Ambassador
Angela's fingers were sore. The last bit of the paltry payment Miguel had given her as an informant for the pictures had gone toward some discount satin and elastic and needles and thread. The simple design of her normal Sapphire costume took only a few minutes with a machine, but by hand it took... well, she didn't have anything better to do.
She put her work down when the phone rang.
"Angela."
Terse. "What?"
"It's me, Dino."
Dismissive. "I know."
"Are you okay?"
"Don't you have a more important call?"
"Okay, I deserved that."
No response.
"Angela, please don't be mad at me. I didn't even know Jacob was in the club last night. And I should have told Bruno about you."
"I didn't realize you needed special dispensation to keep from getting pawed by a Russian scumbag in your club."
Dino's patience was clearly tested. "Now hold on, it's not like that. I just meant Bruno would have kept a close watch on you if he'd known you were my girl-" he stuttered, changing his choice of words, "my guest."
Did he almost say girl? As in girlfriend? Angela softened, but she kept quiet. She was still mad. And still a little spooked. If Dino's other friends were like Jacob...
"I know what you're thinking. If everybody I know is like Jacob, you're better off not knowing me."
Woah, now *that* was spooky.
Dino continued. "It's not like that. I'm really just a normal guy." A normal guy who drives a Ferrari and runs the hottest night spot in Oak Valley. For the Russian Mafiya. "Jacob's... well, he's Jacob. I promise you he'll never bother you again."
Angela steamed for a moment. Dino was waiting for her to say something. Finally, she spoke:
"You're darn right he won't. I'll kick his ass."
She was serious, but Dino couldn't know that; he laughed. "So does that mean you'll see me tonight?"
Angela thawed more with each passing second. "You're not going to leave me alone again, are you?"
"Not a chance. Dinner and a show. You'll never be more than two feet away from me all night."
Well, *that* sounded good. "What movie?"
"Not a movie, a show. Sergei wants to see 'Cats.' Have you seen it?"
"Wait, who's Sergei? Not one of your 'business associates' I hope."
Dino's tone was harsh. "Angela!"
"Well..."
"Sergei Pavlov is the secretary to the Russian Ambassador. To the United States."
"Oh." Well, that was different.
"Kostya was supposed to entertain, but he decided the secretary might have more fun with me. You have no idea how big this is."
"Well, yeah, it's an ambassador."
"Secretary to the Ambassador. But still, quite a big deal. So are you up for it?"
Was she? Angela was barely out of high school. She hadn't even gone to Prom, and now she was supposed to have dinner with a dignitary? Wait, was he a dignitary?
Who cares! He's the most important person I'll probably ever meet.
"Well?" Dino asked.
"I don't know what to say."
"Yes," he prompted.
"I don't have anything to wear."
"You have time to go shopping."
"Time is not the problem."
"I'll call Judy's at the Galleria and tell them to expect you."
Angela was speechless. She couldn't even afford a scarf at Judy's. They probably wouldn't even let her into the store.
"You're nuts, you know. I'm not even old enough to drink."
"So? We're not going bar-hopping."
"I'll be in over my head."
"I'm not asking you to debate the man on world issues. Just be your usual captivating self."
Angela's stomach was all aflutter. There was no way she could pull this off. She'd embarass Dino. He was a fool for asking her.
Once again, Dino seemed to sense what she was thinking. "Relax. You won't embarass me. You can't embarass me. Any man would be lucky to have such a smart and radiant woman at his side for such an auspicious event."
"How do you do that?"
"What?"
"You always know what I'm thinking."
"You're not that hard to read."
What did that mean?
"Just say yes."
Well... it beat sitting home watching sitcoms all night.
And to be able to say "I had dinner with the secretary to the Russian Ambassador to the United States" was just too good to pass up. Even if she did make a complete fool of herself.
"Yes."
Angela did her best to stop squirming. She was still acutely aware of the stretchy sequined yellow fabric caressing every curve. It made her feel strangely naked. It didn't help that Dino kept stealing glances up that long side slit... if the look in his eyes was to be believed, she *was* naked. Finally she couldn't take it anymore and got up, plunking down in the seat next to him. Only after she did so did she realize that now he had a great view way way *way* down her cleavage. Angela nervously fiddled with the shoulder straps again.
"If you don't cut that out, you're gonna break the strap and then you'll have to go topless."
Angela's hands shot to her lap and she remained very still for the rest of the trip.
The limousine finally pulled under the massive awning of the Grand Plaza Hotel. A man in a tuxedo with a piece of very expensive eye candy on his arm stepped briskly toward them. Angela thought him to be in his early thirties, she in her late twenties. Too young to be so important. Did the secretary have his own secretary?
"That's Sergei Pavlov," Dino said, peering through the tinted window at the approaching couple. "And companion."
No way...
The door opened. A very long, very tan, invisibly-stockinged leg entered the limo, followed by the most intimidatingly beautiful woman Angela had ever seen up close. Perfect warm-auburn hair cut in a very metropolitan bob. Flawless face. (Except for thinnish lips, Angela thought smugly, in truth grasping at any imperfection to keep her own ego from crashing.) Perfect "champagne-glass tits" underneath a gauzy-but-elegant backless silk dress, slit right up the middle in front to reveal those amazing legs.
The woman took one look at Angela and her eyebrows did the "well, I never!" dance. In this case, "well, I never expected to spend an evening entertaining someone's kid sister."
Angela suddenly felt like the poor girl at Prom.
The ugly poor girl.
But her inadequacy was quickly lost in the charm of this haute coture's date.
Average height, average build, average brown hair, brown eyes, wrapped in a classic tuxedo but without the tie...
...and the most easygoing, engaging, disarming smile Angela had ever seen.
This was a man who was *comfortable*. And he made everyone around him comfortable.
This was the secretary to the Ambassador? He was so... young! And kinda cute!
"Dino Sinclair," he said, shaking Dino's hand. "Kostya's been talking my ear off for the last week about how I just *had* to meet you."
"Mr. Pavlov," Dino said, suddenly very respectful.
"Please, you'll make me think I'm working. Call me Sergei."
"Of course."
Sergei's date took the opportunity to grab center stage. She leaned forward, offering a limp wrist to Dino. "Michele. With one 'L'." She withdrew her hand, making a point of ignoring Dino's young date.
Angela made a sour face -- stuck-up! -- but quickly recovered. She answered as if the woman hadn't slighted her. "Charmed," she said, syrupy sweet.
Dino stepped in to keep them from raising fur and hissing. "Michele, Sergei, this is Miss Angela Barrett."
"Delighted to make your acquaintance, Miss Barrett." Sergei's English was flawless, with no discernable accent. He then said something in Russian and kissed her hand.
"Please, call me Angela," she blushed.
"Delighted to make your acquaintance, Angela."
"You're not who I pictured."
"Really?" Sergei punctuated his smile with a little head tilt.
"I thought you'd be... older. And more... Russian."
Sergei let out a great guffaw. "Oh, my dear! Not everyone in politics is an old man. And I've been living in the United States for twelve years. I've served four different ambassadors, starting as a courier and working my way up the ranks."
"So did you ever have an accent?"
"You mean a Russian accent? Only when I speak Russian." This got a too-hearty laugh from Michele. "My parents subjected me to an English teacher from age six. I'm sorry to disappoint you."
Angela was effusive. "Oh, no! I'm not disappointed! I thought you'd be boring, but you're not at all!"
Sergei's date shot Angela a stern look: you're making a spectacle of yourself, shut up already.
Sergei just laughed all the harder. "Well, I'm glad to hear it. So, Dino, where are we going for dinner?"
"I was thinking we'd go to Schroeder's, at the top of Nakatomi Tower."
Sergei made a face; Dino was aghast -- he'd screwed up. Michele-with-one-L seemed to take great satisfaction in the host's faux pas. Angela shot her a "stuff it, sister" look, but the bitch simply rolled her eyes in response.
"Or we could go somewhere else..." Dino faltered. What was wrong with Schroeder's? It was the perfect impress-the-tourists spot.
Sergei explained. "I don't want to go to some flashy impress-the-tourists spot. I get that all the time. I'm sorry, I guess Kostya didn't know."
"Um, okay," Dino said, his face betraying total brain freeze. Angela had never seen him flustered like this before.
Sergei saved the flailing Dino. "I have an idea. Why don't we ask Angela where she'd like to go?"
Michele rolled her eyes.
Angela was caught completely off guard.
"Gosh, I don't know! I don't get to go to fancy restaurants that much."
Had Angela not been so on the spot, she might have noticed Michele mocking her silently: Gosh, I don't know!
Sergei shot Dino a look -- Haven't you been taking care of this girl? -- but flashed that amazing smile at Angela. "Great!" he said. "I'm tired of fancy restaurants. What's your favorite place to go?"
"Probably the Fat Panda in the Food Court," Michele said only half under her breath. Sergei's eyes shot daggers at her for the petty snipe; the escort's cheeks burned crimson as she turned to stare out the window.
"I, um, I can't think of anything," Angela stammered.
"Come on. Surely you eat at least occasionally. Name some place you like that you haven't been to in a long time."
Her voice couldn't have been more hesitant. "Charley's Chili dogs?"
"Done!" Sergei said, as if he'd have been just as pleased if she'd suggested they stop at the grocery store for a package of baloney and squeezable mustard.
Michele's scowl said quite plainly to no one: I don't care what he pays me, I am *not* eating a chili dog.
Wait! They were going to be in a crowded theater after dinner. Chili dogs probably weren't the best idea.
"No, wait. Bad idea." After a momentary raised eyebrow, Sergei smiled in understanding. Yes. So? Your next choice?
Angela struggled to come up with something better -- perhaps a *little* classier. After a blank moment, a weird idea popped into her head. A place she liked that she hadn't been to in a long time. Well, not that long, but it seemed like a past life. In a way, it was. Was she ready to go back so soon? Would it bring back bad memories?
Dino did that mind-reading thing again. "Angela, are you sure you're okay to go there?"
Not by herself, but maybe with Dino to keep her company...
A voice inside her spoke. Go on. She'd want you to go there. You can't hide forever.
Besides, the look on Mel's face when Angela walked in with a hot hunk on her arm and the secretary to the Russian Ambassador in tow... that would be priceless!
"Yeah. It'll be fun." Angela bubbled over with enthusiasm, reaching across to touch Sergei's knee. "You'll love it!"
"Driver," Dino called up, "take us to Mel's Diner."
Michele just grunted.