The last two days had been more than amazing. As I entered the main office building of my family, I struggled to calm my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about Zhen and our date. Every day, I wanted more of her. I always felt like I wasn’t getting enough.
I had something special planned for tonight. This date would sweep her off her feet. But first, I had to get through the boring family meeting. I knew a lot was going on for all of us.
Everyone just wanted to ensure that all the endeavors ran according to schedule. We had to update the Morozov and Chernykh families as well. But I felt it was something we could have done in emails.
Stepping off the elevator on the top floor, I glided into the boardroom on cloud nine. I was high on life, and my mind was in another place.
“Well, good to see you are still alive and looking mighty well,” Anton breathed out as I entered.
I smiled at him and scanned the room. Everyone was already there and seated. “Am I late?” I inquired, glancing at my watch. They all looked so expectantly at me. I stopped and shifted my tie.
“No, no,” Alexandr replied, standing up. “We were all early. But I have to say you look good compared to the way you seemed when we came to see you that first week. Tell us what’s changed. How’s business going?”
Pulling out a chair, I flopped down into it as I spoke. “Business is fine, nothing new to report. We’ve made a couple of good, solid deals in the last two weeks. Everything is on schedule and progressing nicely. Is there something specific you wanted to know about?”
“Not at the moment,” Alexandr replied. He turned his attention to Abram, and I felt relieved. I could continue my daydreaming as they discussed other matters.
I only heard half of all the discussions as my mind drifted to Zhen. I wondered what she was doing. I knew a couple of presentations needed to be sent before we could go out. I hoped she would get them done on time. If not, I would go back to the office and assist her.
“I must say, the office park complex blueprints look amazing. Did you do those by yourself?” Shaking my head lightly, I looked at Anton as he lightly touched my shoulder. I hadn’t even noticed he had come around to my side. “So, did you?” he asked.
“Yes, and no,” I replied, grinning.
“Now, that is a peculiar answer,” Anton said. “So, tell us more?”
“We were wondering because it seems you are excelling tremendously. When you started, you said it couldn’t be done. But look at it, you are thriving,” Abram added.
My grin changed into a large smile as I thought about Zhen taking the lead on many projects, including this one. I was snapped back to reality as Anton slapped me on the back while talking loudly. “Well, there you have it, boys. Something has changed. Just look at him. To what can we attribute this marvelous change?”
Looking up at him, I knew what the grin on his face meant. Anton would not stop until he got the truth from me. They all wanted an explanation for the sudden success.
“Well, now that you mention it,” I said, rubbing my chin. Glancing at their eager faces, I smiled. Pointing at Alexandr, I continued. “You see, I took your advice and hired a PA.”
“Well, congrats,” Alexandr interrupted.
“Thanks, but you don’t see the whole picture yet,” I huffed, sitting forward. “This woman strolled in and has been doing a lot of the work by herself. I was hesitant to hire her as she…”
“She what?” Anton asked. Everyone was smiling and waiting eagerly for me to continue.
“I thought she might be a spy. That she was sent to report back. To make my life a living hell as she works for the Chernykhs.”
“What?” Abram asked. He got up quickly and came closer. “You think hiring her was then a good idea?”
“Yeah, but no more. She is straight out of the best. She does fabulous work, and I must say, she loves it. It is her passion. So, no, I no longer think she is a spy for them,” I concluded.
“In that case,” Alexandr said, tapping Anton on the shoulder. “I think we must definitely make a point of meeting her. This is curious, though. Let’s remember to set a meeting, okay?”
“Okay,” Abram interrupted. “Back to business then.” He looked at Anton as he continued. “We need confirmation that the weapons cache has come in and the delivery schedule is going as planned?”
Anton gave me a smirk and then turned his attention to Abram. “It’s on schedule and going as planned. There have been no issues of late. So, I think we can proceed with business as usual.”
“Excellent,” Alexandr added. “Tasha, is there anything on your front we need to know about?”
“Well,” Tasha said. “It appears the Chernykhs are letting up on the Vasilievs a little. Their workload has come down, for which all of us are grateful. Vadik is currently busy with operations for the Morozovs. I am working with Evelina, searching for the company circulating the new street drug. Other than that, all is good.”
“Okay, sounds good. Keep me updated on the new drug, please,” Alexandr replied.
Tasha smiled and nodded as she responded. “No problem, will do so. But as I said, everything is running smoothly.”
Anton suddenly cleared his throat. He shifted in his chair and added his voice. “Yes, everything on our side is also going well. I have sorted the trucks. The warehouses are secure, and we’ve added new guards to our homes.”
“Excellent, well then, I guess the meeting is done,” Alexandr said, getting up. He stood in the door as we got up and started heading out.
Taking my hand and shaking it hard as I got to him, he leaned closer as she spoke. “Akim, please set up the meeting. I think the sooner we get it done, the quicker we can all rest. Plus, I want to meet the woman who placed that smile on your face.”
Grinning at him, I nodded. “Sure, bro, no issue. I will find out when she is available and send you a message. Then you can check your schedule and let us know.”
He nodded in reply and let go of my hand. This meeting went better than I could have imagined. I felt happy and excited. The new meeting would also be the perfect time to introduce her as my girlfriend.
I intended to officially ask her out at dinner. This way, we could do things right. I knew my family would love her as much as I did. Stopping halfway across the driveway, I glanced back at the house. “Had I just thought that?” I asked myself.
Well, this evening is just full of surprises. I was happy with how things went and decided to call Zhen. I wanted to tell her how much my family loved her work. Besides, I couldn’t miss an opportunity to tease her a bit.
Pulling my phone from my pocket, I dialed her number. I listened to it ringing as I walked to my truck. Ti stopped as I got there. Unlocking the door, I tried again. It wasn’t like her not to answer me.
Then I remembered she had scheduled overtime as she wanted to complete a project. Looking at my watch, I realized she could very well still be at the office. I took a deep breath, feeling a slight nagging concern creep in. “No need to panic,” I told myself.
Hopping into my truck, I pulled out a bit too fast. I looked in my mirror as the pebbles and sand filled the air behind me. If Alexandr saw this, he would have a field day with me.
Placing my phone in the dash bracket, I redialed her number. Was she so busy, she didn’t even hear it ringing? Something felt off. Ending the call, I pressed a bit harder on the gas. I didn’t want to attract unwanted attention, but I had to get to the office.
I had barely gone five blocks when the alarm bells went off on my phone. It vibrated so badly that I couldn’t see which alarm it was. I knew it was one from the office building. As I took the next turn, I saw it was the fire alarm. Looking up, I saw smoke rising in the distance.
“No,” I shouted as I floored the gas. I no longer cared if the cops picked up on me. I had to get to the office. I hoped she wasn’t inside, that she had made it out. I drove like a bat out of hell, swerving left and right through the traffic, swallowing the trepidation building up.
