house and knew all five guys were on the
lacrosse team together. Maybe their teamwork spilled over into the household
tasks.

     Issy came back to the table holding the glasses and
Seth held out his hand. “Can I take those for you, Iskra?” He asked flashing
those dimples. Issy smiled shyly, but widely, handing them over.

     Weird, she never warmed up to someone that easily. Must
be the dimples. I could relate.  

     “You can call me Issy, everyone does.” Issy said softly
sitting down at the table.

     Another shocker, speaking up like that and offering her
name. Girl was on a roll.

     “You can call me Seth. Some people call me ‘Pit’, but I
don’t like that name.” Seth sat down in the chair next to her.

     Issy’s nose wrinkled. “Why do they call you Pit?”

     I was interested in that answer as well. I had heard his
roommates call him that a few times around the house, and Seth had always
responded with ‘
don’t call me that
’ which had brought little results.

     My ears and eyes had been open to a lot of things while
pretending to ignore Seth. I had tried my best to truly ignore him, but it had
been harder than I thought…hence the pretending.

     I scooped some food onto a plate for Issy as Seth
leaned his elbows on the table focusing on her. “One of my teammates nicknamed
me ‘bottomless pit’ and it got shortened to “Pit. Every time I hear it it makes
me think of armpit.”

     Issy giggled while Luka almost snorted out the water
he’d just swallowed. I grinned. It was a terrible nickname to begin with, but for
it to get shortened to “Pit’.
Kakogo cherta(
Jeesh
)
.

     Seth gave us all a scowl. “It’s not funny. That name
has been the bane of my existence for three years. I’m the biggest guy out
there. I should have something imposing that scares the other team, don’t you
think?” Seth focused back on Issy again requesting her support…which she gave
with a grin and a vigorous nod of her head.

     Of course I couldn’t help but grin again at the
response he’d gotten from her. Seth glanced my way with a smile of his own and
before I knew it we were eye bonding, sharing the humor. I tore my gaze away
quickly before it could lead to anything else.

     “Issy, make sure you eat some of the vegetables along
with the steak.” I instructed setting the plate in front of her with a glass of
chocolate milk Luka had made up for her.

     “Steak is my favorite too.” Seth whispered theatrically
causing Issy to giggle again. I rolled my eyes. Seth was laying it on a bit
thick there.

     I placed the half box of Mongolian steak and vegetables
in front of Seth. “You both eat all your vegetables and you can have some
Ptichie Moloko for dessert.” I said and then nearly bopped myself in the head.
I can’t believe I just gave him a reason to stay longer. Seth must have read
the look on my face because his grinned widened.

    
Ryvok
(jerk)!

     I plopped myself down in the seat on the other side of
Issy and scooped some chicken and veggies onto my plate. Luka sat next to me
and attempted to ladle out food onto his own plate with his one good arm but
just upended the entire box with a frustrated growl instead.

     “What’s Pichtie Molaka?” Seth asked mangling the
pronunciation.

     Issy giggled. “
Ptichie Moloko
is cake, a kind of
marshmallow, and chocolate. It’s the best and Nadezhda makes it the best.”

     Seth looked at me gravely. “It’s the best?”

     I nodded. “The best.” I verified.

     As we ate I asked about Issy’s day hoping to hear that
she’d made some connection with someone at school. She’d been at this school
for two years now and still hadn’t made one significant friend yet. At least
none that she’d mentioned to me, and I asked her almost every week. This was
another friend free weekend though.  

     “Well, I don’t think I’m going to be doing anything
this weekend either because of my shoulder, so we can hang out together, Issy.”
Luka said with a crooked grin.

     “We’ll figure out something to do…together.” I searched
my head for what we could do.

     “You guys like to swim?”

     I looked toward Seth at his inquiry. He’d been quietly
eating during my examination of Issy’s day and was reaching for another box for
seconds. He
was
a bottomless pit, but then so was Luka as he too reached
for seconds looking anxious that Seth might eat it all.

     “I love swimming.” Issy responded eagerly.

     That was a fact. Issy would be in the water all the
time if it were possible. The few times we’d made it to the beach during the
summers she never wanted to leave.

     Luka nodded in consensus. “Yeah.”

     I frowned wondering where this query was going.  

     “This weekends temps are supposed to reach ninety.
Landon’s invited everyone over to his family’s beach house for the weekend. If
you guys are interested in coming there’s enough room and lots to do besides
swimming.”

     Seth stared at me intently as he delivered this out of
the blue invitation. Where in the heck was it coming from? I was not friends
with him or Landon. We were just gambling associates.

     Both Luka and Issy swiveled their heads in my direction
wearing identical expressions of expectation. I had to forcibly control my
facial muscles so I wouldn’t scowl ferociously at Seth for putting me on the
spot like that. Spending more time in Seth’s company wasn’t high on my list of
things to do. It was actually counterproductive to my plans.  

     “I don’t know…our budget.” I said hoping that at least
Luka would catch my drift and show me some support. I mean, we were just
talking about the hospital bill.

     Luka’s expression dimmed and I knew he’d side with me.
It would disappoint Issy, but we would find something else to do she would
like.

     “If you’re worried about money you don’t have to be.
The accommodations are free and come with a stocked kitchen. You guys could
ride up with me so gas money is taken care of, and whenever you’re ready to leave
I have no problem bringing you back.”

     I knew I just lost Luka’s support as Seth checked off
the money issue. My mouth thinned slightly, the only tell that I was displeased
with his interference of my plans. Why was he doing this? There was going to be
a houseful of college age people, they wouldn’t want a fifteen and ten year old
there cramping there weekend.

     “What about the extracurricular activities?” I stared
at him straight on letting him know with a hard glare that I didn’t want Issy
or Luka around wild partying and a sexual free for all.

     He stared back just as soberly. “It’s not as bad as
your thinking. Yes, there will be…” his gaze flickered to Issy briefly “other
refreshments available but they will mostly be for later, and they will almost
certainly go out for the night. As for the other, there are a few couples that
will keep the heavy PDA behind closed doors.”  

     I leaned my elbows on the table. “You’re taking a lot
of responsibility on your shoulders speaking for your friends like this. Do you
have the clout to actually promise these things?”

     “My friends are my friends for a reason.”

     It was a simple affirmation but it said a great deal. He
trusted that his friends would follow his lead. I looked at Issy and Luka who
were sitting surprisingly quiet watching the scene unfold with different
expressions. Issy only cared about whether I was going to say yes, while Luka’s
gaze was switching back and forth between Seth and me with undisguised curiosity,
but with hope that I would say yes as well. I knew they both loved the beach.
Moving to America had brought their first taste of swimming in the ocean and
they were both hooked. I loved it as well.

     I sighed loudly letting them all know that I wasn’t
completely happy about this but was relenting. “
Otlichno(fine)
,
da
,
we can go.” I would just steer clear of Seth. I’d been able to do it in his house;
I could do at this other one just the same. I’d make this a family weekend.   

     Issy immediately clapped her hands in excitement
bouncing in her seat. “Yay!”

     Standing up with an evil glare at Seth I went to the
refrigerator to take out the
Ptichie
Moloko
. Setting it on the
table with a thunk I cut into it giving Issy a slice and also gave one to Luka
and Seth, even though I was irritated with him. His expression stayed curiously
intent on me the whole time, which I was finding highly agitating. While many
men gave me all kinds of looks Seth’s were the only ones that disconcerted me. 

     “Holy sh…crap, this is awesome.” Seth looked up from
taking a bite of the cake. “You made this?” He asked looking amazed.

     I would have been affronted if his expression wasn’t so
comical. “
Da
, old family recipe.”

     Luka was inhaling his next to me. “You’re lucky, Seth.”
He said between bites. “She only makes it a couple times a year. But she has
other things she makes; her
pastila’s
and
tula
gingerbread are to
die for as well.”

     Seth took another bite his face blissful. “I think you
might be wasting your calling in plumbing, because this has got to be the best
thing I’ve ever tasted.”

     I couldn’t help but smile in pride at his exclamation.
My mother had taught me many recipes growing up. “Issy helped.” I said giving
her a wink.

     Our
mat’
had passed away in Russia when Issy was
only six while were here in America. I was trying my best to pass on parts of
our
mamin
heritage to Issy so she would have something of her. I knew
she barely remembered our
mat’
as Issy was so young when she died.

     “Well Issy, this is fantastic. And since we will be
gone the whole weekend we should probably eat this whole thing tonight.” He
said reaching for another slice.

     “Only if we want to be sick the whole two days.” I
said. “You’ll go from loving the dessert to never wanting to see it again.”

     “It might be worth the risk.” Seth remarked digging
into his second helping. This guy had
really
earned his nickname.

     After we had all finished our desserts I sent Issy in
to take her shower as I cleaned up the table. Seth and Luka stood up to help
but Luka’s arm hindered a lot of what he could do. “Go sit down and rest your
shoulder.” I ordered.

     “If you have an ice pack you should use it.” Seth
remarked carrying a load of dirty dishes to the sink.

     Luka nodded seizing one out of the freezer and then
hunkered down on the couch turning on the television. I turned to the sink to
wash the dishes.

     “That was a dirty trick, cornering my like that.” I
said quietly.

     Seth walked up next to me setting down more dishes. His
nearness made me jittery, but I forcibly ignored it. “I wasn’t trying to pull
any tricks.” He said moving over to the other side of me to rinse what I was
washing. “I saw that you wanted to do something fun with your brother and
sister and everyone loves the beach.”

     “It was slightly underhanded.” I continued to grouch.
Seth took up so much space that he was bumping into me and my jitter’s
escalated. I stepped to the left putting more distance between us.

     “I really didn’t mean to be. I only thought to be
nice.” He rumbled.

     That deep voice of his called me to look up at him when
that was the last thing I knew I should do. He was staring down at me with that
curiously concentrated expression he’d been wearing most of the evening. Like I
was a bug under glass he was trying to figure out. It was nerve racking, and
also made my blood warm.

     “Why are you always staring at me as if I’m some kind
of hypothesis you are attempting solve under duress.” I grumbled looking back
down at the soapy water.

     He was silent for a moment. “You are a complex woman.
It seems like every time I turn around I learn something new about you. I can’t
help but feel a little off-kilter every time I’m around you. If my countenance
bothers you I’m sorry. It’s not my purpose to make you uncomfortable.”

     I shrugged like I didn’t care when in fact he made me
very uncomfortable, and not just from the intense looks he was always giving me.
“All of us are complex in some way; I don’t think I’m any different.”   

     “I don’t know about that.” He said under his breath,
but I heard him clearly as I was standing right next to him.

     I didn’t want to touch that comment with a ten foot
pole. The dishes were done so I wiped the counter down and moved to the table.
“You don’t have to drive us tomorrow. I would feel more comfortable driving
myself that way if we have to leave early I won’t feel guilty about pulling you
away.”

     “Nadia…”

     I twirled around with a determined expression cutting
off Seth’s argument. “Seth, I would feel more comfortable driving myself.” I
stared him in the eye daring him to argue with me. I may have been maneuvered
consciously or unconsciously up to this point, but no further.

     He went silent again studying me. It was a five second
standoff that seemed to last much longer. He nodded. “Okay, Nadia. I can take
you to pick up your vehicle tonight and then I’ll come by tomorrow morning and
you can follow us over.”