Settling Slowly

Chapter 26 - Setting things in motion

After getting everything I needed and stowing it in the boot Grigory parked up in the shopping centre's car park and we headed over to see our favourite older Russian. It was only about five in the afternoon, but the whole shopping complex was busy, partly with shoppers, but most people were sat down eating. Lots of people were inside the eateries, but just as many had spilled out into the vast corridors and open walking spaces. Some were sat around the fountain in the middle, others were walking with their take away food and I saw a woman with young kids camped out by one of the pillars on the edge of the communal eating space, sat on the floor because there were no tables left.

Conversation was flowing freely, there wasn't a winter coat or woolly item in sight and had I not known better I could have sworn it was the beginning of summer. It was only the beginning of March.

"Ooh, look, they've got spring sales on," I said looking through the window of a clothes shop I liked.

Grigory tugged me onwards. I smiled a little wondering if he was just hungry or he was the kind of boyfriend who didn't like shopping with his girlfriend. I'd take him one day and surprise him with how swiftly decisive I was. If he still thought I was slow after that I'd take him shopping with Lexie. And escape from the torture part way through.

"Zoey!" someone called through the noise that was all around.

I turned and saw Alyssa dashing over.

"Who's that?" Grigory asked.

"Dan's nearly girlfriend. I'll meet you there, ok?"

"Sure." He kissed me quickly and then walked off.

"Boyfriend?" Alyssa asked me.

I nodded. "You got one yet?"

She scowled. "Dan's being all control freak about the shooting thing because we only have a week now. Can you talk to him?"

"Sure. Or you know, you could talk to him."

She bit her lip and looked to the floor. Her ankle rolled outwards for a moment before she stood straight. "Every time we talk it's like... like we're dancing around each other and though we can speak for ages, we don't really say anything at all."

I knew that feeling. I'd lived with that feeling for a while. It wasn't horrible exactly, but it was frustrating. Infuriating nearly. "Come to our house tomorrow. Talk to him."

"He won't be able to run away if you're all home as well," she mused.

I smiled. Yes I was going to let her think Mum, Dad and I were going to be in as well. If she knew we were going to be out, she probably wouldn't come. It was perfect. "Exactly."

She sighed and ran a hand through her raven wing straight hair. "Ok. What time?"

"Say... twelve? He sleeps late."

"I sorta figured. Ok. See you tomorrow?"

"Sure."

"Ok see ya."

I turned from her and only a few paces later did I allow myself to grin. If they didn't get together tomorrow when they had the whole house to themselves, I was going to lock them in a room after giving them both Viagra and turning the heating up in there.

I more or less skipped into Papa Nikolai's, feeling all smug and accomplished. Grigory was already sat down in the back corner at a table that was behind a screen. It had always been there and didn't completely separate the table from the rest of the room, but offered quite a bit of privacy. I wondered if the table had simply been empty, or if Papa Nikolai had moved a reservation to another table.