Disclaimer: I work my life away just to pay my bills. Obviously, I don't own Anastasia!
All Men Are Babies
Chapter 15: Dead, Dead, Dead
After being chased by a ferocious barking rottweiler past a pink house, Zachariah Salazar finally made it back to Anya and Dimitri's house. Whoever put up that 'Beware of Dog' sign wasn't kidding, Zachariah mused. Now came the waiting. Waiting for Dimitri to leave the house, Zachariah wandered over the coffee shop nearby. Ordering a black coffee and taking a seat at an unoccupied table meant for two, Zachariah intensely kept his eyes out for Dimitri. Of course he didn't want his watching to be too noticeable. That he knew would arouse suspicion and questions that he wasn't ready to answer.
"Mind if I join you?" a pretty and petite blonde woman asked with her voiced laced heavily in a french accent. Grateful for the company, Zachariah shrugged and motioned to the chair across from him. If he had company, Zachariah knew that others would view him as less suspicious and he would pose no threat. Of course that's what they thought. This woman could play no part in his plan, except for maybe a relaxing night afterward. Although he couldn't love, not after Olga, Zachariah enjoyed the babes once in a while, unlike Viktor, who Zachariah always thought would be his partner in crime, just like when they were kids. "You seemed lonely, uh-"
"Zachariah Salazar," Zachariah introduced himself to the woman, shaking her hand.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Zachariah," the woman smiled. "I'm Annaleese Debonaire."
Listening only halfheartedly to what Annaleese had to say, Zachariah perked up when he heard the princess's voice across the street. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dimitri and Anastasia walking down the street towards their town house. Ah, Zachariah thought to himself, the happy couple out for a morning walk.
"You need to go to work, Dimitri," Anastasia said when they reached their front yard. Dimitri nodded, planting a short, sweet kiss on his wife's lips. "I'll see you tonight when you get home."
"Alright," Dimitri smiled giving her another quick kiss. "Go and meet the neighbors or something. It's about time we found some friends besides for Vlad and Sophie."
"You really don't like being up close to royalty, do you?"
"Yeah, you're lucky I put up with you."
xXx
"So after the siege on the palace, did you just pack up and move out here to Paris?" Dimitri asked the cook that afternoon during a slow period. Pausing from his current job of stirring the sauce in the pot heating on the stove, Dimitri set the spoon on the counter and looked at his boss.
Sighing, the cook looked at his mischievous kitchen boy as if he were scolding him like he did many times ten years ago. "My family had served the Romanovs for many years. My allegiance did not lie with the communists so I came here with my family to be free." For the three years Dimitri worked in the house of the Romanovs, the cook was the best thing he had to a father figure. The cook was stern, but was fair in dealing out punishment. The oldest of four children of a poor Russian family that lived way out in the country, Dimitri's parents were grateful when his uncle reported the need for a kitchen boy in the house of the Romanovs. "What happened to you?" the cook asked.
"I wandered the streets of St. Petersburg stealing food. I was probably lucky I wasn't taken to an orphanage."
"How'd you get here to Paris then?"
"Basically I held auditions to find an Anastasia look a like and when I did I taught her the ways of the royals and how to act like the princess. I took her here to Paris to see the Dowager. Only realizing I found the actual Anastasia and eloped with her to only barely put food on the table."
Laughing out loud, the cook shook his head. "Only one problem there, Pal. All the Romanovs are dead. They're dead. Dead. Dead. Dead."
"No!" Dimitri exclaimed, "I actually did marry the princess Anastasia!"
xXx
"Pooka!" Anya called after the little dog who ran freely around the neighborhood. "Pooka, here boy!" The gray little dog continued yipping as he chased a beautiful fluttering butterfly. Anya chased Pooka to the gate of a white picket fence and stopped, while the dog ran into the yard. "Pooka!" Anya hissed. "Come here!" Nervously, Anya looked around to make sure that no was watching. Satisfied, she discretely opened the gate and stepped inside the yard. "Pooka!" she hissed once again for the little dog.
A young brunette woman scooped Pooka up into her arms and laughed at the little dog. Standing to her full height of 5'4, she saw Anastasia. "Is this your dog?" she asked handing Pooka out to Anya.
"I'm sorry for trespassing," Anya quickly explained. "I was just going to take him for a walk and he scampered off chasing a butterfly. I didn't mean to-"
"It's quite alright. He is so cute." Extending her arm out, the brunette offered Anya her hand. "By the way, I'm Colette. Anya gladly shook the other woman's hand and introduced herself. Colette was a few years older than Anya. Her dark brown hair was pulled back and a straw hat resided atop her head. Dirt was displayed on her flower patterned dress. "Sorry about my appearance," she apologized to Anya instead. "But I was just planting flowers before you came." Anya who had spent the last ten years of her life in an orphanage understood where her new found friend was coming from. For she had looked much worse before Dimitri had bought her the blue dress.
"Would you care for some tea?" Colette asked Anya inviting her inside. "It's ready and I'm sure my husband wouldn't mind the company."
"I don't know," Anya bit her lip not sure whether to accept the invitation or not. "My husband should be getting off of work soon and-"
"Please?" Colette begged.
"Okay," Anya agreed. "But I'm not a big tea drinker. Just hot water and lemon for me."
"That's fine," Colette laughed. "I have to do the same for my husband!"
Anya laughed with Colette and "I'd love to stay for a little while."
xXx
Dimitri was glad when 6:00 finally rolled around. He and the cook were on better terms than before, but the cook still saw Dimitri as a mischievous, tall tale telling little kid. Saying goodnight to the cook and his other co-workers, Dimitri grabbed his coat and walked out into the cool night air to begin his trek home to Anya. Nothing could wipe the smile off his face right now. He had gotten paid, so he and Anya would be able to buy a couple of meals instead of going to bed hungry or eating some scraps Dimitri was able to get from the diner's kitchen, like a piece of bread that was starting to grow stale.
Arriving home, Dimitri saw Anya talking with a neighbor next door. "Hello, Princess," he said with a smile.
Anya turned around hearing Dimitri's voice. "Dimitri!" she exclaimed rushing into his open arms. Releasing her hold on him, she grabbed his hand and led him to Colette. "Colette, this is my husband Dimitri. Dimitri, this is our neighbor Colette." Anya introduced the two.
"Nice to meet you," Dimitri said shaking hands with her. Dropping Colette's hand and turning back to Anya, Dimitri wrapped an arm around her waist. "Let's go out tonight," he said quietly to her.
Smiling, Anya wrapped both arms around Dimitri and said goodbye to Colette. Starting on the short walk to their house, Anya called for Pooka. Scampering ahead of them, the little gray dog turned and looked at them before running up the front door of their house.
xXx
Zachariah Salazar was angry. He was angry at Annaleese Debonaire for talking way to much. Annaleese was pretty, but Zachariah soon learned that was all she was. The poor girl was dumber than a box of rocks and just as annoying as that smelly old woman! She talked about her grandmother, she talked about her sister, she talked about her ex boyfriends and everything else under the sun. Because she was with him at the time, he had lost his shot to get rid of Anastasia! Then the stupid princess had to talk forever with the neighbor. And then-Oh and then his life didn't get any better. How could it when Dimitri came home?
That's it. Zachariah mused. He wasn't going to let anything distract him or get in his way. Tomorrow, Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov will be dead. And, Zachariah mused. The thought didn't bother him at all.
I'm terribly sorry about not updating all summer, but I've been patronizing McDonald's almost everyday this summer. No, not because I like to eat their food, but because I work there. Well, this story is coming to a close, but there is still plenty of story left to tell. Chapter 16 will be up soon. I hope you are enjoying this story. Please leave a review if you so desire. I appreciate people telling me their thoughts on my stories and my writing.