The Billionaire's Secret Love Child(142)

She went inside. She noticed a couple sitting at a table in the far corner. They looked like they were making up after a fight. The woman had a blotched face, and the man a hurt look on his face and they were holding hands across the table. There were only two more people in the restaurant. The waitress was only about eighteen and pretty. Why such a pretty young woman should wear her hair in dreadlocks was beyond Nicki. The other person was a handsome blonde man of about twenty-five. He was tall, and his T-shirt clung to a physique he obviously spent a lot of time honing. Unusually for the time of year, he was wearing jeans shorts that showed off his long tanned legs. Nicki wondered what it would be like to stroke over the soft looking blonde hairs that covered them.

''Coffee please,'' she said, sitting on one of the bars stools. The waitress nodded. Nicki reached down to her bag and took out a notepad.

''You're a reporter then?'' the waitress inquired.

''Do I look like a reporter?'' she replied. She was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a white blouse covered by a gray cardigan. Hardly a giveaway.

''The notepad,'' she said. ''Plus we get hundreds of journalists in here.'' She put a white cup and saucer down in front of Nicki.

''Why so many?''

''They're all after a mafia story.'' She picked up a tea towel and started to polish wine glasses.

''Doesn't the mafia own most of Brighton Beach? Sokolov owns this restaurant.''

''I have no idea. I just come and do my job and go home again. Andrey's my boss, and I'm sure he's not mafia.'' She pointed at the blonde man. When he heard his name, he looked up from his newspaper.

''Talking about me again Mel?'' he joked. He got up and wandered over to Nicki. ''I'm Andrey. It's a bit boring in here at this time of the day. Things don't usually get going until after seven pm.''

''That's okay, I only dropped in for a coffee. It's a lovely restaurant.'' He could have been a Californian surfer, she thought. His fresh face was tanned, and his blonde hair cradled his face in long waves.

''Yes, I love it. It's become part of me. There's always an opportunity to meet new people, like yourself.'' He leaned on the bar and put his foot on the brass foot rail. ''So are you?'' he asked.

''Am I what?'' she replied looking into his blue eyes.

''What Mel said. On the lookout for a mafia story?''

''Okay, I am a journalist. A freelancer. That's someone who works.....''

''I know what a freelancer is,'' he interrupted. ''If you're looking for a mafia story, you're fifteen years too late. All the shootings have stopped, and now it's a respectable area.'' He began to laugh, ''in fact the only bad thing that can happen to you around here, is a seagull messing on your head.''

''I don't know, there are secrets everywhere if you look for them. You for example. You sound Russian, so you have a story to tell. Why did you come here? Where are you from? How many girlfriends have you had? I bet a lot of female readers would enjoy reading about you.'' She put her hand on his arm as if she would be one of them.

''I'm afraid it would be a disappointing story. Tell you what, you tell me how many boyfriends you've had, and I'll tell you how many girlfriends I've had.'' He looked pleased with himself.

''One,'' she said without hesitation.

''I don't' believe you. A hot woman like you has only had one boyfriend. Get out of here.''

''What do you take me for?'' she jested. ''Are you suggesting that I may be loose?''

''Of course not. Sixteen.''

''You've had sixteen girlfriends?'' she exclaimed. ''I don't believe you. You're exaggerating, trying to be macho.''

''Sixteen not including the one night stands,'' he bragged. ''Not too bad for a simple boy from St Petersberg is it?''

''I guess not, but I still don't believe you. So why did you come here from that beautiful city?''

''Have you been there?''

''Last year. I studied for a year in Moscow and went to St Petersberg by train to have a look. It really is a very special place.''

''I came here to better myself,'' he said proudly. ''I had a bad start in life. My dad was killed in the Chechen war and my mother never got over it. I found her one day. Asleep in the kitchen, except she wasn't asleep. She'd taken an overdose.'' His eyes stared into the distance for a few seconds before focusing on her again.

Nicki was shocked. She'd had a relatively easy time of it in comparison. Her parents were both still alive and reasonably well off. ''Jesus that's horrible. Poor you,'' she put her hand on his. ''Does it pain you to talk about it?''

''No. Not nowadays anyway. It was nine years ago and time heals.''

''So have you got any relatives?''

''No, I'm all alone in the world,'' he said as if he liked it that way.

''Well, if you've had so many girlfriends, you probably haven't had time for relatives.''

''I guess not.'' He liked her. She was beautiful and had the same sense of humor. He liked the oval shape of her eyes and the way her hands moved when she talked.