Star Crossed

Dead, Natalia was so freaking dead if her father knew she even stepped one foot into this place. A party, something that a lot of normal teenagers throw when their parents are away. Is some that Nat had never once experienced. She was raised to be a good girl, a good girl who listened to her parents and stayed away from bad influences. Sure, she'd have a drink with her family if the meal required it. Otherwise, she was a pure girl, not daring to dally in the stuff that some of her Daddy's men sell to those she knew.

Again, she was a dead girl walking. If a Rybakov notices her, if they decide that it's too much of a hassle to send a young Abella girl home, they could shoot her and send her body as a message to her father. If she was caught, it could end the truce that'd been settled when she was a mere toddler still in diapers.

"Come on Nat, stop acting so uptight. It's our senior year, live a little. Next year we're going off to college and then we can do this more often." A cheery voice from Natalia's right said, the voice belonging to your typical looking California girl. Evelyn, Nat's best friend since pre-school. Also, the girl who wouldn't stop following her around on the playground until she played tag with her. "I don't know about this, Evelyn," Natalia spoke quietly as she glanced at her friend, and then towards the large house that was in front of them. It belonged to one of the football players from the rival team. It wasn't nearly as big as Nat's, or even Evelyn's, but it was still a rather large place with at least six bedrooms inside.

Still standing outside of the large house, the song Hypnotic by Zella Day blasted from the speakers played. Evelyn grabbed onto Natalia's right arm and proceeded to drag the shy girl into the house. The whole time, Nat protested that this was a bad idea. Then proceeding to glance over her shoulder to make sure that no one was following them into this party.

----

A charity event. The thought caused the right corner of Viktor's lips to raise slightly in an amused smirk. Only to be hidden as he raised his glass filled with scotch that tasted like it was poured out of a donkey's ass. If the Chernov's were trying to show that they didn't have good taste in liquor, then they were doing a mighty fine job of it. Of course, Viktor would drink anything as long as it kept him from the sparkly wine that the wait staff was pushing onto people. It looked and tasted terrible on Viktor's tongue. Alcohol should burn going down, relaxing the body and mind, not make the person feel repulsed for taking even the smallest of sips. Waste, it was a waste.

Just as Viktor lowered his glass of scotch, he caught sight of the man hosting the charity. Kesar Petrov, a man who rubbed Viktor the wrong way. He wasn't quite sure why, but something was just off about the man. The glint in his eye, the way his right hand flinched ever so slightly when he was talking about something and was getting a little bit heated. He was a man with a quick temper. Viktor will be wise to report that to his father once he got home.

"Ah, Mr.Kamenev, I was wondering where you've wandered off to." There it was, that glint in the old man's eyes and finger twitch. He was annoyed with Viktor for having stepped to the bar and asking for something other than the cheap wine. "My apologies." Was all Viktor offered to the older man. His eyes glancing towards the two people who were trailing behind Kesar. A tall lean looking blond buy, an air of snootiness coming off of him in waves. Then, his eyes glanced down to the woman that was clinging onto the man's arm. She looked like she rather be anywhere but here, and Viktor couldn't blame her.

Before Viktor could take in the girl's appearance though, Kesar started to speak once more. "I'd like for you to meet my son, Pasha and his fiance' Irina." Kesar motioned towards his son and the woman he was betrothed to as he spoke. "Nice to meet you," Viktor spoke, reaching out with his free hand to shake Pasha's hand, then offered one to Irina. Before he could though, Kesar started to go on about how Pasha is the one that Viktor will be needing to get to know if they are to work together on the development of their new territory borders.

Arseni thought to himself as he leaned against a counter in the kitchen, a red solo cup in his hand. He tried reminding himself that it was one of his last though, as a senior attending West Bridge. He should enjoy himself, after all, if he attended any more parties with his fellow classmates, it would be at college. Presuming he even went to college, or any other university that any of these people around him would be attending. His grey eyes moved around the room, glancing at the mass of people who lingered in the living room. Bringing his cup to his lips, he took a sip of his drink, a mixture of coke and some dark liquor.

Interrupting his thoughts, a couple of his friends came loudly barging into the kitchen, bringing with them a crowd of girls he didn't know. "Are you going to hide away in this kitchen all night?" One of the boys elbowed him, causing his drink to slosh around in the plastic cup. Sighing, he pushed himself away from the counter and followed his friends out into the living room. Music was loudly playing over the crowd of students, some people were dancing while others just lingered along the furniture and around the walls. Arseni could hear his father's voice in his head, telling him that parties like this were just a waste of time, but his father never tried to stop him from going. He didn't very often find himself the center of his father's attention, though he knew he had stay somewhat in his father's good graces, if he wanted to make sure he got his hands on his father's fortune.

Lingering around with his friends for a moment, Arseni excused himself, intending on sneaking outside to smoke. On his way towards the door, it opened and in came two girls, one being escorted by the other. The girl being dragged in by her arm, had a look of worry written across her face, even if she was trying her best to hide it. The girl doing the dragging wasn't watching where she was going, ultimately bumping into Arseni as he tried sliding by them. Stumbling, he reached out to steady himself, his hands falling firmly down on Natalia's shoulders. "Shit, sorry," he cursed, gently running his his hands down off of her shoulders. Narrowing his eyes at the girl, he tried thinking back to if he had ever met her before. After all, he did find himself attending most parties, seeing as they were usually thrown by his group of friends. He couldn't seem to place her, telling himself he'd remember a gorgeous pair of blue eyes like that.

"Have we met before?" Arseni smirked, bringing a hand to his chin to appear as if he were thinking long and hard about it.

---

Pasha's arm was wrapped loosely around Irina's waist, the tips of his fingers digging deeply into her waist through the fabric of her dress. Hard enough to where she would bet she would find bruises there later. The young fiery haired girl knew her whole life that her father was a important man, a bad man though, and the business that he dealt in was dangerous. She also had always had the feeling that at some point, something would go wrong, horribly, horribly wrong. And it had, when Kesar, her father's supposed best friend and business partner had staged a coup, ending in her father's death.

That wasn't the worst thing had came from it, though. The worst thing had been that she had been forced to marry Pasha, Kesar's soon. He was worse than his father, a woman-hating ego maniac who reminded her every single day that she should be thankful he saved her. That if it wasn't for him, she would be dead right along side her father. Never mind the abuse she had to endure at his hand.

Irina kept her gaze down as Pasha's father spoke to their guest. All she knew about him was that he was the son of the head of another mafia group. She had overheard Pasha speaking about it had been important that they impressed and remained on Kamenev's good side, though she didn't know much more than that. Glancing up at Viktor, Irina couldn't help swallow around a lump in her throat, feeling her face heat up. He was very handsome and she could only hope that her makeup was doing a good job of covering her blush. The last thing she would want would be for her husband to scold her later for looking at another man. He could be so insecure.

"Pasha is going to be taking over the business soon, so he's the one you're going to want to get to know, especially if our families plan on working together," Kesar smirked, slapping his son firmly on the back of his shoulders.

@ FallenHope95

@ dezz
"Ah, Evelyn!" Natalia stumbled out as she felt herself and some guy collides because of her best friends' overly hyper actions. Evelyn never looked where she was going and Nat couldn't count how many times she watched her friend walk into someone, into a door or force Nat to be the bearer of the blunt force trauma. "No, no. We should be the ones apologizing." Nat rushed out to the stranger as she reached out to steady herself by grabbing his arms lightly, but quickly pulled her hands back.

Once things were settled between the two of them, Natalia arched an eyebrow at the flirtatious boy. Her instant reply would have been something bland and proper like how she was brought up, but. Nat's been hanging out with Evelyn to much the past couple of days and the peppy girl was rubbing off on Nat. "Probably only in your dreams," Nat replied, the right corner of her lip twitching as she tried to hide her smile. Then, against her will, a small snort escaped from her followed by a giggle.

A giggle, that was something that Natalia rarely ever does. Yet, this guy got her to do so, so easily. Not to mention she could feel the slight blush creeping up on her cheeks as she realizes how she's been acting. "Ah sorry, that was cheesy." Nat murmured, raising a had to cover her face as she shook her head in embarrassment. "The answer to your question is probably not. This is the first party that I've attended. For West Bridge, that is." A slight lie, but mostly the truth. "I'm Nat," Nat asked, turning her head to the side slightly as she examined the guy in front of her. He was tall, at least six feet something, well built and she could not get out of her head how amazing his hazel eyes looked. "And you are?"

--

Lifting his gaze towards the one that Kesar was speaking, Viktor took in Pasha. After being spoken about, the kid seemed to hold this sort of air about him. Like Viktor should be impressed or something. Like it was something to flaunt. Having Daddy flaunt to others about how he was going to take over for him one day. Viktor didn't know that sort of feeling. He had to kill or maim his brothers to get to the position that he was in. Given, his brothers were all half-siblings. His father is an evil man and wanting to see who had the strongest games.

"Right, I hope we can get together for some drinks then and solidify our alliance through some good conversation," Viktor said as he glanced at Pasha's girl before looking at the blonde man once more. "What do you say? My treat." Viktor offered, raising his glass to the slightly younger male in good faith. Hopefully, Viktor could introduce him to some good alcohol and loosen his lips a little bit.

At the offer to go out for drinks with a Kamenev was a big step. As everyone in the area knows, the Kamenev's one of the largest distilleries that exports some of the finest scotch, and rum in the country. People are lucky if they even get to taste a drop of the magnificent liquor. So, if Viktor was inviting someone to drink, it was usually the family's prized gems they'd be trying. "And, of course, you'll be bringing this beauty you've got on your arm, right?" Viktor asked, eyeing the little thing on Pasha's arm. Then, he glanced up towards Pasha and saw the ignorant look in his eyes. "Of course, Mr. Kamenev. We'd be fools to turn down such a kind offer."

A smile broke out across Arseni's face when Natalia couldn't hold back a laugh, finding himself chuckling too at her gaudy attempt at a pickup line. He was picking up on the fact she seemed a bit nervous, definitely out of place, but still, he felt attracted to her. Raising an eyebrow in her direction, he couldn't help but tease back, "Oh, I think I'd remember any dreams about you."

Arseni could only wonder where she must be from, if this was her first party for West Bridge. Looking her up and down, he wondered if perhaps she attended a public school in the area, or if she didn't live in town. The pull he felt towards her must just be something he couldn't explain, he certainly had never met her before.

"Arseni." Running a hand through his hair, he glanced towards her friend, feeling the weight of his cigarette pack in his jacket pocket. "Mind if I steal you away from your friend? I was just about to head outside for a smoke, if you'd care to join me." His eyes flickered back over to Nat. It was clear Evelyn was ready to party, the girls eyes already trained on the beer she could see in the kitchen. "Unless, she wants to come too..." Arseni trailed off, sure that her friend didn't want to leave the party she had just stepped into.

---

Irina could feel the way her husband's arm tensed around her waist, glancing up towards him, she was sure he hated this Viktor fellow already. Still, he was forced to pretend, agreeing to everything, tiptoeing around Viktor, careful not to upset him. Pasha certainly wasn't entertained by the idea of Viktor flirting with his wife, so after a few moments, he found a way to excuse himself.

Pasha led Irina away, grumbling something under his breath, but she wasn't sure what and she knew better than to ask. Later in the evening, Irina was finally able to peel herself away from her husband. He was growing agitated by having her attached to him and had gotten into a conversation with some of his boys. They had been complaining under their breaths about the Kamenev's, about their territorial borders, and now, Irina found no interest in it. She used to enjoy hearing her father talk about business, but now, it just twisted her stomach.

Heading back over to the bar, Irina slid into a seat and raised her hand, asking the bartender for a glass of wine. She couldn't hide her distaste for the event anymore, leaning against the counter, her hand propped up lazily against her head. Being dragged around like some prize trophy to show off as for hours, when she was sure everyone in the room knew what Kesar had done to her father. Straightening up when she was handed the glass of wine, Irina turned in her seat to glance around the room. Her eyes instantly fell to Viktor, standing off to the side of the room, still swirling his glass of scotch in his hand. He looked almost as bored as she was. Did she dare to go up and talk to him? She could still see his eyes glancing her over, deep blue eyes that felt like they had been staring through her. Did she risk upsetting Pasha?

The answer was yes, because before Irina could fully think about the possible consequences, she found herself walking up to Viktor, taking a small sip of her wine. "You look like you're having a marvelous time," she teased him, feeling nervous all over again.

@ FallenHope95

@ dezz
As soon as the question escaped from Arseni's lips, Evelyn released her grip on Nat. "Of course she'd join you!" Evelyn said and gave Nat a light shove towards the door. "She won't outright say it, but she'd love to!" An with that, Evelyn left the extremely pink-cheeked Nat alone with the boy her friend had pushed her into when entering the house.

"Evelyn!" Nat breathed out in surprise at her friends' forwardness of everything. Never had Nat been pushed to hang out with a boy before. Much less one who looked as attractive as the tall boy in front of her right now. A look of uncertainty appeared on Nat's face as she watched her friend moving through the people towards the kitchen, then slowly shifted her gaze up towards Arseni's. "So uh. We're going outside?" She asked, not sure of what to be saying any more.

Slowly, Natalia followed Arseni outside and let out a small sigh as the cool night air blew by. This is where she much rather be. Outside, enjoying the breeze of the escaping summer. Not inside where the smell of perspiration was heavy in the air from the dancing bodies.

--

That conversation between Pasha and Kesar was quite exhausting. To think, such ignorance would be the main characteristic of someone running a large crime family was terrible. It wouldn't surprise Viktor in the least bit if the family tore it's self apart from the inside in a couple of years. Although he did hear the rumors about how the old head of the family died, he wasn't sure if it was true or not. Kesar didn't seem bright enough to be able to poison his boss.

Thankfully, the two men left Viktor not soon after his slightly insulting invitation. His eyes had trailed after Irina the whole time she had walked away from him. His eyes instantly going towards that little ass of hers. The way her dress hugged her curves as enough to catch any man's eye. She was like a goddess in that dress and it made Viktor want to worship her all night long. Those heels, he would love for her to wear then as he rode her for a couple of hours.

Finishing a conversation with a couple of soon to be business partners, Viktor glanced up. Just in time as well because that goddess in a dress was making her way over towards him. A small smirk pulling on the right side of his lips. "I am," Viktor said dryly. "I just love dealing with men who fake a charity to raise money for themselves," Viktor added on. "How are you fairing?" He asked, glancing towards the glass of wine in her hand and grimaced. "Drink this instead, it'll taste better," Viktor said, handing her the glass that he barely drank out of.

"We're going outside," he nodded, a small smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth. He was relieved when her friend seemed more excited at the prospect of the two sneaking away. There was always the chance her friend could've gotten offended or refused to leave Nat by herself. After all, neither of the girls knew him, he wouldn't blame them for being overly cautious.

Leading the fair haired girl out of the house party, he escorted her around the side of the house where it shadowed, and completely abandoned. Lights could be seen through the windows and the faint sound of the bass coming from the loud speakers could still be heard. Out here, they could breathe in fresh air that wasn't polluted with body odor, smoke and the burning scent of alcohol. "So, Nat, is that short for Natalia," he teased her, her name tasting sweet on the tip of his tongue. His hand disappeared into the inside of his coat pocket and he pulled out a small red pack of cigarettes. Bringing one to his lips, he held it there as he flicked his lighter.

"Do you want one?" He offered, gingerly holding the pack out to her as he dropped his lighter from his face. Arseni was quick to tell himself he only thought this girl was so beautifully intoxicating because she was someone new, a girl he had never seen before. There was always temptation with the unknown. Nat was gorgeous, with delicate porcelain skin and piercing blue eyes, flowing blonde hair, but what really turned him on was knowing no one else at his school had gotten their hands on her first. "So tell me, where are you from? You definitely don't go to West Bridge, so...?"

---

Irina glanced down at the glass he held out to her, ice cubes still clinking around in the glass as they slowly melted into the scotch. "Not a fan of wine?" She picked on him, though she didn't blame him, not with the wine that was being served here, anyway. Irina wanted to ignore his question as she took the glass from his hand, slowly bringing it to her lips to sip on the liquor. It instantly bit at her tongue and warmed her face, but she wasn't new to it. She would've preferred to sit at the bar and take shot after shot, anything that would numb her for what she was sure to endure later in the evening.

Glancing back up at Viktor, her eyes roamed his face, admiring his strong jaw and broad shoulders. Every hair on his head was perfectly in place and though he looked wonderfully put together, there was no doubt in her mind that he wouldn't get his hands dirty. She wondered what he had done to be where he was at now. Irina had always imagined finding a way out of this world, having hoped one day her father would've let her run off to college, leave their city... Or at the very least, she wondered what her life could've been like had she been at least able to choose who she married.

"Oh, I am ready for this night to be over, just the same." Forcing a small smile, Irina did her best to come off as pleasant. The last thing she needed was for Viktor to find her dreadful, or for her to insinuate something was wrong. It wouldn't look very good if she was found talking negatively about her husband to the man he was trying so hard to impress.

@ FallenHope95

@ dezz
Looking around the darkened area, Natalia took everything she could see in. The property the house was on was a couple of achers. The neighbors probably spread out about half a mile. so, the chance of a noise complaint seemed pretty low. That fact, sorta relaxed Nat, but also made her a little nervous. Glancing towards Arseni when he asked about her full name, a small smile pulled up on her lips. It surprised her that he didn't ask if her name was Natalie, that was the American version of her name. Then again, with a name like Arseni, her family was probably bound to have odd names. "Yeah." Was Nat's simple answer.

Glancing down at the offered box, Natalia shook her head no. "Thanks, but no." She offered him a small smile. Then crossed her arms behind her back as she leaned against the wall of the building lightly. Keeping a small barrier between her dress and the dirty wall. "I go to St.Vincent," Nat told Arseni. "Evelyn made friends with some of the girls from West Bridge and was invited to the party, so she dragged me along." A small smile played along Natalia's lips as she explained where she was from and how she ended up here.

"You a West Bridge student? Or are you crashing a random party?" Natalia asked, tilting her head a little to the side as she watched the red tip of the cigarette burning away. Then, glanced down at her heeled shoes. This was honestly the longest she's talked to a guy. Usually, Nat was to busy studying. Or, being dragged around by Evelyn.

--

Not a word left Viktor's lips as he waited for Irina to take a sip of the scotch. He was curious about her reaction. So, when she didn't seem to faze by the burning of true alcohol, he decided to speak up. "It's not a good year, very watered down," Viktor said honestly, his shoulders lifting in a simple shrug. "An eighty-nine Rozwell would have been a better choice for this party." He murmured, referring to one of the lower end brands in the standards of the wealthy. It was still an expensive wine, costing around ninety dollars though.

A small snort of amusement escaped from Viktor as he glanced down at the beautiful girl. "You surprise me, Miss Irina," Viktor said calmly. Not hiding the fact that his eyes are taking in her appearance. Not in a checking her out kind of way, more of an observation sort of way. "I would have thought that you'd be working the room like a pro," Viktor said, being honest. "You have a talent for drawing people's attention, turning heads. You know that?" Viktor arched an eyebrow as he listened to Irina.

Maybe his tongue was becoming a little loose because of the scotch. Viktor wasn't quite sure why he had just said that to Irina. But, it already left his lips so he couldn't take it back. All he can do now is water down that alcohol that he'd drank. "What do you think of the charity that this party's for?" Viktor asked, wondering if Irina was as naive as Pasha and Kesar thought that she was.

Arseni pulled his hand back, slipping the box of cigarettes back into his pocket, out of view. The dark haired man took a long drag off of his own as he listened to Natalia. He tilted his head slightly to the left, exhaling out a cloud of gray smoke that disappeared quickly into the sky above them. "St. Vincent? Impressive." The smirk on his face only grew at the newfound knowledge, now certain that he had never met the beautiful thing in front of him. That private school was outside of his families territory and he knew better than to try and dance around the borders. It had often crossed his mind, wondering what kind of trouble he could get into with girls from further up north. He couldn't help but curse himself, wondering if other girls from upstate were even half as pretty as the one in front of him.

He nodded when she asked about his own school, "Would probably be cooler if I was crashing, but you're already doing that." Looking her up and down, his eyes lingered for a moment where her dress met her thighs, watching the wind slightly ruffle the fabric. He wondered if by being forced here by a friend, if perhaps this wasn't her usual scene. "Do you crash parties often, Nat?" He laughed, holding his cigarette loosely between his fingers, letting his hand fall from his mouth back down by his side. Flicking ashes off the end of it, he ultimately decided to let it fall to the ground, crushing it under his shoe. Arseni couldn't help but move in closer towards her, finding his arm leaning against the wall by her head.

---

Irina handed his glass back to him, already telling by how he spoke about the liquor options that Kesar certainly was not impressing him. It didn't surprise her either, but she didn't care either way. "I'll drink whatever as long as it does its job quickly," she laughed, feeling his fingers brush hers as she passed the drink back to him. She wasn't expecting the compliment that followed, feeling her face heat up more from his words than the lingering scotch on her tongue. Irina couldn't remember the last time she had actually felt bashful in front of a man, noting how whenever her husband would try to compliment her, it only served to turn her stomach. Placing her wine glass back to her lips, she wondered if this hadn't been the best idea. If Pasha caught her blushing, and in the presence of Viktor... Perhaps she should've kept his scotch.

"Maybe I would have an opinion if the charity was real." She lowered her glass, crossing her arms over her chest. "Instead, these idiots are lining Kesar's pockets thinking their doing good will for some sick children. It's not the worst thing Kesar has done though." Irina couldn't stop herself from gritting her teeth, her jaw clenching at the thought of all the evil things Pasha and his father had committed.

@ FallenHope95

@ dezz
When she glanced back up, the swirl of the smoke caught Natalia's attention. Usually, she wasn't a big fan of smokers, but. For some reason, watching the smoke exhaling from Arseni's lips, caused her heart to flutter slightly. Maybe it was the way his lips moved when he blew out the smoke but, he looked really cool doing so. Or, it was the brand he used. At least, that's what she was telling herself. Either way, she didn't mind it.

Natalia's gaze stayed focused on Arseni's as she felt his gaze on her body. A small chill ran down her spine at the attention he was giving the bottom of her dress. "Loose lips sink ships, Sen," Natalia said, giving the boy in front of her a little nickname. Her head resting back a little bit as he moved closer. Her chest evidentally pushing out towards him slightly as she looked into his hazel eyes.

"But," Natalia said softly as she railed her gaze away from his. Taking in the sight of his broad shoulders and what seems to be a muscular chest before glancing up again. "If I told you I do, what would you do?" Nat asked, reaching out a hand and lightly pressing it against his chest, feeling the taut muscles under his shirt. "Or, if I was a good girl. And I told you this was my first party ever. Then how would you react?" Natalia's gaze reached up towards Arseni's, her gaze wavering a little bit as she took in how close they were. Nat's cheeks were turning a bright pink color from saying things that Evelyn told her to say in situations like this. Thankfully for Nat, it was dark out. The only thought that was running through her mind as she waited to hear his answers, was that she read to many romance novels.

The sound of loud cheering caught Nat's attention. Turning her gaze slightly, Nat peaked into the house and froze at what she saw. Evelyn was laying on the table, and guys were taking shots off of her stomach. "Evelyn!" Nat squealed and turned away from Arseni to go and pull her friend out of the embarrassing position she got herself into in such a short amount of time.

--

An amused hum escaped from Viktor as he listened to Irina. Not seeing her as the type to be enjoying drinking, much less not caring about what she's got in her hands. "Smart girl." Viktor murmured as he retrieved his glass from the young beauty that was in front of him. The feel of her smaller fingers brushing against his sending a small spark through his body and straight to his groin. Viktor didn't allow for her to see any sort of effect she had on him though. Instead, he raised his glass to his lips and took a sip just as she did with her glass of wine.

When Viktor heard Irina speaking so honestly with him it caused his right brow to arch. Amusement danced along in his eyes as he deciphered her tone. She seemed to quite a bit about Kesar and what he's done to think this isn't the worst he's done. If he's not stealing from sick kids, then he would love to know what he's got those fat fingers of his in and then proceed to rip them apart. One by one.

"I like you, Miss Irina," Viktor said causally, not a hint of flirting in his tone though. "You've got some bite in you. When you were first introduced to me, I thought you were just a girl who spread her legs to get to the top." His words weren't very sweet-sounding, but he was being honest with her at least. "I think we could use more women with your bite in our line of work." Viktor offered a small smirk as he looked down at the young girl, wondering what she was thinking of his not so sweet compliment. "You've got dignity, respect, a good head on your shoulders. You've got the Kamenev family backing you up, Miss Irina."

Arseni was surprised when Natalia laid a gentle hand on his chest, her fingers smoothing out the fabric of his shirt. He was even more surprised when she started teasing him, "You don't strike me as a bad girl, Nat. If you told me you crash parties often, I'd call you a liar." He wondered where she'd go from there, if she would try to convince him that this wasn't her first party, that she had late nights often. The pair were so close, he was sure that if she hadn't turned to look in the nearest window, if she hadn't jumped and yelled for her friend, he might've tried to make a move, kiss her, touch her....

He had been paying close attention to her body, the way it moved told him everything. How she stuck her chest out towards him when he leaned in, the way her legs straightened a little when she noticed he was staring at her dress, he was almost sure he could've had her. Stepping backwards as Nat completely forgot about him, he watched her run back off towards the front door, sighing before turning to peer in through the window. No surprise was on his face as he watched most of his friends taking body shots off of Evelyn. If at least one poor girl didn't find herself surrounded by jocks as they poured alcohol into shot glasses across her stomach, then it wasn't a good party.

Aggravated, though, Arseni pushed himself off of the wall and kicked his shoes before following Natalia back into the party.

The music had only grown louder and it appeared more people had arrived. Pushing himself through the crowd, Arseni could hear laughter and his friends voices carrying until he found Nat, doing her best to pull her friend out of his friends clutches. "Definitely not a bad girl," he reiterated, crossing his arms over his chest, unable to keep the smile off of his face. It was obvious this wasn't her world, or even something she did every so often. Arseni would be willing to bet this was her first party. The way she carried herself and how protective she was over he friend, just screamed straight laced, but that didn't turn him off from her. If anything, he found himself only wanting to get to know her even more.

---

Irina could feel her face flush when Viktor started speaking again, glancing up at him from under her lashes when he said he liked her. She didn't take it any certain way, it just caused the pit in her stomach to open further. How much trouble would she be in if the Kamenev's decided they didn't want to do business with the Chernov's, that they didn't want to have a partnership, that it came out that Viktor wasn't impressed at all with her husband, but only with her? She would be dead.

When he mentioned the part about at first believing she was only where she was due to sexual favors, she found her mouth opening in protest, but she instantly shut it when he went on to say that it was clearly for other reasons. Still, she wanted to correct him. To let him know she wasn't in her position willingly, that she'd been forced to marry Pasha, that she wanted to watch the Chernov family choke and drown for what Kesar did to her father.

That wouldn't be smart, though, she knew that. So she kept her mouth shut.

The thought swirled through her head that if more women lead mafia families that things would probably go by smoother, less blood would shed and there certainly wouldn't be young girls or boys forced into marriages. "I'm flattered, Viktor," she smiled, "but I'm just one woman with nothing to give. You want to back my husband." If he thought he would get anything from her family just because she had Pashas last name, he was foolish. She had no say or power anywhere within the Chernov mafia.

@ FallenHope95

@ dezz
Pushing through the mass of dancing bodies as she made her way towards the kitchen, a look of worry was on Natalia's face. She had no idea what was going on in the kitchen. She just saw some strange guy near her friend's stomach and heard Evelyn's scream. From her position outside, she had no idea if she was in pain or excitement or from fear, but she took it as a sign that she needed to see her friend. Even if it meant leaving that cute boy behind.

"Evelyn!" Natalia called just as another round of cheers erupted around the room. Pushing through the last couple of people in her way, Nat made it to the front. Her short five-foot height making it quite easy for her to squeeze through the tall people. Then, once she was at the front, Natalia stopped dead in her tracks as she watched some guy downing a shot and then leaning over her friend and licking what looked to be a white powder off of her friend's chest.

At first, Natalia's instinct was to rush in to try and help her friend, but now. She could hear her friends laugh as the guys did their shots and lick what could only be assumed as salt or sugar. "Oh geez," Nat mumbled, her shoulders slightly. "I'm an idiot." She murmured, realizing that she had freaked out for nothing. Turning around to leave the crazy kids to do their little game, Nat froze as she saw that Arseni had followed after her and in this light, she was almost certain that he could see her blush. Which in turn made her feel shyer then she did outside.

--

"Now tell me. Miss Irina." Viktor started as he looked down at the young woman. Pausing as he thought about what she had just told him. "Why would I want to back your husband?" Viktor asked, not giving away that he thought that Pasha was an idiot, but simply acting like he was slightly confused. Like maybe he had planned to back them both and just wanted to vocalize to her what his thoughts were at the moment.

Glancing up, Viktor froze as he saw Kesar moving up towards the podium at the front of the hall. His rounded belly bouncing slightly as the man walked. In his older years, he certainly seemed to have allowed himself to let go. No longer being fit and able to do some of the dirty work himself in their line of work. A sign that a man needed to retire soon or risk being gunned down because of being too fucking big.

Once he was at the podium, Viktor moved slightly so that he eas hiding Miss Irina from Kesar's sight. A feeling in his stomach told him that he didn't want the older man to know that the two of them were talking without his son. "Ah, but isn't this America? Don't pretty women make changes in the world every day?" He asked, glancing back at her as he spoke then looked forward to pretending to listen to Kesar's thank you speech. Showing how grateful he was for all of the donations and talking about how the kids would appreciate the help to find cures for their illnesses.

It was a bad thought that rippled through Arseni's mind, the idea that he wanted to pull Nat deeper into this world. It wasn't a strange idea, the bad boy corrupts good girl trope had been overdone again and again, but still, he had never messed around with a good girl. When Natalia turned around on her heel, her face blushing a bright pink color from embarrassment, Arseni reached out for her, his fingers gently gently grabbing her slumped shoulder. Pulling her closer to him, Arseni led her away from the group of people watching the show her friend was putting on.

Hiding in the shadows of a darkened hallway, Arseni slowly pulled his hand back. He instantly missed the touch of her warm skin, soft and the way the strap of her dress had rubbed against his thumb. "Do you want a drink?" He offered, running his tongue over his bottom lip. "It might help you relax, enjoy yourself a bit more?" That could've sounded rude, but the handsome boy didn't mean to offend her. She did seem on edge, ready to jump out of her skin at any startling noise and Arseni only wanted to help the blonde beauty have a good time.

He remembered where the conversation had left off, how she had asked how he would react to hear that she was a good girl, never having been to a party before this one. "I am safe to assume this is your first party, correct? Then, I'm obligated to make sure that you have a fantastic time," he tilted his head down to look at her, a brilliant smile breaking out across his face.

---

Irina did not have an answer for him. That was clear with how her expression went blank for a moment, and then her eyes fluttered down as she tried to think up a reason. It was horrible to say, but she couldn't think of any reason any one should back her husband. She wouldn't even be by her husbands side if she had a choice. More than relieved when Viktor moved to block her from sight of the podium, she peeked around his shoulder and eyes Kesar, her lip tightening as she watched the old man slowly make his way to the center of the stage.

She hated him, just watching him try to heave himself up to the podium, the way she could see him breathing hard, the sweat that headed up on his face, it all twisted her stomach. Still, Irina knew it would be worse to be caught not paying attention to his thank you speech, so she bit down on her tongue and sipped her wine as Kesar talked about all those poor, sick kids.

Her stomach only flipped again, when Viktor mentioned that pretty women made changes every day and for a moment, she almost wished she could. However, if there had ever been a time for her to make a change, she should've done something for her father that night. "Maybe," she muttered, sipping at her wine as she thought about how few pretty women there were making changes. Far less than the disgusting brutish men they were stuck under. But, would she ever change anything if she never thought she could? Irina eyed up Viktor, her eyes roaming up the back of his suit jacket, over his broad shoulders, feeling her heart flutter. It definitely wasn't a good idea to be speaking to him. Only ten minutes had passed and she was already feeling some type of way towards him and he had already started filling her head with impossibilities.

@ FallenHope95

@ dezz
As much as Natalia was relieved that Arseni was pulling her away from that weird scene. She couldn't help but feel a little worried. Was that a normal thing at parties? Did her friend drink too much already? Should she drag her friend away so that they could uber home? Oh, what would her dad think when Nat brings her home? Glancing back a couple of times as Arseni brings her away from the weirdness, she could still see the smile that Evelyn was giving these guys, so that must be a good sign. Right? She was okay?

As soon as Arseni's warm touch left her shoulder, a shiver ran down Nat's spine. Glancing up, she slowly nodded her head. "Y-yeah, a drink sounds like a good idea." She agreed, glancing back towards Evelyn once more before looking up towards Arseni. He was so calm like he had seen all of this stuff before. He probably has, he seems to relax. God, that made Natalia a little jealous.

Slowly, Nat brought her bottom lip between her teeth and moved to lean back against the wall behind her once more. "If your idea of a fantastic time is going that weird shot thing off of me, then I'll have to say no thank you." She told Arseni then offered a small smile. "Otherwise, I think I'd like that."

--

Sad, that was the best word that came to Viktor's mind as he watched and listened to Kesar's speech. Stumbling over his words because of too much cheap liquor flowing through his bloodstream. The man was a disgrace and the way these people who were not in the business were eating up his words? Disgusting, just disgust. While Viktor wasn't the best guy to be judging, he wasn't a man who would reach so low as to host a charity event for kids and then just pocket the money. Fuck, his father's company yearly signed a couple of large checks for hospitals that the family used often.

"Go out with me, Miss Irina," Viktor said casually as he raised his glass to his lips so that Kesar didn't see him talking. "Let me buy you a drink or two while I'm in town." Viktor took a couple of small sips of the last of his watered-down scotch. "Just us, between friends." He said the words slowly so that she didn't think he was trying to proposition her into a bad situation. She was a married woman after all. And while Viktor didn't care that she was married or not, he still didn't want her to go running off and telling Pasha or Kesar that he was asking her out.

"Unless your collars to tight." Viktor lowered his glass, the speech was over so he didn't need to hide his moving lips. Turning slightly so that he was facing Irina once more, Viktor continues to speak. "My assistant is over there," Viktor said, motioning across the room to a pretty blonde-haired woman who was chatting up a couple of guys. "She's going to come over here and seem like she's making friends with you. She'll ask you to hang out, you will accept." Viktor told her, giving her an easy out for when they meet.

Arseni was trying to read the situation the best he could. He didn't want to force anything on Nat that might push her away, but he also didn't want her to just be hanging over her friends shoulder... Glancing back towards said friend, she still seemed to be having an amazing time. "What? You don't want me to pour alcohol all over you? Buzz kill," he laughed, turning his attention away from Evelyn and back to Nat.

He wanted to help her relax, hoping a drink would be just the thing she needed to loosen up. Otherwise, he was slightly fearful something else would happen and before Arseni could do anything about it, Nat would be dragging her friend out of the party and be gone. His goal for the night was to at least leave with her phone number. "Come on," his hand slipped down to hers, his large hand dominating, her fingers feeling so small wrapped up in his. Leading her into the kitchen, he let his fingers linger on hers for as long as he could, before letting her go and opening the fridge. Instantly, he grabbed himself a beer, but he knew usually girls didn't like Guinness. "Uh, beer?" He offered, "or we could take a shot? No bodies involved," he smirked, unable to stop his eyes from skimming over her body once more.

It was impossible to not poke fun at the girl, but he hoped she knew he didn't mean it maliciously. He wanted her to want him, sooner or later, so if he was coming off rude, he was only shooting himself in the foot. "Or, I could even mix you something? Coke and rum?"

---

Irina held her now empty wine glass in her hand, her arms slowly crossing over her chest as she watched Kesar close out his speech, sure that her distaste for the situation was written all over her face. Her expressions got her into trouble, frequently, with Pasha and his father. She had never been able to force a smile, instead, her expression always giving her away. Her blood ran cold when she heard Viktor speak again, her head snapping to look up at him. What came across as an invitation, seemed to turn more into a demand when he told her his assistant would be over, and she would accept.

Knowing she could decline if she wanted to, though, Irina still felt excitement swelling in her chest. It was quickly snuffed out by fear, though. Talking to him alone, at a public event, was already something she knew she'd pay for if her husband found out, but still... Was Irina supposed to live her life in fear, never experiencing anything nice or doing anything for herself?

Irina's eyes ran over Viktor again, up his muscular chest to stern gaze. The attention she was receiving from him hadn't been exactly what she expected, but nonetheless she found herself growing flustered. The last time she found herself attracted to someone, or craving touch, had been so long ago she couldn't remember. "Well, I don't see the point in declining your offer," she couldn't help the smile that pulled at the corners of her mouth.

@ FallenHope95

@ dezz
"Give me a drink and we can decide on that after." Nat said and rolled her eyes at Arseni. A small smile playing along her lips. She certainly didn't want different guys licking her body to drink whatever was being spilled onto her, but. If it was Arseni, she might make an exception. Depending on if after a drink he could still be this kind guy she was following around.

Almost instinctively, Natalia's fingers wrapped around Arseni's in a tight hold as he pulled her towards the kitchen. Nat, doing her best to not watch her friend being practically mauled by men on a counter. A light pink color appearing on her cheeks as she wondered what it would feel like to have Arseni doing that to her. If the feeling was as weird as it looked, or was it fun? Or the alcohol speaking.

Glancing back towards Arseni when they were at the fridge. A small frown appeared on Nat's lips when she realized that Arseni had removed his hand from hers. "Hmm, lots of choices." Nat murmured. "Can you mix me something?" She asked, batting her eyes up at Arseni innocently. "What else is fun to do at party's?" Nat asked as she watched Arseni with curious eyes.

--

Soft pop music played from the speakers of the fancy restaurant's speakers. The tabletops were all decorated in a beautiful white cloth with a light shimmer in the light coming in from the large windows. Napkins were folded into nice little triangles on top of the white plates and in the center of each table was an ice bucket for those who order a bottle of wine. The seasons were one of the best restaurants in the area, and Viktor made sure to get the only private room they had in the back.

A freshly opened bottom of Eogna, a wine that was one of the top sellers at the restaurant. It also was Viktor's choice of wine to have when he was to have steak. The flavors complimenting each other perfectly in his opinion as well as looked respectable. Glancing at his phone, Viktor noticed that Irina would be here in a couple of moments and proceeded to pour them both a glass of the wine.

Then, the heir to a mafia family stood when he saw his little dinner date and offered her a small smile. "So nice of you to make it, Miss Irina," Viktor said in his deep voice and pulled out a chair for her. Then, he proceeded to push the chair in for her. "I hope you don't mind, but I ordered for both of us," Viktor said as he walked around towards his side and sat down. His eyes taking in her appearance for a moment before meeting Irina's eyes once more. "Was mt assistant a good distraction?" He asked, hoping that Irina didn't have very much trouble with Pasha when she was leaving. He had a dress waiting for Irina in the car for her to change into and had his assistant bring her in through the back of the restaurant so that no one saw her.

Turning back inward to the fridge, Arseni grabbed the coke and then the rum from the freezer. Holding the bottles in his arms, he grabbed a plastic cup from the counter and while the freezer was still opened, managed to steal some ice. Pouring Nat's drink, he thought for a moment about what was fun to do at parties. "There are lots of fun things to do," Arseni raised an eyebrow before handing Nat her cup, "drinking being the first."

Popping the tab on his beer, Arseni leaned against the counter and took a sip. His eyes were still trained on her, watching for her reaction to the drink. It might've been poured a bit strong, and that might've also been intentional. "You can enjoy the music, spend the night jabbering away with your friends, or sneak off to a quiet, dark room upstairs with a cute boy, or girl..." Not sure if he sounded more suggestive than anything, Arseni tightened his grip on his beer, his eyes flickered up to Nat's, a small, playful smile on his face. "I'd say you're really not missing much," his dark eyes crinkling around the edges as he laughed.

Clearing his throat, he straightened his posture, tapping his fingers against the counter. "If you don't normally enjoy a party on the weekend, what is it that you do in your free time?"

---

Irina smoothed down the front of her dress, still trying to relax as Viktor pushed in her chair. The young girl had been on edge for most of the day, if not the majority of the week as she waited for this evening. Not so much because she couldn't stop thinking about Viktor, or something cheesy like that, but because she had been worried Pasha might find something out. When his assistant had arrived to pick her up, Pasha had men escort her all the way to the car, almost worrying he might've tried to send one along as an escort. Now that she was out of her husband's sight, and she hoped she was surely safe here, she tried to relax.

Easily, Irina reached for the glass of wine already poured in front of her, admiring the rich color before taking a sip, enjoying the scent of it, too. Looking across the table towards Viktor as he sat down, Irina couldn't help but feel her face heat up slightly. The man sitting across from her had to have some sort of motive, whether he wanted some sort of information from her or something more intimate, she knew Viktor had to want something. He hadn't just invited her out for drinks because he enjoyed her company.

"Yes, she was. Lovely, too." Irina couldn't help but compliment her, tilting the glass of wine as she teased him, "Much better than the one at the gala."

@ FallenHope95

@ dezz
While Arseni mixed her drink, Natalia watched the process. Finding it interesting for some odd reason. She knew he was just pouring two different liquids into a cup, but anything that he seemed to do caught her attention. "Thank you." Natalia murmured as she accepted the drink from the man. Raising the cup to her lips, Nat made the mistake of raising the drink to her nose first and all the hair on the back of her neck raised. It wasn't that it smelled bad, but it didn't smell bad either, it just smelled. Strong, but that's probably just how all alcohol was, right?

Then, sucking up to her nerves, Natalia took a couple of sips from the unknowingly strong drink. Then, once she drank almost half she lowered it and shivered. Her head shaking slightly. "Woah." She squeaked out, blinking back tears from the burning feeling in her throat. Natalia licked her lips as she tried to pay attention to Arseni. "If only there was a cute boy here," Nat said playfully and then looked away and pretended to act like she was looking for someone, then looked back towards Arseni.

"I'm more of a home by nine sorts of person," Natalia told him, raising the cup once more to hide her embarrassment by taking a couple more sips of the amber liquid. "I'm more of homework at night and shopping with friends in the morning kinda girl," Nat added on, her gaze looking down at the drink in her hand as she swirled around slightly in her hand. He probably thought she was a loser now since she didn't get to go out much.

--

A sharp nod of his head was all Viktor gave Irina as he listened to her. Glad that his assistant, Beth, was good to Irina. He had specifically told her to act like a bubbly girl pall to push Pasha off their trail, and it seemed like it had worked because he got no word of Irina being followed here. "Glad you liked it, I had it brought out from my collection," Viktor told Irina as he reached out and swirled the glass slightly to get the wine to coat some of the glass before bringing it to his lips. The swirl caused the wine to become slightly more intense in smell and taste, and boy did Viktor enjoy it.

As he leaned back in his seat, the wait staff brought out a beautifully cooked steak that was cut into strips for them. Cooked to perfection. Some broiled potato's, carrots and green beans decorating the plate as well. As the staff set the plates on the table, they also set dressing for the steak if either of them cared to add to their meal. Then, the duo was left alone once again.

"Please, eat." Viktor motioned for Irina to start eating before he did. Wanting to know if she enjoyed the finer things in life as he does. "The chef's here are some of the best," Viktor told Irina. "Have you been here before?" He asked, wondering if this was the first time for her to be in one of the fanciest restaurants in the city. If Pasha took care of her as he should be.

Arseni raised an eyebrow and began to protest when he noticed her taking a rather large drink, but he decided to let it go. Watching her lower the drink, the way her eyes watered and her face reddened told him she didn't drink often. The burn from the rum was evident all over her face, even as her tongue licked the remnants from her lips. Still, she tried to be playful, and when she mentioned wanting a cute boy, Arseni pushed himself away from the counter and moved next to Nat, sitting his beer down on the table. "If you need a cute boy, I don't think you need to be looking very hard."

His hand ran up to tuck a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, before falling, letting his hand linger on her shoulder. A strand of her hair was being twirled between his fingers as he let his other hand rest on hers, his eyes lowering to her glass, watching it rise back to her lips. Oh how he imagined leaning in and kissing her no, wanting to taste the burningly sweet bite of the liquor on her tongue.

"In by nine?" His eyebrows shot up to his hairline, visibly surprised by her answer. "We can't be having that..." Arseni laughed, keeping his eyes on her as his arm began to wrap around her waist, loosely. She was beginning to seem looser, and Arseni was hopeful that he wasn't pushing himself on her. Especially after she had teased about wanting a handsome boy around, hopefully she wouldn't push him away. "I guess you're going to have to let me see you again, to take you out... Such a beautiful girl can't be hiding away inside every night."

---

Irina wasn't sure how to hold herself. Just being in Viktor's presence was enough to have her hands clamming up, her whole body tensing as she grew more nervous. Her father had always been so stern when it came to boys, often putting his foot down and not letting her out, and after his death she had been forced straight into a marriage. While she knew this wasn't a date, she had never had much interaction one on one with a man, and felt rather inexperienced.

Glancing up at the wait staff and mouthing a quiet 'thank you', she took another sip of her wine before turning her attention back to Viktor. Biting down on her tongue when he suggested she ate first, she picked up her fork and found herself moving it around the plate. The food looked delicious, but her hands were trembling. "Once," she answered, glancing down around the private room, but recognized the style of decoration, "with my father, but it's been years." It certainly wasn't Pasha that brought her out to a such a fancy restaurant. The only time she found herself outside of their home, was during business events such as the charity gala or meetings where her appearance was expected. Pasha didn't just take her out for fun. Taking a bite of the steak, she made sure her face told Viktor she enjoyed it, her eyes taking in every detail of him again, admiring his suit choice. He looked very handsome, even in the dim lighting.

[Sorry, I've had writers block!]

@ FallenHope95

@ dezz
Heat raised to her cheeks as Arseni stepped closer to her. Natalia's green eyes looked upwards the handsome man's eyes as he spoke to her. His warm breath tickling her face as he spoke. The feel of his fingers in her hair, it was all so new to her and she was feeling like an idiot by just staring up at him. Her little joke of asking where the cute boys were at escaping from her mind as she listened to him. The close proximity causing butterflies to flutter in her stomach.

"You'll want to see me again?" Natalia asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Yet she was almost certain that he heard her question. Her bright green eyes blinked in surprise. Her own body leaning into his slightly as his strong arm moved around her waist. Not sure of what else to do, Nat brought her cup to her lips and took a couple more small sips of the drink. The liquid still burned her taste buds, but it was something to help her focus on something other than the butterflies in her belly.

--

As Irina spoke, Viktor's lips slowly pursed into a thin line. What he was hearing wasn't really sitting right with him. "A woman like you deserves to be taken out regularly," Viktor said casually as he reached out and took a sip of his wine before he moved to cut up some of his steaks. "Does your husband not spoil you at all?" Viktor asked, pushing a little bit, wanting to know the real depth of their relationship.

Allowing for a couple of moments of silence pass between them, Viktor focused on his food. Savoring the deep flavors that the five-star chefs excel in. "Is there anything that you've been wanting to try, Miss Irina?" Viktor asked casually, wanting to get to know the woman on a deeper level. "A place you'd like to go, a play that you'd like to see? A person you'd like to meet?" An arch of a brow as Viktor waited for Miss Irina to spill her secrets to him.