Read online book «Revenge – served cold» author Лидия Антонова

Revenge – served cold
Лидия Антонова
What could be worse than the betrayal of a loved one? Only the news that you have been cynically used for several years. And there are only two ways out of this situation: to cower in a corner and weep, or to mobilize all your strength and take revenge!
English (US). Уровень: Intermediate
Обложка сгенерирована с помощью нейросети маджорни мной!

Лидия Антонова
Revenge – served cold

Prologue

A quiet evening suddenly turned into a nightmare that turned my whole life upside down. And all thanks to social media, or rather, my classmates. A letter sent by a strange woman made me forget how to breathe. No, she didn't write anything horrible. She didn't even threaten or insult me, she just threw down some wedding photos. But what pictures! My Dimitri in a light suit hugged a girl in a wedding dress and was completely happy.
My head was buzzing, my heart was beating and freezing. I can't believe his betrayal. We had called yesterday morning to discuss the future renovation of our apartment in Moscow. The house had just been recently completed, and the mortgage was really hard on our pockets. But it's our little nest!
And now it has another mistress!
Shaken and angry, she angrily stammered into the message:
"What's the joke? Go have fun with other fools!"
I was about to send the interlocutor to the ban, as she sent me an upside-down laughing emoticon and a link to VK.
Instead of blocking the messages, I clicked on the link and found myself on the page of a certain Diana Serebryakova (!!!) in maiden name Akhmadulina.
Feeling as if I was made of absorbent cotton, I clicked a few times with my naughty hands and looked through a dozen photos. Here is my Dimitri posing with relatives at the registry office, here he puts a ring on the finger of another, and here he is with her by the pool with a cocktail in his hands.
I couldn't believe it! I wanted to get the message that it was a joke and Photoshopped. But the further I leafed through the album, the more my hopes melted. Dimitri and Diana had been in a relationship for several years, as evidenced by the photo report. Yes, they even had joint photo shoots!
There was only one thought in my head: "How could he?!" He and I have been together for almost five years now. We bought an apartment, paid the mortgage together. For the last year we haven't even had money for tickets to see each other!
A new message from my classmates coincided with the doorbell. I didn't pay attention to the last one, but I went to the messages.
"Don't interfere with the lives of young people's lives. You haven't left them alone for two years. "You lost! Leave the guy alone!"
I swayed in my chair and, unable to hold on, fell to the floor. So all this has been going on for two years? That's when Dimitri started talking about the mortgage. He even managed to convince me to sell the three-room apartment, inherited from my grandmother. Instead of a luxury apartment in a “Stalinka”, I moved into a one-room “Khrushchevka”, and the difference was put down as a deposit.
“Rina, open up!!!” came Ramila's voice.
The best friend pounded her feet on the door. Slowly I stood up, opened the door and, turning around silently, wandered into the room. My friend followed me like a hurricane. She threw a cake on the table and a jingling bag on the sofa and announced:
"The fortress has fallen!”
“А?” I asked indifferently.
“ I say…” she stammered: “What is it with you?”
I didn't have the strength to answer. Instead, she waved toward the computer and, wrapping her arms around herself, swayed from side to side.
“ Here…! …!” Ramilya swore figuratively and lucidly.
I sobbed and cried in response. My brain was feverishly trying to find an explanation for his behavior. We loved each other, we wanted children....
“ Don't cry!”
Ramila shoved a glass of wine under my nose and made me drink it in one gulp. I almost choked a couple of times, but at least I came to my senses.
“ Good!” The torturer was pleased when she caught my angry look.”The cat's tears will be poured back to the cat, the mouse's tears!”
I immediately cried again. The girl in the photo was well-groomed, with a precise figure. But I was really a mouse. Last year I couldn't afford a hairdresser. My hair was still hanging in ugly bundles. Blondes need to touch up the roots almost every three weeks.
“ Don't cry Rina! You've got no one to cry for. Let him cry.”
“ The apartment,” I sobbed.
“ Great loss. My father has a good lawyer. He'll sue him for half of his living space. Let's go right now! Where are your documents?”
Ramila's words and deeds were never at odds, and she burrowed into the drawer where I kept everything important.
“ What documents?” I howled.
“ For an apartment in Moscow. You took a mortgage, and you transferred the down payment to the bank.”
I clapped my eyes, only now realizing that I had never actually seen them. Or rather, Dimitri had sent me a picture of the contract on WhatsApp. I quickly pulled out my phone and, finding the saved pictures, showed them to my friend.
Ramila flipped through the photos in a daze and, sitting down next to me, drained her glass.
“ What a bitch! “she exhaled.
For the next hour we drank wine in silence. Ramila frowned and bit her lips. I wiped the tears running down my cheeks.
“ That's what! We'll get revenge on him! “ said her friend, putting a new bottle on the table.
“With the help of a lawyer?”
“ Eh, Rina, you are not in the contract. Dimitri only took a two-bedroom on himself.”
“ It's more profitable, the interest is lower.”
“ You have less brains, as well as any other fool in love, “ she categorically cut off:
“You must have transferred the money to his card?”
I nodded, causing my friend to groan.
“ You didn't transfer money to the mortgage account. You didn't sign the contract.”
You didn't get him a loan through a lawyer. You could go to the police, but they'd probably tell you to fuck off. The man got married, and the ex-girl showed up to file a complaint.
I gurgled in agreement. Indeed, I'd have to convince the investigator to accept the application first. And then I'd have to go through the circles of hell to get the case prosecuted. All that would require money, and I didn't have any.
I slowly and inevitably began to realize the truth. My beloved man not only abandoned me, but used and robbed me.
“ What to do now?” I was horrified.
I imagined how I would tell my parents about it. Selling my grandmother's apartment, I had to endure a whole war. But my mom told me, warned me…
“ I finally got it! Do you remember my great-uncle on my mother's side? He went to the country with his relatives, and gave my father a house in the Moscow region as a debt. It's no big deal. Just an old building. Not a cottage, of course. I've been hitting on my father for a long time talking about "they'll sell it off", "you have to look after the house". And he kept saying, "How will you be alone there? And I told him I wouldn't move alone, but with you. And then there's Dimitri. So the three of us will live there.”
I sobbed again. If she had told me that a couple of hours ago, I would have jumped from the ceiling with happiness.
“ The plan has changed, of course. But! We're moving to Moscow!”
“What am I going to do there?” I asked dejectedly.
“Oh, please! With your education you won't find a job? Rina, after a language course, you can get a job anywhere. I'll go to a salon to file my nails. And then, in a year, I'll ask my father for mine.”
“ Maybe I should start filing my nails too?” I asked.
“ Don't be silly. You have your own purpose. You're going to take revenge! I've already thought of everything… I'll tell you what! Let's get tickets right now!”
Ramila rushed to the computer and tapped on the keyboard.
“ There are tickets for tomorrow night. But they're coach and side seats, but that's okay. Pack your clothes!”

Chapter 1
A week later, I stood at the bus stop and stared in horror at the business center building. Ramilya made one revenge plan after another, and even managed to infect me with her enthusiasm at one point.
The plan changed every time, but they all started the same way: I had to get a job at the same company as Dimitri.
"Media Help is a pretty big company. They were in the investment business. But I didn't understand where. However, there was only one position in the firm – a secretary. And he doesn't need to know how to invest money correctly, the main thing is to serve coffee on time and not to let unnecessary visitors to the boss. However, I was afraid to go in there, fully confident of rejection.
A phone call brought me out of my thoughts. I shuddered and almost dropped it. But I had to pick it up. Ramila was very persistent and could call for hours without stopping. So it was easier to answer right away.
" Let me guess, you're standing a few meters away from the business center and you want to escape? " Ramila said confidently.
" No, I… Okay. They won't hire me! And what will I gain by it? I'll only wear out my nerves!”
" Don't be silly. Go. Or do you want that bastard to live and enjoy himself? How many times has he called you this week? How many letters? And in the middle of the month, nothing! Payday's coming and you haven't dropped the money.”
My friend knew me better than anyone and hit me at the most painful point, causing a healthy anger.
Ramila's right. Dimitri wrote, as usual, about love and our plans. Only now I was paying attention to something else, in between he reminded me about paying the mortgage. He made a fool of me and used me as he wanted. I wrote a hundred term papers for him in college. I even wrote his thesis. Without me, he'd have been expelled in his third year!
I shook myself up and walked towards the entrance, cheering myself up. At the institute I studied English and French. But after Dimitri's departure, I studied Chinese to have some fun. And since excellent command of languages was the main condition, though they didn't specify which ones, I had every chance.
Having gone up to the fourth floor and having clarified the number of the office from the guard, I joined the queue of those who wanted to get this place. The girls were just like a selection, as if they came off the cover of a magazine. I nervously pulled up the sleeves of my jacket. Though it was already too big for me. Ramila was taller than me and a little bigger in important strategic places, but she wouldn't let me wear hers. I didn't have any new or unwashed clothes. Unless you count jeans and sweatshirts.
" Go, get outta here!”
The blonde girl jumped out of the office and, snorting, ran down the hall. She was followed by a tall, overweight middle-aged woman with a short haircut.
" Who's language level is based on: "I can hardly read and don't understand", you are free to go! " she said.
No one moved. I got discouraged. If such beauties want to get a place, it means the salary is decent. Besides, bosses prefer legs to brains.
" And knowledge of what language is required? " I ventured to ask.
Indeed, if they need Spanish or some Portuguese. And I do not know them. Then it turns out I'm standing here for nothing.
" Come in," the recruiter told me.
" I'm the last one in.”
" If you keep mumbling like that, you'll be the last one in. Come on in.”
I ducked inside the office, to the angry stares of the crowd. And handed over the folder with diplomas.
" Ms.Clarke. And Ms. Adams . Well, very good. Here, read it.”
Ms. Adams handed me a sheet of English text. I exhaled with relief and read it. It was about launching an application on a smartphone. Then there was a description of what it did.
" Ms. Adams! Did you find it? He's already asking! And tell me what to do with it!?!”
A pleasant young woman flew into the office. She stumbled with excessive emotion, catching her heels on the threshold.
" There's the applicant.”
" And this?”
The girl shook the papers.
" Julia, calm down and show me.”
The blonde, nervously waving the crumpled sheets, collapsed on the chair next to me and put them on the table. I glimpsed it, noting the familiar hieroglyphics.
" The partners sent it. He asked: "What's this?" What should I say? Why start a business without knowing the language? I don't even understand what they want!”
" They don't want to, they announce their arrival in a month," I intervened.
" Do you know Chinese? " Ms.Adams was surprised.
" Just a little bit. I am self-taught.”
" You are accepted! " Julia blurted out. " Translate the letter to the end!”
" First I'll formalize her. And tell Mr.Roberts about the arrival. And that the letter will be fully translated tomorrow.”
I clapped my eyes shut. I didn't expect it to be so mundane.

__________
* All coincidences are coincidental!

The house Ramila got was on the Leningradskoe highway between Khimki and Zelenograd. She took a bus to the right stop and headed for the house along the broken road.
Honestly, when my friend told me that the house was in the suburbs, I expected it to be much worse, and further away. In fact, it turned out that there is a small gap between Moscow and Moscow suburbs.
The house, too, was much better than one could assume: one floor, four rooms with a veranda and a bathhouse.
And what pleased me most of all was the neighboring street from the road. And to go not far and nothing in the room from the rushing past trucks does not bounce.
" How was it? " Ramilya asked, leaning out of the window up to her waist.
" They got me.”
" Yes! " Ramilya jumped up, almost falling out of the window. " Ours won!”
I didn't say anything and went into the house. Personally, I wasn't at all sure of victory. Tomorrow is the first day of work, and I will meet with him. How will our meeting go? What will he say to me?
"You've been hired, so why are you so glum? " Ramila asked.
" I don't want to see him," I confessed.
" He doesn't want to see you… Or rather, he doesn't expect to see you. I can imagine him coming into the waiting room and seeing you… God, why can't I see his face at that moment?!”
Ramila laughed and disappeared into the kitchen again. I took off my clothes and changed into an old laundered robe. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and slipped into my trampled slippers. It took about ten minutes, along with removing my makeup, and the whole time I regretted that I'd given in to my friend's entreaties.
I wish I'd just turned over a new leaf. Erased Dimitri's phone number or blocked it. I should have done that a week ago. But every time I was going to "dot the dots" saw his last messages, in which he said he loved me, and I couldn't. If I can't even decide to do something so small, how am I going to look him in the eye tomorrow?
" I'm not going anywhere tomorrow," I said, walking into the kitchen.
Ramila turned to me and belligerently displayed a bust covered with red synthetic fabric. Having got rid of parental control, her friend has revised her closet a little, betting on emphasizing her bright appearance.
" That's right. You'll go back to Samara. I'll even take you a ticket.”
I was glad and sank down on a chair. I didn't expect Ramilya to understand and support me. I won't be able to look at him calmly tomorrow. I'm going to cry and let him put new noodles on my ears.
" The walls are closer to home in my own town. Well, don't worry about the job. I've always sensed in you a path of self-sacrifice… You'll go to school as an English teacher. It was offered.”
Ramila finished her speech and, frowning, sat down next to me. In my mind I knew she was right. I should have left back then… insisted on my own way… and maybe Dimitri and I would have gotten married and would be together now.
" Ir, don't be silly. Your Dimitri won't do anything to you. But it's good to get a proper employment record. Honestly, I didn't think you'd get a job at all.”
" Supported, " I grinned.
" What's the big deal? You went to see where your frustrated husband pretends to work. Maybe you'd run into him and spit in his face!”
I silently took an apple from the package and bit into it. Ramila knew where to hit and, as always, hit the target. I didn't have much money. Well, actually, I had some, just from a failed payment. But I had to work. I'm tired of running around with students. And worst of all, my parents… I never told them the truth. They think I've gone to my future husband and we're getting married soon. I've talked about it so much. But when they find out the truth… And then it'll be known to all the relatives. I've been told. Warned me.
" Ramil, borrow a dress, " I suddenly said. " That black, classic.”
" You can take the boat shoes too," my friend smiled triumphantly.
***
A woman's shriek kicked me out of the dream. I jerked upward, then downward as well, collapsing from the narrow bed to the floor, my elbows hitting the floor painfully.
" Are you crazy?!”
Ramila flew in and shook the rolling pin at me belligerently. I was impressed by the look on my friend's face: a stretched T-shirt, disheveled black hair, and a dazed look, and I hurried to deny it:
" It's not me!”
" And who? " Ramila didn't believe her.
" Ah-ah-ah! " I heard a confirmation of my honesty from the yard.
We leaned against the window and looked at a pudgy aunt, dressed in a chintz nightgown that looked like a ghost's shroud, plain-haired and barefoot. She was darting around the garden with the agility of a hippopotamus, running away from a skinny man in a striped alcoholic shirt.
" Get out! " Ramila shouted angrily.
She had an interview in the morning at a salon on Tverskaya Street. The visitors there were wealthy, and the prices were correspondingly high. The stackable salary – just a dream. So to the appearance of the masters requirements were appropriate. And to go there with black eyes – mauveton!
The participants of the race did not pay attention to the owner of the plot. The man continued to chase the "ghost", shaking a metal meter spoon for shoes. Enraged, Ramilya threw a rolling pin at the aggressor. Frenzy corrected her eyesight, and she hit.
Wounded in the remnants of his brain, the man fell to the ground, staring at us dumbfounded. He had no time to say anything. The "victim" flew up to him and put an old iron bucket on his head with a swing. Then, emitting a battle cry, ran away like a racehorse, swinging over the fence. The man, spreading his arms, stretched out on the ground. We looked at each other.
" It's crazy," Ramilya shared her thoughts with me.
" Did she kill him?”
" I hope not. The only thing we need is a corpse in the yard!”
Without wasting time, my friend climbed out the window and went to the defeated, on the way again armed with a rolling pin. Stopping half a meter away, she hesitantly stomped. I, figuring that it would be easier to escape through the door than through the window, rushed out into the hallway. Having jumped out into the street and turned on the lantern over the visor, I asked:
" Well, what is it?”
" I didn't understand yet.”
She decided to achieve mutual understanding in the simplest way – by kicking the man under the ribs. He let out an inarticulate wheeze. I grabbed a five-liter water bottle, which had been living in the hallway since the last owner's time, and ordered:
" Take off the bucket!”
Ramilya took off the bucket, and I immediately threw the water that had long bloomed and had already managed to rot in his face. I don't know whether it was the smell or the effect of surprise. " The man sat up jerkily. We jumped away from him.”
" Who are you? " he asked in a clear voice.
" I am a guardian of Valhalla, Viking, and now we're going to cast you back to Earth! " Ramila snorted and swung the bucket at him.
" Ivan! How long will I wait for you?! Go home now!"
The man jumped up from his sitting position and skipped like a goat toward the fence, behind which the same woman in the same nightgown was looming. When we saw how easily the couple overcame our one-meter fence, we looked at each other again. "The ghost gave us a look of contempt and walked away.
" High relationship," I muttered.
" What do you think about replacing the fence with a two-meter high, solid fence?"
I vividly pictured the two of them hopping the cement fence like monkeys, and I shook my head.
" It wouldn't work. The circus talents of the participants can attract the attention of the audience."
***
The expression: "I wish I could relive it under anesthesia" became closer and clearer to me than ever. Moscow in the morning was no longer friendly and beautiful. There were so many people in the subway. " And in order not to fall under the wheels of the train, I had to hold on to a column, otherwise they would tear it down."
People glared at each other unhappily. The phrases "here we are!" and "why don't you sit at home?" were heard more and more often. However, there was still some order. The general flow brought and carried people into the cars. It was only necessary to get in at the right time. Only I didn't have such talent and could only get into the third train and then, with difficulty, fall out of it. During the trip I had been stomped on all my feet and elbowed in the stomach.
Feeling as if I had survived the unequal struggle, the first thing I did was hop into the restroom and try to clean myself up. Turns out I wasn't the only one. So while I was wiping my shoes with wet wipes, I got to know half the office.
When I learned that I was Andrew's new secretary, people rejoiced, but they wished me good luck in my new job. No one seemed to believe that I would stay for long.
Deciding not to pay attention to them, I went to Ms.Adams 's office. Since yesterday I forgot to specify where I should sit, but on the way I met Julia. The blonde, rushing somewhere down the stairs, seeing me, happily splashed her hands and immediately grabbed me under the elbow.
" Hi! I'm glad you came. Come on, I'll take you to the reception!"
" Hi," I said carefully, not thinking of objecting.
" You're good, you got it right. There's hardly any makeup, and the dress is modest. And that before you was a whole circle of secretaries, with battle coloring and skirt belt!"
Julia spoke contemptuously, which was strange. The blonde herself had plump bright red lips. And she was dressed in a white blouse and a narrow blue pencil skirt. And the heel was so high that if you stumble, you are guaranteed a fracture. And a concussion on top of that. A fall from that height is not without consequences.
" Andrew… the office is separate from the deputies. He doesn't like to be around a lot of people. Look: coffee maker, cups, and this is your desk."
I looked around, the room was small. The secretary's desk was against the wall, and there was a corner leather sofa for visitors. The table with the coffee maker, cups and all, was hidden behind a sprawling ornamental palm tree.
" Don't forget to water it," Julia nodded at the flower. " When he comes, wait fifteen minutes and bring coffee. He drinks black without sugar. Don't forget yesterday's letter, it's on your desk. Submit the translation with the original. There's a folder for him to sign. He'll tell you what he wants from here. Oh, I forgot! When he comes in, go up and introduce yourself!"
Julia gave me another approving glance and took off. I, dumbfounded by the instructions and "valuable information", did not have time to say a word. Deciding not to waste time, I turned on the dictionary on my phone and started translating. The working day started at nine in the morning, and half an hour should be enough for me. However, I couldn't concentrate. People would look in the reception area and see me, snickering and whispering questions:
" Did his come?"
I shook my head negatively. And once again leaned over the text. Judging by the excitement, Andrew was a tyrant. So my first task should be done quickly and well. You can get acquainted with your colleagues afterwards. In time I stopped paying attention to them, having realized that they come to look at me only. And animals in a zoo don't have to pay attention to the audience.
The man's hum was the only thing I reacted to. I looked up to see a man in his thirties. He was dressed in a blue suit, a white shirt with a carelessly unbuttoned collar, slightly disheveled hair, and a brutal daytime unshavenness.
" Ms.Adams told me she'd found someone suitable."
" Hello," I said, rising.
" I'll be waiting for you in fifteen minutes."
The man took wide steps and disappeared behind the director's door. I blinked, it seems " it is Andrew . Well, it instantly became clear to me why Ms.Adams chose me among the flock of beauties. The chief was handsome, young and rich. Even the odor of cologne he left in the reception smelled expensive. All of which made him the perfect patron. I doubt my predecessors cared whether he was married or not.
As I watched the door close behind him, I remembered that I'd forgotten to introduce myself and rushed to examine the coffee maker. Not forgetting to look at her watch. Punctuality, when working with such a man, is a necessary quality. Even if I didn't want to work here, if I got fired on the first day… Dimitri would laugh!
Putting the letter and the translation in a folder and making coffee, I froze in front of the door. It was still a minute before the time. It was better to wait and not barge in on him. I wondered how he'd react. He seems to have a temper.
True, the boss got tired of waiting first, so he decided to go out. When he opened the door, the boss looked at me in surprise. I was confused, not knowing whether to hand him the cup or stand aside.
" Did you decide to sink into the floor? " he asked.
" I'm sorry," I stepped aside.
" Come in," Andrew told me.
Waiting for him to move away, I stepped into the office. Andrew settled at the table and looked at me expectantly. Putting a cup in front of him and putting the folder, stepped back in anticipation of orders.
" I am Rina Korotkova, " I introduced myself,
" Rina. In two hours I'll leave and come back after lunch. Don't let anyone see me yet. Let them leave all the documents with you. On Friday we'll have a board of directors, order catering. Do I need to explain what that is?"
" Waiters in the office"
" That's great. Afterward, I'll tell you who I can and can't be connected to. Now go get the paperwork. I'll have the courier take it to the departments."
" I will."
Taking the stack of papers from his desk, I went out to the reception area and closed the door tightly behind me. It was as if the celestial had stopped talking to a mere mortal. It felt as if he had been doused in slop. I had never encountered such people before.
Putting the documents on the edge of the table, I looked through the notebooks left by my predecessors. One of them, to my relief, contained internal phone numbers. Finding the cell phone of a courier named Stepan, I informed him of the task and began to look through the book more carefully.
Whoever compiled it had acted competently. The pages were divided into sections, where there were: the name of the department, first name, last name of the employee, internal number, cell phone number, and e-mail address. When I reached the sales department, I found a line – Dmitry Serebryakov. But the phone number and email were unfamiliar to me. Without knowing why, I took a sticker and, having rewritten it, hid everything in my purse.
" Did you get used to it?"
Ms.Adams came into the waiting room. She looked at me with a keen eye and smiled.
" Andrew is busy and no one accepts anyone, " I told her.
" And I'm not here to see him, but to see you. You look frightened. Don't be afraid of him, he's not an evil man. He just doesn't like it when people are late and forget about work."
" Force majeure happens to everyone," I replied.
I didn't have to say anything about not liking to be late. I've never seen people who liked it.
" There's force majeure, and then there's just slackness. Well, it's okay, you're a responsible girl. The main thing is not to get involved in the fight and don't talk too much."
I nodded in agreement. I had no idea to get involved with my slippers in the local shithouse.
" If you have any questions, come on in."
" Thank you."
I wondered if I looked so pathetic from the outside, or if they needed to close the job so badly that they cared about me so much. Sighing, I made myself a coffee and returned to my desk to continue looking through my contacts. There were several visits to the reception area, and all the visitors were quite satisfied with the offer to leave their documents with me. Only once one of the girls gave me a strange look.
Andrew turned out to be a terribly punctual man. Exactly two hours later he left his office and left silently. I was glad to have a temporary respite, so I went on the Internet and looked for an inexpensive cafe nearby. I didn't dare to go to the local canteen on the first floor. Most likely, Dimitri would be down there in the company of his colleagues. I wouldn't want to meet him in front of the whole office. In fact, it would be better to postpone our meeting a little.
After hesitating a bit, I opened WhatsApp and looked at his last message.
"Babe, has something happened? Where did you disappear to?"
Suddenly I felt cold and lonely. And really wanting to cry to switch gears, texted Ramila, asking how she was doing. I got a lot of smiles and raptures in response. Glad that at least someone was doing well, I headed for the exit. I need to eat lunch, preferably something tasty and sweet. I also need to buy sugar. There was hardly any left in my locker.

Chapter 2

" Are you going to the dining room?"
Julia jumped out of a box and ran toward me. I couldn't help but look away.
" No, there's a little coffee shop across the street called Orange. So many experiences, I wished I could sit in a quieter place."
And there was a more "star" place nearby, where I hoped the whole management would go. Which meant Dimitri wouldn't have to go to the Orange.
" That's a great idea. I'll keep you company. We'll have a little chat. I'll tell you more about the rules."
" Come on," I smiled.
I began to guess that Julia is a big fan of our boss. And wants to be friends only to glimpse more often in front of his eyes. Besides, what can I say, she looks much more spectacular against my background. But I didn't claim to be the boss, but the information about the company interested me.

***
"The orange turned out to be a nice place, besides, the owners wanted to create a private effect, and the sofas had high backs. I sat down in a corner by the window and ordered a business lunch and coffee. The worst thing for me in Moscow turned out to be the need to get up at half past six. And then, forty minutes to wash up, almost an hour on the bus to sleep. And then a fight in the subway for survival. And as a result, half an hour to catch my breath after a morning of "relaxation" on the road. So I felt like I'd just been woken up and forgotten to wake up.
" You must think I'm weird. I'm all over you, running around, asking you to join me for lunch."
" Oh, come on. Not at all," I lied.
" Oh! " Julia laughed. " Don't, don't lie. I can imagine how it looked from the outside. If I were you, I would start fleeing, and in the corridors running over… running over."
Imagining this situation, I supported Julia with laughter. Really, it would be funny.
" I won't lie to you, I have a vested interest."
" Honestly, " I grinned.
It turns out that someone has had a vested interest in me all my life. This one, at least, honestly confesses, without any love and friendship.
" Tell me, did you translate the letter? You know, from Chinese?"
" Yes, it was hard, really. I don't know the language very well. I taught myself. I took a few lessons at the center."
" That's a lot more than me or any other manager. And it's my first contract with them. No specialists. I only got this case because no one wanted it."
" Well, I'm glad I helped you."
" So, uh."
Julia moved closer to me and smiled. I moved a little away from her in surprise.
" Help me…" Julia purred in her Garfield voice.
" How? " I was surprised.
" The Chinese have a tasty project. A new tracker for training. We will represent their program in Russia. Well, there's adaptation, launch. The bonuses from this endeavor will be so… I'll tell Ms.Adams that we're working together, you as a translator, and we'll split the bonus between the two of us."
" If we split the bonuses, they won't be so tasty. Not for you. Why would you do that?"
" All right, the whole truth, so the whole truth… Our boss Natalia is going to America to visit her children. They studied there and stayed there after they got married. So she's going there for two months. I saw a signed vacation request on Galina's desk. We'll take over the project, get it off the ground. Andrew will officially put me in charge…"
" And when Natalia leaves, you'll take over. And in the long run, the position will be yours for good."
" There! You got it right away!"
" What if Andrew hands it over to another manager?"
" Who? Everyone in the department is busy. If only Dimitri. But Andrew doesn't like him. He would have fired him if Dimitri hadn't married the daughter of his father's friend," Julia snorted."
" Dimitri? " I whispered in a strangled voice. " Who's that?"
" Oh-oh! He's a goose! He came to work " very modestly. Now he thinks he's his father-in-law's successor. He doesn't want to work, he only gets a salary. And that's what's strange. He always has money. He even bought an apartment!
I made an expressive frown. He got the money for the apartment from a fool in love. It was a pity that it happened and I was the one."
" I'd hate to see him," I mumbled.
I suddenly had the idea that it would be better if he saw me when I had already established myself as a specialist. Then he wouldn't be able to get me fired.
" And I don't have to! He doesn't look at Andrew, " Julia snorted.
" You know, I agree. I too do not want to always sit in the waiting room. But to move to the department of translators."
We looked at each other and smiled smugly. Ramilya was right, we should have gotten out of our shells a long time ago.

***
After sitting in the Orange, discussing all the nuances of future work, I was fifteen minutes late for lunch. I had to run back. All the way I prayed that Andrew had not yet returned. I was lucky, instead of the boss in the waiting room I found a girl unknown to me. A blonde with bright scarlet lips, false eyelashes, in a perfectly fitting beige dress-flats and open light coat, frowned unhappily and swayed on stilettos.
" Good afternoon," I greeted her cautiously.
The blonde gave me an attentive look, and it was clear that we didn't like each other. Nevertheless, I smiled as friendly as I could. First of all, I didn't know who she was, and secondly, I was really late.
" Where is Andrew ? " she asked coldly.
She looked as if she was overpowering herself by talking to me. As if I am dirty, ragged and on the porch, not a secretary in the reception.
" Andrew is at a business lunch, will be later, " I kindly replied.
" Later! " snorted the blonde. " Call him and tell him that I'm waiting for him!"
" I'm sorry, Andrew told me not to disturb him. Negotiations are very important.
In fact, I didn't even know where my boss was going. And I couldn't call him, I don't have his cell phone number."
" You want to work here?! Tell him Camille's here right now!"
" Tea, coffee? " I smiled.
" You're fired! " The girl shouted and ran out of the reception area.
I sank exhaustedly into a chair, trying hard to suppress the urge to burst into tears. They say there are people who are energy vampires. This Camille was clearly one of them. We'd only talked for a couple minutes, and it was like all the energy had been drained out of me. Like air out of a balloon.
After I managed to blink and not ruin my makeup, I stood up, deciding to get my own coffee. Honestly, I didn't know what to do. The documents were taken away, there were no calls, and I was promised to be given assignments later. The only thing I could occupy myself with was familiarizing myself with office equipment. In fact, there wasn't much of it: a computer, a selector, a printer and a scanner. Well, also a coffee maker, which was hardly the most important of all the previous.
After making coffee, I turned around and almost ran into my boss. He flew into the reception area like a hurricane. I squirmed inwardly, waiting for the blonde to complain.
" Coffee, that's not a bad idea! Come to my office!"
The boss disappeared into the office, I had to follow him, remembering what kind of coffee he likes, and whether I brewed it correctly.
Andrew , carelessly threw his coat on his shoulders, sent his jacket there, and sat down at the table, rolling up the long sleeves of his shirt. I put a cup of coffee in front of him and froze half a meter away from the table. All the TV shows said that a secretary should keep that distance. But I didn't know how it really was " I didn't have any experience.
" Sit down," the boss said.
I sat down on the edge of the chair and looked at him fearfully. Andrew was looking for something on the table and did not pay attention to me. Finally, he pulled out a whole pile of stickers glued together and some notebooks.
" Look through these and make a schedule."

I scooped up the post-it notes and quickly glanced through them to make sure I could make out his handwriting.
" Excuse me, you have a meeting at three on Ramensky Boulevard, and half an hour later on Preobrazhensky Boulevard? How are you going to make it in time? These are different parts of Moscow!"
" Yes?!"
Andrew jumped up and looked over my shoulder. I froze, not knowing how to react to his behavior. This morning he seemed to me even too cold.
" Indeed. So, review and in such controversial moments, call back and reschedule the meeting. Or no, highlight them and show them. I'll tell you which is more important."
" Okay," I nodded.
The addition to the instruction appealed to me. I didn't know anyone yet and could inadvertently offend an important person.
" Andrew , while you were away, you had a visitor …"
It was pointless to hide this event from him. I'm sure the blonde just couldn't get through or wanted to cry from resentment at a personal meeting.
" Who?"
The boss returned to his chair and sipped his coffee. With a satisfied nod, he looked at me, waiting for an answer.
" Camille," I explained. " She wanted me to call and summon you …"
" And you didn't?"
I nodded dejectedly, belatedly feeling guilty. Maybe I should have gone through my notebooks and found the supervisor's phone number. There are records of all the employees!
" I just… didn't know your phone number… or the staff's…" I started to justify myself
" What are you mumbling about?"
I stammered and squeezed inwardly.
" Remember, I can't be distracted in negotiations. No matter who comes and no matter what they demand. Unless it's not OBOP in half with the tax came to gut our documents. Then you can let me know."
At the end of that sentence, he got a little funny. I realized it was a joke. Although with such things and structures, jokes are bad. He's probably sure that his company's documents and law are in order and he won't be visited.
" Encrypted? " I asked in a tone of voice.
" That would be very kind of you."
I allowed myself a smile, managing not to laugh. The boss's sense of humor was on the level. More importantly, he managed to lighten the mood.
" Can I go now?"
" Go ahead," I was told.

As I stepped out into the reception area, I managed to dodge in some unimaginable way. Camille was back, ready to tear me down and walk across the carpet of the secretary's body. I belatedly jerked back to follow and tried to stop her.
" I have to report to you!"
I was ignored. I had to run after her back to the office.
" Andrew , I…!"
" Honey! Fire her!"
The blonde reached the owner of the office, passionately kissed him and, climbing on the table, capriciously pouted her lips.
" Why should she? " surprised interrogated the "sweetheart".
" She was rude to me, and did not want to call you! I'm your fiancеe! She must obey me."
From despair and resentment, I was speechless, and did not even try to defend myself. The blonde fiancеe was lying through her teeth. I didn't even say a rude word to her.
" She was following my orders and not connecting me to anyone."
" You don't want to see me?! Have you fallen out of love?!"
The girl's eyes immediately filled with tears and her lips trembled. I couldn't help but wince. She's obviously overplaying it. A look of annoyance appeared on Andrew 's face for a moment.
" Can I get you anything? " I asked, just to remind myself.
They seemed to have forgotten about me. I didn't want to witness their stormy reconciliation.
The blonde jumped up, but the boss was ahead of her:
" No need for anything. Go to work."
I happily walked out the door and, closing it tightly, leaned back and exhaled in relief. It seems that no one is not going to fire me, which I can not be happy. But the blonde wouldn't stop there and would try to make my life a living hell.

***
Work in general was not difficult. Andrew had few visitors. He himself turned out to be very active and preferred to meet outside the office. The only thing is that there were a lot of calls in the afternoon. Everyone wanted something, either to sign documents or to schedule a meeting. So the organizer had to be dealt with urgently. There weren't many time overlaps. Just two. And the last one was due to a changed meeting place. After calling the secretaries, I easily rescheduled them.
However, the schedule for two weeks in advance turned out to be so tight that other people who wanted to meet had to either refuse or make arrangements to meet in two weeks. Plus, I put meetings on the schedule. And remembering the latter, I dug into the Internet in search of a decent company willing to organize a buffet in the office.
Camille left about an hour later, absolutely pleased with herself. She didn't even look at me, which pleased me greatly. So the first day, you could say, went smoothly.
As I headed out of the office, I thought it would be a good idea to go to the supermarket. Ramila had bought all the groceries before. She also cooked. Today, however, I got off around seven o'clock. That's very early for work in Moscow! When I ran down the stairs and turned the corner, I immediately turned back. Dimitri stood at the gatehouse, wearing a beautiful light colored coat. He was cooing softly with someone on the phone and promised not to stay anywhere.
My first impulse was to turn around and run to the toilet. Where I could lock myself in a stall and cry. The ex-lover looked like he'd just stepped off the cover of a magazine.
The second impulse was to crack him on the head, scratch his face and make an ugly scandal. Anger demanded an outlet. I managed to restrain myself and clenched my fists to the point of pain.
Dimitri smiled at the world, or rather, at the invisible interlocutor and looked happy. He used to smile at me like that. He spoke with the same intonation, and I believed that I was loved. And worst of all, I realized I was ready to go back to him. To be happy again.
Sighing, I adjusted my dress, tossed back my hair. I didn't want to hide from him anymore. On the contrary, I was going to walk over and look him in the eye.
Encouraging myself, I headed toward him. Dimitri finished the conversation, put the phone in his other hand and brought it to my ear again.
" Yes, yes! I'll be there in about ten minutes. But I can't stay today, I have a lot of work, so I'll have to go back to the office."
I froze, not believing my own ears, immediately suspecting him of another adultery.
" I'm ready to fly to you even to the end of the world!"
Dimitri, without turning around, jumped out into the street and took the wheel of a luxury foreign car, which immediately started off in an unknown direction. I waddled back to the subway. The day was ruined. It turns out I'm not ready to meet him. As soon as he smiled at me and said a few words, I'd believe him. Even though my mind knows that all beautiful words are lies, I can't order my heart.
And yet I was sure that both times he talked to women. Different ones, moreover. He couldn't have told his wife he had to go back to work. As I pondered this thought from every angle, I was once again immersed in a survival quest called, "The Road Home at Rush Hour!"

Chapter 3

Ramila's phrase after I told her about my meeting with Dimitri was vivid and nerve-wracking. However, it could only be repeated in decent society with prepositions and interjections.
I sat in the kitchen, climbing on a chair with my legs, and mindlessly chattering with a spoon in my tea. I felt like a rag doll.
“ You know, it's probably a good thing that everything turned out this way," she said calmly.
I looked up at her in bewilderment. What could be good in what happened? The man I love turned out to be a pig. And I found out about it, when nothing can be fixed.
“ Are you laughing?” I asked in a shaky voice.
For the first time all evening I wanted to cry.
“ Imagine if you had given birth to a child by him," Ramila suggested.
I immediately did what she told me to do, and tears ran down my cheeks.
“Maybe that's the reason? I wanted to wait.”
“ Don't talk nonsense!” Ramilya burst out.” No man has ever managed to bind anyone with this. Yes, maybe he would have gotten married. But then he would mock her all his life. You bet, the calculating predator had bound him hand and foot. Ruined his life! And a wedding is no indicator of fidelity and happiness. He would've kept on going.”
" Listen to you, there are no good men in this world."
" There are a lot of good men. But women love assholes."
Having stamped on both men and women at once, Ramila grabbed my glass and threw the cooled tea into the sink. I leaned back in my chair, not the least bit upset. My food wasn't good today, and I couldn't even swallow a cookie. Just the sight of it made me sick.
" So Dimitri didn't see you, and that's good. See, I was right about you getting a job at this office."
" Dimitri's the manager, and I'm the secretary."
" Dimitri's a jerk, and you're an asshole. The secretary is the closest person to the boss. You'll be with him for twelve hours. Helping him. Cover for him. And as a result, he'll treat you better than the rest of us. Imagine the controversial question, "who gets the lucrative assignment?" And you say, "Julia's more responsible," and that's it.
" Am I gonna get fired? " I suggested sarcastically.
" They'll listen to you," Ramilya said.
I, deciding not to argue, nodded in agreement. I felt resentment in my soul. I loved him so much, and he was just taking advantage of me....
" So, Julia offered you an interesting job? So do it. Don't cry!"
As if confirming her rightness, the phone rang, notifying about a message in Viber. Julia wrote that she had sent me the documents to the post office. I sighed and showed it to Ramila, who immediately ran happily to my room and brought a laptop and a Chinese dictionary.
" Go ahead. Tomorrow you'll hand in the first batch of papers and get your praise. You really miss it."
Having stroked the lid of the faithful comrade, my laptop was already three years old, and it worked properly, I got into the mail. Julia was not stingy on the amount of materials. It looks like we'll have to sit till morning!
" Pour me some tea too, please," she asked, seeing that Ramilya was making herself a fresh pot.
After estimating the amount of work, I suddenly calmed down. Even if she couldn't get revenge, she could just get her life back on track. And the place to start was work.
I opened the documents and reference books sent to me and immersed myself in the text. The case progressed slowly. The text contained a huge number of special terms with which I had not familiarized myself before.
But I began to understand what exactly our company does. It provides support for foreign companies that have decided to develop the Russian market. It sounded beautiful, but in reality it is a huge amount of paperwork. And also in the ability to maneuver between the conflicting laws of the two countries, as well as the wishes of the client and the reality that the Russian market has to offer.

***
At half past eight I was already in my seat in the office. I had to come in early. I had to print out what I had done yesterday. I put the papers in folders and waited impatiently for Julie to arrive. In the evening I sent her a few translated documents, and the rest I decided to give her at the office. And after receiving enthusiastic messages of gratitude, I suddenly felt that I liked it.
To my surprise, however, it was the boss who showed up at the office first. He looked a little wrinkled, wearing yesterday's shirt and a day's worth of unshaven hair.
" Good morning," I greeted him cheerfully.
" Please, not so loud."
The supervisor disappeared into his office. I shook my head and searched my bag for aspirin. Andrew was not the kind of man who liked to drink a bottle. His body was unprepared, so the result was not long in coming. Putting the papers aside for the time being, I gathered a tray: a glass with instant aspirin, a bottle of mineral water and coffee, the latter I put just in case.
Knocking and without waiting for an answer, she entered. Andrew was sitting at the table, concentrating on massaging his temples.
" Aspirin, " I informed him and put the glass on the table.
Andrew , grabbing the glass, drank the contents in a gulp and leaned back in his chair. I doubt that it helped immediately. Rather, the anticipation of relief tried it on with reality. I froze, waiting for further instructions.
" Everything else after… " he said.
I didn't ask after what. It was obvious. First he needs to come to himself. I silently put the tray with mineral water and coffee in front of him and left.
Julia flew into the waiting room at the same time as me. Swaying on her impressive heels, she took in more air, ready to burst into a tirade of gratitude. I was ahead of her, pressing my finger to my mouth. The girl obediently exhaled.
" Andrew has a headache, " I whispered. " And until the aspirin did not work …"
" Oh! Why?"
I shrugged my shoulders indefinitely. I didn't plan on giving away my boss's secrets. There was a reason he showed up earlier than half of the staff. Now he'll come to his senses, assess his appearance and go home to change. Although a man like Andrew should have a spare shirt with him. You never know!
" All right. Give me a hand, please. I need to write a letter to the partners."
Julia made huge eyes. I laughed quietly. Those who have never seen a computerized hieroglyphics layout won't understand. The characters are written on one key, four at a time. It's hard to tell the difference between half of them when you're not used to them.
" Leave the letter, I'll dial, " promised her.
" You're awesome! I love you!"

Julia handed me a thin opaque folder and rushed off. Hiding behind a ficus tree, I checked my makeup and, after making coffee for myself, returned to my desk. The main boss's reception area turned out to be the quietest place in the universe! I don't know about the deputies, but no one came in here.
About an hour later, Andrew called me in. He looked much better, even changed his shirt. I, trying to keep my distance, put in front of him the documents collected for signing and a separate folder prepared by me personally.
" You have a meeting tomorrow. Everything is ready for it, " I informed the boss.
Andrew was distracted from the papers and looked at me carefully.
" I forgot to ask, are you married?"
" No, " I answered dumbfounded.
I didn't expect such a question. Why would he be interested in the details of my personal life?
" Okay, " nodded Andrew . " There will be a conference in St. Petersburg on Saturday. I'm glad that you have no plans for the weekend, and you can accompany me. The hotel is already booked, we'll leave on Friday. You can go."
I just nodded and went out to the reception area. But I didn't expect such a turnaround. It turns out that if I don't have a husband and children, I don't have plans for the weekend either! Besides, who takes a secretary who has been working for a few days with them on a trip?
Feeling that I needed to share and consult with someone, I grabbed my phone and ran to the bathroom to talk without interference. Experience told me that it was better to discuss a person behind his back when he was not around. And the neighboring office under the designation "far away" fell somehow weakly.
Having jumped out to the stairwell, I went down one flight and immediately turned back. Dimitri stood in the corridor and hugged the girl. Climbing a few steps, she tried to listen to his conversation.
" You don't give me enough time, " the girl said capriciously.
" I work, " Dimitri was naturally surprised.
" At night?"
It became clear to me that he was talking to his wife. It seems that their family life was marred by his inattention. By the way, there is such a peculiarity in Dimitri's behavior. At the beginning of the relationship, he was very attentive. Sometimes it seemed to me that he read my mind. But when our relationship became strong and stable, and I couldn't breathe without him, he became distant. No, in the moments he spent with me, even if only on the phone he was so gentle.....
" I've gotten a job, I don't want people to say I married you for a career. I will achieve everything on my own."
Dimitri spoke in a confident and unbending voice. Just a couple weeks ago I would have believed in his words unconditionally, but now it was funny. The girl whispered something fervently. I didn't eavesdrop any further and went back to the waiting room. The more I learned about him, the more disgusted I became. How could I love him?
The interesting thing was that I couldn't find a decent excuse. Betrayal killed love, and the brain kicked in. But so far he'd only wondered how blind I'd been.
I spent the whole day thinking about the stupid things I'd done in my life. Secretarial work was the most boring job in the world. The phone didn't ring very often, the visitors were mostly couriers who dropped by a couple times. And the boss seemed to have decided to sleep in, since he only called me once all day to let me know he was leaving.
***

I was home by eight o'clock, exhausted by the road, I walked up to our house without looking around. So I didn't notice the festivities right away. Neighbors, who jumped out of their houses, were frantically putting out the fire. I rushed to us and almost crashed into Ramila, who had come out of the house in a tiny robe, but with a huge bucket of water.
" What happened?"
" Idiots surrounded us!"
Ramila ran to the neighboring plot, and I rushed after her. The picture I saw was more pathetic than scary. A huge fire was burning in the middle of the neighbor's plot. When I looked closer, I realized that it was firewood prepared for the winter, but unused. A man in underpants, an alcoholic T-shirt and rubber boots was running around the fire. He didn't even try to put anything out, the neighbors were doing it. The curiosity of the situation was that the fire could spread to any house standing nearby. A strong gust of wind was enough to carry the spark.
Ramila splashed a bucket of water on the fire. The flames, hissing mockingly, continued.
" Damn fool! " The friend fawned over the man and ran back.
I agreed with her wholeheartedly, rushing back, going to join our rescue.
Following me, a burly woman flew into our plot, in whom I could hardly identify my neighbor on the right. This time she was wearing a plush bathrobe and carrying a huge skein of rubber in her hands. On closer inspection, it turned out to be a hose, just catastrophically wide in diameter.
" Come on, help me!"
The two of us quickly unwound the hose. I with one end stood in a fighting stance at the fence, going to water the fire. My neighbor hooked the other end to the faucet and opened the water.
The hose shuddered and hummed suspiciously. I was alarmed; I had never heard water make such a sound before. Seconds passed, and still no pressure.
The water rushed out like a geyser, hitting the fence. I fell on my back and let go of the hose. It danced around, splashing everyone with water. I jumped up and tried to grab the hose. A neighbor decided to do the same, and we collided on the approach. I collapsed to the ground, the neighbor snorted contemptuously. She was an indestructible rock holding the water pressure, directing it in the right direction. True, she had several targets, the fire and its culprit.
When she was done, she turned off the water and proudly walked away, leaving the firemen to deal with the arsonist. I was left sitting on the ground in a puddle of mudd.
" Impressive, to say the least," Ramilya commented.
I hooked and pulled myself up off the ground and wandered into the house. Why wouldn't this hard day full of surprises end?

***
After a sudden hose shower in the bathtub, I soaked for about an hour. I had to literally scratch the dirt out of my hair with a brush. And here's the most amazing thing, if you make a natural mask and diligently rub it into your scalp to revitalize and nourish the bulbs, about half of it stays dry. And if you fall on the ground and get doused with water, it's like you've gotten a lamination.
So I cleaned myself up. I got into a tracksuit, as it turned out, neighbors can quickly and effectively diversify life, and there will be no time to change clothes. I went to the kitchen. The suspiciously familiar smell of something spicy beckoned. I hope my nose is not deceiving me and Ramila is making mulled wine.
" You know what the saddest part is? You'll have to live side by side with these people for years to come," she said sadly.
" Maybe it's not so bad?"
Ramila looked at me skeptically. I lowered my eyes. We've only lived here a week, and the neighbors have already revived our life. They're running around our yard, or trying to burn it down!
While Ramila was stirring the potion of soothing, I made sandwiches. Dinner turned out to be peculiar and far from proper nutrition, but tasty. Sometimes you have to indulge yourself. After thinking, I sliced some cheese and opened a jar of olives.
Having poured the drink into half-liter high mugs, we sat down at the table. It was under the hot wine with spices that I told my friend about the upcoming business trip. The longer I thought about it, the more I did not understand the motives of Andrew .
" Great! " Ramilya was excited. " Is he handsome?"
" Who? " I did not understand.
" Andrew ."
" Mr. Roberts , " I added. " So…"
Feigning indifference, I introduced the boss, a tall, statuesque brunette with green eyes. And that's just the beginning of his virtues, to everything else he is also smart. He's just predictable, judging by Camille. But he always smelled nice, his perfume, obviously bought not in Russia, with dignity silent about the number of zeros in foreign currency in its price tag. Oh yes, without a doubt, you can't pass by such a thing. Only after some time, I'm allergic to handsome men.
" So he's handsome," Ramilya said.
" He's not my type," I said.
" Well, we've already seen yours," Ramilya said skeptically.
" You know, when I came to the interview, there was a whole corridor full of models, and I was chosen. What does that say?"
" That they birch trees? " Ramila suggested.
I shook my head and, carefully scooping up the "brew" with a tablespoon, drank my mental torment. Unlike my friend, I had another theory. Against the background of beauties with legs from the ears, I was a natural gray mouse. And Ms.Adams was looking for a secretary who would work, not dream about the boss. And if fantasies wander into her head, the boss will not want to realize them.
" But if that's the case, you probably shouldn't overstep your bounds. This business trip will be a test. Whether you can stand the test of his beauty and charm or not. You need to pack your things. "
And not in a way that makes it look like you're ready to jump into bed with him, even though you'd rather be on the table with your boss. You have a different mission for this company.
That's where I totally agreed with her. I didn't have a normal job in my employment history. I had to be able to hold it for a couple years. And ideally get a promotion. Rendezvousing with my boss didn't fit into that plan.
" But, you know, it's time to get out of the "mousey mouse" mold, too. There will be other men there," Ramila added unexpectedly.
I grimaced. After the betrayal of my beloved, I was not ready to let someone into my life.
" Hey, neighbors!"
There was a knock at the kitchen window. We shuddered and turned at the knock. A burned-out neighbor loomed in the yard. This time he looked almost decent: in sweatpants and an open turtleneck, but in the same alcoholic T-shirt. He looked about forty years old. His blond, long uncut hair fell over his eyes, and his face was framed by a beard that would only scare a barber.
" What do you want? " Ramila snorted, opening the window.
" I just came to apologize. I didn't know you'd already arrived."
The man's logic was strange. That is, if he knew that the house was inhabited again, would not have set fire to the wood?
" Well, apologize, " "allowed" Ramilya.
" Wo!"
The neighbor shook a colored shabby bag and… climbed through the window. Ramilya recoiled, and I jumped up. No one had ever come to visit us like that before. The neighbor threw the bag on the table and introduced himself:
" Mathew."
" Ramilya, Rina."
Unexpectedly, my friend responded, approvingly squinting at the bag, which in fact turned out to be full of smoked fish.
" I smoked it myself," Mathew said proudly.
" Have a seat," Ramilya almost purred.
Smoked fish was her weakness. She consumed it in immense quantities and drank it with sweet tea. To me, it was a terrible combination. The guest did not talk himself into it, and sitting down at the table, he grunted approvingly, taking a mug of mulled wine. Being in some shock from unexpectedly formed neighbor's meetings, I snatched my phone without looking and answered the call.
" Hi, " Dimitri said hello.
" Hi," I answered muffled.
My heart sank somewhere in my stomach and fluttered. I must have changed my face, because Ramila immediately looked up to see who was calling me. When she saw the contact, she hissed angrily. We had agreed on the train that I would not answer his calls.
" For some reason I can't reach you. I miss you very much," Dimitri went on the offensive.

I kept silent, because I knew who was the only one of us missing, and who was living life to the fullest and had even started a family.
" Where did you disappear to? Why are you silent? " Dimitri asked, without waiting for an answer.
" I'm here."
I couldn't pull myself together. The words were stuck in my throat. They were backed up by sobs, which I was ready to burst into tears. My head was like a balloon, it was going to blow away.
" Someone important is on the phone," Mathew said.
" Yes, it is," Ramilya snorted.
" Who's that there? " Dimitri asked suspiciously. " A man? Did you get another one? Is that why you don't answer my calls?"
" Why? " I got angry.
" I'm working for our future! And you!"
I couldn't believe my ears. He's trying to make me jealous?! I was sitting at home like a fool, daydreaming. and now he's accusing me of cheating on him!
" It's the neighbor! " I enlightened him.
" Oh, yeah?!"
" Well, yes! " I confirmed it with a challenge.
" I've got it all figured out, it looks like I'm in danger of catching a scene from a cheap joke!"
" Vaudeville," I corrected him.
" Are you laughing? Honey, if I came home, would you at least let me in?"
I didn't say anything, desperately fighting myself. To start sobbing into the phone was to bring myself down even lower. We'd meet at the office sooner or later. It's a miracle we haven't crossed paths yet.
" Tell him we're waiting for him, and we'll make pies, his favorite! With meat! " Ramila came to my rescue
" With cabbage. Dimitri likes cabbage, " I corrected him.
" What kind of man doesn't like meat? " muttered the neighbor.
" "The best," Ramilya grinned. " Tell me, I'm already running to the market for cabbage. Or better to the fields, I'll take it from a private citizen, just in time for his arrival and I'll turn around."
Now Dimitri was silent, listening to our argument. I tried feverishly to think of something to say to him. When Ramilya and Mathew laughed, Dimitri hung up.
I sank down in my chair and stared dumbly at the screen.
" Should I call him back? " I muttered.
" He'd call me. He's in dire need of you right now," Ramila snorted.
" What's that? " I didn't understand.
" He badly needs your part of the money for the mortgage," she said.
Unfortunately, she was right. In my mind I understood it perfectly well. But that didn't make it any easier. I finished the contents of my glass in a gulp, said goodbye to my neighbor and went to pack my things.

***
I decided not to take too much with me, so I pulled out a small gym bag and packed two suits, one dress, and a pair of shoes. The clothes had to come from Ramili's closet. That made it a little embarrassing. If it wasn't for this trip that couldn't be turned down, I would have gone to the mall on Saturday and bought my own. The tutor didn't need business suits. Oh, and for the past few years, I've only bought things out of necessity. When things that had fallen into disrepair couldn't be darned without a mark.
" Are you going? " Ramila asked. I nodded. " Ta-dam!"
My friend pulled out several tubes of paint from behind her back.
" Now we'll do your head. Since we can't fix the contents, we'll fix the outside. Please!"
I frowned skeptically, then sat down resolutely. It was reckless to entrust my hair to a manicurist. Though it wouldn't be any worse than it is now.
Ramila stirred the paint with inspiration and made the first stroke. Judging by the number of bottles used, she was a professional. I sincerely hope my hair won't fall out after it!

Chapter 4

A nasty, nasty sound popped into my ears, cracked my head, and threw me out of my dream and into reality. My body wasn't going to give up just like that, so I tried to sleep it off. But as soon as I closed my eyes, the sound repeated itself. The realization that it was an alarm clock brought a sharp sense of doom. By the end of the week, after commuting to work every day, spending four hours a day on the subway, my only dream was to get some sleep.
Fumbling for the phone under my pillow, I decided to cowardly postpone rising for ten minutes and was surprised to find that it wasn't an alarm clock! It was a bell! And it was only half past five in the morning!
Wondering who could have called at this hour, she accepted the call. I was going to say everything I thought about this person, and in the most obscene form.
" Rina! I knew you'd been awake for a long time. Smart girls get up early!"
The voice of the unknown interlocutor was ringing. I wasn't thinking straight, and it took me fifteen seconds to understand the meaning of the word "early".
" What?" I asked in surprise. " Who are you? "
" I'm Mila."
In fact, if I wanted to insult her to her face, that's what I'd call her.
" I asked who you are and why are you calling so early?"
I sat down on the couch and shrugged irritably. Today I have a hard day ahead of me and instead of getting a good night's sleep and rest, I have to talk to some crazy woman.
" I'm the manager, I'll bring the waiters to your office," she reported cheerfully.
" It's twelve o'clock in the afternoon! " I got angry.
" Yes, yes, there's not much time left. We'll be there at eleven o'clock and…"
I breathed through my teeth and dropped the call. I collapsed onto my pillow and tried to sleep. It didn't work, though; anger was more energizing than anything else.
After turning around for about ten minutes and realizing that she couldn't fall asleep, she got up and went to the kitchen.
In fact, Mila had woken me up only half an hour earlier than my alarm clock, but that half hour was exactly what I needed to sleep. I had been missing half an hour all week.
To my surprise, Ramila was already in the kitchen, absent-mindedly stirring coffee in a coffee pot. She looked as if she hadn't been to bed at all.
" Can't sleep? " I asked glumly.
I usually got up first, showered, and then met her in the kitchen.
" You could say that. I keep thinking, what exactly Dimitri was counting on when he went on a walk?"
" Does it make any difference? " I inquired with demonstrative indifference.
" Of course! " Ramilya assured me eagerly.
I sat down on the chair and raised my eyebrows in surprise. It seemed that my friend could not calm down and continued to think about her plan of revenge.
" What does it matter to us what he was counting on? I doubt we'll be able to get him to talk about it. "
" Why would we ask him anything? We could just follow him."
I was lucky I was able to sit up. If I'd stood up, I'd have fallen. Ramila seems to have had a lot of crazy ideas this morning. And she loves them.
I didn't share them. As far as I was concerned, the idea was impossible, moreover, on the verge of fantasy. But Ramila seemed to like it more and more every minute. I had to touch her forehead defiantly.
" Don't fuss," Ramila waved my hand away.
" Didn't you sleep well? Why do you suddenly have such strange ideas in the morning? And in general, how do you envision it? Are we going to ride the subway after him? And beforehand, to specify – at what station to get off? "
Dimitri traveled around the city by car, and we took the subway. Of course, we could take a cab, but traffic jams can eat up a fortune, and we can't even talk about our modest means.
" How we do it is another matter," Ramilya snorted.
I sighed and, pushing her away from the stove, took the pot off the fire. Ramila was so excited that she stopped watching the drink. It looked like the coffee was nasty and overcooked, but it didn't even run off. I don't know how she does it. Mine escapes almost immediately. All my attempts to make an Americano end up with washing the stove, the pot, and sometimes the floors, and I have to drink instant coffee to realize my inadequacy.

I poured the coffee into cups and sat Ramila in a chair. I didn't understand why she was having this conversation at all.
" Let's start at the beginning," I suggested. " Why are you going to follow him? "
" Think about it, Dimitri has been using women all his life to achieve his plans. So his next woman is much richer than the one he's married to. And if he hasn't moved in with her and divorced her yet, it can only mean that their relationship hasn't reached the stage of living together yet."
" So? " I asked dumbly.
Hearing about another of Dimitri's girlfriends hurt. I would have been more than happy to end this conversation. Only then, developed a detailed and illogical plan, will sit in the nearest bushes from the office with theater binoculars.
" And the fact that now is exactly the moment when you can intervene and spoil his "raspberry"."
" You think?"
" Oh, Rina, you never cease to amaze me! Now he's not going out with a girl, he's going out with his legal wife. Plus he works for her father's company. One mistake and he's"
" Unemployed, but with his own apartment," I finished.
It was a sore subject. I never dared to tell my parents the truth. And they're always asking how I live and want me to take pictures of the apartment. So far I've managed to avoid this conversation, but I'm afraid it won't last long.
Ramilya is certainly getting carried away and, at the moment, her thought is more like the plot of a detective novel. But she is right about one thing, it is a good moment to reveal Dimitri's affairs. However, there was still an open question: " how to find out who that woman was?
" Do you have an idea yet? "
" Not yet, but I'm sure I'll think of something."

***

All the way to the office, I thought about our conversation with Ramila.
In fact, my friend was right; if we didn't intervene now, there was no way to get revenge. There was one more problem, I wasn't sure I needed this. Immersed in my thoughts, I made it to the office almost without adventure. All I got was another foot stomp and an elbow to the stomach.
I got out of the flow of people and walked toward the office. When I hesitated, I almost ran into a lone picketer. I understand when people strive for something important, but here the sign said: "save aliens from space."
I was floored and frozen in place. I can't even imagine what humanity has to do to accomplish this? The man holding the placard gave me a look of superiority and set his jaw stubbornly. I belatedly jerked into the crosswalk, the traffic light blinked mockingly and switched to red. It told me it would take a hundred and eighty seconds to stop.
I had to run the last couple of dozen meters to the office. When I reached the entrance hall, I slowed down to find my phone ringing in my bag. Only when I stopped, I noticed Dimitri standing in front of the guards. He was talking to someone on the phone. Judging by the way he was writing, the conversation was unpleasant. If I hadn't stopped, I might have hit him. He'd be surprised to see me.
I didn't have time to jump out into the street, and I wasn't ready for him. I dropped the bag I'd been rummaging through for my phone, its contents scattering on the floor. Feeling like I was going to burst into tears, I started to pick it up.
" You're Miss Tidy today, aren't you?"
Julia sat down next to me. I gave her a quick glance and continued taking everything into the bag.
" Almost," I muttered.
Julia laughed and started helping me pack. I was more grateful to her for blocking Dimitri from me. The former "man of my life" didn't recognize me. Just slid an indifferent glance and went to the elevator. I tried to reassure myself that it was because of the color of my hair, the dye was uneven, and it turned out to be a kind of melting. Well, it was still better than my natural mousy color.
" What's your hurry? And why do you look like that? " Julia asked.
" Because you don't know what will happen if I'm late?"
Out of the corner of my eye I watched Dimitri enter the elevator. He looked like a Greek god, if the gods of Olympus really existed, and they were stylists for glossy magazines. Dark hair, slightly disheveled by the wind, long black coat, impeccable suit. And there's nothing to say about the right facial features and statuesque figure.
" Oh-oh, don't tell me you've fallen victim to our handsome man? " Julia grinned contemptuously.
" Yes, a victim on the altar," I muttered.
" He'd chosen another unfortunate woman as his victim. And she's so in love with him that she doesn't even want to see the obvious."
" The obvious?" I wondered.
" Of course! This macho, before marrying, tried almost all the women in this office.
Julia laughed, but it seemed to me that there was something personal in it. Not for nothing she is trying so hard to bypass him on the career ladder? "
" Run, I'll try to hold him off, " Julia suddenly said, looking behind my back.
Turning around, I found Andrew , rapidly approaching us. Quickly thanking Julia, I ran up the stairs to my workplace. There was no time to wait for the elevator. I hope Julia will be able to delay him for at least a couple of minutes. I should just throw off my coat so he wouldn't realize I'd just arrived. Losing my job would be much more frustrating now than it would have been even a week ago. And as Ms.Adams told me, the only thing Andrew doesn't tolerate is tardiness.

***
As I flew into the waiting room, I threw off my coat and sat down in my seat, pretending I'd been here a long time. The hardest part was getting my breathing even. I ran up the stairs only three floors, but it felt like ten. I should do some cardio workouts after all.
As I waited, Andrew appeared almost right behind me, muttering something unintelligible, he opened up in his office. I remained seated in my seat, for the first time since morning not having received an order. Truly, I had never seen him so angry. All of Julie's efforts to get his attention seemed to have had the opposite effect. Instead of taking an interest in her, she started to annoy him.
Putting Juli's and her boss's problems out of her mind, she decided to think about her own. A confrontation with Dimitri in front of Julia would have exposed us. I doubt he would have been able to keep from making a couple of compromising comments about us. I doubt she'd like the fact that we already know him. And I'd better not show my face to him just yet, but when we finish the project....
Dreaming and thinking are best done with your hands full. So first, I programmed the coffee machine for a double Americano and then watered the palm tree. Preparing papers to sign, a tray of coffee, and exhaling in front of the supervisor's door.
" Good morning, " I said hello to Andrew, entering his office.
Putting a cup of coffee on his desk and putting the documents in front of him, I froze. Andrew took a sip of coffee, hummed approvingly and looked at me.
" Do you remember what day it is today? " He asked glumly.
" Today is the board of directors, of course. The commercial director has already sent the report so you can read it in advance. It's in the top folder. The waiters will be here on time, they've already confirmed the order."
Maybe I should have told him it happened at five in the morning. Maybe he'd cheer up. The bosses were in a bad mood today, and I was afraid to say too much. In that mood, "You're fired" comes off quickly.
" Well, I hope it goes smoothly this time."
I didn't ask how it went last time. It's clear that he didn't like the result. Actually, it was not surprising. The director is young, and the deputies are old. I think there are those who think that they can cope with this position better.
Andrew leaned back in his chair, corrected his watch, unbuttoned the cuff, then buttoned it and took it off for some reason. It was obvious to the naked eye that he was worried.
" Can I get you some … chamomile tea?"
I corrected myself at the last second and didn't offer a sedative. It wouldn't hurt, though.
" No thanks," Andrew hissed, having managed to read the sedative between the lines.
" Can I go now?"
I wanted not only to leave, to run away from him. I don't know where that confident man who'd been going to work all week had gone. Today he's replaced by a nervous and twitchy boy.
" Yeah, yeah, go and check it out again."
As I left the office, I exhaled a sigh of relief. I didn't expect him to be so worried.

***
" So formidable, huh? " They asked me sympathetically.
I shuddered with surprise and looked at the early visitor. A short, short-haired brunette, dressed in a bag with fringe (it looked faintly like the fashionable boho style, more like a bag even with fabric), smiled sympathetically at me.
" Excuse me, do you have an appointment?"
I ignored her question. Now I had a much more important problem – how could I make an appointment for this day?
" Oh yes, we haven't met in person yet. I'm Mila. I'm so happy to meet you."
She smiled charmingly. My smile was not so happy, but rather artificial and glued.
" You're here too early," I enlightened her, fighting the urge to strangle her.
Thanks to her, I almost fell asleep on the subway, holding onto the handrail and leaning against the man standing next to me.
" Oh, of course! You and I have so much to prepare!"
I pulled my eyebrows together, not sure what she meant. To me, she had a simple task – to bring the waiters who would put the food on plates and set the table.
" I'll be glad to help you in any way I can," I informed her nonetheless.
" I believed in you, Rina! You are my bright angel! " Mila splashed her hands.
I had no other choice but to smile and unobtrusively lead her out of the waiting room. Andrew is not in the right frame of mind to face such a cheerful person like her. Even I was annoyed by her diminutive and affectionate suffixes, and he'd definitely freak out. And since I'm the closest employee he can reach, all the anger will fall on me.
Taking Mila to the room reserved for waiters, I showed her where the dishes, towels, and flutes were, and turned on the refrigerator. This room, not an employee dining room. It was for the service staff, who were constantly called to all the meetings and large meetings.
Leaving Mila to go through the plates "what if they are chipped and it will not be nice and unpleasant!", I returned to the reception room. I have a lot of work to do without Mila. First, I opened the windows in the conference room to check it out. I put the mineral water and the glasses rubbed to a shine in their places. I printed out six more copies of the report and organized them into special folders.
I don't know who invented this statute, but I carried the documents in a red folder for signing. If Andrew just needed to familiarize himself with something, then – in the black one. Invitations to exhibitions or receptions – in the green one. And the folders for the Board of Directors' report were dark purple.

***
Time flew by without a second thought, I didn't have time to close the windows before the participants began to gather.
The first to arrive in the conference hall were both of Andrew 's deputies. I had seen them only glimpses before, greeted them faithfully and never received a reply. They always looked at me only as furniture.
Both deputies were of advanced age, overweight and somewhat similar to each other. Mr. Druz was in principle constantly busy and talked on the phone. Nair Iosifovich Akhmadulin looked through everyone and looked down on them. Mr. Brow, as he was "affectionately" called on the sidelines of the company. I liked it because he was Dimitri's father-in-law.
When they came in, they immediately settled down in the armchairs. Tension hung in the air.
" Coffee," Mr. Brow demanded.
I smiled sweetly, waiting for him to continue. I didn't know what kind he drank. Maybe he liked it sugary and black or, on the contrary, without sugar but with cream?
" I'll just have a black one, and a lot more," asked Pyotr Ivanovich.
He looked away from his papers for a moment, gave me an indifferent glance, and then went back to his documents.
I had to go for coffee. "Hog" I made the same as Peter Ivanovich, only I put a couple of pieces of cane sugar on a saucer. After thinking about it, I put them around the cup.
While I was making coffee, new faces appeared in the conference room: two middle-aged men and a woman. When she saw the cup I put in front of Akhmadulin, she smiled sarcastically.
" Tea? Coffee? " I inquired.
Akhmadulin nonchalantly put seven lumps of sugar in the cup and stirred it with a spoon.
Having received a new order, I jumped out into the reception area and ran nose to nose with Mila. At the sight of me, she splashed her hands with joy.
" I took away such a gorgeous set! You must see it."
" I trust your taste," I assured her.
I didn't want to have to run to look at the plates with the difference of the monograms turned to the left or right. After setting out the cups, I programmed the coffee machine.
" You're so great! You're like a cheburashka! Just as touching and sweet!"
At least it's not an eared one. But just to be on the safe side, I did look at my ears through the reflective panel. It's not uncommon to notice flaws only after they've been pointed out.
" Oh! The boys are here! " Mila suddenly shrieked and took off.
I exhaled a sigh of relief and, having made coffee, went back. I got the order again. Feeling like a waitress in a roadside cafe, I ran back and forth a few more times.
So when Andrew said the sacramental: "Let's begin". I was ready to kiss him with happiness.
I lowered myself into the chair and stretched out my buzzing legs. Now I understood and bowed before the labor of waitresses. How much patience and health to work in such a mode all day long!
Thinking of the waiters, I remembered Mila. Her thirst for activity must be controlled! She had said the boys were here, we should see!
I jumped up and ran to the staff quarters. She was in a madhouse! Six guys in their twenties were trying to change their clothes. Mila snuck between them and interfered with each with advice.
" Yura, tuck in your shirt. Mishenka, little girl, the butterfly must be straight!
"Baby," standing in his shirt and underpants, dropped his pants and began to adjust his bowtie.
" Sweetie, there are some bottles in the cupboard: whiskey, cognac, please take them out. I need to take them to the front desk.
Catching the appreciative looks from all the guys, I realized I was going in the right direction. Sweetie needs to be neutralized!
While she got the bottles out, I took the tray and put the right glasses on it. I'm sure you'll need them soon enough. Men in general like to discuss important matters with a glass in their hands.
" Please help me carry it to the waiting room.”
Sweetie was eager to follow me. For good reason, as it turns out.”
" Your place is so stylish and beautiful! Do you often order waiters?
" For every council and big meetings.”
" Oh, that's great. I'm ready to help with all the preparations.”
I nodded in agreement, vowing never to use their company again!
Dumping the glasses on the table behind the palm tree, I turned to her to cool her fervor a bit. Maybe if she took offense and left, the serving of lunch would go off without incident?
The conference room door opened and a board member stepped out. He walked purposefully toward us, looked at the glasses, chose one for whiskey and turned to Mila. She readily filled it. Having drunk in a gulp, he put the glass down and returned to the conference room. All this in silence!
I looked at him in complete bewilderment and turned to Mila.
" It happens," she shrugged philosophically.
I didn't have time to answer, this time Mr. Brow came into the waiting room. He chose a cognac and made sure that the glass was full, drank it in one gulp and left.
From that moment on, a whole joint pulled out of the conference room. Sweetie became the bartender, and I ran to the restroom to wash glasses. As a result, it was no surprise that when lunch started to be served, everyone was a little tipsy.
" Can I get you anything? " quietly asked Andrew .
" No, thank you, he shook his head."
The gathering became very lively, and they were cheerfully discussing something. The guys coped perfectly well, neutralized Mila, left to guard the bottles, and did not interfere with them.
" Rina, do you remember that we're leaving today? " Andrew suddenly inquired.
" Of course, " frankly speaking, I forgot about it. And I didn't take my suitcase with me, as I had planned.
" Everyone is starting to disperse. Call the cleaning lady and go to pack. Meet me at Domodedovo at 8:30. There's an 8:00 p.m. flight."
" All right."
I can't believe he's really taking me on this trip. For the first time in a long time, I had a wonderful sense of anticipation.

Chapter 5

Domodedovo met … as always! To understand where in this anthill is what? – you have to work here!
A married couple rushed past me, almost knocking me off my feet, rattling my suitcases. They ran in the crowd like flies in butter and scattered in different directions, then met again at the same place. And the man said something bright and emotional. But they ended up going in the direction the woman was running.
I grinned and, clutching my small suitcase tighter, went in search of any of the airport staff.
Inside, the airport was a nominal post-bombing market. They sold everything from food and newspapers, which was reasonable, to various appliances, which was surprising.
And here's the best part, if you ask a vendor anything, he doesn't know anything. Not even where the nearest toilet is! Before asking him, you need to buy something to jog his memory, so to speak. Unfortunately, the prices in Domodedovo were as if only millionaires used the airport's services. But the airport staff could not be seen at a glance. Probably, they shyly dissolved among travelers hoping to join the group flying, say, to Kanye.
I had to get to the VIP lounge. That's where Andrew was waiting for me, holding my ticket, salary and work book.
The phone call came at the moment when I noticed the local guard and was about to catch up with him. I pulled out my phone and answered it without looking:
" I forgot to tell you exactly which hall I'll be waiting for you in."
I blinked, realizing belatedly that I had answered Andrew 's call. I should still look at the phone before answering in a disgruntled tone.
" Isn't he alone? " I was sincerely surprised.
VIP lounges are usually used either by business class passengers or participants of any programs, from the category – "fly a hundred times super economy class and get one VIP lounge dinner".
" Uh, uh… What floor are you on? " He asked me with a hesitation.
I was embarrassed, although, it would seem, how could I know about the number of VIP lounges in airports?
" The first."
" Great. From the main entrance, turn left, go straight, straight, straight, straight, straight until you see the sign. Can you handle it?"
" Of course," I replied, slightly perplexed.
Judging by his tone and the way he explained it, he had already joined the bar. However, it finally became clear to me where to go. The main thing was that I didn't have to turn anywhere, otherwise I would have gotten lost.
I got to the desired place quickly, but before the entrance to the hall there was a small hitch. I was blocked by a guard who asked me if I had a ticket. And the ticket had to be a business class ticket. In fact, I didn't have any.
" My boss has the ticket, I'm a secretary," I said cheerfully.
" Secretary? And the director of the company has the ticket? " The guard asked incredulously.

I sighed, knowing exactly what he was talking about. Usually it's just the opposite, the secretary has the tickets, passes, minty motion sickness pills and bags if the pills don't help. I had to pull out my phone and call Andrew , not to argue with the guard, proving that the tickets were ordered much earlier than I was employed!
" Are you Rina? " asked one of the waitresses and, after waiting for my confused "Yes", continued: " I'll show you to your table."
I exhaled with relief and smiled gratefully at the girl. Trying not to look at the confused guard, I followed her.
Andrew was sitting at a corner table, in front of him there was one glass and an almost finished bottle of whiskey. The man himself was already quite tipsy. I greeted him once more in surprise and sat down carefully.
" I hate flying," the boss confided.
I blinked in surprise, not expecting such a confession from a man. Everyone I'd known before had been desperately brave or angry, but they'd never admitted their weakness.
Andrew filled the glass. I managed to move forward and cover it with my hand, preventing him from drinking. A little more would definitely keep us off the plane. According to the rules, the crew has the right to deny boarding to people who are intoxicated or not only intoxicated, but also behaving inappropriately. And who's to say that a man who's just drinking doesn't throw a tantrum before the gangway? Or do the rules not apply to millionaires?
" No need to continue, we're about to board," I muttered.
Andrew suddenly nodded in agreement and moved the glass away from you. Encouraged, I called the waitress and ordered two coffees. In the remaining forty minutes you should try to put him in order.
For that, I'd have to feed him.
" What's our flight? " I asked.
Andrew slid an envelope to me. As I expected, the envelope contained our tickets, hotel reservations and, most pleasantly, the transfer. So, if he doesn't hold back and gets completely drunk on the plane, I won't have to worry about how to get him to the hotel.
" Anything else? " the waitress asked, setting our coffees down in front of us.
" If I could get something to eat, we would have less than forty minutes to board.
Of course, we should not expect the cook to cook a steak and we will be able to eat it in the remaining time. When time is limited, it's always better to ask the waitresses what is available in the kitchen."
" Maybe there are some preferences? " Still, the girl clarified.
I shook my head negatively and assured her that I didn't. I don't suffer from any food allergies, and I don't count calories.
The girl smiled faintly with only the corner of her lips. Most likely, she does not meet such visitors often, who do not demand to fry a piglet in five minutes, and only fresh and do not torture about the exact number of calories in each piece.
Andrew had been sipping his coffee gloomily all this time. If I had known about his problem in advance, I would have bought a light sleeping pill and intercepted it before he could drink it. Of course, there's a pharmacy around here somewhere. Except sleeping pills don't mix well with alcohol, you could end up like Merlin Monroe!
Nevertheless, I was in the best mood I'd ever been in. This trip is going to be exciting. I'll attend a conference, expand my knowledge. Besides, I might be able to visit a couple of interesting places in St. Petersburg itself.

***
Business class finally made me feel like a queen. Before that, I had only flown in economy class, where you can only fold your legs over the ears of the passenger in front of you. But here you have space, a blanket and champagne. And I did not have to ask or demand anything. It was as if the staff could read minds and guess whom to serve what.
At the airport we were met by a decent car, not a minibus. Mr. Roberts , who slept the whole flight and sobered up, managed to get to it by himself. So we didn't have to drag anyone, which only added points to the already high mood.
So, having checked in without any problems, I took the conference program from the reception, registered Andrew as a participant and myself as a secretary, and with a sense of accomplishment went to my room.
The organizers chose a decent hotel. The room was made in a pleasant blue color, which the owner of the hotel killed two birds with one stone – it was not too bright and looked decent. After taking a shower, I realized that I didn't want to sleep at all, as well as to sit in the room.
Life had suddenly taken an unexpected turn. A month ago I was a simple English tutor. A month later, I was a woman who'd been dumped.
And now… I wanted to open the window and shout all over Peter how happy I was.
I didn't shout out the window, of course. But I changed into a quite decent dark purple dress with a smell, put on stilettos and went down to the bar. After all, the workday was over, and I could afford a martini or a margarita. As I walked downstairs, I couldn't decide what I really wanted. So I decided to have both.
Having settled down at the bar, I made an order and turned to the TV, which was showing some foreign music videos. The blonde singer managed to sing something, while dancing in boots, on a huge platform and no less high heels, and in iron underpants. I wonder if she rubbed anything on herself.
" Don't you like her? " the bartender suddenly inquired.
" Honestly, it's the first time I've seen her," I said, embarrassed.
The bartender was a pretty good-looking guy. He had gray eyes, dark blond hair pulled back in a short, disheveled ponytail over shaved temples. And that's okay, but he even looked younger.
" Really? " He was genuinely surprised. " She's been on every channel lately. I even got it."
" So I guess I'm lucky," I laughed. Sneakingly reading the nametag, I should have done it right away.
" And how lucky," Denis assured me. " You'd better come tomorrow. We'll have a local rock band playing. You'll definitely like them"
" I will," I assured him.
Not listening to a local rock band in St. Petersburg is like not going to Red Square in Moscow and not buying a gingerbread in Tula.

***
Satisfied with the time I had spent, I went to my room. And on the stairs I heard some unexplainable screams. My premonition was right, it was all for me. It can't be that everything was going perfectly well, there must be a spoonful of honey in the barrel of honey.
Camille broke into my room and demanded to open it.
" What are you doing? " I asked, stopping so that the distance between us was a little more than two meters. The girl had clearly lost her mind. And it's dangerous to get close to someone like that.
The blonde turned sharply and thrust her clawed red manicure forward.
" Aha! I knew it was you!" Camille howled.
I took a step back, expecting her to lash out.
" Excuse me? " I wondered.
Who did she expect to see trying to kick down the door to my room?
" We were doing so well until you showed up!"
The blonde defiantly whimpered, about to burst into beautiful tears. I didn't understand what her complaint was, but I didn't plan to find out.
I had to get up early tomorrow, at eight in the morning, so that I could be ready for the conference by nine. It was the first hour of the morning and I still planned to get some sleep.
Taking advantage of the fact that Camille was busy with her theater production, I quickly opened the door to my room, planning to hide inside. And let her knock until the porter came! Turns out that's exactly what she was expecting. Pushing me away, the blonde was the first to break in with a shout of, "Aha!"
After scanning the entire room with her frantic gaze, she didn't calm down. The room was small, and most of it was occupied by a double bed, two nightstands on its sides, a built-in closet with glass doors on the opposite wall, where the blonde immediately stuck her nose. Not finding what she was looking for, she moved to the only neighboring room – a shower room with a toilet. I don't know what she was looking for, but she obviously couldn't find anything.
" Why do you need such a big bed? " Camille asked suspiciously.
I shrugged, seriously considering calling the receptionist to escort her out by force.
The blonde suddenly collapsed to the floor and looked under the bed. I dropped my bag in surprise.
" I'll catch you anyway," she hissed threateningly and stormed out of the room.
I hurried to lock the door. What if she decided to come back?! Psychos are unpredictable creatures! Sitting down on the bed, I decided to wait a bit to make sure she was gone for good and, if anything, to actually call hotel security for help. I would have to warn Andrew about her appearance tomorrow.

***
The biggest injustice in the world is when you almost have a day off and can sleep, but your body somehow wakes up at five in the morning. You can't sleep at all, and yet you can't go back to sleep.
For the first minute I stared at the perfectly white and flat ceiling and couldn't remember where I was. Then I tried to fall asleep for half an hour, but the kingdom of Morpheus waved me goodbye and slammed the door in my face in the most despicable way.
The booklet of the hotel, which I had studied yesterday, said that breakfast was served only at half past eight in the morning. So it was useless to walk through the corridors in search of coffee. But I had time to thoroughly study the conference program, as well as a small black planner the size of a palm, which was in an envelope with the documents given to me by Andrew at the airport.
What can I say, his schedule was no easier than usual. Let's start at least with a joint breakfast with a certain Sokolov at eight-thirty in the morning. So I'd have to remind him of that at 8:00 sharp. At least I wouldn't have to walk far, our rooms are on the same floor.
After studying the booklet again, I found that the only place to go in the morning was the gymnasium, which never closed. It was as if people could go out at 2am to socialize with the machines. I probably would have gone now too if I had known about it in advance and brought my sneakers. The hotel also has a spa and massage rooms, a swimming pool (if I find a store where I can buy a swimsuit, I will definitely go!), a restaurant and a bar, which I already managed to visit yesterday. The only entertainment available to me so far is the shower in my room, and that's where I went.
Living with a friend is fun, there's always someone to watch shows with, drink wine with and share expenses with. The only thing was that the shower in the morning had to be used in speed mode. We both had to get together at about the same time and half an hour standing under the jets of water was an unacceptable luxury.
I cleaned myself up, put on gray pants, a light shirt, and shoes with a low, wide heel. I didn't know how much running I'd have to do, so I'd better make sure I had comfortable shoes beforehand. I tucked my hair into a bun, tinted my eyes, and twirled around in front of the mirror.
Now I was ready, if not to conquer Peter, then at least to make an attempt.

***
For breakfast, I decided to go to the restaurant's opening time and drop off the paperwork to the boss a little early.
" Get out! "
Andrew opened the door before I could even knock. I was stunned by my boss, who was shaken up and especially angry this morning.
" Come in," he told me.
I was completely confused, having just been told to leave and then to come right in. I even took a closer look at him. Maybe he kept drinking instead of sleeping at night, and in the morning he caught a squirrel? The general crumpled appearance could be an indication that he just didn't have time to clean himself up in the morning, or it could be that he didn't sleep at all.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «Литрес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию (https://www.litres.ru/book/lidiya-antonova-22413132/revenge-served-cold-71048041/) на Литрес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.