by Lee, Leona
“So, you’ll be the one interviewing me?” Jessica asked as she looked around the room.
“Yes, the position is for someone to assist me,” Alanna reminded her.
“Oh, I thought I’d be talking to the owner of the company,” she scoffed.
“I’m Mr. Denisov’s executive assistant,” Alanna replied, perturbed.
“Oh, okay.”
The interview lasted twenty minutes, which was nineteen minutes longer than it should have as far as Alanna was concerned. After walking Jessica to the elevator and watching the doors close, she immediately dropped her file into the trash.
“She was no good?” Alexander asked from his doorway as he looked on.
“No, she was not a good fit for the job,” Alanna explained. “She was late, rude and her salary expectations were unreasonable.”
“Lofty aspirations for someone applying for a job as an office assistant,” he commented as he turned and walked back into his office.
She nodded, as she retrieved the file from the trash and set it aside to bring down to HR. Alanna waited for her second interview of the day. Given how Jessica treated her, she didn’t have any high hopes for Tristan Avery.
Ten minutes passed and the elevator dinged out of the blue. A tall, younger man with light brown hair, green eyes and dressed in a navy suit and striped tie emerged from the elevator. He looked lost as he approached her desk.
“Hello, I believe you and I spoke on the phone yesterday about an office assistant position,” he told her, as he smiled.
“Yes, you must be Tristan.” Looking at the time on her computer, she was surprised to see that he was fifteen minutes early.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said in response and then blushed when he seemed to realize that they were close in age. “I can wait over here if I’m too early.”
Alanna stood with a smile on her face.
“Not at all. Let’s go into the conference room.”
She led him into the room where they talked for an hour about the job responsibilities and the day-to-day activities involved in the position. She was convinced that Tristan Avery was more than qualified for the job.
“I don’t mind being a glorified gopher,” he joked.
“Assuming everything checks out with HR, are you available to start on Monday?” she inquired.
“That sounds great,” he replied enthusiastically.
They spoke of the pay and agreed on a competitive salary for the position. As they both stood, they shook hands and Alanna walked him back to the elevator. When the elevator dinged, he disappeared inside and Alanna returned to her desk.
“So did you hire Mr. Wonderful there?” Alexander asked with a slight twinge of jealousy.
“Actually, yes, I did,” she said proudly. “Assuming everything checks out with HR, he’s a great fit for the company and he doesn’t cost a small fortune to hire.”
“You hired eye candy to help you every day,” he teased her with a playful expression.
“No, I hired Tristan because he was the most qualified,” she countered.
“It’s of no consequence,” he caved. “I’m glad you hired someone so quickly.”
Alexander returned to the confines of his office and Alanna removed the job ad from the internet. He poked his head out of his office and said, “I want to take you with me on a business trip to Florida.”
“Sure,” she replied.
“I have several business meetings there and I might need your assistance,” he continued.
“Of course,” she said briskly.
Joining her at her desk, he handed her his notes. “We’ll be in Miami from the fifteenth until the twenty-first. I will need you to setup the flight, hotel and transportation accommodations,” he advised her.
“You do know that I’ve done this before, right?” She hoped that the grin on her face showed that she was teasing him.
Narrowing his gaze at her, he crossed his arms and continued speaking. “First class for both of us,” he commanded. “And a chauffeur for our time there.”
“Of course, Mr. Denisov. Will there be anything else?”
Stepping away from her desk, he began to pace the room, gesturing with his hands. “Before we go on this trip, I want you to compile a list of the best restaurants in Miami for us to visit. I want every last detail planned out. I want your hotel room next to mine, so you can be within arm’s reach.”
Alanna began chuckling as he gave her another mock glare. “Is there something funny, Ms. Vella?” he questioned, dragging her name out as he spoke.
Slapping her hand over her mouth, she shook her head as he burst out laughing. “I realize that I micromanage, but I prefer to control everything,” he told her, as he leered at her. Alanna blushed as she stumbled over her response.
“I’ll get on it now and get you that list by lunch.”
“Thank you.” As he started walking toward his office, he stopped. “Be sure to take note of the attire. If there’s anything you need to purchase, use your company credit card, as I’m considering it a work expense.”
Nodding her head, she tapped her feet happily under her desk. “Oh, Alyssa is going to have a blast helping me shop,” she told herself as she started her research.
Chapter Nine
Monday morning Alanna was excited to have Tristan start his first day. He was a smart young guy surprising Alanna with how quickly he assimilated everything she told him. Within a couple days, he was handling many of the smaller tasks with no coaching from her; even Alexander was amazed with his quick study.
The following week, Alanna let him take over and watched as he followed all office procedures to the letter; even establishing a better rapport with some of the clients than she had. After HR cleared his final background check, she gave him a spare key to Alexander’s apartment to deliver his dry cleaning and other errands that Alanna loathed to do as it would take her out of the office for too long.
On his third week, Alanna told him, “Alright, as you know, next week, Alexander and I will be leaving for Miami for a week.”
He nodded and assured her that he was able to handle all of the office duties in her absence. She hadn’t wanted to leave him swamped, so she jotted down her cell phone number to reach her in case of an emergency.
“Got it,” he said as he took her information.
“Are you sure that this won’t be a problem?” she searched him for reassurance.
“Of course, it’s not a problem at all,” he replied confidently.
On the fifteenth, Alanna followed Alexander to the elevator and down to the waiting car. His driver, Nicholas, dropped them off at the airport where they sped through security and enjoyed First Class boarding privileges. Upon their arrival in Miami, they were greeted by a man dressed all in and black, holding a sign that read: “Denisov.”
“Denisov, yes, that’s us,” Alexander told him as he ushered them to their waiting limo and drove them to the Delano Hotel in Miami Beach.
When they exited the limo, Alexander had been intent on dealing with his voicemail, but he stopped speaking when he walked into the hotel’s lobby. Telling the caller he would get back to them, he pocketed his phone and looked at Alanna in surprise.
“This is a gorgeous hotel. You did well, Alanna,” he congratulated, as she smiled.
“Well, assuming our reservation is correct; just wait until you see our accommodations. I thought it might be easier to have any smaller meetings in our suite,” she told him with another smile.
“Suite? I’m intrigued.”
The hotel manager overheard their conversation and quickly determined who they were. Checking them in personally, she escorted them to the elevator and handed both of them her card with her cell phone number on it in the event they needed anything. When they got upstairs, Alexander looked at her in surprise when he saw that there was only one room.
“It’s not what you think,” she told him laughing. “Check it out.”
Raising an eyebrow, he slipped the card into the e
lectronic lock and opened the door. Walking in first, he let out a whistle. Following behind him, she was surprised at the size of the common area.
“This is one of their two-bedroom suites with our bedrooms at opposite ends of the suite,” she informed him. “And judging from the size of this living space, I don’t think we need to worry about getting in each other’s way. Plus, there’s a conference table in here, so any private meetings you need could easily be handled here.”
Turning, he smiled at her. “This is fantastic Alanna. It never would have occurred to me to do this. Thank you, it’s clear you put much thought into this.” Coming toward her, he grasped her shoulders and kissed her on her cheek before stepping back.
Pulling his phone out, he started to walk toward one end of the suite, “Why don’t you unpack and get settled. We aren’t due for cocktails until five, so plenty of time to relax,” he told her not bothering to wait for her reply; he found his bedroom and walked inside.
Turning, she grabbed her suitcase and headed toward the other end of the suite. Finding her bedroom, she walked inside. The room was a sea of white with gold tones, much like the common area. Walking to the window, she opened it and closed her eyes, listening to the sound of the waves.
Kicking off her shoes, she jumped on the bed with a laugh. Rolling to her back, she stared up at the ceiling while she kicked her feet. She felt giddy that Alexander was so pleased with her choice of accommodations. She had managed to narrow it down to two hotels but ultimately chose the Delano based on the suite’s floorplan.
Later that afternoon, dressing for cocktails, Alanna slipped into one of her new cocktail dresses. Pulling the emerald green dress over her head, she adjusted the straps before shimmying her hips to settle the fabric around her. Touching up her makeup first, she brushed out her hair, which she left down as it curled in the humid weather. Slipping on her new Louboutins, she twirled around in front of the full-length mirror completely satisfied with her appearance.
Grabbing her cell phone, she snapped a picture of herself and texted it to her sister. Picking up her black clutch, she was about to put her phone inside when it beeped with a message. Opening it, she grinned at her sister’s emoji of a person whistling. Laughing, she tucked her phone in her purse and went looking for Alexander.
Walking into the common area, she could hear Alexander shouting in Russian. Wondering if he had lost track of time, she walked toward his bedroom and knocked on the door. He called out for her to come in and she opened the door to find him standing in front of her wearing only a pair of black dress slacks, as he continued to shout into the phone.
Alanna tried not to stare, but found it hard not to admire his muscular body. He had abs to die for and she pictured herself running her red fingernails all over his smooth skin followed by her kisses as she blazed a trail down his body.
“I am almost ready,” he mouthed at her as he began to speak in a rush. Concluding the call, he tossed his phone on the bed, muttering under his breath in Russian. Walking to the closet, he pulled out a black shirt and white tie. He slipped into the shirt and buttoned it up, concealing his body in the process. Without looking, he tied his tie, seeming lost in thought. As he reached for his jacket, Alanna couldn’t keep silent as she giggled.
“You look like one of those mafia guys from the Godfather movies,” she joked. He looked at his own reflection in the mirror and grinned. He slid his shoes on and walked toward her as he looked her up and down.
Taking her hand, he kissed the back of it, “So, does that make you my mafia princess for the evening?” he asked her, as he winked.
Alanna had no idea how to respond to that. She’d grown accustomed to his flirtations but had reconciled it to being part of his personality and nothing more. While she would have loved to have him think of her that way, with the money she was making as his assistant, she didn’t want to create a situation where things didn’t work out and she’d feel the need to quit. Or worse, fired.
Giving him a slight curtsy, she looked at her watch. “Are we going to be late?”
The limo driver brought them to their restaurant; another Art Deco architectural wonder and Alexander placed his hand at the small of her back as he escorted her inside.
The warmth of his hand quickly heated her up, causing her to stumble slightly. Grabbing her elbow, he caught her before she could fall as she smiled at him gratefully.
Checking in, they were informed that the rest of their party hadn’t arrived yet, so they approached the bar, where he ordered drinks for the both of them. She’d promised herself that she’d keep the drinking to a minimum during these work events as she didn’t want to embarrass herself or Alexander in front of his clients.
“Cheers,” he said with his raised glass.
“Cheers,” she answered as she sipped the drink. Looking around the room, she was taken in by the décor, which made her feel as though they stepped into the 1920s. She felt his eyes on her and turned to look at him.
“You look lovely this evening, dear Alanna,” he said charmingly.
“Thank you. You look handsome, as well.”
“For the Mafioso,” he added with a wide grin.
Shrugging her shoulders, “That sounds so limiting. I’d say you represent more of the male population other than the mafia,” she told him blandly, as he started laughing.
At that moment, some of their guests arrived and they took their glasses and went to join them.
“This is my lovely, executive assistant, Alanna Vella,” he introduced her to a man whose beard was salt and pepper colored and well maintained.
“Alanna, this is Mr. Maksim Angeloff and his lovely wife, Anastasia,” Alexander told her as she offered them both a smile.
“It is lovely to meet you, Alanna,” Maksim told her in a heavy, Russian accent.
“It’s nice to meet the both of you as well,” she said in response. At that moment, the rest of their party arrived and Alexander excused himself to go meet them.
Turning to see the other couples walking into the restaurant, she was glad that Alexander had told her to go shopping. These women looked glamourous, as they laughed and kissed everyone on the cheek.
Nodding to the maitre’d, Alexander led everyone to the back of the restaurant where they had a large table in a private room. Standing by the door, Alanna smiled and introduced herself to everyone who walked in. Once they were seated, she joined Alexander at the head of the table.
“These are all of our investors from Russia,” Alexander whispered into her ear, as servers brought Champagne to everyone.
“A toast!” Alexander called out, as he stood to welcome everyone. Shifting back and forth between English and Russian, Alanna was only able to understand the English portion as the guests nodded at his words. As everyone raised their glasses in toast, Alanna did the same, taking a small sip of the sweet, bubbly drink.
After a couple more toasts, the investors quickly turned their attention to Alanna.
“So, you help Alexander manage his business and you’re gorgeous,” one of the investors said aloud with a grin on his face. His wife elbowed him, as she scowled at her husband.
“Yes, I handle the day-to-day requirements for his busy office.”
“Do you like the work?” another investor asked.
Nodding her head, she answered their questions. Pausing, she took another sip of her Champagne and asked herself why he needed her there. Since he was conducting most of the discussions in Russian, she didn’t see how her presence was necessary as she didn’t feel she could contribute in any sort of meaningful way because of the language barrier.
She placed her glass down on the table and studied the faces of the investors that sat around the table. A cold feeling came over her and she felt like something was off about the entire situation. Most of the time, the men at the table rambled in Russian, and for the most part, Alexander didn’t bother to translate, instead, responding back in Russian.
“I’ll be right back, I’
m going to use the ladies’ room,” she whispered to Alexander and rose from her seat. He stood up with her and the rest of the men followed suit. Two of the other women at the table also stood and offered to walk with her to the bathroom.
Alanna slid inside one of the bathroom stalls and closed the door. Through the slat, she noticed one of the Russian women placing something on the sink. The woman leaned down toward the counter and Alanna heard a snorting sound. She stared at the woman through the door when she realized that she was taking too long, so she hurried up.
“I wish Anton would get the better stuff in his shipments and not this garbage,” the Russian woman complained as she touched up her makeup.
The other woman came out of one of the stalls and agreed with her, commenting, “I stopped touching that crap months ago.”
“Can’t you get your husband to get better quality? This stuff wears off too quickly and I end up with a headache.”
Shrugging her shoulders, the woman replied, “He’s grown much too greedy in his old age. All he cares about is profit.”
Alanna had no idea how to respond to either of them and simply kept silent while she washed her hands and checked her hair and makeup. This was one of those times where she dearly wished that conversation was taking place in Russian. They left the bathroom together and Alanna sat back down next to Alexander unsure what to say.
When they returned to New York, she planned to check the shipping logs for someone by the name of Anton. It was one thing for an investor’s wife to do drugs in the bathroom, but she had no idea what she would do if the drugs were shipped through Denisov. She loved her job but she didn’t think she could stay there if the company was involved in illegal activities.
As the night went on, Alanna maintained some semblance of small talk with the investors, but her mind was elsewhere trying to remember what some of the shipping manifests looked like. Were drugs being shipped through Denisov International? If so, what else was he bringing in illegally? Guns? Something worse?
Toward the end of the night, Maksim leaned toward Alexander. “She’s pretty and smart; you should marry this one.”