Ava
It’s official
Tatiana’s sister hates me.
How do I know this for sure you might ask? Simple, when I arrived this morning with Tatiana by my side, she made it her first mission to stick me with a look while asking her sister who I was.
I thought that at least an introduction would make things better, but boy was I wrong.
She immediately picked apart my outfit and insisted I wore makeup even though my face was clearly bare.
I can’t help it if my skin is naturally rosy. That’s what happens when you take good care of it.
Faina has made it her entire day’s purpose to make sure that everybody knows that she’s the one running the show. She’s been a bitch to not just me but her sister too.
I now fully understand what Tatiana meant yesterday when she explained just how much of a control freak her sister is.
To be honest, I think she gave me the watered-down version. Because the real thing is so much worse.
There were three bridesmaids in total, but with Faina included, that made us four. The five of us are currently lounging in the warm water of the indoor spa room, the gentle sound of soft bubbling filling the air and instantly easing the tension in my shoulders.
While I and Tatiana are thoroughly enjoying the soothing atmosphere, Faina seems completely immune to the concept of relaxation.
She furiously swipes up on her iPad, her fingers tapping violently against the screen. Her eyes light up as she finds what she’s looking for, and then she fixes the rest of us with a pointed look.
She switches to her native tongue, the words spewing out of her with in-depth precision.
Judging by the expressions on Mariya and Sofiya’s faces-the two blonde sisters lounging opposite Tatiana and me-it’s clear that whatever Faina is saying is important, so I can’t even lie to myself that it isn’t.
“Speak English Sestra.” (Sister) Tatiana interrupts, her voice cutting through Faina’s rapid Russia like a knife.
Faina looks up from her iPad, the corners of her lips twitch as she lifts a brow in her sister’s direction.
“Excuse me?”
“Sredi nas yest’ amerikanka, ty znayesh’, ona ne ponimayet po-russki. (We have an American in our midst, you know she doesn’t understand Russian)”
“How’s that my fault? besides Tatiana You know my English is not very good.” Faina responds, her eyes barely leaving the screen.
Tatiana snorts giving her an incredulous look “You have a degree in English literature”
Faina’s lips curl tightly, the faintest twitch of irritation seeping through her prim and properly crafted facade. At first glance, the two sisters couldn’t be more similar. They both had the same raven-coloured hair, except Faina’s was cut short, ending at her shoulders. Their eye colours were also the same silver-grey I’d been mesmerized by at the airport.
The only glaring difference between the two sisters, physically anyway, is that while Tatiana’s face was bare and free from any blemish, light freckles dusted Faina’s cheeks.
“Well,” she smacks her lips together, “that doesn’t mean I’m fluent in everyday conversation”
“You’re having a conversation in English right now.”
Sofiya points out, her Russian accent thick and voice cracking the tension between the bride-to-be and her maid of honour. Mariya nods in agreement, the corner of her lips quirking upwards in faint amusement as she raps something in Russian for only her sister to hear.
Faina’s eyes dart towards the two sisters, shooting them a glare that completely communicates the annoyance I’m sure she feels. “That’s beside the point,” she replies, her tone clipped as she places the iPad on the edge of the pool.
“No, that’s exactly the point. If you’re going to ramble on about important details of my wedding the least you can do is make sure Ava understands.”
Faina’s mouth twitches, and if looks could kill, the glare she sends my way would have me gasping for air at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
“Fine”, she bites out, picking up her iPad once more and scrolling through the contents on the screen. “I’ll repeat myself in English for the benefit of everyone.”
She shoots me a dirty look to let me know that she doesn’t like being told to repeat herself for my sake.
It’s not like I would even be here if she wasn’t such a control freak.
My expression remains neutral, unwilling to give her the satisfaction of a reaction.
“As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted”
Tatiana rolls her eyes, sinking deeper into the water while muttering what I can only assume is a cuss based on the stink glare she gets from Faina.
“I have worked very hard to ensure that we have the best bridal shower week to ever be seen in the history of Russia. And while I do not expect perfection from all of you, I do expect some level of cooperation”
Mariya and Sofiya exchange a look and if Faina notices she doesn’t bother to address it and barrels on,
“Firstly, I’ve arranged for our facials to be pushed forward, so instead of ten thirty like originally planned, it’ll be scheduled for eleven. I’ve already briefed the technicians on what is to be expected of them. Hopefully, they get the message and do their jobs properly so we are properly relaxed for our sauna session afterwards.”
She pauses, swiping on her screen.
“The sauna session will last for only an hour. I’ve requested eucalyptus and lavender oils, which are scientifically proven to reduce stress and improve focus-something I think some of us could benefit from.” Her gaze flicks briefly to Tatiana and then to me before returning to her iPad.
Tatiana lets out a soft breath, muttering something under her breath that I can’t quite catch, but it’s enough to make Mariya stifle a laugh.
Faina narrows her eyes at Mariya who clamps her lips together upon being caught.
“After that, we’ll head over to the nail salon, where I’ve scheduled a slot for our afternoon manicure and pedicure appointment for one pm. I’ve ensured that only the approved shades that align with the wedding theme will be made available so you can make your selection from there. Please don’t make things difficult by requesting anything alternative, I know that might be difficult for you Americans.”
Her eyes flicker to me, and I offer her a tight-lipped smile. Great now she thinks I’m a difficult American
This woman has no intention of making my life easy today, does she?
“Lunch will follow at two o’clock. It’s a light selection-salads, infused water, and fruit platters. I deliberately avoided anything heavy or greasy because those have been proven to weigh down women.”
Tatiana wrinkles her nose and shoots her sister a look, ” Proven by who?”
“Science, Tati, Keep up” Faina responds dryly. Tatiana grits her teeth, her jaw tightening in the familiar way one’s jaw does when a retort is forced back. Tatiana looks like she’s ready to strangle her sister. In all honesty, I’m ready to see that happen too, but instead, she settles back into the warm water and expels a deep breath from her lips while counting backwards in English.
Faina reads through the rest of the schedule. There isn’t much to do after lunch except yoga class, which she explains isn’t compulsory but necessary.
When she finishes explaining everything, she asks if there are any questions and I raise a hand. She shoots me an annoyed expression before kissing her teeth.
“Yes, Ava.”
“I don’t think I’ll be able to make it for the yoga session after.”
She arches a brow, “And why is that?”
Because if I stay here with you longer than a few hours I’m going to lose it. But of course, I don’t say that out loud. Instead, I say, “I actually have something else planned.”
It’s not entirely a lie.
I did have something planned and it was a date with the season finale of my favourite TV show, Emilia in America.
Tonight, our main girl, Emilia, was finally going to choose between the two love interests, James, the reclusive chef or Xander, her British billionaire boss. I wanted her to end up with James, of course, not only because he was the obvious better choice but because they’ve had chemistry since episode one that Xander and her never did.
Since I got married, I haven’t been able to keep up with the show as much as I would’ve liked, but tonight was the season’s finale. There was no way I was going to miss it
“Why am I not surprised?” Faina mutters casually scrolling through her iPad. I ignore the bite behind her comment but she continues “Ona zdes’ vsego odin den’, a uzhe dumayet, chto vykhodit za ramki moyego grafika.” (She’s only been here one day and she already thinks that she’s above my schedule)
The twins snicker opposite me and I suppress the urge to roll my eyes at her.
“Faina”, Tatiana warns, but Faina shrugs nonchalantly, barely glancing up from her iPad.
“Fine. But you’ll have to attend the one on Thursday. Saturday’s the wedding and the last thing I need is your negative energy weighing down my efforts”
Are all Russians this superstitious or is it just her?
I don’t get the answer to my question because Faina demands that we make the most of the remaining time we had in the spa by remaining quiet.
Typical.
Thirty minutes later, Faina informs us that it’s time to get ready for the next item on her schedule.
We each climb out of the water, feeling the warm air rush over my damp skin. I reach for my towel, which is neatly draped over the extended arm of a very stoic female butler.
I wrap the towel around my body, enjoying the soft, plush fabric against my skin. At least I feel much better than earlier. The events of last night in Nikolai’s room had laid heavy in my mind and what’s worse is that he was gone this morning before I even got the chance to get an explanation from him.
His arm had gripped me like a vice throughout the night like he was scared to let go, and It made me wonder just what he had dreamt about that had him so… scared.
Nikolai was the head of the Russian mafia. it didn’t make sense that someone like him would be scared. People feared him and hoped to never cross paths with him. But yet, last night as I crouched down beside him, offering words of comfort, he looked nothing like the man that had stormed into the church and demanded me as his.
He looked more like a child. A frightened, terrified child.
What happened to you Nikolai? Why do I feel like everything I thought I knew about you is a lie?
Tatiana and I trail a few paces behind the rest of the crowd, neither of us saying a word.
Tatiana stares straight ahead, her jaw clenched as she fixes her gaze on the back of her sister’s head, who is obliviously scrolling through her iPad.
“You didn’t have to stand up to your sister for my sake,” I tell her, breaking the silence as we round the lobby.
The curve of Tatiana’s mouth twitches and she spares me a thoughtful look.
“I’m sorry for the way my sister behaved earlier. She can be a bit of a…”
“Bitch?” I offer and she laughs
“I was going to say, control freak but yeah, she’s that too.”
I can’t help but smile. There’s something about the way Tatiana laughs that instantly puts my mind at ease.
“But it is strange, I kind of expected her to be a lot harder on you.”
I arch a brow, “I’m sorry. Was she being nice to me, and I didn’t notice?”
Tatiana laughs, “Well, no, My sister hates you; that’s a given.”
Thought as much.
“But why? I haven’t done anything remotely bad to her. Hell, I didn’t even know she existed until you mentioned her yesterday.”
Tatiana laughs, but when she notices my serious expression, the sound dies down.
“Wait, you seriously don’t know?”
I shake my head, furrowing my brows, “Know what?”
“Faina and Nikolai used to sleep together.”