Chapter Five

Later that night, Julia was lying in her bed, in her hotel room, contemplating about the lunch date she had with Kostja. Not that she was disappointed that he left early… really, she wasn't… She just wished that she could spend more time with him. The sound of someone knocking on the door woke her from her day-dreaming.

"Who is it?" she yelled, not bothering to move from her position on the bed.

"It's your hot Russian mob boyfriend," said the very sarcastic voice of Jeffery.

She quickly got of the bed and opened the door for him. "Say that any louder and someone, who might be part of the mob, might actually hear you," she said with hands on her hips.

"Whatever," he dismissed her and walked right into the room. He took a seat on one of her two beds.

"Come on in," she muttered and closed the door. She then sat down on the other bed, opposite of him. "Are you here for a reason?"

"Only here for one reason," he said cheerfully, "to piss you off."

"Brad," she said tiredly, accidentally let his real name slip out. He glared at her. "Oops, sorry Jeffery," she said, using his code name this time. "I'm not really in a good mood right now."

"Ahhhhh poor baby," he faked a pout. "Love not working for you."

"Shut up," she said and then threw a pillow at him, which he easily caught. "I am not in love."

"Whatever," he said. "So did you find anything out?"

"No, he left early."

"Know why?"

"No."

"I do," he said with a smirk, "he wanted to get away from you."

Julia threw another pillow at him. He just laughed at her crazy tactics. "Why do you care?" she asked curiously when he finished laughing.

Jeffery looked at her, wondering what to say. He wouldn't say that he was jealous, which he was by the way-really jealous. He has had a crush on Julia for the longest time now. She was just oblivious to all the signs. He just couldn't get over her, no matter how hard he tried.

He decided to go with half of the truth. "I don't want you to get hurt. You could end up with more than a broken heart," he finally said seriously. He then smiled. "And besides, if you were gone, who else would be here for me to bug."

Julia laughed. "You know, if I had more pillows, I would throw them at you."

Jeffery grinned and hugged the pillows she threw at him to himself. "I bet you would."

"Where are the others?"

"Sleeping or doing their job. And which, by the way, you should be doing too."

"I will."

"You better."

"Can I have one of my pillows back?" she asked. Jeffery answered by throwing a pillow at her. She put the pillow back in its original spot and laid her head on it.

A comfortable silence came over them and both drifted of into their own thoughts. Jeffery thought about her and Kostja. Julia thought about Kostja and the mission. "Brad," she said softly, breaking the silence. "Thank you for caring."

"You're welcome, Mandy," he said honestly. "You're welcome."

Kostja paced up and down in the living room of the most expensive suite in the hotel. Pavel, his best friend, watched him going back and forth from the leather couch. "Sit the hell down," he said. "You are giving me a damn headache."

Kostja glared at him, but sat down in a leather armchair anyways. "I hate you," Kostja said.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Pavel said, not really listening to him. Kostja has been in a bad mood even since he "accidentally" ruined his lunch date with that American girl. He didn't really trust her or the other Americans that came. He didn't know why… but his gut was just saying not to. "What's the problem?"

"The problem!" yelled Kostja. "The problem! Haven't you been listening to me at all?"

Pavel yawned. "You are acting like a whining little boy with a silly school crush."

Kostja glared at him. Luckily Pavel was his friend. If he wasn't, he would have shot him dead in one second without hesitating. "You are lucky you are my friend."

"I know," smiled Pavel. "You know, you can get any girl that you want." He was trying to get Kostja's mind off of Julia.

Kostja knew that Pavel didn't trust Julia and the other Americans. Pavel was making that very clear to him. He sighed, his anger slipping away. "I know, but I don't want any other girl. I want Julia."

"What is such the big deal with her?" asked Pavel.

"She fascinates me for some reason," he said, his eyes getting that far away look in them.

"Bullshit. You just want to get into her pants."

"Shut up, Pavel. You don't know what I want."

"Yes I do. You want Jul-"

"Pavel," Kostja sighed for like the millionth time that night. He pointed his hand towards the door. "Get out."

Pavel laughed. "Now you are kicking me out. You gotta be joking."

"You see a smile on my face."

Pavel laughed again. "Nope, but you are always like that. You have no sense of humor." He stood up from the catch and started heading towards the door. When he got to it, he turned to face Kostja. He was getting ready to say something uncharacteristically sentimental. "Look, Kostja," he started, "I want the best for you because you are my best friend. If she makes you happy, then go for it."

He shook his head, smiling and going back to his unsentimental self. "You can have any woman, and you want her?"

He quickly opened the door and ran out, hearing Kostja's shoe slamming into the closed door.