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Catherine did not consider herself to be a wine-person, and so, the only alcohol she had ever had were tiny sips with a formal dinner. After the glass-full she had consumed yesterday, her head felt really strange. She had been so excited yesterday, she had not even noticed. Why is the room spinning, she thought as she made her way to the bathroom, only to find herself kneeling over the toilet and vomiting. Anna quickly came to her aid, wrapped her in a blanket and told her to go to bed. She ordered some coffee and French toast. 3
"Don't get sick, Agent Poe, we need you," said Anna. 4
After she had had something to eat, Catherine felt a little better. Anna helped Catherine into a fitting black blouse and white pants. Then, Catherine logged onto MatchMake.com and checked her messages. 5
My PA will pick you up at noon. 6
Catherine typed: OK7
"Excellent!" said Anna. "It's important that he take you to the Kremlin again. We need the security there to whiff of your scent, you know. They need to be completely aware that you are with the President."8
At noon, Anna had donned a simple, flower-patterned dress, one of her personal favorites and put on a pair of pearl-shaped earrings. As she came into the lobby, she saw a small man waving at her. He was barely as tall as Catherine, with a broad face and hair parted in the middle. 9
"My name is Vadim, I am the President's personal assistant," said the man, with as much grace as a toothpick. "The President has ordered me to escort you."10
"Oh, where are we going?"11
"You shall soon see," said Vadim as they walked outside to where the car was parked. Catherine felt giddy with excitement. Despite all the business with the CIA, meeting Yakov was an experience of its own. He was everything she had pictured and more, just as witty and good-hearted and handsome. He could make you laugh within a second when you were feeling down. She felt really guilty that she was taking advantage of him. 12
"They're not taking you to the Kremlin!" Anna anxiously sounded in the earpiece. "Damn it, try if you can. When you meet him, just make sure you somehow get to the Kremlin!."13
After an hour of nothing eventful, the limousine finally came to a stop. Catherine got out of the car and found herself within a large crowd. Vadim took her hand and quickly led her to a small building, around which the crowd was huddled. Policemen stood guarding the small glass door and barriers kept the crowd from blocking the path. Vadim flashed a card to the guard at the door and the guard ushered them inside. 14
It was a small, dingy cafe with round tables encircled with matching chairs, a television blaring in a corner, dim lighting and a nervous, bulky waiter behind the counter. On a corner tale, Yakov sat, hair gelled and combed into a puff, the accentuating grey making him look almost dashing. He smiled as Catherine took a seat next to him. 15
"Hello," said Catherine. "Funny place."16
"This is a very special place, Catherine. Special to me. In this cafe, my mother and father first met - for them it was love at first sight."17
"Oh, I see."18
"Catherine, all night yesterday, my assistant, my friends, my colleagues have been badgering me about you. They told me that I couldn't be seen with an American woman, said it was damaging to my career -"19
"Oh, I'm - I'm sorry -"20
Yakov only smiled, reached into his pocket and drew something out. "To hell with them Catherine ... Catherine, will you make me whole, will you take this ring and accept my proposal - Catherine, will you marry me?"21
Catherine felt her mouth drop open. Her heart fluttered inside her ribcage like a wild, frightened bird. Yakov opened the small box and inside was a beautifully sculpted silver ring, topped with a crystal-clear diamond, its edges throwing the hued light into her eyes. 22
She saw Vadim near the counter with a cup in his hand, sputtering a mouthful of coffee onto the floor. 23
Catherine looked at the ring.24
She looked at Yakov's smiling, expectant face.25
Then she looked at the ring again.26
And she fainted. 27
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When she opened her eyes she was lying on a cluster of chairs. Yakov peered into her eyes, gently sprinkling some water onto her face. Dizzy but feeling fine, she let Yakov help her into a sitting position. He looked anxious and sorry. 32
"Catherine, I know this must be a shock - I'm so very sorry -" 33
"Yes."34
"Pardon?"35
"Yes! Yes! Yes! I will marry you!" Catherine shouted and pulled Yakov into a tight hug. Suddenly all those months of staying up till three in the morning chatting to him, all the countless arguments they had had, every book they had discussed, everything they had shared: it all boiled into a feeling Catherine could not explain, but something about this felt so right. 36
Yakov hugged her back and then pulled out, only to pull back in and lock her lips in a long, needy kiss. 37
In that moment, Catherine could not hear Anna screeching indecipherably into the earpiece. 38
The only thing that existed was her and her lover.39
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That night Catherine sat inside a blanket watching the television. She saw herself come out of the small Cafe, arm in arm with Yakov, both of them as radiant as the sun. A grumpy red-faced Vadim followed behind, wiping at his coffee-stained suit. A news reporter narrated in fluent Russian. 43
Anna was pacing the bedroom at breakneck speed. 44
"This is complicated," she said finally. 45
"Maybe," said Catherine.46
"Almost definitely," said Anna. "Although - it might play to our benefit."47
"How?" said Catherine. 48
"The Kremlin – hell, everyone - knows about you," said Anna. "Even if they see you suspiciously prancing about the Kremlin, they won't be too keen to disturb you." 49
"I suppose so," said Catherine. 50
"Catherine?" said Anna. "Are you still with us?"51
Catherine had been dreading this question. Not that she was afraid of the CIA. She was simply unsure of her own self. What do I do? Betray my lover? Or betray my country? Would she be betraying her lover? Yakov would never know of the leak, not unless she got caught. Even if she did do this, she could still be happy with him. 52
"Yes," she said after a long silence. 53
Anna watched her face for a while, and then nodded. 54
"Good - because tomorrow we get to business," said Anna. She walked over to the wardrobe brought out two sleek, leather briefcases and set them before Catherine. Inside one, she placed a handful of files and folders that she had been going through, Catherine thought they were the same ones Tom had brought in yesterday.55
Anna shut the case with a click and returned it to the wardrobe. 56
"This case," said Anna, she patted the other one. "Is a very special one. You put in a codeword and its shut. The inside of the leather is titanium - bombproof, bulletproof, shellproof - all the deals. When you get the copies of those files, you're going to come straight back, place them inside this and put in a codeword - whatever you want -"57
"Me?" asked Catherine. 58
"Catherine these files are more important than our lives," said Anna. "But we cannot be fully trusted with them. The Chief Executive put personal word that you will put in the files yourselves, you will put in the codeword and then send it to him via a secure line." 59
"Oh - okay then," said Catherine, rather taken aback. 60
"Great, Tom and Dominic are working on some things for tomorrow," said Anna. "You'll wake up at five, get dressed by six and then go see Yakov at eight."61
"Eight? Why so early?" Catherine asked. 62
"I'll tell you in the morning - now get to sleep," said Anna. 63
Catherine huddled inside her blankets and knew she would not be able to sleep tonight. 64
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