As he settled into the girls’ arms, he noticed a smaller man in a green coat enter the bar. He approached the bartender and made small talk. He was new here, that much was obvious, and he seemed nervous. Hans leaned forward, smiling as he poured more vodka into Natasha’s chipped martini glass, his eyes steadily trained on the other man.

The man didn’t seem to notice Hans’s gaze, but he soon noticed the many women in the bar, and was drawn to a nearby couch by Anetka, a pretty Polish girl with stringy blond hair. Hans turned most of his attention back to his two escorts, but kept an eye on the new man. He matched the description, small and wiry, with glasses and a clipped beard. Hans laughed loudly, and his grin widened when the man turned to look. “Natasha!” he nearly shouted, pretending to be much more inebriated than he was at this point, “Let’s call Anetka and her new friend over and make it a party!”

Natasha and Tatiana both frowned, they knew Anetka was good-looking, but they quickly obeyed.