by Leslie North
“I’ve closed the blinds, but you should probably start heading towards the shower if you want to be to work on time this morning.” Mrs. Padrov didn’t judge, but she did shake her head and mutter in Russian as she left the room.
Julia managed to shower and dress before Sergei came to get her and gave him a soft “Thank you” for rescuing her last night. She had promised him that she would be more careful and had sworn off Vodka for the time being.
As the elevator pinged and the doors opened, she exited and headed for the small office she had been given. She kept her head down and glanced from beneath her lashes, relieved to see that Mrs. Rusnik had not arrived yet. Given her fragile state, she didn’t want to see the disapproving frown on Mrs. Rusnik’s face for not having listened to her about Antonia.
Antonia had left her with Sergei and then gone off with a guy she had only just met. That was definitely not Julia’s scene and she would be more cautious if she went out with Antonia again.
She left the office door cracked and started up her computer, ready to begin the day, glad that it was Friday. This would mark the end of her third week in Russia and the only thing she had done that wasn’t boring was get drunk. That was certainly something she could be proud of! Not!!
She heard Mrs. Rusnik enter several minutes later and was pleased that she was able to put a smile upon her face when the older woman popped her head in the door to say “Good morning.” Julia really did like Mrs. Rusnik, even if she was very conservative and staid.
“Julia?” she heard Mrs. Rusnik call to her from the outer office. Her pronunciation of Julia’s name always sounded like Yulia. She had tried to correct her the first few days, and then stopped when Mrs. Padrov had informed her that there was no J sound in the Cyrillic alphabet.
“Yes, ma’am. Did you need something?”
“I just wanted to let you know that the first board of directors meeting will be today right after lunch. Just in case you wanted to mentally prepare.” This was said with a smile and Julia immediately thanked her.
Mrs. Rusnik had been very informative in helping Julia decide how to best get along with the elderly gentlemen who sat on DAV Mining’s board. With the exception of the CEO, whom she had yet to see at work, the older gentlemen were old school and not very pleased that an American woman had been sent into their midst.
The fact that her credentials made her the best qualified for the position seemed not to matter to them. Mrs. Rusnik had told her that they believed a woman belonged in the house, not the boardroom. Julia had shrugged that off, having never dealt with that type of discrimination before, and had gone out of her way to meet each director individually during the last three weeks. All but the CEO that is.
The man was never in! She realized that he had many hats to fill and liked the fact that he wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty by physically visiting the mine sites, but she still wondered how the company did so well with an absentee chief.
“Thanks. Maybe I’ll grab an early lunch so that I don’t feel rushed. Would that be alright?” Julia asked.
“I don’t see why not. You certainly put in enough hours around here.”
Julia nodded, “Let me finish up the report for the meeting and then I’ll take it down to the copy room myself.”
“That will be fine. Oh, did you have a chance to look over that list of activities I left on your desk?”
Julia shook her head, “No, I’m sorry. I haven’t had time, but I promise I’ll take a look at it before I leave today.”
“You let me know if you have any questions.”
“Okay. I will.”
Julia went back into her office and thirty minutes later was headed back to the elevator. She was headed towards the copy room located several floors below. She had taken extra care with this report and wanted to make sure the copies were done perfectly.
As the elevator doors opened, she was surprised to see a tall man getting off. She backed up a step and then lifted her eyes to see the man from the exhibit standing there. He had the same look of shock on his face she was sure was mirrored on her own.
“Excuse me,” she said softly, edging around him to enter the elevator. He turned and kept eye contact with her until the doors closed and she sagged against the back wall. What was he doing here? Did he have business with DAV Mining? She would have to ask Mrs. Rusnik first thing when she returned from lunch.
Dmitry was never more shocked than to step out of the elevator and almost on top of the gorgeous blonde from the exhibit last night. Glancing down, he saw that she was attired in a short navy blue skirt that rose six inches above her knees, a white button-up blouse that gave just a hint of the cleavage contained beneath, and legs that ended in navy blue shoes with a modest heel.
Her blonde hair was loose around her neck, only the front edges having been twisted up and secured at the back of her head. Her light blue eyes caught his attention as he noticed the dark circles lingering beneath them. Her cheeks were a healthy pink and her mouth was just downright sinful. It curved up into a little bow shape and her plump bottom lip drew his gaze, even before she darted her tongue out and licked it.
As the elevator doors closed, he turned to ask Mrs. Rusnik who she was, but the secretary was on the phone. Deciding it was unimportant for the moment, he entered his office, shutting the door and trying to mentally prepare himself for the meeting ahead.
Going through the papers that had been piled on his desk, he briefly wondered how the American was doing, and then became focused on the latest financial reports. The format was slightly different and he made a note to discuss it with the directors who might have made such a change.
Dmitry liked things to run smoothly, and part of that was based on consistency. He didn’t mind a new format, but would have liked to have been informed that a change was coming first. He would find out who made the changes and then make sure they understood he wanted those types of things approved by himself. After all, the reporting format was his and he thought it was fine!
He was pleased to see the projections on the company’s latest mining operation were coming in much higher than had been previously forecast. The stockholders would be very happy!
Going through the mail, he was soon immersed in company business and loving it. This is where he was happiest. It wouldn’t always be this way, but for now, his focus was on making DAV Mining the largest mining company in the world.
Chapter 7
Julia smoothed her hair down one last time and then pushed the door to the conference room open. She stepped inside and quietly closed the door behind her. She met the gaze of several of the senior members of the board, noticing with relief the indulgent smiles that were directed her way.
She had been successful in winning most of the elderly gentlemen over and was hoping that the same would be true for the head of the company. The long wooden table was situated in front of a wall of windows that overlooked the city, and she glanced towards it and then stopped.
Standing at the head of the table was the man from the elevator and exhibit. He was calmly discussing something with several of the directors in quiet Russian and had changed into a gray suit – one that bespoke of having been custom-made for his large frame.
Julia could barely think and when one of the gentlemen touched her arm, she took the gestured chair quickly, hoping she hadn’t been standing there staring for too long.
She busied herself at her seat, stacking the copies of the report she had made earlier. She closed her eyes, the bright light from the window bringing back the previous night’s activities with a vengeance. If she could make it through this meeting without embarrassing herself, then she could spend the rest of the day in her office. Maybe then the drum in her head would quit beating so loudly.
Dmitry caught sight of a female form as it entered the boardroom, not paying much attention as he was discussing several pressing matters with his second in command. They were set to begin mining in the farthest reaches of the northern mou
ntains next week and several problems had arisen that needed immediate attention. After assuring himself that things would be handled post-haste, he turned to start the meeting and almost swallowed his tongue.
There, sitting towards the end of the long table, was the beauty from the elevator and the museum last night. He immediately thought of the expressions that had flowed across her face as she looked upon the erotic art pieces that had been on display. What is she doing in my boardroom?
He glanced around to see if anyone else had noticed her presence and was dumbfounded to see several of his harshest critics smiling at her in welcome? What on earth was going on here?
Clearing his throat to gain everyone’s attention, he spoke to the board in Russian, asking for someone to please identify the young woman in the room. He was told that she was the young woman from America and as he looked at her, he tried to put the woman sitting before him in line with the picture the American company had sent over. The woman in those pictures had been beautiful, but live and in person, she was exquisite!
Her hair was longer and much blonder in color, whereas in the picture, her hair had been pulled up. Her eyes had also been blue in the picture, yet now they were lavender in coloring.
Dmitry thought of how she had been dressed last night, and tried his hardest to put the woman before him into the mold he had cast her in – party girl. The short skirt and blouse she wore were the only indications that the sexy temptress he had met last night were one and the same person.
Realizing that he was staring at her, he looked down and then advised the rest of the board the remainder of the meeting would be conducted in English, in deference to their visitor.
All heads nodded in compliance and Dmitry sighed in relief that at least one thing was going correctly. Addressing the woman in question, he offered, “Welcome to Russia, Miss?”
“Thompson. Maria Julia Thompson.” She started to stand and then sat hurriedly back down as the men made as if to stand with her. When everyone had regained their seat, she looked back at him, hoping he would introduce himself. She wasn’t sure what had possessed her to use her full name, as everyone in the office had been instructed by herself to use her middle name. Was it self-preservation? Was she afraid if she used her middle name he would suddenly remember having met her in the states?
“I trust Mrs. Rusnik has been able to help you get situated?” There was something so familiar about her, but Dmitry couldn’t put his finger upon it.
“Yes, sir. Everyone has been very accommodating.”
“Good. We will talk more after the meeting, if you have time?” Dmitry would make sure she had time, but was taking the diplomatic approach in front of the other board members. There was no need for them to know of her antics the night before. The smiles upon their faces would then turn to ones of disdain and any cooperation she had been getting would disappear – fast.
“Of course.” Julia wasn’t sure she wanted to meet with him alone, given the promise of interrogation she read in his eyes. She looked down and decided that the next time someone offered her Vodka, she’d throw it in their face! Her head was throbbing uncontrollably at the minute and the meeting had barely started.
Dmitry was satisfied and started the meeting. After asking for a status report from each department head, he then picked up the report that had been lying on his desk. He started out with the positives, commending everyone for helping to come in under budget on the latest project. Several large changes had been made and when he praised that department, he was surprised to hear that the ideas for the money-saving ideas had come from Miss Thompson.
That trend continued as he went down the list of items on the report, with each department offering praise to the newcomer for her insight and strategies. Dmitry grew more impressed with her at each venture, but then he would remember her activities the night before and stop himself. She was a dichotomy of a woman – seductress by night, and financial wizard by day!
Julia blushed as she was given the credit for many of the ideas that had been implemented to make the company more profitable. Back home in the states, she would get the normal pats on the back, but would also have to worry about the next person to stab her in it on her way out of the meeting. This business could be cutthroat, but here, everyone seemed to be working towards the same goal and it didn’t really matter who came up with the next great idea. It benefited everyone and credit was given where it was due.
As Dmitry finished running down the report items, he remembered to find out who had changed the format, “Who would like to take credit for changing the report format?”
Maybe it was the way he asked the question or his tone of voice, but the room grew silent and still. No one volunteered any information for so long that Dmitry grew impatient, “Well, is no one going to take credit for changing the report? Without my permission or knowledge, I might add?”
Julia swallowed nervously as she raised her hand, “Uhm… well, the old report was slightly confusing so I tweaked it here and there to make it easier to read…” She trailed off at the harsh look in his eyes. “I’m sorry?” she offered, not really sure what she as apologizing for. She had done her job, which was to communicate the financial status of the company in a clear and concise manner.
“We have been using the old format for quite some time. It worked well for us all and I would ask you to refrain from making any other organizational changes without checking with me first.” Dmitry could hear the coldness in his voice, and wasn’t in the least apologetic. His report was confusing? Not hardly!
Julia realized quickly that she had stepped on the bosses toes, and folded her hands in her lap. She didn’t have a response to his words that could be considered both polite and correct, and so like her grandmother had always told her, “If you have nothing nice to say, be quiet for heaven’s sake.”
Julia found that advice had helped her in more than was situation and silently counted to ten in her head as she bit down on her tongue.
Dmitry dismissed the meeting shortly thereafter, still furious about Miss Thompson’s perceived authority in his company. Giving department heads ideas and letting them decide whether or not to implement them was one thing. Taking it upon herself to change a report was unacceptable.
Julia escaped to her office as quickly after the meeting as possible. Taking the bottle of painkillers from her purse, she had just popped them into her mouth when she was interrupted, “Drugs may be okay in America, but here they will not be tolerated.”
Dmitry had seen her put the pills into her mouth and his fury was immediate. Stalking inside her office, he quietly closed the door, the action at odds with the emotions rolling through him. Walking closer, he pulled the bottle from her hand, feeling chagrined when he realized she had only been taking some aspirin. Giving her back the bottle, he stepped back a step and apologized, “It seems I was mistaken. I trust you are not ill?”
Julia took the bottle back and dropped it into her purse, feeling her hackles rise in anger at his audacity. “Was there something you needed?”
“Yes, an answer to my question. Are you ill?”
Julia started to shake her head, and then stopped, replying verbally instead, “No, just a small headache. Again, was there something I could help you with? I realize you’re angry over the report, although I don’t see why. I received compliments from several of your directors who stated the report was much easier to read than the old one.”
Julia stopped talking, watching him fist his hands and close his eyes. He was angry over a report format? Then it occurred to her why, he had designed the report. It was the only acceptable explanation for his anger. Sighing, she thought about apologizing again, but then stopped herself. He needed to learn when to be thankful when someone came along and improved part of his company.
Julia crossed her arms across her chest and leaned back against the front edge of her desk, not realizing that crossing her arms had tightened her shirt to the point that her cleavage was now fully visibl
e in the vee of the shirt.
Leaning backwards only seemed to bring attention to the length of her legs, and Dmitry wasn’t blind to either. He felt his body respond and cursed softly under his breath, “Derr`mo.”
Julia started to ask for an explanation for what he had said, but seeing him close his eyes and take several deep breaths, she drew her own interpretation. He was frustrated with her for some reason. If he knew we had a history together, he would be furious!
Opening his eyes, he deliberately raised his eyes to her face, keeping them from raking over her body. “Miss Thompson…”
Julia cut him off, “Please, call me Julia.” She was willing to make peace with him.
“Miss Thompson,” Dmitry started again, deliberately using her surname, “We have a standard that I expect our employees to maintain. Your activities last night go directly against that standard. I’m sure Mrs. Rusnik told you that the board is very conservative and any hint of impropriety would be looked at very poorly.”
Julia gaped at him in astonishment. He was angry she had gone to the art exhibit? But, he had been there. Didn’t the rules apply to him as well? Closing her mouth, she pushed herself off the desk, asking in a very calm voice, “So, let me get this straight. You’re not really angry at me for changing the report format. You’re angry I went to that art exhibit last night…”
“And then dancing and partying with some guy your model friend just happened to pick up last night.”
Julia couldn’t argue with the model picking up the strange guy last night; but what business was it of his! She wanted to accuse him of being that strange guy who tried to pick her up several weeks back, but held that thought to herself. Deciding to deal with the events from last night and let the past stay in the past. “Were you not at the same art exhibit?” Julia asked calmly.