After slamming the door in Dimitri's face, Rose climbed into bed. She tossed and turned for a couple of hours, slipping in and out of consciousness. Not really sleeping, but not really awake either. A restful slumber it was not. At 9:30 there was a rap on the door.
"Go away! I have nothing to say to you!" Rose yelled at the door.
"Rose, sweetie, open up", Lissa said. "It's me".
Rose rushed to the door, flinging it open. She grabbed Lissa by the arm and pulled her in, quickly closing the door once again.
Once the door was shut and Rose was safely hidden from Dimitri, she practically collapsed into Lissa open arms.
Lissa tugged Rose over to the bed. "I called a little while ago to ask you to the breakfast buffet, but Dimitri said you and he had a fight, that you locked yourself in the bedroom. What happened?"
Rose knew she couldn't tell Lissa anything about what was discussed during the night. She needed Lissa's comfort. She wanted her council but she couldn't divulge the information. "I don't want to talk about".
"You know you can tell me anything. I'm always on your side", Lissa said as she was stroking Rose's hair.
"I can't tell you this", Rose sniffled. "All I can say is that he lied to me, Liss".
Lissa knew Rose had issues with trusting people. She also knew that Rose wasn't quick to forgive.
"Everyone fibs once in a while. Even the great Rose Hathaway", Lissa said soothingly.
Rose shook her head. "Not like this. Not about the big stuff".
Lissa knew what the big stuff was is Rose's book. "The big stuff? Is he married, gay or has kids he neglects. Is he a murderer? So which is it?"
"None of those", Rose admitted.
"So how bad could it be?" Lissa said in an almost playful tone in an attempt to downplay the situation and keep Rose calm.
"You don't get it, Liss. He's been lying to me from day one. Him and Abe", Rose crossed her arms over her chest defensively.
Lissa wondered what could possibly be so bad but she knew Rose well enough to know that she wasn't going to get an answer if Rose didn't want to share it.
"I can't trust him. I won't ever believe a single word he says to me. I don't even think he ever really loved me", Rose eyes started tearing up again.
"Rose!", Lissa exclaimed from the shock of her statement. "Don't be absurd. With the way he looks at you that's not possible".
It was all any act, Rose thought. "You don't him. And apparently neither do I".
"Did he at least tell why he lied?" Lissa asked since Rose wasn't going to tell her what he lied about.
Rose licked her lips. "He said it was to protect me. They both said it was for my own safety".
"Maybe that makes it an extenuating circumstance", Lissa always tried to be the voice of reason.
"Horse-shit!" Rose yelled. "Nothing makes this lie okay. Everything I thought I knew about him, every word from his mouth is lined with deception. The only reason I even believe his name is Dimitri or even that he's Russian is because he grew up with Chris otherwise I'd think that his stupid accent is fake and Dimitri Belikov is a fucking made up name". Rose was breathing heavily after her little rant.
After a long sullen silence, Rose added "And the worst part is I can't get away from him. Abe says we can't cut the trip short or he'll look weak. And he won't replace Dimitri as my guard because he trusts Dimitri. Apparently, Dimitri's the best of the best of the best, or some shit like that". Rose remember that technically Dimitri was highly decorated.
Lissa took a deep breath. "The sofa bed isn't open and the couch doesn't look slept on. There's a pillow and a blanket outside the door so I'm pretty sure Dimitri slept on the floor. Though I'm not sure he really slept. He looks like crap".
"Good. He deserves the discomfort".
Lissa rolled her eyes. "I'm telling you this because I believe he truly cares about you. I want to ask you something and I want you to really think before you answer. Amidst the lies, do you believe he's a good man?"
"Yes". It was almost painful for Rose to admit that.
"Then you need to talk to him. I'm not saying you need to trust him or forgive him. I'm not even saying this for his benefit. You need to do this for you".
Eventually Rose nodded.
"Good", Lissa kissed Rose's forehead in a very motherly manner. "Go shower. Breakfast should be here any minute". Rose looked at her puzzled. "If Rose won't come to the mountain, then the mountain of food must come to Rose. We ordered room service".
Rose smiled relieved at not having to leave the room quite yet.
By the time Rose finished showering the food had already arrived. Abe arranged for a massive breakfast to be brought to the room. Thankfully the suite was large enough for the huge round table that was carted in. It seated the six of them comfortably - Rose, Dimitri, Lissa, Christian, Abe and Pavel. Rose was very tempted to just grab a plate and head back to the bedroom, but Lissa stopped her. Rose sat as far away from Dimitri as possible without having to sit directly across from him so she could avoid eye contact.
Breakfast was eerily quite. Christian was trying to keep up light conversation but the only person remotely playing along was Abe. The room was mostly filled with sounds of cutlery banging against plates, food being chewed and coffee being slurped. .
At some point Abe declare the plans for the rest of their short stay. He'd arranged in suite pampering for Rose and Lissa, including massages and mani-pedi's. Abe was clearly trying to overcompensate with lavish gifts. He fucked up and he knew it. He also knew that Rose wouldn't be swayed be being showered with gifts so he took a pass on that. But some quality time with her best friend, a couple of hours to relax and decompress, was just what the mobster prescribed.
"How come I don't get a massage?" Christian whined, earning him a smack upside the head from Pavel.
"Rose and Lissa", Abe commanded their attention, "the team I've hired will be hear in three hours time. May I suggest you enjoy the pool in the meanwhile?"
"That's sounds great, Abe. Thank you", Lissa said, she was sincere but not very enthusiastic considering Rose's current state.
"Excellent. As for dinner, I've made reservations at Hakassan. Adrian and his lovely fiancé will be joining us. Tomorrow morning after breakfast we fly back to Montana. I will see you lovely ladies this evening", Abe took his leave. He wanted to give Rose a comforting hug, but thought better of it. As an after thought, knowing his daughter, he looked directly at Rose, and added, "You are not to leave your guard's side, Little girl". When Rose didn't react Abe continued, "Do I make myself clear?" he asked firmly.
Rose answered in a cold voice, in one word "Crystal".
Abe and Pavel left, as did the staff members who came to clear out the breakfast table that was brought in. Lissa and Christian stayed a while longer but had to leave soon to get ready if they wanted to go to the pool before the pampering began. Lissa also wanted to give Rose and Dimitri a chance to talk privately.
When Rose didn't retreat back to the bedroom after Lissa and Christian left, Dimitri took that as a good sign. Though when Dimitri joined her on the couch he didn't miss that Rose shifted as far was from him as possible.
"I'm sorry, Rose", Dimitri started.
"For lying or for getting caught in your lies?", Rose asked bitterly.
Dimitri ignored her questions. No answer he gave would ever appease her. "I never meant for you to get hurt. I didn't want you to find out the way you did. It was always my intention to tell you the truth eventually".
"You live in my house. You sleep in my bed. The truth was the first thing you should have told me", Rose tried to not let her anger get the better of her.
"I wanted to. So many times, Rose. But I was under strict orders from the Director and from Abe to keep you in the dark, for your own good".
Rose was uncharacteristically quiet.
"Talk to me, Rose".
"What do you want me to say? Did you expect that I would just accept this?", Rose was starting to boil. "I'm furious and deeply hurt. The man I thought you were, the man I thought I knew turned out to be a complete and utter lie. I don't know who you are! You're a stranger to me! How do I not question your motives? How do I not question anything you ever said to me? Including how you feel about me?" Rose wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "Did you even have a friend name Ivan or was that a ploy to get me into bed?!" Rose knew that if there was any truth to that story she was hitting below the belt but she didn't care.
Dimitri stared at her incredulously. "I love you, Roza", he said as if it were that simple. "I never lied about my feelings for you. I meant every word I said to you. Actually, I never outright lied to you. Almost everything I've ever told you is true. Including Ivan".
Rose scoffed dramatically at that.
"No, listen", Dimitri pleaded. "Everything you read about me in the file Abe gave you when we first met was true. Everything about my home life, my family, my father. That was all true. Everything I told you about Ivan was true. I couldn't bring myself to go back to guarding after his death".
"Not that I'm buying any of this, but, what happened after Ivan died?" Rose asked.
"I'm not really sure about the details, I spent a few days after Ivan's funeral in a drunken stupor. My mother finally threw a bucket of ice water on me on day when I was passed out on the porch, told me I needed to get my shit together. So I did. I got a job in some stuffy office pushing papers. It was remedial and boring but I didn't have to interact with people so it held me over." Dimitri paused. "After a while I was approached by the Director. They needed someone highly trained who wasn't associated with any agency to send out to do field work. I was already off grid and figured that maybe it was time I started doing some good again. After a few minor successes I was assigned to the Dashkovs. I was brought in as a body guard for Visitor Dashkov's wife and daughter. They were informed I would do as I was told and not ask questions about things I saw. Sooner rather than later, I saw more and more of the family business, messengered the info to the agency until gradually there was enough to take them down. Once the mission was over I was out of a job. It was too risky to send me undercover anywhere else so soon. Abe seeking me out presented me with the perfect opportunity. With Abe I wasn't technically undercover because he requested me, he knew about me. When I said last night that my cover wasn't blown that's because I'm not spying on Abe. It's Abe's who's spying on the Lazar's".
Rose remained silent for a while. She stared at Dimitri with glistening eyes and said, "You're a spy and a liar".
"I only lied about being a spy", Dimitri defended.
That's when Lissa and Christian arrived to go to the pool. Without another word Rose left to change into her bikini. Dimitri changed into pool attire as well and the four were off.
Rose didn't speak to Dimitri, didn't look at Dimitri, didn't acknowledge his presence. Dimitri was just glad Rose hadn't tried to run yet. He took a stance a few feet away were he was fairly out of sight yet still had a good view of Rose and everything that happened around her and the pool area in general.
Poolside Rose was lying on her stomach tanning her back, her top undone, when one of the cabana boys asked if she'd like him to rub tanning oil on her back. Rose shrugged in agreement. As the boy was about to take a seat next to Rose, Dimitri pulled him back silently, sending him away with a glare. Instead, he sat beside Rose and rubbed her back with the oil.
Rose moaned as Dimitri rubbed the oil into her skin. "That feel so good. Your hands feel nice". She moaned again. "You're so much better at that than my ex-boyfriend".
Dimitri's hands froze. He was taken aback by the ex-boyfriend part. He didn't notice that despite her back facing him Rose could see every move he made in the reflection on the floor to ceiling windows of the hotel's breakfast buffet which overlook the pool. He never even knew she was looking at him while as she was hiding her eyes behind her favorite Jack O sunglasses. Even if Rose hadn't seen it was Dimitri rubbing her back, she'd recognize his touch anywhere.
Taking in the look of horror in Dimitri's face, Rose took pity on him. She wasn't anywhere near forgiveness but she wasn't cruel. "Well don't stop now, comrade, you haven't done my lower back yet".
Relieved, understanding that Rose was just fucking with him, Dimitri continued with a small smile on his face. Once he was done, he got up wordlessly and retook his guarding position and Rose went back to ignoring him.
A couple of hours later the girls were back at Rose's suite with a team of masseurs and nail technicians. Dimitri reluctantly agreed to guard from outside the suite door, while Christian left to take a nap.
Rose continued to give Dimitri the silent treatment all throughout dinner. It didn't go unnoticed but no one commented on the matter.
When dinner was over the small group decided to walk to the Bellagio to see the fountains. Dimitri kept a safe distance from Rose, opting to be far guard while Pavel was near guard.
On the way to the fountains, Adrian bumped Rose's shoulder, then looped their arms together. "What was up with you and the Russian warlord?", Adrian wouldn't let it slide. He needed to know how they went from lovely dovey and Rose being Dimitri's everything to Rose completely giving Dimitri the cold shoulder.
"We had a fight", Rose answered evasively.
"I gathered that. What was so unforgivable that you're giving a man who's bones you were ready to jump in the middle of my night club the cold shoulder?"
"He lied to me", Rose said quietly.
Adrian nodded. He knew that we a deal breaker for Rose. "Shoot the bastard", Adrian said in nonchalance causing Rose to burst out laughing. That was Adrian's go to answer for everything. Though he rarely meant it.
"Is it really something you can't forgive?", Adrian asked as Rose leaned her head on his shoulder.
"I don't know. I just don't know how I can trust him now". Rose answered. "He and Abe did some things behind my back. Since the day I met him, Dimitri's lied to me. Abe says it was for my protection, Dimitri says he wanted to tell me and that everything else he ever told me was the truth".
"Do you love him?" Only a few people in the world could ask Rose that question without getting clocked in the face. Adrian was one of them.
"I don't know anymore. I thought I did, but now… I don't know if it's him I love or the fake image of have of him in my head".
"Rose, I'd never tell you what to do and I know forgiveness takes a long time for you. But I consider myself an excellent judge of character. And I really do believe Dimitri loves you. Not the fleeting kind of love that burns out when the passion dies down, but the kind of love the shines brightly and eternally. Like the stars". Adrian smiled. He was a poet at heart.
At the fountains Abe insisted they all take a photo together. That spurred a slew of selfies, duck faces and family portrait type pics. Adrian even push Rose into a shot with Dimitri.
Rose parted with Adrian and Sydney, telling them they'd better keep her in the loop with anything wedding related. They hugged tightly before the happy couple left their separate way. Rose would miss them terribly. She made a mental note that once the mess with her father and the Lazars was over she'd hop on the jet for a visit and not wait till the pre-wedding partied to see two of her closest friends.
Back at the Encore, Rose entered the bedroom silently, not even answering Dimitri when he said good night.
The following morning the group met at the breakfast buffet before check out. Rose didn't look like she slept much. But neither did Dimitri. They ate, collect their bags and headed to the air strip.
When Rose and her friends return to the Hathaway wing there was a plate for chocolate chip cookie waiting for them on the kitchen island complements of Alberta.
After reading the card and with a mouth full of cookie, Rose said, "I'm going to go unpack".
Some time later Rose found Dimitri in the security room. "Hey Comrade. Can we talk?"
"Of course, Roza".
While Rose did call him comrade, it stung that he called her Roza. She didn't feel endeared by it anymore, it was only upsetting.
Shaking her head slightly she continued. "I'm going to need some space from you".
"I thought I was giving you space. We haven't spoken in two days. How much more space do you want?"
"As much as you can give me and still do your job", Rose didn't break eye contact. "It's difficult for me to be around you. I don't know when or even if I'll be able to forgive you". Dimitri nodded and Rose continued. "So, I won't be training with you anymore, or making lunch with you anymore or hanging out with you anymore", Rose trailed off towards the end.
"So basically you're breaking up with me?" Dimitri asked, desperately biting back the anger he was being to feel at this whole situation.
"If it wasn't obvious before, then yes, I'm breaking up with you", Rose said emotionlessly. When Dimitri didn't reply Rose said, "Look, I can't get away from you. Abe says you're my guard an that's that. So please just keep your distance. OK?" Rose asked more than stated. Again Dimitri was silent. "Dimitri, OK?" Rose was practically pleading.
Dimitri couldn't speak. He couldn't think, he could barely move. All he managed to muster up was a small nod, agreeing to stay away from the love of his life.
As Rose exited the room, Dimitri followed her, unable to hold himself back. "So that's it? It over between us?"
"It is", Rose answered. She was taken aback by the look of utter sadness and regret on his face.
"You're making a mistake", Dimitri was almost pleading.
Rose shook her head. "I don't think I am".
"So you want me to be the guard in the shadows? The one you don't see or hear?", he asked bitterly.
"No. I'm mad that doesn't mean I'm cruel. I really don't need that much protection. You don't have to be in the same room as me all the time. This wing is big enough for the both of us".
"So basically you're down playing with your toy and now you want to put it away", Dimitri gritted through his teeth.
Roses eyes widened taking in an angry Dimitri. "How dare you?!", she yelled. "You're the one in the wrong, not me. You lied to me!"
"I lied about my work, not about my feelings for you", he was adamant about that. "And I didn't really lie I just didn't tell you everything".
"The most powerful form of lie", Rose murmured, then turned around and walked away.
A/N:
Hi All!
Thanks for everyone who read, followed, favorited and reviewed. I'm so grateful to all of you!
Everyone got the quote from Indiana Jones! He really hates snakes.
Thanks again to Lea0014 who stumped me yet again! She got her quote from "Get Hard".
Let's see if you can recognize the following:
"But my cousin Walter jerked off in public once. True story. He was on a plane to New Mexico when all of the sudden the hydraulics went. The plane started spinning around, going out of control, so he decides it's all over and whips it out and starts beating it right there. So all the other passengers take a cue from him and they start whipping it out and beating like mad. So all the passengers are beating off, plummeting to their certain doom, when all of the sudden, snap! The hydraulics kick back in. The plane rights itself and it land safely and everyone puts their pieces or, whatever, you know, away and deboard. No one mentions the phenomenon to anyone else".
Anyone who get's that quote will get 10 brownie points!
Also, I've been meaning to do this for a while. I want to try something a little different - I want to know about you. Tell me about yourselves. I want to get to know the readers. What's going on in your lives? Who's getting married? Who's having a baby? finishing college or high school? Anyone got a new job? Who's just chillin' living the good life, content to take on what every day throws at you?
Don't forget to review!
Thanks,
K