Perspective (An Exposure Series Novella): Exposure Series Book Four by Annie Jocoby
Authors: Annie Jocoby
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Chapter One
CJ
O n the way home on Asher’s plane, I couldn’t do much of anything but worry and think about what was about to happen to all of us. Asher and Natalia were playing cards, talking in Russian, and laughing. I hung back and pretended to read a book, but, really, my mind was racing. I couldn’t believe that the two of them could seem so relaxed, but they clearly were having a good time together.
Then again, maybe Asher was more worried than he let on. He didn’t seem like it, but I had known him to have a poker face on more than one occasion. He probably was freaking out, like I was, but not showing it because he didn’t want Natalia knowing how he felt. I secretly hoped that this was the case, because it frankly bothered me that he didn’t seem to be concerned about what was going to happen once we landed. Maybe he wasn’t thinking about the implications of my not getting pregnant. Or the fallout that was going to happen once Asher introduced Natalia as his sister. He was finally ready to come clean on his past, although he wasn’t going to volunteer information. Yet I knew, as did he, that his past was going to come to light. As soon as he made the decision to quit running from it, he opened himself up for some serious interrogation.
“CJ, why don’t you come and join us?” Asher asked me. “We’re playing spades over here. I can teach you how if you don’t already know.”
I shook my head. “No, I’m okay over here. I’m really engrossed in this book.” I really wasn’t engrossed in the book, but I didn’t want to join them. They seemed to be having too much fun amongst themselves. I suddenly remembered, anew, that they were twins, so of course they were close. I would imagine that anybody who were exactly the same age and went through what these two went through together would be very close. I thought back on how Asher told me that it was just the two of them against the world at one point. Then they had that falling out because Asher had the chance to save her from her mob job and didn’t because of his ow selfish reasons. Now, apparently, all was forgiven and they seemed to be as thick as thieves.
I smiled at the chance to teach Natalia another colloquialism, so I said “you guys are as thick as thieves.”
Natalia looked at me quizzically. “Thick as thieves? I do not understand. Not all thieves are fat. In fact, most of the thieves I know are quite thin. I do not understand that that means.”
Come to think of it, I didn’t really know why people said that particular saying myself. I quickly Googled it, and, of course, I found out that the term “thick” in this case just meant close. I imagined that was a somewhat antiquated meaning for that particular word. No wonder non-English speakers have so many problems with learning this language well – I would imagine that learning the idioms would be a complicated task indeed. “According to Google, thick as thieves just refers to the fact that criminals would have to be close so that they don’t rat each other out. And thick, in this case means close.”
At that, Natalia wrote the phrase down in her book and smiled. “Thick as thieves. I guess that is a good saying for Alexei and me. We have both been thieves at one time.”
Asher rose his eyebrows at her and dealed the cards. “I would say to keep that secret, Natalia, the fact that we were thieves. But I think that’s a fruitless thing. I might as well just give my media contact the true story of my background now. It’s just as well…I’m tired of hiding it. I don’t think that I can ever come to terms with who I really am unless I can actually live my life authentically.” Then he shrugged. “I’m in a position now that I think that I can probably survive this controversy. At least, I hope so.”
I personally thought that he was taking the entire thing too lightly, but I didn’t want to say as much to him. I was bracing for there being some severe fallout
CJ
O n the way home on Asher’s plane, I couldn’t do much of anything but worry and think about what was about to happen to all of us. Asher and Natalia were playing cards, talking in Russian, and laughing. I hung back and pretended to read a book, but, really, my mind was racing. I couldn’t believe that the two of them could seem so relaxed, but they clearly were having a good time together.
Then again, maybe Asher was more worried than he let on. He didn’t seem like it, but I had known him to have a poker face on more than one occasion. He probably was freaking out, like I was, but not showing it because he didn’t want Natalia knowing how he felt. I secretly hoped that this was the case, because it frankly bothered me that he didn’t seem to be concerned about what was going to happen once we landed. Maybe he wasn’t thinking about the implications of my not getting pregnant. Or the fallout that was going to happen once Asher introduced Natalia as his sister. He was finally ready to come clean on his past, although he wasn’t going to volunteer information. Yet I knew, as did he, that his past was going to come to light. As soon as he made the decision to quit running from it, he opened himself up for some serious interrogation.
“CJ, why don’t you come and join us?” Asher asked me. “We’re playing spades over here. I can teach you how if you don’t already know.”
I shook my head. “No, I’m okay over here. I’m really engrossed in this book.” I really wasn’t engrossed in the book, but I didn’t want to join them. They seemed to be having too much fun amongst themselves. I suddenly remembered, anew, that they were twins, so of course they were close. I would imagine that anybody who were exactly the same age and went through what these two went through together would be very close. I thought back on how Asher told me that it was just the two of them against the world at one point. Then they had that falling out because Asher had the chance to save her from her mob job and didn’t because of his ow selfish reasons. Now, apparently, all was forgiven and they seemed to be as thick as thieves.
I smiled at the chance to teach Natalia another colloquialism, so I said “you guys are as thick as thieves.”
Natalia looked at me quizzically. “Thick as thieves? I do not understand. Not all thieves are fat. In fact, most of the thieves I know are quite thin. I do not understand that that means.”
Come to think of it, I didn’t really know why people said that particular saying myself. I quickly Googled it, and, of course, I found out that the term “thick” in this case just meant close. I imagined that was a somewhat antiquated meaning for that particular word. No wonder non-English speakers have so many problems with learning this language well – I would imagine that learning the idioms would be a complicated task indeed. “According to Google, thick as thieves just refers to the fact that criminals would have to be close so that they don’t rat each other out. And thick, in this case means close.”
At that, Natalia wrote the phrase down in her book and smiled. “Thick as thieves. I guess that is a good saying for Alexei and me. We have both been thieves at one time.”
Asher rose his eyebrows at her and dealed the cards. “I would say to keep that secret, Natalia, the fact that we were thieves. But I think that’s a fruitless thing. I might as well just give my media contact the true story of my background now. It’s just as well…I’m tired of hiding it. I don’t think that I can ever come to terms with who I really am unless I can actually live my life authentically.” Then he shrugged. “I’m in a position now that I think that I can probably survive this controversy. At least, I hope so.”
I personally thought that he was taking the entire thing too lightly, but I didn’t want to say as much to him. I was bracing for there being some severe fallout
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