Stolen from the Hitman: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance(11)

“I understand,” I tell her, walking over to pat her on the arm. “I’ve only had a few close friends, my whole life, and they were gymnasts, too. It’s hard to get out and meet people when you’re so focused on the future.”

“Exactly,” she says, looking a little relieved. She seems to soften instantly, her stiff edges melting away.

“If it makes you feel any better, I’ve never had a roommate either. I’ve only ever lived at home with my parents. This is totally new for me,” I go on, walking over to my bed and sitting down. Maggie follows suit, perching on the edge of her bed.

“Me, too. I have to confess that my parents are a little, um, overbearing,” she describes, twirling the tip of her ponytail. “I love them and I know they have my best interests at heart, but they’ve never really let me do my own thing. This is the first time they haven’t been right behind me telling me what to do every minute of the day.”

“How does it feel? Having all this sudden freedom?” I ask, pulling my legs up to sit cross-legged on the bed.

Maggie chews her lips thoughtfully for a moment, then replies, “It’s a little scary. I mean, I’ve been to Paris before, but never on my own. My parents only just left yesterday to go back to Chicago. I thought they’d never leave…” she trails off.

I laugh, “Yeah, mine aren’t that bad, but it’s still kind of liberating to be able to do whatever I want, whenever I want. Or at least I assume it will be.”

“I’ve only had less than twenty-four hours of freedom but I haven’t done much with it yet,” Maggie sighs. “I spent the whole morning being too afraid to leave the apartment alone until I finally worked up the courage to go to campus and meet up with you.”

Suddenly, my cell phone chirps, alerting me to a new email. It’s a message from Pavlenko, informing me that my training will start first thing tomorrow. My heart sinks momentarily. I was hoping to get a little more time to settle in and see the city before jumping right back into the wham-bam schedule of training, studying, and more training. I have no illusions about what this career will mean for me: constant exertion, single-minded focus, and no time or energy for much else. And I’ve accepted that, since I have to.

But damn, I was hoping to at least see the Eiffel Tower first.

“What’s that?” Maggie asks.

I sigh and slump back onto my bed. “Looks like my training picks up tomorrow.”

“Oh, yeah, they don’t give you a lot of time.”

“Yea... Are you with Monsieur Pavlenko as well?”

She nods her head, and I see the corner of her mouth twitch.

“He’s... a hard man, isn’t he?” I say, testing the waters and avoiding what I really want to say.

“Yea, I heard he was like... raised really strict or something. But that’s what gets results, right?”

“I guess. It’s just... when I first met him...” I trail off, not even sure how to finish that sentence. Do I tell her how sexy I thought he was, and then how disappointed I was when I realized how cold and professional he treated me? But then, isn’t that just how teachers have to treat their students at this level? Just thinking about his gorgeous eyes, though, sends a flush through my body. He’s totally different from every other man I’ve known, and thinking about the childish and brutish attempt at seduction that Will tried on me, I know that Monsieur Pavlenko would be far more suave.

“When you first met him...?” Maggie prods, and I realize I’ve drifted off in thought, and I shake my head, embarrassed. There’s no way I can tell her any of that.

“I just got here,” I murmur, trying to change the subject. “I just wish I had a chance to experience Paris and settle in before I get shoved into a gymnastics studio twenty-four-seven.” Even if that does mean long hours trying to please my new instructor.

There’s a long pause. Then Maggie bounds over and jumps onto my bed beside me, surprising me with her sudden display of enthusiasm. She struck me as the kind of girl who was always prim and proper, keeping a polite distance between herself and everyone else. But maybe, just maybe, that’s only due to her parents’ overprotection. Maybe the real Maggie is going to break free now that she’s got an ounce of freedom.

I kind of hope so. It’ll be interesting to see someone so straight-laced spread her wings a little bit. She nudges my shoulder excitedly.

“Hey, we still have the rest of the afternoon and the evening!” she exclaims. “We could totally explore the city and still be back in time for you to get a good night’s sleep to be ready for tomorrow. Don’t you think?”