I wasn’t sure how much Maksim knew about my proclivities, though I was quite aware my cousin may have found it suspect that I didn’t lust over broads like he and Igor did. I hardly found it necessary to put on airs, especially when my father had advocated for us to live the bachelor life for as long as I could remember. Though I was never positive of his reasoning, and figured it was some type of mourning over my mother, it hadn’t mattered much to me. The mantra that Mikhailov men didn't settle down had benefited me, and I didn’t find it necessary to question it.

While there was a revolution at our doorsteps and homosexuals were rising, I knew it wasn’t what my father wanted for me, and the last thing I was interested in was having my old man look at me the way he used to, before he softened and remembered I was his son. It made me wonder about the belles, if they worried about what their fathers thought. Though in the city working-class men were more comfortable having relations with other men, acceptance wasn’t so widespread. As with most things, the cities were more liberal than the rest of the country, and it would take time for everyone else to catch up. I didn’t need to be at the forefront of anything. I needed only to be quiet, and that’s what I intended to be. I planned to ensure Maks would be as well.

“You can come along with me tomorrow night. I’m getting orders from five of the clubs,” I stated, chuckling when my cousin practically leapt onto my lap in excitement. “Five more on Saturday. If you do well—”

“I’ll do well,” he interrupted, gleefully.

“We’ll see. If you do well,” I continued, “I’ll give you three or four. You know, as long as it’s alright with Vlad.”

“What did I do to deserve you?” Maks crooned, handing me his popcorn. “Here, you can have the rest.”

“I don’t want your popcorn,” I scoffed, shoving it back to him. I paused for a moment to take another handful before leaving it with him. “I want something else.”

“Anything,” he promised. “You can have anything, Vik.”

“Your discretion. I want that.”

“You already have it,” Maks stated, aghast at my suggestion.

“Would I have had it if I didn’t tell you I’d think about giving you a couple of the clubs?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at my cousin.

“Of course,” he assured. “I won’t take them if you don’t believe me. You don’t owe me anything. I wasn’t intending to threaten you, in case you interpreted it that way …”

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about,” I replied, finished with the conversation. “Let’s watch the Cubbies.”