Russian Mafia Billionaire’s Secretary
Chapter 1
Alanna Vella rubbed her eyes impatiently. She had been staring intently at her laptop for hours, as she scoured the job boards for secretarial or assistant positions that paid more than barely above minimum wage. Living in New York City was expensive no matter which borough you resided in. Several times over the past few months, she contemplated moving elsewhere, but at close to thirty and with a young child, she wasn’t sure she was up to starting over. Besides, she loved her city and she wasn’t prepared to admit defeat. At least, not yet.
Turning back to her current job search, she clicked refresh and was pleased to see a new job posted. Reading the lengthy job description for the secretarial position for a busy executive, her eyes widened when she read the salary offered.
She thought about how her savings had dwindled down to almost nothing these past few months and how quickly she could replenish it again.
“Found one!” she announced to her sister, Alyssa, as she tucked her long, curly red hair behind her ears. She studied the listing, as Alyssa appeared behind her to look over her shoulder at the ad.
“Ooh, this looks like a good one,” her sister commented excitedly, as she rested her hand on Alanna’s shoulder. “Fifty thousand a year to start? Holy crap! What kind of a company is it?”
“I haven’t checked yet. Let me do a quick search.” Typing in “Denisov International”, she pulled up numerous pages citing the company’s financial growth. Finding the website for the company, she clicked on it as her sister read over her shoulder.
“What kind of a company is it?” her sister asked impatiently.
Clicking through the services section, “It says that they’re a shipping company?”
“What’s that?”
Reading from the website, Alanna described the company’s services for potential clients. “From the looks of it, most of their clients are outside the US and they ship ‘commodities’ to the US. I can’t tell if any of their clients ship from the US to other countries.”
“Oh, maybe you’ll get to travel. That would be exciting. Wait! Who is that a picture of?”
Clicking on the picture her sister pointed to, Alanna pulled up a photo of Alexander Denisov. “He’s the CEO.” She read from his bio, as her sister leaned closer to look at his image on the laptop.
“He’s gorgeous. He could be a model.”
“He’s probably married with four kids,” Alanna teased as she looked at the photo of the handsome executive.
“Maybe he’s single. You are applying for the job, right?” her sister demanded as she rocked back and forth on her heels.
“Right this minute.” Toggling over to her desktop, she began searching for her resume. “Just think, Lys, if I get this job, we won’t have to take any more out of savings.”
“I wish I made more money at the department store, but only working part-time kind of sucks. Maybe I should ask for more hours.”
“I keep telling you, just worry about getting through college. The rest will come later,” Alanna assured her sister.
“I know, I hate the thought of you having to carry the financial load when I should be helping,” Alyssa revealed with a sad look on her face.
“Hey, what are big sisters for? Besides, once you become a highly sought after attorney and make partner, I’m retiring,” she teased.
Laughing, her sister hugged her. “Deal.”
Alanna opened the file with her resume, went over the details of her previous jobs with a fine-toothed comb making changes to match the job listing, and when satisfied, she attached it to the email.
She feverishly typed out a cover letter to show interest in the company’s open position. She hoped her desperation didn’t show in her words, but at the moment, she didn’t care. She’d been offered a receptionist position at a local law firm, but at only twenty-four thousand a year and no benefits for the first year, she’d have to look for a second job to make ends meet.
Her hopes had been dashed in the past, but she tried to remain positive. She clicked her mouse and attached the resume and cover letter. She typed out a quick introduction in the email itself and clicked the ‘send’ button.
“Now, we wait and see if they want to give me an interview,” Alanna said aloud, as she closed her laptop.
“Yeah, and let’s hope it doesn’t turn out like your last job. That guy took advantage of you and he barely paid enough to cover rent and food.”
“I know, I know, hopefully this one will be different. It looks promising,” Alanna grumbled. “It says they need a hands-on secretary for a busy executive.”
“Let’s hope,” Alyssa agreed. She picked up Roman, kissed his head and promised she’d see him later. Grabbing her bag, she stuffed her textbook and phone into it. “Okay, I’m off.”
“Wish me luck with the whole job thing,” Alanna pleaded, but sensed her own defeat.
“Good luck, and hey, keep me posted.” She gave her a thumbs-up motion and Alyssa disappeared out of the door.
Alanna marveled at her three-year-old son’s lack of awareness at all of the problems that had mounted around all of them. She scooped him up into her arms as she selfishly comforted herself with his presence while he wiggled impatiently.
She thought about her ex-boyfriend and how everything had been so perfect between them; at least until she found out she was pregnant. She hadn’t intended to get pregnant. In fact, she’d been on birth control, but when she started feeling sick and then missed two periods, she knew something was up. Three home pregnancy tests and a trip to the doctor finally sealed the deal.
While they had never talked about having children, in the five years they were together, he never once mentioned that he didn’t want any. She was heartbroken when she excitedly told him the news and he asked when she was going to have an abortion. When she told him she was going to keep the baby, he walked out of their shared apartment and didn’t return that evening. She worked late the next day and by the time she returned home, he had moved out and she never saw him again. She wasn’t even sure he was still in New York.
Luckily, her sister had just been accepted to Columbia and together they looked for a place that would be appropriate for a future toddler. If it hadn’t been for Alyssa, Alanna didn’t think she would have been able to cope with everything. She shook her head at the thought, but Roman’s words snapped her back into the moment.
“Put me down, mommy, I’m not a baby!” Roman urged his mother in his cute little demanding voice. Alanna released her son onto the floor and sat down on the couch as he played in front of her.
Alanna let her problems weigh heavily on her as she contemplated dipping into her savings account. Raised by grandparents who were a product of the Depression, they had taught the sisters to be frugal and not accumulate debt. Thanks to their teachings, she managed to save a little over twenty thousand dollars, but since she’d been out of work these last three months, the bills were making a huge hole in her savings. Her unemployment benefits helped offset the monthly expenses, but with Alyssa’s college tuition, it wouldn’t last much longer if she didn’t find a decent paying job.
“Persevere,” she told herself as she mindlessly changed channels on the television while her young son opened his coloring book. He scribbled inside the book and caught her attention.
“Look, mommy, I colored a giraffe!” he announced as he held the book up for Alanna’s approval. He quickly moved from coloring to toys, but she continued to stare blindly at the television.
“I really need to get this job,” she whispered to herself. Not one to allow herself to remain down for too long, she held out hope that something good was still around the corner.
The morning turned to afternoon as Alanna and Roman kept each other company. She longed for some adult conversation as she changed the television channel to cartoons. She promised herself that she’d watch daytime talk shows when Roman nodded off, but it proved to be a losing battle. He had yet to burn off some of his high energy and it didn’t look like she was going to get him to take a nap.
She felt useless, bored and without purpose. She sat on her couch with her laptop open as she looked for more job openings where she could match her skills.
Alyssa grabbed her phone and called her best friend, Tina. As a hiring manager for a local law firm, Tina seemed to be able to find people jobs on a whim.
“Hey girl, it’s Alanna,” she said into the phone.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“I’m desperate and wanted to know if you had any secretarial jobs open,” Alanna admitted to her friend as she paced back and forth.
“I know that there’s a receptionist position here. Would that work?” Alanna shook her head; she knew the pay wasn’t going to be sufficient.
“Nothing in the administrative area?” she questioned Tina.
“Not that I know of, but I can keep an eye out for you,” Tina assured her. Alanna nodded, but she needed something sooner rather than later.
“Thank you for checking,” Alanna told her as she tried keeping her tone upbeat.
“Of course, lady, anytime. Besides, we need to hang out sometime soon.”
“Agreed.” Alanna gazed down at Roman. She disconnected the call and slid down to the floor. She sat behind her son and wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. If someone were to ask her thoughts on being a single mom ten years ago, she wouldn’t have been able to imagine her life, but at twenty-eight, having Roman was the best decision she ever made, even if his father was absent. She simply couldn’t imagine her life without him in it.
“Ahh!” he yelled and then giggled. He got up and ran to another room as if his mother chased him. She sprang to her feet and followed him as he ran back and forth from his room to the living room in a mad game of tag that left them both tired and laughing.
Once Roman had settled for the night, Alanna sat up in bed scrolling back through the list of job openings hoping that a new one might have been posted. She contemplated hiring someone to help her land a job but couldn’t see spending the money if there was no guarantee.
Sighing, Alanna closed her laptop and placed it on her nightstand. Tomorrow was another day, she told herself optimistically. Turning out the lights, she took a deep breath letting it out slowly. The apartment was quiet enough to hear a pin drop and as soon as her head hit her soft pillow, she nodded off to sleep.
In the middle of the night, she awakened as a street light shined in on her from the outside world. The place was quiet and everyone around her slept, but more sleep evaded her grasp.
She grabbed her cell phone off her nightstand and pulled up Denisov International. She looked at the photo of the company’s CEO. Her sister was right, he was definitely good looking. A quick search online pulled up some candid shots of him and she sucked in her breath at his good looks. She silently scolded herself that if she was lucky enough to get hired at his company, the money she would earn would be for her family. Now was not the time to contemplate a relationship with anyone. When she decided to become a single mom, she knew there would be sacrifices. But it didn’t mean she couldn’t fantasize.
Chapter 2
The next morning, Alanna awakened to the sound of her phone. Sitting up in bed, she picked it up and squinted at the unknown number. It was only eight in the morning, so she considered ignoring the call and falling back asleep.
“Who could this be?” she said to herself as she tried to figure out who the number belonged to. Feeling groggy, she rubbed her eyes, yawned and exhaled loudly before hitting the ‘answer’ button on her phone.
“Hello?” she asked into her cell phone as she heard her upstairs neighbors clamoring above her head.
“Yes, may I speak with Alanna Vella, please?” a woman with a foreign accent asked politely.
“This is Alanna, how may I help you?” Alanna replied cordially.
“Ms. Vella, my name is Amelia. I am calling in response to your inquiry about the available position at Denisov International,” the woman said in a curt manner.
“Yes, I sent my resume yesterday, thank you for getting back to me so quickly,” Alanna’s energy level shot upward. She felt like there was already some light at the end of the long tunnel she’d traveled for months.
She scooted herself off the bed and paced the floor. She heard muffled sounds of Alyssa as she played with Roman in another room, but she locked her bedroom door so she wouldn’t be interrupted.
“We are very interested in your education and experience. So far, the candidate response has been less than ideal. As such, we would like to extend the opportunity to you, Ms. Vella,” she continued in her matter-of-fact tone.
“Sounds great,” Alanna declared as she nearly jumped up and down.
“It’s for a secretary position, as I’ve said. It pays fifty thousand dollars per year and offers many benefits. The hours are Monday through Friday, from eight until five in the evening,” she said quickly as Alanna made some mental notes.
“That sounds fantastic,” Alanna replied in an eager tone.
“We have a Friday interview slot available at nine o’clock in the morning. Would this be acceptable to you?” the woman asked in her thick accent.
“Yes, ma’am, I will be there at nine on Friday,” Alanna enthused.
“Great, please come to the reception desk inside the building and from there, you will receive instructions on where to go next,” Amelia instructed her.
“Of course,” Alanna said in agreement.
“We look forward to speaking with you, Ms. Vella,” Amelia concluded.
They disconnected the call and Alanna felt relieved. She let a deep breath escape her mouth and unlocked her bedroom door.
Outside of her room, she saw Roman as he sat and pouted. He pushed his bottom lip forward and looked up at his mother.
“Mommy’s got an interview on Friday,” she cooed to Roman with a giant smile pasted on her face. “Wait ‘til Aunt Alyssa hears about this!”
“Aunt Alyssa is mean,” he muttered as he continued to pout. He made a defiant noise and crossed his arms at his chest.
“Just because you didn’t get your way doesn’t mean that Aunt Alyssa is mean,” she objected.
“Alyssa,” Alanna called out into the apartment as she moved from room to room. When she located her sister, she beamed a giant smile in her direction.
“I got an interview on Friday!” Alanna exclaimed as she did a happy dance.
“Oh my God, where?” Alyssa asked her sister enthusiastically.
“It’s that secretary job at Denisov International. Can you believe they called me so quickly? I only sent my resume out yesterday.”
“With the hottie CEO? This is such awesome news,” Alyssa squealed. “I know you’ll get it, they’d be stupid not to hire you.”
“Keep your fingers crossed,” Alanna told her sister as she held out hope for the first time in months. She returned to Roman in the living room and turned on cartoons for his amusement.
“What time is the interview?” Alyssa inquired as she joined them.
“Nine on Friday, can you keep an eye on Roman?”
“Yeah, it’s not a problem. I don’t have classes that day and I don’t have to be at work until the afternoon.”
“Awesome, I just have to make sure I have something to wear!” Alanna exclaimed as she made her way to her bedroom closet. She pulled out her old trusted navy pantsuit and white blouse and held the items up against her thin frame in her full-length mirror.
“These will do,” she said to herself as she remembered wearing the clothes on her last interview.
Alyssa suddenly appeared behind her and smiled at her choice of outfit for the occasion.
“You’ve got this, so the clothes you wear won’t matter anyway,” she told her older sister.
“You’re always so supportive, I don’t know what I’d do without you,” Alanna told her sweetly as she turned to her sister. She placed the clothes back in her closet and hoped they exhibited her professional nature.
When Friday morning rolled around, Alanna felt like the whole week blew by in a blur. She kissed Roman on his forehead and told Alyssa that she’d be back soon.
Exiting the subway, she walked the remaining three blocks to the downtown skyscraper with “Denisov International” out front in white block letters. She exhaled a deep breath and walked through the glass doors. Inside, business people moved in and out of the place many with their heads down looking at their phones or chatting on headsets.
At the reception desk, she told the woman, “I’m here for a nine o’clock interview. I spoke with a woman named Amelia on Monday.”
“Your name, please?” the woman asked.
“Alanna Vella.”
“Take this and attach it to your jacket. Walk down the hallway to the elevator and take it to the sixtieth floor,” the woman said as she issued Alanna a badge that read “visitor.”
She rode the elevator up, but noticed that the building only had sixty floors. Human Resources couldn’t be on the top floor, could it? No, the top floor was where the executive offices were, she reminded herself. Who exactly was her interview with?
When the elevator dinged, she stepped out of it and through a set of tall, glass doors. Inside, she saw an elegantly decorated space with crystal chandeliers and clear, crystal vases with white lilies in them.
The only desk in the large reception area was currently vacant leaving Alanna uncertain who she was supposed to meet.
“How may I help you?” a tall woman with short black hair asked in a quiet voice, as she exited from one of the offices carrying several files.
“I’m here for an interview for a secretary’s job,” Alanna informed her, but her voice sounded unsure. She worried that she wasn’t in the right place. She hadn’t expected to be interviewed by someone so high up.
“Yes, I spoke with you on Monday,” the woman replied, smiling. “I’m Amelia.”
Alanna’s face brightened when she realized she was in the right place after all. Amelia’s face appeared pale with the exception of her red lips and striking blue eyes.
“May I offer you something to drink?” she asked, as she set the files she was carrying down. Alanna shook her head and the woman stepped away from her desk.
“Alright, I will let Alexander know you’re here,” she assured Alanna with a smile as she returned to the office she had just vacated.
“Alexander? As in the CEO?” Alanna worried to herself. “Why would the CEO want to interview me? Surely, he has more important things to do.” She looked distractedly around the room and noticed the name plate on the desk.
“A. Denisov. She must be his wife.” Alanna wasn’t sure if she should feel relieved or disappointed that he was married. Feeling a bit of both, she walked over to the large window and looked out over the skyline. The view was incredible. “Life on the sixtieth floor definitely had its benefits,” she mused to herself.
“He’ll see you now,” Amelia called out, as she waved Alanna inside.
“Thank you,” Alanna nodded and pulled the giant, double doors closed behind her. Alanna looked around at the austere white room with its imposing black desk in the center. In front of the desk sat two leather club chairs and a table to the side. A black leather couch was to her left and to her right, a bar with crystal decanters filled with gold-colored liquid.
The sound of a throat clearing caught Alanna’s attention as she realized that an attractive man was patiently waiting for her to make eye contact. Dressed in a dark grey business suit and black tie, he stood up and walked over to her with his right hand extended.
Chapter 3
“Alexander Denisov,” he introduced himself confidently. His demeanor was professional, assertive and downright sexy. Alanna’s eyes swept up and down, as she took him in. At five foot nine inches, she considered herself tall. With her heels, it brought her up to six feet and this man dwarfed her as he smiled down at her. The cut of his suit fit him to perfection leaving her to wonder if he had it made or simply altered.
He had an easy smile that made his eyes crinkle, as he blinked deep blue eyes at her. As he reached to shake her hand, she took in his dark, wavy brownish-black hair and she found herself wondering if it was as thick and soft as it looked..
“You know, they say that a person’s eyes are the windows to their souls,” he commented smoothly, as he held her hand. Her cheeks reddened when she caught his smile, which seemed to indicate that he noticed her staring. She felt nervous, as if he could read her thoughts and given the thoughts she was currently having, she worried at how much she was giving away.
Alanna wanted to melt when he offered his pearly white smile. She wondered if his plump lips felt as soft as they looked. She fought the urge to close her eyes when she smelled his woodsy, tantalizing cologne.
She stood there frozen. She hadn’t meant for the interview to start around an awkward silence, but for whatever reason, she found herself completely tongue-tied. Well, one very specific reason. The very sexy Mr. Alexander Denisov.
“Please sit, Ms. Vella,” he said in his foreign accent as he tugged lightly at her hand and drew her over to the chairs in front of his desk. Sitting down, she dropped her briefcase on the floor and winced when it made a loud thump.
“He must think I’m a mute or worse,” she worried, as she scolded herself silently, ordering her brain to get it together.
“Please, call me, Alanna,” she urged him suddenly finding her tongue. He shuffled some papers on his desk and studied one on the top.
“I have your resume right here…Alanna.” Her name seemed to roll off his tongue as he cocked his head downward, but turned his gaze back to her.
She felt his stare on her and instantly blushed. Her thoughts ran rampant from running her hands up and down his body to how wild sex with him might be.
“By now, you’ve probably figured out that I’m the owner of the company. The position is for an executive secretary and you would be answering to me,” he informed her confidently.
She smiled in response and he continued his seemingly well-rehearsed speech.
“In 2006, I started this company from nothing with two employees and now, it has grown to be one of the top grossing companies in this industry,” he said proudly. “If you come to work for me, you will soon see that it is as though everyone here is family and I like to keep it that way. I see you’ve done work like this before,” he continued, as he moved through points of interest on her resume.
“And you are definitely more than qualified for this position.” Alanna found that she was unable to look at him without fantasizing so she kept her head down until she felt the intensity of his stare. Looking up, she felt her cheeks heat up as she fumbled with her pen sending it to the floor in front of her.
She wondered once again if he could see the mental images she concocted of the two of them going at it. She wanted him and his sexy business suit and sensual cologne only added to how she felt.
“You don’t have to be nervous,” he started. “I assure you, I don’t bite. Much.”
He grinned and watched as Alanna retrieved her pen from the floor. She slid it into her briefcase and looked at him, as he rose and began to pace. His voice remained calm and assured as he talked about the company and its mission statement.
“It’s a tough position, Alanna, I won’t lie to you. The job requires many hours and hard work. Still, it pays very well for the right person.”
He offered her a smile and she smiled back in return.
“I served as an administrative assistant to a vice president of a company in a previous position. In those duties, I scheduled meetings, took care of flights and hotels and all transportation,” she started. He raised his hand as if to signal that he wanted her to stop talking.
“You made note of that on your resume. Please, tell me what you can do for me,” he instructed her.
As Alanna described what she anticipated her role would look like, she caught his smile of encouragement and nod of his head. Bolstered, she continued, pleased that all her research into successful interviewing techniques was paying off.
“This is what interests me, not what you’ve accomplished in previous jobs,” he told her approvingly. As he moved across the room, he talked about the perfect person for the position.
“I will warn you, I am a demanding person. I expect nothing but the best from my staff at all times and I reward those who go above and beyond expectations.”
Alanna found her mind drifting as she began fantasizing about her potential new employer. Nothing about him seemed contrived, as he paced his office describing himself and his expectations. She knew she needed to concentrate on what he was saying, but she couldn’t take her eyes off his movements and the way he filled out his suit. Alyssa was going to have a field day with the teasing when she found out that her self-assured big sister was having such decadent thoughts.
Clearly, it had been too long since she had sex with someone, as she completely tuned out everything he was saying in favor of her own fantasy. When he turned to look at her, the smile on his face would have melted even the most frozen hearts. She watched his lips move and his face became serious, as he was now looking at her with concern.
“Shit, he’s talking to me; snap out of it, Alanna!” she scolded herself.
Taking a deep breath, Alanna began to cough and he quickly handed her a box of tissues. Grabbing several, she held it to her mouth and lightly pressed her fingers to her cheeks, willing her deep blush to go away. Gasping for air, she tried to give him an apologetic look, as her embarrassment got the best of her and she began to cough again to hide it.
“God Dammit!” Alanna silently berated herself.
She gratefully took the glass of water he brought to her, as she took small sips while she decided what to say. Deciding on a half-truth, she spoke up.
“I’m so sorry about that. I assure you that this doesn’t happen very often. This weather has been so dry and well, allergies, um, what was the question?”
Nodding affirmatively, he sat back down in his chair and leaned back. “I asked if this sounded like the right position for you.”
“You already know that I have the knowledge and experience for the position,” she began. “Otherwise I wouldn’t be here.” Sitting back, she smoothed the fabric covering her legs before looking back at him. “I have had other interviews but I’m not looking for a position where I’m simply doing the time. I want a position where I can…and will grow. I can assure you, Mr. Denisov, that if you hire me, you won’t be disappointed.”
“You also need to be aware that when you are working for me, you represent me and my company, at all times. Some of my clients can be aggressive when they don’t get their way. Tell me how you would handle it.”
As she explained how she would handle difficult clients, including specific examples from her experience, she watched him lean back in his chair, steeple his fingers together and smile.
“I’m impressed.”
“Thank you.” Alanna felt like the job was hers for the taking. All she had to do was step up, secure the salary and ask for a start date.
“You are very interesting, Alanna Vella.” He smiled and interlaced his fingers together on his desk.
“I’ve heard good things,” she said with a smile and then worried that he wouldn’t understand but he seemed to ignore her comment.
“You should know that there is some travel involved in this position,” he noted.
“That isn’t going to be a problem, Mr. Denisov, I’ve already arranged for a babysitter for my son, Roman.” He nodded as if he understood her dedication.
“Please, call me Alexander,” he said and smiled. “Roman is a strong name for a boy. I like that name. How old is he?”
“Thank you and he just turned three.”
“So, you are married?” he questioned.
Alanna wondered if he was merely making small talk or if there was something else on his mind. She knew that legally, he wasn’t allowed to ask about her personal life during the interview, but she also knew that she opened it up for discussion when she brought up Roman. Part of her wished that he was asking because he was as interested in her as she was in him, but she doubted that would be the case once he found out she was a single mom.
Shaking her head, “Not married.” Deciding to leave it at that, she waited for him to speak.
He continued to stare at her, as she shifted uncomfortably. He studied her resume again as she looked on. She thought that if the circumstances were different, she definitely would date this man. Granted, now that he knew she had a toddler, would he feel the same? While she got the general impression that he was appreciative of her looks, she had a hard time figuring out what he was thinking.
She tucked her red curly strands of hair behind her ear as she waited for him to speak. He caught her movement and set her resume down. Standing, he walked behind her and placed his hands on the back of the chair.
“I’m sorry if this is inappropriate,” he told her from behind. She craned her head to make eye contact.
“What’s that?” she asked him curiously. Reaching his hands out, he gathered her hair up in his hands, brought it all behind her, and then let it drop on her back, as he stared at it seeming fascinated. She watched as he returned to his desk and cleared his throat.
“Your red hair is gorgeous the way in shines in the light. I am truly taken aback by your natural beauty,” he admitted. “I can’t help myself.”
Alanna’s lips curved upward into a smile and he smiled in relief. “I hope that hasn’t offended you that I pointed that out,” he went on. “Of course, the job doesn’t depend on the woman being beautiful, but you would fill that requirement without question.”
She blushed at his compliments, pleased that he was as taken with her as she was with him. She thought back to the woman she met on her way in. Amelia and Alexander shared the same last name and she’d wondered what made him so bold to flirt while his wife was on the other side of the door.
“Won’t your wife be jealous that you’ve been paying me so many compliments?” Alanna asked sweetly hoping that she nipped any problems in the bud. She blushed, but she knew she wanted Alexander Denisov.
“My wife?” he asked, utterly confused. “I don’t have a wife.”
His tone indicated that he had no idea what Alanna meant.
“Amelia?” she offered.
“Oh, Amelia!” he chuckled. “Amelia is my sister.”
She sat back in her chair and relaxed as her wayward thoughts returned to him. Pleased that he was attracted to her, she wondered what kind of a relationship they could have. She smiled to signify her acceptance of his compliments.
Shifting gear, he sat forward in his chair. “As a Russian business man, I can be demanding. As I’m sure my sister will tell you, I like to control everything. This is your last chance to ask yourself if you are up for such a challenge,” he warned.
“I am ready for whatever you want me to do,” Alanna promptly replied, but quickly realized the overt innuendo, as he offered a mischievous smile in return.
“That is exactly what I want to hear,” he applauded her.
“Should we discuss the salary?” she asked him.
“Of course,” he began. “We listed the job at fifty thousand dollars, but after ninety days, this increases based on performance.”
“That sounds fantastic,” she agreed.
He stood up and unbuttoned his dark grey suit jacket. His curly chest hair poked through the small area that his black dress shirt didn’t cover and she wondered how his body would feel on top of hers.
“So when are you available to start?” he questioned her as he stared into her bright blue eyes.
“I could start Monday if you need me to,” she offered.
“Eager, I like that,” he cheered. He offered a wide grin and collected the papers on his desk in a neat pile.
“I look forward to working with you, Alexander,” she told him, as she rose from her chair.
“As do I, Alanna. On Monday, come in at eight and see Amelia. She will train you on everything you need to know to work under me. She is returning to our office in Russia in two weeks where she is needed. So, learn as much as you can from her.”
He spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, but his attention was caught as his phone rang. His eyes darted between Alanna and the phone, but he didn’t want her rushed out of his office.
He pressed his finger onto a red button on the phone, picked up the receiver and said, “One moment.” He then hit another button, placed the phone back on the cradle and the red light blinked.
“Is there anything else you need?” he faced her. He gripped the stack of papers on his desk and shoved them into a folder.
“I’ll be here bright and early on Monday,” she assured him.
“See you then,” he muttered as he turned away, sat down and picked up the phone’s receiver.
***
Alanna walked out of the downtown building with a spring her step. The fifty thousand dollar a year salary was a dream come true and with the potential for an increase so soon, she was already contemplating how to use the money. As she made her way home, she decided to prank her sister.
She walked into their first floor apartment and looked downtrodden as her sister approached. She shook her head in despair and Alyssa rubbed her shoulder.
“Chin up Lana, there will be other jobs.”
“Yeah, but do they pay fifty thousand dollars a year like the job I was offered, today?” she teased as the inflection in her voice increased in enthusiasm. They both jumped up and down together.
“You got the job?” Alyssa squealed as she danced around. “Tell me everything.”
They sat down on the couch and Alanna beamed when she described the position. She blushed as she talked about how handsome her new boss was. “Lys, I didn’t think it was possible, but he’s much hotter in person. I swear that man exudes sex appeal and smells like a million bucks.”
“Wow, and you’ll be working closely together? I’m not sure I could do that.”
“Tell me about it.”
“You know it’s not good to mess with your boss.”
“Yeah, but he’s not my boss until Monday morning,” Alanna teased.
“This is a side to you I haven’t seen in a very long time. I’m glad it’s still there,” her sister told her with a smile.
“I know. I can’t remember the last time I was so attracted to someone, let alone a stranger. Oh god, Lys, I have never been around someone so hot. I don’t know how I’ll manage to remain professional around him when all I want to do is see what he looks like under that suit.”
“My big sister is human after all. I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.” Alyssa hugged her sister tightly. “Come on, we need to celebrate.”
