Tatiana and Alexander: A Novel(151)
"What is spaghetti made of?"
"How do I know? It grows in Portugal, like olives, and my grandmother buys it in special shops."
"No. Spaghetti made of flour."
"So?"
"Meatballs made of meat."
"So?"
Tatiana didn't answer. Half a block ahead of her, she saw a tall male shape. She held Anthony's hand tighter as she stared through the crowds, trying to see. Second Avenue was busy and she tilted her head, then moved three steps to the right, and then tried to speed up.
"So?"
"Come on, little faster. Excuse me," she said to the people in front of them. "Excuse me, please." Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Hey, what's the hurry? Tania! You didn't answer my question."
"Question?"
"So? That was my question. So?"
"Spaghetti and meatballs are also bread and meat. Excuse me," Tatiana said again to the people in front of her, pulling Anthony faster than his short legs could carry him. "Come on, son, let's not dawdle." But she wasn't looking at Anthony, or at Vikki, or at the people she was pushing out of her way with the carriage. No one liked to have their ankles rammed by an aggressive Russian woman, even in a Russian neighborhood--especially in a Russian neighborhood. Tatiana heard some very unkind words in her native tongue. "Hurry, Vikki, hurry."
She picked up Anthony, thrust the carriage into Vikki's already full hands and said, "I've got to--" Then, breaking off, she started to run. She couldn't restrain herself. She ran out into the street and alongside the curb, trying to catch two men about a block ahead of her. Short of shouting at their backs, she didn't know what to do; panting, her heart pounding, she caught up with them at the light and before speaking--because she couldn't speak--she placed her free hand, the one that wasn't holding Anthony, on the man's arm, and tried to say,Alexander ? But no words would come out.
The man was very tall and very broad. She kept her hand on him long enough for him to turn around, and see her staring. He smiled. Turning red, Tatiana took away her hand and averted her gaze, but it was too late.
"Yes, sweetheart?" he said. "What can I do you for?"
She backed away. Temporarily forgetting her English, she started yammering in Russian. Then went back to a broken language even she didn't recognize. "I sorry, I think you was someplace, someone else..."
"For you, I'll be anyone you want me to be. Who do you want me to be, sweetheart?"
Vikki had caught up by now, with the carriage and shopping bags, flushed and put upon. "Tania! What do you think you're--" She broke off when she saw the two men, and smiled.
The tall man introduced himself as Jeb and his friend as Vincent.
Jeb was dark-haired, but his face was all wrong. It was Jeb's face. It wasn't Tatiana's husband's. Nonetheless, on a Saturday afternoon, in standing close to him, in looking up into his friendly smiling eyes, Tatiana felt a twinge of want. A breath of desire.
A few minutes later, as they were walking away, Vikki said, "Tania, why is it feast or famine with you? You completely ignore all men for years, then you knock down old ladies to chase one down the street. What is wrong with you?"
The next day Jeb called.
"Are you crazy?" Vikki said. "You gave him our number? You don't know where he's been."
"I know where he been," said Tatiana. "Japan. He was sailor." Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"I don't understand. You don't know him at all. I've been trying to get you to go out with Edward for two years--"
"Vikki, I don't want Edward to be my rebound. He too good for that."
"Edward doesn't think so. You want Jeb to be your rebound?"
"I don't know."
"Well, I don't like him for you," Vikki stated flatly. "I didn't like the way he was looking at you. I can't believe of all the men out there, you had to pick theone I don't like."
"He will grow on you."
But he didn't grow on Vikki. Tatiana was too ashamed of being attracted to Jeb to go out alone with him, but she did invite him for dinner.
"What are you going to make him? Eggs and bacon? Bacon, lettuce and tomato on bread? Or stuffed cabbage--with bacon?"
"Stuffed cabbage sounds good. Stuffed cabbage and bread."
Jeb came and had dinner with them. Vikki would not disappear into her room for a moment, and Anthony was underfoot all evening. Finally, Jeb left.
"I didn't like the way he looked at you the first time he saw you and I like him even less now," Vikki declared. "Don't you find him condescending?"
"What?"
"He cut you off every time you spoke, didn't you notice? Always with a smile, the fraud. And don't tell me you didn't notice how he ignored your boy?"
"How could he ignore him? Thanks to you, Anthony was under table entire night!"
"Don't you think Anthony is worth a better man than Jeb?"
"I do," said Tatiana. "But better man is not here. What am I supposed to do?"
"Edward is a better man than Jeb," Vikki said.
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