Page 58 of Beneath the Light of the Moon

“Oh, don’t be like that. I wanna know; what does the vast internet say about me?”

Licking her upper teeth in contemplation, Anika decided between playing dumb or intimidating Levi. The latter won.

“Well, you live alone,” she started and Levi wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, “preferring to explore the city instead of being holed up in your apartment. You’re well traveled, and judging on the timestamps of your last several years on social media you prefer flexing in front of a mirror more than showing up to work.

“You’ve only been working at Romanov Real Estate for about ten years from what I can find…” Anika trailed off, yearning to unleash more, but trying to strike a balance between tormenting him and playing the game for a little longer. “And yet you’ve been traveling before then which leads me to believe you have an inheritance or wealthy family. Especially since you like to spend most nights at local clubs spending money and harassing bottle girls.”

Thaterased his stupid grin.

“You sure know how towooyour dates,” he replied, sarcasm belowthe surface of his words.

“You asked.”

“True…” Levi flagged the waiter down, eager for a break in the conversation. Anika barely managed to cover her smile as the man stopped to take their drink order. While alcohol was something she tried not to divulge in frequently, tonight was an exception. She neededsomethingto power through this date.

After she’d picked a Malbec from the menu—also enjoying the market price next to it—she waited for Levi to lead the conversation. She wasn’t going to do all the talking, this date washisidea after all.

And I’m here for other reasons,she thought mischievously, eyes still straying to the mirror above Levi.

“Where were we?” he prompted once the waiter had left, his words indicating he knew but didn’t want to return to the topic of himself. Well, that was a lie, all men liked to talk about themselves, but Levi wasn’t fond of the information she’d gleaned in the span of a week and some spare time. No, he’d wanted to paint himself in a different light, abetterone.

Sigh.

“I’m sorry if I came on too strong,” Anika supplied finally. “It’s a habit I’m trying to break.” The lie rolled off her tongue easily. If people thought her to be too much, then they could leave.

Levi chuckled, fiddling with his cuffed button down sleeves. The cerulean fabric made his eyes shine, and in the warm amber lighting of the restaurant, theyalmostlooked like someone else’s.

Emerald pools holding secrets I want toripfree.

“No, no, it’s alright,” he continued, “that’s why I asked you out. You’re different from a lot of women I’ve met and tried to date.”Wow, I’ve never heard that before.“It’s what drew me to you in the first place.”

“Is that so?” Anika’s fingernail tapped rhythmically on the tabletop, her eyes pinning him to the spot. Levi was caught somewherebetween enjoying her attention and also squirming under it. And that wasjusthow she liked it. “Finally get tired of the bottle girls and dancers?”

“Yeah, it’s been, uh, it’s been hard to find women I connect with these days.”

“And you connect with me?”

There was an infinitesimal pause from him that Anika caught before, “Yes.”

Something was amiss. It was like a prickle in the back of her mind, incessant now that she discovered it, but the harder she tried to pinpoint it, the more it seemed to escape her. It was as if one minute he enjoyed her conversation, then the next he was in dire need of escaping.

Had Mikko put him up to spying?

It felt that way.

Too bad Mr. Romanov couldn’t do his own research by himself. Instead he had to resort to grunt workers.

“That’s interesting,” she started, waiting to continue since the waiter had returned with their drinks. Levi took a sip of his whiskey and soda while she resumed her thoughts, “I’ve also had some…difficulties in the dating department.” Not a lie, but it wasn’t for the reason she was about to divulge.

“Really?”

His surprise was on par with most people’s reactions.

“Yes, men have a hard time realizing my job is significant to me.”

“I could see that being an issue.”

Anika smiled as if this was her first time hearing his words. “I always thought I hid it better, but as I grow into myself, I realize that I don’t. But, in any case, work tends to come before my friends and family—a by-product of my independence, if you will—and it rubs potentialsuitorsthe wrong way.”