Hello, Privet! #1: Hello/Привет

Chapter 42

SOPHIE

When I come to, everything is quiet and dark, and I am on the bed with the blanket over me, and someone is moving beside me. I sit up. "Who's there?" I ask, grabbing handfuls of the blanket.

"Go back to sleep. It's only me," says Anton. He looks over at me, and I think he's removing his shirt. I blink. He is.

"What are you doing?" I ask, turning on the lamp and pulling the blanket closer to me.

He's rather indifferent as he takes off his shirt completely and drapes it on the chair beside him. "I'm going to sleep. What do you think?"

Then he also starts unbuckling his belt and unzipping his pants.

He catches me looking, laughs and then says, "Hey, devochka, look away. You want to see me naked?"

"No, not really." I get off the bed, keeping my back turned, crossing my arms over my chest.

Anton laughs. "It's okay. I have boxers."

"Well I don't want to see them!"

He laughs again. "Liar."

"Anyway, I already know what kind you're wearing. Calvin Klein, right?"

"You saw my commercials?" he asks.

"No."

"You are lying again, devochka." He's really enjoying this, the self-conceited jerk. "Did you like them?"

"How would I know?" I am aware that I am blushing up to my neck.

"It's okay, you know. You don't need to hide it." I can hear the rustling of clothes getting removed and put away. "You are thinking about my boxers right now. I know you are."

"I'm not." I'm glad my back is turned to him and he can't see my face. Yeah, so maybe I'm thinking about the Calvin Klein ads and his boxer briefs.

"Hey, devochka..."

"What?"

"How can we work together if you are attracted to me?" he asks.

"Excuse me?"

"Okay, okay. You can look now."

When I turn around again, he's already lying on the bed with the blanket around him, up to his waist, and he stretches his arms upwards, slowly, looking up the ceiling. He rests his head on his forearms.

I walk towards the door.

He sits up. "Where are you going?" he asks.

"I can't sleep here," I tell him.

"It's okay," he says. "This is my room."

"Your room?"

"Yeah. I stay here sometimes when I'm in LA," he says. "It's okay. Sleep." He pats the space beside him.

I glance at it gingerly. "Well, can you ask your friend if there's an available room somewhere?"

He makes a face. "Fu... What do you think this is? A hotel? And Mac is sleeping now."

I open my mouth to speak, then close it. He's right. It would be rude to wake people up. And who knows what I'll find if I knock on doors now? "I'm just gonna go back to the hotel."

"No." He shakes his head. "I can't let you go. That's stupid. It's not safe and you will be alone. It is better to stay here. You know this. Come on. We will go in the morning." He lies back down and closes his eyes. "We can sleep here together. The bed is big enough. What is the problem?"