ROSE

Life went to normal pretty quickly after Dimitri went back to Court. Almost too quickly. There were moments it all felt like a dream, but then I'd find little reminders that it was real. Things like the half-finished book on the bedside table or the toothbrush he accidentally left behind. If nothing else, I could always hide away in the shed for an hour or so.

It was hard to say that I was grateful for everything that had happened that led me to essentially be banished from Moroi society. That would be an all-in-out lie. It was still hard to accept that this was my life sometimes, even though things were getting better. There were times when Lissa would talk about her upcoming classes, or Dimitri would casually mention a shift with Eddie, and it would sting. None of them meant to hurt me, of course, but I'd still feel a flash of pain that everyone else got to live their life the way that they had always imagined while I felt, well, stuck. I wanted to move forward, but I wasn't quite sure how. Or where. If I was given the chance to go back and change things, I probably still would. Maybe?

It didn't matter. It was what it was, and there was no going back. Still, the routine that I had before Dimitri's trip no longer felt comfortable. I had spent weeks just trying to adapt to my new normal. New language, new culture, new future. It took a while to make peace with my past, and while I wasn't there yet, I was starting to want more than I had settled for early on. I wanted to work towards independence, and that meant stepping out of my comfort zone.

"Kizim." My father stood as I approached the table. Like usual, Henry was playing far guard, and I gave him a quick high-five as I passed before thanking Pavel, who had pulled out a chair for me across from Abe.

Ever since coming clean about being responsible for the better half of my DNA, Abe had made a point of dropping by every week or so and guilting me into lunch. I tried to tell him no once, but that had backfired because he simply weaseled himself into a dinner invitation at Olena's table. I swear, the man had enough charm to win over Yeva. Truly terrifying. Since then, it was easier to give in and just meet him at one of the restaurants or cafes nearby.

As I settled into my seat, I offered him an overly bright grin. "How are you, Old Man?"

His eyes flashed at the nickname, but as much as he pretended to hate it, I think he didn't really mind much. His smile was genuine when he quipped back, "Wonderful as always when I get to spend some time with you, Little Girl."

Pavel used a cough to cover his amusement at our antics, and I stuck my tongue out at him like a child. The silent sentinel that had set off warning bells the first time we met was slowly turning into an uncle of sorts. Apparently, he was more than just a guardian for my father, but also one of his closest advisors. He had an uncanny ability to read people and was the person my father relied on more than anyone else. Pavel had been there when Abe met Janine. He had been there when my father learned about my existence, only to realize that he couldn't be a part of my childhood. He was the one who Abe would occasionally send to check in on me through the years. Though quiet and reserved, Pavel never danced around answers whenever I asked questions, even if the only answer he could give me was, 'That's something you'd need to ask your father.'

Unfortunately, my father wasn't so forthcoming. Like the snake he was named for, he liked to slither around my questions and give me non-answers that would satisfy me for a moment, only for me to realize later that he hadn't actually answered my question at all.

After a few pleasantries, Abe turned the topic to something we had talked about the last time we had lunch. "Have you thought about the job offer?"

"That depends," I replied, spearing another dumpling onto my fork before popping it into my mouth. "Are you going to tell me what the job actually entails?"

His grin turned sly as if he had expected the argument and had already prepared for it. "I told you, Rose. It's just a data entry job. Super simple. You can even work from the Belikovas' home."

"And what data would I be entering?" I leaned back into my chair, crossing my arms and staring him down with an expectant look. I wasn't expecting the straightforward truth, however, and he didn't disappoint.

"Does that matter? Just take the numbers from column A and put them in column B. Investment portfolios, client accounts, and things like that. Maybe transcribe a few recordings here and there."

I side-eyed Pavel, who purposefully wasn't meeting my eyes. Hmm…he didn't approve. I had started noticing a pattern with my father's primary guard. While he would never openly speak out against my father in public, he did have a little tells here and there. If he supported something my father was talking about, he'd give me a barely perceptible nod of encouragement to hear Abe out. It was always an action so subtle that I doubted that my father would notice, but once I knew what to look for, I could see it.

If I just got a blank or passive look, then he usually didn't have a strong opinion one way or another. But if he refused to meet my eyes, well, that was a warning to stay far, far away from whatever was going on.

I took a sip of my tea, wrinkling my nose when I realized it was still a little too strong. As I added a little more water to the cup, I said, "Sorry. I'm going to have to pass."

A bit of tension in Pavel's shoulders slipped away with my final declaration, and when my father turned to look at him, Pavel gave him a slight shrug that was halfway between 'What?' and 'Oh well, you tried.' My father narrowed his eyes, but without proof of Pavel ratting him out, there was no way for him to accuse his friend of any shenanigans.

Even without Pavel's silent warning, I wouldn't have taken my father up on the offer. I had no interest in getting tangled up with his less-than-legal dealings. Even if he swore up and down that I'd never get in trouble, which he already had done several times, I wasn't willing to risk it. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't opposed to skirting the law if necessary or if the cause was just, but there were other ways to make money. Legitimate ways.

Plus, I didn't want to do anything that might put the Belikovas at risk. I wasn't going to let them be collateral damage if something went wrong somehow. If my father's business was too dangerous for him to be in my life as a child, then it was too dangerous for me to dabble in while Paul, Zoya, and Katya were in my life.

Apparently accepting my decision—for now, at least—Abe moved on to other things. Unfortunately, it was one that I would do almost anything to avoid.

"Your mother called me again." I stilled for a moment, a bite of food halfway between my lips, as he gave me the news like it was nothing more than a comment on the weather. "She misses you, Rose. She wants to apologize and be a part of your life."

That made me laugh. It was a sharp poisonous sound but appropriate for the joke that my father was passing off as truth. "Janine never apologizes. She said what she said, and she meant what she meant. Plus, she was never a part of my life before, and I don't want her to be a part of it now."

I dared my father to disagree with me, but he just slowly stirred his soup and stared into the blood-red broth as if it had some answers for him. Borscht tells no lies, though.

After a moment of uncomfortable silence, he pushed forward. "What if you just gave her a call? Or I could give her your number?"

The sound of metal clattering against porcelain drew the attention of another table nearby when I dropped my fork on my plate. "Do not give her my number. If you want any sort of relationship with me, then you will respect my boundaries. If you want to appease her guilt a little and tell her that I'm alive, then so be it, but leave me the fuck out of it." And just so that there was absolutely no confusion about the matter, I met him with a dead stare. "If you tell her where I am or how to contact me, then we're done. I'll cut you out just like I've cut her out, and I won't regret it for a second."

It wasn't a bluff, and he didn't need to dig deep to see that I wasn't bullshitting. "Understood."

"Good." The electricity that had been charging through the air dissipated with a crackle and a fake smile. "Now that that's over…"

The rest of our lunch passed nicely, and when I gave him a hug after lunch, there were no hard feelings. I was glad that Abe took me seriously, and while he obviously didn't agree with all my choices, he at least seemed to respect them. After the initial awkwardness of our meeting, we actually got along quite well. He never tried to tell me what to do (which probably would have gone over as well as someone trying to tell him what to do), so I didn't feel pressured to live up to any fabricated expectations. Plus, he seemed to listen when I spoke, which was a nice change of pace from many other people I had known in my life.

Even though I didn't take Abe's offer, I still wanted to find a job. I needed to, honestly. I had spent the past week or so pouring over online job listings, but there wasn't much available in such a small town. And of the few options that were available, I didn't qualify for most of them. The Alchemists had given me a GED when I moved, but it took more than just a degree to hold down a job. It took skills, many of which I was lacking in. I never realized just how incomplete a novice's schooling was until now, and it was a stark realization that we were trained for one thing and one thing only.

I didn't give up, though. Just as I was starting to get discouraged, a memory struck. I pulled out my phone, quickly dialing up the guy who could be the key to me finally earning my own paycheck.

"Hey, Max." I greeted the moment he answered. "Are you still looking for a housekeeper?"

It's a job, I reminded myself as I adjusted the collar of my black housekeeping uniform. I tugged at the included white apron so that it sat even and centered across my skirt. I didn't want to make a career of cleaning guest rooms at Гостиница Аврора forever, but at least now I could make some money and carry a little of my weight around the house. Olena had insisted that I didn't need to get a job so soon, but 'soon' was pretty subjective when I'd already been living in Baia for just over six months.

Unfortunately, my Russian still wasn't up to par quite yet. It was a whole lot better than before, to the point where I could even hold down basic conversations as long as the topic didn't veer off in some wild direction. However, my pronunciation still left a whole lot to be desired. It was now about a fifty/fifty split whether English or Russian was spoken in the house at any given time, but whenever Russian was used, I still had to speak slowly or I'd stumble over my words. I was also asked to repeat myself quite a bit, and Karo smacked Paul upside the head more than once due to his snickering.

It was obvious that I wasn't suitable to converse with strangers for eight hours a day. If I was just cleaning rooms, I'd hardly have to talk to anyone.

"Горничная, можно войти?" I whispered quietly, practicing the words I'd repeat whenever I knocked on a door. Ready or not, it was time.

My trainer, Marisha, introduced me to my new partner: a cleaning cart. To help us get acquainted, she showed me the various sprays, what the different colored rags mean (blue for cleaning the bathroom, green for everything else), and how to fold and tuck flat sheets to make the bed. I watched her for the first two rooms, mentally noting some of the tips and tricks she used. Then she loomed over me as I tried to mimic her pattern, biting my tongue every time she sighed at my pathetic attempts.

I was never a neat freak. I wasn't a hoarder by any means, but the concept of 'cleanliness is next to godliness' wasn't something I prescribed to. As long as I didn't have dirty dishes on my floor and could find what I needed when I needed it, then I considered my tidiness good enough.

But that wasn't going to fly with this job. I tried to suck it up while the smell of chemicals made me feel slightly dizzy, and my frustration about how to clean the mirror without leaving a single streak had me up in knots. I couldn't quit, though. I didn't have many options out there, and I knew that if I practiced enough, I'd eventually get it. Maybe. Probably. Hopefully.

By the sixth room, I was able to squeeze out an "adequate" performance that only required a few of her touch-ups. It still took me twice as long as it should have, but at least I wasn't hopeless. At the end of my shift, Marisha announced that I would be on my own the next day. I had no doubt that she would check on me (or more specifically, my work), but I was glad that I wasn't going to be fired.

"I got a job." Despite trying to play it off like it was no big deal, I could feel my body tense a little as I waited for Dimitri's reaction. I had been holding off telling him since Dimitri and the rest of the gang were in the full swing of moving to the Lehigh residence. Classes didn't start until next week, but Lissa had orientation and a few meetings with advisors before the school year started, and both Eddie and Dimitri wanted to get a lay of the land before the flurry of other students arrived in a few short days.

Between that, his heavier workload, and the switch to daylight hours, Dimitri and I hadn't been able to talk much. Before this week, our schedules had aligned quite nicely, and it had been pretty easy to carve out time to chat a little each day. Now, one of us either had to stay up late or get up at the crack of dawn. Both of us were willing to make that sacrifice, of course, but it was taking a little getting used to.

"Really? That's great, Roza." The background behind Dimitri whorled a little as he twisted in his desk chair before propping his elbow on the tabletop and lounging back a little. Paperwork was spread across the surface in several stacks, and while I couldn't make out what was written, I did recognize his signature scrawled over more than one sheet of paper. "Where? When do you start?"

I shifted, a little uncomfortable as I admitted. "Actually, I started a little over a week ago."

"Why didn't you tell me before?" His brow lifted with both surprise and maybe a little concern. Perhaps it was justified. Even with our schedule changes, it wasn't like I hadn't had the opportunity to tell him before.

I shrugged, trying to loosen the weight of embarrassment. "Because it's just a housekeeping job. Remember how Max said they were looking for someone at the hotel?" He had only briefly mentioned the day before Dimitri had left, but I knew it had been a thorn in Max's side for weeks. He was grateful when I finally filled the position.

"Vaguely." It didn't matter where he was or what we were doing, Dimitri was always considerate enough to give me his full attention when we had the opportunity to talk for a little bit. However, there was a difference between his attention and his attention. It was one thing to listen to someone, but right now, I could see his mind working hard to not only listen to what I was saying but also break down and decipher everything I wasn't saying. "His family owns the Гостиница Авора, right?"

"Yeah, over by the church." When he didn't immediately say anything else, I jumped in to defend myself. "I looked for other options, but there really isn't much out there and…"

He held up a hand, cutting me off. "Woah. Rose, it's okay. You don't have to explain yourself to me. I remember Sonya had a hard time finding something, too, after she graduated, and she didn't have the same hurdles you're dealing with. Plus, it's nothing to be ashamed of. It's solid work and a steady paycheck. You should be proud of yourself."

He was right, of course. It was quite an annoying habit of his, always being right. Almost as annoying as his zen lesson stuff. What's worse was that I couldn't even be upset with him because he wasn't flaunting it or anything. He was just a good guy who generally made good choices and knew the right things to say when needed.

"I know, I know, it's just…"

"Not what you thought you'd be doing?" He finished when my excuse trailed off.

"Bingo." While he didn't say anything, I knew what he was thinking. I knew because it was the same thing that floated through my own thoughts at least once a day. I needed to accept things and move on. I was holding myself back at this point.

Unfortunately, knowing something and actually doing something were two completely different things. And one was significantly harder than the other.

"Could you just accept it?" I asked, quickly clarifying when I realized that my sudden change in the topic had left him behind a step or two. "Could you accept just suddenly not being a guardian?"

"Rose, I told you before you left that I considered–"

"No, not you leaving by choice. I mean having that choice taken away. One day it's what you do and who you are, and then the next, poof, it's gone."

Dimitri thought for a moment, and I did my best to let the silence linger rather than rush him to answer. He had surprised me back in Spokane when he admitted that he had considered resigning. I'm glad that he didn't, for many reasons. As much as I appreciated the sentiment, it would have been a rash decision that I'm sure he would have regretted. Worse, I think he would have eventually resented me over it. No, he was where he belonged, and me…well, I was where I had to be, even if I didn't always like it.

"I don't know, Roza. I really don't," he said quietly. A strange heaviness lingered in his confession, and I almost wished I hadn't asked. "It would take a long time, I think. Truthfully, you're probably handling things better than I would in your shoes."

"I doubt it." I didn't mean to, but I scoffed at the idea of him dealing with this any worse than I was. Dimitri was strong. He probably would have brushed things off and bounced back within a week. I'm sure he was just trying to make me feel better. "You would have been fine."

He gave me a tight smile that almost had me reconsidering whether or not he was actually telling me the truth. Before I could say anything else, he redirected the conversation. "So tell me about this job."

"There isn't much to tell, really." I flipped onto my stomach, kicking my heels behind me as I shared my new day-to-day. "Obviously, Max was the one who hired me, but I think that he only got away with it because I don't have to speak to any of the guests. And you know what? I don't hate it. I mean, I'd like to do something else eventually, but there's something almost meditative about the job. I basically follow the same pattern in each room, so I kinda just get into a groove. Plus, we're allowed to listen to music as long as we wear earbuds, so that's nice as well." I almost had to laugh that I had gone from a job that would have required vigilant attention and the constant threat of danger to a job that allowed me to mentally check out completely and basically ignore everyone else around me. "There are definitely worse things I could be doing. It can get a little boring, but there are some fun things here and there, too."

"Oh?" I'm sure he was wondering just what fun there was to be had cleaning up after guests, but there was one part of my job that was endlessly entertaining to me.

"Yeah. People leave strange things in their rooms. I can't touch them unless they've already checked out, of course, but I can look." It was almost like a strange game of hide-and-seek or peek-a-boo because I never knew what I was going to find while cleaning. "Mostly, it's just phone chargers and toothbrushes, but someone left a pair of handcuffs last week? Not even the fuzzy kind. Actual handcuffs."

Dimitri's eyes widened in a brief moment of surprise before smirking. "You think they were having some fun?"

"That or there was some sort of shakedown."

He shook his head, playfully exasperated at the running joke between us. "You are convinced that the mob is being run out of my hometown, aren't you?"

"It's Russia, Dimitri. I'm convinced everyone here is in the mob. Your mother would make a fantastic intelligence agent. Nobody would ever suspect her." Neither of us mentioned that between the two of us, I was the one who was related to someone who...well if he wasn't an actual mobster, he was at least mob-adjacent. Still, the idea of Olena being some undercover operative was hilarious. I wouldn't put it past Yeva, but Olena wouldn't hurt a fly.

He smirked. "You have a point, but back to those handcuffs…"

My brows furrowed together. "Yeah?"

"Did you get to keep them?" I swear, Dimitri's voice dropped half an octave and the deep, rumbling sound was enough to leave me shaken and speechless, even from half a world away.

I cleared my throat, trying to find my voice and answer him while not melting under the heated look in his eyes. "Did...did you have something in mind?"

"Mmhmm."

Oh god, this man was going to kill me. "And what do you have in mind?"

"A mob-style shakedown."

I broke out laughing, and Dimitri's chuckle echoed mine over the line. I loved that he joked and laughed so easily with me now. I didn't think the man could get any hotter. Yeah, his intensity could be a serious turn-on. When he smiled, though? I lived for those smiles.

Still, maybe I would have to double-check on the whole handcuff thing. Perhaps a "shakedown" could be a little fun…

Author's Note

Yay! Rose had a job. I'm sure it's not what most of you imagined (or were hoping), but it's a great first step for her as she starts becoming more independent. It only gets better from here. Also, what do you think of her conversation with Abe? Should Rose reconcile with Janine?

As always, thank you all for your kind words of support. A special thank you to Elizabeth H for buying me some coffee this week. I cannot receive payment for my actual fanfic work, but you'll be happy to know that because of your donation, Vanessa (the female MC from the book I'm currently working on) got a pretty steamy kiss from Caleb.

Question of the Week: What was your first job?

Translations:

Гостиница Аврора = Hotel Arora

"Горничная, можно войти?" = "Housekeeping, may I come in?