Page 43 of Owned By the Bratva

Piotr grinned. He knew what I was aiming at. “Yes, sure,” he said, rising from the table. “A new club opened on the other side of town. I’ve been hoping to go for some time now.” Glancing at Mila, he continued as he walked to Konstantin. “What do you think? A night out with the two of us sounds good?”

Mila nodded as she swallowed. “Yeah, sure, why not.”

“It’s settled then,” I added, a bit too overly eager.

Konstantin gazed at me with narrowed eyes. “And why pray tell are you not going? What are you planning?”

Smiling at him, I replied with caution. “Nothing that would interest you.”

“Okay, okay, I get it, Leon,” he added, and we all laughed.

Feeling relieved, I started planning. First, I called Cindy and asked if she would give me a second date to set things right. After some convincing, she agreed. Not wanting to go overboard, I tried to think of ways to make it more intimate.

Sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee, I realized I didn’t know her. I had no idea what kind of activities she would find relaxing. I considered starting the hot tub, then pondered food and drinks. There were so many different things to take into account I felt lost.

By lunchtime, I still had no idea what to do. Pacing up and down the length of the kitchen, I tried to focus. Feeling eyes on my back, I turned to find Mila standing in the doorway watching me.

“Yes,” I snapped feeling irritated.

“Nothing,” she said, walking closer. “I was just wondering what was burning you?”

“I don’t know, Cindy,” I breathed out, taking a seat and pushing my hands into my hair. “I don’t know what she likes or would prefer doing.”

Mila chuckled lightly as she replied. “So, this is what you are up to, a date night?”

Grinning at her I nodded. “Yes, but Piotr said I was overdoing it; now I’m not sure what to do.”

Mila rubbed her chin and then replied. “What would Piotr like? I mean, he is a simple man, isn’t he?”

Glancing up at her, it hit me. “Yes, of course,” I said as I sprung to my feet and headed to the lounge.

Scrambling through the cupboards and closets in every hallway and room, I finally found them. There was a box filled with old-style candles. We rarely ever used the lounge, and most of the furniture was covered with sheets. I removed the sheets, placed the candles around the room, and added a single red rose next to each.

After cleaning the fireplace, I packed new logs and readied them for later. I placed down pillows, some blankets and ordered a couple of romantic movies. Standing back, I felt proud of what I had done. The room looked comfortable and inviting. It wasn’t much, but I felt sure it would do. At least, I hoped it would be sufficient.

I ordered pizza, made popcorn, and set out various sweet snacks. Once the others left, I went to pick up Cindy. She was casually dressed in a yellow tracksuit, a white silky top, and sneakers. I was glad to see her looking comfortable and at ease.

“Good evening, my lady,” I said, opening the truck door. I waited for her to get in before bouncing around to my side.

Cindy smiled as I started the truck and headed to the mansion. “Nothing fancy?” she said as we got closer to home.

“Nope, as agreed, just a relaxing evening,” I replied, grinning. I pulled into the garage, jumped out, and opened the door for her. Holding out my hand, I smiled as I spoke. “My lady, your relaxing evening awaits.”

Cindy giggled as she got out. Holding her hand, I led her inside and to the living room. I lit the candles before fetching her and left all the lights off. I had also started a fire, which was now in full force.

Holding her hand and bowing, I let her walk in first. “This is so nice,” Cindy said, looking around.

Walking in behind her, I held her hips, whispering into her ear. “I hope it is more to your liking, my dear.” Softly guiding her, I moved to the blanket on the floor before the firepit.

Next to it stood a picnic basket and ice bucket. Taking her hand, I waited for her to take off her jacket and sit down before taking my place next to her. “I wasn’t sure what movies you like, so I picked a couple of different ones,” I said, pushing the on button on the remote and handing it to her. “On the screen is a variety to select from. You choose what you want to watch.”

Cindy smiled as she took the remote. Her eyes sparkled as she flipped through my selection. She settled on a horror movie.

Fluffing the pillows behind us, I poured some wine and spoke as I gave her a glass. “You want some snacks?”

Cindy glanced at me and took a sip before speaking. “What have you got?”

Opening the basket and taking out three containers, I placed each one down between us, describing what was inside. “There is pizza, some salty snacks, and sweet ones.”

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