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Another audience came and went that evening, and they made little difference in the life of Dmitri Petrov. Few had managed to, and few ever would manage to. He was dressed impeccably again, of course, for there was never a show in which he would look anything like a mere performer. Dmitri was the ringleader, the kingpin, and he deserved recognition for it. Something was different this night. He broke his pattern.
He was a leader, never a follower, so it would have made sense for Dmitri to remain ahead of the others as per usual, nudging aside slower carnies if necessary. This night, however, he didn't. Instead, he lingered about and followed behind the others, for he wouldn't be caught up in the middle of the swarm either way. Polished black boots dulled slightly as he kicked up dust inside of the tent. Performers milled about, either to gather belongings or to make plans. He, of course, already had plans. They weren't, however, with Lana. The Ukrainian had been, it seemed, avoiding him over the past month or so. Her visits became less and less frequent until she just about stopped visiting his car. No matter. It was her loss.
White fabric fluttered as figures moved about, generating miniature breezes. It was the twenty-eighth of July, only three days before her birthday. Her eighteenth birthday. He moved quite agilely about, sliding past tables and performers, animals and piles of costumes until he stood by her own station which really wasn't much. Vladimir's harsh cry gave away his position before he could formulate the best way to begin. "Miss Ward," he greeted softly, inclining his head to remove the top hat. "First of all, I must compliment you on your act. You certainly never fail to impress the crowds." Was it the truth, a lie? It was impossible to tell, for he attacked more pressing matters quite suddenly. "Secondly, I would like to invite you back to my car." A smile twitched at his lips, and then it broadened, exposing teeth. "Rumor has it that your birthday is coming up, and I happen to have a nice Lambrusco just waiting for an occasion. Would you do me the honor?" He finished the question with a slightly cocked eyebrow as he tried to gauge her reaction.
Evelyn hurried, trying to weave in and out of the crowd as fast as possible to get to her car. She was desperate to spend more time with the twins, she was almost ready to tell Conner how she felt. Her hands reached out to the handle of her doorm but she jumped at the sound of Vladimir and nearly toppled backwards into Dmitri. His voice sent chills down her spine, something like disgust moving through her. Twirling a strand of hair nervously and resisting the urge to chew on it, she turned in her spot and gave the ringleader an uneasy smile. "Ah.. Th-Thank you Mr. Petrov."
The girl cringed a bit at his offer. Going to his car seemed so wrong aside from the obvious fact that she wanted to go see Conner and Kieran. "Well.." She whispered, what could be so bad about a little birthday celebration, right? "Of course." Evelyn smiled, releasing her strand of hair and shuffling in her spot. "L-Lead the way."
She was afraid, and that was obvious. It only added to the sense of satisfaction, though. The white hair twirled about in her white fingers quickly, uneasily. It wasn’t the ideal reaction. He would have preferred a blush, a look of admiration in her eyes as she looked up at him. It would have to do. Dmitri tried to ignore the cringe, but he wasn’t one to simply ignore unpleasant facts. A sheltered lifestyle was hardly a lifestyle at all. ”You are very welcome, Miss Ward,” he said, his words slathered in his typical Russian accent. It was as if he did not notice the cringe, for he merely smiled back at her, the corner of his mouth quirking slightly to expose a few teeth.
It would be an understatement to say he was surprised by her willingness to join him. Dmitri had assumed more convincing would be needed. He certainly wasn’t complaining, however. He was quite glad. The smirk expanded, and he nodded back at her. The shuffle of her bare feet only confirmed her apprehension. They walked off toward his car, easily spotted at the head of the train. The Russian stopped her before the stairs and opened the door quickly, peering in. If Lana were inside, it would have been catastrophic. Perhaps a part of him actually wanted her to be in there. Perhaps he craved the rush that such a conflict would bring in his mundane existence. The car was empty.
Holding the door open, he beckoned for Evelyn with a flick of his index and middle fingers and then an open palm presenting the room to her as if it were something to be awed at which it was, especially to a performer who had no such place to themselves. Dmitri slid past her fluidly, allowing himself to brush his hand against her arm in an action that might seem accidental. It wasn’t, of course. As she acquainted herself with the room, he rummaged about in the small fridge within his room for the sweet wine he had acquired when he first thought of his ingenious plan. It was opened with ease due to practice and poured into glasses that he had put out before the show that night.
As the Russian rejoined her, he extended one of the glasses toward her, causing the red wine to slosh slightly. ”We both know you are not legally allowed to drink,” he said as she took the glass. ”But we also both know you are certainly mature enough to handle it.” Dmitri held his glass up. ”To a prosperous year? Success in our careers?” He suggested the toasts with a cocked eyebrow, waiting for her to choose what they would toast to. He needed to make her feel comfortable. How else would he get what he wanted?
Another cringe came as Dmitri touched her. But it was just an accident, easily forgivable. She fidgeted uneasily as she glanced around the car. She felt like she should be impressed but she only felt uncomfortable. It would have been better to decline now, she could tell, but it would have been rude. Evelyn gave a small jump as her attention was torn back to Dmitri with a small smile. Reluctantly a blush spread across her cheeks at his comment about her maturity, giving him a small giggle to validate him. "How about we toast to happiness..?" She suggested innocently, biting her lip as she stared down into the liquid as her heart sped up. It didn't feel right to break the law like this, but she was safe, wasn't she?