I tucked a stay hair behind my ear to give me something to do. “That sounds good. Let me take a quick shower in the back of the theater and then—”
Misha’s voice went dark. “Why was Akiva yelling at you?”
I sighed. “Not now.”
“I’m sorry, baby.” Grandma placed her hands on her hips. “But now is a good time as any.”
“I’m a grown woman I can handle—”
“He was talking about your. . .vagina. I heard that.” Misha gritted his teeth. “Why did the conversation go there?”
“Goddamn it.” My hands shook. “This. . .I’m embarrassed about it. . .and—”
“Why are you embarrassed?” Grandma closed the distance between us and rubbed my shoulder. “If I know my baby, then I know she has nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“I. . .I kind of knew what was going on around here, and still I’ve been a part of the company. I just.” I shook my head. “I just thought that there was some sort of consent. No. Maybe, I didn’t. Perhaps, I pretended there was consent. Olesya didn’t talk about that night, but it was clear she was probably was raped—”
“Raped?” Misha’s voice rose in the dressing room.
“I wasn’t raped. I think Olesya was. I thought she was close to. . .Wait. This has nothing to do with today. Not really.”
Grandma gently rubbed my arm. “Take your time.”
“Okay.” I let out a long breath. “I thought that this company was different than the one in Moscow—”
“Are you talking about the Moscow Ballet scandal?” Misha gritted his teeth. “This company is doing the same thing? Pimping the ballerinas to anyone with the right price?”
“What?!” Grandma snapped her attention to him. “Excuse me?”
Misha had no idea about my grandmother’s temper.
I raised my hands in the air. “Hold on. I wasn’t pimped off yet—”
“Yet?” Grandma headed to the door.
“Wait. Wait.” I got in front of her. “Okay. Just let me explain.”
“Yeah. You explain and then we are on a plane, because I’ll be damned if my baby, with all this talent, has to be somebody’s prostitute.”
I put my back to Misha. “Grandma, please calm down.”
She took off her wig. “Nope. Satan is a liar.”
Oh my god.
Next, she snatched the stocking cap away. She’d braided her hair in three long plaits. “What happened, Ava?”
“Grandma, please put your wig back on. I handled it. I was supposed to have lunch with Akiva.” I got my words together. “Akiva’s assistant told me that there were three men in there with him. So lunch would be with the men too. So, I asked her if these guys were stallions, which are guys that pay to have sex with ballerinas. She said that she thought so because. . .Akiva was on the phone telling the theater that these men were willing to pay a million dollars to sleep with me.”
“Lord Jesus!” Grandma tried to step around me. “Move out of my way, Ava.”
“Would you just listen first. I—”
The door slammed behind me.
Shit.
I turned.
Misha disappeared.
The black man remained.
Grandma walked around me. “Move, Maxwell.”
“Misha told me to keep you both here.” He shrugged. “Just relax. Take a breath—”
“If you don’t get your young behind out of my way.” Grandma was barely an inch from him.
“Mrs. Jones, please sit down.”
“What’s Misha going to do?” I asked.
“I’m sure he’s going to explain to Akiva that this behavior is inappropriate.” Maxwell pulled out what looked to be a joint. “Can I smoke this in here?”
“No. You cannot.” I checked the door. “Maxwell is your name right?”
“Yeah.” He frowned and put the joint back.
“Let me go outside,” I said. “I don’t want Misha to get in trouble or anything. This is my fight. Not his. I’ve got this under control.”
“I can’t let you do that.” He shrugged.
Grandma tried. “Maxwell, I like you. I don’t want to hurt you.”
Maxwell grinned. “Mrs. Jones, I’m sure you will, but unless you knock me out, Misha will be pissed that I let you both out. It’s a touch dilemma, but—”
Grandma kneed him in the crotch.
He keeled over. “What the fuck?”
I rushed to the door and opened it.
Maxwell grabbed at my leotard. Grandma must’ve hit him again because he shrieked and let go.
I raced out of the dressing room.
My men were no longer in the hall.
I rushed down toward Akiva’s office.
Male screams sounded off in the distant.
No. No. What are you doing, Misha?
These three men were powerful. Even though Misha had relatives in the Bratva, I didn’t know if he would be safe. Russia could be a cruel country. Many of the consequences of breaking rules meant death. So much corruption and violence, there would be nowhere for Misha to hide.
Please, Misha.
I got close to Akiva’s office.
Two of my new guards now stood outside the door.
The other one must’ve been inside along with Misha and his men.
Another man screamed within Akiva’s office.
“No.” I tried to walk around the guards. “Please, let me in. I have to talk to Misha.”