Page 27 of Brooklyn Bratva

A wave of sadness swept over me and I had to sniff hard to stop my tears from falling and pull myself together. It’d be a really bad impression to make on my first day to turn up the way I had, and then be in a flood of tears by mid-morning.

The assistant pharmacist, Katja, had to be about my age. She’d started a couple of months back, but she’d been at the induction, as part of the welcome committee. She was one of the people supposed to show me the ropes and I’d liked her right from the get go. She seemed kind. That impression was reinforced by the way she smiled at me over the counter, her eyes bleeding concern

“You okay? You look like you’re about to cry.” Her accent was a little harsher than Ivan’s, and she said she’d moved here from the Ukraine about five years ago, when she was still a teenager. I could definitely sympathize with being thrust into a new world before you’d even figured yourself out. But she seemed to be doing just fine.

“Oh, no, I’m okay. I just – first day, I guess. Everything’s kinda crazy. Can I pick these up?”

Katja let out a whistle over her teeth. “Oh wow. I’m sorry. I think these are for end stage cancer. Is this for your mom?”

“No. It’s my… my friend’s mom. I’m staying with her. Helping out. I didn’t realize she was so ill, I guess.”

All I could think was that Ivan was going to be so devastated. He’d be all on his own, and everything he’d done to help his mother would be in vain. That wasn’t fair.

I didn’t want him to be alone like that. He didn’t deserve to be. Not that anyone did. But he didn’t have to be, if he had me. I could take care of him the way he’d been taking care of everyone else for so long. I only hoped he let me.

Katja’s eyes crinkled with sympathy. “I’m sorry. That really sucks. Look, this is going to take a little while. I’ll have them ready for you by the end of the day though.”

I nodded numbly. “Thanks Katja.”

“No problem. Hey, you want to get lunch?”

“Sure. That’d be nice. I’m on break now.”

She glanced over her shoulder to the back, where the head pharmacist was presumably making up other scripts.

“Give me two minutes. I’ll get this started and come join you.”

I smiled. For one thing, I was desperate to tell someone about Ivan and for another, it was a long time since I’d been in Brooklyn. Most of my friends had moved on and away. Across the country for jobs or because of school, and others I’d just fallen out of touch with.

Twenty minutes later we were sitting, and laughing about everything that had already gone wrong today.

“So, let me get this straight. You’ve come all the way here to get with this guy who you didn’t even know liked you, until he kissed you this morning?”

I took a bite of my sandwich and nodded.

“That’s so freaking romantic.”

“You think?”

“Uh huh.”

“You don’t think it’s weird he’s my dad’s friend?

Katja’s nose wrinkled. “Pft. I don’t think that matters. Plenty of people get with older men. I think it’s kind of hot. He’s in his thirties, right? It’s not like he’s sixty and you’re eighteen and after the gazillion dollar inheritance. You really like each other. Am I right?”

“Yeah. True.” I bit my lip, feeling that glow rise up in me again as the pressure of my teeth reminded me of the forceful press of his lips against mine, and the palpable force he’d used to hold himself back. “You are so right. He is really hot, and I’ve been totally in love with him forever, and I can’t even believe today is happening. I keep pinching myself!”

“You are adorable. You can’t stop smiling. I don’t even know a guy who does that to me.”

“No?”

She scrunched her nose. “Maybe one, but I don’t know. Ukranian men in Brighton Beach are… I don’t know. They think they have all the power. I’m fed up with being pushed around.”

“You’ll find someone amazing Katja, right when you’re least expecting it.”

“Of course I will. Who could resist my epic charm?”

CHAPTER 12

Ivan

The day crept by. The noise of the precinct swirled around me and I didn’t tune into the usual back and forth from the beat officers. Even cramming my day full of following leads on open cases, and forcing myself to get to the end of my emails, the hours dragged.

All I wanted was to clock out and see Becca. Barge right into the clinic and take her home with me. Special police business. They couldn’t argue with that. And that’s what it was. I had an emergency building in my pants every time I thought about that kiss, and she was the only one equipped to handle it.

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