It was Misha, and she did not look happy. For once, Jessica knew her anger was not directed at her.
“Sir, just what do you think you’re doing?” she said simply.
“Away, you—you Amazon woman, this is no concern of yours,” he snapped.
Oh, you poor simpleton. Would you care to dig that hole just a few feet deeper?
“Oh, really?” Misha replied.
Jessica relaxed as the man pulled her to her feet and held her in front of him.
“Yes. My wife is not feeling well, and I'm taking her back to our room to—”
Pow! He never got to finish his sentence. Jessica actually jumped in surprise, so swift had Misha’s punch been. She truly knocked his lights out, because he went limp, Jessica dropped to her knees, and down he went. In an instant, Jessica launched herself into Misha’s arms, and the next moment Viktor was there with hotel security. While they bundled the man off to the police, Misha took Jessica, still carrying her in her arms, to the hotel’s conference room.
She was a bit confused by that. “Ah, ma’am, what are we doing here? Am I in trouble?”
Misha set her down and smiled at her. “No, not really. While you did break the rule about talking to strangers, I think we can skip any sort of punishment for that. What I need to know is this: are you all right? Did he… hurt you?”
“No, ma’am, I’m just a little shaken. He didn’t have time to… do anything.”
Gathering Jessica into her arms, Misha hugged her so tightly her ribs almost ached. They sat there in the quiet peace of the room for a good long time, and then the police arrived to take her statement. She told them everything, although she did gloss over the bit about trying to access her email account and drinking alcohol. Admitting to that would definitely earn her a royal rump roasting.
Misha frowned. “Anya, it’s bad enough that you spoke to a stranger, but then you accepted his offer to play with his computer?”
“Sorry, ma’am,” she squeaked, shrinking into the plush leather chair.
The police chuckled, and Misha sighed.
“Well… there will be no ‘formal’ punishment, but you will write one hundred times: ‘I must not talk to strangers’ and write an essay on why it’s important not to do that! Is that clear?”
Jessica chewed her lip and nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
Once the questioning was over, she and Misha left to join the others. The girls were incredibly supportive, and Viktor hugged and kissed her so much she thought her ribs would be bruised for days. However, he also gave her a royally good scolding right there in front of the girls and a number of resort guests. Jessica hung her head and felt about five years old.
“I’m very sorry, sir, and I’ll accept whatever punishment you see fit.”
He smiled and gently stroked her hair. “No, my precious little one, I could never lift a hand against someone who has suffered such a trauma.”
Once home, they showered and changed, and then sat down to dinner. Jessica decided to forgo the movie. She knew it would help her get her mind off of the day’s events, but she really wanted to get to work on her writing. She was actually looking forward to it. As far as she was concerned, it was going to be therapeutic. Two hours later, she felt arms about her, and actually tensed in fear. It was Misha.
“I’m okay, ma’am,” she mumbled.
Misha chuckled. “I’m sure you are, sweetie, but you’re also one very tired little girl. Come on, let me help you to bed.”
Stumbling down the hall, Jessica didn’t resist when Misha slipped her shorts and panties down and held her on the toilet. She even helped Jessica brush her teeth and get her footie jammies on. After that, she practically carried Jessica to her bed and tucked her in.
“I hope you sleep well, my little one,” Misha said, kissing her forehead.
Sleep came easily, but her dreams were troubled. Time and again she found herself being chased by tall men. Arms would wrap about her, hands would clamp over her mouth, and someone would hurt her. She tried to run, to fight, to scream for help, but she was trapped. Suddenly, it seemed the dream had come to life; she felt large hands on her.
“No, nooo, get away, get away, don’t hurt me,” she wailed.
“Anya, Anya, it’s all right,” came Viktor’s gentle voice. “I’ve got you, and you’re safe. No one will hurt you.”
She almost heaved herself out of his embrace, and so he wrapped her blanket about her, creating a cocoon to hold her in. He then gathered her up in his arms, and she next found herself being carried down the hall. Resting her head on his shoulder, she saw heads pop out of several doors, and heard a series of questions. Viktor reassured all of them.
“It’s all right, Anya just had a nightmare. Everyone get back to bed, she’ll be fine.”
Everyone did so, and he continued on down the hall, down the back stairs, and then outside. There were some nice benches arranged near the garden; the girls sat on them to eat lunch and to rest while tending the garden. Viktor sat there and set Jessica, still in her cocoon, on his lap.
“Here we go, little one, some nice quiet time with me out here under the stars. Come on, look at the stars, and remember them. Can you find Ursa Major?”
It took a few minutes for Jessica to calm down. Her breathing was labored and ragged for a while, and then she got it under control. She shook and trembled for a longer time, and then the blanket and Viktor’s gentle embrace also eased that off.
“Ah, the stars? Ahhh, yes, yes, I see it. There it is, and Polaris is right over there,” she said, wiggling her arm out so she could point.
That was how they spent the next hour, stargazing, and it did wonders at taking her mind off of her nightmare. Finally, she felt her eyelids grow heavy. She tried to stay awake, to focus on Viktor’s questions, but she couldn’t get her mind to pay attention. Suddenly, she was flying! She felt like putting her arms out and crying out, “Wheeeee” like she did when she was a kid. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Actually, it wasn’t true at all—she’d never gotten to do that when she was a child. No, her dad didn’t believe in… frivolities like that. At an early age, her teachers had determined she was highly gifted, and that was when her parents had fast-tracked her education. Anything that tended to distract her from her studies was discouraged, and that was putting it mildly.
Then she figured it out. Viktor was carrying her again, and doing so quite gently. She truly felt as if she was floating on a cloud. A moment later, he eased her into bed, and made her comfortable.
“Thank you, sir,” she mumbled, even as he tucked her in.
“You’re welcome, little one. Now, sleep, and sleep well,” he said, and kissed her on the forehead.
She did.
Later, as she felt her face growing warm, her eyes fluttered and opened, and she saw the soft light of morning spilling in her window. She also saw something else, and it made her smile. There was Viktor, flopped back in a chair, his feet up on the foot of the bed, and he was out cold. Jessica giggled. He was also snoring. She heard what she thought was an echo, and turned toward the door. Iva and several of the girls were standing in the doorway, and they were trying hard not to laugh out loud.
“All right, girls, all right,” came Misha’s voice. “What’s going on…?” Her voice trailed off as she reached the doorway and looked in. She rolled her eyes and covered her mouth with both hands in an effort to not laugh too loudly.
Jessica shushed all of them. “Not so loud. You’ll wake him,” she scolded in a loud whisper.
Misha crossed to Viktor and eased him forward in the seat. “It would seem the old boy stayed up a little too late.”
“It’s my fault, ma’am, he was trying to protect me from bad dreams.”
“Maybe we should get him to bed,” Iva suggested.
“Yes, good idea,” Jessica said, nodding and getting out of bed. “Come on, let’s get him in my bed, and he can sleep as long as he wants.”
“A very nice gesture, Anya,” Misha said.
“Girls, come help us.”
The girls swarmed forward and the scene was like seven female dwarfs helping a male version of Snow White. They eased Viktor up and turned him around, and flopped him into bed. Iva and Jessica covered him with the sheet and blanket, and then each girl stepped up to kiss him good night. Yet, they were careful not to wish him pleasant dreams—they didn’t want to risk waking him. After that, they all tiptoed from the room, Jessica pausing to grab some clothes as she went.
Of course, given the creaky old floor, they were far from silent. Yet, as tired as poor old Viktor clearly was, it seemed there was little chance of him waking. In fact, before the last of them had crossed the door’s threshold, they could hear him snoring again, much louder.
The girls giggled again, and Misha gave them a semi-stern warning. It was done with a wink and a smirk, so they knew she wasn’t being serious. Well, not entirely.
* * *
Jessica was tormented by several more nights of bad dreams, but Viktor was always there to comfort her, and that helped to eventually dim them from her mind.
Chapter Twelve
Two weeks later, Jessica was skipping along merrily toward the home. She felt such a surge of relief: she’d passed her cooking exam final, and now she could well and truly help out in the kitchen. She knew just what she was going to make everyone for her first dinner: chicken parmesan. It had always been her favorite, but she’d never learned how to make it. Actually, truth be told, she’d never learned to cook anything. Such things had been deemed a waste of time by her parents. Nothing could come between Jessica and her studies, and—after all—that’s what restaurants were for.
Entering the main gate, she was surprised to see a chauffeured car sitting off to the side. She wondered what was up with that. Misha came out the front door, smiling, and waved to her.
“Ah, there you are, sweetie. Come inside, we have something important for you.”
Jessica’s brow wrinkled. For me? Am I being considered for a scholarship or maybe even an internship? Oh, wouldn’t that just be the silliest thing ever? Come to think of it, it would be the perfect way to get back to America, and re-claim my old life. So, what the heck, I’ll see what it’s all about. Besides, if I don’t, well, I know what I’ll get!
She followed Misha inside, and then went into the classroom. It was empty now, and Misha moved to Viktor’s desk, picked up a small bag, and handed it to Jessica. Opening it, she found clothes, some very nice ones.
“These are for you, sweetie. I’ll step outside now, and when you’re dressed, you open the door, okay?”
“Ahhh, okay, ma’am,” she replied, totally confused.
Misha left, and Jessica peeled off her clothes and got dressed. As she finished, she was truly amazed at how she looked. She was practically her old self! Now she had another mystery to ponder: why in the world would Misha give her a truly adult set of clothing? Crossing to the door, she threw it open.
“Ma’am, what in the world is…?” Her jaw dropped as she saw who was waiting outside. Misha and Viktor were there, and so was Kelly. “Wha-wha-wha…?”
They entered, and Kelly embraced her.
“It’s good to see you, Jessica. I hope things haven’t too traumatic for you here.”
“Kelly, how… you… why… how…?”
Viktor grinned. “Searching for a handle on the moment again, Jessica?”
“Huh?”
Kelly couldn’t help herself, she giggled, and then launched into an explanation of what had happened to Jessica over the last several months. When Jessica saw her old iPad, she cringed.
“Oy, my journal. You read it, didn’t you?”
“We all did,” Misha volunteered. “It might just as well have been sub-titled: ‘Jessica’s Naughty List,’ wouldn’t you say?”
Jessica hung her head in shame for a moment. “Yes, I suppose my acts against others have been considerable. Wait, so, you both knew right from the start who I was?”
Viktor and Misha nodded, and then it was their turn to hang their heads.
“We are so very sorry, Jessica,” Viktor said. “We felt terrible lying to you, and forcing you to live a lie, but… well, we felt it was…”
“Justified?” she said, and they both nodded. “Yes, I suppose it was, and I forgive you. I was a truly terrible person back then, and a taste of old-fashioned discipline was definitely called for. So, Kelly, are you here to take me home?”
Kelly moved to the door and put her hand on the handle. “Well, sort of. There’s someone I want you to, ahhh, how should I put this—get reacquainted with?”
She opened the door, and Jessica gasped.
“D-D-Drew, what are you doing here?” she stammered.
Kelly gestured to Misha and Viktor, and then stepped out while Drew came in.
“We’ll leave you two alone to talk,” Kelly said, smiling as she left, closing the door behind her.
“It’s great to see you again, Jessica, I’ve missed you so much.”
She couldn’t help herself; she threw herself into his arms. He felt so very, very good. He was as tall as she remembered; her head just barely came up to the center of his chest, and his long strong arms felt comforting around her. For a few minutes, they just stayed like that, lost in each other’s embrace, lost in time. Then, Jessica’s memory and conscience kicked in, and she broke free of his hug.
“Drew, as much as I lov—I’m glad to see you, I have to ask again: what are you doing here?”
He smiled, and she felt herself drawn to his warm blue-grey eyes. He always did have the sweetest smile, the most beautiful eyes, and the firmest build of any man she’d ever known.
“Surprised to see me? After all, I did leave the department rather abruptly, didn’t I?”
Jessica cringed. That was putting it mildly. She’d played so many pranks and jokes on him, made him a laughingstock among the staff to the point where no one respected him. Why had she done it? She didn’t need to ask that question; she knew the answer. It was because she’d loved, she loved, him, and she saw love as a weakness.
“Love is for the weak, power is for the strong.” That’s what she always said. That was her guiding creed. It was what her father had taught her. He had always been a cold and distant man. Growing up, she couldn’t recall a single instant of him holding her, kissing her, tucking her in at night, or even hugging her.
“Drew, there’s no possible way you can ever forgive me for what I’ve done to you. So, why are you here?”
“Don’t be telling me who I can and can’t forgive, young lady,” he said, rubbing her cheek with the back of his fingers. “I’m here for one simple reason: I love you, Jessica. I always have, and I always will. Kelly called me and explained everything, and asked me to come with her to see you. We have a proposal to put before you.”
“Proposal, what are you talking about?”
“Here’s the deal, little sweetie, Misha and Viktor feel that you’ve truly changed, and—”
“I have, I have!”
Drew frowned, just a bit. “Jessica Nicole Alban, don’t you interrupt,” he scolded.
“Sorry,” she squeaked.
“Better. Kelly agrees with them, and wants to offer you a chance at getting your old life back.”
“Really? I… ahhh, well, but what if I don’t want it back?”
He grinned. “Finding the simple life here to be quite fulfilling, eh? Well, here’s what she’s offering, Jessica: you’ll be in charge of the new resort, complete control, with one tiny addendum—you’ll be under my control.”
“Wha…? But you transferred to the Chicago office. Are you back?”
Drew nodded. “Yes, and Kelly has appointed me your boss. I’ll have final say on all you do, but—beyond that—the place is yours. If you do well with it, and I agree that you’re qualified, when Kelly retires, you’ll get her position. How’s that sound?”
Jessica couldn’t believe what she was hearing; it was better than she could have ever hoped for.
This was it, her dream coming true, and yet, now she didn’t want it. She loved her life here, and she wanted to stay. And she wanted something else.
Drew.
It took a moment for her to catch her breath and think, and then she spoke. “It’s a wonderful offer, Drew, and I guess I’d be crazy to ignore it, but might I offer a counter-proposal?”
“Of course.”
“I’m more than willing to take care of the resort, and I’ll do the best job you can imagine, but I don’t ever want Kelly’s job. This place, this town, it’s now my home, and I want to stay here and take care of it. The girls’ home needs a lot of things, and I want to see to it that they get them. And then there’s my friend Iva, she deserves special attention. If Kelly will give me the authority to do what I can for the home and Iva, I’ll agree to everything else.”
Drew was clearly taken aback. “Wow, sweetie, I never thought I’d hear you pass up a major promotion.”
“Well, that’s not all you’re going to hear from me, there’s one thing more,” she replied, getting down on one knee before him. “I know this isn’t strictly ‘regulation,’ but Drew, will you marry me?”
“Hey, I’m the one who’s supposed to ask that,” he replied with a grin, and lifted her to her feet.
“I know, I just couldn’t help myself. And, now that I think of it, I shouldn’t have asked.”
“Oh, changing your mind already, eh?”
Jessica smiled. “No, it’s not that. I… I’m not worthy of you, Drew.”
“Why do you say that?” he said, concern clear in his voice.
She shook her head. “The wrongs I’ve committed against you are beyond mere forgiveness. I-I must do something to truly atone for what I’ve done to you.”
“I see. Well, what do you propose?”
“It’s clear I still need control and direction, and not just at work. Let’s live together here in town, while we work on the resort. At work and out about town, we’ll be boss and… what, ‘assistant’?”
He nodded. “Yeah, that’ll work. You can be my executive assistant.”
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